In my humble and pious opinion as a faithful Roman Catholic theologian, the claimed private revelations in the form of the messages to Rita Ring of Clearwater, Florida (www.sofc.org) are not true private revelations from Heaven. A list of reasons and examples follows.
Introduction: Rita Ring claims to have received messages and visions from Jesus and Mary since the early 1990's. The promotion of these messages is based in three locations: Morrow, Ohio; Clearwater, Florida; and China, Indiana. The group called Shepherds of Christ Ministries promotes the messages and takes direction from the messages themselves.
- The Shepherds of Christ Ministries (updated January 5, 2007)
The website promoting these messages assures us that:
“All messages were discerned for theological errors by Father Edward J. Carter, S.J., Professor of Theology, Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio and Spiritual Director of the Shepherds of Christ Ministries.”
The problem with this claim is that Fr. Carter was the director of the organization that promotes the messages, and he also claimed to have received messages of private revelation, such as this one:
“My beloved priest-companion, I am requesting that a new prayer movement be started under the direction of Shepherds of Christ Ministries.... I am inviting My beloved Rita Ring to be coordinator for this activity.... I am Jesus, Chief Shepherd of the flock.”
His evaluation of these messages was not at all impartial because he directed the organization that promotes them, and because he even received some of these messages himself. So, this is not true discernment.
Fr. Carter died in December of 2000. Messages since that time are said to have been discerned by a Catholic priest, but we are not told which priest: "All messages are discerned for moral and theological errors before publishing by a Roman Catholic priest. We have a very competent priest that assists us daily. All writings are discerned very carefully by a competent Catholic priest." It is not at all reassuring to the reader to know that a priest, who apparently does not want his name to be used, is the one giving approval for these messages. Generally, if messages from claimed private revelation receive any kind of approval, it ought to be the approval of the Bishop of the Diocese, not from an unnamed priest.
Now consider this alarming situation: the Shepherds of Christ Ministries was started in response to these messages to Rita Ring, and it continues to take direction from the messages given to her and to Fr. Carter. Some messages asked for the publication of books, and of cassette tapes and video tapes, and it was done by the Shepherds of Christ Ministries. A message requested the tapes be distributed to nursing homes, and it was done. A message, quoted above, asked for a prayer movement under the direction of the Shepherds of Christ Ministries and Rita Ring, and it was done.
Why is this alarming? because these messages do not come from Jesus or Mary, nor are they from Heaven at all. They are from fallen angels permitted to deceive through false prophets such as Rita Ring. The situation is that a growing religious organization within the Church is taking direction from a false private revelation, one not approved by the Church.
- Odd Language and Worldly Conversation
One of the most common characteristics of false private revelation is that the message, allegedly from Jesus or Mary, are worldly in their concerns and in the language that they use. Now all claimed private revelation, both true and false, contain many exhortations to holiness; so this type of content does not tell us if it is true or false. But in the true private revelations, Jesus and Mary speak in a heavenly and spiritual manner, whereas in the false private revelations the fallen angels pretending to be Jesus or Mary try to feign this heavenly and spiritual manner of conversation, but frequently fail and fall into worldly language and topics. It's like listening to a bad actor try to use a foreign accent; they keep slipping back into their natural manner of speaking.
Examples of this kind are so numerous in these messages to Rita Ring that this point alone is enough to convince me that her messages are not from Heaven. Some examples are given below, but there are only a small fraction of what is found in the messages. Also, I should note that the number of messages is very large, yet the wording and topics in these messages are very repetitive.
Read these various excerpts from the messages to Rita Ring and decide for yourself if this sounds like the way that Jesus would speak to anyone:
June 17, 1993
“I am puttering you about. You go as a little doll that is wound up. Does this little doll get anxious. Does it get tired? It just stops when the power is off. It isn't mad. It doesn't worry about food and who will wind it up. Nobody else matters. He just goes and does his thing when he is wound up....”
August 23, 1993
“Quit putting so much importance on what your friends have said to you. The devil uses them to get to you. You are very distracted and hurt. Snap out of it.... I am running the show. I could stop this whole world at this moment if I so desired. I am licking your wounds with My divine healing.”
August 28, 1993
“You are all mixed up with your priorities. I grow tired that you don't listen and tell others of My great and glorious love for all My children.”
September 12, 1993
"I am hyper-vigilant, I am with you. Never do I move."
September 16, 1993
“My child, I am here in all this muck. Yes, you are tried and I spit you out.... You must stay fixed to Me like glue, child.... You think you have control of your life. You silly, silly children-what control?... You are so silly. Power-you have none, child.... Come, little ones, My will for you is not a secret. You have to break the code.”
September 21, 1993
“Hard cheeked, stone-jawed, do you feel good?... It hurts your hearts to be 'even-Stephen'.”
September 22, 1993
“They won't turn to Me. Where are they, My little dumb children?... Give yourself to Me, little babies.... This is no joke.”
October 2, 1993
“Power-waves of power in the air almost like a magnet-nothing else matters.”
October 8, 1993
“You must come to be filled with My power, like charging a battery. You come, you get plugged in and then you go about the world, lighting it with My most precious light.... Oh, what silly, silly children stay away when I am God and I can give you all you need.... You need My fortification to stay afloat in the world.”
October l6, 1993
“Your roots are steadfast in Me, but you must come to Me and be charged or he gets to you. You need a full battery.”
October 17, 1993
“My work is work. It is not a puffy little job. It is a big job.”
October 26, 1993
“Let Me spray you with a protective coat.... Spray yourself with My light, My power, My presence.”
October 27, 1993
“Be not worn out. You are exhausted, running around like a chicken without a head.”
November 5, 1993
“I would pull your phones from the walls and plug the cords into My heart.... Would you go to a trucker for a sick body? Why do you go to humans for a sick soul?... Don't go to a trucker for the care of your soul! What foolishness! I wait and watch and wonder at such stupidity.”
November 10, 1993
“Come to Me! Stop it, I tell you. Don't run amok.”
November 20, 1993
“Think of men cutting off women's and children's heads in Bosnia! Such hatred the devil engineers in their hearts!”
November 27, 1993
“...you don't have to do anything but let Me run your life and it will work beautifully. I don't make boo-boos. I am your most ardent lover.”
November 29, 1993
“You think you are in control. Ha, ha! You don't control anything.... Quit thinking you are in control. All you control is your will and what I really want is total surrender.... let Me possess your soul. Then your life will fly, like the hot air balloon.... You are My little babies in a hot air balloon. Oh, babies, I want to baby you. Let go of your silly wills.”
December 7, 1993
“Follow Me and all lights will be 'go'.... You must do My will to the 't'.... I am never off on a coffee break!... Be putty in the hands of the potter.... Be at joy in My hot air balloon.”
There are very many more examples of this kind, where 'Jesus' supposedly talks in a worldly manner. Sometimes these messages use odd mixed metaphors, as if the author of the messages does not understand the finer points of the language, such as saying 'putty' in the hands of the potter, instead of clay, or as in the message that starts out using the metaphor of roots, but then says you need to 'be charged' because you 'need a full battery.'
The messages of true private revelations do not contain this characteristic, this odd worldly language. When the true Christ speaks in private revelation, or in the Gospels, his speech is eloquent and heavenly, not awkward and worldly.
Here are some further examples of this worldly kind of language, where 'Jesus' supposedly uses words like 'hydroplane' and phrases like 'be beat-up in a car wreck' and 'a car dead in your path.' Notice in the second message quoted below the odd use of the expression 'one foot on and one foot off' and the complaint of a 'snarly attitude.'
Message of May 20, 2003: “For there are hurricanes and earthquakes and windstorms and rainstorms and cars that hydroplane right before you. And even though you do not desire to be beat-up in a car wreck, what do you do if you are in the back seat and you are not driving and there is a car dead in your path as you travel 70 miles an hour but yet you think you have control of all the things in your life only to find out that you do not.”
Message of May 20, 2003: “And why do you respond with such a snarly attitude in your heart? You have one foot on and one foot off and yet you give yourself selflessly, you think, but so many things you have determined in your own mind.”
Now you might say, 'What is wrong with that?' The answer is that we who live in the world may well speak in a worldly manner, but Jesus and Mary, who dwell in Heaven, do not speak in an worldly manner. There have been many true private revelations to Saints and, in more recent years, to children and to ordinary laypersons. But these messages are heavenly, not worldly. Such language is not sinful for us, but it is not befitting of the Son of God and the Queen of Heaven. They simply do not speak in this manner in true private revelation.
- This is not the Jesus of the Gospels
Compare the way that Jesus speaks in the Gospels to the way that these messages speak. You will see that there is a stark difference between these messages and the Gospel messages. Here is a particularly striking example of this difference:
Message of May 20, 2003: “Jesus speaks: I am Jesus and I have called this meeting today. and this is a very special meeting that I am calling you to. My chosen ones, Have you heard of a book that says Who moved my cheese? Have you heard that and wondered what that means?” (www.sofc.org/DAILY/5-22-2003.htm)
First, it is unlike the true Son of God to say things like 'I am Jesus and I have called this meeting today.' Then he mentions a book entitled 'Who moved my cheese?'. This is a motivational book often used by businesses to encourage their employees to accept changes in corporations. It is a worldly book, not a religious book. With the Bible and all the holy books written by Saints in the world, the Son of God would not give a supernatural message from Heaven to talk about this type of book. Compare this message to the Gospels of Jesus Christ and see that the one is not like the other.
April 1, 1994
“You think you must do things. Your doing things you think you ought to do is botching things up! Wait on Me!”
Compare this message to the words of Jesus in the Gospels: “And whoever will want to be first among you, he shall be your servant, even as the Son of man has not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a redemption for many.” (Mt 20:27-28) See how the message above is not the way that Jesus speaks and teaches.
December 1, 1993
"You can no longer be of Me and not take a stand. Your life is so different from everyone else. It is an uphill battle to just remain in the world. They have surely lost their way. You have to deny all the TV shows. You have to stay away from the movies. You have to avoid the newspaper most of the time. All the connections with the world are detrimental to your health, the health of the soul. Whatever you take in through your eyes and ears, into your brain, becomes a part of you. If you watch TV what you take in is so vile it will cripple your soul. I know you enjoyed the movies, but there are none now to enjoy. They are full of sex and sin and violence. Watching such trash puts you in an occasion of sin.... Others sin openly every second on TV. I need you to tell all of My love. Would you not do this for Me to combat this awful sin? The TV has gotten even bigger-yeah, to show the sin in such size!""
This approach of trying to cut the visionary off from the world is similar to the technique used in cults, separating the members from the influence of the world, portraying all that is of the world as evil, so as to gain control over the cult members. These messages use the same kind of approach. There are bad things in modern society and some of these things make their way into various types of media. But there is also much good in the world and in almost everyone and anyone. This portrayal of the world and the media as totally sinful and evil is not the truth and so it is not of God. Also, this is not the kind of language that Jesus uses in the Gospels or in true private revelation. He does not say 'trash' and 'yeah'. He does not exaggerate the evils of the world by saying that all TV watching is sinful and will cripple your soul.
November 1, 1993
"Let go of your body. It gets in the way. What you are to wear, what you are to eat-who cares? Your soul is what is important! Your body is another thing in this world. All it does is help you live here and sometimes it limits you here.... Oh, the cares of the world! Let's adorn our bodies, make them our temples, dress ourselves up! All can be taken away in an instant!... I will furbish the starved soul.... None of this worldly, body stuff matters."
By contrast, when the Jesus of the Gospels tells us to put the spiritual life above the physical like, and not to be anxious about the needs of the body, He does not denigrate the body and the physical. Jesus acknowledges that the things of the body are good. He also describes this to us in a heavenly and spiritual manner, not in the worldly and crass manner of the above quoted message.
[Matthew]
{6:25} And so I say to you, do not be anxious about your life, as to what you will eat, nor about your body, as to what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?...
{6:32} For the Gentiles seek all these things. Yet your Father knows that you need all these things.
{6:33} Therefore, seek first the kingdom of God and his justice, and all these things shall be added to you as well.
Then there is this bizarre message, claiming that you should look into people's eyes to see if they are 'dead in sin,' and also claiming that sinners are afraid to have you look into their eyes:
November 11, 1993
"It is the eyes that are the doorways to the soul. If the eyes sparkle, the soul is full of life. If the eyes are hollow, they may be dead in sin. Watch your brother's eyes... Persons in sin do not like your looking into their eyes because they are afraid you might see their sins. Look anyway."
Again, this is not the way that Jesus speaks in the Gospels. He does talk about the eyes, but not in the same worldly and odd manner as the above message. For example: “Your eye is the light of your body. If your eye is wholesome, your entire body will be filled with light. But if it is wicked, then even your body will be darkened.” (Lk 11:34).
Here are a few more examples of messages which are very much unlike the way that Jesus speaks in the Gospels of the Bible.
"You hold on to silly things...." (Blue Book, April 13, 1994)
"Please, I am begging you to take this plea seriously."
(www.sofc.org/DAILY/marybook.htm)
- Money and Self-Promotion
The author of these messages seems very concerned about worldly things, including the promotion of the messages through books and audio or video tapes.
December 19, 1996
“I appear to you, my children, on a (former) bank in Florida.... 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.”
(www.sofc.org/DAILY/marybook.htm)
By contrast, the true private revelations show little concern for the promotion of the apparition and messages. That is because true private revelations from God have the grace of God worldwide as a way to reach out to anyone and everyone with the truth. But false private revelations do not have this help from God, so they must emphasize worldly means.
Also, the Virgin Mary does not appear in a supernatural message from Heaven in order to talk about audio or video tapes, the promotion of books, and other such worldly concerns. Nor does Jesus, the true Son of God, so do. Here are some examples of such messages:
“Jesus speaks: Will you help Me get My priestly mailing to the priests?”
“Jesus speaks: And I have given so many people talents to help Me in this work and so many have said no. And they just want to run around and do other things and there are so many souls that they could be reaching if they heard the cry to answer Me to come to My Movement and if they really studied the Virgin Mary on the building and answered the question-Why does Mary appear on the building? Play the video and answer the question.”
“Jesus: Please continue to publish My Blue Book #2.”
"Jesus said if any reporters came to tell them on July 5, 1998 we had consecrated the world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary."
(www.sofc.org/marybook.htm)
June 20, 2000
“Jesus speaks: America has not responded to My Movement, to Mary's Image, to God's Blue Book.... I have given you the building in Florida. There is no money for the rent.... You can spend billions of dollars on your sports stadiums, operas, entertainment and no one has funds to help buy rosary beads or preserve the building for My purposes to help bring about the Reign of My Sacred Heart.”
Jesus also said “All materials used for the school rosary program printed by B&M have helped the school children.” (www.sofc.org/DAILY/10-27-2005.htm)
Jesus, the Son of God, does not appear in a true supernatural apparition from Heaven in order to tell people to 'play the video' in order to get an answer to a question. Nor does he appear in order to complain that not enough money is coming in, nor to encourage the continued publication of volume number two in a series of books, not to tell people what to say IF any reporter came (apparently, the 'Jesus' of these messages does not know the future).
Neither does Mary speak in this way, for she is the perfect imitator of her Divine Son.
“Mary speaks: Many Nursing homes have rooms with the availability of TVs with VCR's in the T.V. I have given to you so many Nursing home tapes for my beloved ones. They could watch the videos all through the day and play the Mass and the Rosary Aves. These are so comforting for the Nursing home ones. An assortment can be special ordered with 4 videos on one tape for two hour use. The nursing home ministry and the elderly ministry is a big part of the Shepherds of Christ Movement.”
Mary: "You tarry too long! These messages of His love must circulate!"
(www.sofc.org/DAILY/marybook.htm)
August 1, 1994
"Mary: Pray for the success of the priestly newsletter Shepherds of Christ."
(www.sofc.org/DAILY/marybook.htm)
Mary: “This apparition was 5 days after my request to circulate the Mary Message tape which states this tape was made on Dec 12, 1996. This tape was circulated at My request and the request of My Son on Dec 13, 1996 at Tom's farm. It was played and given to all present.... We gave the direction to make Mary's Message tape.... I appeared in a rainbow which matched the rainbow of the Rosary Book. This book was to arrive from the publisher on the same day as my apparition Dec 17, 1996.” (www.sofc.org/marybook.htm)
Here again we have an alleged message from Heaven, this time from 'Mary,' talking about the worldly means for promoting these messages, including T.V.s and VCRs. The message tries to avoid sounding worldly by using expressions like 'the Nursing home ones,' but the attempt merely makes the message more laughable. Also, notice how this message from 'Mary' sounds like a message from an advertisement: “An assortment can be special ordered with 4 videos on one tape for two hour use.”
There are very many other such messages that are worldly in one way or another, but this should be more than sufficient to show that these are not messages from Heaven.
- Creepy expressions of distorted love and extreme affection
Instead of the beautiful, serene, wise, detached love of the Gospel message, these messages have a creepy distorted kind of love, more like that of a deranged stalker, and not at all like that of the God who is Love.
May 13, 1993
“I am He Who comforts you. My hand is upon you. Hold tight to Me, My child. My eyes are fixed right on you. You are My most precious child. I love you as no other can. My arms are about you. My tenderness surrounds you. My love is in your heart. You go not alone. I walk with you. I share every aspect of your life with you. Cling to Me, feel My presence. It is warm and secure within your chest. There is no room for fear, for I cast out fear and bring you comfort and joy.”
June 17, 1993
“I am He Who comforts you. Breathe in My peace, My direction, My will, My way. Surrender it all up to Me and let yourself feel the freedom of surrender. Your life is guided by Me. You only have to operate.”
August 28, 1993
“I am your true love and I long to spend time with you each day. Hold tight to My face. I am here little one. Don't ever doubt that again. My words are simple. They are truth. No one knows My intense love for them. I long for these moments with you.”
September 12, 1993
"No man can ever be as attentive to your needs as I, Jesus, your beautiful spouse. I am hyper-vigilant, I am with you. Never do I move."
September 12, 1993
“The yearning will be satisfied by My love, and what a union it is-to connect with Me after spiritual bankruptcy! You have been dried out and thrown on the heap and now I pick you up. I breathe life into your soul. I wrap you in My cloth. I kiss your wounds and I hold you in My arms.... You know when I lick your wounds and make you better. It is in spiritual starvation that you realize the prize.”
September 17, 1993
“In your bad days, in your darkness, I wait, I watch, I am hyper-vigilant. I never leave your side.... Be assured of My fabulous love for you. Whatever transpires, I did it out of love of you. I long to be close to you and see you in heaven. You are My favored child. I watch and wait. Do not doubt yourself, little one. I am pleased with you.... You are My special, special child. Tell all of My intense love for them.... I am the spark to the cold heart. I am He Who holds you in My hands and warms your troubled soul. I love you, I love you. Realize this so you may love others. See yourself with My light glowing about you. This will make you realize how special you are. You must love yourself, and see your own beauty, to love others for Me. You are indeed beautiful, you are precious, you are My child. I love you, baby.... I love you. It is food. It is fuel. It is I, on fire with love of you. Precious you, I love you, I love you, I love you.”
October 2, 1993
“Forget everybody else. Just let Me talk to you now. I am truly here, just you and Me.... Feel My warmth by your side. Let go of every problem, every distraction. See Me looking at you, My eyes gentle, My smile very slight, loving you in My gaze. All else is fuzzy around you. I am with you-you and Me alone. I am standing in front of you, My hands outstretched, dressed in white. You feel My peace surround you. Warmth. It is as if smoke surrounds us and we are encased in this screen of smoke, all by ourselves.”
October 2, 1993
“Feel My power radiating to you. You are engulfed in peace. The world could stop and you wouldn't know and you wouldn't care. I am all you need. Your heart stops beating except for My presence. We are so close. There is such peace there that you never want to leave or care about anything else.... I am your all. I am with you and you are filled by Me. It is such a fullness. The light and warmth that surround us are nothing you could describe. Power-waves of power in the air almost like a magnet-nothing else matters. This is how it is in your life. All is insignificant except in Me. You can be with Me in a crowd. You can block out all things around you and feel My presence. This is what you must learn to do-be alone with Me in a crowd. I am all that matters. Anywhere you are, all people, places and things are insignificant if not seen in Me.”
October 2, 1993
“Feel the pull to Me in your heart-a flutter, a magnetism to be drawn to Me. I am all you need. Nothing else is important.”
October 3, 1993
“You know there is some magnetism to Me and the way you crave to be part of Me.”
October 6, 1993
“I am truly with you, little one. We are as true lovers. I wait for you and you want so much to be with Me. You know how you long to be here.... All else is insignificant.... You are not losing anything. You are gaining My love and our relationship. Hold on to Me, child. Totally trust and be with Me. Nothing else is of any account.... I want your time-here.... I want you-alone. All else is insignificant. I fill your heart with all good things and I am there in every step you take.”
November 1, 1993
“Open up to Me and let Me permeate you. Let Me possess your soul. Let Me live in you! Die to yourself. I am your main concern.”
November 10, 1993
“Open your gates wide and let Me permeate your heart! You pant for the love only I can give. Your heart is knowing and warm in your chest. Oh, the bitter-sweetness of knowing Me a little, but not enough!”
November 11, 1993
“There is a magnetic attraction to Me in your soul. Once you start to seek Me, you keep coming back because you crave what I have to give you.”
November 15, 1993
“Open wide your gates and let Me enter. I will use you and you will not even feel their sickness directed at you.... Pray to be used. Pray to be possessed by Me.... Pray to be possessed by Me. It is I, then, Who act from you.... Don't think about others and their sick ways. Who cares? Satan can do really vile things. Focus on the remedy, not the cure. The remedy is to let Me possess your soul. I handle it all. You needn't fume or fret or become anxious. I will tell you what to eat and what clothes to put on.”
February 21, 1994
“I am a vat of love on fire for you.... Busy yourself about our love affair.”
“I want to caress and cuddle you and give you My love. ... Let Me bathe you in a bath of My love.” (www.sofc.org/DAILY/marybook.htm)
The 'love' expressed in the above quotes, and in many other messages, is not the true spiritual detached love of the Gospels. It is a false love: attached, not detached; controlling, not freeing; obsessive, not selfless; narrow, not expansive; worldly, not spiritual; inordinate and emotional and excessive.
These messages attempt to draw in this alleged visionary, Rita Ring, and the readers of these messages, with a false kind of excessive affection that masquerades as love. The goal seems to be to convince her to do whatever the messages command, without thinking and without doubting. And of course this is directed at the reader of these messages also. These messages aim to convince the reader to believe by an avalanche of overly-affectionate and inordinate expressions of a false kind of love. This approach is a technique used by cults or by stalkers, but it is not the approach that Jesus the true Shepherd uses to call His sheep. They recognize his voice without such extreme displays of pretended affection as are found in these messages.
- The Image on the Former Bank
Any feature found in both true and false private revelation does not help us to distinguish between the true and the false. For example, both true and false private revelations contain exhortations to holiness. So if a set of messages contains exhortations to holiness that characteristic is unrevealing. Similarly, both true and false private revelations contain signs and wonders; the signs and wonders of false private revelations are the false signs and wonders about which Christ himself warned us in the Gospels: "For false Christs and false prophets will rise up, and they will present signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if it were possible, even the elect." (Mark 13:22).
Concerning the image on the window of the former bank building in Florida, this image is the result of bending in the large panes of the window glass and the reflection of the light off of the bent surface. Such an effect can be created by fallen angels, for all angels, good and bad, have the ability affect the physical natural world.
Mary: “I appear my children on this former bank building in Florida, Our Lady Clothed with the Sun. I ask you to circulate my Mary Message tape made on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Dec 12, 1996. The message given to my messenger from me and my Son Jesus was to make the tape that day and label the tape made on Dec 12, 1996, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. I appeared on the building five days later, looking as Our Lady of Guadalupe.” (www.sofc.org/marybook.htm)
Compare this to the image of Guadalupe, which appeared miraculously on the mantle of Saint Juan Diego. The image on the mantle is a complete image with many levels of detail to the design. It could only have been created miraculously. By contrast, the image on the windows of the bank is simple and has little or no detail; this image could be created by fallen angels merely by bending the glass in one way or another. Here is a link to the image: http://66.14.118.60/view/view.shtml
- Threats of natural disasters
False private revelations often play off of natural disasters, sometimes pretending to predict them by making vague predictions of the kind of natural disasters that happen frequently, other times claiming that natural disasters are an indication of the wrath of God or that we are in the end times.
January 19, 1994
“You suffer this weather, you see the earthquakes and you still do not comprehend a power greater than yourself. I have all the power.” (www.sofc.org/DAILY/2-7-2004.htm)
The true Jesus does not say self-exalting things like 'I have all the power.' Nor do true private revelations point to weather or earthquakes or natural disasters as signs from God.
Mary: “The fires in Florida are a sign. Do you wish the fire from His Heart to get your attention or do you wish the fire that can destroy all those things you hold on to? When I appeared at Falmouth I was ignored and even after the Flood they did not respond.” (www.sofc.org/marybook.htm)
There are a couple of implied threats in the above quote from 'Mary.' One is the threat that if you do not love Jesus in His Sacred Heart, He will send fires to 'destroy all those things you hold on to.' The other veiled threat is based on the claim that, because the people of Falmouth, Kentucky ignored Rita Ring's messages, God sent a flood (Falmouth Kentucky, March 1997) as a punishment. But Falmouth Kentucky is located in the Ohio River Valley, which periodically experiences floods as natural events. The implied threat is that if we do not listen to Rita's messages, God may send a natural disaster on us.
The Virgin Mary is the Queen of Peace. She does not appear in a supernatural private revelation in order to make implied threats of natural disasters if she is ignored. Also, the Church teaches that none of the faithful are obligated to believe in any particular private revelations, nor is anyone obliged to follow private revelation at all. Therefore, God would not send a flood or fires or other disasters as a punishment for ignoring Rita Ring, or any other claimed visionary.
Here are some more examples of this type of message from Rita Ring:
March 3, 1997 Message: “Day Falmouth Flooded Early Morning Jesus speaks: Oh, the waters will run and the earth will shake and you will suffer and suffer and work your own plan and say it happened before, it is not a sign from God - it is a phenomenon, a happening, no reason to take notice. And I will shake you on your tree and you will fall to the ground as rotten fruit and all that will remain will be the fruit of heaven.”
Floods in the Ohio River Valley are not a punishment from God. They are a type of natural event that occurs from time to time. Rivers have always flooded periodically, since the earliest days of human history. Such things are not punishments for refusing to listen to Rita Ring, or for refusing to venerate a blurry image, which looks only vaguely like the Virgin Mary, on the side of a former bank. This is not the way that God, or true private revelation works.
June 28, 1998: “Jesus speaks: The fires in Florida are a way that the Father has allowed this earth to be chastised for ignoring their Mother appearing on the building in Clearwater. They have their heads buried in the sand and do not even come to be awakened to the fact that God is speaking to them. Pray for the state of Florida. If they ignore the Mother any longer, your world is on a fine line. I am the Almighty God.”
July 5, 1998: “Message from Mary: The messages that are given to you concerning the fires in Florida must be released to the world immediately. The fires are a chastisement for ignoring the Lady Clothed with the Sun who appears in Clearwater to lead men to the Eucharist.... I am your Mother, I wish my message to be played from this location that all will hear me, I am the Lady Clothed with the Sun.... Circulate the Falmouth card that men will know, if you do not heed the signs and warnings given, greater and greater sufferings will occur to get the attention of the people.”
Do you really think that God would punish the state of Florida with wildfires merely because one particular claimed private revelation was ignored? Such threats are not associated with any of the true private revelations. Also, wildfires occur in Florida from time to time. This kind of natural disaster is not a sign from God. It is merely a part of living in the natural world.
“God the Father speaks: I sent the rainbow 1996. Florida has had to deal with many hurricanes and floods. I am God the Father -- you refuse to listen to Mary. … This is My sign sent to you -- the sign of the rainbow You will not listen -- peace is found in listening to Mary” (www.sofc.org/DAILY/10-7-2004.htm)
Now this last message is even more bizarre than the others. Are we now to see rainbows as some kind of threatening symbol, somehow associated with hurricanes and floods? Also, theologically it does not make sense for God the Father to merely refer us to Mary. If the Father were to give a supernatural message in private revelation, He would have more to say than telling us to look at rainbows and listen to Mary. And by 'listening to Mary' what is really meant is listening to the messages of Rita Ring, which supposedly come from Jesus and Mary.
- Mediatrix of ALL graces?
Many false private revelations portray Mary as claiming to be the Mediatrix of All Graces. But none of the true private revelations quote Mary as saying these words. That is because the Virgin Mary is not the Mediatrix of ALL graces. Mary is not the Mediatrix of graces that proceed from Christ's Divine Nature to His human nature within the hypostatic union, nor is she Mediatrix of those many graces that she herself receives, in which case she is the recipient. Therefore, Mary would never refer to herself as the Mediatrix of ALL graces.
September 20, 1998: Mary speaks: “I am Mary, Mediatrix of all grace.... I am Mary your Mother, I am the Mediatrix of all grace.”
In true private revelations, Mary sometimes refers to herself as the Mediatrix, or the Mediatrix of Grace, but never the Mediatrix of ALL graces.
- complements given to Satan's power
Both true and false private revelations will mention Satan from time to time, but the false ones mention him in a way that tends to exalt his power and to instill fear. They also try to instill fear by attributing all kinds of things to him that are not really his doing, such as the doubts and distractions and occasional fears that are natural to all fallen human persons
May 13, 1993
“His grip is paralyzing and crippling. His power is stronger every day.”
August 23, 1993
“He is so cunning.”
September 17, 1993
“You feel such fear in your heart. That is Satan.... Satan would have a field day if he could work on you.”
September 18, 1993
“Your power radiates from within or it is squelched by the devil and does not radiate at all.”
October 19, 1993
“Don't doubt-that is Satan, I tell you.”
October 26, 1993
I Want Your Total Trust
“Jesus speaks: My dear child, when will you believe Me? You are so full of doubt and fear. You know doubt and fear comes from Satan but he sets his traps and you are the first to fall in. All I have told you about doubt and fear!... You are not disturbed by the devil's tactics. He wants you in this saddened state. Then he can get in and work on you.... It is hard to be happy when he is tormenting you. Only you can let go and give him no power. Send him on his way and he will leave as quickly as he came. He comes on out of nowhere and you are hurt. He grabs with the strongest claws and his grip is paralyzing.”
In truth, doubt and fear do not come from Satan, but rather these experiences are natural to the fallen human person living in a sinful world. Notice how the messages pretend to warn against Satan, but they always end up complimenting his power.
November 2, 1993
“Trust in Me, My child. Your mind can run crazy. Open yourself up to Me and trust. Why do you not see that Satan wants to stop you and that he does not want the world to get these messages. Such messages of love and comfort! If he can work on you, you will stop. Don't be fooled by him. He is the grand deceiver. He plans to trip you up, to rob your sanity and move in with his sick ways.”
These messages also try to use fear of Satan to convince Rita to do what the messages say and to promote the messages. Jesus does not use fear of Satan as a motivator.
November 16, 1993
“You try so hard to do all I ask and you think it is not enough. That is Satan. He is constantly on your heels trying to trip you up.... As I possess you, you will surrender to Me and know how I love thee and operate in thee.... But remember, the devil is trying you all at every turn. Keep remembering that he hates you and must use your family to get to you. You pray so much and he hates that. He hates your kissing the ground in the sanctuary. I love that. I am pleased. Keep praying for help. I will help you. You still try to rely on yourself when you are under attack. Satan moves in ready to fire. You cannot ward him off alone. He is pressing in, usually by having your children try you. Then he attacks hard and you try to withstand his attack alone.”
December 2, 1993
“Satan wants you to give up, to get frustrated. You say things you regret. He tries you and tries you with little things and when you are tired he has a greater chance to get to you. He uses innocent people around you to attack you with angry words or looks or gestures. Do not give him any power.”
December 10, 1993
“Once Satan comes on the scene and acts out of another, great damage can be done. Satan works like a worm in an apple: he burrows in and keeps attacking the apple. He will go as far as he can. Finally, the whole apple becomes rotten. He burrows his way to the core. It is in the beginning when people agree to little sins that he gets in. He is no good. He is hungry to zap every last bit of life from you.”
This messages use fear of Satan to try to motivate Rita and the readers of the messages to obey the messages. They speak as if everything that contradicts these messages, even ordinary doubt or fear, is from Satan. These claims are simply not true. Also, the real Jesus and Mary would speak in this way.
- The messages try too hard to convince us that it is Jesus speaking and that he is God
The messages of false private revelation tend to portray Jesus or Mary as constantly and repeatedly trying very hard to convince the reader that it really is them giving the messages. To paraphrase Shakespeare: 'Me thinks the gentleman doth protest too much.' In true private revelation, Jesus and Mary do not need to try so hard to convince us that it is them, because they let God's grace do the convincing. But false private revelation cannot rely on God's grace to convince people to believe what is false. So they have to try a lot harder.
August 28, 1993
“I am Jesus, Son of the living God. I am Jesus Christ, Son of the one true God.”
August 23, 1993
“Jesus speaks: I am your God and you shall have no gods before Me, not money or power or man. You must make Me the center of your life.... I am a jealous God. I want your all. I want you doing My work.... Trust that I am the God Who truly loves you.”
September 3, 1993
“I am God and I am here for you.... I, My children, am God, yet you stay away and those who come are half asleep. I am greater than any earthly king. I am God and My kingdom is not of this world! I want to be praised and honored and thanked and adored, but I am ignored and left out of their lives. Oh, how this hurts Me to the point of tears. They do not even speak to Me. This is agonizing. I am He Who made you and I sent My Son to dwell with you and you are busy eating cakes. Why are you My little blind children? You do not give the honor I deserve.”
September 17, 1993
“I am Jesus, the one, true God.”
October 20, 1993
“I am Jesus, Son of the Living God. I wait for you and I want you here with Me. Don't ever wonder about this letter. Just write as I dictate. I will be here for you until the end of the earth. I am Jesus of Nazareth. I am He Who was born of Mary that you might have life eternal.”
Notice how 'Jesus' keeps repeating the claim that he is Jesus and that he is God. Me thinks the gentleman doth protest too much. The 'Jesus' of these messages also is self-exalting:
September 22, 1993
“I will help you all in your earthly things, but make Me First. I am First.”
October 30, 1993
“Jesus speaks: My dear child, I am all there is. None of this matters. I am God and I am truly here. I am Jesus, Son of the living God. I wait to be with you and feel close to you, at your side. Your attendance here with Me is very important. Do the holy thing. Act as I would act-to love always, to love My brothers who are in darkness. You must open your heart now to My love. Let Me fill you in all the dark corners. I am important. I am He Who is God. You must worship Me and love Me as God and forget about anyone else.”
December 17, 1994
“Jesus: Bow and bend low to He who is mighty. To HE WHO IS TO BE WORSHIPED AND PRAISED. I AM YOUR GOD, I AM HE WHO IS THE LORD, I AM THE ALMIGHTY GOD.... I AM GOD, I WANT TO BE HEARD.”
Notice also the concern that 'Jesus' has with his own reputation, saying things like 'I am important' and 'forget about anyone else' and 'I am First.' This last expression is theologically false, because the Father is First and the Son is Second. In the Gospels, Jesus does not focus on glorifying himself, but rather focuses on glorifying the Father, for the Father is First. The real Jesus would not say 'I am First' or 'I am important.' Nor would He say, 'I am God' or 'I am the almighty God,' because Jesus knows that God is the Trinity, not merely the Second Person of the Trinity.
The Jesus of the Gospels never talks like this. For this kind of self-exaltation and self-promotion is unlike Christ. The Christ of the Gospels is humble, directing us to worship the Father.
[John]
{8:28} And so Jesus said to them: “When you will have lifted up the Son of man, then you shall realize that I am, and that I do nothing of myself, but just as the Father has taught me, so do I speak.
{8:29} And he who sent me is with me, and he has not abandoned me alone. For I always do what is pleasing to him.”
{8:50} “But I am not seeking my own glory. There is One who seeks and judges.”
{14:28} “You have heard that I said to you: I am going away, and I am returning to you. If you loved me, certainly you would be gladdened, because I am going to the Father. For the Father is greater than I.”
{20:17} Jesus said to her: “Do not touch me. For I have not yet ascended to my Father. But go to my brothers and tell them: 'I am ascending to my Father and to your Father, to my God and to your God.' ”
Notice how the 'Jesus' of these messages to Rita Ring does not talk at all like the Jesus of the Gospels. The one true Jesus of the Gospels seeks the glory of the Father, not His own glory.
Conclusion
There are very many messages in the claimed private revelations to Rita Ring. But the messages are very repetitive, saying much the same thing, in much the same way. There are perhaps hundreds of further examples of the same kind of faulty messages as are cited above. But I will spare you from them. This should be sufficient to show that the claimed private revelations to Rita Ring promoted by the group calling itself Shepherds of Christ Ministries, are false and are not true private revelations from Heaven.
by Ronald L. Conte Jr.
September 27, 2006
