Homily for Sept. 18th

Homily for Sept. 18, 2005
Readings Isaiah 55:6-9 Psalm 14: 2-3, 8-9, 17-18
Philippians 1:20c-24, 27a Matthew 20:1-16a
“Seek the Lord while He may be found“, these opening words from Isaiah are words we all should be taking to heart. If life has proved anything to us, it is that our mortal lives are short lived. We never know the hour or the moment we will be called home. We need to seize the chance now to Seek the Lord in our lives. We need to make the Lord the center of our lives. Further on in Isaiah we hear “Let the scoundrel forsake his ways and Turn to the Lord for mercy” Mercy, even in the Old Testament God’s mercy is the center of the message to all. The Gospel tells the story of the landowner who hires a crew to work the vineyards at dawn, and again at 9, 12, 3 and 5, each time sending men who needed work into the fields. At evening when the laborers were being paid, those he hired first expected they would receive more than the agreed pay, instead they complained because they only received what was agreed upon, while all those who were hired throughout the day also received the same. The landowner showed his compassion for the poor, disadvantaged.
The Landowner represents God, He gives what he feels is fair, He gives His compassion and mercy to those who have been faithful all their lives in the same measure as those to come to Him at the last hour.
The last line of the Gospel say it all; “Thus the last shall be first and the first will be last” It does not matter when we seek the Lord, what matters is that we seek Him. “Our God is generous and forgiving” The Psalm says it all; “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him”
All we have to do is Call on Him. Trust in Him. If we do not get what we think we want and need, do not get angry or think that He is not listening to us. Remember the words also found in today’s reading of Isaiah “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord” We need to trust that God knows what is best for us, If we trust, fully trust, in God. If we put our lives in His control and not try to control our lives without Him being at the center of our lives, we will find our life to be so much better. As we are directed in the reading from Philippians, “Conduct yourselves in a way worthy of the Gospel of Christ.”
How can we be worthy of Christ? By showing compassion, forgiveness, generosity, honesty, and Love for all God’s Children we meet on our life journey.
In other words, “Seek the Lord while and wherever You can find Him, in the homeless, the discriminated, in every person you encounter. Seek the Lord in every moment and act in a way that reflects the values Jesus showed us. Amen
Rev. Robert Francis Johnnene SFI
Mission Sts Sergius and Bacchus

My Thanksgiving Mass Homily

My Homily for Mass of Thanksgiving
Today in the first reading, we hear Isaiah saying, “The spirit of the Lord is upon me; He has sent me to bring the Glad tidings to the lowly, to heal the brokenhearted”
And in an alternate reading for today St. Paul says “I firmly trust and anticipate that I shall never be put to shame for my hopes; I have full confidence that Christ will be exalted”
What wonderful confirmation to hear on this day when I celebrate the triple celebration. The feasts of The Sacred Stigmata of St. Francis, the founder of our order, The feast of my patron Saint, Robert Bellarane, and the one month anniversary of my ordination called the Mass of Thanksgiving.
Today’s Psalm proclaims “Sing to the Lord a new Song, Sing to the Lord all the earth, Bless His name; announce His salvation day after day”
The Gospel proclaims, the words of Jesus “Love one another as I have loved you”
Coupling these with another of Christ’s words, found in Luke 9:23, “If any man come after me, let him take up His cross and follow in my footsteps” We are challenged to live in a way that is contradictory to current life styles.
How daunting and frightening is that? How can any mere mortal man follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ?
How can any mortal man love us as Christ loves us?
But the Psalm tells us: Sing a new song unto the Lord.
My belief is that one can only follow Christ, by “Singing a new song” singing a new song by living a life different than today’s standards. Living our life by putting our life entirely in God’s hands. By setting aside time from our hectic daily schedules and taking time to pray daily and often, by the frequent reception of the Bread of Life, the Eucharist, by considering God our best friend in whom we confide in with confidence for guidance in our daily lives.
We also hear in Luke 9:25, the words, “What profit a man who gains the whole world and loses himself in the process?”
The journey that has brought me here today has taken many years, many turns of events and during it, all too often I strayed from God‘s path, I felt all too often, that my desires were more important than thinking to ask God what He wanted from me.
Yes, there were events that made me unhappy or sad and I would get angry over. But now I know, full well, they were His choice for His reasons. When I was not ordained in 1957 as a Josephite, it was a great disappointment to me and members of my family. However, If I had been ordained then I would not have the blessing of my three children and my grandchildren. They surely are a part of God’s plan.
We forget that we humans will never fully understand God‘s reasons for doing what He does. Yet all too often we question His actions.
The life experiences that I have experienced during my journey to this place and time, have, I believe, possibly better prepared me to understand the needs of those I have been chosen to pastor to.
I pray, I will be more thoughtful and accepting and loving to all those I meet on the remainder of my life’s journey than the ways I have sometimes acted in the past when I only was focusing on myself. God Has been generous to me, he allowed me to pursue a great love of mine, fame and fortune in the theater, but every time I was within inches of achieving that fame something happened to bring things crashing down. I would become angry and ask god “Why, you gave me a gift why not let me use it?”
God has been very good to me, He gave me many gifts and allowed me to use each of them as I traveled my life adventure.
I haven’t always used them for the greater Glory of God, and I am sorry for that.
I realize now His purpose for giving the multitude of gifts He gave me was not for my self edification and glory but to use them to bring greater honor and Glory to Him.
Each time along the journey when my plans came to a crashing end, I would become so depressed and angry with God. I once even considered ending it all.
Did I ever think to turn to Him in those times to ask Him “What is it you want from me?” NO!
It was not until one of the lowest points in my life that I began asking him what it was He wanted, What He wanted not what I wanted, that I began to find some peace.
Every time something happened that was a set back for me, I would repeat the question “Why God? What do you want from me? It was only after I began turning to Him and trusting in His Love for me I began to realize that I was still alive, here on this earth for a reason, I would talk to God, telling Him that I did not Understand His subtle hints, that He would need to push me where He wanted me. And here I am, At 70, beginning a life that many younger men and woman are afraid to embrace, with a mission I know he has called me to do, that seems impossible, but, If I am to “Follow in Christ’s footsteps” and I am to Love one another as He love us. I have to believe that He will give me the strength, guidance and tools necessary to accomplish it. Sadly, far too many religious leaders, and shepherds have forgotten Christ’s basic teachings in recent years, they have done many things that have turned people away from their faith communities and, even sadder, have turned people away from even bothering to pray to God at all. These people saw their religious leaders talking the talk, but not walking the walk. I consider my mission is no more impossible than St. Francis must have seen His call to, “Rebuild My Church” and history can attest to the success he had. I pray that I may only be one thousandth as successful.
By putting my faith and trust in Jesus Christ, by constantly asking the Holy Spirit to guide me in all my actions as I travel this road, I know, God has chosen for me. I know this because of all the many obstacles that have been overcome, and the many phenomenon’s that have occurred for me to actually be here today before you giving this homily.
In conclusion, I ask each of you here today, to pray for me, to pray that God will inspire me to always act and say what He desires. Part of St. Patrick’s prayer that I say each morning goes “ may the strength of God pilot me, the might of God uphold me, the wisdom of God guide me, May God's ear hear me, His words speak for me, hands guard me. May the way of God lie before me, God's shield protect me. May Christ be with me, on my left and on my right. May Christ be in the heart of everyone who thinks of me, the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, and the ear of everyone who hears me. I acknowledge that my Salvation is in the hands of Almighty God.” Let us each go forth from here today, putting our lives totally in God’s hands, Letting go of our problems and desires and putting them in God‘s hands. We need to always ask ourselves, in every situation, that quotation that was so popular a few years back. “What would Jesus Do?” or the acronym WWJD If we truly “Love one another as Jesus loved us” we will stop judging people because of their class, color or sexual
orientation. If we love one another and treat one another with mutual affection and respect. If we persevere in prayer and exercise hospitality and generosity toward all we meet. If we begin to Sing to the Lord a new song, a song of thanksgiving for all the things and gifts God has given us and use them for His greater honor and glory. If we do that, we will certainly make a difference in our lives and the lives of all we come in contact with. We will then be walking in Jesus footsteps.
Amen

Reflections on the Readings of Sunday August 7, 2005

"What are you doing here, Elijah? Twice in the first reading, we hear these words. How often in our own lives, have we heard these words in our hearts spoken to us by the Lord? Possibly, we need to repeat these words, "What are you doing here ---------------- (inserting our own name.) How often have we taken the time to ponder that question? What are we doing here; ponder it in light of why Almighty God has put us on this earth. For my part, I began asking God this question, "What is it you want from me" about 25 years ago, at a time of great difficulty and distress in my life. It was not the first time I had faced distress and but the other times I did not turn to God, as I should have, but resorted to various negative means of dealing with the situation. It was not until I opened my eyes and heart and began asking, "Lord, What am I doing here. Lord, what is you want from me" that things started to become clearer. That is not to say that I actually knew what it was He wanted from me, but I began the long and sometimes difficult and painful journey to where I now find myself. Still the going is not smooth and I know I will have many more crosses to bear, just and Jesus had many agonies to suffer to gain our redemption. Each and every day, I pray asking the same question, "Lord, what is it you want from me" and I ask Him to hold my hand and guide me like a blind person, for indeed I am blind without His guidance, in the direction He wants me to go. Just like in today's Gospel, I repeat over and over the words of Peter, "Lord! Save Me" and I hear so clearly "Courage! It is I! Do not be afraid."" Come". Just like Peter, I have many fears; some dear friends and family reject what I feel called to do. I have felt the fierce force of the winds of the skeptics who claim that those who I am trying to reach out towards have rejected God and chosen to follow the Evil one because they are different and do not accept the edicts of Rome and heterosexuals I trust the words I hear in my heart and in my mind, "Man of little faith, why do you doubt? Do not be afraid, Come it is I, I who have come to bring mercy, forgiveness and love to all who follow me"So it is that, like Peter, I respond, "Truly, You are the Son of God" do with me what you will, I am yours Lord, by Your strength, inspiration, guidance, and love I pray that I may become an instrument of your love and bring those who have strayed away from your flock back into the fold, so that there is truly only one flock and one shepherd, Almighty God.
Amen.
August 6, 2005
Rev. Robert-Francis of the Immaculata SFI
Mission Sts. Sergius and Bacchus
www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Mission_Sts_Sergius_and_Bacchus