Blue Book 16 is available.

                June 29, 2016 - In the Month of the Sacred Heart

                Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul

                R. Jesus tells us the parable of the mustard seed –
                it is the smallest seed, but when it is grown
                it becomes the largest of plants.

                    Can we not compare ourselves to seeds that
                are planted? There must be fertile soil and the
                right conditions for seeds to grow.

                    We were meant to love and to do God's will.
                We are wonderfully made by God for this. God
                wants us in heaven with Him eternally, but
                we must listen to God and obey Him.

                    God calls us to discipline ourselves.
                We are forming our character by how we
                follow God and do what He wants of us – How we
                love God. We must control our thoughts – not give
                into bitterness, thoughts of envy and anger,
                jealousy – not be prideful and lustful or
                gluttonness.

                    We must seek to be faithful – to have habits
                of kindness toward others. Our disposition
                becomes one of selflessness and one of being loving –
                "other focused", not selfish and focusing
                on darkness.

                    Our constant efforts are to be to avoid
                evil and to serve and love God by
                doing all we do for the honor and glory of God.

                    The Babylonian Captivity in 587 BC

‘So say this word to them: 
May my eyes shed tears 
night and day, unceasingly, 
since the daughter of my people 
    has sustained a fearsome wound, 
a crippling injury. 
If I go into the countryside, 
there lie those killed by the sword; 
if I go into the city, 
I see people tortured with hunger; 
even prophets and priests 
roam the country at their wits’ end.’ 

Have you rejected Judah altogether? 
Does your very soul revolt at Zion? 
Why have you struck us down 
    without hope of cure? 
We were hoping for peace—
    no good came of it! 
For the moment of cure—
    nothing but terror! 
Yahweh, we acknowledge our wickedness 
and our ancestors’ guilt: 
we have indeed sinned against you. 
For your name’s sake do not reject us, 
do not dishonour the throne of your glory. 
Remember us; 
    do not break your covenant with us. 
Can any of the nations’ Futile Ones 
    make it rain? 
Can the heavens of their own accord 
    give showers? 
Are you not the one, Yahweh our God? 
In you is our hope, 
since you make all these things.

Matthew 13: 35-46

This was to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet:    

I will speak to you in parables,
 unfold what has been hidden
 since the foundation of the world.

The parable of the darnel explained

Then, leaving the crowds, he went to the house; and his disciples came to him and said, ‘Explain to us the parable about the darnel in the field.’ He said in reply, ‘The sower of the good seed is the Son of man. The field is the world; the good seed is the subjects of the kingdom; the darnel, the subjects of the Evil One; the enemy who sowed it, the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; the reapers are the angels. Well then, just as the darnel is gathered up and burnt in the fire, so it will be at the end of time. The Son of man will send his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of falling and all who do evil, and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth. Then the upright will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Anyone who has ears should listen!

‘The kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field which someone has found; he hides it again, goes off in his joy, sells everything he owns and buys the field. ‘Again, the kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls; when he finds one of great value he goes and sells everything he owns and buys it.

                R. We should do all of our work for the honor
                and glory of God. Do what we are asked to do
                the best way we can – We must respect
                those in authority over us – In yesterday's
                message we see that God says that we
                should see Him watching all that we do and
                not act like He doesn't see what we do.

                    We know that God expects order in our lives.
                God operates in structure. A man of God can
                control himself – he does not give into temptation
                by satan to try to get him to give into being depressed
                and disobedient to God. We should not procrastinate
                and waste time when we know God is
                telling us to do something.

                    God has asked us to have wholesome
                family movies for the summer for the
                pilgrims coming to the Florida site.
                What we watch, what we think, what
                we fill our minds with effects us.

                God is Just –         

                Song: I Am a God of Justice

Jeremiah 18: 1-6

                R. We must fill our minds with good images
                and good thoughts, Good shows we watch –
                We should keep trying to learn about God,
                who loves us so much.

                R. Matthew tells us about the lack of faith
                    when Jesus went to His native place –

                He could not work many miracles because of
                    their lack of faith.

                Do we think about desolation? St. Ignatius tells us
                    about desolation and we must discern
                    the spirits.
                    When we are in desolation we should
                        not make decisions.
                    We can pray more during desolation,
                        not pray less –
                    We need God's help.

Jeremiah 26: 11-16, 24

The priests and prophets then said to the chief men and all the people, ‘This man deserves to die, since he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears.’ Jeremiah, however, replied to all the chief men and all the people as follows, ‘Yahweh himself sent me to prophesy against this Temple and this city all the things you have heard. So now amend your behaviour and actions, listen to the voice of Yahweh your God, and Yahweh will relent about the disaster that he has decreed for you. For myself, I am, as you see, in your hands. Do whatever you please or think right with me. But be sure of this, that if you put me to death, you will be bringing innocent blood on yourselves, on this city and on its inhabitants, since Yahweh has truly sent me to you to say all this for you to hear.’ The chief men and all the people then said to the priests and prophets, ‘This man does not deserve to die: he has spoken to us in the name of Yahweh our God.’

 But Jeremiah had a protector in Ahikam son of Shaphan, so he was not handed over to the people to be put to death.

                R. We have been talking about the prophets in the
                Old Testament and how they suffered for doing what
                God called them to do – tell them what they were doing
                wrong and repent.

                    We remember John the Baptist who lost
                his head because he told Herod what he was
                doing wrong.

                    God calls us to unite and to go out and
                to produce fruit for the Kingdom of God.

                    At the time of Jeremiah, the King
                would not listen to him – He prophesized
                and the false prophet was listened to and Jeremiah
                was thrown in a pit –

                    But the King really did suffer –

Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

                R. We can't ignore God. God gives us laws to follow –
                Jesus loves us so much –

                We see He gives us a sharing in His life in baptism
                    and He feeds this life with Himself.

                Jeremiah told them of national punishment
                    before the Babylonian Exile – that
                    made them mad and they punished Jeremiah.

                R. We see their lack of faith –
                 

HOMILY – ... This changed bread and wine that becomes Jesus’ body and blood will change us. We will become more like him and grow closer to him. Our faith is not a static thing, it is dynamic because the power of Jesus is at work. Later on in John’s gospel he tells us, “I came that they may have life, and have it to the full.” I think this is one of the most powerful lines in the gospel. If we believe in him and if we let him, Jesus will keep changing us until we come to the fullness of life. Amen

Matthew 15: 1-2, 10-14

Then Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem came to Jesus and said, 'Why do your disciples break away from the tradition of the elders? They eat without washing their hands.'

He called the people to him and said, 'Listen, and understand. What goes into the mouth does not make anyone unclean; it is what comes out of the mouth that makes someone unclean.' He replied, 'Any plant my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind; and if one blind person leads another, both will fall into a pit.'

Jeremiah 31: 1-7

When that time comes, Yahweh declares, I shall be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.

   Yahweh says this:
   They have found pardon in the desert,
   those who have survived the sword.
   Israel is marching to his rest.
   Yahweh has appeared to me from afar;
   I have loved you with an everlasting love
   and so I still maintain
      my faithful love for you.
   I shall build you once more,
      yes, you will be rebuilt,
   Virgin of Israel!
   Once more in your best attire,
   and with your tambourines,
   you will go out dancing gaily.
   Once more you will plant vineyards
   on the mountains of Samaria
   (those who plant will themselves
      enjoy the fruit).
   Yes, a day will come
      when the watchmen shout
   on the mountains of Ephraim,
   ‘Up! Let us go up to Zion,
   to Yahweh our God!'

   For Yahweh says this:
   Shout with joy for Jacob!
   Hail the chief of nations!
   Proclaim! Praise! Shout,
   ‘Yahweh has saved his people,
   the remnant of Israel!’

                R. Jesus shows us He healed because of people's
                    faith.

November 4, 2013

                Mary: I am the Queen of Peace
                    I appeared Our Lady of Clearwater –
                    Come July 5, 2016
                    Pray in reparation for your sins.

                R. Christ showed us how He went out to others. He
                saw the people and had pity on them. When we
                become people for others – we have the spirit,
                the habit of thinking about others, of going
                out to help others, selflessness rather than
                selfishness – following Jesus. Jesus did the
                will of the Father – Jesus always did the will
                of the Father – Jesus served other, Jesus
                helped others, Jesus loved others.

                    A prophet speaks the words God wants
                them to speak to the people –

                    Ezekiel was a prophet for the Jews in exile.
                He was around 593 BC. The prophets we have heard
                from in the daily scriptures in the first reading,
                were from this period before Christ.

                    Jesus tells us we are to be like little children.
                We remember the scripture –
 

Matthew 11: 25

At that time Jesus exclaimed, 'I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to little children.

                R. We are to be child-like, humble, loving –
                not like selfish people, angry, jealous, prideful etc.
                God calls us to meekness, that means not combatal,
                ready to argue, prove a point. We say Most Sacred Heart
                of Jesus - meek and tender in Heart. God calls us
                to humility - not bragging for our own glory, but
                telling the truth to help build the Kingdom of God –

                    God calls us to be patient – we need to pray
                for patience – God teaches us in many trials
                we have to wait on the Lord. We pray – we wait
                on Him.

                R. St. Paul tells us to get rid of malice, to be
                kind and to forgive each other – We are to be
                Christ to one another – love each other, help
                each other, not selfish, but selfless, servants
                of the Lord, handmaids of the Lord.

                    God tells us not to nurse anger, hold out,
                brood over things we think people did to us –
                life is too short to bring destruction down
                on our day, when God has asked us to be
                pure in heart and to serve Him.

Matthew 18: 15-20

Brotherly correction

'If your brother does something wrong, go and have it out with him alone, between your two selves. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you: whatever the misdemeanour, the evidence of two or three witnesses is required to sustain the charge. But if he refuses to listen to these, report it to the community; and if he refuses to listen to the community, treat him like a gentile or a tax collector.

'In truth I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

Prayer in common

'In truth I tell you once again, if two of you on earth agree to ask anything at all, it will be granted to you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three meet in my name, I am there among them.'

                R. Jesus is talking about one having authority and
                correcting those under Him. A person in authority
                has a responsibility before God to carry out the
                mission God asks of him. In the Church,
                the person in authority wearing a habit, being
                a priest must not give bad example before
                others – they are to be Christ-like and teach
                others – example is important, especially for
                religious. They cannot be scandalous or
                misrepresenting before others - that could in
                any way hurt the spiritual life of those they serve.

                    To call ourselves a Christian means to be Christ-like.
                We are to see Christ in others. We are to be rooted
                in Christ ourselves. A person like Christ does
                not give into the deadly sins of pride and anger
                and jealousy, envy, slothfulness, gluttony and
                lust – especially with a habit, a collar and
                before others.

                    Religious are to be impeccable about adoring
                the Blessed Sacrament and teaching others
                about reverence in Church and when
                praying – giving a good example before others,
                meek and tender in heart – like the Heart of Jesus.

                    We are to learn to forgive. It takes practice
                and grace to learn to forgive. We have a lifetime
                to learn to be Christ-like. We see that Christ
                forgives us and we are to make reparation for
                offenses we have caused.

                    We are to show others how to be Christians,
                how to be Christ-like – How we are harmonious
                in one mind and one heart – how we obey
                just authority – how we are just and loving
                in our dealings with our brothers.

                Sing: And they know we are Christians by Our Love

                Sing: All That We Have

                Sing: Service

                    Even in abortion we see the awfulness
                of what is called women's rights to choose –
                The commandments say "Thou shalt not kill".
                The baby in the womb has rights. God will
                judge us how we acted in our life.

  1. I, the Lord, am your God. You shall not have other gods besides me.
  2. You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain.
  3. Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.
  4. Honor your father and your mother.
  5. You shall not kill.
  6. You shall not commit adultery.
  7. You shall not steal.
  8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
  9. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife.
  10. You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor.

Matthew 11: 25

At that time Jesus exclaimed, 'I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to little children.

                R. When we are baptized we are commissioned to go out
                    and spread the Good News.
                    This is a responsibility we are given –
                    We pray for an increase of faith, hope
                        and love.
                    We are members of the mystical body of
                        Christ –
                        If one member suffers, we all suffer –
                        We are to pray for each other and
                        be holy ourselves –

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Ezekiel 18: 1-10, 13, 30-32

From Rita Robinson Ring,
Co-founder of Shepherds of Christ

    God has chosen us, we are to turn to Christ with greater generosity, and as baptized Christians to grow in our knowing and loving capacity.

    God has put His handprint on us in baptism giving to us the virtues of faith, hope and love. These are theological virtues. We must pray to God for the increase in these virtues and we respond to the grace He outpours to us. In praying for the increase in faith we can see more and more the vision of the Heavenly Father. We can hope for our eternal salvation and help spread that hope in our lives to others and we can share more deeply in God’s loving activity – loving more supernaturally as we cooperate by responding to the gifts given by God of greater faith, hope and love.

    God is with us, God wants us to spread the good news, to turn toward Him in loving union performing good acts according to His will.

    Fr. Joe’s book teaches us about love and life in God. Fr. Joe’s book teaches us about the gift of the Mass and the Church, and about salvation history. We live more every day according to the scriptures in peace, love and joy. We know Jesus, we love Him. He is operating in us.

    We all seek happiness – Happiness is found in God –

    In reading the weekly scriptures and reading Fr. Joe’s homily – God’s loving self-communication to us will grow in our lives – as we respond in love to Him.

    This book and the scripture come alive in our lives every Sunday after we read the scriptures and Fr. Joe’s homily before Mass.

    God communicates His own life through grace and man in return gives himself to God and his fellowman in loving service.

    Happiness comes to us in dying to those ways not likened to God and rising in the spiritual life in that image and likeness of Christ.

    We love Fr. Joe’s jokes that help us to clear our minds and laugh and listen.

    He told me of a little boy who was drawing a picture in art class and the teacher said “Who is this?” And the little boy said, “It is God.”

    The teacher said, “Nobody knows what God looks like.” The little boy said, “When I get done – they will know.”

    In baptism we have been given a sharing in God’s life with this elevated knowing and loving capacity.

    It is up to us to pray to God for the grace to grow to know and love Him more – to be more and more likened to God.

    In the pages of Fr. Joe’s homilies we learn more and more about God, about loving God and loving others as ourselves – God is love – God is the source of love – We are to Respond to God’s love.

Excerpt from Response to God’s Love by Fr. Edward Carter, S.J.

    “... In reference to Christianity, God himself is the ultimate mystery. Radically, God is completely other and transcendent, hidden from man in his inner life, unless he chooses to reveal himself. Let us briefly look at this inner life of God.

    The Father, in a perfect act of self-expression, in a perfect act of knowing, generates his son. The Son, the Word, is, then, the immanent expression of God’s fullness, the reflection of the Father. Likewise, from all eternity, the Father and the Son bring forth the Holy Spirit in a perfect act of loving.

    At the destined moment in human history, God’s self-expression, the Word, immersed himself into man’s world. God’s inner self-expression now had also become God’s outer self-expression. Consequently, the mystery of God becomes the mystery of Christ. In Christ, God tells us about himself, about his inner life, about his plan of creation and redemption. He tells us how Father, Son, and Holy Spirit desire to dwell within us in the most intimate fashion, how they wish to share with us their own life through grace. All this he has accomplished and does accomplish through Christ. St. Paul tells us: “I became a minister of this Church through the commission God gave me to preach among you his word in its fullness, that mystery hidden from ages and generations past but now revealed to his holy ones. God has willed to make known to them the glory beyond price which this mystery brings to the Gentiles—the mystery of Christ in you, your hope of glory.m This is the Christ we proclaim while we admonish all men and teach them in the full measure of wisdom, hoping to make every man complete in Christ” (Col 1:25-28).”

Excerpts from Guiding Light – Feed My Soul

    p. 111 When Jesus said the two greatest commandments were about love: love of God and love of neighbor, the Jewish scholar asked Jesus another question: “And who is my neighbor?” You might recall that there was great animosity between Jews and Samaritans, so in introducing a Samaritan into the story, Jesus shows us “neighbor” could be anyone, even someone we despise.

    p. 51 The conversation Jesus had about tragic events at the beginning of today’s gospel was interesting. Sometimes people think when something bad happens to someone it is God’s punishment. Jesus said that’s not always true. He does not try to explain suffering here, but he is telling us not to be complacent, which we sometimes are. We can’t think “well, if nothing bad is happening to me, it must be because I am so good.” He tells us we all need to repent, i.e., to work to be better than we are.

    pp. 29-30 As we celebrate Jesus’ baptism, may we at the same time celebrate our own. May we rejoice in God’s gift of love and life given to us, and may we live up to the high dignity with which God has blessed us.

Give to people in Nursing Homes!