Shepherds of Christ  
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July 14, 2008

July 15th Holy Spirit Novena
Scripture selection is Day 7 Period I.

The Novena Rosary Mysteries  
for July 15th are Sorrowful.

 

Sidney Rosary

July 15, 2008 6:20pm

Please tune in

for the healing rosary tonight!

 

 

July 14, 2008

                    They prayed and did rituals of the things, but they
                acted UNLOVING —

                    God tells them to be loving

 

Isaiah 1: 10-17

  Hear the word of Yahweh, you rulers of Sodom!
      Listen to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah!

  "What are the multitude of your sacrifices to me?," says Yahweh.
      "I have had enough of the burnt offerings of rams,
      And the fat of fed animals.
      I don't delight in the blood of bulls,
      Or of lambs,
      Or of male goats.
 
When you come to appear before me,
      Who has required this at your hand, to trample my courts?
  Bring no more vain offerings.
      Incense is an abomination to me;
      New moons, Sabbaths, and convocations:
      I can't bear with evil assemblies.
  My soul hates your New Moons and your appointed feasts;
      They are a burden to me.
      I am weary of bearing them.
 
When you spread forth your hands, I will hide my eyes from you;
      Yes, when you make many prayers, I will not hear.
      Your hands are full of blood.
 
Wash yourselves, make yourself clean.
      Put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes;
      Cease to do evil.
  Learn to do well.
      Seek justice,
      Relieve the oppressed,
      Judge the fatherless,
      Plead for the widow."

   

Psalm 50: 8-9, 16bc-17, 21, 23

It is not with your sacrifices that I find fault,
those burnt offerings constantly before me;
I will not accept any bull from your homes,
nor a single goat from your folds.

What right have you to recite my statutes,
to take my covenant on your lips,
when you detest my teaching,
and thrust my words behind you?

You do this, and am I to say nothing?
Do you think that I am really like you?
I charge you, indict you to your face.

Honour to me is a sacrifice of thanksgiving;
to the upright I will show God's salvation.

     

Matthew 10: 34 - 11:1

Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth: it is not peace I have come to bring, but a sword. For I have come to set son against father, daughter against mother, daughter-in-law against mother-in-law; a person's enemies will be the members of his own household.

'No one who prefers father or mother to me is worthy of me. No one who prefers son or daughter to me is worthy of me. Anyone who does not take his cross and follow in my footsteps is not worthy of me. Anyone who finds his life will lose it; anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it.

'Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me; and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 'Anyone who welcomes a prophet because he is a prophet will have a prophet's reward; and anyone who welcomes an upright person because he is upright will have the reward of an upright person. 'If anyone gives so much as a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple, then in truth I tell you, he will most certainly not go without his reward.'

When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples he moved on from there to teach and preach in their towns.

   

                    He warns the Apostles they will not always
                        have peace — even in households —
                        He tells them He must be first—
                        He tells them if they want life
                            they must follow Him
                        He tells us who ever receives them
                              receives Him —
                    He came to bring us love and peace in tough
                        times — We need Him —
                        We need to see ourselves as brothers
                            and sisters

                What good does it do us to do a lot of work for God and
                    have impure hearts
                    deep seated rivalry
                    jealousy toward one another
                    seeking dominance for dominance sake

                God called us to be a family and live the
                    Christian life

                Jesus wants us to love — to be like Him —
                    He feeds us with Himself

                Working together we can accomplish so many
                    things — working in love
                    Helping each other —
                    not being ready to condemn each other —
                        working in love

     

The Our Father

    Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

    

                The Family of God is to live in love —
                    helping each other do God's work —
                    not impure
                    anger
                    envy
                    possessiveness
                    lust
                    seeking dominance for dominance sake

                A pure heart like Mary and Jesus
                    Sinless —
                    Working for God's honor and glory —
                        not our own vain glory

                Jesus: I call you to love
                        To do the work to serve Me
                        To care about others
                        What good does it do you to do work for Me
                            and be unloving —
                        I AM LOVE —

                        You work to help others
                            and you are bitter
                            you may act to hurt your own soul
                            Foolish, you say!
                            Foolish I say.

                        Work in purity - to help and show love.

                R. Listening to Jesus
                    to continue to do the same bad habits over and
                        over again and force others to put up
                        with this blocks unity

                    Do we listen to Jesus or do we just say to
                        Jesus - I will work for You Jesus,
                                    but my way
                                    in my time
                                    if I want to
                        Jesus is crying out - listen —
                            together in love and forgiveness you
                                can accomplish
                                great things
                            doing it your way which is not His way —
                                saying to Jesus
                                "Make me"
                                And being stubborn acting in impure
                                    unloving ways is
                                not listening to Jesus when He tells us —
                                    that we act to help each other —
                                    to do great things in unity

                    Jesus tells us - in Him we can accomplish
                        all things

                    Know how to rejoice in the Lord's work
                    We are Christians — all day — every day
                    That means being like Christ
                    That means doing it for Him in love
                    That means relying on Him to do the work that
                        is His!!

                    Helping to build His Kingdom —
                    In Him all things are possible
                    Jesus healed the blind man,
                                        the lepers,
                                        rose Lazarus from the dead —

                    God can work through us if we respond —
                    If we do it our selfish way — the world can
                        be worse off for our work
                    We are Christians all day, every day
                    We work to make the world a better place —
                    How can we ever provoke, or be
                        bitter to those near us —

                    Do we say "Make me" when we hear Jesus'
                        voice tells us to be a certain way —
                        pure in our hearts like Mary —
                        work to help others — including those closest to
                            us and we say
                        "Make me do it nice"

                Think of what it means to the world for
                    one Christian to listen to Jesus and
                    not be willful against what God
                    wants.

                Think of how Pope John Paul II listened to Jesus.
                Think of how Pope Benedict listens to Jesus.
                Think of how Mary, the Mother of Jesus, listened
                    to Jesus.
                Listen to Jesus and respond in purity and love
                    as He wants.

     

Genesis 22: 1-13, 15-18

It happened some time later that God put Abraham to the test. ‘Abraham, Abraham!’ he called. ‘Here I am,’ he replied. God said, ‘Take your son, your only son, your beloved Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, where you are to offer him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I shall point out to you.’ 

    Early next morning Abraham saddled his donkey and took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. He chopped wood for the burnt offering and started on his journey to the place which God had indicated to him. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. Then Abraham said to his servants, ‘Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I are going over there; we shall worship and then come back to you.’ 

    Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering, loaded it on Isaac, and carried in his own hands the fire and the knife. Then the two of them set out together. Isaac spoke to his father Abraham. ‘Father?’ he said. ‘Yes, my son,’ he replied. ‘Look,’ he said, ‘here are the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?’ Abraham replied, ‘My son, God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering.’ And the two of them went on together.

    When they arrived at the place which God had indicated to him, Abraham built an altar there, and arranged the wood. Then he bound his son and put him on the altar on top of the wood. Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to kill his son.

    But the angel of Yahweh called to him from heaven. ‘Abraham, Abraham!’ he said. ‘Here I am,’ he replied. ‘Do not raise your hand against the boy,’ the angel said. ‘Do not harm him, for now I know you fear God. You have not refused me your own beloved son.’ Then looking up, Abraham saw a ram caught by its horns in a bush. Abraham took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son.

    The angel of Yahweh called Abraham a second time from heaven. ‘I swear by my own self, Yahweh declares, that because you have done this, because you have not refused me your own beloved son, I will shower blessings on you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven and the grains of sand on the seashore. Your descendants will gain possession of the gates of their enemies. All nations on earth will bless themselves by your descendants, because you have obeyed my command.’

    

                    Abraham listened to Jesus

 

Romans 8: 31-34

After saying this, what can we add? If God is for us, who can be against us? Since he did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for the sake of all of us, then can we not expect that with him he will freely give us all his gifts? Who can bring any accusation against those that God has chosen? When God grants saving justice who can condemn? Are we not sure that it is Christ Jesus, who died-yes and more, who was raised from the dead and is at God's right hand-and who is adding his plea for us?

      

Hebrews 10: 16

No, this is the covenant
    I will make with them,
when those days have come.

the Lord says:

    In their minds I will plant my Laws
    writing them on their hearts,

 

Mark 9: 2-10

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John and led them up a high mountain on their own by themselves. There in their presence he was transfigured: his clothes became brilliantly white, whiter than any earthly bleacher could make them. Elijah appeared to them with Moses; and they were talking to Jesus. Then Peter spoke to Jesus, ‘Rabbi,’ he said, ‘it is wonderful for us to be here; so let us make three shelters, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ He did not know what to say; they were so frightened. And a cloud came, covering them in shadow; and from the cloud there came a voice, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him.’ Then suddenly, when they looked round, they saw no one with them any more but only Jesus.

As they were coming down from the mountain he warned them to tell no one what they had seen, until after the Son of man had risen from the dead. They observed the warning faithfully, though among themselves they discussed what ‘rising from the dead’ could mean.

     

                To fulfill our mission in life we must listen to Jesus.
                Jesus reminds us of our privilege and responsibility
                    in assisting Him in the work of on-going redemption.
                    He reminds us that we cannot save ourselves
                        without simultaneously being concerned with
                        the salvation of our neighbor.
                        He tells us that we have a special role
                            to play in the Church's continuation of
                            his redemptive mission.

                Christ gave His all for love of us —

                Jesus never said it would be easy

                It may be difficult to listen to Jesus and respond —

                What is holiness —
                Doing God's will in love —
                Giving ourselves over to His will —
                Loving in doing God's will over ours
                    when we don't want to —

                Happiness is found in learning to love what
                    God wants —
                pure motives for acting in our heart
                putting God first

                God puts us to the test.
                God tested Abraham
                    to see if he would trust and obey Him.

                Everything we have belongs to God.
                God tested Abraham with his son.
                Even our talents are gifts from God.

                Having things God has given us is a privilege
                    from God — we don't own things —
                    God has blessed us —

                Jesus carried the wood they would hang Him on
                    to His death

                Abraham laid the wood on Isaac's shoulders.
                Christ carried the cross
                Jesus, the Son of God —

                Isaac asked his father, where the sheep was —
                Jesus was the Lamb led to the slaughter
                Abraham trusts God —
                He unconditionally did His will —
                He was willing to sacrifice His Son —
                God asks us to give our lives —
                    to surrender our willful ways —
                    to do His will

    

Prayer for Union with Jesus

    Come to me, Lord, and possess my soul. Come into my heart and permeate my soul. Help me to sit in silence with You and let You work in my heart.

    I am Yours to possess. I am Yours to use. I want to be selfless and only exist in You. Help me to spoon out all that is me and be an empty vessel ready to be filled by You. Help me to die to myself and live only for You. Use me as You will. Let me never draw my attention back to myself. I only want to operate as You do, dwelling within me.

    I am Yours, Lord. I want to have my life in You. I want to do the will of the Father. Give me the strength to put aside the world and let You operate my very being. Help me to act as You desire. Strengthen me against the distractions of the devil to take me from Your work.

    When I worry, I have taken my focus off of You and placed it on myself. Help me not to give in to the promptings of others to change what in my heart You are making very clear to me. I worship You, I adore You and I love You. Come and dwell in me now.

-God's Blue Book, January 17, 1994

    

                Jesus, the Son of God, the Son of the Father —
                    is the sacrifice
                    How great is that love?

                We think it is easier to sacrifice others than
                    what belongs to us — our time, our
                    talents
                    We should recognize we own nothing —
                    God gives us these things to do His work —

                All the world was blessed because
                    Abraham obeyed the Lord.

                Abraham was tested — he showed his faith to
                    the Lord — Abraham's descendents were
                    blessed.

                The things we have - even children - are a privilege —
                    we don't own things — God in His generosity
                    give us things.

                All who were descendents of Abraham were given
                    blessings because of Abraham's faith,
                    trust and love of God.

                A key concept of salvation history is covenant.
                Baptism initiates the Christian into the life
                    of the new covenant, the covenant
                    of Jesus Christ.

                Covenant in terms of salvation history
                    is a religious pact.
                Covenant establishes a life-relationship
                    between God and His people.

                Adam and Eve were disobedient.
                It affected their descendents.

                Abraham was obedient.
                It affected his descendents.

                God chooses His people —
                God chose the prophets.

                The lesson in the scriptures is we must obey
                    God's will —

                Where is the respect we owe to God —
                Why are we not trembling that the human race
                    has offended God

                Do we not see - as a group of people of
                    the body of Christ, we in the Shepherds of Christ can
                    help make reparation to God with our love and
                    lives given for His holy purpose —
                    to honor and love Him —
                    to say we are sorry for our sins —

                The Mass is the greatest sacrifice we can offer —
                    when we at the consecration of the Mass —
                    empty ourselves —
                    give our lives to God the Father
                    united to Jesus
                        in the Holy Spirit
                        will all the angels and saints
                        and souls in purgatory —

                Even though women in the bible were sterile —
                    God blessed these sterile women —

                Even though the earth may look as a parched
                    desert — our prayers —
                    prayer chapters as Jesus told Fr. Carter
                    can help bring down great blessings on
                        the world
                    praying for the priests, the Church and the world.

                It can be that one man is concerned with the
                    here and now, but another has the vision
                    to be concerned with their eternal destiny.

                It is known forever the rivalry between men —
                    seeking dominance for dominance sake —
                    rather than wanting God's will and working
                    together with His might for the souls —

                Fighting goes on all over the world
                competition, hatred, bitterness, envy.

                We must work together in structure.
                The Church has structure.
               
                Jesus is the head.
                We are the members of His mystical body.

                Children hurt themselves if they don't listen
                    to wise advice of their parents, so we
                    injure ourselves when we fail to
                    do God's will and we injure others —

                We work in unity —
                We must work as one in harmony —

                Disorder came from the garden
                It is utter folly to not listen to Jesus —
                It is utter folly to not seek the will of God —
                In this lies our peace and happiness
                There is a special plan, a unique plan of
                    God for all of us.

                Each of us has a special role or mission to
                    accomplish.

                Cardinal Newman, one of the great figures
                    in the Church's history, has left us perennially
                    applicable words regarding this special
                    mission attached to each one's uniqueness.
                    He says "... everyone who breathes, high and low,
                    educated and ignorant, young and old, man and woman,
                    has a mission, has a work. We are not sent
                    into this world for nothing; we are not born at
                    random. . . God sees every one of us;
                    He creates every soul, He lodges it in
                    a body, one by one, for a purpose. He needs,
                    He deigns to need, every one of us.
                    He has an end for each of us."
                                   
(Discourses addressed to mixed congregations)

                To fulfill our mission in life we must do
                    God's will.

 

 

 

 

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