Shepherds of Christ          Daily Writing

December 6, 2007

 

    The messages of December 4, 2007 and

December 6, 2007 are after the newsletter.

 

$15,000 is still needed for postage

to send out the Mary Newsletter

to the bishops and priests.
        

We need money for

printing of the Mary Newsletter.

Retreat in China

December 10th - 13th

Please come!

December 17th - 6:20pm

in Clearwater, FL

Please come and pray!

Please help us.
 
Call 1-888-211-3041
or 1-812-273-8405

  

  

  

  

December 6, 2007

                    Lying about others may be done
                        to make oneself look better —

                    The seven capital sins are
                        pride, envy, gluttony, lust,
                        anger, slothfulness and
                        greed.

                    We are inclined to these
                        because of our wounded human
                        nature.

                    Pride is considering ourselves
                        to be better than what we are.
                        The virtue opposite the sin of
                        pride is humility.

Matthew 11: 25

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

                    A greedy person wants excessive
                        worldly possessions and will
                        sin in trying to acquire these
                        possessions and keep them.

                    Gluttony and lust is to
                        over eat or drink too
                        much or lust is to have
                        engaged in inappropriate
                        sexual behavior.
                    The opposite virtue of gluttony
                        and lust is temperance. Temperance
                        helps us to control our drives.

                        An envious man looks with
                    disdain on the success of another
                    for he thinks it deprives
                    him of good things.

                    He does not have joy for the good
                        fortune of others.

                    An angry man wants to hurt somebody.
                        He wants something or somebody
                        out of his way. He wants to get
                        what he wants. He is frustrated.
                        He wants to get them out of his way.

                    A slothful man is lazy — not
                        doing what he should
                        for his own spiritual
                        well-being.

                    We are free to choose good or evil —
                    We have a free will.
                    The devil can tempt man —
                        but in the end the man chooses
                        with his will to do good
                        or evil.

                    We have a free will and with God's grace
                        we can choose to do good even
                        though we have weaknesses from
                        original sin. We choose
                        unhappiness when we
                        sin — We can't say
                        "the devil made me do it"
                        We have a free will to
                        choose good or evil —

                    Our human nature is wounded
                        yet we have a free will to choose
                        good instead of evil.

                    Bad habits can make it easier to
                        choose evil.

                    We have a disorder in the
                        soul due to original sin —

                    We may reason incorrectly because
                        of habits and the desire to have
                        something we should not have —

                    We can be further driven by an
                        appetite, but in the end —
                        habit or not we have a
                        free will.

                    We have this tainted vision because
                        of original sin when dealing with
                        others and God —

                        Original sin is disharmony
                    between man and God —

                    There was this perfect balance
                        between will and reason and
                        the appetites were in harmony
                        with God's vision before the sin in the garden.

                    All men in the human race came
                        from Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve were not
                        faithful to God — Adam and Eve sinned
                        against God. Adam and Eve lost the gifts
                        given to them for themselves and the
                        human race —

Genesis Chapter 3

Now, the snake was the most subtle of all the wild animals that Yahweh God had made. It asked the woman, 'Did God really say you were not to eat from any of the trees in the garden?' The woman answered the snake, 'We may eat the fruit of the trees in the garden. But of the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden God said, "You must not eat it, nor touch it, under pain of death." ' Then the snake said to the woman, 'No! You will not die! God knows in fact that the day you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods, knowing good from evil.' The woman saw that the tree was good to eat and pleasing to the eye, and that it was enticing for the wisdom that it could give. So she took some of its fruit and ate it. She also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they realised that they were naked. So they sewed fig-leaves together to make themselves loin-cloths.

The man and his wife heard the sound of Yahweh God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from Yahweh God among the trees of the garden. But Yahweh God called to the man. 'Where are you?' he asked. 'I heard the sound of you in the garden,' he replied. 'I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.' 'Who told you that you were naked?' he asked. 'Have you been eating from the tree I forbade you to eat?' The man replied, 'It was the woman you put with me; she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.' Then Yahweh God said to the woman, 'Why did you do that?' The woman replied, 'The snake tempted me and I ate.'

Then Yahweh God said to the snake, 'Because you have done this,

    Accursed be you
    of all animals wild and tame!
    On your belly you will go
    and on dust you will feed
    as long as you live.
    I shall put enmity
    between you and the woman,
    and between your offspring and hers;
    it will bruise your head
    and you will strike its heel.'

    To the woman he said:

    I shall give you intense pain
        in childbearing,
    you will give birth to your children
        in pain.
    Your yearning will be for your husband,
    and he will dominate you.

To the man he said, 'Because you listened to the voice of your wife and ate from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat,

    Accursed be the soil because of you!
    Painfully will you get your food from it
    as long as you live.
    It will yield you brambles and thistles,
    as you eat the produce of the land.
    By the sweat of your face
    will you earn you food,
    until you return to the ground,
    as you were taken from it.
    For dust you are
    and to dust you shall return.

The man named his wife 'Eve' because she was the mother of all those who live. Yahweh God made tunics of skins for the man and his wife and clothed them. Then Yahweh God said, 'Now that the man has become like one of us in knowing good from evil, he must not be allowed to reach out his hand and pick from the tree of life too, and eat and live for ever!' So Yahweh God expelled him from the garden of Eden, to till the soil from which he had been taken. He banished the man, and in front of the garden of Eden he posted the great winged creatures and the fiery flashing sword, to guard the way to the tree of life.

                    The devil goes about tempting
                        man — trying to get him to
                        sin.

                    The devil tempts — man
                    has a free will. Man can
                    lead others to sin, but man
                    has a free will.

                    It is out of order against
                        God's rule when man sins —

                    The devil can tempt
                        us — God gives us grace to choose
                        good over evil —

                        A man who gives into passions
                    against God's will — intercourse outside
                    of marriage - has chosen his
                    love of himself over love of
                    God, wanting pleasure for
                    himself more than doing
                    God's will and obeying God's commandments.

                    A man giving into passions by
                        engaging in some activity to rouse
                        passions is responsible when he
                        gives into these passions —

                    God is all good —

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                A man can be born physically only once.
                A man can be baptism only once.

                Water is used for cleansing.
                We cannot live without water.
                We are baptized in the death of Christ
                Baptism imprints on the soul an
                    indelible character.

     

Romans 6: 3-11

You cannot have forgotten that all of us, when we were baptised into Christ Jesus, were baptised into his death. So by our baptism into his death we were buried with him, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the Father’s glorious power, we too should begin living a new life. If we have been joined to him by dying a death like his, so we shall be by a resurrection like his; realising that our former self was crucified with him, so that the self which belonged to sin should be destroyed and we should be freed from the slavery of sin. Someone who has died, of course, no longer has to answer for sin. But we believe that, if we died with Christ, then we shall live with him too. We know that Christ has been raised from the dead and will never die again. Death has no power over him any more. For by dying, he is dead to sin once and for all, and now the life that he lives is life with God. In the same way, you must see yourselves as being dead to sin but alive for God in Christ Jesus.

 

1 Corinthians 15: 20-28

    In fact, however, Christ has been raised from the dead, as the first–fruits of all who have fallen asleep. As it was by one man that death came, so through one man has come the resurrection of the dead. Just as all die in Adam, so in Christ all will be brought to life; but all of them in their proper order: Christ the first–fruits, and next, at his coming, those who belong to him. After that will come the end, when he will hand over the kingdom to God the Father, having abolished every principality, every ruling force and power. For he is to be king until he has made his enemies his footstool, and the last of the enemies to be done away with is death, for he has put all things under his feet. But when it is said everything is subjected, this obviously cannot include the One who subjected everything to him. When everything has been subjected to him, then the Son himself will be subjected to the One who has subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all.

 

John 14: 21-31

Whoever holds to my commandments
    and keeps them
is the one who loves me;
and whoever loves me
    will be loved by my Father,
and I shall love him
    and reveal myself to him.'

Judas—not Judas Iscariot—said to him, ‘Lord, what has happened, that you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?’ Jesus replied: 

    Anyone who loves me will keep my word, 
    and my Father will love him, 
    and we shall come to him 
    and make a home in him. 
    Anyone who does not love me 
        does not keep my words. 
    And the word that you hear 
        is not my own: 
    it is the word of the Father who sent me. 
    I have said these things to you 
    while still with you; 
    but the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, 
    whom the Father will send in my name, 
    will teach you everything 
    and remind you of all I have said to you. 
    Peace I bequeath to you, 
    my own peace I give you, 
    a peace which the world cannot give, 
        this is my gift to you. 
    Do not let your hearts be troubled 
        or afraid. 
    You heard me say: 
    I am going away and shall return. 
    If you loved me you would be glad 
        that I am going to the Father, 
    for the Father is greater than I. 
    I have told you this now, 
        before it happens, 
    so that when it does happen 
        you may believe. 
    I shall not talk to you much longer, 
    because the prince of this world 
        is on his way. 
    He has no power over me, 
    but the world must recognise
        that I love the Father
    and that I act
        just as the Father commanded.
    Come now, let us go.

   

John 6: 51-58

I am the living bread
   which has come down from heaven.
Anyone who eats this bread
   will live for ever;
and the bread that I shall give
is my flesh, for the life of the world.'

    Then the Jews started arguing among themselves, 'How can this man give us his flesh to eat?' Jesus replied to them:

In all truth I tell you,
if you do not eat
   the flesh of the Son of man
and drink his blood,
you have no life in you.
Anyone who does eat my flesh
   and drink my blood
has eternal life,
and I shall raise that person up
   on the last day.
For my flesh is real food
and my blood is real drink.
Whoever eats my flesh
   and drinks my blood
lives in me
and I live in that person.
As the living Father sent me
and I draw life from the Father,
so whoever eats me
   will also draw life from me.
This is the bread
   which has come down from heaven;
it is not like the bread our ancestors ate:
they are dead,
but anyone who eats this bread
   will live for ever.

      

                Mary and Jesus are completely
                    sinless —

                Where we have been baptized
                    we still suffer the concupiscence
                    of the flesh —

                    One that seeks holiness models
                their actions after Jesus and Mary,
                the New Adam, the New Eve.

                    We are the tainted children of
                Adam and Eve — to act pridefully,
                enviously, jealously, lustfully,
                slothfully - etc. because of
                our wounded human nature is
                to follow Adam and Eve and to act in
                imperfect ways.

                    We see Adam and Eve acting willfully
                at the tree in the garden over the forbidden
                fruit — We see the New Adam and the New Eve,
                Mary standing under the cross
                of Jesus at Calvary.

  

John 19: 25-27

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. Seeing his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing near her, Jesus said to his mother, ‘Woman, this is your son.’ Then to the disciple he said, ‘This is your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. 

   

    

                Mary was a descendant of Adam.

                Mary had a human father and a human mother.

                Mary did not have original sin like
                    every other human creature.

                God preserved Mary's soul from the
                    stain of original sin from the
                    first moment of conception in
                    her mother's womb.

                This is the Immaculate Conception of Mary.
                This means Mary was preserved
                    from the stain of original sin
                    from the first moment of her conception
                    in the womb of her mother.

                We honor Mary in her Immaculate Conception.
                In the Litany we say "Mary conceived
                    without sin"

                Mary was absolutely sinless.
                God gave Mary the fullness of grace.
                Mary is more one with Christ
                    than any other human person.

                Christ is the source of grace to all
                    men.

                Christ's body was formed in the
                    womb of Mary.

                Christ dwelt in the womb of Mary —

                Christ's Heart was formed in the womb
                    of Mary

                Mary received a fullness of grace
                    from Jesus.

  

 

Luke 1: 26-38

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. He went in and said to her, ‘Rejoice, you who enjoy God’s favour! The Lord is with you.’ She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, ‘Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God’s favour. Look! You are to conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘But how can this come about, since I have no knowledge of man?’ The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. And I tell you this too: your cousin Elizabeth also, in her old age, has conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God.’ Mary said, ‘You see before you the Lord’s servant, let it happen to me as you have said.’ And the angel left her. 

   

                We could ponder the mystery of
                    Christ taking flesh for a
                    lifetime.  

   

Colossians 1: 12-20

                        giving thanks with joy to the Father who has made you able to share the lot of God's holy people and with them to inherit the light.

    Because that is what he has done. It is he who has rescued us from the ruling force of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son that he loves, and in him we enjoy our freedom, the forgiveness of sin.

He is the image of the unseen God,
the first–born of all creation,
for in him were created all things
in heaven and on earth:
everything visible
    and everything invisible,
thrones, ruling forces,
    sovereignties, powers—
all things were created through him
    and for him.
He exists before all things
and in him all things hold together,
and he is the Head of the Body,
that is, the Church.

He is the Beginning,
the first–born from the dead,
so that he should be supreme in every way;
because God wanted all fullness
    to be found in him
and through him
    to reconcile all things to him,
everything in heaven
    and everything on earth,
by making peace through his death
    on the cross.

      

---

                We honor Mary in her Immaculate
                    Conception

                Mary is pure gift.

---

                Mary had the baby Jesus and she was
                    a Virgin.

                Mary being a Virgin is different than Mary's
                    Immaculate Conception.

                Immaculate Conception refers to
                    Mary being conceived without
                    sin.

---

                Mary is the Virgin Mother of God —
                Where normal conception has a
                    human father —

                The Holy Spirit conceived Jesus in
                    the womb of Mary —

                Mary remained a Virgin.

 

 

                Mary remained always a virgin
                    even though she was married
                    to Joseph.

                Christ is Son of God —

                Christ is the Word of God —

                    Christ proceeds from the Father.
                Jesus and Mary - completely sinless —
                The Holy Spirit the spouse of Mary —
                Jesus conceived by the Holy Spirit

                God has told us in the commandments
                    to honor over Father and Mother —

                Jesus needed the care of St. Joseph

                Mary said
                    "Be it done unto me according
                to thy word"

                    Adam and Eve sinned —

                    Eve persuaded Adam to eat the forbidden
                        fruit to the destruction of the human race.

                Mary, the New Eve, is the Mother of God's
                    redeemed people.

                The Child Jesus formed in
                 Mary's womb is the most perfect
                Child the world has ever known

                Mary is the Mother of God.

                Mary is the human creature most
                    deeply one with Jesus.

                Jesus lived with Mary for around
                    30 years.

        

Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
God, the Father of heaven, have mercy on us.
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, pray for us (repeat after each invocation).
Holy Mother of God,
Holy Virgin of virgins,
Mother of Christ,
Mother of the Church,
Mother of divine grace,
Mother most pure,
Mother most chaste,
Mother inviolate,
Mother undefiled,
Mother most amiable,
Mother most admirable,
Mother of good counsel,
Mother of our Creator,
Mother of our Savior,
Virgin most prudent,
Virgin most venerable,
Virgin most renowned,
Virgin most powerful,
Virgin most merciful,
Virgin most faithful,
Mirror of justice,
Seat of wisdom,
Cause of our joy,
Spiritual vessel,
Vessel of honor,
Singular vessel of devotion,
Mystical rose,
Tower of David,
Tower of ivory,
House of gold,
Ark of the Covenant,
Gate of heaven,
Morning star,
Health of the sick,
Refuge of sinners,
Comforter of the afflicted,
Help of Christians,
Queen of angels,
Queen of patriarchs,
Queen of prophets,
Queen of apostles,
Queen of martyrs,
Queen of confessors,
Queen of virgins,
Queen of all saints,
Queen conceived without original sin,
Queen assumed into heaven,
Queen of the most holy rosary,
Queen of families,
Queen of peace,

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray: Grant, we beseech You, O Lord God, that we Your servants may enjoy perpetual health of mind and body and, by the glorious intercession of the blessed Mary, ever virgin, be delivered from present sorrow, and obtain eternal joy. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

We fly to your patronage, O holy Mother of God. Despise not our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us always from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin. Amen.

 

 

THE SEVEN SORROWS OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
AT A SHEPHERDS OF CHRIST MEETING
FEBRUARY 22, 1995

The Prophecy of Simeon
Mary, Joseph and the child Jesus went to the temple. Simeon, the prophet, inspired by the Holy Spirit, met them and told Joseph and Mary of the great sufferings of Jesus and Mary. He told Mary that a sword would pierce her heart. From that point on, Mary ever remembered the prophecy of Simeon whenever she beheld her child. When she looked at His little body, even as an infant, she knew He would suffer. Every time she clothed Him and watched Him at play, her heart was torn in her chest as she knew what He would suffer. And a sword, too, shall pierce your Heart, O Mary!

The Flight into Egypt
Joseph was told by the angel to flee. Joseph, Mary and the child Jesus had to flee because of what might happen to Jesus. They had to pack for a long stay. The child Jesus was so small! They left on their journey, hearts full of fear, trying to protect Jesus. They were forced to flee into Egypt.

Jesus Is Lost, In the Temple
Imagine the sufferings in Mary's heart when she realized the child Jesus was not with them. Think of how it would be to lose your child and not know where he was or if anything happened to him. With sorrow in their hearts, Mary and Joseph returned to Jerusalem to look for the child Jesus. And a sword, too, shall pierce your heart, O Mary!

Jesus Carries His Cross
Song: See the eyes that look at Mary, her tender infant child. See the child's Heart beat so tenderly, the Savior of the world!
See the eyes of Jesus and Mary as they met on Calvary. Mary's Heart knew Jesus' Heart so well! From the first moment of conception and throughout His life, Mary was so connected with Jesus and now she peered into His eyes. The crown of thorns adorned His Head! Blood ran down His face! A heavy cross on His back! Wounded, His whole body covered with bleeding wounds! And her whole life flashed before her, the life that she had spent with Jesus. This was the beloved child that she had held in her arms when Simeon told Mary that 'a sword, too, shall pierce your Heart, O Mary!'

Jesus Dies on the Cross
Mary stood under Jesus' cross as He was put to death. The child that she had held in her arms as Simeon prophesied, And a sword, too, shall pierce your Heart, O Mary! Now Jesus is dead on the cross! He gave His flesh, He gave His blood so that we might be with Him forever in heaven. He held not back. He gave His all. He calls out to us this day to see through the eyes of His mother as she appears and calls out with a Heart of great love, "Return to the love of my Son! He is with you this day. He remains with you, no less present than the day that He hung on the cross, in the Eucharist. He longs for you to come and be with Him. He is in your brother. How can you not love your brother when Jesus died for your brother?"

Her Heart was pierced with a sword. His Heart was pierced with a lance. What came forth was blood and water, the sacramental life of the church. He lives with us this day in the Church. He gives to us His sacraments, the source of His life! He gives to us the Sacrament of Penance whereby any sin that we commit can be taken away through the priest. He wants us to be so close to Him! He gives us everything to be close to Him. But we see with such limited vision only those things that are right before our face, when the true reality is that which we don't see with our eyes, the reality of the invisible divinity of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, in the consecrated Host! This is reality! This is our life! This is our power! This is God! And a sword, too, shall pierce your Heart, O Mary!
 

Jesus Is Taken Down from the Cross
If we ever doubted for one second that we were loved, we could visualize the picture of Mary as she sat beneath the cross with the lifeless, battered, bruised and bloodied body of her Son in her arms, the same child that she held when Simeon prophesied her suffering. He gave His last breath. He gave the last beat of His Heart. He gave His all! This is the way He complied with the Will of the Father. He came to show us the way. He died in perfect peace. To His death He was in peace because He knew the Father's love. The Father loves us so much that He gave His only begotten Son for love of us! The Spirit descended upon the Virgin Mary and the Word was made flesh! The love of the Two Hearts! Such immense love beating for us!

In all love there is suffering. Her Heart was pierced with a sword. His Heart was pierced with a lance. And a sword, too, shall pierce your Heart, O Mary!
 

Jesus Is Locked in the Tomb
And now Jesus, His body lifeless, is locked in a tomb! What cold reality for Mary to realize that His body is now gone! A stone separated her from her Son!

He gave His last breath! He gave the last beat of His Heart for love of each one of us! And she comes to us this day with her sweet, beautiful voice and she asks us to go to her Son and love Him! How can we refuse Jesus who spread His arms and gave His life for each and every one of us? How can we not trust Him when He loved us so much that He allowed them to tear His flesh, to crown Him with piercing thorns and, lastly, to hang Him on a cross? He truly gave His life for us! He, truly God, is with us this day, the same as the day He died on the cross, in the tabernacle! And we take it so lightly! Death has no power over Him! Locked in the tomb for three days, He rose triumphant on the third day as He had foretold. He comes to give us life. He gives us the sacrament of Baptism that initiates us into His life, that makes us children of God and heirs of heaven if we remain in the state of grace. He asks two things: love of God and love of one another! He came to show us the way and His way is love. To His death on the cross He loved each one of us! He calls out to each one of us here today to be His soldiers, to march on a world that has forgotten God, that has forgotten what it is like to love! It is a battle to live in this world. But the battle is won with hearts that are filled with His love, empowered by the grace and might that He pours out in the Eucharist. He calls out for us to come to the Eucharist and to the tabernacle and be fed with His very flesh and blood. To feed on Divine Life, the greatest nourishment, the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God! This is the love He gives. This is the love He asks us to share.