September 3, 2011

INTRODUCTION – (Ezekiel 33: 7-9, Romans 13: 8-10, Matthew 18: 15-20) Our first reading takes us back six hundred years before Christ as God explains to his prophet Ezekiel his responsibility as a prophet. Ezekiel must warn God’s people of their sinful ways or he will be held accountable. It is a prelude to the gospel where Jesus instructs his followers how to help each other stay on the right track. St. Paul’s teaching on love in our second reading reminds us that if we should try to correct one another it should be done out of love.

HOMILY – Each year, I always begin my introduction to our RCIA program with a lesson we can all learn from geese. I am borrowing these ideas from Chicken Soup for the Soul (Vol 2). When we see geese flying south at this time of year, there is a reason why they fly that way. As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following. This uplift that is provided by the V formation allows the flock to get to their destination more quickly and easily. They are traveling on the thrust of one another. It would seem logical that people who share a common direction can reach their destination more quickly and easily by traveling together and supporting one another. Apparently God thinks this is good idea too, so he gave us the Church. We can more quickly and easily reach our home with him if we travel together. We have an excellent guide in this journey and it is Jesus for he tells us in today’s gospel: “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”

    There’s an attitude many have in society today that they don’t need the Church. They can find God and love God on their own. Certainly we do have to come to know God in a personal way or our religion will simply be mechanical. But God in his wisdom gave us an important help to knowing him and serving him; that is, by being part of the Church, not just in name such as calling ourselves Christians, but by active participation in the Church.

    There is another thing science knows about geese. When one of them falls out of formation, they quickly feel the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone and they get back into formation for the lifting power that is provided by the others. Unfortunately, when we humans try to go it alone spiritually, we are often slow to realize we are making no progress spiritually or we are even going in the wrong direction. If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay connected with those people who are headed the same way we are. It’s also interesting to note that if a bird gets sick or is injured, and falls out of formation, two others fall out with it and follow it down to give help and protection until it either gets well or dies. Then they will either launch out on their own or join a new formation until they can get back to their group. We have a responsibility to care for each other. St. Paul tells us today “owe nothing to anyone except to love one another for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.”

    So, are you wondering why all this talk about Church? It’s because our gospel today is about the Church. The word “church” is used over a hundred times in the Acts of the Apostles and in the Epistles of Paul. But our gospel today is only one of two places in all four of the gospels where the word is used. It is used once when Jesus tells Peter (the rock) that he would build his Church on him. Then it is used here where the issue of a serious sin that would be harmful to the Church needs to be dealt with. Jesus is saying an effort is to be made to win the sinner back to unity with the community. First a pastoral approach is to be taken. A one-on-one conversation between the offender and a friend or pastoral leader might do the trick. If not, an effort is to be made with the support of other members of the community to restore the sinner to good standing in the community. As a last resort, because the sinner refuses these efforts by the community, he or she is to be treated as one outside the community, with the hope this will shock them into being part of the community once again. We can read in 1 Corinthians how Paul had to do this with a person in the Church of Corinth who was living a publicly scandalous life and who rejected any efforts people made to get him to change his ways. All of this that Jesus talks about is to be done out of love for the sinner whom Christ wants to bring back to unity with God. It is done out of love for the Church, so others are not seriously harmed by someone leading them off in a wrong direction. Christ supports this action on the part of the Church by his statement, “whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven.”

    Let me hasten to add this whole issue is not about a personal offense. Jesus deals with that a few verses later when Peter asks Jesus “if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him?” I’m sure we all remember the answer Jesus gave.

    We differ from each other in many ways, yet we all have a common Father in heaven. We all have Christ as our savior who died to save us. We all wish to enjoy eternal life with God. The importance of working together, loving one another, supporting one another, praying for and with one another, cannot be overemphasized. As long as we follow Christ’s lead and stay one with him and with each other in our journey, we will have all the help we need to get to where we want to go. We listen once again to Jesus’ words in today’s gospel: “where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” We trust in these words now as we continue to pray together the prayer he gave us at the Last Supper. Amen.

                R. God called Abraham 4,000 years ago —

                We see the formation of the people
                    of Israel —

                God created Adam and from his side
                    He formed Eve —

                We see Christ the New Adam and
                    from His pierced side — the
                    Church is born

                Water for baptism
                Blood for the Eucharist

                Relationships — the 3 loves

                This is from Blue Book 6C and Fr. Carter

                We can only be happy doing the will
                    of God the Father —

                We were created to know, love and serve God —

                We can get pleasure out of things,
                    but lasting happiness
                    comes from doing God's will —

                We must be aware of the 3 loves
                    (1) love of God
                    (2) love of Self
                    (3) love of others

                ALSO
                (1) We are made in the image and likeness
                        of God
                (2) We have been divinized in Christ
                        Given Baptism
                (3) We must be oriented to God and neighbor

                God put man in the garden and
                    given the responsibility to care
                    for the garden

                Work was a gift — it was not a
                    burden to Adam and Eve —

                God called them to this mission —

                There was justice in the garden —
                    perfect harmony, harmony
                    between man and woman —
                    between them as human beings —

                God tells them they cannot eat of
                    a tree in the garden —

                We cannot judge what we think is
                    good and evil independent of God —

                God gives us rules —
                God works in order —
                God wants obedience —

                The devil tempts people —
                    Slothfulness is the "lazy pond" —
                    No bounds —
                    A person wants to do it their
                        way — unpredictable behavior —

                God has given us the Church —
                    the Pope is the head —
                    there is structure under him —
                    there are rules —

                Religious orders are under a
                    superior —
                    order
                    those under are to follow the
                        rules of the community
                        for their particular mission
                        under the superior —

                This is how religious orders are
                    set up in the Church —

                Families have structure
                    Fathers and mothers
                    children under them —

                God created us —
                God makes the rules —

                We are to live in love —
                    loving God —
                    loving others as ourselves

                We are to live according to the Father's
                    will —

                The readings in Sunday's Mass show
                    us about rules
                    Ezekiel,
                The Psalm — "let us bow down"
                                    "let us give thanks"
                                    let us walk in joy to the Lord

                For He is God —

                We are the people He shepherds —
                    the flock He guides —

                In the Gospel of John it says
                    We hear his voice and follow Him —
                        not a hired man —

                It says in tomorrow's psalm —
                    harden not your hearts as at
                    Massah in the desert —
                    when they tempted God
                    and tested Him after they saw
                        His works —

                St. Paul in Romans 13: 8-10
                    Tells us to love —
                    He tells us the greatest commandment!
                    Then St. Paul tells us not to
                        commit adultery, not to kill,
                        not to steal, not to covet and
                        then
                    "You shall love your neighbor
                    as yourself"  Romans 13

                It continues
                    "Love does no evil to the neighbor,
                        love is the fulfillment of the
                        law"  Romans 13: 10

                The Alleluia verse
 

2 Corinthians 5: 19

I mean, God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not holding anyone’s faults against them, but entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 

                R. God was reconciling the world
                    to Himself in Christ and
                    entrusting to us the message
                    of reconciliation —

                The devil tells us that we should do what
                    we want — have no structure —
                    the devil did this to Eve in
                    the garden —

                The devil wants
                    disobedience to God —
                        that is the story of the garden —
                        how we got into this mess —

                A wounded human nature because
                    of original sin —

                Tendencies to the deadly sins —

                Jesus said this week several times —
                    "a house divided against
                    itself will not stand" —

                But the devil tries to make right
                    look wrong and wrong look
                    right as he did to Eve in
                    the garden —

                I thought it was cute in the Passion
                    movie how Jesus made a high
                    table and Mary was there —

                But there is a right height for tables
                    and chairs and if the chair is too
                    low and the table is too high we
                    can have a back ache —

                Structure is like this —
                    The pope is the Vicar of the
                        Church — those under him
                        are to be in their place —

                But the devil attacks just
                    authority against God's
                    will —

                And when the ones underneath
                    try to raise up over
                    just authority we see
                    what happened in the garden
                    due to the temptation of satan —
                    who wants us to seek power —
                    who wants us to seek dominance
                        for dominance sake —

                Some seats give us a back ache
                    if they aren't right —

                Jesus said — reach for the stars —

                The man wanting to crown his own
                    head reaches only about 4
                    feet off the ground if he is
                    sitting down —

                How can we ever overlook what
                    can be accomplished when
                    we are doing God's will, with
                    God's might behind us —

                    But the devil tempts men to
                think they are great on their own —
                they should let the world know —
                    move over Joe Blow is passing
                    through —

                The wind can come and it can destroy
                    in its path —
                    or the gentle breeze can caress
                    the cheek of those tenderly
                    loving — a child and their
                    siblings — a romantic couple
                    about to be married — love is
                    love when God sends the wind
                    and sun to touch the hearts
                    He made for love and in purity
                    the rules operating are by His will —

                But like a violent wind storm — when
                    rains and water destroy homes — it
                    is like satan trying to tear apart
                    a marriage, a family by dysfunction,
                    selfishness, strong winds,
                    unfaithfulness and unpredictability
 

                God calls us to a vocation to build
                    love in His family to witness
                    to Him — to spread the Good News —
                    and satan comes in the minds
                    trying to tempt people, called
                    to build — to tear apart — to
                    be mean and not expect consequences —

                God calls us to love —
                Fruit for the Kingdom
                Being as God wants —

                If you want growth — you care
                    for the garden like Adam and
                    Eve were told by God —

                If you start fights, attack others
                    through passive-aggressive measures
                    to make others mad to the point of
                    reacting in anger —
                    then they leave —
                    they don't want to live in this
                        constant tension of flushing
                        out — combat — war zones —

                When God is good

                God called the Shepherds of Christ to help
                    bring this era of Peace —
                    Love — Unity —
                    To know the fires of love
                        of the Sacred Heart of Jesus —

                A person can try to create a
                    home like they had and it
                    may have been united or
                    dysfunctional —

                In living out Christ's life in
                    our life — we are commissioned
                    in baptism to go out and spread
                    the Good News —

                So we are to be acting — soldiers
                    in the army of God —
                    fighting darkness —
                    living in greater purity —
                    witnesses to His love —
                    witness means we live to
                        love —

                A giant came into a village and
                    with a big foot he stamped
                    on the little families underfoot —
                    a baby and mom and dad — the ones
                    trying to live —

                Satan wants to be that giant —
                    people come who are hungry —
                    God made us —
                    We are made hungry for His
                        love that won't reach
                        its fullness in this
                        life

                Satan uses people who give into
                    him to tear down,
                    what others have planted to build
                    the Kingdom —

                He comes like a big wind full
                    of energy — if we let him
                    use us —

                He wants to tear apart communities,
                    families, parishes, prayer chapters —

                He gets people to press on the
                    pastors at Church —
                    to press on those trying
                    to do God's work —

                Satan works — tearing up like the
                    storms —

                He wants to tear up homes —
                He wants to tear up loving relationships —

                And the energy is like hungry
                    dogs starving in the basement —

                Energy to provoke the person
                    praying —

                Like a giant stepping on the
                    little families of the
                    village — if we let his
                    fury rage in us —

                Jesus speaks: I come to plant — to build —
                    to bring unity and love —

                To look at your evil ways inside
                    and to die to them —

                Humility is seeing the evil in
                    you and the good in you —
                    dying to those things not
                    likened to Me and recognizing
                    My gifts to you in the good
                    you are doing in your lives —

                Humility is truth —

                Not telling even a white lie
                    because you looking right —
                    when you are wrong — is
                    more important to you
                    than the truth —

                Judas did not deal with his lies —
                    his evil —

                Peter repented and was made head
                    of the Church —

                Now look at the Gospel —

                Those over, pastors, people
                    over in religious orders
                    are witnesses, teachers
                    of My rules —

                They are to see that My rules are
                    taught to the people — not
                    evil being taught in a
                    religious organization —
                    This is serious, that one
                    does the teaching for which
                    it was established —

                Families where people have been
                    wounded can still be stumbling
                    blocks to men when they
                    are old — if they do not deal
                    with themselves —

                Building a parish is to bring Christ's
                    truth to the parish family —

                R. The priest needs our prayers
                    strongly in dealing with all
                    the different people who want
                    their way and can try to challenge
                    authority, rules, commandments
                    etc. —

                The devil comes to tear apart —

                If one wants to build a community
                    of love then it is love that is
                    to rule —

                If a person is self-centered, tearing
                    apart by cruelty and games —
                    the person's goal is to drive
                    others from this place and
                    soon who is left —

                It is called the "scapegoat" policy
                    of dysfunctional homes —
                    one child can be the 'hero'
                    the other child the 'scapegoat' —

                And the merry-go-round called
                    denial continues — a man goes
                    home at Christmas and the old
                    dance from childhood can be
                    implemented as old patterns
                    are acted out —

                In marriages, friends trying to get
                    along: these dysfunctional
                    patterns can be acted out with
                    different partners, different
                    addresses etc. —

                To build a community of love
                To build a parish of love

                A person acting in cruelty as
                    a leader will soon accomplish
                    the dwindling they are working
                    to produce —

                Love means all work in purity,
                    according to God's will —
                    working on themselves to be
                        more and more in the image of
                        Christ —

                Love means we base our relationships
                    on the love of the Persons of
                    the Trinity —
                    the most perfect community —
                    3 Persons in one God —

                Excerpt from the Spirituality Handbook by Fr. Edward Carter, S.J.

The Spiritual Life and the Christian Virtues

The life of sanctifying grace expresses itself through the various Christian virtues. Let us take a brief look at this life:

"The Persons of the Blessed Trinity have communicated Themselves to us in lavish love. When a person is in the state of grace, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit dwell within that person in an extraordinary fashion.

"Such is the intimacy of this Trinitarian communication that the Persons of the Trinity imprint Their image upon us. This image is our life of grace, our created participation in the life of the Trinity. We receive this life at Baptism, and our privilege and responsibility are to develop it as fully as possible during our earthly journey before experiencing its culmination in eternal life.

"Because Christ in His humanity is Mediator of our life of grace, it possesses not only a Trinitarian dimension, but a Christic aspect as well. We can readily understand, then, why our grace-life is very appropriately also called the Christ-life.

"Our Christ-life is centered in faith and love. Christian faith gives us an extraordinary capacity to know realities about God and the things of God. The virtue of Christian love allows us to accompany this faith-knowledge with an appropriate love-response. Christian hope is the chief support of faith and love. Finally, all the other Christian virtues are variously connected with these three main Christian capacities." (8)

We hear much about faith and love, the two main Christian virtues. However, hope is also extremely important. One of the aspects of the virtue of hope is trust. Let's listen to a message of Jesus regarding trust:

"My beloved priest-companion, tell my people to trust Me unreservedly. I am Lord and Master. I am God. So many fail to trust Me as they should. I love all My people much more than they love themselves! The great love I have for each person should encourage all to trust Me! The more you realize how much a friend loves you, the more you place your trust in that person. I am your perfect Friend. I love you much, much more than your best earthly friend! Tell My people to trust Me completely. Tell them to say often, 'Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in You.'" (Message of Jesus as given to Father Carter). (9)

8. Edward Carter, S.J., Prayer Perspectives, Alba House, Staten Island, New York, 1987, p. 12.
9. Tell My People, op. cit.

                R. In the beatific vision — we
                    have the fullness of life —
                    We are wrapped in this
                        Divine Love —

                Parishes are to be modeled after
                    the love of the Trinity —
                    The Trinity is 3 Persons in
                        1 God —

                A person being selfish and provoking
                    to make others mad —
                    running a community
                    a parish —
                    will soon run the people
                    away —
                    who come to be filled up
                        more and more with love and
                        life —

                Love and life
                Building unity
                Like a Body

                But satan uses force so he can
                    take out rules —
                    combat —
                    power coming through jobs
                        etc. — to try to
                        enforce dysfunctional rules —

                We must remember dysfunctional
                    homes — function → in dysfunction —

                So people not seeking recovery for
                    themselves from survival
                    tactics they had to use in
                    childhood to survive —
                    Still if they can try to operate
                        under dysfunction, survival
                        rules — they probably
                        had to live by as children and
                        they think it is normal —

                It was what they had to use to
                    survive a war - zone —
                    a home where love may not
                    have been the rule from
                    wounded parents feeling inferior,
                    angry themselves, not living
                    life, but surviving it, like
                    they learned from their parents —

                R. No one is exempt — we are all
                    working on ourselves to be more
                    holy —
                    DISCIPLINE is paramount —
                    Games are out — or the
                        games take you out —

                When I did my math —
                    I had a problem —
                    If it was a word problem I
                        told the students to read
                        it several times

                    To put down what you know
                        for sure —

                    You have a plan to work
                        the problem

                    Do the problem

                    Check it in the original
                        problem —

                We have problems in ourselves
                    because of our wounded
                    human nature.

                God has the Plan

                It is for us

                He wants us to have life
                    for all eternity —

                We see the rebellion of
                    the Israelites — grumbling —

                We must rely on His Might —

                The very hairs of our head are
                    numbered

                Fr. Carter did this mission
                    after his doctorate
                    after he lived a good part
                        of his life

                R. Jesus lived the private life

                Moses was 80
                    first in the Pharaoh's house
                    then a shepherd —

                Noah was called to build the
                    Ark — all, except his family
                    were destroyed by the flood

                The human race was corrupted

                Song: A Song from Jesus

                R. Old Testament
                    forming of God's People
                    Jesus the Savior

                    the Church

                Mary appeared here
                    she asked us to help
                    renew the Church and the world —

                Addictions are from
                    hungry, wounded people

                Pray —

                Moses was saved

                While babies were thrown in
                    the River

                Moses was called by God to go to
                    Pharaoh to tell him "Let My People Go"

                Pharaoh was obstinate

                The devil is relentless

                The Love God has for us
                    is real

                God wants love in
                    return

                God gives us Himself
                    today —

                God has called us to
                    spread the Blue Books

                Hebrew baby boys
                    were killed — thrown in
                    the Nile

                One Baby Moses was saved —

                3 months Moses put in river

                Pharaoh's daughter took
                    baby as her own

                God used Pharaoh's
                    own household
                    to help —

                This is a bank —

                Mary appeared on
                    it

December 19, 1996
Message from Mary, Received by Rita Ring.

Mary: My dear children, I give to you, my Son, Jesus, born in a stable in Bethlehem on Christmas morn. He is the Almighty God, the Light of the World.

I appear to you, my children, on a (former) bank in Florida. You have made money your god! Do you know how cold are your hearts? You turn away from my Son, Jesus, for your money. Your money is your god.

I am Mary, your Mother. I do not appear as I once appeared to you. I am asking you today to circulate my message given on a tape on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, December 12, 1996. Please circulate this tape now. Give it to as many people as you can. I am Mary, your Mother. Please circulate my Rosary Book.

                R. Ramses had made
                    statues of himself

                The Hebrews were treated
                    cruelly

                Moses went to a well
                    Moses found a well — Jethro's well
                    Then he met Jethro in Median

                Moses saw
                    burning bush at 80

                Holy Ground

                Mary's intercession

                God is Mighty

                God spoke to Moses

                Moses didn't
                    want to go back to
                                    EGYPT —

                    40 years wandering in the desert
                    40 days of Lent

                They rebelled against God —
                    also the descendants rebelled against God
                    whining, grumbling

                God gives us the priest
                God gives us the sacraments
 

                The fiery serpents — the Israelites had to deal with

                David established the Kingdom
                    in Jerusalem
                    above the Jordon

                Moses was 120
                    when he died

                Moses appeared at Mt. Tabor
                    at the Transfiguration

                Water is important
                    We see the flood at the time of Noah
                    the were rescued at Red Sea

                Look at what was in Genesis

                Creation

                Fall of Man

                Cain and Abel

                Noah and flood

                Covenant with Noah

                Abraham

                Tower of Babel

                Abraham and Sarah
                    because of famine they went to Egypt

                Covenant with Abraham

                    Isaac

                Testing of Abraham

                Isaac and Rebekah

                Jacob and Esau

                Joseph

On September 3, 1994 - First Saturday

R. I suffered the greatest sorrow within my heart for the sorrows of Mary. I had gone to Mass and the priest had done the peace rosary.

This is what would happen to me at Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Center. My heart would be in such anguish because of the sorrows of Mary I experienced. I would be buckled over in pain. This day I was before the Sorrowful Mother statue in the back of the main chapel. We were going to the Falmouth, Kentucky Farm, that day to pray. I was so drained and weak from this experience, I thought I could not go. I was weakened, so weakened, the experience lasted about an hour and was so intense. I existed in this intense pain of the Immaculate Heart.

That afternoon we came for the 6:30 p.m. prayers where Our Lady would appear. At 6:00 p.m. I went to the tabernacle in the Rosary Chapel and there was this picture of Jesus to the left of the tabernacle and a candle with the Sacred Heart of Jesus on it. There was sunlight in the room from the rosary windows. I sat before the tabernacle on the altar as I had done so many times, before the picture and left of the tabernacle. I began to experience the deepest agony of His Heart. I knew the sorrow of His Heart for all who do not come before Him in the Blessed Sacrament . I knew His sorrow so deep within me for all the blocks I had experienced in delivering the messages. I was so weakened and I was suffering. Then the lights in the room dimmed and the picture of the Sacred Heart turned black before me. I could very faintly see His outline behind the blackness. The candle of the Sacred Heart went out. I sat on the end of my chair in pain and suffering and a fear shot through me. I wondered what had happened. It remained this way for about 5 minutes.

Then the light in the room returned, the candle went on and the picture became bright, all instantaneously, brighter than ever before. I went to the back of the chapel where Mary would appear, to do the 6:30 p.m. prayers and I cried. I was so shaken from the experience. Father Carter was there for the prayers. I was told to tell Father Smith, which I did.

  

September 3, 1994 - After Communion

I Am Sorrowful To Know The Hearts Of Men

R. Such emotion I feel, looking at Mary's statues. I can hardly take it in. I feel so close to Christ in my heart and have an intense longing for Him. I felt a burning in my chest, wanting more. I felt such sorrow around Mary, I couldn't bear to look at the statue and wanted to cry.

Mary: My little girl, I am Mary, your beloved mother. As I have told you, you will suffer. My Heart is so sad for all those who do not know the love of my Son. You know some of His intense love for all the beloved souls. I give you some of my emotions to allow you to experience my suffering, to know all those who reject the love of my precious Son. Sweet child of mine, you know how He loves all. I tell you to pray, pray for each other.

Promote the rosary. I am showing you how to make the rosary alive in your life. The rosary is such a powerful prayer against Satan. Satan is running rampant. He will be squelched by the praying of the rosary. Promote the rosary. I appear to you as the Lady of Light. My rosary will light up the world! I am the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Who will hear if you are not speaking? Constantly be about the work of promoting Our Two Hearts and praying the rosary. I show myself to you to comfort you and to lead others to my rosary. I am sorrowful to know the hearts of men. They have turned so cold, when Jesus has a burning fire waiting to warm them.

Jesus: I am Jesus. I am the Sacred Heart of Jesus. My Heart burns for love of My beloved children. It is through My Mother's Heart and My Heart that so many will turn their cold hearts and lukewarm hearts to hearts ablaze with the fire of My love.

Promote My Heart through My Mother's Heart. You will continue to experience such emotions! My Mother is so closely united to Me! To know her is to know her suffering for the sinners that will be lost in eternal damnation. She appears to you in such light! You must preach the contents of these letters. Your words will be a light to the dark world. I speak through you. You are delivering My messages to those I love. Your tongue should forever declare My intense, burning love for all. This world will shine with the love of My Sacred Heart. These words will illuminate their hearts. You hold words given to My loved ones from Me. Do not take this job lightly. You need to get my messages out. Souls will be lost forever because they did not know My burning love. This is the medicine for the sick world. They need these messages.

I am Jesus. I speak here to the world. These are My intense love letters to all. They need to hear these words. They are given from Me to each precious soul. This is an urgent message. Time is so short! You will know soon that the time delayed will hurt many souls.

Souls will not know of My love. They need these messages. I speak so tenderly to My beloved ones here! Please, I beg you to spread these words to My hurting children.

Mary is appearing as a Lady of Light. These letters will light men's hearts with My intense love for them. The world will shine with My love. Circulate the messages. This is an urgent message.

 

September 3, 1994

He Thought Of Us - And Endured All He Had To Suffer

R. I am realizing there is a constant presence of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Jesus stood before the crowd when they condemned Him to death. He was surrounded by hatred and the mob agreed that our beloved Jesus, Who is love, deserved to be crucified. He had done nothing but give love, but through the hardness of their hearts they surrounded Him and condemned Him to death.

The devil is, oh, so cunning. He is callous. He is hate-filled. He wells up in men's hearts and acts through them. When we are persecuted by those around us, by one person, by many, the example of Jesus is what we must follow. The devil is so strong. There will be more mass persecutions of us, as Christians. By mass, I mean, several or more persons taking a stand against us and persecuting us. Whenever I am innocent and being attacked by several persons accusing me of a misdeed, Satan is at work.

But, the interior awareness of God is what will sustain us! Jesus had a constant awareness of the love between Him and the Father. Jesus knew all the men who persecuted Him and loved them. Jesus had a constant awareness of each person, the divine, unique creation of the Father. He saw all this hatred before Him and still loved these people as the Father loved them.

Jesus: They may persecute you, My child, several in number, and you will stand as the mighty oak. Your roots are rooted firmly in the love of God, and you are aware of My presence within you always. You are never abandoned. Everything that happens, I am allowing. The very hairs of your head are numbered.

R. Jesus stood condemned to death. Jesus, tied to a pillar, allowed men to tear His precious Flesh away. He bled the very Blood in His veins. How did Jesus still love such ruthless men? The constant awareness of men as "divinely created" allowed Him to love them as God the Father's creatures. He saw the divine creation of the Father and loved them. He is one with the Father. He knew the Father's love. He knew the Father's will and He, Who is God, could have stopped all of it, but He wanted to do the will of His Father. He thought of us and His love, so deep for us, and endured all He had to suffer for our salvation.

Jesus: My Blood was spent. My Life was given. I am He Who died and has risen so that you might have new life! In every death there is the resurrection into new life.

R. To constantly keep the Resurrection before our eyes when we experience suffering is a key factor in living the new life.

Jesus: I come to bring you life that you may have it to the fullest. When they persecute you and holler every slander against you, keep your eyes forever set on your heavenly Kingdom.

   

  

September 3, 1994

You Will Stand As A Mighty Oak

R. I am realizing more and more the Presence of God at all times. Interiorly, I am constantly aware of this Presence of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This Presence is so strong that I cannot feel abandoned.

I am as the baby at the breast. I know my loving Father more and more and I know He will care for me. I know that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are forever with me. I feel as if I have a coating on me, between me and the world, and I am so protected by this interior union.

No one can ever touch this union with God. This is why I live to be forever connected as one with Him. The more I become one in Him, the more I experience this protection.

The wind may come and blow, you may be rocked in your place, but the interior life of the love of God is forever in my breast.

I have an awareness more and more that I love my brothers so much as I see them as created by my loving Father. He loves them so much. He is one with them. How can I not love them? I see less their faults and more their beauty as His creation. I know Jesus gave the last drop of His Blood for them and would die for them this very day. How could I hate anyone that He loves so much! To love Jesus is to love my brother. I cannot love Jesus and hate my brother. He is one with them. He is so good and loving. I love Him. I am one in Him and He is one in me. My brother is one in Him. If I am one with Jesus and I love Jesus, then I must love my brother because he is one with Jesus and we are all one, united in Him.

I am constantly aware that He allows everything that happens and I must accept it. If He allows me to suffer, it is with great love He allows this suffering. He forever watches us and guards us and loves us. A little child doesn't stop and think about its mother's care and love. The child knows and operates with the assuredness he will be taken care of.

Lord, give to me the assuredness of a little child. Let me know I am forever loved by You. Let me operate with this certainly of Your love.

God is loving and caring for me.

   

  

September 3, 1994

I Cry For The Souls

R. Notes: When the Host was raised, I kept hearing with emotion the song, "This is My Body". He was talking about passion before Mass. I heard, "This is My Blood". This triggered all His explanations of how He gave His very Flesh and Blood for us.

I wanted to cry. Tears came down. I was filled with immense emotion, couldn't look at Mary's statue. I love Him so much. I am aware of all the souls that will be lost because they do not know His love. I know it so well. I can't speak.

The world stands still and it is so clear to me about the existence of the other side. It is as if I am not here. I know His love so much. He is so much ONE with me. I want to help others to know this love!

He died so they would go to heaven and what do I do to tell others of this love?

I love Him so much and I love all others because they are one in Him and I want to spread His love.

My heart is torn apart in my chest for souls that I know will be lost because they did not know Him and He wants to love them so much. He loves them so much that He gave His Flesh and Blood for them.

I cry for the souls that are on the way to hell if they do not change. I cry for the senseless ones. I cry for my beloved brothers whom I love so deeply.

Crying is no way to release agonies of the heart. That is why He sweat Blood. That is why Mary appears crying blood, her face cracked.

This is reality. This is the world. These are His beloved ones. God, the Father, loves them so dearly. Jesus died for them. The Holy Spirit loves them so. Mary is by their sides and with all this, they will be lost forever to hell if they do not change.

Prayer is the answer. No drop of water will ever quench their thirst if they go to hell. Our prayers are our love for our brothers.

Mary: My children, my Heart was pierced with a sword to watch my beloved Son suffer so for love of you. Pray the rosary for our beloved brothers. Sacrifice, offer your days in union with the Mass for their souls. Time is so short, my beloved ones. Pray, pray, pray. Your prayers can help save the lives of your brothers. Time is short. I am Mary, your Mother and thank you for responding to my call.