September 11, 2021
For you this week:
- Reflection for Saturday: A vision of troubled sheep
- Inside the Ministry: Many souls are calling out, “Give us God.“
- Video Course: God’s Amazing Word for Miracles
Saturday September 11, 2021
1 Timothy 1:15-17
Psalm 113:1-7
Luke 6:43-49
bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/091121.cfm
Podcast:
bible.usccb.org/podcasts/audio/2021-09-11
Saints Calendar:
gnm.org/saints-find/saints-calendar
“But the one who listens and does not act on my words is like a person who built a house without a foundation. When the river flooded, it collapsed and was completely destroyed.” (From Saturday’s Gospel reading)
Reflection for Saturday: A vision of troubled sheep
When we tie the 9/11 anniversary of the 2001 destruction of the towers of the World Trade Center into the scriptures for this Saturday, we can look at it this way:
Anyone who hears the teachings of Jesus but does not act on them is like a person who built their man-made successes, their financial resources, or anything else they accomplished on false security. When the enemy attacked, what they had depended on collapsed and was completely destroyed.
This is true for everyone, but especially for people who claim to be Christian (and politicians who claim to be Catholic) and yet ignore the teachings of Christ. Their enemies — the devils who prowl around the world seeking the ruin of souls — have undermined their foundations; they can make a frontal attack and destroy everything, which they will certainly do when the timing suits their destructive purposes. This also certainly illuminates a vision of troubled sheep.
God in his mercy, on the other hand, gives sinners time to repent. He gives them many opportunities to hear and heed his voice. He has been speaking warnings through the Blessed Mother. He is also speaking more vocally now through modern-day prophets. But what people have built apart from the teachings of Christ and from the teachings of the true Church Magisterium is so frail that a crash is inevitable.
God does not desire a vision of troubled sheep. Quite the opposite in fact When the crash happens, God in his mercy wants us to invite all people to true Christian living because we have heard his words and we act on them. . But first we need to discover if there is anything he’s said that we do not believe. For example, do we truly believe that casting out demons, raising people from the dead, and healing the sick are to be normal in the Church today?
Recently during my morning prayers, the Lord showed me a flock of sheep in their pasture. Most of them were lame to varying extents. Some were dragging a leg behind them and slowly making their way forward. Others were limping. Others were running in panic, jumping at the sight of wolves even though Jesus was standing between them and the wolves, and this further damaged their injured legs. Some were lying on the ground bleating and complaining because they were too weary to get up and continue walking with their weak knees.
Jesus the Good Shepherd was standing there in their midst but their eyes were not on him. They were not seeing the strength and healing he was trying to provide to them. The Holy Spirit was hovering over the flock like a cloud of fire ready to descend but they were not looking up. They were not interested in asking the Spirit to fill them with holiness because they didn’t want to know the truth.
Jesus was telling his flock, “Look up! You have been given My Holy Spirit. Ask and you shall receive, and in greater measure than you deserve or desire. I have given you everything and yet you cannot see it. You look at your insufficiency and think this is normal. You assume that this is the way it must be, even though you pray for more. But I tell you, My precious flock, that there is so much more — so much more, so much more! — that I want to give to you and do in you and through you.”
He continued, “Repent of your unbelief. I am here to help you believe the truth that I spoke to you when I told you that by following Me and believing in Me you will do the same works that I do and even greater ones. Repent of being satisfied with insufficiency. Repent of being lame and crippled in your faith. Repent of disbelieving that I have given you the fullness of the Holy Spirit so you will grow in faith and become My witnesses throughout the Earth.”
He said, “I know you love Me. Now give up everything that prevents you from fully entering into the holy life, the supernatural life that I have given you. I have other flocks who are alive and activated in what is truly normal Christian living. They are fully alive in the Holy Spirit, fully pouring forth My love and My power into the world. Learn from them. Look, and find them and learn from them.”
Then he repeated John 14:12. He said, “Truly, truly I tell you, if you believe in Me you will do the same works that I have done and even greater ones, because today the world needs this example of My power. Many are those who wait for the truth that will set them free from demonic enslavement — now more than ever before. Arise, my little lambs, and run and jump for joy because your feet are steady and your knees are strong and your legs are powerful. Do not believe the lies of the wolves that tell you otherwise. Do not be tricked into thinking that you are lame. Do not allow a vision of troubled sheep to be a stagnant reality. Renounce those lies. I have much for you to do. Arise, come, and follow Me truly, more closely and more actively than ever before.”
Inside the Ministry:
Many souls are calling out, “Give us God.”
This quote by Saint Faustina really resonates with my heart: “Today during adoration, the Lord gave me to know how much He desires a soul to distinguish itself by deeds of love. And in spirit I saw how many souls are calling out to us, ‘Give us God.’ And the blood of the Apostles boiled up within me. I will not be stingy with it; I will shed it all to the last drop for immortal souls.” (Divine Mercy In My Soul #1249)
Cora A. cried watching my podcasts on Jesus in the Eucharist (gnm-media.org/the-eucharistic-pregnancy and gnm-media.org/eucharistic-experience-of-heaven), and she’s watching them repeatedly, “Because its been too long and my soul might shrivel if I don’t receive the Body of my Lord soon!! I so miss HIM!!” When I made those podcasts in 2019, which are part of a series on the Mass, it was unthinkable that a few months later church doors everywhere would get closed, let alone stay closed for a long time.
“Give us God!” The cry goes out and it’s multiplying. So the blood of the Apostles boils up within me and the GNM team. And yet our funds are dropping too low for GNM to continue without more help.
Please go to gnm.org/donate and provide support that will give God to others. Even small amounts help! And/or send in a commitment of prayer support @ gnm.org/support-by-prayers.
Here’s a fun song:
And now may your faith grow in this video course:
God’s Amazing Word for Miracles
How fully do you really believe God’s Word? This series of 9 short videos is a Bible study of the Gospel of John to understand how to live the Christian life fully, complete with miracles and supernatural joy.
Build up your faith now @ gnm-media.org/category/gods-amazing-word-for-miracles.
God bless you!
Every morning, I lift up in prayer everyone who helps Good News Ministries in any way (donors, volunteers, prayer supporters, etc.) and all the prayer requests posted on our site. What can I cover in prayer for you? Post your prayer request.
How else can the team and I serve you today? Visit our homepage.
Thank you for reading this newsletter.
Your servant in Christ,
Terry Modica, Executive Director
Good News Ministries
gnm.org
Let’s connect in GNM’s community: See you there!
Keep your eyes on Jesus!
And when you have to look at others, see them through his eyes.