Shepherds of Christ  
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May 1, 2009 - St. Joseph the Worker

May 2nd Holy Spirit Novena
Scripture selection is Day 2 Period II.

The Novena Rosary Mysteries  
for May 2nd are Sorrowful.

    

Florida Retreat

May 2nd - May 5th

1:30pm and 6:20pm each day

Please tune in and pray with us.

 
 

China Retreat

May 11th thru May 14th

May 13th is the 92nd Anniversary

of Our Lady of Fatima's

first apparition

Please try to come.

Mass at 12 noon.

 

 

 

 

Help us with the repairs on the Crucifix outside.

 We need to sell a Crucifix a week.

 Help us by  -  Buying a Crucifix!

 

 

Please come and buy a crucifix
and have it signed by Felix and
have your picture taken with him.

 

$750.00   
  $820.00 with stand
 

 

 

  

The Crucifix needs work.

 

 

 

This is how it did look —

   

 

 

The church needs to have the stucco replaced

and also the community building.

It is about $38,000 to repair it.

People pray in the church 24 hours a day.

We have prayed in there for 11 years.

The archdiocese gave the church to us

for this purpose for a small price.

 

Can you help us?

  
 

Available for $10.00 plus postage

1-888-211-3041

           

 

St. Joseph, the Worker

 

The Month of May is Mary's Month 

 

 

 

 

May 1, 2009

               

Joyful Mysteries

 

                Sing: Our Lady of Clearwater

 

                Annunciation

                (1) 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.

 

                (2) And the Word became flesh and dwelt
                        amongst us.

                (3) I see you Mary, so beautiful
                        appearing in light.
                        Oh Mary how beautiful is your heart.

                (4) Of the essence of Motherhood — we know
                        how Motherhood is such a gift —
                        how a real mother loves her child,
                        but Mary loves us far more than any
                        earthly mother — Mary is our
                        spiritual mother —
                        Mary loves us with her Immaculate
                        Heart

                (5) Sing: Immaculate Mary

                (6) Mary is full of grace.

                (7) Sing the words of the Hail Mary.
                        Mary is so pure.
                        We are sinners.

                (8) Sing: Hail Holy Queen

                (9) Sing: Immaculate Mary

                (10) Mary is Our Mother
                        Mary full of grace.

       

                The Visitation

                (1) Lovely Lady dressed in Blue
                        Teach us how to pray
                        God was just your little boy
                        And you know the way —

                (2) Luke 1: 46-55

And Mary said:

My soul proclaims
    the greatness of the Lord
and my spirit rejoices
    in God my Saviour;
because he has looked upon
    the humiliation of his servant.
Yes, from now onwards
    all generations will call me blessed,
for the Almighty
    has done great things for me.
Holy is his name,
and his faithful love extends age after age
    to those who fear him.
He has used the power of his arm,
he has routed the arrogant of heart.
He has pulled down princes
    from their thrones
        and raised high the lowly.
He has filled the starving with good things,
    sent the rich away empty.
He has come to the help
    of Israel his servant,
        mindful of his faithful love
—according to the promise
    he made to our ancestors—
of his mercy to Abraham
    and to his descendants for ever.
 

                (3) Sing and Holy Is His Name

                (4) Jesus came in the womb of Mary,
                        Mary was a human person.
                        Mary was conceived without sin.

                (5) Elizabeth, who was thought barren
                        conceived John the Baptist at an
                        old age.

                (6) John said — I must decrease
                                        He must increase —

                (7) Matthew 3: 1-3

In due course John the Baptist appeared; he proclaimed this message in the desert of Judaea, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is close at hand.’ This was the man spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said: 

    A voice of one that cries in the desert, 
    ‘Prepare a way for the Lord, 
    make his paths straight.’

 

                (8) Flowers are so beautiful —
                        White flowers look so pure —
                        Can you image the beauty of Mary,
                            Mother of God?

                (9) Sing and Holy Is His Name — refrain only

                (10) Sing: I Am the Bread of Life

   

                Birth of Jesus

                (1) Mary is the Arc of the Covenant.

                (2) Look at the beauty of a little bird —
                        Look at the tenderness with which
                        God makes a little bird — little
                        soft, perfect feathers, that operate
                        on wings of song.

                (3) Listen to the birds singing — such
                        beauty is the singing birds —

                (4) Jesus came amongst the beast of the
                        earth — beasts are beautiful
                        They breathed in the stable — to make
                        Jesus warm — their warm bodies
                        It shows us this — The Divine Almighty
                        God - took flesh and came amongst
                        creatures with a wounded human
                        nature — Jesus loves us creatures so
                        very much.

                (5) Can you imagine how beautiful baby
                        Jesus was?

                (6) Can you imagine the beauty with which
                        God made the star over His bed
                        in Bethlehem —

                (7) Oh God, of all the beauties in the heaven you
                        gave us the star over Jesus' bed and
                        the Kings came to worship —
                        Jesus is the Light of the World

                (8)


 

                (9) John 1: 4-5

What has come into being in him was life,
life that was the light of men;
and light shines in darkness,
and darkness could not overpower it.

                (10) Luke 2: 1-20

Now it happened that at this time Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be made of the whole inhabited world. This census—the first—took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria, and everyone went to be registered, each to his own town. So Joseph set out from the town of Nazareth in Galilee for Judaea, to David’s town called Bethlehem, since he was of David’s House and line, in order to be registered together with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. Now it happened that, while they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to a son, her first–born. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the living–space. In the countryside close by there were shepherds out in the fields keeping guard over their sheep during the watches of the night. An angel of the Lord stood over them and the glory of the Lord shone round them. They were terrified, but the angel said, ‘Do not be afraid. Look, I bring you news of great joy, a joy to be shared by the whole people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. And here is a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.’ And all at once with the angel there was a great throng of the hosts of heaven, praising God with the words: 

    Glory to God in the highest heaven, 
    and on earth peace for those he favours. 

    Now it happened that when the angels had gone from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go to Bethlehem and see this event which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they hurried away and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. When they saw the child they repeated what they had been told about him, and everyone who heard it was astonished at what the shepherds said to them. As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds went back glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as they had been told.

 

                    Sing: Silent Night

  

                Presentation in the Temple

                (1) Sing: Little Baby Hands and Feet

                (2) Sing: The Eyes That Look at Mary

                (3) Sing: Your Presence Pervades My Soul

               (4)   THE SEVEN SORROWS - February 22, 1995

1. 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!

(5)    

2. 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.

(6)  

3. 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!

                   

                    (7)   

4. 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!'

                    (8)  

5. 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!

                    (9)   

6. 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!

                  (10)   

7. 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.

      

                Finding of Jesus in the Temple

                (1) From the Priestly Newsletter Book III by Fr. Edward Carter, S.J.

Mary And The Priest

The Directory of the Ministry and Life of Priests tells us: “There is an ‘essential rapport…between the Mother of Jesus and the priesthood of the ministry of the Son,’ stemming from the existing one between the divine maternity of Mary and the priesthood of Christ.

“In light of such a rapport, Marian spirituality is rooted in every priest. Priestly spirituality could not be considered complete if it were to fail to include the message of Christ’s words on the Cross, in which He conferred his Mother to the beloved disciple, and, through him, to all priests called to continue his work of redemption.

“Like John at the foot of the Cross, every priest has been entrusted, in a special way, with Mary as Mother (cf. Jn 19:26-27).

“Priests, who are among the favored disciples of Jesus, crucified and risen, should welcome Mary as their Mother in their own life, bestowing her with constant attention and prayer. The Blessed Virgin then becomes the Mother who leads them to Christ, who makes them sincerely love the Church, who intercedes for them and who guides them toward the Kingdom of heaven…

“But they are not devout sons if they do not know how to imitate the virtues of Mary. The priest will look to Mary to be a humble, obedient and chaste minister and to give testimony of charity in the total surrender to God and the Church”.26

26. “Directory on the Ministry and Life of Priests,” No. 68, as in Inside the Vatican, special supplement, November, 1994, p.25.
 

                (2) John 2: 19-22

Jesus answered, ‘Destroy this Temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ The Jews replied, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this Temple: are you going to raise it up again in three days?’ But he was speaking of the Temple that was his body, and when Jesus rose from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture and what he had said.

 

                        Truly the Good Shepherd laid down
                            His life for His sheep —

                        Jesus' Heart, overflowing with
                            love for His Father and all of us.

 

                (3) From the Priestly Newsletter Book III by Fr. Edward Carter, S.J.

The Father and Mary

In his Encyclical, Redemptor Hominis (Redeemer of Man) Pope John Paul II states: "The special characteristic of the motherly love that the Mother of God inserts in the mystery of the Redemption and the life of the Church finds expression in its exceptional closeness to man and all that happens to him. It is in this that the mystery of the Mother consists. The Church, which looks to her with altogether special love and hope, wishes to make this mystery her own in an ever deeper manner...

"The Father’s eternal love, which has been manifested in the history of mankind through the Son whom the Father gave... comes close to each of us through this Mothe and thus takes on tokens that are of more easy understanding and access by each person." 3

3. Pope John Paul II, Encyclical Letter, Redemptor Hominis, (Redeemer of Man), United States Catholic Conference, No. 22.

 

                (4)  From the Priestly Newsletter Book III by Fr. Edward Carter, S.J.

The Holy Spirit in Our Lives

Archbishop Luis Martinez gives us these words of wisdom: "Our love for the Father is tender and confident like that of children; eager to glorify Him as His only-begotten Son taught us to do by word and example. Love for the Father is the intense desire to have His will fulfilled on earth as it is in heaven. Our love for the Son, who willed to become flesh for us, is characterized by the tendency to union with Him and transformation into Him...

"Love for the Holy Spirit also has its special character, which we should study in order completely to understand devotion to Him. We have explained how the Holy Spirit loves us, how He moves us like a divine breath that draws us to the bosom of God, like a sacred fire that transforms us into fire, like a divine artist who forms Jesus in us. Surely, then, our love for the Holy Spirit should be marked by loving docility, by full surrender, and by a constant fidelity that permits us to be moved, directed, and transformed by His sanctifying action."
4

4. Archbishop Luis M. Martinez, The Sanctifier, Pauline Books and Media, pp. 67-68.

 

                (5)  From the Priestly Newsletter Book III by Fr. Edward Carter, S.J.

Pope John Paul II and Fatima

On May 12, 1982, Pope John Paul II made a pilgrimage to Fatima. One of his motives for his visit was to offer thanks for Mary’s intercession in saving his life relative to the assassination attempt a year earlier.

Some fifteen years later in 1997, the Holy Father gave us the following words regarding Fatima. Lynne Weil, a newspaper reporter, gives this account: "Pope John Paul said the series of Marian apparitions at Fatima, Portugal, rank as one of the most significant events of this century.

"The string of apparitions that ended 80 years ago was ‘one of the greatest’ signs of the times, ‘also because it announces in its message many of the signs that followed and it invites (us) to follow their call’, the pope said in a letter to Bishop Serafim de Sousa Ferreire Silva of Leiria - Fatima, Portugal. The message, dated October 1, was released at the Vatican October 14 (1997).

"Pope John Paul said the event at Fatima ‘helps us to see the hand of God’ even in the 20th century, with its wars and other mass tragedies. And it showed that despite having ‘removed itself from God’, humanity was offered God’s protection, the pontiff said.

"Pope John Paul recalled that in Gospel accounts of Jesus’ death, he invoked clemency on his captors even as he was being crucified and entrusted humanity to the care of his mother, Mary.

"The pope repeated the exhortation stemming from the Marian apparitions at Fatima that the faithful recite the rosary every day. He asked pastors to recite the rosary, and to teach others to recite it, daily. —CNS"

                (6) See the child Jesus teaching the doctors
                        of the Church.
 

                      From the Priestly Newsletter Book III by Fr. Edward Carter, S.J.

The Holy Spirit in Our Lives

Romano Guardini also speaks to us concerning the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives: "As a historical figure Christ is easily blurred by similarity with other historical figures, and also by the fact that man has an instinctive aversion to anything which goes beyond the purely human. The Holy Spirit must grant us the gift of discrimination. The figure of Christ as well as His message is surrounded by misunderstandings, distortions and hostility. The Holy Spirit must give the assurance to our hearts and minds so that we may find Him. Christ is the Truth…

"The Holy Spirit teaches us to understand Christ, and in Christ, God and ourselves. It is the kind of understanding which comes from the heart… It is true comprehension; more than that, it is illumination.

"The Holy Spirit gives the answers to those questions which the mind cannot answer because the mind invariably couples the word ‘why’ with the word ‘I’. ‘Why must I endure this suffering? Why am I denied what others have? Why must I be the way I am, live the way I do?’ These are some of the most essential and decisive questions in the life of the individual, and to those questions men and books remain silent. The true answer comes only when our heart is free from revolt and bitterness, when our will has come to terms with life as it is for us, recognizing in it the working of the will of God. The intellect may acquiesce readily enough, but this is not sufficient. Instruction must go deeper. Acceptance must come from our inmost heart. Only then will we find the answer to the why, and with it, peace, for truth brings peace. This is the work of the Holy Spirit." 8

8. Romano Guardini, Jesus Christ, Henry Regnery, as in Daily Readings in Catholic Classics, edited by Rawley Myers, Ignatius Press, p. 102.

 

                (7)  From the Priestly Newsletter Book III by Fr. Edward Carter, S.J.

The Holy Spirit And Mary

The late Archbishop Luis M. Martinez of Mexico strikingly speaks of the ongoing cooperation of Mary with the Holy Spirit regarding the reproduction of Jesus within us: "Christian life is the reproduction of Jesus in souls…

"Now, how will this mystical reproduction be brought about in souls? In the same way in which Jesus was brought into the world, for God gives a wonderful mark of unity to all His works. Divine acts have a wealth of variety because they are the work of omnipotence; nevertheless, a most perfect unity always shines forth from them because they are the fruit of wisdom; and this divine contrast of unity and variety stamps the works of God with sublime and unutterable beauty.

"In His miraculous birth, Jesus was the fruit of heaven and earth…The Holy Spirit conveyed the divine fruitfulness of the Father to Mary, and the virginal soil brought forth in an ineffable manner our most loving Savior, the divine Seed, as the prophets called Him…

"That is the way He is reproduced in souls. He is always the fruit of heaven and earth.

"Two artisans must concur in the work that is at once God’s masterpiece and humanity’s supreme product: the Holy Spirit and the most holy Virgin Mary. Two sanctifiers are necessary to souls, the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, for they are the only ones who can reproduce Christ.

"Undoubtedly, the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary sanctify us in different ways. The first is the Sanctifier by essence; because He is God, who is infinite sanctity; because He is the personal Love that completes, so to speak, the sanctity of God, consummating His life and His unity, and it belongs to Him to communicate to souls the mystery of that sanctity. The Virgin Mary, for her part, is the co-operator, the indispensable instrument in and by God’s design. From Mary’s maternal relation to the human body of Christ is derived her relation to His Mystical Body which is being formed through all the centuries until the end of time, when it will be lifted up to the heavens, beautiful, splendid, complete, and glorious.

"These two, then, the Holy Spirit and Mary, are the indispensable artificers of Jesus, the indispensable sanctifiers of souls. Any saint in heaven can co-operate in the sanctification of a soul, but his co-operation is not necessary, not profound, not constant: while the co-operation of these two artisans of Jesus of whom we have just been speaking is so necessary that without it souls are not sanctified (and this by the actual design of Providence), and so intimate that it reaches to the very depths of our soul. For the Holy Spirit pours charity into our heart, makes a habitation of our soul, and directs our spiritual life by means of His gifts. The Virgin Mary has the efficacious influence of Mediatrix in the most profound and delicate operations of grace in our souls. And, finally, the action of the Holy Spirit and the co-operation of the most holy Virgin Mary are constant; without them, not one single character of Jesus would be traced on our souls, no virtue grow, no gift be developed, no grace increased, no bond of union with God be strengthened in the rich flowering of the spiritual life.

"Such is the place that the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary have in the order of sanctification. Therefore, Christian piety should put these two artisans of Christ in their true place, making devotion to them something necessary, profound, and constant." 18

18. Archbishop Luis M. Martinez, The Sanctifier, op. cit. pp. 5-7.

 

                (8)  From the Priestly Newsletter Book III by Fr. Edward Carter, S.J.

          The Church is a mother to us. Henri de Lubac speaks concerning this beautiful truth:

"The Church is my mother because she brought me forth to a new life. She is my mother because her concern for me never slackens, any more than do her efforts to deepen that life in me, however unenthusiastic my cooperation. And though in me this life may be a fragile and timid growth, I have seen its full flowering in others...

"Happy those who from childhood have learnt to look on the Church as a mother! Happier still those whose experience, in whatever walk of life, has confirmed its truth! Happy those who one day were gripped by (and whose appreciation of it ever grew) the astonishing newness, richness and depth of the life communicated to them by this mother!" 22

                                        22. Henri de Lubac, S.J., The Church: Paradox and Mystery, op. cit., pp. 2-4.

 

                (9) From the Prayer Manual

Act of consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Dear Blessed Virgin Mary, I consecrate myself to your maternal and Immaculate Heart, this Heart which is symbol of your life of love. You are the Mother of my Savior. You are also my Mother. You love me with a most special love as a member of Shepherds of Christ Associates, a movement created by your Son as a powerful instrument for the renewal of the Church and the world. In a return of love, I give myself entirely to your motherly love and protection. You followed Jesus perfectly. You are His first and perfect disciple. Teach me to imitate you in the putting on of Christ. Be my motherly intercessor so that, through your Immaculate Heart, I may be guided to an ever closer union with the pierced Heart of Jesus, Chief Shepherd of the flock.

 

      (10) From the Prayer Manual

Act of consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Lord Jesus, Chief Shepherd of the flock, I consecrate myself to Your most Sacred Heart. From Your pierced Heart the Church was born, the Church You have called me, as a member of Shepherds of Christ Associates, to serve in a most special way. You reveal Your Heart as a symbol of Your love in all its aspects, including Your most special love for me, whom You have chosen as Your companion in this most important work. Help me to always love You in return. Help me to give myself entirely to You. Help me always to pour out my life in love of God and neighbor! Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in You!

 

 

The Spirituality of Fatima

 by Fr. Edward J. Carter, S.J.

Fatima: The Message

Before receiving the six apparitions of Our Lady, May through October of 1917, the three Fatima visionaries were visited by an angel on three different occasions during the preceding year. He appeared to them in the spring, summer, and fall. Lucia (now Sr. Lucia) describes the springtime apparition of the angel:

On reaching us, he said: "Do not be afraid! I am the Angel of Peace. Pray with me."

Kneeling on the ground, he bowed down until his forehead touched the ground and made us repeat these words three times: "My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love You! I ask pardon of You for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love You."

Then, rising he said: "Pray thus. The Hearts of Jesus and Mary are attentive to the voice of your supplications."

His words engraved themselves so deeply on our minds that we could never forget them (3)

During the summer of 1916, the angel again appeared to the three visionaries. He said to them:

Pray! Pray a great deal. The Hearts of Jesus and Mary have merciful designs on you. Offer prayers and sacrifices continually to the Most High. Make everything you do a sacrifice, and offer it as an act of reparation for the sins by which God is offended, and as a petition for the conversion of sinners. Bring peace to our country in this way.... I am the Guardian Angel of Portugal Accept and bear with submission all the sufferings the Lord will send you. (4)

In the fall of the same year, the angel visited the visionaries a final time:

The angel came...bearing a golden chalice in one hand and a Host above it in the other. The amazed children noticed that drops of blood were falling from the Host into the chalice. Presently, the angel left both suspended in mid-air and prostrated himself on the ground, saying this beautiful prayer: "Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore You profoundly. I offer You the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifference by which He is offended. By the infinite merits of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and [the intercession of] the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of Thee the conversion of poor sinners." (5)

Sr. Lucia relates how the angel gave them Communion:

Then, rising, he took the chalice and the Host in his hand. He gave the Sacred Host to me and shared the Blood from the chalice between Jacinta and Francisco, saying as he did so:

"Take and drink the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, horribly outraged by ungrateful men! Make reparation for their crimes and console your God." (6)

  
3. Louis Kondar, SVD, editor, Fatima in Lucia's Own Words (Fatima: Postulation Center, 1976), p.62. Distributed in the U.S.A. by the Ravengate Press, Cambridge, MA.
4. Our Lady's Peace Plan, op cit., pp.1-2.
5. Ibid., p.2 (The words in brackets are my own-added for clarification).
6. Fatima in Lucia's Own Words, op cit., pp.64-65.

   

  

Excerpts from The Spirituality of Fatima

by Fr. Edward Carter, S.J.

May 13, 1917

    "Do not be afraid, I will do you no harm..... I am from Heaven.

    "I have come to ask you to come here for six months in succession, on the 13th day, at the same hour. Later on, I will tell you who I am and what I want

    "Are you willing to offer yourselves to God and bear all the sufferings He wills to send you, as an act of reparation for the sins by which He is offended, and in supplication for the conversion of sinners?

    "Pray the Rosary every day in order to obtain peace for the world, and the end of the war." (8)

  

June 13, 1917

    "God wishes you to remain in the world for some time because He wants to use you to establish in the world the devotion to my Immaculate Heart. I promise salvation to those who embrace it, and their souls will be loved by God as flowers placed by myself to adorn His throne." (10)

  

July 13, 1917

    "During her appearance in July, Our Lady, in answer to Lucia's plea, promised that in October she would work a great miracle so that all might believe and know who she was. Again, the Mother of God told the children to sacrifice themselves for sinners and to say many times, especially when making a sacrifice, this prayer: "O my Jesus, I offer this for love of Thee, for the conversion of poor sinners, and in reparation for all the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary." (11)

    "During this same July apparition, Mary showed the three children a vision of Hell. She told them:

    "You have seen Hell, where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish, in the world, devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If people do what I tell you, many souls will be saved and there will be peace.

    "The war (World War I, then raging) is going to end. But if people do not stop offending God, another and worse one will begin in the reign of Pius XI. When you shall see a night illuminated by an unknown light [January 2, 1938], know that this is the great sign that God gives you that He is going to punish the world for its many crimes by means of war, hunger, and persecution of the Church and the Holy Father. (12)

    "To prevent this, I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart and the Communion of Reparation on the five first Saturdays. If my requests are granted, Russia will be converted and there will be peace. If not, she will scatter her errors throughout the world, provoking wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer, and various nations will be destroyed....

    "But in the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph, the Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, Russia will be converted, and a certain period of peace will be granted to the world." (13)

  

August 19, 1917

    She told them she was greatly displeased by the action of the mayor. As a result, the miracle promised for October would not be as impressive as originally planned. (15)

 

September 13, 1917

    More than 30,000 people were present in September, and saw a shower of mysterious white petals fall to within 10 feet of the ground before dissolving into the air. Many also saw the globe of light bearing the Lady come to rest atop the tree, and the branches bend as though someone were standing on them. Later, they saw the cloud depart into the east, from whence it had come.(16)

  

October 13, 1917

    I am the Lady of the Rosary. I have come to warn the faithful to amend their lives and to ask pardon for their sins. They must not offend Our Lord any more, for He is already too grievously offended by the sins of men. People must say the Rosary. Let them continue saying it every day.(17)

    While the people in attendance were beholding the great Miracle of the Sun, the three young visionaries, and they alone, were privileged to see striking visions in the heavens:

    As Our Lady had promised, St. Joseph had come with the Holy Family and had blessed the world. Then, Our Lady appeared as the Mother of Sorrows, accompanied by her Divine Son, Who also blessed the world. Finally, Lucy had seen the Blessed Virgin, dressed in the brown robes of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, crowned as Queen of Heaven and Earth, holding a brown Scapular in her hand, with her infant Son upon her knee. However, in none of these visions had any of the figures spoken to the children. (18)

    Besides the messages associated with the major Fatima apparitions, there were other revelations given by Our Lady. Before Jacinta died, she told of other messages given her (during her illness) by Mary:

    More souls go to Hell because of sins of the flesh than for any other reason.

    Certain fashions will be introduced that will offend Our Lord very much.

    Many marriages are not good; they do not please Our Lord and are not of God.

    Priests must be pure, very pure. They should not busy themselves with anything except what concerns the Church and souls. The disobedience of priests, to their superiors and to the Holy Father, is very displeasing to Our Lord.

    I can no longer restrain the hand of my Divine Son from striking the world with just punishments for its many crimes.

    If the government of a country leaves the Church in peace and gives liberty to our Holy Religion, it will be blessed by God.

    Tell everybody that God gives graces through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Tell them to ask grace from her, and that the Heart of Jesus wishes to be venerated together with the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Ask them to plead for peace from the Immaculate Heart of Mary, for the Lord has confided the peace of the world to her. (19)


NOTES:

8. Frere Michael de la Trinite', The Whole Truth about Fatima 
   
(Buffalo: Immaculate Heart Publications, 1989), pp.112-114.
9. For background material on Fatima, I am particularly indebted to 
    Our Lady of Fatima's Peace Plan from Heaven
(Rockford: TAN 
    Books and Publishers, Inc., 1983). p.30.
10. Ibid., p.3.
11. Ibid., pp.3-4.
12. Ibid., pp.4-5.
13. Ibid., p.5.
14. Rev. Edward Carter, S.J., Mother at Our Side: Mary's Role in 
        the Spiritual Life
(1993: Faith Publishing Co., Milford, Ohio), p.21.
15. Our Lady's Peace Plan, op cit., p.6.
16. Ibid., p.6.
17. Ibid., p.7.
18. Ibid., p.8.
19. Ibid., pp.9-10.

 

 

 

                Felix is at the site

                    Please come and get a
                    signed crucifix by
                    Felix and your picture

 

 

 

 

 

      Betty is a handmaid who has prayed in the

        China Church for 11 years. To get from her

        house to the church she uses a walker and

        must go over a creek and a little bridge.

        We wanted a little place she could rest

        by the Church. We need about $1,000 to

        make this happen. Can you help us?

 

 

 

We are trying to get

Response to God's Love

and the Mass Book out.
 

Anybody who wants to help us

with a donation to get these 2 books

out in the Priestly/hierarchy mailing —

Please call Kathleen 1-888-211-3041

 

 

July 31, 1994

Words of Jesus to Members of
Shepherds of Christ Associates:

"My beloved priest-companion, I intend to use the priestly newsletter, Shepherds of Christ, and the movement, Shepherds of Christ Associates, in a powerful way for the renewal of My Church and the world.

"I will use the newsletter and the chapters of Shepherds of Christ Associates as a powerful instrument for spreading devotion to My Heart and My Mother's Heart.

"I am calling many to become members of Shepherds of Christ Associates. To all of them I will give great blessings. I will use them as instruments to help bring about the triumph of the Immaculate Heart and the reign of My Sacred Heart. I will give great graces to the members of Shepherds of Christ Associates. I will call them to be deeply united to My Heart and to Mary's Heart as I lead them ever closer to My Father in the Holy Spirit."

- Message from Jesus to Father Edward J. Carter, S.J., Founder, as given on July 31, 1994,
feast of Saint Ignatius Loyola, Founder of the Society of Jesus (The Jesuits)

 

  

 

  


 

The China Church is over 140 years old

and we pray in there 24 hours a day.

It needs stucco and so does

the community building.

Can you please help us?

Call Kathleen 1-888-211-3041

 

Likewise the priest house

is 150 years old.

Jesus told us to repair it

which we have been doing.

We need $13,000.00 for this work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can help put the Blue Book V

in the hands of 1,000 people

we need $1,200 postage for this

It is ready to go

Call Kathleen

1-888-211-3041

  

You can help put Fr. Joe's homily

book in the hands of

1,000 priests — it costs $1,100

This can help 1,000 parish priests

talk about Covenant for Lent 

Please help us

It is ready to go

Call Kathleen  1-888-211-3041

   

 

   

Call Kathleen to Order any of the items below

1-888-211-3041

 

Fr. Joe's Homily Books

Guiding Light -
The Word Alive in Our Hearts

$10.00


Guiding Light -
Focusing on the Word

$10.00
 

 

 

Rita Ring

God's Blue Book 5
So Deep Is the Love of His Heart
Books written by the cofounder of Shepherds of Christ Ministries


Writings by Rita Ring
 
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
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
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 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 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 4
The Love of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary Author: Rita Ring
$ 5.00  plus postage
God's Blue Book 5
So Deep Is the Love of His Heart. Author: Rita Ring.
$ 5.00  plus postage
God's Blue Book 6A
He Calls Us to Action Author: Rita Ring.
$ 10.00  plus postage
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
Blue Rosary Book
Rosaries From the Hearts of Jesus and Mary - Volume II
$ 12.00  plus postage
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
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

Daily Messages From Heaven
From the Florida Apparition Site Author: Rita Ring. Discerned by: Fr. Edward J. Carter S.J.
$ 10.00  plus postage
Rosary Meditations for Little People and Elderly
Short Meditations for the Rosary
$ 3.00  plus postage
Color the Lives of Jesus and Mary, Book 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 plus postage
Fr. Edward J. Carter

Books written by the founder of Shepherds of Christ Ministries

 
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
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 Spirituality Newsletters 3
Selected Writings on Spirituality — for All People Editor: Fr. Edward J. Carter S.J.
$ 10.00  plus postage
Tell My People
Messages from Jesus and Mary Author: Fr. Edward J. Carter S.J. Imprimi Potest (spiral bound)
$ 10.00  plus postage
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
The Spirituality of Fatima
Fatima: The Setting, The Message, The Spirituality of Consecration
$ 5.00  plus postage
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

 

    

 

 

 


 

Yes — All the ends of the earth have seen
the power of God.

 

     God has called us to be united as a family in
the Shepherds of Christ.

     This is a vocation — to pray deeply for
the priests, the Church and the world and
to help support the Newsletter and the
Ministries.

     Remember the image of Our Lady
of Clearwater on the building. We have
very special Fatima statues so you can
have a special place of prayer in your
homes, praying the rosary for your family
and for the priests, the Church and the
world. If you are interested in these
very special Fatima/Clearwater statues
e-mail me with your phone number
and address 
info@sofc.org.

     Those using the special statues
will be united to us in a special way —
We want you to pray the Shepherds of
Christ prayers for the priests, the Church
and the world from your special place
in your home.

     When people have set up a prayer corner/niche
with this statue, Fatima/Clearwater glass, they have
reported that their families have received special
blessings. With this statue it is important to pray
the prayers in the red prayer manual and consecrate
your home and family to the Sacred Heart and
Immaculate Heart.

Call Sheila or Doris about statues or go to China or
Clearwater.
 

1-888-211-3041 or 1-812-273-8405

 

27” - $450.00
18” - $250.00
15” - $200.00
12” - $160.00
11” - $150.00
plus shipping

We send these. 

They are good for people
in the family for Christmas,
give with a prayer manual.

 

Shepherds of Christ   P. O. Box 627
China, IN  47250   1-888-211-3041

 

 

Statues

 

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

Our Lady of Lourdes

   

Our Lady of Grace

   

 

 

Sorrowful Mother

Immaculate Heart - Ivory

Immaculate Heart of Mary

 

  

 

Limpias

Sacred Heart of Jesus -Blessing

Sacred Heart of Jesus

 

  

 

Infant of Prague

Divine Mercy

Holy Family

 

 

 


St. Jude

 

Our Lady of Guadalupe

Holy Family

 

  

 

St. Therese

St. Francis

St. Anthony

 

 

 

St. Claire

St. Padre Pio

St. Joseph

     

Angel

St. Philomena

St. Rita - 18

     

Immaculate Heart of Mary - 18

Immaculate Heart - Ivory - 18

Sacred Heart of Jesus - 18

     

Our Lady of Lourdes - 18

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel - 18

Our Lady of Grace - 18

     

St. Francis - 18

St. Anthony - 18

St. Joseph - 18
     

St. Therese - 18

Our Lady of Guadalupe - 12

St. Clare - 12
 
 

 

 

St. Padre Pio - 12

 

St. Rita - 12

 

Divine Mercy - 12

 

  

 

Pieta - Color

Pieta - Marble

Limpias - 8
     

Fatima w/glass - 11

Pilgrim Virgin w/glass - 12

Pilgrim Virgin w/glass - 15

 

  

 

Fatima w/glass - 18

Pilgrim Virgin w/glass - 18

 

Pilgrim Virgin w/glass - 27

       


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

 

 Immaculate Heart of Mary

 24"

$125

 

 Immaculate Heart - Ivory

 24"

$125

 

 Infant of Prague

 24"

$125

 

 Limpias

 24"

$125

 

 Our Lady of Grace

 24"

$125

 

 Our Lady of Guadalupe

 24"

$125

 

 Our Lady of Lourdes  

 24"

$125

 

 Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

 24"

$125

 
 Sacred Heart of Jesus

 24"

$125

 
 Sacred Heart of Jesus -Blessing

 24"

$125

 

 Sorrowful Mother

 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  
 Immaculate Heart of Mary

18"

$65  
 Immaculate Heart - Ivory

18"

$65  
 Sacred Heart of Jesus

18"

$65  
 Our Lady of Lourdes  

18"

$65  
 Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

18"

$65  
 Our Lady of Grace

18"

$65  
 St. Joseph

18"

$65  
 St. Francis

18"

$65  
 St. Anthony

18"

$65  
 St. Rita

18"

$65  
 St. Therese

18"

$65  
 Pieta - Color 15" $75  
 Pieta - Marble 15" $75  
 Holy Family

12"

$60  
 Our Lady of Guadalupe

12"

$40  
 St. Padre Pio

12"

$40  

 St. Rita

12"

$40  
 Divine Mercy

12"

$40  
 St. Claire

12"

$40  
 Limpias

8"

$25  

 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

 

 

 


       

Available for $750.00

 

 
 
Fatima/Clearwater Glass Statues available.

Call or go to China

1-888-211-3041

6015 N. State Rd 62
China, IN  47250

 

or call Clearwater

21649 US 19 N
Clearwater, FL  33765

1-888-321-7671
1-727-725-9312

    

Click picture

   

 


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