Shepherds of Christ  
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May 28, 2008

May 29th Holy Spirit Novena
Scripture selection is Day 7 Period II.

The Novena Rosary Mysteries  
for May 29th are Luminous.

   

Come to

Adoration in China

12:00 noon to 3:00pm

on Friday May 30 -

Let's adore and honor Jesus on

Feast of the Sacred Heart.

 

 Rita is doing a Rosary in China

on the Feast of the Sacred Heart

May 30 - at 6:20pm.

Please tune in or come to

China and pray with us!!

     

 

Rita is doing the

Retreat in Florida

June 2nd - 5th

with an afternoon session at 1:00pm

 and the 6:20pm prayers every day.

 

Please help us with the Priestly Mailing.

Funds are needed.

   

 

May 28, 2008

 

                    Homily from Fr. Joe

  

All Saints

November 1, 2005

INTRODUCTION: Our first reading is from the book of Revelation (Rev. 7, 2-4. 9-14). The section just preceding today’s passage described the end of the world. The sun became dark and the moon became red as blood and there was a great earthquake all over the earth. People tried to hide from all these terrible things and they asked: “Who can survive?” Today’s reading answers the question: those who have followed Christ faithfully. And those who have followed Christ faithfully form a large crowd which no one could count. The number 144,000 is a symbolic number, symbolic of completion or perfection.

HOMILY: (Gospel: Matthew 5, 1-12a) Do you ever notice all the saints we have represented here at St. Boniface church? There is the Blessed Virgin altar and St. Joseph’s altar with their statues. There are statues of St. Anthony, St. Rita, St. Teresa (aka, the Little Flower), St. Patrick and St. John Vianney (in the back). Someone asked where is the statue of St. Boniface. It’s outside at the top of the front of the church. There are those in the stained glass windows: Sts. Martha and Mary, all the apostles, St. Boniface, St. Cecilia and St. Gregory the Great in the stained glass windows in the choir loft. There are thousands of others who are designated as “saints” in the Church. I have a book that lists 7000 “saints” and says a little bit about each one of them. Today’s first reading tells us about a crowd so large that no one could count them. Who could count how many people there were who have lived holy lives and gone to heaven throughout these past 2000 years? I would have a hard time counting all the wonderful people I have known as a priest whom I’m sure God has welcomed into his kingdom.

We can learn a lot from all these holy people. Among them were people who died young and those who died old, those who were married, those who were single and those who were religious or priests. There were people from every walk of life, wealthy people and poor people and people in-between. Even though they had so many differences among them, they had certain things in common. They believed in God’s love, they made loving God central in their own lives. Some even went so far as to suffer martyrdom rather than give up their commitment to God. They revered the Mass, the sacraments and the Scriptures. They loved others not just in an emotional sort of way but in a way so as to be of service and help to others. In today’s feast, the Church not only wants us to remember all these holy people, but the Church puts them before us as guides on our own way to God. And it gives us the comfort of knowing that our relatives and friends who have gone before us and who have died in God’s grace now enjoy the fullness of God’s life and God’s joy. Some of the saints, as we know, were not holy at all in their younger days, but they came to realize the error of their ways and turned their lives around, knowing God is always ready for us to turn back to him if we will.

God has called us all to a life of holiness. God has called us all to be saints. If we end up being pictured in some stained glass window in a church that might be nice, but what is really important is that we be among that great number in God’s heavenly kingdom. St. John tells us in today’s second reading (I Jn 3, 1-3) that in God’s love he has made us his children. We are not only called God’s children but that’s what we really are. We ask the Lord today to help us realize our dignity and our purpose to be God’s children for all eternity with God in heaven.

end of homily

  

                    God wants unity like the love more
                and more of the Persons of the
                Trinity. We were created in the
                image and likeness of God —

                    God gives us the Church to help
                us live this unity — God gives
                us the sacraments the fountain
                of His life.

                    God wants us to live in the
                Father's Plan — He created us in
                the image and likeness of God —

                    God wants us to obey the
                commandments — Our life here
                is to live in greater unity —
                As members of the mystical body of Christ
                in the Church - we are to grow in
                greater  oneness — more likened to the
                Trinity — living holy lives — we
                are to be fed with the Bread of Life —
                the Word and the Eucharist —

 

 

Deuteronomy 8: 2-3

Remember the long road by which Yahweh your God led you for forty years in the desert, to humble you, to test you and know your inmost heart -- whether you would keep his commandments or not. He humbled you, he made you feel hunger, he fed you with manna which neither you nor your ancestors had ever known, to make you understand that human beings live not on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of Yahweh.

 

                Jesus wants us to sing the Psalms —
                    sing the Glory and Praise Songs and
                    we are fed

                The Bread of life helps heal the
                wounded human nature. The more
                we sing the Psalms, go to the
                Eucharist, sing the scripture
                we are fed —

                    God nourishes us with the
                Bread of life.

                    Those wishing to go to heaven must
                realize we are here to grow in greater
                unity and love — be more one like
                the Persons of the Trinity.

                    Jesus is the head of the Church —
                In Clearwater Mary's image head was
                destroyed and Jesus' image remained —
                Mary appeared to lead us to Jesus. I see
                Mary and Jesus together. God wants us
                to consecrate our hearts to the New
                Adam and the New Eve — to spread the
                Consecration to these 2 Pure and Holy
                Hearts of Love — If we do this
                Mary said at Fatima we will
                have this era of peace.

 

 

                    Fr. Carter said until a sufficient number
                of people have consecrated their
                hearts to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary we
                won't have peace in the world.

                Look at the fruits of the Spirit 

                    "charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
                    goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness,
                    modesty, self-control, chastity"

                We sing in China — Feast of the
                Sacred Heart — before the exposed
                Eucharist —
                We sing the Word of God —
                We sing from the Glory and Praise
                God wants praise

                Jesus wants reparation to His Holy Heart
                Mary appeared in Clearwater and
                    when her head was knocked off
                    everybody cried put it back —

                Mary is there to lead us to Jesus
                The incarnation goes on in Mary's Immaculate
                Heart her spiritual womb as the
                Holy Spirit forms us more and more
                in the image and likeness of God

                    In baptism we receive this
                special sharing in God's life —
                Our knowing and loving capacity is
                elevated. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit
                dwell in the graced baptized soul —

                    We are to serve and love God and grow
                in that likeness of God to one day
                have the beatific vision, but it
                is a reward.

This life Christ has given us is not a type of superstructure which is erected atop human existence. Although nature and grace are distinct, they do not lie side by side as separate entities. Rather, grace permeates nature. The Christian is one graced person. The Christian is one who has been raised up, caught up, into a deeper form of life in Christ Jesus. (from the Spirituality Handbook)

                We are to deepen this love with the Persons
                of the Trinity here below growing in
                unity and love —

                    The devil wants division, bitterness,
                hatred, anger — he can press on memories,
                feelings — they are in us from childhood —
                and we can project anger, hatred —
                stored in us from the child of the
                past on innocent others.

                    We are not perfect — we are
                imperfect — we are here to learn
                about perfection more likened to
                God — loving — living — unity —
                Oneness of the Trinity and through
                baptism we are commissioned to
                help deepen this oneness rooted IN God
                in the world — in the Church — in
                the family — in our nations — for the
                sake of the children — to help souls
                to get to heaven —
                    to have families of love
                    to have families of unity
                    to have families likened to the Holy Family
                    Mothers and Fathers of love
                    Children likened to Jesus
                    Jesus came as a baby

                Babies are little they need to learn
                    physical things and spiritual
                    things

                They are jealous — they need to learn
                to share — It is a good thing babies are little
                The love we have for Our Heavenly Father
                is to be confident like little children,
                wanting to love Him and obey Him and
                living as Jesus taught us — living His
                example — His Word —

                    Our delight is to live the will of the
                Father — this is loving God —

                    We want to be transformed more
                and more like Jesus —

                    Heaven is unity
                    Heaven is love

                    We are preparing to go to heaven —
                not seeking dominance for ourselves and
                vain glory for our honor and glory —

                We live the Pascal Mystery of Death
                    Resurrection —

                We live the mystery of God's love —
                We love the Bread of life —
                We love the Holy Spirit
                We have devotion to the Holy Spirit
                We let Him move in us so we
                    are living according to God's
                    will in love —

                The Holy Spirit counsels us — Jesus takes us to the
                    bosom of the Father —

                The Holy Spirit works the marvelous wonder
                    of forming us more and more
                    in the image of God in the
                    Immaculate Heart of Mary her Spiritual womb

   

Excerpt from March 12, 2001

Messenger: Father Carter wrote about the whole of
                        the spiritual life in the
                        Spirituality Handbook.                       
                    
He wrote it as Jesus told him to.

                    Enclosed is the table of contents of the
                        20 page Newsletter.

                    We must consider our relationship
                        with the Father, Son, Holy Spirit,
                        the members of the Church,
                        and the world.


                     In the Newsletter he talked about the overview
                    of the Spiritual life, the life of grace through baptism,
                    our relationship with Jesus who is Mediator.
                    He wrote of our relationship with the Father, the
                    Holy Spirit and Mary. Then he told me (all this from
                    the table of contents of the newsletter) how we live out the
                    spiritual life in the Church. The Heart of the
                    Spiritual life is in the sacraments and the Eucharist.

                    Father says in his newsletter on priesthood

                        "Through the sacrament of Holy Orders, Jesus has
                              provided His Church with priests who play a major
                              role in the dispensing of this life which Jesus
                              has come to give and to give most abundantly."

                    Priesthood is key to the life of the Church.
                    Prayer is the key exercise of the spiritual life.
                    And I quote from Father's Newsletter about our relationship
                          with others.

                        "Growth in the Christ-life gives us an increased
                              awareness of our relationships with others.
                              That is to say, the true Christian is keenly aware
                              that, to a great degree, God intends each of us to
                              press on toward maturity in the spiritual life
                              through proper relationships with our fellow
                              human beings."

                    From Father's Newsletter on the Christian and the World I quote:

                            "God calls us to share His love for His creation.
                        Growth in Christ develops our awareness of this
                        truth. The Christian should have a deeper love for
                        the world than the non-believer."

                    Purification
                        Growth in the spiritual life entails an ongoing
                    and progressive purification.

                    Faith
                            From Father's Newsletter on the Vision of Faith I quote

                               "Through faith we share in God’s knowing activity                  
                           in a special way, and we are able to know God and
                           creation in relationship to God in a supernatural,
                           God-like fashion.
                                If we are to properly progress in the spiritual life,
                           we must allow this vision of faith to more and more
                           penetrate our activities."

                    Hope
                            The virtue of trust is extremely important for
                              growth in the spiritual life.

                            From Response to God's Love I quote

                               "Christian hope is a virtue that allows us to tend toward God
                           in Christ as our absolute fulfillment, our absolute future. Hope
                           allows us to trust that God will grant us the graces necessary to
                           achieve this goal."

                    Humility
                            Humility is a very important virtue given to us
                              for the spiritual journey.
                            One of the blocks to the spiritual life, Father said,
                              was lack of humility.

                    Strength in Weakness
                            We must realize our weakness and see our
                              strength is in Him.

                    Living in the Present Moment
                            I quote from Father

                           "I suggest that one of the most difficult acts
                                 of self-discipline in the spiritual journey
                                 is to concentrate on the present moment."

                            This is necessary Father says for growth in the spiritual life.

                    Surrender to God
                            We must surrender to God. We give ourselves more
                              and more to Jesus.
                            We are guided through the Church

                    Mind and Heart
                            We cannot become heartless and too much
                              focused in our minds.

                    The Mystical Life
                            The mystical life is the relative ultimate development
                              of the spiritual life itself.

                            Father talks about the Hearts of Jesus and Mary and
                              the life of Consecration.

                     Here is the copy of the Table of Contents on his twenty
                           page Newsletter.
  

                                         

 

               
May 28, 2008 continues  

                    The Church is life
                giving — the devil wants
                people to abandon their
                calling in the Church —

                    A person can be full of anger,
                bitterness — the devil works in
                memories, feelings of the past and
                a person can project anger, bitterness etc. on the
                Church — The person then isolates
                from the Church because of their
                anger — anger inside of
                them from the past —

 

 

                Consecration to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary
                helps bring peace and love

                    When we are squeezed with
                pressure — we can act from these
                places of hidden anger — untrue
                thoughts —

                    Satan presses in — lack of
                peace, loss of sleep — hunger —
                jealousy — lust — possessiveness —

                    He can bring up memories
                of unmet needs, guilt, feelings
                of abandonment, shame, betrayal,
                rejection, someone from childhood
                that was a scapegoat —

                    there are wounds —
                    there are memories
                    there are old feelings

                It can be generations of pain in
                an alcoholic home — generations
                of anger — dysfunctions —

                    When a person begins to know
                the comfort the Church brings — the
                life given through the sacraments —
                they may want the unity we can
                only have in heaven — they are
                always hungering for the completeness
                of heaven —

                    We are here to learn to grow
                in love and unity for heaven — if
                we want to go to heaven — we are
                working on love and unity —

                    The devil presses in trying to
                get people to isolate — be
                angry — hatred — selfish — give
                into the wounded human nature —
                The more we love — the more we
                heal these wounds — the more we
                are like Jesus — we are not like
                the wounded human nature.

                We are here to prepare ourselves
                for heaven — This means surrendering
                to God's Plan — trusting Him —
                Being under His feet
                Being under the authority of
                    the Church
                Living by the Word
                Living by the commandments —
                Obedience to God

 


                When we disobey God — we give
                    into our wounded human
                    nature

 


                How deep is our past anger —
                    Satan can press easily on
                    one who gives in frequently
                    to lust and anger

                    How deep is our wounded
                anger — how have I grown
                in unity — forgiveness —
                developed this habit — of
                loving —
                being more and more in the image of
                    God —

                    Jesus is all pure — Jesus is
                God. We were created in the image and likeness
                of God.

                    Man sinned. Man has taught other men
                impure ways from their imperfection —
                how deep are our habits that are bad
                habits — not loving as we should —
                We are here to learn love and unity and then
                when we do what God wants — being more
                likened to Him we can someday go
                to heaven forever —

                    It is a reward — if we give into anger —
                possessiveness, lust, unforgiveness,
                isolation, hatred, bitterness — we are
                not preparing ourselves for heaven.

                    The devil has tempted people to
                disobey God's rule — he presses on old
                memories, feelings — We are the same
                person as a baby where did all these
                disappointments, angers, unmet
                needs go. Parents must teach children
                to obey, to share, to love, to not
                be selfish — Some parents are so wounded
                they turn the home into survival for the
                children rather than teaching them
                love — in a dysfunctional home —
                they can be taught dysfunction —
                not love — bitterness, hatred,
                envy, jealousy, anger, they can
                be afraid — fear of abandonment
                by parents working out unmet
                needs — being bitter, cruel and
                selfish

                How full is your tank with love

 

 

                The devil can press on memories of
                adults and they act like wounded children
                of the past — projecting old feelings
                of abandonment, survival skills
                learned in an unloving home on
                others —
                anger —
                getting even
                fighting for things —
                rather than sharing
                respecting each other's things —
                being happy when someone gets a reward
                a victory - has an accomplishment —
                rather than envy, jealousy, coveting 

The Ten Commandments
  1. I am the Lord thy God; thou shalt not have strange gods before Me.

  2. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.

  3. Remember thou keep holy the Sabbath day.

  4. Honor thy father and thy mother.

  5. Thou shalt not kill.

  6. Thou shalt not commit adultery.

  7. Thou shalt not steal.

  8. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

  9. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife.

  10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods.

 

                How can somebody kill a baby to have
                    "freedom" of what they want to do —
                    they have an agenda —
                    they abort a baby

                How can somebody do this

                What are we teaching our children about
                    truth —

                A person coming with deep rooted anger —
                    looks for a place to share their
                    anger arrow —

                The cycle of abuse in families is
                from this — a person is full of anger —
                they rage
                they use passive-aggressive measures
                    control etc. —
                    to defuse anger

                like a pressure cooker — it is okay for
                    a short period of time — then the
                    anger mounts again

 

    

                Stages

                (1) provoking — other person puts up with behavior
                (2) provoking — other person puts up with behavior
                ANGER BUILDS — Red HOT CLIMAX
                promises in the honeymoon cycle —
                promises never kept

                ANGER BUILD AGAIN
                constant provoking
                CLIMAX

                person with serious problem —
                    needs to release anger

 


                Anger inside needs to be dealt with —
                Not make another suffer while they
                    work out this terrible abuse —
                    constant

                LIKE ALCOHOL

                Alcoholic - drinks to reduce pain
                                is addicted

                An alcoholic
                    rage-aholic
                    has co-dependent relationships
                    use force to get others stuck
                    having a job that needs to be done
                        is a manner of force for
                        their irate behavior
                    money is a big use of power
                        force
                    they use power — force

                In the study of what God wants of us
                    God wants unity — peace — harmony
                    and love

               

 

 

        

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