An Advent Guide For Our Daily Life from God

Advent Guide for living According to Christ
Reflection by Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
For the Second Sunday of Advent
In preparing this weeks reflection I contemplated on how we might actually prepare ourselves to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ during this Advent season. I decided to seek out passages in scripture where Christ gave us specific ways to live as His followers.
The following passages say much and there is very little that I or anyone else could add except to say:
“If only all people would follow this guidelines of Christ, what a wonderful world this could be.
We might actually be able to achieve peace with one another, end poverty, injustice, discrimination, violence, and bring about a time when the prime commandments of Almighty God and His beloved son Jesus Christ, are actually practiced and lived to the fullest by all nations and people.
I begin with a passage from Leviticus 19:18 "Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.” and in the new testament Jesus repeated it more clearly by saying: “Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself. 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew 22:37-40
I pray that you read the compiled passages, and reflect on how you are doing now and what you might need to work on in order to put Christ’s directions on living our daily life into practice. The possibilities of how the world would change if everyone could practice these directions of Christ. “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not think you are superior. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. ’” Romans 12: 9-21
Christ in His sermon on the mount gave us even more indication as to how we should live when He told us:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are they that have been persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets that were before you. You are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost its savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under the foot of men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a lamp, and put it under the bushel, but on the stand; and it shines till all are in the house. Even so let your light shine before men; that they may see your good. works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets: I came not to destroy, but to fulfill the law. Truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Matthew 5:3-19
Christ goes on to say the following; “whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment. But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who holds a brother or sister in contempt is answerable to the law. And anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell. Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. Go first and be reconciled to that person; then come and offer your gift. Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny. Matthew 5:19-26
We are further advised in Romans 12:13-15 “Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
It is very clear that we are called to contribute to the needs of God's people, and pursue the practice of hospitality. We need to learn to live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, snobbish, high-minded or so exclusive we shut people out. We should never overestimate ourselves or be too wise in our own conceits. We must also remember these words of Jesus to His apostles and follow them daily.
“Pray, and when you pray say; Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be you name. Your kingdom come, your will be done here on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from all evil. For yours is the Kingdom and the power and the Glory now and forever. AMEN Luke 11:2-4 and in Matthew 6: 9-13
May Almighty God, in His wisdom, grant each of us the ability to follow these directions each and every day of our lives working toward perfection of them and toward a time when all of God’s children can live in peace and harmony with each other and a time when all who accept Christ and claim Him as redeemer and savior can gather as one family and one body in Christ. . AMEN
Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus

A Lesson On Trusting In God

Mary’s Lesson on Trusting In God
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA, Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus
www.missionstsergius.org
Email: Mission_St_Sergius@msn.com
The Feast of The Immaculate Conception celebrates Our Lady‘s complete trust in Almighty God. The feast also celebrates God’s greatest gift to humankind, His beloved son Jesus Christ.
The feast celebrates the fact that Almighty God deemed that the woman who was to bring His son into the world would be free of the stain of sin that all the rest of humankind is prone to in order that she would be a pure vessel within which Our blessed Lord would be conceived through the Holy Spirit and nurtured to human life for nine months. When He sent His messenger, the Angel Gabriel, to her to inform her that God had chosen her to bear the promised one of the prophets with these words "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.” Luke 1:29-35. Mary asked; “How can this be, for I know not man?. "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.”
The redeemer foretold by God when He drove Satan from the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3:14-16 “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” and in Isaiah 11: 1: “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse: from his roots a branch will bear fruit.” was to be born to this unmarried woman.
What faith in God she must have had to accept this message. After all, the punishment for having had a sexual relation without being married , even though betrothed to Joseph they were not married nor had they had relations, was to be stoned to death as an adulteress.
Mary’s response to Gabriel’s message was “Let it be done to me according to God’s will” Luke 1:38
In our daily live we are often faced with challenges or situations where we have great apprehension do we respond to them with “Let it be done to me according to God’s will” as Mary did or do we gross and complain because things are difficult.?
What might have gone through Our Blessed Mothers mind when Simeon told her or our minds if we received this message? "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too." Luke 2: 34-35
Mary gave us an example to follow in our own live and it was to seek out God in prayer and putting our trust in God will for us. When we do we acquire a sense we will come through our difficulties alright. After all, Even Jesus, when faced with what was about to happen after His entry into Jerusalem cried out to God "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done." Matthew 26:41-43For me this feast day has special significance. It was on Dec. 8th, 1957 that I could not fall asleep because of a series of thoughts flashing through my mind, I finally got up and wrote down what I was thinking and went back to bed to fall into a peaceful and deep sleep. Upon awakening the following day I noticed this paper with writing on it , read it and thought, “My mother will like this” and mailed it off to her. 30 years later, after mom passed on, as I was going through her things, I found the original paper I had written that night. I will end this reflection with this advice to you and the words I wrote that Dec. 8th night in 1957.
Always believe in God and put your trust in Him. He will never forsake you or reject you no matter what others may tell you. Talk to Him often, either with formal prayers or just regular conversation as though He were your best friend sitting there with you, WHICH HE IS. AND If you want to do as I did that night in 1957 pray these words I called A SINNER’S PRAYER.
A SINNER’S PRAYER
Written in 1957 By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
O, Mary Immaculate, virgin so fair, mother of Our Savior, please hear my prayer.
Intercede, dearest mother, to your heavenly son.
Tell Him I am truly sorry for all the wrongs and sins I have done.
Ask Him to guide me by the graces and gifts of the Holy Spirit in all of my ways
So that I might give Him honor, glory and praise with all the Heavenly elect when I come to the end of my earthly days. AMEN