| Shepherds of Christ Daily Writing |
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| Shepherds of Christ Daily Writing |
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July 16, 2016
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July 17th Holy Spirit Novena |
The Novena Rosary
Mysteries |
Please pray for Cole.
Pray for special intentions.
Pray for Dan & Melanie, Mary W, Jimmy,
Fr. Joe, Mary, Catherine, Blue Book 17.
Please pray for funds & grace.
Pray for
Father's Day Mailing,
Fr. Joe's new book, a special couple.
Give the gift that Counts.
Blow Out Sale for Reprinting of Blue Book 1, 2 & 3
While Supplies Last
Blue Book 1 - $4 each plus postage
Blue Book 2 - $4 each plus postage
Blue Book 3 - $3 each plus postageCall 1-888-211-3041 for Doris
Blue Book 16 is available.
July 16, 2016
From Response in Christ by Fr. Edward J. Carter, S.J. p. 99-100
Each Christian must study how in particular he is called to put on Christ. Essentially, of course, all put on Christ in the same manner. Yet there are accidental differences according to the vocation, work and individuals involved. For instance, the lay person, in general, is called to a deeper involvement in temporal affairs than is the religious.
Each member of Christ, according to his particular vocation, work and personality, has something special to take away from the Mass.40 Each Christian, as he lives out the mystery of Christ, projects Christ to the world in his own way. Each Christian, as he himself grows in Christ-likeness, is also helping Christ to redeem the world in a manner commensurate with his total Christian person. For holiness is necessarily apostolic whether the Christian at any particular time is engaged in an external apostolate or not.
Each Christian, according to God's plan for him, must have a vital and dynamic desire to help Christianize the whole world. Perhaps he can do very little through direct, external apostolate. But his prayers and sacrifices – indeed, his entire life – can touch the whole world. Through an intense Christian life the individual can help Christ further the redemption of the family, the business world, the social structure and the like. The Christian is called to have this deep desire: to see the whole universe imprinted with the name of Christ. How true it is to say that the Christian's vocation, rooted in the liturgy, calls for deep involvement in this sacred activity.41
In schematic outline we have discussed the manner in which the baptized Christian extends his Mass to his daily existence. As he so lives out his Mass, he is becoming more Christlike. He becomes a more perfect priest and victim for his next participation in the eucharistic sacrifice.42 The beautiful cycle which the Mass contains lies exposed before us. As part of this cycle the Christian is intimately involved in the process of continued redemption. The Mass is the center of the Christian life: ". . . the liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; at the same time it is the fount from which all her power flows."43
1. Cf. Second Vatican Council, Constitution on the Church, No. 36.
2. For a current treatment of the varied richness of the Eucharist, cf. J. Wicks, "The Movement of Eucharistic Theology" in Chicago Studies, Vol. 10 (1971), pp. 267-284.
3. The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, No. 10.
16th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Genesis 18: 1-10a
Yahweh appeared to him at the Oak of Mamre while he was sitting by the entrance of the tent during the hottest part of the day. He looked up, and there he saw three men standing near him. As soon as he saw them he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them, and bowed to the ground. ‘My lord,’ he said, ‘if I find favour with you, please do not pass your servant by. Let me have a little water brought, and you can wash your feet and have a rest under the tree. Let me fetch a little bread and you can refresh yourselves before going further, now that you have come in your servant’s direction.’ They replied, ‘Do as you say.’
Abraham hurried to the tent and said to Sarah, ‘Quick, knead three
measures of best flour and make loaves.' Then, running to the herd, Abraham took a fine and tender calf and gave it to the servant, who hurried to prepare it. Then taking curds, milk and the calf which had been prepared, he laid all before them, and they ate while he remained standing near them under the tree.
‘Where is your wife Sarah?’ they asked him. ‘She is in the tent,’ he replied. Then his guest said, ‘I shall come back to you next year, and then your wife Sarah will have a son.’
Psalm 15: 2-5
The guest of Yahweh
Psalm Of David
Whoever lives blamelessly,
who acts uprightly,
who speaks the truth from the heart,
who keeps the tongue under control,who does not wrong a comrade,
who casts no discredit on a neighbour,
who looks with scorn on the vile,
but honours those who fear Yahweh,who stands by an oath at any cost,
who asks no interest on loans,
who takes no bribe to harm the innocent.
No one who so acts can ever be shaken.
Colossians 1: 24-28
It makes me happy to be suffering for you now, and in my own body to make up all the hardships that still have to be undergone by Christ for the sake of his body, the Church, of which I was made a servant with the responsibility towards you that God gave to me, that of completing God's message, the message which was a mystery hidden for generations and centuries and has now been revealed to his holy people. It was God's purpose to reveal to them how rich is the glory of this mystery among the gentiles; it is Christ among you, your hope of glory: this is the Christ we are proclaiming, admonishing and instructing everyone in all wisdom, to make everyone perfect in Christ.
Luke 10: 38-42
In the course of their journey he came to a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. She had a sister called Mary, who sat down at the Lord's feet and listened to him speaking. Now Martha, who was distracted with all the serving, came to him and said, 'Lord, do you not care that my sister is leaving me to do the serving all by myself? Please tell her to help me.' But the Lord answered, 'Martha, Martha,' he said, 'you worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed, indeed only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better part, and it is not to be taken from her.'
16th Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 21, 2013
(Genesis 18:1-10; Colossians 1:24-28; Luke 10:38-42) God is always with us, but there are those times when God’s presence becomes tangible. It’s always a surprise when it happens. Sometimes God’s visits come in the form of a good idea or with a strong awareness that we’re not alone. Sometimes they come with a deep sense of peace or with a twinge of conscience. And, of course, God comes to visit us as our life in this world reaches its end.INTRODUCTION –
Our first reading is about Abraham who welcomes three strangers. Abraham didn’t realize at first that it was God whom he was entertaining. God had come to tell him that his lifelong desire that he and his wife, Sarah, would have a son would finally be fulfilled. Our first reading prepares us for the story of Martha and Mary (illustrated by our stained glass window) as these two sisters are visited by Jesus – whom they had not yet come to know was the Son of God, the giver of every blessing, and the One who spoke words of eternal life.
HOMILY –
I would like to begin with last week’s gospel. It is connected with today’s. If you will recall, a scholar in the Jewish law asked Jesus a question: “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Could there be a more important question in our lives than this one? And yet, it’s a question a lot of people in our society do not seem to have much concern. Somehow many people figure we are all going to be saved in the end, no matter how we’ve lived. That’s not the message we get from the gospel. Once Jesus was asked: “Lord, will only a few be saved?” Jesus answered: “strive to enter through the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able.” (Lk. 13:23-24). We would be considering Jesus a fool or a liar if we did not take seriously the many parables Jesus spoke regarding the importance of being ready to enter God’s kingdom.To get the answer to the question: “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus asked the scholar in Jewish law what he thought was the answer. Of course, the scholar answered correctly: to love God with our whole heart and soul and mind and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Then he asked Jesus for a definition of neighbor, which led into the parable of the Good Samaritan.
I feel sure that St. Luke put today’s gospel right after the story about the Good Samaritan for a reason. It is an illustration of the first and greatest commandment: to love God with our whole heart and soul and mind and strength. The story of Martha and Mary does not imply that Martha did not love God, while Mary did. Martha loved God too. She was demonstrating her love by getting a big meal together for Jesus and the twelve apostles. But Jesus told her, “you are busy (the Greek word also means “distracted”) about many things.” While the gospel of the good Samaritan tells us to care about one another (which is what Martha was doing), Jesus tells us sometimes we have to stop being busy and give him our undivided attention (and that is what Mary was doing). Another word for that is “prayer.” In other words, we need to pray as well as do good works to be a good disciple.
Whenever most people think of prayer, they think of “saying prayers.” That is a good way to pray, but we can also pray by listening, thinking about what Christ has taught us, or just being with Christ and giving him our attention without saying or thinking anything. That’s what Mary was doing. That’s what Jesus was suggesting to Martha she try doing and to stop being so busy all the time. “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted about many things (meaning too many things) there is need of only one thing.” The story is telling us that in our busy lives, we need to make some time to spend with God.
We do call Sunday the Lord’s Day and that’s why we are here. Thank you for making time for God today. These days, on the Lord’s Day, the Lord is fortunate to get even a minute’s thought from some people. Fulfilling our Sunday obligation is the first and most important way we are to express our total love of God for the Mass is the greatest prayer we have, the most perfect act of worship we can offer God. In my own spiritual life, besides the Mass and the Divine Office which I say every day and my weekly holy hour. I mention these things simply as an illustration of the various ways we can pray. I enjoy studying the Scriptures daily, I say the rosary frequently, and every day I just sit quietly in church for a while. I talk to God about whatever comes to my mind, or I just listen for him to speak. Some people pray through singing hymns or the psalms. I assure you my daily prayers have been a great blessing for me throughout my life. I believe the hardest thing about prayer is making time for it. When I feel as if I’m too busy to pray, I always say to myself: if you don’t schedule it in, you schedule it out. So I schedule it in. I often recommend that people who do not go to Mass on Sundays should sit down and pray for an hour so they stay in touch with God. Prayer is as important for our relationship with God as communication is for our relationships with one another. Amen.
Give the gift that keeps giving.
Blue Book 1 & 2 – $4.00 each plus postage
Blue Books 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7,
6A, B, C, 3 –
$3.00 each plus postage
Blue Books 4 & 5 –$2.00 each plus postage
Blue Books 14, 15 & 16 –$5.00 each plus postage
The more you use the Blue Books and
become one with Jesus – more
intimate with Jesus –
the more your lives are a blessing and
everything you do in life can help
to bring down great grace for the world
because of your being so
one with Jesus.
Guiding Light Homily Book Series
Fr. Joe’s Books
Cycle A –
Steadfast to the Son
Cycle B –
Focusing on the Word
Cycle C –
Feed My Soul
Cycle A –
Inspired to be Genuine4 for $20 plus postage of $6.95
These books can be given to:
1) All Priests
2) Good for Music Ministers
7) Good for Mom and Dads
3) Good for DRE's
4) Good for Deacons
5) Good for Principals of Schools
6) Good for Teachers
Given March 21, 2014
R. Pray for These Things
1) Pray for the Pope & hierarchy to help us start prayer chapters.
2) Pray for Dan, Sally Jo, Richard, Carol, Margaret, Sue,
Jack, Jean, Amanda, Matthew, Special intentions.
3) Pray for the priests, the Church and the world!
4) Pray for the spread of prayer chapters,
also for the spread of priests doing prayer chapters.
5) Pray for the spread of Blue Books.
6) People going to Florida and China.
7) Vocations to all 7 categories.
8) Pray for spread of Consecration and Rosary.
9) Pray for pope helping us.
10) Pray for Jeff - sales & health. Pray for Nick.
11) Blue Book 17 and cover and all involved.
For our Publisher and all involved
12) All intentions on my list, Jerry's list.
13) Priests getting Fr. Joe's book.
14) Pray for Fr. Joe's new book, cover & funds for printing & postage.
15) Donors and members and their families.
16) Healing of the Family tree.
17) Dan & Melanie, Catherine & mom, Gary, Mary Jo,
Jim & statues, Fr. Ken, Monsignor, Kerry, Tom & wife.
18) All who asked us to pray for them.
19) All we promised to pray for.
20) Rita, John, Doris, Sheila, Jerry, Regina, Sanja,
Betty, Sophie, Lisa, Eileen, Fr. Mike, Louie, Laverne,
2 Dons, Mary Ellen, Fr. Joe, all priests helping us,
Ed, Jimmy, Steve, a special couple, Rosie & all involved.
21) 2 babies and moms.
22) Funds and insurance.
23) Jerry's garage.
24) In thanksgiving for gifts, graces, & blessings received.
25) Spread the Blood of Jesus on all of us here.
26) Consecrate all hearts.
27) Cast the devil out of all of us here and all in Movement.
The Wedding Rosary
Crystal Image Rosary
$40 plus shipping
Original Image Rosary
8mm glass beads
in a matching gift box$40 plus shipping
Give the gift that counts.
Give to your priests Fr. Carter's Books plus postage.
Tell My People $5.00
Response to God's Love $8.00
Response in Christ $8.00
Old Mass Books with the Imprimatur
$2.00 plus postage
New Mass Book with Imprimatur
$8.00 plus postage
New Parents & Children's Book with the Imprimatur
$8.00 plus postage
Fr. Joe's Cycle A – Steadfast to the Sun – Starts in Advent
$5.00 plus postage
Give the gift that keeps on giving!
Give to your priest.
Fr. Carter's Priestly Newsletters Book II
$6.00 plus postage
Get a canvas print of Mary's image
with a sliver of glass and a little
bottle of Jesus and Mary water.
The glass will be fixed behind the
back of the picture.
$200.00 plus postage
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