[The following was written by St. John Eudes in his "Memorial of Ecclesiastical Life," Part 5, 14.  This presents good points for reflection as we enter the Lenten Season.]
Adore Jesus saying:  If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself (Lk 9:23).  Adore the view, plan and design he had regarding you when he said this.  Beg his forgiveness for having placed obstacles in the way of their fulfillment.  Give yourself to him in order to accomplish what he meant by these words.  Acknowledge that he himself first did what he is asking you to do, having given the perfect example of self-denial.

Indeed, while on earth he was never guided by his own desires, but rather by the Spirit of his Father.  He never did his own will, but the will of his Father.  He never sought his own satisfaction nor his own interests:  Christ did not seek to please himself  (Rom 15:3), but the interest of his Father.  He did not live for himself but for his Father, he shed his blood to the very last drop, gave his very life, emptied of himself (Phil 2:7), and, till the end of time, will remain in a prodigious state of annihilation of both his humanity and his divinity in the Blessed Sacrament.  

Thank him for all the glory he has given and will ever give to his Father through this self-denial, as well as for the graces he has merited for us.  Give yourself to him to share his sentiments and follow him in this denial of self.  Make yours the sentiments of Jesus Christ:  he emptied himself though he was in the form of God (Phil 2:5-7).

Consider that Jesus requires us by these word not only to renounce the world, Satan, some vice or bad habit, or something dear and precious or even a part of of ourselves.  But he also says:  If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, he must renounce himself:  You have put aside your old self (Col 3:9); he must die to himself:  You have died  (Col 3:3); he must lose his life:  Anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it (Mt 10:39); he must despise himself:  If anyone comes to me without hating his own life, he cannot be my disciple (Lk 14:26).

There are three reasons for practicing self-denial:

First, we do not belong to ourselves:  You are not your own property (1 Cor 6:19).  We belong to God by an infinity of titles.  So we have no right to dispose of ourselves; no right even to exist, to live, do, say or think anything for ourselves, but only for him to whom we belong infinitely.  This compels us infinitely to deny ourselves entirely in order to be fully God's.

The second reason is our obligation to follow Jesus if we want to be united to him.  Now, it is impossible to follow him without renouncing ourselves for, on our own, we are by darkness, sin , death and hell;  and darkness cannot copy or imitate light, nor sin grace nor death life, nor hell paradise.

A third reason for self-denial is that nothing in the world is more opposed to eternal salvation than our own selves.  Indeed, we bear within us four sources of evil.  The first is our own mind, filled as it is with darkness and poisoned by the venom of sin.  The second is our will and the third is our self esteem, the source of infinite disorders.  The last of them is ambition, arrogance and pride, the root of all vices.

Be sure to renounce yourself when you begin at least your principal actions, and surrender yourself to Jesus to do them in him, in his virtue and spirit.

Source:  Lectionary Proper to the Congregation of Jesus and Mary,  translated from the original French by Louis Levesque, CJM, pp. 44-46. 

It was on October 4, 1912, that Good Shepherd Sisters, arrived from Burma to the Philippines. They were Irish missionaries stationed in Rangoon, and were sent by Superior General Domitilla Larose to study the possibility of a foundation in the Philippines as requested by Bishop Joseph Petrelli of the Diocese of Lipa.

The first foundation, located in Batangas, opened  a school several months later -- St. Bridget Academy (now St. Bridget College). Today there are 22 apostolic and four contemplative communities in the Philippines.

Since 1912, the Good Shepherd Sisters help in Jesus' mission through education, residences for women and children.  They continue to work zealously to uphold the integrity of creation as they minister to indigenous peoples, farmers, migrants, trafficked women, and the poor so that they may experience fullness of life. 

To gear up for the centennial celebrations, the sisters have started preparing and holding activities in their respective communities since 2009 in line with the theme: "Weaving Compassion, Embracing Challenges, Forging Hope!"  A wooden staff, the symbol of the Good Shepherd's compassion and the ideal lived by the sisters, is going around the Good Shepherd communities all over the Philippines.  Come February 8, 2012, the Feast of the Most Pure Heart of Mary which was first celebrated by St. John Eudes, the staff will arrive from Baguio City - signalling the start of regional celebrations of Good Shepherd communities in the Province of Cavite.  

(Based on an article in the Good Shepherd website, written by Sr. Regina, RGS)