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December 28, 2009 - Feast of the Holy Innocents

December 29th Holy Spirit Novena
Scripture selection is Day 9 Period II.

The Novena Rosary Mysteries  
for December 29th are Joyful.

      

Please pray for a special intention.

   

                December 28, 2009
 

Matthew 17: 20

He answered, ‘Because you have so little faith. In truth I tell you, if your faith is the size of a mustard seed you will say to this mountain, “Move from here to there,” and it will move; nothing will be impossible for you.'

        

                    Smiling is good —
                    Smiling helps health —
                    Smiling shows happiness

                    Force yourself to smile
                    Look around the room,
                        be in touch with people

                In baptism our knowing and
                    loving capacity is elevated

                Think of Victory
 

Philippians 4: 7

and the peace of God which is beyond our understanding will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.

 

Psalms 37: 1

Aleph
Do not get heated about the wicked 
or envy those who do wrong. 

    

From the Priestly Newsletter Book III - 2000 Issue 3

The Indwelling of the Trinity and the Life of Grace p. 37-38

The spiritual life, the life of holiness, begins at Baptism. Archbishop Luis Martinez says:

"When we are born we are endowed by God with all we need for our human life, a complete organism, and a soul with the full range of faculties. Of course they are not all developed from birth, but we have them then as the source of everything we are going to need in life. And thus it is also in the spiritual order. When someone is baptized, he receives in all its fullness that supernatural world which the Christian carries within his soul. He receives grace, which is a participation of the nature of God; the theological virtues, which put him in immediate contact with the divine; the moral virtues, which serve to regulate and order all his life; and the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the divine, mysterious receivers for picking up the Spirit’s inspirations and movements."2

Another author states: "The Three Divine Persons inhabit the sanctuary of our soul, taking their delight in enriching it with supernatural gifts and in communicating to us a Godlike life, similar to theirs, called the life of grace.

"All life, however, implies a threefold element: a vital principle that is, so to speak, the source of life itself; faculties which give the power to elicit vital acts; and lastly, the acts themselves which are but its development and which minister to its growth. In the supernatural order, God living within us produces the same elements. He first communicates to us habitual grace (the life of sanctifying grace) which plays the part of a vital supernatural principle. This principle deifies, as it were, the very substance of the soul and makes it capable, though in a remote way, of enjoying the Beatific Vision and of performing the acts that lead to it.

"Out of this grace spring the infused virtues and the gifts of the Holy Spirit which perfect our faculties and endow us with the immediate power of performing Godlike, supernatural, meritorious acts.

"In order to stir these faculties into action, He give us actual graces which enlighten our mind, strengthen our will, and aid us both to act supernaturally and to increase the measure of habitual grace that has been granted to us.

"Although this life of grace is entirely distinct from our natural life it is not merely superimposed on the latter. It penetrates it through and through, transforms it and makes it divine. It assimilates whatever is good in our nature, our education and our habits. It perfects and supernaturalizes all these various elements, directing them toward the last end, that is toward the possession of God through the Beatific Vision and its resultant life." 3

Our being in the state of sanctifying of grace and the special indwelling of the Persons of the Trinity within us always exist together. We cannot have the one without the other. Our life of grace, which is a sharing in Trinitarian life, allows us to know and love Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in a most intimate fashion. Through grace we are in the image of the Trinity, and we enjoy special relationships with the Divine Persons.

Again, we listen to the words of Archbishop Martinez as he speaks about our relationships with the Divine Persons:

"Love, we have said, is the foundation of devotion to the Holy Spirit, as it is also the foundation of Christian perfection. But love as a reflection of God, as His own image, is something that encloses within its simplicity a boundless wealth and a variety of forms. Who can fathom the depths of love?

"Human love in all its manifestations is admirably in harmony with the love of charity; it is confident in filial love, trusting in friendship, sweet and fruitful in the love of husband and wife, disinterested and tender in the love of a mother. Our love of God must include all these forms of human love; every fiber of our heart must vibrate when the harmonious and full canticle of love bursts forth from it. But since God is one in essence and triune in Persons, our love for Him takes on a particular aspect accordingly as it is directed to each one of the divine Persons.

"Our love for the Father is tender and confident like that of children; eager to glorify Him as His only-begotten Son taught us to do by word and example. Love for the Father is the intense desire to have His will fulfilled on earth as it is in heaven. Our love for the Son, who willed to become flesh for us, is characterized by the tendency to union with Him and transformation into Him; by imitation of His example, participation in His life, and the sharing of His sufferings and His Cross. The Eucharist, mystery of love, of sorrow, and of union, reveals the characteristics of this love.

"Love for the Holy Spirit also has its special character, which we should study in order completely to understand devotion to Him. We have explained how the Holy Spirit loves us, how He moves us like a divine breath that draws us to the bosom of God, like a sacred fire that transforms us into fire, like a divine artist who forms Jesus in us. Surely, then, our love for the Holy Spirit should be marked by loving docility, by full surrender, and by a constant fidelity that permits us to be moved, directed, and transformed by His sanctifying action.

"Our love for the Father tends to glorify Him; our love for the Son, to transform ourselves into Him; our love for the Holy Spirit, to let ourselves be possessed and moved by Him."4

2. Archbishop Luis M. Martinez, The Sanctifier, Pauline Books and Media, pp. 124-125.
3. Adolphe Janquery, S.S., The Spiritual Life, Desclee & Co., p. 18

4. Archbishop Martinez, op. cit., pp. 67-68,

     

                R. God wants communities of religious
                that work together to pray for the
                priests, the Church and the world —

                    If a person never had relationships
                accept in the family —
                they can judge others as a problem
                to keep people away —

                    But God wants centers of
                religious doing adoration —

                    For 15 years I have been trying
                to form a community of adults —
                living together — being kind and
                working with each other —

                    I remember how many can be
                jealous, blocking others coming or staying

                    What I have been told by Jesus is
                the spiritual life is dying
                to the ways not likened to Jesus and
                rising to live more the resurrected
                life.

                    In a marriage the two come together
                and they must work together in love to
                be united.

                    In a community, people
                come, many times, and they want their way — we have
                to learn to be united, praying, working
                in charity with each other to form a
                community of love, witnessing to the love
                of the Trinity — the Father who created us —
                Jesus who loved us to His death — Jesus the
                way, the truth and the life and the Holy Spirit
                counseling us to do the Father's will in
                love —

                    What can happen as in a divorce — those
                divorced — try to prove they were never wrong —
                they can want to control and they can be like
                18 year olds who just left home saying —
                "I'm in charge and nobody is telling me
                what to do" Filled with dysfunction or
                maybe little relationships with adult men
                and adult women — they can try to be dominant
                and selfish and controlling and with competition
                want their way —

                    Would any company work with several
                men and women acting out their bizarre
                relationships at home with mom and dad and
                siblings on other adult candidates.

                    In a marriage, in religious communities,
                in the Church, we as baptized Catholics
                are to be a body — the
                body of Christ, with Christ the head,
                united in unity —

                    Handmaids and servants, must act in
                humility and want to grow in holiness —
                they don't know how to live in
                community — If the attitude of each is —
                "It's my way or the highway" after 50
                years of little adult relationships —
                not dying to bad habits and
                growing in a virtuous life — it won't
                work

                What is your reading for winning your
                    way

 

                My way —

                    Jesus says

                        "Nary the two will meet —
                        each acts out hidden anger,
                        dominance, dysfunction
                        on the other — to win the prize" 

                    You don't know how to live
                in community with other adults —
                Say everybody brings their own
                knives and forks to the community
                building —
                guess what, none of them match at all —

                What do you bring from home —

                    The skills of the inner child
                    saying
                    "I want my way and I am not
                    giving in — I'll show you"

                    So they have their way —
                    It never worked in the past —
                    Their way, each one, does harder —>
                    Guess what —

                It doesn't work in harmony

                You must in humility admit — you
                    don't know how to live in
                    community and all will live by
                    the messages to learn — to work in a
                    community with adult men and women

     My dance —

 I am strongest
 You come and do it my way

 

                No, It is the dance where Mary
                    teaches us to be religious, servants and
                    handmaids, we live in unity —
                    not like our old ways and vices,
                    habits, but shedding them and
                    growing in greater virtue

                Not doing your dysfunctional way
                    with greater force and
                    harder and harder

                You must learn to live together —
                    as God directs in communities,
                    changing in humility to be more holy —

                Little kids have to learn to share —

                A little boy was 2 and was ordering french
                    toast — a lot of it — an adult
                    watching him said "I like
                    french toast" — So when
                    it was brought to him and
                    the adult started to take
                    a piece he screamed and hollered
                    he wanted his french toast —

                His mom said he doesn't share
                    and he, the child, continued to
                    scream to get his way —

                Children have to learn to share

                    Being a religious and using
                passive-aggressive measures —
                provoking to make somebody
                scream is not going to work —
                the harder you do it for dominance
                the worse it gets

                    The answer is to pray for grace
                to learn to live together in
                unity and love praying and
                working as one —

                    To say I know it all when
                you have not had relationships
                is not going to work

                To say don't tell me nothing —
                I'll do it my way —
                Is like the 2 year old screaming
                for french toast —

                Fr. Carter says

                        Excerpt from Response to God's Love - Chapter 8

Many persons who choose marriage say they do so out of a desire to be loved. Notice, they say that they marry out of a desire to be loved, not to love.

It is, of course, always very pleasant to receive love, attention, and approval; all this, however, must occur within the framework of God's will for us. We must constantly strive to lovingly do his will at all times and in all circumstances. This is the all-embracing and all-necessary imperative that permeates every facet of our being. When we live according to this imperative, we gladly and gratefully receive love, attention, and affirmation from others when it is forthcoming; what is more, we realize that to be offered this is a part of God's plan for us. If, however, it is not forthcoming at any one time, we courageously continue to live as we think God intends, aware that, in his loving faithfulness, God will compensate for what currently appears to be a lack of human support. 

                Fr. Carter says
                    We are to walk hand-in-hand
                        humbly and dying to the
                        ways not likened to God —

                In holiness religious orders can
                    be one IN HIM

 

From The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius
    by Louis J. Puhl, S.J.
 p.11

21.                     SPIRITUAL EXERCISES

    Which have as their purpose the conquest of self
    and the regulation of one's life in such a way that
    no decision is made under the influence of any
    inordinate attachment

p. 12

                        23. FIRST PRINCIPLE AND FOUNDATION

                            Man is created to praise, reverence and serve God 
                        our Lord, and by this means to save his soul.

  

                The incarnation goes on in us

 

                From Tell My People
 

The Holy Spirit

Jesus: "My beloved friend, tell My people to pray daily to the Holy Spirit. They are to pray for an increase in His gifts. My people must realize that the Holy Spirit comes to transform them. The Spirit desires to transform you more and more according to My image. Those who are docile to His touch become increasingly shaped in My likeness. He performs this marvel within Mary's Immaculate Heart. The more one dwells in My Mother's Heart, the more active are the workings of the Spirit. The Spirit leads Mary to place you within My own Heart. In both Our Hearts, then, your transformation continues. The more you are formed after My own Heart, the more I lead you to the bosom of My Father. Tell My people all this. Tell them to pray daily for a greater appreciation of these wondrous gifts. I am Lord and Master. All who come to My Heart will be on fire to receive the gifts of the Spirit in ever greater measure! I love and bless My people!"

Reflection: The Holy Spirit is given to us to fashion us ever more according to the likeness of Jesus. And the more we are like Jesus, the more Jesus leads us to the Father. Do we, each day, pray to the Holy Spirit to be more open to His transforming influence? Do we strive each day to grow in union with Mary? The greater our union with our Mother, the spouse of the Holy Spirit, the greater is the transforming action of the Holy Spirit within us.

         end of excerpt

  

                We need to imitate Christ —

                We need to be taught to live
                    in communities —
                    not do the same dysfunctional
                    ways from childhood or
                    divorce harder

                Be a soldier for Christ

                Examine our conscience

                Grow in Faith, Hope and Charity

                Obey the authority - so there
                    is discipline and order

                    God did not leave man alone
                on this earth but surrounded
                him with an incalculable
                number of other creatures.

                Dear God help me to recognize
                    the disordered habits that
                    may be sins of mine.

                That I use creatures as you desire
                    to build Your Kingdom and
                    that all love You.

                    We pray for the gifts of the Holy Spirit

 

John 1: 1-14

In the beginning was the Word:
the Word was with God
and the Word was God.
He was with God in the beginning.
Through him all things came into being,
not one thing came into being
   except through him.
What has come into being in him was life,
life that was the light of men;
and light shines in darkness,
and darkness could not overpower it.

A man came, sent by God.
His name was John.
He came as a witness,
to bear witness to the light,
so that everyone might believe
   through him.
He was not the light,
he was to bear witness to the light.

The Word was the real light
that gives light to everyone;
he was coming into the world.
He was in the world
that had come into being through him,
and the world did not recognise him.
He came to his own
and his own people did not accept him.

But to those who did accept him
he gave power to become children of God,
to those who believed in his name
who were born not from human stock
or human desire
or human will
but from God himself.
The Word became flesh,
he lived among us,
and we saw his glory,
the glory that he has from the Father
   as only Son of the Father,
full of grace and truth.

 

Romans 8: 5-9

Those who are living by their natural inclinations have their minds on the things human nature desires; those who live in the Spirit have their minds on spiritual things. And human nature has nothing to look forward to but death, while the Spirit looks forward to life and peace, because the outlook of disordered human nature is opposed to God, since it does not submit to God's Law, and indeed it cannot, and those who live by their natural inclinations can never be pleasing to God. You, however, live not by your natural inclinations, but by the Spirit, since the Spirit of God has made a home in you. Indeed, anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

          

                To be happy have a clean heart

                Let your face be expressive of
                    love inside.

                Your light is your trust in God —
                Work for a cheerful heart —
   

Psalm 118: 24

This is the day which Yahweh has made,
a day for us to rejoice and be glad.

 

                  God is with me —

                I can successfully handle everything
                    He wants me to do today —

                I feel good —
                I am glad to be alive

                I praise God for His gifts to me —
                I thank God for His gifts to me —
                I give honor and glory to God —

                God is with me, now —
                Keep your heart free of bitterness
                    and hatred —

                Give love —
                See through God's eyes —

                Don't be selfish —
                Don't give into self-pity —

                Avoid run-on-thinking

                Live this!!

                Don't give into slothfulness —

   

Matthew 25: 14-30

‘It is like a man about to go abroad who summoned his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to a third one, each in proportion to his ability. Then he set out on his journey. The man who had received the five talents promptly went and traded with them and made five more. The man who had received two made two more in the same way. But the man who had received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. Now a long time afterwards, the master of those servants came back and went through his accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents came forward bringing five more. "Sir," he said, "you entrusted me with five talents; here are five more that I have made." His master said to him, "Well done, good and trustworthy servant; you have shown you are trustworthy in small things; I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master’s happiness." Next the man with the two talents came forward. "Sir," he said, "you entrusted me with two talents; here are two more that I have made." His master said to him, "Well done, good and trustworthy servant; you have shown you are trustworthy in small things; I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master’s happiness." Last came forward the man who had the single talent. "Sir," said he, "I had heard you were a hard man, reaping where you had not sown and gathering where you had not scattered; so I was afraid, and I went off and hid your talent in the ground. Here it is; it was yours, you have it back." But his master answered him, "You wicked and lazy servant! So you knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered? Well then, you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have got my money back with interest. So now, take the talent from him and give it to the man who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but anyone who has not, will be deprived even of what he has. As for this good–for–nothing servant, throw him into the darkness outside, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth."

     

Luke 19: 11

While the people were listening to this he went on to tell a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and they thought that the kingdom of God was going to show itself then and there.

  

                God gives us precious things 

 

                God gives us laughter —
                    LAUGHING
                    SMILING
                    LOOKING for JOY

                    Making our face show
                        expressions of support and
                        love — not be like a white wall

                Not be frozen — like meat in the freezer
                Not be filled with guilt, lies, untruths
                    unforgiveness

                Expect miracles

                Jesus gives us these miracles in the Gospel —
                   
                    The wedding at Cana —
                    Jesus walking on the water —
                    Jesus calming the storm at sea —
                    Multiplication of loaves and fish —
                    Lazarus raised from the dead —
                    Peter's mother-in-law cured —
                    Lepers made clean —
                    Healing —
                    Cast out devils —
                    Blind men healed —
                    Catching a big catch of fish —
                    Lots of healings
                    Paralytics healed

 

Luke 15: 10-11

In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing among the angels of God over one repentant sinner.'

Then he said, ‘There was a man who had two sons.

  

Luke 5: 17-25

Now it happened that he was teaching one day, and Pharisees and teachers of the Law, who had come from every village in Galilee, from Judaea and from Jerusalem, were sitting there. And the power of the Lord was there so that he should heal. And now some men appeared, bringing on a bed a paralysed man whom they were trying to bring in and lay down in front of him. But as they could find no way of getting the man through the crowd, they went up onto the top of the house and lowered him and his stretcher down through the tiles into the middle of the gathering, in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith he said, 'My friend, your sins are forgiven you.' The scribes and the Pharisees began to think this over. 'Who is this man, talking blasphemy? Who but God alone can forgive sins?' But Jesus, aware of their thoughts, made them this reply, 'What are these thoughts you have in your hearts? Which of these is easier: to say, "Your sins are forgiven you," or to say, "Get up and walk"? But to prove to you that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins,' he said to the paralysed man 'I order you: get up, and pick up your stretcher and go home.' And immediately before their very eyes he got up, picked up what he had been lying on and went home praising God.

   

                Jesus gives us little babies
                    hands
                    with smiles
                    with expressions
                    with bodies that move all over
                    kids that make faces —
                    smiling
                    frowning
                    EXPRESSIONS

                How do people get these white wall
                    faces
                    monotone voices —
                    how can you claim to know
                    Jesus, to be a Christian and not have
                    joy —

 

 

                Watch a small child —

                How expressive is their eyes,
                    their smile —
                    curled up nose —
                    little body — moving about —
                    finger in the mouth —
                    little facial expression that
                        give information

                How can some adults be so hidden —
                    straight up, frozen —
                    hiding the truth —

                Go somewhere, where babies are —
                    if you aren't around them —
                    look at their faces — their
                    movements —
                    why be like — 'sealed in plastic'
                                          'a white wall'

                looking at a baby's face tells us how
                    they are —
                    happy —
                    angry —
                    sad —
                    wondering —
                    giggling
                    joy with others is in their face —

                Little children are connected with
                    us — eyes following you —
                    hollering if you leave —
                    wanting connection —

                Little children can tell us about
                    ourselves —

                A person can be frozen and keep getting
                    more guarded because of survival
                    tactics developed in a dysfunctional
                    home

                Anger is passed down from generation
                    to generation and so is dysfunction
                    until somebody says —
                    the buck stops here —

                We control ourselves

                We can do what we want — most of
                    the time because of willfulness —
                    this is a miserable existence

                A person can be in a habit of
                    combat —
                    competition —
                    the adrenalin rushes
                    I want to win —
                    even a trip to buy tapes at the pharmacy —
                    energy wasted controlling, fighting

                Who lives like this

                Not a person trying to teach children
                    about love

                We can be in accord — helping each
                    other — trying to work together —
                    or we can chart an isolated —
                    competition, put up your wall
                    life —
                    We can help each other or not —
                    We can be willful and controlling —
                        we control that —

                Think of Mother Teresa —
                    her love
                    love like Jesus
                    she saw men in the gutter dying and
                        helped them —
                    others didn't even see him and didn't
                        help —

                We control our actions —

                Creating confession, anxiety and keeping
                    it up like a woodpecker to
                    make some one act out our
                    "fidgetiness" is wrong —
                    manipulation

                Get settled in your heart —
                Be pure
                Admit your wrongs in the past —
                Don't stuff untruths —
                The men spat at Jesus, the Son
                    of God — they laughed at
                    Him —

                Today people are teaching others to be
                    stimulated all the time by
                    TV etc. — Constant stimulation —
                    much violence —

                Loving others — like Mother Teresa
                    did to the man in the gutter —
                    cleaning him up

                The man taken from the gutter, dying
                    said
                    "All my life I have lived and been
                    treated like an animal —
                    I began to hate everyone,
                    everything, and even God —
                    But today I will die loving
                    God and loving people
                    Today I will die with dignity."

                    In the scripture we see the man who
                wouldn't give scraps off his table —

  

Luke 16: 19-31

'There was a rich man who used to dress in purple and fine linen and feast magnificently every day. And at his gate there used to lie a poor man called Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to fill himself with what fell from the rich man's table. Even dogs came and licked his sores. Now it happened that the poor man died and was carried away by the angels into Abraham's embrace. The rich man also died and was buried.

    'In his torment in Hades he looked up and saw Abraham a long way off with Lazarus in his embrace. So he cried out, "Father Abraham, pity me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in agony in these flames." Abraham said, "My son, remember that during your life you had your fill of good things, just as Lazarus his fill of bad. Now he is being comforted here while you are in agony. But that is not all: between us and you a great gulf has been fixed, to prevent those who want to cross from our side to yours or from your side to ours."

    'So he said, "Father, I beg you then to send Lazarus to my father's house, since I have five brothers, to give them warning so that they do not come to this place of torment too." Abraham said, "They have Moses and the prophets, let them listen to them." The rich man replied, "Ah no, father Abraham, but if someone comes to them from the dead, they will repent." Then Abraham said to him, "If they will not listen either to Moses or to the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone should rise from the dead."

   

                    Mary told me about souls of her
                children that can be lost to the fires
                of hell forever — Why help with the
                building when you don't pray
                for what Mary said

                    She cried out in a loud voice for
                her children going into hell like rain —
                Mary said most people commit suicide
                December 26th — we can sit around and
                focus on ourselves and if we are right or
                see with eyes that see the man in
                the gutter and not our focus on
                how good we look to people —

                    There are young people who are crippled
                and will never walk — children dying at
                Children's Hospital at age 1 every day —
                and a selfish person can see little,
                but their own glory

                    Jesus says quit focusing on how you
                are with men, live with a contrite
                heart — forgive the sinner and help build
                His Kingdom —

                    If you can see how awful it is
                babies dying — can't you see how
                awful it is Mary's children going
                to hell for all eternity —

                    Help me — don't give into satan
                to blind you to your focus being
                your own self glory — dry, dry, dry —

                    We can count the stars or look at
                the mud — Count God's blessings or
                expect others to live to give us
                a "that away boy" — We can
                thank God or complain like
                they did in the desert —

                    They wanted to kill Moses, he
                thought —

                    Jesus healed the lepers — its in
                the scriptures — they were made clean —
                why don't we thank God

                    2 men looked out prison doors
                    one saw stars, the other mud 

  

                Are we meek or combatal —
                Are we merciful or hard in heart
                Are our hearts growing more and more pure —

                Are we promoting peace and unity
                Are we loving —
                Acting like Jesus

                Do we suffer persecution for Jesus
                    and act bitter —
                Do we forgive injuries —
                Do we want God to forgive us —
                Do we lie about our faults

                Frozen meat —

                Do we pray for the living and the
                    dead
                Do we live in faith, hope
                    and love —
                Are we temperate, have courage,
                    are we just and temperate?

                Do we have the gifts of the Holy
                 Spirit

                        Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel,
                        Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety
                        and Fear of the Lord 

             Do we have the fruits of the
                Holy Spirit

                    Charity, joy, peace, patience,
                    benignity, goodness, longanimity,
                    mildness, faith, modesty and
                    CONTINENCY —
                    modesty, chastity

                Are we understanding to others —
                    Do we have knowledge —
                    reverence — holy fear of God

                Do we strengthen and support our
                    Church?

                How do you see
                (1) INSIDE & SELFISH
                (2) Outside with love through the
                        Father's vision?

                    When you really are selfish you
                are working against the greatest
                commandment —
                going against the Father's Plan
                LIKE A RIVALRY to God's will
                How Foolish

   

Matthew 22: 36-40

'Master, which is the greatest commandment of the Law?' Jesus said to him, 'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second resembles it: You must love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments hang the whole Law, and the Prophets too.'

 

                I give my heart to Jesus and Mary with you in love.

 

July 31, 1994

Words of Jesus to Members of
Shepherds of Christ Associates:

"My beloved priest-companion, I intend to use the priestly newsletter, Shepherds of Christ, and the movement, Shepherds of Christ Associates, in a powerful way for the renewal of My Church and the world.

"I will use the newsletter and the chapters of Shepherds of Christ Associates as a powerful instrument for spreading devotion to My Heart and My Mother's Heart.

"I am calling many to become members of Shepherds of Christ Associates. To all of them I will give great blessings. I will use them as instruments to help bring about the triumph of the Immaculate Heart and the reign of My Sacred Heart. I will give great graces to the members of Shepherds of Christ Associates. I will call them to be deeply united to My Heart and to Mary's Heart as I lead them ever closer to My Father in the Holy Spirit."

- Message from Jesus to Father Edward J. Carter, S.J., Founder, as given on July 31, 1994,
feast of Saint Ignatius Loyola, Founder of the Society of Jesus (The Jesuits)

 

 

                    We have sent over 15,000,000
                Priestly Newsletters to the priests and hierarchy in
                15 1/2 years loose and in books —

                Now here are a few letters from priests 

 

                                                                    December 20, 2009

                Dear Rita Ring,

                    Thank you for sending Fr. Robinson's book of homilies for Cycle C.
                Actually you had given me a copy earlier, and now I can share this
                treasure with another priest. And a treasure it is, both the introduction
                and homily text.

                    I sincerely hope the holiest Birthday anniversary will be a religious
                experience for you and all of Shepherds of Christ.

                                                    - Ohio

 

                                            December 23, 2009

                My dear friends,

                    Just a small devotion to let you know
                I enjoy reading Fr. Joe's homilies.

                    God bless you and your ministry
                in 2010.

                                             - Kentucky

 

                Dear Rita,

                    Thank you for Guiding Light
                by your brother, Fr. Joseph Robinson.
                I greatly appreciate this gift and I
                thank you very much.

                    This "Feed My Soul" is based on the
                Sunday Gospels of Year C — Do you
                still have spare copies for Years
                A and B? What do they sell for?
                Thank You. Enjoy the Christmas Season.

                                        - Florida

 

                Shepherds of Christ Ministries

                    Please accept this donation
                to help in some small way the
                apostolate you have so devotedly
                engaged in for the glory of God and
                the spiritual growth of his people.

                                    - Ohio

    

                                    December 20, 2009

                Dear Rita,

                    Greetings from Ohio. And
                Merry Christmas! Thanks for
                the book of Fr. Joe's homilies.
                I've used it already today
                in my own homily.

                    I remember you from the
                Athenaeum Chorale.

                            Sincerely,
                            - Ohio

 

 

                We are told by Jesus to circulate this
                    book to all the priests in the
                    United States

                About 25 Bishops and Archbishops in the
                    United States wrote

                And lots of Cardinals — some in
                    the Vatican —

                Can you help us circulate Fr. Joe's
                    book —

                    Cardinal Stafford of the Vatican said
                Fr. Carter and I and the Shepherds of Christ had
                helped the Church enormously since 1993
                to present —
                The hierarchy need our prayers as
                we pray as members of the Shepherds of Christ
                as Jesus directed us to do

                The prayers are in 8 languages
                    with the Church's Imprimatur 

     As we have sent all these Priestly Newsletters to all the priests in the United States and Bishops, Cardinals, etc. – We received a 3 foot stack of letters from hierarchy in the United States and around the world – 

     When Mary appeared in Clearwater

shipped from the printers
December 17, 1996

Mary appeared
December 17, 1996

We had circulated the Priestly Newsletter 2 ½ years and Fr. Carter told me Jesus told him that we were always to keep the building for the Shepherds of Christ mission. 

     Today Jesus said – I gave you a mission 15 ½ years ago to send the Priestly Newsletter to all the priests in the United States every other month – what happened –

     Cardinal George told me when I sent Fr. Joe’s Cycle A book that we should send these homilies to the priests. If we send this book to the priests as Jesus told us in the United States – the priests will get this homily about the Old Testament and New Testament and the purity of living as members of the mystical body of Christ in the Father’s family – 

     We got 2 letters from Cardinals in the Vatican today and about 20 Bishops in the United States from the mailing to the hierarchy on Fr. Joe’s Cycle “C” book – thanking us. 

     Look at this age in the United States – what is happening – God has given us this book to help the priests weekly in this rebellion against God’s will in the United States and in the world – Weekly we can help parishes all over the United States. 

     Here is a letter from a priest we sent Cycle B in Florida last year.
 

Dear Friends,

 

          Greetings! Last year you sent me the book – Guiding Light: Focusing on the Word. It is a series of homilies by Fr. Joe Robinson. What a wonderful gift. I have used it for all my homilies and spiritual reading. It has been a blessing for me and even more – a blessing for my parish. I am very grateful for this gift.

 

                                Sincerely,

        A Florida Parish Priest
 

     Here is a message a priest left on the phone from Kentucky –

December 30, 2008 – 

Hey I just wanted to call you and say blessings – this is simply just an affirmation call. I got in the mail a while back Guiding Light – the Word Alive in Our Hearts – Homilies by Fr. Joe Robinson. I have to admit this has been one of the most edifying pieces of literature I have received in my hands in a long time. Fr. Joe’s homilies are inspiring, they are just wonderful. They are absolutely wonderful. I would love to hear this man preach. I mean that assuming that from what I saw – He’s still around – 40 years – it says on the back here – I haven’t read it thoroughly.  – it even has a song – the song about priests! What an edifying thing that Christ has given to you – the Holy Spirit given to you. I just want to say from one of the priests out here in the trenches along with the great laity of the Church – Thank you! What a blessing this has been to me. So I would love to integrate this in some how, and thank you for the mission of the Shepherds of Christ. What an edifying thing for us today. So no need to call back, but I would just give you my cell phone number. And there’s no need to call back or anything. You got tons on your plate already and everything. But I mean these were just blessed homilies – I would like to see if there is a continuing of Fr. Joe’s homilies and the series and stuff. So anyway – my opinion for whatever it counts. Blessings to you this Christmas season and may the Blessed Mother and all the angels and saints just fill you with Christ’s presence. Talk to you later.
 

     A priest, as many priests who did get the book are calling for Cycle C, from Arkansas today they said they want to kidnap Fr. Joe – 

     In these troubled times – think of helping the priests and parishes weekly –

When Pope John Paul II was still younger and not the pope yet – he was in Poland between Hitler on one side and Stalin on the other – 

     God sent Mary at Fatima. 

     Jesus gave Fr. Carter this message to write the Priestly Newsletter and send it every other month since 1994 –

     Now we can send Fr. Joe’s homilies for them weekly as Cardinal George told us and Cardinal Stafford said we affected the Church in the United States since 1993 to present with the Priestly Newsletter and prayers – 

     In the midst of the troubles of World War II – Karol Wojtyla, Pope John Paul II was growing in the Church – not yet the pope – 

     God flooded the earth at the time of Noah – Noah, the descendant of Seth, remained – 

     Through salvation history God blesses us. He wants us to obey Him – 

     He sends great blessings to the Church – the popes, hierarchy, saints –  

     God called Fr. Carter and me and you to this mission – 

     Look at our fear in the United States. 

     Look at Our Lady of Clearwater, ignored. 

     Help me get these homilies to the priests in the United States – a homily weekly for him and his whole parish. 

Thank you,

                                                             Rita Ring

   

 

Mary, Mother of God

 

Numbers 6: 22-27

Yahweh spoke to Moses and said, 'Speak to Aaron and his sons and say:

    "This is how you must bless the Israelites. You will say:

May Yahweh bless you and keep you.
May Yahweh let his face shine on you
    and be gracious to you.
May Yahweh show you his face
    and bring you peace."

This is how they must call down my name on the Israelites, and then I shall bless them.'

 

Galatians 4: 4-7

but when the completion of the time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born a subject of the Law, to redeem the subjects of the Law, so that we could receive adoption as sons. As you are sons, God has sent into our hearts the Spirit of his Son crying, ‘Abba, Father’; and so you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir, by God’s own act. 

 

Luke 2: 16-21

So they hurried away and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. When they saw the child they repeated what they had been told about him, and everyone who heard it was astonished at what the shepherds said to them. As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds went back glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as they had been told.

When the eighth day came and the child was to be circumcised, they gave him the name Jesus, the name the angel had given him before his conception.

 


January 1, 2007
 

Today we begin a new year.  It’s been a difficult year in many ways. Yet we celebrate.  Why?  Perhaps because 2003 is over. Perhaps because we’ve made it this far in spite of problems and dangers.  Hopefully, we celebrate also in gratitude for the good things that happened. And finally I think we celebrate because we are essentially optimistic people.  We have hope in the future in spite of possible dangers and inevitable problems.  Optimism is the only attitude a Christian can adopt because we believe in the goodness of God and his plans for our eternal happiness.  St. Paul’s statement in Romans has always been a source of strength and optimism for me: “For those who love God, all things work out for good.”  (Rom. 8, 28)  If I didn’t believe that, I would be very depressed.  Our optimism is grounded in reality, however, and we can be sure the coming year will not be wonderful in every way.  So we begin the year with prayer, the greatest prayer we have, the Mass, asking for God's blessing and help for the future.   

My friends suggested I make my remarks short and sweet; no one will feel like listening to anything too heavy or too lengthy today, they assured me.  Well, I will be short, but the beginning of a new year is a profound event.  And so I want to offer two ideas that are extremely important.   

The first concerns how we answer the most profound questions about the meaning of life, the meaning of our own life and where our life is taking us.  Popular culture, TV talk shows, the people we hang around with, the books we read, the variety of religious beliefs in the world today all give us ideas as to why we’re here and where we’re going.  Everything we do this year will be fundamentally guided by the answers we give to these questions.  Even to make no decision about these basic life issues is to make a decision.  Our faith tells us there is only one reliable answer: the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Jesus is God's Son who came to earth to show us the way to eternal life.  “I am the way, the truth and the life,” he tells us. Any other way will lead us nowhere.  That’s why we pray, why we come to Mass, why we are encouraged to read the Scriptures, so we can be guided by his light, his wisdom, his truth.   

My second profound thought is about time.  It is precious.  Use it well.  And if we haven’t used it well in the past, it’s not too late to start over.   Amen. 

 

 

$25.00

 


 

Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

Jeremiah 23: 1-6

‘Disaster for the shepherds who lose and scatter the sheep of my pasture, Yahweh declares. This, therefore, is what Yahweh, God of Israel, says about the shepherds who shepherd my people, "You have scattered my flock, you have driven them away and have not taken care of them. Right, I shall take care of you for your misdeeds, Yahweh declares! But the remnant of my flock I myself shall gather from all the countries where I have driven them, and bring them back to their folds; they will be fruitful and increase in numbers. For them I shall raise up shepherds to shepherd them and pasture them. No fear, no terror for them any more; not one shall be lost, Yahweh declares!
                                                                                                                      

   Look, the days are coming,
      Yahweh declares,
   when I shall raise an upright Branch
      for David;
   he will reign as king and be wise, 
   doing what is just and upright
      in the country. 
   
In his days Judah will triumph
   and Israel live in safety.
  And this is the name he will be called,
  ‘Yahweh–is–our–Saving–Justice.’ "

 

Ephesians 2: 13-18

But now in Christ Jesus, you that used to be so far off have been brought close, by the blood of Christ. For he is the peace between us, and has made the two into one entity and broken down the barrier which used to keep them apart, by destroying in his own person the hostility, that is, the Law of commandments with its decrees. His purpose in this was, by restoring peace, to create a single New Man out of the two of them, and through the cross, to reconcile them both to God in one Body; in his own person he killed the hostility. He came to bring the good news of peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. Through him, then, we both in the one Spirit have free access to the Father.

 

     Mark 6: 30-34

The apostles rejoined Jesus and told him all they had done and taught. And he said to them, ‘Come away to some lonely place all by yourselves and rest for a while’; for there were so many coming and going that there was no time for them even to eat. So they went off in the boat to a lonely place where they could be by themselves. But people saw them going, and many recognised them; and from every town they all hurried to the place on foot and reached it before them. So as he stepped ashore he saw a large crowd; and he took pity on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he set himself to teach them at some length.

    

July 19, 2009


HOMILY
There was a man who worked in a museum whose job it was to explain the different exhibits. On one occasion he pointed to the bones of a dinosaur saying the bones were 100 million and 9 years old. Someone asked how they could date those bones so accurately. He said “well, when I started working here, I was told these bones were 100 million years old and I’ve worked here for nine years.”

Today I want to give everyone a little history lesson. I’m not going back to the dinosaurs, but I am going back pretty far – to King David, 1000 years before Christ. When I was in school, I hated history. It wasn’t until we studied the history of the Old Testament in the seminary that I began to appreciate it. I cannot cram 1000 years of history into a couple of minutes. I just want to touch on the parts of Jewish history that are mentioned in today’s reading. If you want to learn more, read everything in the Old Testament, but be sure you have a commentary to help you. Otherwise, you’ll give up in despair because you won’t know what it’s all about - especially the prophets and the historical books.

When David was king 1000 years before Christ, David wanted to build a house for God, since there was no Temple for God at that time. God did not give David permission to do so, however God promised David through the prophet Nathan that he would bless him and build David a house in the sense that David’s kingdom would continue forever and one of his descendants would always rule. This blessing lasted through the reign of David’s son, Solomon; but we humans somehow have the ability to sabotage God’s blessings. Solomon turned to pagan gods and over-extended the country financially by elaborate building projects and exorbitant taxes, so when Solomon died there was a rebellion and most of Israel broke away from Solomon’s successor, David’s grandson, Rehoboam. Rehoboam continued to rule over the southern part of Israel, the area we know as Judaea . For 400 years (and this is amazing) the kings of Judaea were descendants of King David. The northern kingdom that rebelled against David’s successors suffered under a succession of kings and rebellions. In less than 300 years the northern kingdom was destroyed by the Assyrians, people from northern Iraq. About 100 years after that, the Babylonians from southern Iraq conquered the Assyrians and took control of the entire Middle East. The conquest of the Babylonians brings us up to Jeremiah whom we heard in today’s first reading. At the time of Jeremiah, here was the situation: the northern kingdom no longer existed. The southern kingdom, Judaea, was still being ruled by David’s descendants but they were not loyal to God or to God’s laws. Jeremiah spoke to these kings as they came into power, the last four being: Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoikin and Zedekiah. Zedikiah, the last reigning king, died in disgrace. After the Babylonians captured him, his sons were slaughtered before his eyes, he was then blinded and led off to Babylon in chains where he presumably died. You can read how Jeremiah spoke with them in great detail in the book of Jeremiah. He told them exactly what they needed to do to survive the invading forces of Babylon. His messages were ignored. He blames them and their leadership for the destruction that came upon God’s people. As we heard in today’s first reading, God speaks through Jeremiah: “Woe to the shepherds who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture.” God said he would take over shepherding his people; he would bring them back from exile; he would appoint leaders over them who would serve them well and lead them to peace and security. It took 600 years before God thought the world was ready for this king who would reign and govern wisely, who would do what is just and right in the land.

But then he came, through the announcement of an angel to a virgin who was engaged to a man named Joseph of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel said to her “Do not be afraid Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”

In last week’s gospel, Jesus sent his apostles out to heal and cast out demons and to call people to repentance. In today’s gospel we are told of their return, excited over their experience and tired. Jesus wanted to some time off, but he couldn’t. The mission of Jesus and his apostles apparently was so successful that a great crowd caught up with them before they had chance to catch their breath. Mark describes Jesus taking compassion on them (his heart was moved with deep sympathy for them would probably be a better translation). He saw them as sheep without a shepherd, - people without leadership, and he began to teach them.

One of the important messages in today’s readings is that in love our Lord leads us, by teaching us and appointing others to teach us. But we need to listen, and we need to keep on listening. We’ll never be finished listening and learning as long as our world suffers from injustice, poverty, hunger, discrimination, war, hatred and killing of innocent people. Christ would be put to death before he would stop teaching. It is to our own great loss when we stop listening. That’s one of the reasons we are here each weekend, to listen and to learn. We call ourselves disciples. The word disciple means learner. When we’ve quit learning, we’ve quit being a disciple.

   

                        Homily from Fr. Joe

3rd Sunday of Advent (excerpt) 

December 17, 2006

In the few minutes I have, let me name some of the things that keep us from having joy:  * Feeling sorry for oneself.  * Constantly putting other people down to make ourselves look smarter or better.  * Putting ourselves down all the time.  Because we’re human we all make mistakes or do wrong and there are healthy ways of dealing with guilty or shame, but constantly beating ourselves up is not one of them.  * Holding on to anger and resentment.  It only eats us up inside and does not produce joy.  We have to forgive.  * Thinking that having more things is going to make us happy.  It satisfies us only momentarily.  * And then there’s fear and worry.  Paul says have no anxiety at all.  That might sound impossible but there are so many things that cause us anxiety, which we can do nothing about and we have to leave in God's hands. 

If self pity, guilt, unforgiveness, anger, resentment, fear, and worry work against our having joy, then what will lead to joy?  We must decide to be joyful.  Paul tells the Philippians “rejoice” as if it is something for them to choose to do rather than it being something that just happens to them.  I think it was Abraham Lincoln who said most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.  Dr. Hans Selye, the scientist who developed and researched the concept of stress, would agree.  He said:  it’s generally not the things outside of us that create stress for us, but it’s the way we respond to these things.  Next we need to be good and to do good.  Otherwise we won’t feel good about ourselves.  The people in today’s gospel ask the Baptist, “what should we do?”   John gave them a few specific ideas.  All we have to do is read the gospels or the 10 Commandments and we’ll get the idea that there’s more to a good life than just to say, “I believe!”  Lastly, I think gratitude is the final key to unlock the way to joy.  And again, being grateful is an intentional thing, it is an attitude we must develop.  St. Paul said: “in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.”  A heart that is ungrateful is not happy.  This is not all that could be said about joy, but it’s probably enough for us to think about today.   

My closing words for today are don’t make yourselves so anxious this season that you lose the joy that can be found only in knowing Jesus’ love.  “The Lord, your God, is in your midst.”

 

 
                Here is some important information
                    from the book Your Inner Child of the Past, by W. Hugh Missildine, M.D. p. 50-51

You Are a Parent to Yourself

    ...Let me say again: regardless of your particular childhood or present problems, you are already acting as a parent to yourself. We all necessarily do this. We tend to use the same techniques to comfort or punish ourselves that our parents used. The way you treat yourself determines how secure you are going to feel. If you treat yourself exactly as your parents treated you, you may feel a certain security, but you are continuing the old—and now unnecessary—painful attitudes that hurt you deeply as a child. These old attitudes now limit your opportunities and satisfactions as an adult.

    In being a parent to yourself, you do not have to continue these hurtful attitudes. You can be a better parent to yourself than your parents' attitudes permitted. You can learn that the process of maturing is the accepting of these childhood feelings as a respected part of ourselves. You can learn to live with them—in your way.

    Your "child of the past" can be as asset if you are a good parent to him. He can provide an enriched appreciation of your efforts and help to keep your world young, fresh and full of wonder.

Chapter 6 - Are You Divided Against Yourself

    Emotionally, we grow like the layers of an onion. Each day, as Whitman puts it, "becomes part" of us. The struggles and longings of our childhood and adolescence will always remain deep within us. It takes time to get used to the idea that these old feelings and struggles are not "over and done with" and that the core of childhood lives on, exerting its influence.

    Most of us never emotionally accept this fact. We seek to stifle or root out this part of ourselves. It is unwelcome because it doesn't confirm our adult view of ourselves. From my own experience I know that some people grow very resentful of the idea that they have within them a lively and persistent "child of the past." Often these are people who have carried out a harsh, painful battle to "put away childish things," sternly punishing and denying themselves in the effort to be mature.

    No one should expect to be completely adult all the time. If we turn against ourselves in bitterness, we are divided and helpless, unable to function. This is what Annette did. This bitterness does not destroy the "inner child of the past." Instead the so-called childish feelings are driven in deeper, making their expression more urgent. Depending on how you felt about parental scoldings years ago, your "child of the past" responds to such treatment with fear, rebellion, hurt feelings and sullenness. The more we try to ostracize this part of ourselves, the more abandoned and lonely we are bound to feel.

end of excerpt

     

                We must know about our past
                    and our present lives —

                We must recall our parents'
                    attitudes toward us —

                We live with these attitudes and
                    very much —
                    talk like our parents to
                    ourselves now

                We can't act like little children
                    at 45 and 50 demanding our way
                    and controlling —

                    The child of the past can come
                out and take over — suppressing
                the adult in us —
                We can act like spoiled babies
                wanting our way!

                People can work and be okay —
                Then in intimate relationships
                this will come out.

                Men can build protective armor
                around them from childhood — when
                their homes were bitter in
                speech and smart-toned —

                People do not like to change —
                So they can try to force their dysfunction
                    on others, anyway they can —

                    Parents who criticized children
                disapprovingly — may be the
                same tapes we play in our
                head today to parent ourselves —
                old disapproving tapes —

                From Your Inner Child of the Past, p. 14

    I have found, from teaching medical students in my psychiatry classes, that even when this concept of the "child of the past" existing actively within the adult is understood and accepted intellectually, there is a strong tendency to minimize the significance of feelings that stem from childhood. You will have to struggle within yourself to accept their existence as an influential part of your adult make-up.

    In our  adult lives the "child of the past" is constantly trying to make us live as we lived "at home" in childhood. Due to this influence, we keep twisting our present circumstances and relationships to resemble those we knew in the past. It is not much different in some respects from twisting, curling and rearranging the bedclothes in a certain way as we try to fall asleep in that individual way which each of us has. In this manner we get the "security of the familiar" that we knew as children. While the circumstances and relationships of our early years may not have been entirely comfortable, we learned about life and the world at large in this special childhood setting. We learned to adjust ourselves to this special emotional atmosphere and to call it "reality." As adults we tend to continue to see things in terms of the "reality" of this early family setting.

   

                Prepare the way of the Lord —
                    quit playing self defeating
                        tapes from childhood
                    quit doing what you want —

       

July 12, 1999

GLORIOUS MYSTERIES

 

The Resurrection

  1. 1. R. I could hardly walk after the Mass, for He filled me with His Presence.

  2. 2. Yesterday the agony of the realization of division and lack of oneness in the world filled me with such suffering and I knew something of hell and its lack of love. I knew something of the pain of division from God for all eternity.

  3. 3. Today I was filled with such oneness for God and His creatures as He embraced me and overwhelmed me with His loving Presence as I existed in a heightened level in Him.

  4. 4. The heights of this ecstasy is a taste of the everlasting embrace of our God in His love, existing in Him for all eternity. And so I write in this rosary of the One Who came forth victorious from the tomb and how I walk in His footprints.

  5. 5. In my Bible is seen the cave where Christ was born in Bethlehem, and a tomb thought to be similar to the one He came out of after the Resurrection.

  6. 6. He was born in a cave in the belly of the earth. He came forth victorious out of the tomb, both in the belly of the earth.

  7. 7. In John’s Gospel it says the tomb of this New Adam was in a garden.

  8. 8. He rose victorious from the dead.

  9. 9. As we give ourselves in consecration to the New Adam and the New Eve, we put our tainted hearts in Their two pure and holy Hearts.

  10. 10. Love is in Him.

R. I ask the second reading from today’s Mass and the Gospel appear here.

Romans 8: 18-23

Glory is our destiny

In my estimation, all that we suffer in the present time is nothing in comparison with the glory which is destined to be disclosed for us, for the whole creation is waiting with eagerness for the children of God to be revealed. It was not for its own purposes that creation had frustration imposed on it, but for the purposes of him who imposed it—with the intention that the whole creation itself might be freed from its slavery to corruption and brought into the same glorious freedom as the children of God. We are well aware that the whole creation, until this time, has been groaning in labour pains. And not only that: we too, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we are groaning inside ourselves, waiting with eagerness for our bodies to be set free.

 

Matthew 13: 1-23

Introduction

That same day, Jesus left the house and sat by the lakeside, but such large crowds gathered round him that he got into a boat and sat there. The people all stood on the shore, and he told them many things in parables.

Parable of the sower

He said, ‘Listen, a sower went out to sow. As he sowed, some seeds fell on the edge of the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Others fell on patches of rock where they found little soil and sprang up at once, because there was no depth of earth; but as soon as the sun came up they were scorched and, not having any roots, they withered away. Others fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Others fell on rich soil and produced their crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Anyone who has ears should listen!

Why Jesus speaks in parables

Then, the disciples went up to him and asked, ‘Why do you talk to them in parables?’ In answer, he said, ‘Because to you is granted to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven, but to them it is not granted. Anyone who has will be given more and will have more than enough; but anyone who has not will be deprived even of what he has. The reason I talk to them in parables is that they look without seeing and listen without hearing or understanding. So in their case what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah is being fulfilled:

Listen and listen, but never understand!
Look, and look, but never perceive!
This people’s heart has grown coarse,
     their ears dulled,
 they have shut their eyes tight
 to avoid using their eyes to see,
     their ears to hear,
 their heart to understand,
 changing their ways
     and being healed by me.

‘But blessed are your eyes because they see, your ears because they hear! In truth I tell you, many prophets and upright people longed to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it.

The parable of the sower explained

‘So pay attention to the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom without understanding, the Evil One comes and carries off what was sown in his heart: this is the seed sown on the edge of the path. The seed sown on patches of rock is someone who hears the word and welcomes it at once with joy. But such a person has no root deep down and does not last; should some trial come, or some persecution on account of the word, at once he falls away. The seed sown in thorns is some one who hears the word, but the worry of the world and the lure of riches choke the word and so it produces nothing. And the seed sown in rich soil is someone who hears the word and understands it; this is the one who yields a harvest and produces now a hundredfold, now sixty, now thirty.’

R. The Sorrowful Mysteries I received before Mass, the Glorious Mysteries after Mass. I saw in Mass that He was strengthening my roots so that I existed firmly rooted in Him.

 

The Ascension

  1. 1. R. And so our life is lived in the Pascal Mystery of death-Resurrection.

  2. 2. It is in the dying we are brought to greater life in Him.

  3. 3. We carry the cross, we look beaten, battered and torn and the glory of that day is the increased new life in Him that follows.

  4. 4. Having been beaten, Jesus, the New Adam hung on the cross about to die.

  5. 5. The glory of that new day was the life that came forth in the victory of the Resurrected Lord.

  6. 6. We came forth, the children of Eve. We are given a sharing in His life through Baptism. We are washed through the Sacrament of Reconciliation and we are refreshed more and more with a feeding of greater life in Him in the Holy Eucharist.

  7. 7. One Bread, one Body - one life rooted in Him.

  8. 8. We die to those things that are not like Him. We are refreshed with increased life in Him.

  9. 9. He ascended into heaven and He left the work of reaching the world in our hands.

  10. 10. We are commissioned in Baptism to do His work, the work of the Good Shepherd. We offer ourselves, our lives, in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, in which the Sacrifice of Calvary is sacramentally made present.

We identify with Him. We are one in the pure and holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary. We offer a most pure sacrifice to the Father united in the holy Hearts of the New Adam and the New Eve.

Vision of Lucia, main visionary of Fatima, 1929

 

    The Descent of the Holy Spirit

  1. 1. R. Grace and mercy are poured forth on the earth from the Father in the Holy Spirit through the pierced Heart of Jesus Christ.

  2. 2. Through Him all graces flow.

  3. 3. Mary the Immaculate one is the spotless Virgin conceived without sin, full of grace.

  4. 4. And the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles.

  5. 5. No longer did they have problems communicating. They were united in one mind and one heart to preach the Gospel.

  6. 6. One tongue, it is the language in which we speak of His world, of life in Him.

  7. 7. Victors are the souls who unite to the pure and holy Hearts of the New Adam and the New Eve.

  8. 8. They came forth victorious from the tomb.

  9. 9. They wear the white robes of glory, washed in the Blood of the Lamb, filled with the Holy Spirit and they sing.

  10. 10. Song: Holy God, We Praise Thy Name
    Song: Come Holy Ghost.

  11.  

    The Assumption

  1. 1. R. Both Jesus and Mary, the New Adam, the New Eve are in heaven.

  2. 2. Jesus ascended into heaven. Mary was taken up body and soul.

  3. 3. We live transformed in Their two pure and holy Hearts.

  4. 4. We offer a most holy sacrifice uniting our hearts to Their two Hearts and we unite to the Mass all day as a sacrifice.

  5. 5. We plead to the Father for forgiveness for the children of Adam and Eve.

  6. 6. We beg for grace to be outpoured on the earth.

  7. 7. We want help from the SAVIOR to save us from our sins.

  8. 8. Men give themselves in consecration to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

  9. 9. Death will be no more. (1 Corinthians 15:26)
    and the last of the enemies to be done away with is death, for he has put all things under his feet.

  10. 10. 1 Corinthians 15: 54-55

A hymn of triumph, Conclusion

And after this perishable nature has put on imperishability and this mortal nature has put on immortality, then will the words of scripture come true: Death is swallowed up in victory. Death, where is your victory? Death where is your sting? Death is swallowed up in victory. Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting?

R. Thanks be to God Who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

        The Coronation

  1. 1. Revelation 3: 12-13
    Anyone who proves victorious I will make into a pillar in the sanctuary of my God, and it will stay there for ever; I will inscribe on it the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem which is coming down from my God in heaven, and my own new name as well. Let anyone who can hear, listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches."

  2. 2. Revelation 4: 11
        You are worthy, our Lord and God,
        to receive glory and honour and power,
        for you made the whole universe;
        by your will, when it did not exist,
             it was created.

  3. 3. Revelation 5: 9-10
        They sang a new hymn:
        You are worthy to take the scroll
        and to break its seals,
        because you were sacrificed,
             and with your blood
        you bought people for God
        of every race, language, people and nation
        and made them
             a line of kings and priests for God,
         to rule the world.

  4. 4. Revelation 12: 1-2
    Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman, robed with the sun, standing on the moon, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was pregnant, and in labour, crying aloud in the pangs of childbirth.

  5. 5. The New Eve triumphant. The New Adam will reign.

  6. 6. God has visited His people.

  7. 7. The Resurrected Lord remains with us in the Holy Eucharist.

  8. 8. We receive Him, we eat His Body.

  9. 9. Message given to Jacinta by Our Lady:

Excerpt from The Spirituality of Fatima and Medjugorje, p. 18

Tell everybody that God gives graces through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Tell them to ask grace from her, and that the Heart of Jesus wishes to be venerated together with the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Ask them to plead for peace from the Immaculate Heart of Mary, for the Lord has confided the peace of the world to her. 19

19 Our Lady’s Peace Plan, op. cit., p. 30.

  1. 10. Those who give their hearts to Jesus and Mary, the New Adam, the New Eve, and unite at every moment to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass — they will be the victors.

                       end of July 12, 1999

   

 

 

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July 31, 1994

Words of Jesus to Members of
Shepherds of Christ Associates:

"My beloved priest-companion, I intend to use the priestly newsletter, Shepherds of Christ, and the movement, Shepherds of Christ Associates, in a powerful way for the renewal of My Church and the world.

"I will use the newsletter and the chapters of Shepherds of Christ Associates as a powerful instrument for spreading devotion to My Heart and My Mother's Heart.

"I am calling many to become members of Shepherds of Christ Associates. To all of them I will give great blessings. I will use them as instruments to help bring about the triumph of the Immaculate Heart and the reign of My Sacred Heart. I will give great graces to the members of Shepherds of Christ Associates. I will call them to be deeply united to My Heart and to Mary's Heart as I lead them ever closer to My Father in the Holy Spirit."

- Message from Jesus to Father Edward J. Carter, S.J., Founder, as given on July 31, 1994,
feast of Saint Ignatius Loyola, Founder of the Society of Jesus (The Jesuits)

 

  

 

  


 

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