Shepherds of Christ Daily Writing          

December 23, 2013

December 24th Holy Spirit Novena
Scripture selection is Day 8 Period II.

The Novena Rosary Mysteries 
for December 24th are Joyful.

 

 

Listen to the Christmas Music on the Radio
Click the picture above

 

                December 23, 2013

                R. God loves us. When Jesus gives us His
                Blue Book Messages, He is telling each
                person how He loves them. They are to
                be read as if God is speaking to them of
                His love.

                    The Father created each person with
                a unique purpose. The person must
                see themselves through the Father's
                eyes. This is the ideal self - God the
                Father wants us to become. We were
                created in the image and likeness of God.
                Jesus gives us the Blue Book writings so
                we will love ourselves.

                    We have a distorted image of ourselves
                because of original sin.

                    We have a distorted image of others
                because of original sin.

                    We have a distorted image of God
                because of original sin.

                    God wants us to be just.

                    Loving God is giving to God what is
                His due.

                    Loving others as ourselves is
                giving to others what God wants.

                    The battle on this earth involves
                the will.

                    The essence of happiness is
                living according to the Father's will in love.
                Jesus gave all He gave in love.

                    Our intimacy lies in this, that we
                give in love – giving God what He
                ask for – IN LOVE.

                    So a person gives a lot, does a lot
                for God, but they are angry in doing it,
                angry at their brothers, bitter,
                then by giving a lot - in anger -
                not love – they sacrifice a lot. It is
                in giving like Jesus on the cross
                in love that we will have greater
                intimacy with God.

                    God calls us to love. God calls
                us to surrender – to believe. The
                foolish person doesn't believe and
                they lack faith and vision.

                    God wants us to see through
                the eyes of God.

                    God gives us the Blue Books to know
                His love.

                    Blue Book II tells us about surrendering
                to doing God's will. Fr. Carter said the
                whole book was on surrender.

 

 

                Jesus: Come and surrender to Me.
   

Malachi 3:1-4, 23-24

'Look, I shall send my messenger to clear a way before me. And suddenly the Lord whom you seek will come to his Temple; yes, the angel of the covenant, for whom you long, is on his way, says Yahweh Sabaoth. Who will be able to resist the day of his coming? Who will remain standing when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire, like fullers' alkali. He will take his seat as refiner and purifier; he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they can make the offering to Yahweh with uprightness. The offering of Judah and Jerusalem will then be acceptable to Yahweh as in former days, as in the years of old.

'Look, I shall send you the prophet Elijah before the great and awesome Day of Yahweh comes. He will reconcile parents to their children and children to their parents, to forestall my putting the country under the curse of destruction.'

   

                R. Elijah, the prophet is a sign
                    the day of the Lord is near.

   

Psalm 25:4-5,8-9,10,14

DIRECT me in your ways, Yahweh,
and teach me your paths.

ENCOURAGE me to walk in your truth and teach me
since you are the God who saves me.

INTEGRITY and generosity are marks of Yahweh
for he brings sinners back to the path.

JUDICIOUSLY he guides the humble,
instructing the poor in his way.

KINDNESS unfailing and constancy mark all Yahweh's paths,
for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.

ONLY those who fear Yahweh have his secret
and his covenant, for their understanding.

   

Luke 1: 57-66

The time came for Elizabeth to have her child, and she gave birth to a son; and when her neighbours and relations heard that the Lord had lavished on her his faithful love, they shared her joy.

Now it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother spoke up. ‘No,’ she said, ‘he is to be called John.’ They said to her, ‘But no one in your family has that name,’ and made signs to his father to find out what he wanted him called. The father asked for a writing–tablet and wrote, ‘His name is John.’ And they were all astonished. At that instant his power of speech returned and he spoke and praised God. All their neighbours were filled with awe and the whole affair was talked about throughout the hill country of Judaea. All those who heard of it treasured it in their hearts. ‘What will this child turn out to be?’ they wondered. And indeed the hand of the Lord was with him.

   

                R. The purpose of the Incarnation was
                    our salvation. We are the sons
                    and daughters of Adam and Eve.

                So Jesus took on a human nature.
                    Jesus had a human body.

                Adam offended God by his sin.

                Jesus comes and dies and rises and we
                    receive a sharing in His
                    life in baptism. The incarnation
                    goes on in us.

                This is a mystery, that Jesus took
                    flesh - and took a human nature –
                    Jesus died for our sins.

                Jesus appeared to us as a man.

                The human nature of Christ -
                    is the most perfect human
                    nature –

                He gives us baptism –

                We are to put on Christ –

                Live the Christ-life –

                Be joyous at God's great gifts
                    to us.

 

 

                R. We want to –
                    To possess the vision of God –

                Dear God increase our faith –

       

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.

 

 

Excerpt from Response in Christ by Fr. Edward J. Carter, S.J. 

SEVEN  The Cross and Christian Life (excerpt)

          2.  Various Forms of the Cross

          e)  Selflessness

There is one final form of the cross we wish to discuss. This we may call selflessness. It is not a selflessness which destroys or denies my true self; rather it is that form of self-denial which allows me to go out of my selfishness and self-centeredness. It is that selflessness which allows me to develop my total Christian existence to its God-intended fullness. Paradoxically, I become a complete Christian person by going out of myself and more and more into a greater assimilation with Christ. Yes, I become my true and unique self by allowing Christ to live in me ever more perfectly. "He must grow greater, I must grow smaller." (Jn 3:30). To grow in union with Christ demands effort. To love the Father and men more perfectly, in, with and through Christ, demands effort. In other words, all this demands the selflessness of the cross. Christ tells us, "If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me. For anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it." (Mt 16:24-25).

    This kind of biblical self-denial or selflessness includes all the forms of the cross we have already discussed. It embraces any form of the cross which can possibly be conceived. Furthermore, it allows other forms of the cross to grow qualitatively if not quantitatively. For instance, my acts of Christian self-discipline or renunciation are not meant constantly to increase according to their material or quantitative aspect. This dimension tends to reach a certain level and remain fairly constant. But the love and the selflessness with which I permeate these forms of the cross can increase indefinitely. Again, such selflessness demands effort, and is the cross also.

    Let us emphasize certain very important truths as we conclude our discussion of the Christian cross. First of all, our participation in Christ's cross, or in His death, is always to be linked intimately with His Resurrection. Yes, for us, as with Christ, the cross means life. Our proper assimilation of the cross is one means of expressing our life in Christ. It is also a means for a growth in this life. The more we die mystically with Christ, the more we share in His Resurrection through grace. Furthermore, since growth in grace means growth in love, the cross enables us to increase our capacity to love God and men.

    Secondly, to assimilate the cross of Christ does not mean that I cannot be intimately involved with the world. It does not mean that I cannot affirm the values of this world. It does not mean that I cannot love this world passionately. In fact, I should passionately love this world with all its authentic values. Why? Because this world belongs to Christ. He paid the great price of His own blood to redeem it. Consequently, I should love the world more, not less, than the non-Christian. But properly to love the world means to embrace the cross of Christ in its various dimensions. If I relate to the temporal order in this manner, I will at the same time also be growing in my capacity to love the world. For the cross, as it purifies the Christian, enables him more freely to love and affirm this world. He does not love and affirm this world as does the one who is enslaved to it. Such a person loves the world for more or less selfish reasons, and in his selfishness he is really not free to love it as he should. It is not such a person who really loves this world and is best able to promote the true progress of man. The person who can best love man and his world and contribute to its progress is rather he who, purified by the cross, can relate to man's world in freedom and selfless love.

    Thirdly, to enter into the death of Christ does not mean an absence of joy, peace and happiness. The cross is not meant to crush out my enthusiasm for life. This is not to say that the cross cannot cut deeply at times, but even then there can coexist a substantial peace in the depths of the soul, even though its surface is experiencing sorrow and pain. If I properly conform to these times of special suffering, ultimately I will experience a special growth in the peace and joy of Christ. And remember, Christ always apportions the cross according to one's strength.

    Christ has shown us how to bear life's cross. He was the happiest of men, and yet there was suffering and hardship in His life. This suffering reached an extreme measure in His passion and death. But even in this cruel culmination of His life, there was a poignant beauty, because Christ knew how to suffer, and He knew how to suffer because He knew how to love. Isaiah the prophet tells us about the suffering Christ. He tells us how Christ was to suffer and through His cross achieve a new life for Himself and mankind. His words can inspire us to assimilate Christ's cross so that we might aid in continuing its life-giving function for ourselves and others: "As the crowds were appalled on seeing him — so disfigured did he look that he seemed no longer human — so will the crowds be astonished at him.  . . .  Without beauty, without majesty (we saw him), no looks to attract our eyes; a thing despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering, a man to make people screen their faces; he was despised and we took no account of him. And yet ours were the sufferings he bore, ours the sorrows he carried . . . he was pierced through for our faults, crushed for our sins.  . . .  Harshly dealt with, he bore it humbly, he never opened his mouth, like a lamb that is led to the slaughter-house, like a sheep that is dumb before its shearers never opening its mouth. By force and by law he was taken; would anyone plead his cause? Yes, he was torn away from the land of the living; for our faults struck down in death.  . . .  His soul's anguish over he shall see the light and be content. By his sufferings shall my servant justify many.  . ." (Is 52:14-53:11).

      

EIGHT  Christian Faith

Our first seven chapters have described various aspects of the Christian life under this book's unifying theme, Christ in His paschal mystery of death-resurrection. All these various dimensions of the Christian life involve the exercise of the most important of the infused virtues, faith, hope and love. We have therefore already said much concerning these virtues, either explicitly or implicitly. However, in this present chapter, and extending through the next four, we will consider in a more detailed manner faith, hope and love, as well as certain other Christian virtues. The infused virtues, let us recall, are the supernatural faculties through which we express the paschal mystery in our lives.
 

            1.  Faith as Participation in God's Knowledge

Much of the current writing on faith stresses that this virtue constitutes a personal encounter.1 This is the emphasis we will also adopt. However, since this encounter of faith is initiated through the realm of knowledge, we will first discuss faith as participation in God's knowing. Then we will complete our treatment by considering faith as full personal encounter with God and man in Christ.

     Faith gives the Christian a new capacity for knowing. It enables him to attain truths about God and His creation which would be otherwise unknowable. Faith also enables us to know certain truths which are within the grasp of natural reason, but which are attained by many only with difficulty.

     Faith, as St. Thomas states, assimilates us to the divine knowing.2 Through faith we share in God's vision of reality, and we view God and creation in some way as does God Himself. This vision exists on a level of knowing which surpasses the intellect's natural capacity to grasp reality. Although faith gives only a faint share in God's vision compared to the divine knowledge itself, it is still the greatest vision of reality which is possible for man in his temporal existence.

     What are some of the characteristics of Christian faith? First of all, it is at the same time both certain and obscure. Faith is certain because it is a special sharing in the knowledge of God, God who is the highest truth. The strength of my faith, then, depends not on arguments and proofs from reason. These give a rational foundation to my faith, but they are not faith itself. Rather, the strength of faith depends upon the degree to which God takes possession of the Christian in grace. As the Christian grows in grace, the various infused virtues take deeper root, and the Christian lives more and more the life of God. In regard to faith this means that the Christian is being more vitally assimilated into the divine knowing. His faith becomes more firm. This does not mean that we always correctly estimate the strength of our faith. For various reasons we can at times think that our faith is growing weaker when it is actually becoming stronger. Such an impression can be present as faith is being purified. This process of purification will be touched upon in the present chapter, but also later in the chapter on prayer and the one on the mystical life.

     If faith is certain, it also has an obscurity about it, despite the fact that faith is also light. Faith is obscure because its realities are unseen. These truths of faith will be surrounded with a full brightness only in the beatific vision. Then faith will no longer be necessary. God and His truth will then be immediately present to us. "Now we are seeing a dim reflection in a mirror; but then we shall be seeing face to face. The knowledge that I have now is imperfect; but then I shall know as fully as I am known." (1 Co 13:12).

     Because the truths of faith are not possessed here below with the complete light of the beatific vision, temptations against faith are possible. If these do occur, we should not be unduly disturbed. Great saints, such as St. Jane Frances de Chantal and St. Teresa of Lisieux, have experienced this trial. If temptations against faith occur, how should we handle them? We should not confront the temptation directly, for this only deepens its impression. We should let the temptation pass by as calmly as possible, taking reasonable means to occupy our attention with something positive. If we react correctly to the temptation, our faith will be strengthened and purified. Faith certainly can be purified in other ways. Consequently, we should not think it necessary to experience these temptations to achieve faith's purification. It is merely a question of properly benefiting from such an experience if it does arise.

     Some seem to speak of temptations against faith in the same way as they do concerning difficulties about the truths of faith. We prefer to make a distinction. Although difficulties concerning faith can certainly lead to temptations to disbelief, it seems that such difficulties can be present without actual temptation against faith. This kind of difficulty or questioning can actually be a desire to understand more perfectly the mysteries of faith. Such questioning, as opposed to temptation to disbelief, can be handled directly through study, reflection and dialogue with persons competent in theology.

     We are presently discussing some of the characteristics of faith. We have said that it is both certain and obscure. It is also evolving.3 By this we mean that the Church, as she progresses through the ages, is meant to strive constantly for a more perfect understanding of the truths of revelation. This is one sense in which the Church's faith evolves. It evolves also in the sense that the Church, reading the signs of the times, must constantly endeavor to present Christ's revelation in categories which are relevant to each succeeding age.4 The Church must so act because of the very nature of revelation. God has revealed Himself in Christ in order to exact a response from man. The Church also has to be concerned about the response which any age makes to her continual presentation of God's revelation. Since one of the factors which will determine man's response to God's word is its discernible relevance to his here-and-now existence, the Church is obligated to make her teaching of the faith as meaningful as possible according to all the various exigencies of each and every age.

     The faith of the individual Christian likewise has an evolving dimension because his faith participates in the evolutionary growth of the Church's faith. But the Christian's faith evolves also precisely because it is the faith of an individual. One's understanding of the mysteries of faith can grow indefinitely. This growth will take place not only through the objective means commonly available to all within the Church, but also through the more subjective means which are peculiar to individuals as individuals. Consider the fact that one's faith evolves as his experience of life evolves. Faith is part of our total existence, and God often causes us to understand more perfectly the mysteries of faith by our actual experience of them in the concrete circumstances of our individual lives.

     Christian faith is certain, obscure to some extent, and evolving. There is a final set of characteristics we would like to mention. As with all aspects of our grace-life, faith is both incarnational and transcendent.5 At the basis of faith's incarnational dimension is the fact that faith is received within this world's material framework. Faith partly depends upon the tangible and concrete for its proper nourishment, growth and expression. One example of this is faith's relationship to the liturgy with its very obvious incarnational dimension. Another example is that faith must be exercised within the ordinary framework of the Christian's everyday experience of work, relaxation, pain and joy. Again, such a framework of daily life has a very obvious material or incarnational aspect.

     If faith is incarnational, it is more ultimately transcendent. The truths of faith, although having a relationship to man's material world, are themselves above it. This fact constitutes one aspect of faith's transcendency. Another aspect is the fact that our conceptual formulation and expression of the mysteries of faith do not completely exhaust their reality. This holds even for the Church's official teaching of these mysteries. It also holds true for theology's expression of the Christian mystery, and for the individual Christian's personal conceptualization of faith's realities, a conceptualization which must be, of course, in proper harmony with the Church's official teaching. Summarily, the mysteries of faith cannot be totally confined to our human categories of thought and speech. These are meant as means to lead us closer to faith's transcendent realities as they are in themselves, especially to the ultimate transcendent reality, our Trinitarian God.

     In light of the above mention of theology, it might be well to consider here a few points concerning its relationship to faith. Theology is the science of faith, and its proper study can be a definite means in developing one's faith. But theology cannot be completely equated with faith. It obviously embraces much of faith's content, but it also contains and makes use of other realities. An example of this is the fact that theology utilizes philosophical categories in expressing revelation. Theology also is not obviously the same as faith in the instances when certain advanced speculations of various theologians are eventually seen to be erroneous. The Christian, while highly valuing theology, must realize in what manner it differs from faith itself.

     This is especially necessary in our present age which is witnessing a ferment, renewal and vital growth in theology. It is always one of the tasks of theology to be in advance of the current official Church teaching.6 This necessary gap is especially evident today because of this very special age of the Church in which we live. This distance between the Church's official teaching and present theological effort seems to disturb many of today's faithful. If we hold fast to the above distinctions between faith and theology, we should be able to maintain our peace of soul and welcome the renewed vigor of today's theology. This vigor is making its own contribution to the growth of the Church's faith.
 

            2.  Faith as Personal Encounter with God and Man in Christ

Contemporary theology emphasizes that faith is not merely an intellectual assent to a body of doctrine, but primarily a personal commitment to God who reveals these truths. For too long theology seemed to invert this order, but it is interesting to note that St. Thomas was not one of those theologians who gave the wrong emphasis. His words are in the mainstream of current thought on faith: "Now, whoever believes, assents to someone's words; so that, in every form of belief, the person to whose words assent is given seems to hold the chief place and to be the end as it were; while the things by holding which one assents to that person hold a secondary place."7

     By faith, through the order of knowledge, we enter into an intimate personal relationship with the Trinity. Because faith is thus fundamentally a personal dialogue between God and the Christian, it has a deep, personalizing efficacy.8 If I respond properly to God revealing, I achieve in graced freedom my greatest potential as a person. I become the person I should become.

     Our faith-encounter with God centers in Christ. It is obvious why this is so, since it is through His Incarnate Son that the Father has spoken and continues to speak to us. Christ contains all revelation in His Incarnate person. Christ revealed, not only by His words, but also by everything that He was and did. Christ has spoken to us not merely through verbalized intellectual truths, but through His total Incarnate person. He revealed by giving His complete self, not only His words. This fact has deep significance concerning our response to Christ's revelation. For just as Christ has given us the Father's truth in a personal way through the loving gift of His complete Incarnate person, so I must respond in the same manner. I must assent to the truth of Christ, not only with my intellect, but in love with my total being.

     Christ's message cannot be separated from His person. If I am authentically to respond to His truth I must accept everything about Christ. Full Christian faith is commitment of my total person to Christ and to the total mystery of Christ. This, of course, does not mean that this commitment is initially as perfect as it can become. My entire Christian life is a growth in this response. However, the initial response is complete in the sense that I open my complete being to Christ with the determination that I will allow myself to be assimilated to Him as He wishes.

     As the Christian responds in loving faith to Christ, he discovers his true existence. He has discovered a meaning outside of himself. And, paradoxically, the more he goes out of himself into this true meaning of life who is Christ, the more the Christian becomes himself. Now in living faith he views all reality with Christ, through the vision of Christ. The Christian sees that with Christ, and in the Spirit, he must spend himself in love for the Father, man and man's world. We see, then, that faith is not only encounter with God, but also with man.

     Because he is caught up in the vision of this Christ whom he loves with his entire being, the Christian will not count the cost. As Christ was willing to pay any price to achieve the vision which the Father showed Him concerning man's redemption, so also the committed Christian, in order to achieve faith's vision, is willing to pay the price Christ asks of him.

     Part of this vision which the man of faith has is the deep realization that living faith in Christ can transform a man's life. Consequently, the man of faith has a deep desire to help develop this faith in those already possessing it, and to aid in giving it to those not yet blessed with faith in Christ. He realizes from personal experience the importance of making such a contribution, for he knows that he himself has received this faith partly through the efforts of others, and that he is helped by them in so many ways in achieving faith's maturity. Finally, the man of faith is convinced that he promotes faith in others to a great extent by the way he himself lives it out: "The written and preached word, however, is intended to be incarnated in human beings. The word will have its most powerful effect only when it appears in another person who embodies the gospel in his life."9

     In conclusion, let us be convinced of the following. What faith in Christ means for ourselves and others must engrave itself deeply within our souls. For only then will we have a desire to open ourselves up fully to this life of faith in Christ, and only then will we become the desired instruments in communicating this faith to others. Each of us in his own way must be caught up into the vision, the fire, the enthusiasm of St. Paul: ". . . I believe nothing can happen that will outweigh the supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For him I have accepted the loss of everything, and I look on everything as so much rubbish if only I can have Christ and be given a place in him . . . I want only the perfection that comes through faith in Christ, and is from God and based on faith." (Ph 3:8-9).

_________
     1. For an extended, current treatment on faith, cf. L. Monden, Faith: Can Man Still Believe? (New York: Sheed & Ward, 1970).
     2. Cf. St. Thomas Aquinas, In Boeth. de Trinitate, q. 3, a. 1.
     3. Cf. Karl Rahner, Belief Today (New York: Sheed & Ward, 1967), p. 49.
     4. Cf. Edward Schillebeeckx, Revelation and Theology, Vol. 1 (New York: Sheed & Ward, 1967), p. 150.
     5. For the transcendent dimension, cf. Rahner, Op. cit., pp. 80-89.
     6. Cf. Schillebeeckx, Op. cit., p. 148.
     7. St. Thomas Aquinas, S.T., II,II, q. 11, a. 1 (New York: Benziger, 1947).
     8. Cf. Jean Mouroux, I Believe (New York: Sheed & Ward, 1959), pp. 60-65.
     9. Gabriel Moran, Theology of Revelation (New York: Herder & Herder, 1966), p. 151.

 

 

NINE  Christian Hope (excerpt)

         1. God as Object of Hope

If faith gives a special vision of God and His plan for us, hope enables us to desire to participate in the realities of faith's vision. Hope enables us to desire the supernatural order with God at its center. This desire is to be partially fulfilled on earth, but perfectly in eternity. Hope also enables us to trust that the good and omnipotent God will give us the means of achieving our desire. Moreover, hope, as do the other Christian virtues, contains a communal dimension. The virtue of hope is concerned not only with my own personal relationship with God. It also gives me a desire to want all men to participate increasingly in the mystery of Christ.

     Our need of hope for the maintenance and growth of our Christ-life is immediately evident from the very nature of the life of grace. As we have said before, our merely natural efforts cannot achieve grace and develop its life. Grace is completely above nature, although, obviously, not contrary to it. God must always take the initiative in giving us grace. This He is always willing to do. The point we are stressing here is that we are completely helpless in the supernatural order without God's assistance in grace. The need for hope or trust in God is manifest. It is not that God refuses to give us grace unless our hope is what it should be. In His mercy and love He can overwhelm a person with His grace even though that person had been previously void of supernatural hope. However, the general principle is that we receive from God according to the measure of our trust in God.

     We have every reason to trust greatly in God. Christ reminds us of this: "Look at the birds in the sky. They do not sow or reap or gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they are?" (Mt 6:26). Here is another truth which should bolster our trust in God. The Father loved man overwhelmingly even when he was His enemy in sin. He showed this love by giving His Son to live and die for the human race. How much more, then, we should trust in God's love, now that Christ has re-united us with the Father.

     This does not say that we always find it easy to trust as we should. In time of special difficulty or crisis, as our heads are bowed in anguish, we can especially experience the difficulty of properly hoping in God. Yet it is precisely at these times when trust is all the more necessary to us. Despite the pain, then, we must trust, even though at times it seems we are hoping against hope. We must learn to trust as did Abraham: "Though it seemed Abraham's hope could not be fulfilled, he hoped and he believed, and through doing so he did become the father of many nations exactly as he had been promised: Your descendants will be as many as the stars. Even the thought that his body was past fatherhood – he was about a hundred years old – and Sarah too old to become a mother, did not shake his belief. Since God had promised it, Abraham refused either to deny it or even to doubt it, but drew strength from faith and gave glory to God, convinced that God had power to do what he promised." (Rm 4:18-21).

     God can act similarly with us as He did with Abraham. He can do great things with us if only we allow Him to do so. Among other attitudes, we must have that of hope or trust. We must trust that God can bring us to maturity in Christ. We must trust that the Father will give us all the graces necessary to accomplish our mission in life, difficult as this mission may seem at times. We must trust in this manner despite the great sense of our own weakness which can become especially manifest at times. As a matter of fact, the more we experience our own weakness, the more optimistic we should become.

     This was the attitude of the saints. I think we often view the saints in the wrong light. We imagine that they must have felt very secure in the strength of their spiritual development. It seems rather that they were more aware of their weakness and helplessness than we are. Because of such an awareness, they more and more went out of their weakness into the strength of Christ. Therefore, they were secure. But, paradoxically, they were secure because they knew how weak they were. They became secure because they gave themselves completely to Christ, and to His reign of strength within them.

     In our own measure we can imitate the saints. We, too, can learn to build upon our weakness. The realization of our weakness should actually increase our hope. The more we admit our helplessness, the more God tends to strengthen us with His grace. As long as we do not capitulate to our weakness, let us glory in our helplessness so that Christ may possess us as He desires. St. Paul tells us: "So I shall be very happy to make my weaknesses my special boast so that the power of Christ may stay over me, and that is why I am quite content with my weaknesses, and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and the agonies I go through for Christ's sake. For it is when I am weak that I am strong." (2 Co 12:9-10).

end of excerpt

   



Lamb of God

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, grant us peace.

 

                Jesus: I call you to service –
                    I call you to building up My Kingdom –
                    I call you to service –
                    I call you to love.
                    I call you to give of yourself –
                        like Pope Francis and the priests –

                    They act in love –
                    Look at how they serve God.

                R. John the Baptist gave his life to God –

                We need to desire our Savior come to us
                    with all our heart.

                We ask You God for our needs.

                God strengthen us –

                Help us to be obedient.

                You are all holy, Oh Lord.

                Help us to be what you want
                    us to be.

                Every parish must do what it
                    needs to, to sustain itself –

                Jesus: Every parish must sustain itself financially.

                You can count your blessings or tear
                    up what others have built,
                    shirking your responsibility because
                    you don't want to help like God is
                    calling you – willfulness –

                I am love.

                I gave to My death on the cross.

                R. In living the Blue Books one learns
                how to surrender and let Him live in us.
                We cannot do this work on our own. The
                devil talks in our heads telling us lies
                about ourselves or tempting us with
                pride and jealousies –

                    If a person gives something: works,
                funds, etc. they must do it in love, not
                bitterness and anger. They do it
                because it is God's will in love and
                they are acting like Jesus when He gave
                Himself to His death on the cross
                in love.

                    This giving in love makes us more
                intimately united to God and our intercessory
                prayer is stronger – we operate on
                His strength. Christ in us.

                    The devil can take us out easily if we
                are prideful and Jesus says the prideful
                person wants no authority over them,
                they want no directions, no corrections.
                This makes them their own little god
                with no one able to instruct them and
                they seek power for themselves for
                their glory and honor.

                Jesus: It is a fool who doesn't recognize
                    others over them.

                I operate in authority.

                I give blessings for obedience –
                    doing God's will –

                A person acting in disobedience to just authority
                    is offending Me and making their
                    own problems. Like Ahaz –

  

Isaiah 7: 10-14

Yahweh spoke to Ahaz again and said: 

Ask Yahweh your God for a sign, 
either in the depths of Sheol 
    or in the heights above. 

    But Ahaz said, ‘I will not ask. I will not put Yahweh to the test.’
    He then said: 

    Listen now, House of David: 
    are you not satisfied 
        with trying human patience 
    that you should try 
        my God’s patience too? 
    The Lord will give you a sign in any case: 
    It is this: the young woman is with child 
    and will give birth to a son 
    whom she will call Immanuel.

 

Fourth Sunday of Advent

December 19, 2010

INTRODUCTION: (Isaiah 7,10-14; Romans 1,1-7; Matthew 1, 18-24) Conflict in the Middle East is not a new thing. Our first reading takes us back 700 years before Christ. It was as complicated a political situation as it is today. There are four kings you have to keep track of. Tiglath-pileser III was king over the Assyrians. (You won't be quizzed on that name.) The Assyrians were the dominant power in the Middle East. They were an especially cruel and powerful nation whose capital was located in what is today northern Iraq. There was a king of Jerusalem, named Ahaz, who ruled the southern part of the Holy Land, and a king in Samaria who ruled the northern part of the Holy Land. Further north was the king in Damascus. The two northern kings wanted King Ahaz in Jerusalem to join them in an alliance to go to war against the Assyrians. Ahaz refused, so the two northern kings were going to attack Jerusalem, and replace Ahaz with someone who would cooperate with them. Ahaz decided to call on Assyria for protection. This is where our first reading comes in - an extremely important passage in the Book of the Prophet Isaiah. Isaiah warned Ahaz not to get involved with Assyria for they were too powerful. He promised, "God would keep the king and Jerusalem safe." The other two kings would soon be destroyed. Ahaz did not have enough faith in God. Isaiah tried to offer Ahaz a sign. Ahaz protested, but Isaiah offered one anyway. For Ahaz the sign would be that he would soon have a son to succeed him as king. He had no offspring at this time for he had sacrificed his only son to the Canaanite God, Moloch. Ahaz' son would be called by the symbolic name Emmanuel for he would be a sign that God was with his people. It is a good possibility that the son Ahaz eventually had was Hezekiah who turned out to be a good leader and a king who was faithful to God. St. Matthew saw in this promise of Isaiah a greater depth of meaning. He saw that Jesus fulfilled this promise perfectly by being born of a virgin and by being a sign to us that God is with us.
  

 

 

  Please pray for special healing.
 
Pray for funds to do what
Jesus asked us to do.
 
   

In Spanish with the Imprimatur

Also we are ready to print
5000 copies of the
Parents and Children's Rosary Book
in SPANISH.
Can you help with a donation?

 

Give what counts this Christmas
Call Rosie 1-888-211-3041
Christmas Sale!!!

  

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

   

  

    God's Blue Books 4, 5, 6A, 6B, 6C, 7, 8, 9, 10
        $4.00 each plus postage


Blue Book 4


Blue Book 5


Blue Book 6A


Blue Book 6B


Blue Book 6C


Blue Book 7


Blue Book 8


Blue Book 9


Blue Book 10

 

 

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

     

Special sale statue with glass

15" Pilgrim Virgin Fatima
12" Infant of Prague
11" Our Lady of Fatima
12" Our Lady of Guadalupe
$50 plus shipping

 

18" Pilgrim Virgin Fatima
$75 plus shipping (crown not included)

12" Our Lady of Lourdes - $70
12" Sacred Heart of Jesus - $100
 

   

Holy Family statue is $125 

27" Statue of Our Lady of Fatima
$175 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

 

Dan called and gave the report to me, when I hung up I saw this rainbow and took a picture for him.

 

Rita Ring

Books written by the cofounder of Shepherds of Christ Ministries

Mass Book
A Journey Into the Heart of Jesus - Author: Rita Ring. Discerned by: Fr. Edward J. Carter S.J. Imprimatur
$ 12.00 plus postage

  Mass Book, by Rita Ring: Many of the entries in the Priestly Newsletter Volume II from a spiritual journal came from this book. These entries
  are to help people to be more deeply united to God in the Mass. This book is available in English and Spanish with the Church’s Imprimatur.
  $12

Rosary Meditations for Parents and Children
From the Hearts of Jesus and Mary Author: Rita Ring. Discerned by: Fr. Edward J. Carter S.J. Imprimatur
$ 10.00  plus postage

 

  Rosary Meditations for Parents and Children, by Rita Ring, Short Meditations for both parents and children to be used when praying the
  rosary. These meditations will help all to know the lives of Jesus and Mary alive in their Hearts. Available in both English and Spanish with
  the Church’s Imprimatur. $10

God's Blue Book I
Teachings to Lift You Up. Author: Rita Ring. Discerned by: Fr. Edward J. Carter S.J.
$ 10.00  plus postage

God's Blue Book I by Rita Ring. Open Anywhere — This book will change your life. These are beautiful love letters to us from Jesus. A million books have been printed and circulated. Jesus loves us so much — He wants a personal relationship with us — He wants us to go to the Eucharist and be with Him before the tabernacle. $10

God's Blue Book II
The Fire of His Love. Author: Rita Ring. Discerned by Fr. Edward J. Carter S. J.
$ 10.00  plus postage

God's Blue Book II by Rita Ring. Letters from Jesus about His on fire love — Jesus wants this great intimacy with us — On fire love — Personal love letters from Jesus about the love of His Heart — A book on surrender Fr. Carter said! $10

God's Blue Book III
Love God, Love One Another. Author: Rita Ring. Discerned by Fr. Edward J. Carter S.J.
$ 10.00  plus postage

God's Blue Book III by Rita Ring. Fr. Carter's favorite book — It is about loving and forgiving each other — Being pure in heart — A book for unity in family, community, in life!! $10

God's Blue Book 4
The Love of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary Author: Rita Ring
$ 5.00  plus postage

God's Blue Book IV by Rita Ring. This book is about the love Jesus has for Mary and Mary has for Jesus and Jesus and Mary have for us — It is truly the Love of the Two Hearts. Mary appeared every day at the Holy Spirit Center — Fr. Carter was there. Mary's first apparition July 5, 1994. $5

God's Blue Book 5
So Deep Is the Love of His Heart. Author: Rita Ring.
$ 5.00  plus postage

God's Blue Book V by Rita Ring. Jesus wants to be the bridegroom of our soul — He is our beloved — Jesus tells us about pure love — how we are to be pure of heart and love God and love others. It is a must, to hear about love from Jesus — Jesus is love — $5

God's Blue Book 6A
He Calls Us to Action Author: Rita Ring.
$ 10.00  plus postage

God's Blue Book 6A by Rita Ring. Rosaries from Their Hearts during apparitions. Jesus and Mary appeared every day and I received rosaries from Them and They were transcribed from a tape. Also messages of love from Jesus on days of January, 1995 — About Baptism — writings from Fr. Carter and the Scriptures. $10

God's Blue Book 6B
He Calls Us to Action Author: Rita Ring.
$ 10.00  plus postage

God's Blue Book 6B by Rita Ring. Jesus and Mary appeared every day in February, 1995 — So beautiful — transcribed from a tape — the Stations, 7 Sorrows, prayers in the Prayer Manual, the Holy Spirit Novena Book and the Song Book. Pure love — loving and forgiving — a book about Jesus' love, baptism, grace and Fr. Carter's Newsletter. $10

Rosaries From the Hearts of Jesus and Mary - Volume I
Red Rosary Book - Author: Rita Ring. Discerned by: Fr. Edward J. Carter S.J.
$ 10.00  plus postage

Rosaries from the Hearts of Jesus and Mary Book 1. Mary appeared in Clearwater December 17, 1996 in rainbow color and these rosaries left the printer the same day from Apparitions of Jesus and Mary — transcribed from a tape. $10

Blue Rosary Book
Rosaries From the Hearts of Jesus and Mary - Volume II
$ 12.00  plus postage

Rosaries from the Hearts of Jesus and Mary Book 2. This is a book of so many rosaries - transcribed from a tape. So many beautiful rosaries.   pages  $12

Short Rosary Meditations for the Ederly, Ill, and Homebound
From the Hearts of Jesus and Mary: Author: Rita Ring. Discerned by: Fr. Edward J. Carter S.J. Imprimatur
This book is 8 1/2" by 11" and you can open it up and sit it on your lap.
$ 10.00  plus postage

Short Rosary Meditations for the Elderly, Ill and Homebound. This book is so important with pictures they can open it and lay it on their laps and pray the rosary. $10

  Messages From Jesus
  Given by Jesus to His Messenger Author: Rita Ring. Discerned by: Fr. Edward J. Carter S.J.
  This book is 8 1/2" by 11" and you can open it up and sit it on your lap.

  $ 10.00  plus postage

Messages for the Elderly, Ill and Homebound. This is a big book of loving messages for nursing home people and homebound from Jesus and Mary — Their lives are so important — united to the Mass offering up their suffering, their lives for the souls of this earth. $10

Daily Messages From Heaven 1
From the Florida Apparition Site Author: Rita Ring. Discerned by: Fr. Edward J. Carter S.J.
$ 10.00  plus postage

Daily Messages From Heaven Volumes 2 thru 5 (Spiral bound)
From the Florida Apparition Site Author: Rita Ring. Discerned by: Fr. Edward J. Carter S.J.

$25.00 each plus postage

Daily Messages from Heaven. First book of Daily Messages. $10

Rosary Meditations for Little People and Elderly
Short Meditations for the Rosary
$ 3.00  plus postage

Color the Lives of Jesus and Mary, Books 1 thru 5
A Coloring Book with Short Meditations on the 15 mysteries of the rosary. Author: Rita Ring. Discerned by: Fr. Edward J. Carter S.J.
$ 5.00 each plus postage

Color the Lives of Jesus and Mary. Volumes 1 through 7. Coloring books and meditations for grade school children and others on the mysteries of the rosary - really good. $5 each.

  Coloring the Lives of Jesus and Mary Books 6 and 7
  Mysteries of Light
  $ 5.00 each plus postage

  Color the Lives of Jesus and Mary. Volumes 6 through 7. Coloring books and meditations for grade school children and others on the mysteries of the rosary - really good. $5 each.

 

  God's Blue Book I on CD, Disk #1
  God's Blue Book I, Disk #1 Read by author: Rita Ring. Discerned by: Fr. Edward J. Carter S.J.
  $ 10.00 plus postage

 

  Mysteries of Light Rosary Book
  Rosaries From the Hearts of Jesus and Mary - Volume I
  $ 5.00
  plus postage 

 

  Mysteries of Light Rosary Book
  Rosaries From the Hearts of Jesus and Mary - Volume II
  $ 5.00
 plus postage 

 

  Apostle's Manual
  Shepherds of Christ Overview: Very carefully discerned by Fr. Edward J. Carter S. J.
  $ 20.00  

 Apostles Manual. About the Movement - the structure of the Movement — All Ministries - from the time 3 months before Mary appeared in Clearwater and 3 months after. Rosaries of the 13ths, Fr. Carter's Newsletters. Messages from God the Father — Reaching the priests, the Church, the schools and the world. $20

 Songs From Jesus
  Given by Jesus to His Messenger Author: Rita Ring. Discerned by: Fr. Edward J. Carter S.J.
  $ 3.00  

Songs from Jesus Songbook. These loving songs were given from Jesus. So beautiful — Love Songs from Jesus of His love - helping us have pure and loving hearts. $3

 

   

Shepherds of Christ Holy Spirit Novena
  Holy Spirit Novena by: Rita Ring
  $ 1.00
  plus postage

 Holy Spirit Novena Booklet. In four languages with the Imprimatur with 18 scripture readings for two complete novenas – this very powerful Holy Spirit Novena has prayers for prayers for Protection by the Blood of Jesus, Healing, Strength and Light, To Be One with God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, One with Jesus, To Dwell in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, Prayer for the Holy Spirit and His Gifts, and the Word Alive in Our Hearts. All these prayers take about 10 minutes daily recited out loud. $1

 

  Shepherds of Christ Holy Spirit Novena CD
  Holy Spirit Novena Read by: Rita Ring
  $ 10.00
 plus postage


  Holy Spirit Novena CD. Prayers and scripture readings from the Holy Spirit Novena Booklet read by Rita Ring. $10

  Colorea 1 thru 5
  las vidas de Jesús y María (recibido el Imprimátur)
  $ 5.00 each plus postage 

 

  Para Comprender Mejor La Santa Misa
  Una Jornada Hacia el Corazón de Jesús
  $ 10.00  

 

  Meditaciones del Rosario
  para Pequenos y Ancianos
  $ 10.00  

 

 

Fr. Joe Robinson

Guiding Light - Reflect on the Word
Inspiring Homilies Covering Cycle B of the Liturgical Year
$ 15.00 plus postage

Guiding Light homily series - Reflect on the Word - Cycle B —  The Word leaves an impression on our souls. In my thoughts and reflections are born a more tangible understanding of these eternal concepts presented in the Gospels and the readings. Anyone can read a sentence, but not anyone can absorb it's true meaning. Truth, in this day and age, is almost a matter of opinion or individual entitlement. We believe that Christ's truth is our Roman Catholic Church. We, as priests, champion it's teachings; we are ambassadors for the Pope and Christ to those faces looking at us. We are the light by which our congregation reads to reflect upon real truth and we do it hand in hand. $15

Guiding Light - Steadfast to the Son
Inspiring Homilies Covering Cycle A of the Liturgical Year
$ 15.00 plus postage

Guiding Light homily series - Steadfast to the Son - Cycle A — The sunflower is a great example of how we should be steadfastly guided by light. What a powerful thought that this exceptional plant is not stuck in one pose day in and day out, yet adaptable and magnetized to the sun. We feel the same about our Son. Our heads turns to face Christ as each day presents its challenges to find light. We join together like plants in a field and soak up the Son through the pulpit. We are a warm circle of strength using the wind of our breath to carry our priests' words, Christ's words, to new rich soil. $15

Guiding Light - Feed My Soul
Inspiring Homilies Covering Cycle C of the Liturgical Year
$ 10.00 plus postage

Guiding Light - Feed My Soul
Inspiring Homilies Covering Cycle C of the Liturgical Year
$ 15.00 plus postage

Guiding Light - Feed My Soul - Cycle C — In a world rapidly advancing and encouraging personal gain, we are faced with modern problems. There is a challenge to find time in our busy schedules for Sunday Mass or a family meal. We are able to research, shop, bank and even work without hearing one human voice. It is no wonder that we may often feel disconnected and famished at our week's end. In Fr. Joe's third book of homilies from Cycle C, we are reminded of the charity that Christ intended us to show each other. We have a calling to turn the other cheek and be the Good Samaritan to others. We are rewarded with the Father's kingdom and love when we are not worthy. We are not left alone or hungry. $15

Guiding Light - Focusing on the Word
Inspiring Homilies Covering Cycle B of the Liturgical Year
$ 15.00 plus postage

Guiding Light - Focusing on the Word - Cycle B — At times we may feel that our path to Christ is a bit "out of focus". Like the disciples in the Book of Mark, this ordinary life clouds our vision of Christ's Divinity. We may doubt the practicality or possibility of applying His teachings and example to our modern life. Cycle B's homilies are a "guiding light" to help us realize Jesus' Messianic greatness and His promise of better things to come. $15

Guiding Light - The Word Alive in Our Hearts
Inspiring Homilies covering partial year of Cycle A by Fr. Joe Robinson
$ 10.00 plus postage

Guiding Light - The Word Alive in Our Hearts. - Cycle A (partial) Homilies by the Reverend Joe Robinson given at St. Boniface Church in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is a tremendous honor Fr. Joe has allowed us to share these great gifts with you – for greater holiness and knowing more and more about God. $10

Fr. Edward J. Carter

Books written by the founder of Shepherds of Christ Ministries

Response to God's Love
–.God Himself is the Ultimate Mystery
$ 10.00  plus postage

Response to God’s Love by Fr. Edward J. Carter, S.J. In this book Fr. Carter speaks of God as the ultimate mystery. We can meditate on the interior life of the Trinity. Fr. Carter tells us about our uniqueness in the Father's Plan for us, how the individual Christian, the Church and the world are in the state of becoming. Imprimatur. $10

Shepherds of Christ Spirituality Newsletters 1
Selected Writings on Spirituality—for All People Editor: Fr. Edward J. Carter S.J. Imprimatur
$ 10.00  plus postage

Shepherds of Christ - Selected Writings on Spirituality for all People as Published in Shepherds of Christ Newsletter for Priests. Contains 12 issues of the newsletter from July/August 1994 to May/June 1996. $15

Shepherds of Christ Spirituality Newsletters 2
Selected Writings on Spirituality — for All People Editor: Fr. Edward J. Carter S.J. Imprimatur
$ 12.00  plus postage

Shepherds of Christ - Volume 2: by Fr. Edward J. Carter, S.J. Contains issues 13-29 of the newsletter (September/October 1996 - Issue 5, 1999) $15

Shepherds of Christ Spirituality Newsletters 3
Selected Writings on Spirituality — for All People Editor: Fr. Edward J. Carter S.J.
$ 10.00  plus postage

Shepherds of Christ - Volume 3 by Fr. Edward J. Carter, S.J. Contains Newsletter Issues 1 through 4 of 2000 including Fr. Carter’s tremendous Overview of the Spiritual Life $10

Tell My People
Messages from Jesus and Mary Author: Fr. Edward J. Carter S.J. Imprimi Potest  
$ 10.00  plus postage

Tell My People. Messages from Jesus and Mary (As given to Fr. Edward Carter, S.J.) — One of Fr. Edward Carter, S.J.'s Synopsis of the Spiritual Life — From Jesus to Fr. Carter "On Holy Saturday, 1994, Jesus told me that on the following day, Easter, I would also begin to receive messages for others. Our Lord also told me that some of these were eventually to be published in a book—and here is that book." $10

Spirituality Handbook
Shepherds of Christ Associates Spirituality Handbook - A Way of Spiritual Life
Author: Fr. Edward J. Carter S.J. Imprimi Potest

$ 3.00  plus postage

Spirituality Handbook. Fr. Edward Carter, S.J. did 3 synopsis of the spiritual life. The Spirituality Handbook, the Priestly Newsletter 20he Tell My People book. The way of spiritual life proposed to the members of Shepherds of Christ Associates is centered in consecration to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. All aspects of the spiritual life discussed below should be viewed as means to help members develop their lives in consecration to Christ, the Sacred Heart, and to Mary, the Immaculate Heart. $3

The Spirituality of Fatima
Fatima: The Setting, The Message, The Spirituality of Consecration
$ 5.00  plus postage

The Spirituality of Fatima by Fr. Edward J. Carter, S.J. The Fatima apparitions and messages received official Church approval in 1930. In giving her official approval to the Fatima event, the Church tells us that what took place at Fatima involving the three young visionaries is worthy of our belief. $5

  Shepherds of Christ Prayer Manual
  Shepherds of Christ Associates Prayers
  Author: Fr. Edward J. Carter S.J.

  $ .50
 plus postage

Shepherds of Christ Prayer Manual. The Shepherds of Christ has prayer chapters all over the world praying for the priests, the Church and the world. These prayers that Father Carter compiled in the summer of 1994 began this worldwide network of prayer. Currently the prayers are in eight languages with the Church’s Imprimatur. We have prayed daily for the priests, the Church, and the world since 1994. Associates are called to join prayer Chapters and help us circulate the newsletter centered on spreading devotion to the Sacred Heart and Immaculate Heart and helping to renew the Church through greater holiness. Please form a Prayer Chapter & order a Prayer Manual.

 

 

Shepherds of Christ 6:20 Prayers CD
Holy Spirit Novena, Associates Prayer Manual and the Rosary Led by: Fr. Edward J. Carter S.J.
$ 10.00  plus postage

 

Priestly Newsletter 2000 Issue 1
Audio CD - Read by Father Edward J. Carter
$ 10.00  plus postage

Priestly Newsletter - 2000 #1 - CD. - Christ is Our Strength - Fr. Edward Carter, S.J. read it the year he died. It is so beautiful. "This brief passage contains one of the greatest lessons of the spiritual life. As we progress along our spiritual journey, we become increasingly aware of how weak we are in our-selves, but how strong we are in Christ. To experience our weakness involves suffering. The degree and kind of suffering can vary. The suffering can include the experience of the classical dark night of the spirit as described by St. John of the Cross. One of the main purposes of the dark night is to make a person keenly aware of his or her helplessness without God." quote by Fr. Carter from the newsletter $10

Priestly Newsletter 2000 Issue 2
Audio CD - Read by Father Edward J. Carter
$ 10.00
 plus postage

Priestly Newsletter - 2000 #2 - CD. - Suffering: A Source of Life - Fr. Edward Carter, S.J. read it the year he died. Fr. Carter knew suffering that year. His voice is so powerful as he read each Newsletter from his heart and soul. "Every man has his own share in the redemption. Each one is also called to share in that suffering through which the redemption was accomplished. He is called to share in that suffering through which all human suffering has also been redeemed. In bringing about the redemption through suffering, Christ has also raised human suffering to the level of the redemption. Thus each man in his suffering can also become a sharer in the redemptive suffering of Christ–." quote by Fr. Carter from the newsletter $10

Special 27" Pilgrim Virgin of Fatima/Clearwater Statue with Glass
27" Statue with crown
$ 450.00 plus shipping

Special 18" Pilgrim Virgin of Fatima/Clearwater Statue with Glass  
$ 250.00 plus shipping

Special 15" Pilgrim Virgin of Fatima/Clearwater Statue with Glass
White gown with gold trim around mantel
$ 200.00 plus shipping

Special 12" Pilgrim Virgin of Fatima/Clearwater Statue with Glass
White gown with gold trim around mantel
$ 160.00 plus shipping

Special 18" Our Lady of Fatima/Clearwater Statue with Glass  
Blue and Pink gown with a rosary over her hand.
$ 250.00 plus shipping

Special 11" Our Lady of Fatima/Clearwater Statue with Glass
Blue and Pink gown.
$ 150.00 plus shipping

Crucifix by Felix - Hand Carved
Crucifix with incredible detail!
$ 750.00 plus shipping

Imitation of Two Hearts
Giclee Art Print on Canvas
$ 150.00 plus shipping

Lucia's Vision
Giclee Art Print on Canvas by Harold Kellner
$ 150.00 plus shipping

 
  Mary's Image
  12 x 16
  Giclee Art Print on Canvas
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 shipping

 

 

 
 
Blue Crystal Rosary
  Rosary with the Image of Our Lady of Clearwater
  6mm - $ 30.00 plus shipping
 
8mm - $ 40.00 plus shipping

 

  Red Crystal Rosary
  Rosary with the Image of Our Lady of Clearwater
  6mm - $ 30.00 plus shipping
  8mm - $ 40.00
plus shipping

 

 

  Clear Crystal Rosary
  Rosary with the Image of Our Lady of Clearwater
  6mm - $ 30.00 plus shipping
  8mm - $ 40.00
plus shipping

 

 

 

  Mug
  Mug with the Image of Our Lady of Clearwater
  $ 15.00
plus shipping
 

 

 

 

Call Rosie
1-888-211-3041
or
1-727-725-9312

 

Statues  

OL-Guadalupe
w/glass - 28

OL-Grace
w/glass - 24

OL-Mt. Carmel
w/glass - 24

OL-Lourdes
w/glass - 24
 

IH-Mary
w/glass - 24

IH-Ivory
w/glass - 24

SH-Jesus
w/glass - 24

SH-Blessing
w/glass - 24

Sorrow M
w/glass - 24

Inf.-Prague
w/glass - 24

OL-Lourdes
w/glass - 18

OL-Mt. Carmel
w/glass - 18

I Heart
w/glass - 18

I Heart - Ivory
w/glass - 18

OL-Grace
w/glass - 18

SH-Jesus
w/glass - 18

OL-Guadalupe
w/glass - 12

 

PV-Fatima
w/glass - 27

PV-Fatima
w/glass - 18

PV-Fatima
w/glass - 15

OL-Fatima
w/glass - 18

PV-Fatima
w/glass - 12

OL-Fatima
w/glass - 11

St. Padre Pio

St. Joseph

St. Therese

St. Francis

St. Anthony

St. Claire

Limpias

St. Jude
 

Divine Mercy

Holy Family

Angel

St. Philomena

Pieta - Marble

Pieta - Color

Holy Family 12

St. Anthony - 18

St. Francis - 18

St. Joseph - 18

St. Therese - 18

St. Rita - 18

St. Clare - 12
 

St. Rita - 12

St. Padre Pio - 12

Divine Mercy - 12

St. Michael - 11

Limpias - 8

       
           
           
           
           

 


Shepherds of Christ Ministries
P. O. Box 627
China, IN  47250

 

Toll free - 1-888-211-3041
Local - 1-812-273-8405
fax - 1-812-273-3182
web:
www.sofc.org
e-mail:
info@sofc.org

 

 

Size

Price

Quantity   

 Holy Family

 24"

$180

 

 Limpias

 24"

$125

 

 St. Anthony

 24"

$125

 

 St. Claire

 24"

$125

 

 St. Francis

 24"

$125

 

 St. Joseph

 24"

$125

 

 St. Jude

 24"

$125

 

 St. Padre Pio

 24"

$125

 

 St. Therese

 24"

$125

 
 Divine Mercy 22"

$125

 
 Angel 22"

$100

 
 St. Philomena 20"

$100

 
 St. Philomena 16"

$65

 
 St. Joseph 18"

$65

 
 St. Francis 18"

$65

 
 St. Anthony 18"

$65

 
 St. Rita 18"

$65

 
 St. Therese 18"

$65

 
 Pieta - Color

15"

$125

 
 Pieta - Marble

15"

$125

 
 Holy Family 12"

$75

 
 St. Padre Pio - standing 12"

$100

 
 St. Padre Pio - sitting 9"

$100

 
 St. Michael 11"

$40

 
 St. Rita 12"

$40

 

 Divine Mercy

12"

$50

 
 St. Claire 12"

$40

 
 Pieta - Color

8"

$75

 
 Pieta - Marble

8"

$75

 
 Limpias 8"

$25

 
 Our Lady of Guadalupe w/glass 28"

$500

 
 Our Lady of Mt. Carmel w/glass 24"

$500

 

 Immaculate Heart of Mary w/glass

 24"

$500

 

 Immaculate Heart - Ivory w/glass

 24"

$500

 

 Infant of Prague w/glass

 24"

$500

 

 Our Lady of Grace w/glass

 24"

$500

 

 Our Lady of Lourdes w/glass  

 24"

$500

 
 Sacred Heart of Jesus w/glass

 24"

$500

 
 Sacred Heart -Blessing w/glass

 24"

$500

 

 Sorrowful Mother w/glass

 24"

$500

 
 Immaculate Heart of Mary w/glass 18"

$300

 
 Immaculate Heart - Ivory w/glass 18"

$300

 
 Sacred Heart of Jesus w/glass 18"

$300

 
 Our Lady of Lourdes w/glass   18"

$300

 
 Our Lady of Grace w/glass 18"

$300

 

 Our Lady of Mt. Carmel w/glass

18"

$300

 
 Our Lady of Guadalupe w/glass 12"

$200

 

 Fatima w/glass

11"

$150

 

 Fatima w/glass

 18"

$250

 
 Pilgrim Virgin w/glass

 12"

$160

 
 Pilgrim Virgin w/glass

15"

$200

 
 Pilgrim Virgin w/glass

18"

$250

 
 Pilgrim Virgin w/glass 27"

$450

 


Call for Shipping Price (1-888-211-3041)
 

  Name
   

 Sub-Total

  Address
         

 IN Tax (7%)

  City
  

 Shipping

  State                                            Zip
  

 Donation

  Telephone
   

 Order Total

  

Call Rosie
1-888-211-3041
or
1-727-725-9312

 


Table of Contents

Previous Daily Message


Main Shepherds of Christ Page


SofC LogoCopyright © 2012 Shepherds of Christ.
Rights for
non-commercial reproduction granted:
May be copied in its entirety, but neither re-typed nor edited.
Translations are welcome but they must be reviewed for moral and 
theological accuracy by a source approved by Shepherds of Christ Ministries 
before any distribution takes place. Please contact us for more information.
All scripture quotes are from the New Jerusalem Bible, July 1990, published by Doubleday.
Revised: January 1, 2012

URL: http://www.sofc.org
Contact Information for Shepherds of Christ
Email: info@SofC.org


Shepherds of Christ Ministries
P.O. Box 627
China, Indiana 47250

Telephone: (toll free) 1-888-211-3041 or (812) 273-8405
FAX: (812) 273-3182