Finding God in Woman
A Reflection on the Gospel of John 14:7-14
Happy Mothers Day
On a weekend that we celebrate mothers, the gospel for the day is the story of Phillip asking Jesus “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us” Jesus responded with “Who ever has seen me, has seen the Father”
What we have to remember as we hear these words is the historical place of woman in those days and in the societies of the various countries of the area even to this very day. Woman were considered possessions, first they were property of their father and often were bartered for land and other possessions. Then they became the property of their husband and were subject to his bidding.
On this Mother’s day, we need to re-examine a reality that took place with the coming of Jesus.
With the coming of Jesus, the role of woman was greatly expanded and Jesus gave them special consideration. Women were some of the first followers of Jesus. It was the woman who stood by at the foot of the cross. It was to woman that Jesus first appeared after the resurrection. The role that Mary Magdalene played in the formation of our faith is being greatly discussed lately with the publication of recent books. What is fiction and what is fact is not as important as what we do know. We know that she played an important role in the life of Jesus and is mentioned a number of times in the Gospels that are considered canon. There is even a Gnostic bible attributed to her. Mary, the Blessed Mother of Jesus, gave everything to her child, trusting and following him even to the foot of the cross. Jesus broke all traditions by talking with a Samaritan woman at the well. All these woman recognized the Father in Jesus and lived a new way of life. I will not go into a long history of the role of woman in the church in the early years but we do know that it was a lot more significant than we are led to believe and is recognized in “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea” (Romans 16:1) “Woman in this same role must be” (1 Timothy 3:11)
In light of the social changes that have taken place in the world since the time of Christ and the early church, we need to realize that THE FATHER can be found in everyone, male and female, if they live out the truth of Christ’s teaching. Scripture tell us that ALL are created in the image and likeness of God. What we know of woman today, that was not known in the time of Christ and for more than 1000 years, is that woman are stronger than men where it counts. (If men were to have to carry a child for nine months and then go through the pains of childbirth there would never be a problem of overpopulation. They might have one child and that would be it.) Women are more compassionate, nurturing and forgiving than most men. If more women had a greater role in the activities of the church, we might not have the problems we have been facing in recent years. There probably would not be a shortage of priests; the church would be more nurturing towards individuals seeking the love of God. Woman would be less likely to reject a child because of their sexual orientation. In short, on this Mother’s Day we need to celebrate ALL Women, Mothers, Grandmothers, mothers to be, woman who may never be mothers, All Woman. Without woman, there would be no men. Without THE Woman, Mary, Jesus would not have been.
On this weekend, let us try to give woman the credit they deserve, let us try to do something special for a woman in our life. Let us make this a day of celebration for all women for the contributions that they have played in forming not only the Judea/Christian and other Religious faiths but also History in general.
AMEN
Rev. Robert Francis Johnnene OFAMission Sts. Sergius and Bacchuswww.missionstsergius.orghttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/Mission_Sts_Sergius_and_Bacchushttp://spaces.msn.com/members/Mission-St-Sergiushttp://groups.msn.com/MissionSaintsSergiusandBacchus
A mission of the Franciscans of Divine Mercy. We are a welcoming and affirming faith community to all who feel disenfranchised, unwanted, and rejected by Faith Communities. We welcome all persons who believe Christ was the redeemer and savior. The mission pastor is Rev. Robert Johnnene OFD
Saturday, May 13, 2006
Action, Not Words
“Let Us Love Not In Word or Speech but In Deed and Truth”
(From First Letter of John 3:18-24)
A Reflection from the readings for May 14, 2006
These words taken from the opening of John’s letter continue with “Now this is how we shall know that we belong to the truth and reassure our hearts before Him in whatever our hearts condemn, for God is greater than our hearts and knows everything”
John goes on to tell us that by remaining faithful to the teachings of Jesus Christ by keeping His commandments and acting in a way that is pleasing to Him by living as He instructed we remain in Him.
John goes on to say that “if we believe in the name of His son, Jesus Christ, and love one another just as Christ commanded us” we remain in God and God remains in us. John goes on to infer that we will know that God remains in us from the spirit He gives us.
In the Gospel for the day, Jesus tells the disciples “I am the true vine and my father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does He prunes so that it bears more fruit.”
We are the branches of Jesus the vine, we in and of ourselves can do nothing unless we are connected to the vine. We can only stay connected to the vine when we live our lives as Jesus instructed us.
No vine bears fruit without labor, and labor takes time and effort. If we just stand over the vine and say, “Grow vine and bear fruit” it will achieve nothing. In order to have the vine bear fruit we need to fertilize it, we do that by our actions not our words. You also have to prune off the saplings so that the energy goes into the fruit bearing branches. This is accomplished by rejecting the proclamations that do not conform to the teachings of Christ. We need to till the soil around the roots so that the life giving nutrients get to the root to promote healthy growth. That means we need to go out into the field and stir up things by denouncing errors and condemnations that are contrary to Christ’s teachings.
From the beginning, Satan has used every guise that he has to put an end to the message God sent Christ to proclaim because it would put an end to him and confine him to the netherworld.
He has successfully worked to break the church Christ established through His disciples into many factions, each working against the other.
Now is the time to put an end to this disunity and find the means to come together into one faith community, one flock headed by the Good Shepherd sent by Almighty God.
On this Mother’s day, the Fifth Sunday of the Easter season, I implore every one who professes to love our Lord and Savior, as a gift to His beloved mother Mary, to explore ways that we can work together to bring about the reunification of His One Holy Catholic Apostolic Church. ““Let Us Love Not In Word or Speech but In Deed and Truth” AMEN
Rev. Robert Francis Johnnene OFAMission Sts. Sergius and Bacchuswww.missionstsergius.orghttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/Mission_Sts_Sergius_and_Bacchushttp://spaces.msn.com/members/Mission-St-Sergiushttp://groups.msn.com/MissionSaintsSergiusandBacchus
(From First Letter of John 3:18-24)
A Reflection from the readings for May 14, 2006
These words taken from the opening of John’s letter continue with “Now this is how we shall know that we belong to the truth and reassure our hearts before Him in whatever our hearts condemn, for God is greater than our hearts and knows everything”
John goes on to tell us that by remaining faithful to the teachings of Jesus Christ by keeping His commandments and acting in a way that is pleasing to Him by living as He instructed we remain in Him.
John goes on to say that “if we believe in the name of His son, Jesus Christ, and love one another just as Christ commanded us” we remain in God and God remains in us. John goes on to infer that we will know that God remains in us from the spirit He gives us.
In the Gospel for the day, Jesus tells the disciples “I am the true vine and my father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does He prunes so that it bears more fruit.”
We are the branches of Jesus the vine, we in and of ourselves can do nothing unless we are connected to the vine. We can only stay connected to the vine when we live our lives as Jesus instructed us.
No vine bears fruit without labor, and labor takes time and effort. If we just stand over the vine and say, “Grow vine and bear fruit” it will achieve nothing. In order to have the vine bear fruit we need to fertilize it, we do that by our actions not our words. You also have to prune off the saplings so that the energy goes into the fruit bearing branches. This is accomplished by rejecting the proclamations that do not conform to the teachings of Christ. We need to till the soil around the roots so that the life giving nutrients get to the root to promote healthy growth. That means we need to go out into the field and stir up things by denouncing errors and condemnations that are contrary to Christ’s teachings.
From the beginning, Satan has used every guise that he has to put an end to the message God sent Christ to proclaim because it would put an end to him and confine him to the netherworld.
He has successfully worked to break the church Christ established through His disciples into many factions, each working against the other.
Now is the time to put an end to this disunity and find the means to come together into one faith community, one flock headed by the Good Shepherd sent by Almighty God.
On this Mother’s day, the Fifth Sunday of the Easter season, I implore every one who professes to love our Lord and Savior, as a gift to His beloved mother Mary, to explore ways that we can work together to bring about the reunification of His One Holy Catholic Apostolic Church. ““Let Us Love Not In Word or Speech but In Deed and Truth” AMEN
Rev. Robert Francis Johnnene OFAMission Sts. Sergius and Bacchuswww.missionstsergius.orghttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/Mission_Sts_Sergius_and_Bacchushttp://spaces.msn.com/members/Mission-St-Sergiushttp://groups.msn.com/MissionSaintsSergiusandBacchus
A Mothers Day Tribute
In Memoriam
Her Name was Elizabeth, but they Called Her Betty
It was nineteen years ago this week that a beautiful woman by the name of Elizabeth was called home to Almighty God. She did not become famous, never made headlines, if any thing her life was very simple.
Born in Ireland in 1906 her early years were anything but wonderful. She lived in fear of the troops who roamed her country. All the children were told to be careful when going to and from church and school because sometimes the troops would fire their weapons indiscriminately at voices heard in the rushes. When she was only 5 years old, she watched in horror as her mother died in childbirth while her father and uncle were arguing drunk in an adjoining room. Shortly after that, her father left her with another uncle and aunt while he went off to America in search of a better life. The Aunt she was left with was, according to the stories told, the worst of the worst and mistreated little Elizabeth to the point she ran away to another uncle who took her in where she stayed along with his young son Willie as friend and playmate. In 1913, word came that arrangements had been made for her to come to America. She remembers arriving at Ellis Island frightened and at the same time amazed as she gazed from the gangplank at the enormous glowing statue of a woman holding a torch on the base of which was inscribed the words “Give me your tired and your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free”
She gazed around looking for the face of her father and thought she recognized him, it was not her father but her uncle Patrick, her father’s brother. She went for a few days to stay with her uncle Patty and Aunt Katie until arrangements had been made for her to go to Boston to live with her Aunt Josephine and Uncle Paul and her father who was also living with them. For the next 17 years, she lived with them often being treated as a maid to Aunt Jo’s five children, wearing their hand downs and later working to supplement their income. She did have an other cousin who lived down the street who she became very good friends with and would sneak away to attend movies and be a little “wild” by bobbing their hair and hiking their skirts up to be more “Flapperish”. This cousin would later become a nun and serve God for more than 70 years. In 1929, while working in a drug store, a handsome man, Bob, who was working days as a welder and nights as a singer in the Keith Vaudeville Circuit and studying law, spotted her. A familiar story is told how at dinner a few nights after meeting Elizabeth the brother of the man told how he had spotted his “Golden Lady” at the Liggett Drug store. Bob asked what the lady looked like and when his brother described her, Bob said “Don’t bother going after her, I plan to marry her. They got married in September 1930 but life was not to be a “Happy Ever After” of the storybooks.
About 8 months after they were married Elizabeth miscarried in her 7th month. This devastated her because she flashed back to her mother and the miscarriage and death of her mother and brother. Another 9 months later, this couple had another miscarriage in the final days of the pregnancy; this would have been their second son. The loss of two sons and the depression was taking its toll on Bob, he began to drink more than usual and this caused friction because it reminded Elizabeth of her father’s drunken fight while her mother was in labor and died. In fact, Elizabeth had a very strong dislike to drinking and especially excessive drinking. Through all the problems, she never gave up her faith in Our Blessed Mother and God. When she found she was pregnant again, she prayed that God would deliver a healthy baby. On November 16, 1934 after being confined to bead for the last 5 weeks of the pregnancy, and an extremely difficult labor, another son was born and named Robert. The child was born dehydrated and had to be given special care for the first 6 months of his life and sometimes thing were not always optimistic that he would survive. Survive he did, and his story has been told before.
After the birth of Robert, Elizabeth was told she had to have a hysterectomy but she still wanted to have another child, this was not to be for she within a year was forced to undergo the procedure due to cancer.
Elizabeth and Bob spent the rest of their lives devoted to raising their son, Sometimes things were combative because of Bob’s drinking and at one time Elizabeth left Bob, taking the child with her. Within six months, after consultations with a counselor and priest the family was back together and stayed that way until Bob’s Sudden death in 1976. He died after serenading Elizabeth that morning, rejoicing that she was home from the hospital, a place she ended up in at least once a year for almost every year of her adult life, fighting cancer in various parts of her body.
After the death of Bob, her son and she sold the house they had lived in for more than 40 years. In 1980 Elizabeth went to California to visit her son and ended staying there until her death in May 1987. Her last four years of life, were years of illness and suffering as she wasted away from a disease that was only supposed to be affecting Drug users and homosexual men. She had contacted it during a blood transfusion before blood was being tested during one of her hospital stays. Through all this, her love of God and the Rosary were ever present. At her funerals, she had two of them, in California and in Boston, all who ever knew her spoke of her generosity, love, kindness and faith. Her son had the gift of being able to bring her Eucharist regularly and of celebrating liturgies for her and the other patients in the facility she spent the last 7 months of her life in.
The life of Elizabeth is just a regular life, but it is a life that millions of woman around the word happily do every day. They are the woman who we celebrate this day set apart to rejoice in motherhood. Our Blessed mother showed them the way and they have through the years followed in Mary’s footsteps, giving of themselves for their children and spouse.
I know that Elizabeth is in the company of Our Blessed Mother and our Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ and that Bob her husband is serenading her, Almighty God and all the heavenly elect with his magnificent tenor voice.
I talk with Elizabeth often, it is called prayer now, but she was my mother and I am ever grateful for all that, she did for me and all the others whose lives she crossed.
Happy Mothers Day to all mothers, your children are a gift; never let them feel unloved or unwanted. God Created them and gave them to you to cherish, protect them as best as possible, give them a strong love and knowledge of the Loving, forgiving, compassionate God. Do not frighten them with the stories of a vengeful god and scare them away from God. Love can conquer all adversity as the story of Elizabeth and Bob can illustrate, their love was stronger than any adversity. Just as God’s love is stronger than any adversity any of us may face. AMEN
Rev. Robert Francis Johnnene OFAMission Sts. Sergius and Bacchuswww.missionstsergius.orghttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/Mission_Sts_Sergius_and_Bacchushttp://spaces.msn.com/members/Mission-St-Sergiushttp://groups.msn.com/MissionSaintsSergiusandBacchus
Her Name was Elizabeth, but they Called Her Betty
It was nineteen years ago this week that a beautiful woman by the name of Elizabeth was called home to Almighty God. She did not become famous, never made headlines, if any thing her life was very simple.
Born in Ireland in 1906 her early years were anything but wonderful. She lived in fear of the troops who roamed her country. All the children were told to be careful when going to and from church and school because sometimes the troops would fire their weapons indiscriminately at voices heard in the rushes. When she was only 5 years old, she watched in horror as her mother died in childbirth while her father and uncle were arguing drunk in an adjoining room. Shortly after that, her father left her with another uncle and aunt while he went off to America in search of a better life. The Aunt she was left with was, according to the stories told, the worst of the worst and mistreated little Elizabeth to the point she ran away to another uncle who took her in where she stayed along with his young son Willie as friend and playmate. In 1913, word came that arrangements had been made for her to come to America. She remembers arriving at Ellis Island frightened and at the same time amazed as she gazed from the gangplank at the enormous glowing statue of a woman holding a torch on the base of which was inscribed the words “Give me your tired and your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free”
She gazed around looking for the face of her father and thought she recognized him, it was not her father but her uncle Patrick, her father’s brother. She went for a few days to stay with her uncle Patty and Aunt Katie until arrangements had been made for her to go to Boston to live with her Aunt Josephine and Uncle Paul and her father who was also living with them. For the next 17 years, she lived with them often being treated as a maid to Aunt Jo’s five children, wearing their hand downs and later working to supplement their income. She did have an other cousin who lived down the street who she became very good friends with and would sneak away to attend movies and be a little “wild” by bobbing their hair and hiking their skirts up to be more “Flapperish”. This cousin would later become a nun and serve God for more than 70 years. In 1929, while working in a drug store, a handsome man, Bob, who was working days as a welder and nights as a singer in the Keith Vaudeville Circuit and studying law, spotted her. A familiar story is told how at dinner a few nights after meeting Elizabeth the brother of the man told how he had spotted his “Golden Lady” at the Liggett Drug store. Bob asked what the lady looked like and when his brother described her, Bob said “Don’t bother going after her, I plan to marry her. They got married in September 1930 but life was not to be a “Happy Ever After” of the storybooks.
About 8 months after they were married Elizabeth miscarried in her 7th month. This devastated her because she flashed back to her mother and the miscarriage and death of her mother and brother. Another 9 months later, this couple had another miscarriage in the final days of the pregnancy; this would have been their second son. The loss of two sons and the depression was taking its toll on Bob, he began to drink more than usual and this caused friction because it reminded Elizabeth of her father’s drunken fight while her mother was in labor and died. In fact, Elizabeth had a very strong dislike to drinking and especially excessive drinking. Through all the problems, she never gave up her faith in Our Blessed Mother and God. When she found she was pregnant again, she prayed that God would deliver a healthy baby. On November 16, 1934 after being confined to bead for the last 5 weeks of the pregnancy, and an extremely difficult labor, another son was born and named Robert. The child was born dehydrated and had to be given special care for the first 6 months of his life and sometimes thing were not always optimistic that he would survive. Survive he did, and his story has been told before.
After the birth of Robert, Elizabeth was told she had to have a hysterectomy but she still wanted to have another child, this was not to be for she within a year was forced to undergo the procedure due to cancer.
Elizabeth and Bob spent the rest of their lives devoted to raising their son, Sometimes things were combative because of Bob’s drinking and at one time Elizabeth left Bob, taking the child with her. Within six months, after consultations with a counselor and priest the family was back together and stayed that way until Bob’s Sudden death in 1976. He died after serenading Elizabeth that morning, rejoicing that she was home from the hospital, a place she ended up in at least once a year for almost every year of her adult life, fighting cancer in various parts of her body.
After the death of Bob, her son and she sold the house they had lived in for more than 40 years. In 1980 Elizabeth went to California to visit her son and ended staying there until her death in May 1987. Her last four years of life, were years of illness and suffering as she wasted away from a disease that was only supposed to be affecting Drug users and homosexual men. She had contacted it during a blood transfusion before blood was being tested during one of her hospital stays. Through all this, her love of God and the Rosary were ever present. At her funerals, she had two of them, in California and in Boston, all who ever knew her spoke of her generosity, love, kindness and faith. Her son had the gift of being able to bring her Eucharist regularly and of celebrating liturgies for her and the other patients in the facility she spent the last 7 months of her life in.
The life of Elizabeth is just a regular life, but it is a life that millions of woman around the word happily do every day. They are the woman who we celebrate this day set apart to rejoice in motherhood. Our Blessed mother showed them the way and they have through the years followed in Mary’s footsteps, giving of themselves for their children and spouse.
I know that Elizabeth is in the company of Our Blessed Mother and our Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ and that Bob her husband is serenading her, Almighty God and all the heavenly elect with his magnificent tenor voice.
I talk with Elizabeth often, it is called prayer now, but she was my mother and I am ever grateful for all that, she did for me and all the others whose lives she crossed.
Happy Mothers Day to all mothers, your children are a gift; never let them feel unloved or unwanted. God Created them and gave them to you to cherish, protect them as best as possible, give them a strong love and knowledge of the Loving, forgiving, compassionate God. Do not frighten them with the stories of a vengeful god and scare them away from God. Love can conquer all adversity as the story of Elizabeth and Bob can illustrate, their love was stronger than any adversity. Just as God’s love is stronger than any adversity any of us may face. AMEN
Rev. Robert Francis Johnnene OFAMission Sts. Sergius and Bacchuswww.missionstsergius.orghttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/Mission_Sts_Sergius_and_Bacchushttp://spaces.msn.com/members/Mission-St-Sergiushttp://groups.msn.com/MissionSaintsSergiusandBacchus
Mission Celebrates First Anniversary
One Year Anniversary of Founding
Monday, May 15th is the one year anniversary of my founding Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus by establishing the mission Yahoo group. The mission was founded because I found very little being done in the Boston diocese to encourage people who have felt alienated and rejected because of divorce, or being of the GLBT community or angered because of the horrific molestation scandal that rocked the church and the actions of the hierarchy.
I attempted to have one of the local parishes support the mission like it is being done in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles under Cardinal Roger Mahoney but was not only rejected but told that I was being a heretic because I was advocating something that was against church policy. Even the statements of the Bishops found in ALWAYS OUR CHILDREN and in the bishops documents A CATHOLIC PERSPECTIVE FOR EDUCATION AND LIFELONG LEARNING page 55 and TO LIVE IN CHRIST JESUS page 19 and in HUMAN SEXUALITY, A CATHOLIC PERSPECTIVE were rejected.
I cannot say that at the time I did not have doubts, but as events that happened so quickly after founding the Yahoo group proved, I became assured that this was indeed the will of God. Since 1980 I had been applying to join various religious orders. Within two weeks of establishing the group I was informed, by letter, that I had been received into the Franciscan order, not only that, but upon reviewing my credentials and references, it was decided that I qualified to be ordained a priest. That happened on The feast of The Assumption, August 15th.
Since the founding a year ago, the mission membership in the Yahoo group has grown to 81, since I began the Web site it has been visited over 1861 times just this year and 1500 times from last June through December. Since the establishment of the mission 360 Blog page it has been visited 2,294 times since January 2006 and averages 353 hit’s a week. In addition I visit with about 12 people in the New England area on a regular basis bring the Eucharist and praying and counseling them and respond to questions from people outside of the new England area via the phone and internet. The lack of reliable transportation prevents me from doing more visits and since the mission does not have the funding to obtain a permanent place for a chapel daily mass for a congregation is unavailable. I do have one or two people who live in the senior housing complex I live in, attend mass on Sundays and occasionally at other times but I am prevented legally from having outsiders participate in any functions of the mission.
Though the inconveniences of not having a permanent place of worship and reliable transportation do frustrate me occasionally because I feel I could be doing so much more, I am grateful to God for the affirmation that He has given me. I pray, that in my humble way I may somehow be an infinitesimal instrument of Almighty God’s in the rebuilding and reunification of The One Holy Catholic Apostolic Church and in renewing the faith and love of Almighty God in those who have left because of feeling unwanted, rejected, or disenchanted with the dictates of a church that is not living the teachings of Jesus Christ.
I ask you to pray that Almighty God will continue to give me; the strength through His Love, the endurance to continue to reach out to all His children with the message of His love and mercy, an ever increasing faith, The knowledge to know and understand His will and the means to carry on the growth and work of the Mission.
The power of prayer with frequent reception of the Eucharist can overcome all obstacles.
May Almighty God continue to bless the work of all who are dedicated to proclaiming His truth and may He put the events in action for a unification of all who proclaim Jesus Savior and Redeemer.
Rev. Robert Francis Johnnene OFAMission Sts. Sergius and Bacchuswww.missionstsergius.orghttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/Mission_Sts_Sergius_and_Bacchushttp://spaces.msn.com/members/Mission-St-Sergiushttp://groups.msn.com/MissionSaintsSergiusandBacchus
Monday, May 15th is the one year anniversary of my founding Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus by establishing the mission Yahoo group. The mission was founded because I found very little being done in the Boston diocese to encourage people who have felt alienated and rejected because of divorce, or being of the GLBT community or angered because of the horrific molestation scandal that rocked the church and the actions of the hierarchy.
I attempted to have one of the local parishes support the mission like it is being done in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles under Cardinal Roger Mahoney but was not only rejected but told that I was being a heretic because I was advocating something that was against church policy. Even the statements of the Bishops found in ALWAYS OUR CHILDREN and in the bishops documents A CATHOLIC PERSPECTIVE FOR EDUCATION AND LIFELONG LEARNING page 55 and TO LIVE IN CHRIST JESUS page 19 and in HUMAN SEXUALITY, A CATHOLIC PERSPECTIVE were rejected.
I cannot say that at the time I did not have doubts, but as events that happened so quickly after founding the Yahoo group proved, I became assured that this was indeed the will of God. Since 1980 I had been applying to join various religious orders. Within two weeks of establishing the group I was informed, by letter, that I had been received into the Franciscan order, not only that, but upon reviewing my credentials and references, it was decided that I qualified to be ordained a priest. That happened on The feast of The Assumption, August 15th.
Since the founding a year ago, the mission membership in the Yahoo group has grown to 81, since I began the Web site it has been visited over 1861 times just this year and 1500 times from last June through December. Since the establishment of the mission 360 Blog page it has been visited 2,294 times since January 2006 and averages 353 hit’s a week. In addition I visit with about 12 people in the New England area on a regular basis bring the Eucharist and praying and counseling them and respond to questions from people outside of the new England area via the phone and internet. The lack of reliable transportation prevents me from doing more visits and since the mission does not have the funding to obtain a permanent place for a chapel daily mass for a congregation is unavailable. I do have one or two people who live in the senior housing complex I live in, attend mass on Sundays and occasionally at other times but I am prevented legally from having outsiders participate in any functions of the mission.
Though the inconveniences of not having a permanent place of worship and reliable transportation do frustrate me occasionally because I feel I could be doing so much more, I am grateful to God for the affirmation that He has given me. I pray, that in my humble way I may somehow be an infinitesimal instrument of Almighty God’s in the rebuilding and reunification of The One Holy Catholic Apostolic Church and in renewing the faith and love of Almighty God in those who have left because of feeling unwanted, rejected, or disenchanted with the dictates of a church that is not living the teachings of Jesus Christ.
I ask you to pray that Almighty God will continue to give me; the strength through His Love, the endurance to continue to reach out to all His children with the message of His love and mercy, an ever increasing faith, The knowledge to know and understand His will and the means to carry on the growth and work of the Mission.
The power of prayer with frequent reception of the Eucharist can overcome all obstacles.
May Almighty God continue to bless the work of all who are dedicated to proclaiming His truth and may He put the events in action for a unification of all who proclaim Jesus Savior and Redeemer.
Rev. Robert Francis Johnnene OFAMission Sts. Sergius and Bacchuswww.missionstsergius.orghttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/Mission_Sts_Sergius_and_Bacchushttp://spaces.msn.com/members/Mission-St-Sergiushttp://groups.msn.com/MissionSaintsSergiusandBacchus
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