Words of Wisdom and Truth
A Reflection for the Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
Mission Sts. Sergius & Bacchus, Holliston, MA
www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverlastingLoveOfChristMinistry
The words from the first reading for this Sunday from the Book of Wisdom 11:22-12:2 are worth more than a billion words and sermons and should open our hearts and minds to God’s infinite mercy and love for all His children. When we take into consideration the other readings we have not only a message of affirmation of God’s love and mercy for us all but also advice on how to be welcomed and pleasing in God’s eyes.
“In your sight the whole world is like a grain of dust that tips the scales, like a drop of morning dew falling on the ground. Yet you are merciful to all, because you can do all things and overlook men’s sins so that they can repent.
Yes, you love all that exists, you hold nothing of what you have made in abhorrence,
for had you hated anything, you would not have formed it. And how, had you not willed it, could a thing persist, how be conserved if not called forth by you?
You spare all things because all things are yours, Lord, lover of life, you whose imperishable spirit is in all. Little by little, therefore, you correct those who offend,
you admonish and remind them of how they have sinned, so that they may abstain from evil and trust in you, Lord.”
When we add the words of St. Paul in his letter to the Thessalonians in chapter 1:11-2:2 we can be further strengthened in the knowledge of God’s love for us.
“Knowing this, we pray continually that our God will make you worthy of his call, and by his power fulfill all your desires for goodness and complete all that you have been doing through faith; because in this way the name of our Lord Jesus Christ will be glorified in you and you in him, by the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
To turn now, brothers, to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we shall all be gathered round him: please do not get excited too soon or alarmed by any prediction or rumor or any letter claiming to come from us, implying that the Day of the Lord has already arrived.”
So many try to frighten people with the admonition that dooms day is at hand, and have done so from the earliest days of the church but Christ himself told us; “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. (Mark 13:32)
The message of the Gospel is also comforting and affirming in that it reminds us that Christ did not head the admonishments of the Religious of His time and that God and Christ is there for everyone not just for those who consider themselves to be the “chosen ones” or the greater person because of their position, wealth or devotional practices and “goodness”.
When Jesus reached the spot he looked up and spoke to him: “Zacchaeus, come down. Hurry, because I must stay at your house today.” And he hurried down and welcomed him joyfully. They all complained when they saw what was happening. ‘He has gone to stay at a sinner’s house’ they said. But Zacchaeus stood his ground and said to the Lord, ‘Look, sir, I am going to give half my property to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody I will pay him back four times the amount’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek out and save what was lost’ (Luke 19:1-10)
We might also make not of what Zacchaeus said to Christ about giving half of his property to the poor and needy and making right any injustices or cheating he might have done since it is also one of the major teachings of Christ to be mindful of the needs of others and to share our gifts with those who have not. Christ has told us time and again that being aware of others and having compassion and generosity are keys to entering into heaven.
The Seraphic Father of our order, The Franciscan’s of the Annunciation knew this message so well, He is known to have said “I acknowledge that all my possessions were given to me by God, and now here I am ready to give them back to Him” Everything we have comes from God and therefore we need to give thanks for the gifts we have received and not hoard them to ourselves but share then according to our ability. We need to open our eyes to the needs of others around us and to put aside our prejudices and self centered interests and open our hearts to being more receptive to living the great commandment of Christ every moment of our life here on earth. “Love the Lord, your God, with your whole heart, mind, soul and body and love your neighbor as you love yourself” “Love one another as I have loved you”
Let us go forth from this day forward putting these words of Christ into action by being more concerned about others and seek out opportunities to share our gifts with others. By doing this we will be living the Gospel in our daily life and be opening our door into everlasting glory with The Father, Son and Holy Spirit and all the heavenly elect.
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, November 03, 2007
Saturday, October 27, 2007
The Humble Will Be Exalted
The Humble Will Be Exalted
A Reflection by Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA of Mission Sts. Sergius and Bacchus
www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverlastingLoveOfChristMinistry
This weeks Gospel reading from Luke 18:9-14 is a call to be humble and not boast or consider ourselves as better than any other person on the face of the earth, it ends with the following, “This man, I tell you, went home again at rights with God; the other did not. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the man who humbles himself will be exalted.’ Luke 18:14
When we consider the message of this reading and the words of Christ found in Matthew 9:13, Mark 2:17 and Luke 5:32 “I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.” and we call to mind that Christ choose to align himself while here on this earth, not with the religious leaders, the powerful and the wealthy of His world and choose to be born in the humblest setting among the poorest of the poor, Jesus chose as disciples those who society considered the marginalized and lowest of the society, and He associated with the “Publicans and Sinners” who the leaders of the Jewish religion looked down upon. Christ’s actions were meant to remind us that God does not ignore anyone and God has a special concern for the needs of the poor, disenfranchised and those that society often ignores and tries to marginalize.
One of the books of the Bible that has much wisdom and is often overlooked is the book of Ecclesiastes and in Chapters 5 and 2 we find words of wisdom which we might want to consider;
“Riches Are Meaningless If you see the poor and oppressed in a district, whose justice and rights are denied, do not be surprised at such things…………….. The king himself profits from the fields.
The king of that period of history is the equivalent of the head of Governments or of the giant conglomerations of our day.
Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.
We see this every day of the year all around us, the rich constantly seek to have more and more while the poor are often overlooked and often deprived of some of life’s necessities.
This too is meaningless. As goods increase, so do those who consume them. What benefit are they to the owner except to feast his eyes on them? …I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner, or wealth lost through some misfortune, so that when he has a son there is nothing left for him. Naked a man comes from his mother's womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand.
This next section is especially worth thinking about how we can do as Christ has directed us and share the Gifts God provides us with others rather than hoarding them all to ourselves.
Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work—this is a gift of God.
This past week we have seen million dollar homes destroyed and all the possessions that the people who owned them destroyed along with the home, This was a devastating thing to happen and we need to pray for those people but it also points out how quickly material possessions can be lost and the truth of the above statement.
Humility and generosity, compassion and repentance, faith and love of God exhibited by our daily lives will bring us more happiness than all the material wealth of the world.
Earlier this week I wrote about a former student who is suffering from a depilating disease that deprived him of the ability to earn a living, and how Government bureaucracy and the medical professions ignorance of the new disease compounded his suffering by making it almost impossible to receive the necessary treatment and to take care of everyday living expenses.
As a people who profess to love God and who have been told how God desires us to act in all things with these words “LOVE THE LORD, YOUR GOD, WITH YOUR WHOLE HEART, MIND, SOUL AND BODY AND LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF” we are called to be mindful of those less fortunate than us and to reach out to them with generosity and compassion. We need to follow Christ’s example and align ourselves with those who society would rather overlook and considers as outcasts. We need to be welcoming and accepting of God’s diversity for none of us is sinless, no one is greater than another, we are all equal in the eyes of God and we must always remember these words from Ecclesiastes 2:26 “To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God.”
May God give us the wisdom and the humility we need to live our lives so that they are pleasing to Him and may we store up treasures in Heaven by using our earthly treasures for the benefit of our sisters and brothers in Christ. AMEN
A Reflection by Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA of Mission Sts. Sergius and Bacchus
www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverlastingLoveOfChristMinistry
This weeks Gospel reading from Luke 18:9-14 is a call to be humble and not boast or consider ourselves as better than any other person on the face of the earth, it ends with the following, “This man, I tell you, went home again at rights with God; the other did not. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the man who humbles himself will be exalted.’ Luke 18:14
When we consider the message of this reading and the words of Christ found in Matthew 9:13, Mark 2:17 and Luke 5:32 “I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.” and we call to mind that Christ choose to align himself while here on this earth, not with the religious leaders, the powerful and the wealthy of His world and choose to be born in the humblest setting among the poorest of the poor, Jesus chose as disciples those who society considered the marginalized and lowest of the society, and He associated with the “Publicans and Sinners” who the leaders of the Jewish religion looked down upon. Christ’s actions were meant to remind us that God does not ignore anyone and God has a special concern for the needs of the poor, disenfranchised and those that society often ignores and tries to marginalize.
One of the books of the Bible that has much wisdom and is often overlooked is the book of Ecclesiastes and in Chapters 5 and 2 we find words of wisdom which we might want to consider;
“Riches Are Meaningless If you see the poor and oppressed in a district, whose justice and rights are denied, do not be surprised at such things…………….. The king himself profits from the fields.
The king of that period of history is the equivalent of the head of Governments or of the giant conglomerations of our day.
Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.
We see this every day of the year all around us, the rich constantly seek to have more and more while the poor are often overlooked and often deprived of some of life’s necessities.
This too is meaningless. As goods increase, so do those who consume them. What benefit are they to the owner except to feast his eyes on them? …I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner, or wealth lost through some misfortune, so that when he has a son there is nothing left for him. Naked a man comes from his mother's womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand.
This next section is especially worth thinking about how we can do as Christ has directed us and share the Gifts God provides us with others rather than hoarding them all to ourselves.
Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work—this is a gift of God.
This past week we have seen million dollar homes destroyed and all the possessions that the people who owned them destroyed along with the home, This was a devastating thing to happen and we need to pray for those people but it also points out how quickly material possessions can be lost and the truth of the above statement.
Humility and generosity, compassion and repentance, faith and love of God exhibited by our daily lives will bring us more happiness than all the material wealth of the world.
Earlier this week I wrote about a former student who is suffering from a depilating disease that deprived him of the ability to earn a living, and how Government bureaucracy and the medical professions ignorance of the new disease compounded his suffering by making it almost impossible to receive the necessary treatment and to take care of everyday living expenses.
As a people who profess to love God and who have been told how God desires us to act in all things with these words “LOVE THE LORD, YOUR GOD, WITH YOUR WHOLE HEART, MIND, SOUL AND BODY AND LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF” we are called to be mindful of those less fortunate than us and to reach out to them with generosity and compassion. We need to follow Christ’s example and align ourselves with those who society would rather overlook and considers as outcasts. We need to be welcoming and accepting of God’s diversity for none of us is sinless, no one is greater than another, we are all equal in the eyes of God and we must always remember these words from Ecclesiastes 2:26 “To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God.”
May God give us the wisdom and the humility we need to live our lives so that they are pleasing to Him and may we store up treasures in Heaven by using our earthly treasures for the benefit of our sisters and brothers in Christ. AMEN
Friday, October 19, 2007
God's Justice Will Be Done
God’s Justice Will Be Done
A Reflection for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time by Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
Mission Sts. Sergius & Bacchus
www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverlastingLoveOfChristMinistry
The Gospel for this Sunday is the parable about the judge in a certain town who had neither fear of God nor respect for man and our need to pray continually and never lose heart. Which ends with a promise from Christ and also a question that is worth our considering in this age and time, “will not God see justice done to his chosen who cry to him day and night even when he delays to help them?? I promise you, he will see justice done to them, and done speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?”
The Gospel story could very well be speaking about the many people who live in this world and seem to have little or no fear of God or the consequences of how they are living their daily lives and who also have no respect for anyone but their own self interests. Our world today is very narcissistic and a great many people seek out fame, fortune, and power and seem to care not about God or the plight of their brothers and sisters in Christ.
A recent survey has pointed out a decline in the last few decades in those who attend church on a regular basis. According to the poll this trend has increased more in the last decade at an alarming rate which might account for the massive closing of churches and schools throughout the United States and in other nations.
The attacks on even the mention of God and the display of any Christian symbols in public places has also increased and with it we have seen the decline of all moral values and even simple courtesy and respect.
Of course we also have those who use God to justify their discrimination and prejudice toward ethnic and other groups who do not fit their idea of the ideal individual.
One can not wonder what God perceives of all this and how He is going to judge us when our time before Him comes.
We might also think about the words of Christ at the end the Gospel reading “when the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?”
I believe that He will find some who have lived according to God’s will and the teachings of Christ. He will find some who have “Loved their neighbor as they have loved themselves” and who have practiced the Beatitudes and looked out for the well being of those who are sick, aged, poor and needy and who seek to know and love God in spite of the rejection and ridicule of others.
In Paul’s second letter to Timothy 3:14-4:2 Paul tells timothy to “Remain faithful to what you have learned and believed and remember from whom it was taught” The teacher was God’s master teacher, His beloved Son, Jesus Christ.
Believing in God and accepting Jesus Christ as our redeemer and Savior is not enough, we are called to live our faith every day of our lives. We are called to put our lives in God’s hands and to trust God’s will. We must make it our life’s goal to live our lives with respect for all God’s creation especially all His children regardless of their race, creed or social position.
Today’s newspaper had a story about the condition of seniors and how they are having a greater struggle every year especially those who live on only their Social Security since the COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) does not actually keep up with the actual increase in the cost of living. In the last decade seniors have actually lost 40% of their purchasing power because of the way the government figures the COLA. Calls by all the organizations that serve the elderly to change to way the formula works have fallen on deaf ears. This is just one example of many where the desire for greater profits for investors to make the wealthy even more wealthy and neglecting needy. Everywhere in our society there are many examples of a total disregard of the needs of the less fortunate.
As Christians and believers in the teachings of Jesus Christ, we should be actively speaking out against all injustices and doing everything in our power to force change especially in the richest nation in the world.
We need to rethink our own individual priorities and make sure that we set aside at least ten percent of the gifts God provides us with to give back in thanksgiving for them.
God desire to see justice done in all things as the Gospel reminds us of what Christ said of God “I promise you, he will see justice done to them, and done speedily. AMEN
A Reflection for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time by Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
Mission Sts. Sergius & Bacchus
www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverlastingLoveOfChristMinistry
The Gospel for this Sunday is the parable about the judge in a certain town who had neither fear of God nor respect for man and our need to pray continually and never lose heart. Which ends with a promise from Christ and also a question that is worth our considering in this age and time, “will not God see justice done to his chosen who cry to him day and night even when he delays to help them?? I promise you, he will see justice done to them, and done speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?”
The Gospel story could very well be speaking about the many people who live in this world and seem to have little or no fear of God or the consequences of how they are living their daily lives and who also have no respect for anyone but their own self interests. Our world today is very narcissistic and a great many people seek out fame, fortune, and power and seem to care not about God or the plight of their brothers and sisters in Christ.
A recent survey has pointed out a decline in the last few decades in those who attend church on a regular basis. According to the poll this trend has increased more in the last decade at an alarming rate which might account for the massive closing of churches and schools throughout the United States and in other nations.
The attacks on even the mention of God and the display of any Christian symbols in public places has also increased and with it we have seen the decline of all moral values and even simple courtesy and respect.
Of course we also have those who use God to justify their discrimination and prejudice toward ethnic and other groups who do not fit their idea of the ideal individual.
One can not wonder what God perceives of all this and how He is going to judge us when our time before Him comes.
We might also think about the words of Christ at the end the Gospel reading “when the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?”
I believe that He will find some who have lived according to God’s will and the teachings of Christ. He will find some who have “Loved their neighbor as they have loved themselves” and who have practiced the Beatitudes and looked out for the well being of those who are sick, aged, poor and needy and who seek to know and love God in spite of the rejection and ridicule of others.
In Paul’s second letter to Timothy 3:14-4:2 Paul tells timothy to “Remain faithful to what you have learned and believed and remember from whom it was taught” The teacher was God’s master teacher, His beloved Son, Jesus Christ.
Believing in God and accepting Jesus Christ as our redeemer and Savior is not enough, we are called to live our faith every day of our lives. We are called to put our lives in God’s hands and to trust God’s will. We must make it our life’s goal to live our lives with respect for all God’s creation especially all His children regardless of their race, creed or social position.
Today’s newspaper had a story about the condition of seniors and how they are having a greater struggle every year especially those who live on only their Social Security since the COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) does not actually keep up with the actual increase in the cost of living. In the last decade seniors have actually lost 40% of their purchasing power because of the way the government figures the COLA. Calls by all the organizations that serve the elderly to change to way the formula works have fallen on deaf ears. This is just one example of many where the desire for greater profits for investors to make the wealthy even more wealthy and neglecting needy. Everywhere in our society there are many examples of a total disregard of the needs of the less fortunate.
As Christians and believers in the teachings of Jesus Christ, we should be actively speaking out against all injustices and doing everything in our power to force change especially in the richest nation in the world.
We need to rethink our own individual priorities and make sure that we set aside at least ten percent of the gifts God provides us with to give back in thanksgiving for them.
God desire to see justice done in all things as the Gospel reminds us of what Christ said of God “I promise you, he will see justice done to them, and done speedily. AMEN
God's Justice Will Be Done
God’s Justice Will Be Done
A Reflection for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time by Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
Mission Sts. Sergius & Bacchus
www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverlastingLoveOfChristMinistry
The Gospel for this Sunday is the parable about the judge in a certain town who had neither fear of God nor respect for man and our need to pray continually and never lose heart. Which ends with a promise from Christ and also a question that is worth our considering in this age and time, “will not God see justice done to his chosen who cry to him day and night even when he delays to help them?? I promise you, he will see justice done to them, and done speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?”
The Gospel story could very well be speaking about the many people who live in this world and seem to have little or no fear of God or the consequences of how they are living their daily lives and who also have no respect for anyone but their own self interests. Our world today is very narcissistic and a great many people seek out fame, fortune, and power and seem to care not about God or the plight of their brothers and sisters in Christ.
A recent survey has pointed out a decline in the last few decades in those who attend church on a regular basis. According to the poll this trend has increased more in the last decade at an alarming rate which might account for the massive closing of churches and schools throughout the United States and in other nations.
The attacks on even the mention of God and the display of any Christian symbols in public places has also increased and with it we have seen the decline of all moral values and even simple courtesy and respect.
Of course we also have those who use God to justify their discrimination and prejudice toward ethnic and other groups who do not fit their idea of the ideal individual.
One can not wonder what God perceives of all this and how He is going to judge us when our time before Him comes.
We might also think about the words of Christ at the end the Gospel reading “when the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?”
I believe that He will find some who have lived according to God’s will and the teachings of Christ. He will find some who have “Loved their neighbor as they have loved themselves” and who have practiced the Beatitudes and looked out for the well being of those who are sick, aged, poor and needy and who seek to know and love God in spite of the rejection and ridicule of others.
In Paul’s second letter to Timothy 3:14-4:2 Paul tells timothy to “Remain faithful to what you have learned and believed and remember from whom it was taught” The teacher was God’s master teacher, His beloved Son, Jesus Christ.
Believing in God and accepting Jesus Christ as our redeemer and Savior is not enough, we are called to live our faith every day of our lives. We are called to put our lives in God’s hands and to trust God’s will. We must make it our life’s goal to live our lives with respect for all God’s creation especially all His children regardless of their race, creed or social position.
Today’s newspaper had a story about the condition of seniors and how they are having a greater struggle every year especially those who live on only their Social Security since the COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) does not actually keep up with the actual increase in the cost of living. In the last decade seniors have actually lost 40% of their purchasing power because of the way the government figures the COLA. Calls by all the organizations that serve the elderly to change to way the formula works have fallen on deaf ears. This is just one example of many where the desire for greater profits for investors to make the wealthy even more wealthy and neglecting needy. Everywhere in our society there are many examples of a total disregard of the needs of the less fortunate.
As Christians and believers in the teachings of Jesus Christ, we should be actively speaking out against all injustices and doing everything in our power to force change especially in the richest nation in the world.
We need to rethink our own individual priorities and make sure that we set aside at least ten percent of the gifts God provides us with to give back in thanksgiving for them.
God desire to see justice done in all things as the Gospel reminds us of what Christ said of God “I promise you, he will see justice done to them, and done speedily. AMEN
A Reflection for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time by Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
Mission Sts. Sergius & Bacchus
www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverlastingLoveOfChristMinistry
The Gospel for this Sunday is the parable about the judge in a certain town who had neither fear of God nor respect for man and our need to pray continually and never lose heart. Which ends with a promise from Christ and also a question that is worth our considering in this age and time, “will not God see justice done to his chosen who cry to him day and night even when he delays to help them?? I promise you, he will see justice done to them, and done speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?”
The Gospel story could very well be speaking about the many people who live in this world and seem to have little or no fear of God or the consequences of how they are living their daily lives and who also have no respect for anyone but their own self interests. Our world today is very narcissistic and a great many people seek out fame, fortune, and power and seem to care not about God or the plight of their brothers and sisters in Christ.
A recent survey has pointed out a decline in the last few decades in those who attend church on a regular basis. According to the poll this trend has increased more in the last decade at an alarming rate which might account for the massive closing of churches and schools throughout the United States and in other nations.
The attacks on even the mention of God and the display of any Christian symbols in public places has also increased and with it we have seen the decline of all moral values and even simple courtesy and respect.
Of course we also have those who use God to justify their discrimination and prejudice toward ethnic and other groups who do not fit their idea of the ideal individual.
One can not wonder what God perceives of all this and how He is going to judge us when our time before Him comes.
We might also think about the words of Christ at the end the Gospel reading “when the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?”
I believe that He will find some who have lived according to God’s will and the teachings of Christ. He will find some who have “Loved their neighbor as they have loved themselves” and who have practiced the Beatitudes and looked out for the well being of those who are sick, aged, poor and needy and who seek to know and love God in spite of the rejection and ridicule of others.
In Paul’s second letter to Timothy 3:14-4:2 Paul tells timothy to “Remain faithful to what you have learned and believed and remember from whom it was taught” The teacher was God’s master teacher, His beloved Son, Jesus Christ.
Believing in God and accepting Jesus Christ as our redeemer and Savior is not enough, we are called to live our faith every day of our lives. We are called to put our lives in God’s hands and to trust God’s will. We must make it our life’s goal to live our lives with respect for all God’s creation especially all His children regardless of their race, creed or social position.
Today’s newspaper had a story about the condition of seniors and how they are having a greater struggle every year especially those who live on only their Social Security since the COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) does not actually keep up with the actual increase in the cost of living. In the last decade seniors have actually lost 40% of their purchasing power because of the way the government figures the COLA. Calls by all the organizations that serve the elderly to change to way the formula works have fallen on deaf ears. This is just one example of many where the desire for greater profits for investors to make the wealthy even more wealthy and neglecting needy. Everywhere in our society there are many examples of a total disregard of the needs of the less fortunate.
As Christians and believers in the teachings of Jesus Christ, we should be actively speaking out against all injustices and doing everything in our power to force change especially in the richest nation in the world.
We need to rethink our own individual priorities and make sure that we set aside at least ten percent of the gifts God provides us with to give back in thanksgiving for them.
God desire to see justice done in all things as the Gospel reminds us of what Christ said of God “I promise you, he will see justice done to them, and done speedily. AMEN
Saturday, October 13, 2007
With Faith, A reflection for October 14th
With Faith, All Things Are Possible
Reflection For Sunday October 14th
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
Mission Sts. Sergius & Bacchus, Holliston, MA
www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverlastingLoveOfChristMinistry
The Gospel readings from both the Tridentine and Novus Ordo rites for this Sunday contain the same message, “with faith in God, all things are possible”.
Both Gospels tell stories of people being cured because of their faith. In the Gospel from Matthew 4. 46-53 which is the reading for the Tridentine liturgy the story is about the official who came to Christ seeking a cure for his son, and Jesus tells him “Go thy way, thy son lives. The man believed the word which Jesus said to him, and went his way. And as he was going down, his servants met him, and they brought word, saying that his son lived. He asked therefore of them the hour wherein he grew better. And they said to him: Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. The father therefore knew that it was at the same hour that Jesus said to him: Thy son lives; and himself believed, and his whole house.”
The Gospel from Luke 17:11 – 19 is the story of the healing of the lepers and again faith in God is the reason for the cure. “Now on the way to Jerusalem Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered one of the villages, ten lepers came to meet him. They stood some way off and called to him, ‘Jesus! Master! Take pity on us.’ When he saw them he said, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests’. Now as they were going away they were cleansed. Finding himself cured, one of them turned back praising God at the top of his voice and threw himself at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. The man was a Samaritan. These made Jesus say, ‘Were not all ten made clean? The other nine, where are they? It seems that no one has come back to give praise to God, except this foreigner.’ And he said to the man, ‘Stand up and go on your way. Your faith has saved you.”
Why is it that for some it takes a miracle for them to believe in God? Why is it that so many turn to God only when there is a problem in their lives? Far too often in this day and age we only turn to God for help in granting us a special favor and often when it is granted, we forget to give thanks to God and take it for granted that we deserved it. Today, everywhere we look we find people who are striving for material things, for the perfect figure, the perfect home, the classiest car, big fancy houses, the latest electronic gadgets and fashions and more and more money. The Few who have been blessed with an abundance of God’s gifts rarely think of sharing those gifts with the less fortunate or if they do so they need to have public recognition for their acts.
In the United States alone there are thousands who do not have adequate medical assistance, food or shelter. All over the globe people are suffering because of the few who seek to control the many.
Recently when I was attending the orders conclave in Minnesota I became aware of a program sponsored by the Lutheran Church called HOMELESS AND HUNGRY. This program’s purpose is to raise awareness of the plight and struggles of the homeless by having people pledge to fast for 24 hours and live on the street in cardboard boxes like the homeless and to beg for food stuffs and money. Every participant pledges $365.00 each which is the cost of feeding one person each day of the year. The money collected this year reached a staggering total of over $75,000 and more than 5000 pounds of food was collected. Those who participated said they never knew how hard it was for the “Street People” and how they were discriminated against. Many described how they were called names and insulted and some actually described how people would cross the street to avoid being near them. Every week Sister Mary of St. Clare’s convent makes up lunch bags with a sandwich, a fruit drink, raisons, a health bar, and fruit and Brother Michael and one of the faith community there distributes them to those on the streets of Fargo. I went out with them while I was there and was appalled to see mothers with their little children who were living in their car because they could not afford to live elsewhere. What became clearer to me is that we all need to do more to address this despicable condition in the richest country in the world. For this condition to exist is a major blemish on our nations as a whole and especially the political leaders who do nothing to alleviate it.
Having Faith in God is more than saying prayers and attending church but in putting our full trust in God and living according to what God has taught us in the preaching of Jesus Christ. Having Faith in God is not just seeking God’s healing when we are sick but believing that it is possible and also doing those things we need to do to keep ourselves and all God’s children in good health. People can not be healthy if they do not have proper nutrition and medical care. Our Nation has been blessed with an abundance of God’s gifts but at every opportunity there are people who do everything in their power to remove all mention of God in public places.
The ranks of those who claim there is no God is growing at an alarming rate according to the latest statistics.
Without a living faith, a practiced faith, without believing in a supreme being and a loving and merciful God our nation will continue to experience more and more violence and continue to decay just as every great nation before it has that turned away from the basic values found in most religions; the values of peace, brotherhood, compassion, mercy, forgiveness and love for all God’s creation.
As the gospel for today say’s; ‘Were not all ten made clean? The other nine, where are they? It seems that no one has come back to give praise to God, except this foreigner.’ And he said to the man, ‘Stand up and go on your way. Your faith has saved you.”
Without faith and by that I mean a living faith that is more than words but action in our daily lives, how de we expect to be cured of the ills that plague us? How can we expect to overcome the troubles that destroy the lives of so many?
The time is now for us to turn back to God, to ask God for His healing graces, to begin to live our lives in accordance with the teachings we have been given by God and not those imposed by mere humans for the purpose of domination and control.
Only God can judge and determine who is and who is not saved. We who are Christians have been told how God expects us to live and how to attain everlasting life. We will be judged on how well we lived that life in not only word but in our deeds.
Now is the time to turn back to God’s way and not the way of man, for man by nature is flawed and we need God’s guidance and help to overcome our weakness. We need to place our trust and faith in God. When we do, we too will be healed as those in the gospel of today were healed. AMEN
.
Reflection For Sunday October 14th
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
Mission Sts. Sergius & Bacchus, Holliston, MA
www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverlastingLoveOfChristMinistry
The Gospel readings from both the Tridentine and Novus Ordo rites for this Sunday contain the same message, “with faith in God, all things are possible”.
Both Gospels tell stories of people being cured because of their faith. In the Gospel from Matthew 4. 46-53 which is the reading for the Tridentine liturgy the story is about the official who came to Christ seeking a cure for his son, and Jesus tells him “Go thy way, thy son lives. The man believed the word which Jesus said to him, and went his way. And as he was going down, his servants met him, and they brought word, saying that his son lived. He asked therefore of them the hour wherein he grew better. And they said to him: Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. The father therefore knew that it was at the same hour that Jesus said to him: Thy son lives; and himself believed, and his whole house.”
The Gospel from Luke 17:11 – 19 is the story of the healing of the lepers and again faith in God is the reason for the cure. “Now on the way to Jerusalem Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered one of the villages, ten lepers came to meet him. They stood some way off and called to him, ‘Jesus! Master! Take pity on us.’ When he saw them he said, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests’. Now as they were going away they were cleansed. Finding himself cured, one of them turned back praising God at the top of his voice and threw himself at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. The man was a Samaritan. These made Jesus say, ‘Were not all ten made clean? The other nine, where are they? It seems that no one has come back to give praise to God, except this foreigner.’ And he said to the man, ‘Stand up and go on your way. Your faith has saved you.”
Why is it that for some it takes a miracle for them to believe in God? Why is it that so many turn to God only when there is a problem in their lives? Far too often in this day and age we only turn to God for help in granting us a special favor and often when it is granted, we forget to give thanks to God and take it for granted that we deserved it. Today, everywhere we look we find people who are striving for material things, for the perfect figure, the perfect home, the classiest car, big fancy houses, the latest electronic gadgets and fashions and more and more money. The Few who have been blessed with an abundance of God’s gifts rarely think of sharing those gifts with the less fortunate or if they do so they need to have public recognition for their acts.
In the United States alone there are thousands who do not have adequate medical assistance, food or shelter. All over the globe people are suffering because of the few who seek to control the many.
Recently when I was attending the orders conclave in Minnesota I became aware of a program sponsored by the Lutheran Church called HOMELESS AND HUNGRY. This program’s purpose is to raise awareness of the plight and struggles of the homeless by having people pledge to fast for 24 hours and live on the street in cardboard boxes like the homeless and to beg for food stuffs and money. Every participant pledges $365.00 each which is the cost of feeding one person each day of the year. The money collected this year reached a staggering total of over $75,000 and more than 5000 pounds of food was collected. Those who participated said they never knew how hard it was for the “Street People” and how they were discriminated against. Many described how they were called names and insulted and some actually described how people would cross the street to avoid being near them. Every week Sister Mary of St. Clare’s convent makes up lunch bags with a sandwich, a fruit drink, raisons, a health bar, and fruit and Brother Michael and one of the faith community there distributes them to those on the streets of Fargo. I went out with them while I was there and was appalled to see mothers with their little children who were living in their car because they could not afford to live elsewhere. What became clearer to me is that we all need to do more to address this despicable condition in the richest country in the world. For this condition to exist is a major blemish on our nations as a whole and especially the political leaders who do nothing to alleviate it.
Having Faith in God is more than saying prayers and attending church but in putting our full trust in God and living according to what God has taught us in the preaching of Jesus Christ. Having Faith in God is not just seeking God’s healing when we are sick but believing that it is possible and also doing those things we need to do to keep ourselves and all God’s children in good health. People can not be healthy if they do not have proper nutrition and medical care. Our Nation has been blessed with an abundance of God’s gifts but at every opportunity there are people who do everything in their power to remove all mention of God in public places.
The ranks of those who claim there is no God is growing at an alarming rate according to the latest statistics.
Without a living faith, a practiced faith, without believing in a supreme being and a loving and merciful God our nation will continue to experience more and more violence and continue to decay just as every great nation before it has that turned away from the basic values found in most religions; the values of peace, brotherhood, compassion, mercy, forgiveness and love for all God’s creation.
As the gospel for today say’s; ‘Were not all ten made clean? The other nine, where are they? It seems that no one has come back to give praise to God, except this foreigner.’ And he said to the man, ‘Stand up and go on your way. Your faith has saved you.”
Without faith and by that I mean a living faith that is more than words but action in our daily lives, how de we expect to be cured of the ills that plague us? How can we expect to overcome the troubles that destroy the lives of so many?
The time is now for us to turn back to God, to ask God for His healing graces, to begin to live our lives in accordance with the teachings we have been given by God and not those imposed by mere humans for the purpose of domination and control.
Only God can judge and determine who is and who is not saved. We who are Christians have been told how God expects us to live and how to attain everlasting life. We will be judged on how well we lived that life in not only word but in our deeds.
Now is the time to turn back to God’s way and not the way of man, for man by nature is flawed and we need God’s guidance and help to overcome our weakness. We need to place our trust and faith in God. When we do, we too will be healed as those in the gospel of today were healed. AMEN
.
Saturday, September 08, 2007
Let Us Walk In The Spirit
Let Us Walk In the Spirit
A Reflection based on Galatians 5:25-26; 6:1-10, Wisdom 9:13-18, Luke 14:25-33
by Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
Mission Saints Sergius & Bacchus
www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverlastingLoveOfChristMinistry
Brethren, If we live in the spirit, let us also walk in the spirit. Let us not be made desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. …….. If any man thinks himself to be something, whereas he is nothing, he deceives himself. Let everyone prove himself by his own work, and so he shall have glory in himself only, and not in another. For everyone shall bear his own burden…… Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for by the things a man sows, those also shall he reap. ………. he that sows in the spirit, of the spirit he shall reap life everlasting. ……. Therefore, while we have time, let us work for good toward all men (Galatians 5. 25, 26; 6. 1-10)
How does one live in the Spirit? This passages gives a few clues, and the negative examples stated seem to have overtaken many people in this the twenty First Century. The first statement is “LET US NOT DESIRE VAIN GLORY” yet so many people go out of their way, even to the point of breaking the law, to receive their fifteen minutes of fame.
Others seem to break the second admonition by believing they are much better than their fellow man and putting people down as being inferior to them. They seem to forget that in God’s eyes, we are all equal. God judges us by our actions and the way we live our life. Are we considerate of the needs of others? Do we give of our selves and share our blessings?
The first reading of the Novus Ordo lectionary for 23rd Sunday in ordinary time is from the Book of Wisdom 9:13 – 18 which says; “Who can know God’s counsel, or who can conceive what the LORD intends?
For the deliberations of mortals are timid, and unsure are our plans. For the corruptible body burdens the soul and the earthen shelter weighs down the mind that has many concerns. And scarce do we guess the things on earth, and what is within our grasp we find with difficulty; but when things are in heaven, who can search them out? Or who ever knew your counsel, except you had given wisdom and sent your holy spirit from on high? And thus were the paths of those on earth made straight..”
There are far too many clergy and others that seem to believe that they know exactly what God has and had in mind when He created all things and have, by that insubordination placed themselves above God, which I believe is a major sin. They use God to gain fame and in many cases great wealth. Every history and biblical story I have read concerning the life of Christ and the Apostles speaks of their being poor, simple men. They wore the plain clothing of the common person and choose to mingle with the lowest of the low according to the rich and powerful of their time.
Throughout history great and pious men and women, like our seraphic father St. Francis and St. Clare whose feast day we recently celebrated, have come forward to denounce the excesses of the church and have attempted to remind church leaders and the faithful of the teachings of Christ found in Christ’s Sermon on the Mount; "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."; and in the Corporal Works of Mercy which are called seven ways for us to serve God and all the children of God, our neighbors, which is every human being on the planet earth; Feed the hungry, Give drink to the thirsty, Clothe the naked, Shelter the homeless, Visit the sick, Visit those in prison ,and Bury the dead.
God will judge us by how well we have lived these teachings, on whether our deeds have matched these teachings and we have sown the seeds of Love of God, Compassion toward those in need, Understanding and acceptance of the differences created by God, Forgiveness for the wrongs others may have done to us, Mercy for those who have done wrong, Justice and equality for all people, Prevented and spoke out against violence and war and the other atrocities that man commits against God’s children.
In short, God will judge us and reward us according to how well we have followed in the footsteps of God and tried to live our lives in accord to the example Christ gave us and taught us. The reading from Wisdom acknowledges that; . For the corruptible body burdens the soul and the earthen shelter weighs down the mind that has many concerns. And scarce do we guess the things on earth, and what is within our grasp we find with difficulty; but when things are in heaven, who can search them out? The Gospel for today, from Luke 14:25-33, is quite clear for it says in part “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life,
he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple…..In the same way, anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.” What Christ is telling us is that we need to put aside our own desires and supposed needs and put God first and foremost in our thoughts, words and deeds. The only way to discover what lies ahead for us in Heaven is to attempt, as well as we mere mortals can, to live our lives in a manner that follows the way Christ, the Apostles and the great saints like St. Francis, St. Benedict, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, St. Vincent de Paul, and people like Gandhi, Brother Roger of Taize, Martin Luther King and Fr. Mychal Judge OFM lived, all of them put others well before themselves and often suffered as Christ suffered by doing so thereby putting service to God above all other things in their live. They were willing to carry the cross given them as we need to try to carry the crosses we are given in order to achieve an eternal reward that is equal to what we sowed here on earth. Let us go forth from today with the commitment to WALK IN THE SPIRIT and attempt with all our being and with the help of the Holy Spirit to follow Christ in every thing we do. AMEN
A Reflection based on Galatians 5:25-26; 6:1-10, Wisdom 9:13-18, Luke 14:25-33
by Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
Mission Saints Sergius & Bacchus
www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverlastingLoveOfChristMinistry
Brethren, If we live in the spirit, let us also walk in the spirit. Let us not be made desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. …….. If any man thinks himself to be something, whereas he is nothing, he deceives himself. Let everyone prove himself by his own work, and so he shall have glory in himself only, and not in another. For everyone shall bear his own burden…… Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for by the things a man sows, those also shall he reap. ………. he that sows in the spirit, of the spirit he shall reap life everlasting. ……. Therefore, while we have time, let us work for good toward all men (Galatians 5. 25, 26; 6. 1-10)
How does one live in the Spirit? This passages gives a few clues, and the negative examples stated seem to have overtaken many people in this the twenty First Century. The first statement is “LET US NOT DESIRE VAIN GLORY” yet so many people go out of their way, even to the point of breaking the law, to receive their fifteen minutes of fame.
Others seem to break the second admonition by believing they are much better than their fellow man and putting people down as being inferior to them. They seem to forget that in God’s eyes, we are all equal. God judges us by our actions and the way we live our life. Are we considerate of the needs of others? Do we give of our selves and share our blessings?
The first reading of the Novus Ordo lectionary for 23rd Sunday in ordinary time is from the Book of Wisdom 9:13 – 18 which says; “Who can know God’s counsel, or who can conceive what the LORD intends?
For the deliberations of mortals are timid, and unsure are our plans. For the corruptible body burdens the soul and the earthen shelter weighs down the mind that has many concerns. And scarce do we guess the things on earth, and what is within our grasp we find with difficulty; but when things are in heaven, who can search them out? Or who ever knew your counsel, except you had given wisdom and sent your holy spirit from on high? And thus were the paths of those on earth made straight..”
There are far too many clergy and others that seem to believe that they know exactly what God has and had in mind when He created all things and have, by that insubordination placed themselves above God, which I believe is a major sin. They use God to gain fame and in many cases great wealth. Every history and biblical story I have read concerning the life of Christ and the Apostles speaks of their being poor, simple men. They wore the plain clothing of the common person and choose to mingle with the lowest of the low according to the rich and powerful of their time.
Throughout history great and pious men and women, like our seraphic father St. Francis and St. Clare whose feast day we recently celebrated, have come forward to denounce the excesses of the church and have attempted to remind church leaders and the faithful of the teachings of Christ found in Christ’s Sermon on the Mount; "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."; and in the Corporal Works of Mercy which are called seven ways for us to serve God and all the children of God, our neighbors, which is every human being on the planet earth; Feed the hungry, Give drink to the thirsty, Clothe the naked, Shelter the homeless, Visit the sick, Visit those in prison ,and Bury the dead.
God will judge us by how well we have lived these teachings, on whether our deeds have matched these teachings and we have sown the seeds of Love of God, Compassion toward those in need, Understanding and acceptance of the differences created by God, Forgiveness for the wrongs others may have done to us, Mercy for those who have done wrong, Justice and equality for all people, Prevented and spoke out against violence and war and the other atrocities that man commits against God’s children.
In short, God will judge us and reward us according to how well we have followed in the footsteps of God and tried to live our lives in accord to the example Christ gave us and taught us. The reading from Wisdom acknowledges that; . For the corruptible body burdens the soul and the earthen shelter weighs down the mind that has many concerns. And scarce do we guess the things on earth, and what is within our grasp we find with difficulty; but when things are in heaven, who can search them out? The Gospel for today, from Luke 14:25-33, is quite clear for it says in part “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life,
he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple…..In the same way, anyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.” What Christ is telling us is that we need to put aside our own desires and supposed needs and put God first and foremost in our thoughts, words and deeds. The only way to discover what lies ahead for us in Heaven is to attempt, as well as we mere mortals can, to live our lives in a manner that follows the way Christ, the Apostles and the great saints like St. Francis, St. Benedict, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, St. Vincent de Paul, and people like Gandhi, Brother Roger of Taize, Martin Luther King and Fr. Mychal Judge OFM lived, all of them put others well before themselves and often suffered as Christ suffered by doing so thereby putting service to God above all other things in their live. They were willing to carry the cross given them as we need to try to carry the crosses we are given in order to achieve an eternal reward that is equal to what we sowed here on earth. Let us go forth from today with the commitment to WALK IN THE SPIRIT and attempt with all our being and with the help of the Holy Spirit to follow Christ in every thing we do. AMEN
Friday, July 20, 2007
A Challenge To Choose A Better Path
Challenge to Choose Better Path
Based on the readings for Sunday July 22, 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, 8th Sunday after Pentecost
Luke 10:38 42; Colossians 1:24 – 28; Romans 8. 12-17; Luke 16. 1-9;
A Reflection by Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus; www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverlastingLoveOfChristMinistry
As I was preparing to write this weeks reflection based on the readings for both the Novus Ordo and the Tridentine calendars I was struck by how they called us to address some of the major issues we have been reading and hearing about in the news this past week. The priestly pedophile settlement made by the Diocese of Los Angeles and the criticism of Cardinal Roger Mahoney, the separation of some parish communities from the Episcopal Church here in Massachusetts and other diocese around America, the continued discussions and criticism of Pope Benedict XVI's letter, issued "motu proprio," and the Vatican’s documents concerning "Summorum Pontificum," by various religious denominations; I had the feeling that just maybe Almighty God is asking all of us who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ to take a good hard look at ourselves and how we are being stewards ( care takers) for Almighty God. The gospel story for the Tridentine calendar is the story of the unjust steward and it reminds us of our duties, for we are the children of light, who must not be outdone by the cunning of the children pledged to the prince of darkness, and therefore we should be
Now He was also saying to the disciples, "There was a rich man who had a manager, and this manager was reported to him as squandering his possessions. And he called him and said to him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management, for you can no longer be manager.' The manager said to himself, 'What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig; I am ashamed to beg. 'I know what I shall do, so that when I am removed from the management people will welcome me into their homes.' And he summoned each one of his master's debtors, and he began saying to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?' And he said, 'A hundred measures of oil.' And he said to him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.' Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?' And he said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.' He said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.' And his master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the sons of this age are shrewder in relation to their own kind than the sons of light. And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings. Luke 16. 1-9
The reading from Paul’s letter to the Romans clearly states that we should allow ourselves to be led by the Spirit, but we have to keep in mind that there are two spirits, the Holy Spirit which comes from God and that which is sent out by the minion of darkness.
For those who are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For you have not received the spirit of bondage again in fear, but you have received the spirit of adoption of sons, whereby we cry, Abba (Father). For the Spirit Himself gives testimony to our spirit, that we are the sons of God; and if sons, heirs also; heirs indeed of God, and joint heirs with Christ” Romans 8. 12-17
The readings from the New or Ordinary liturgy is from Luke and it tells of the visit of Christ to the home of Martha and Mary where Martha complains that Mary is not helping with the chores but is concentrating on Christ to which Christ replies: “Martha, Martha,’ he said ‘you worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed, indeed only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better part; it is not to be taken from her. Luke 10:38 42
All these readings got me to reflecting and asking God for some inspiration and I began to wonder why it is that all of us who claim to be followers of Christ have some much difficulty working together and spend so much time in confrontation and argument about who is right and what form of liturgy is the best, what prayers are correct, which of the churches founded by the Apostles is the true church and who is the supreme head of Christ’s church.
The last question the answer is easy, JESUS CHRIST!
Why do we have to be split asunder instead of gathering together as one flock under the one heavenly shepherd Jesus Christ?
For a thousand years each of the Patriarchs of the Churches founded by the Apostles including the church of Rome would gather together to discuss issues and come to a unanimous decision as to what was and was not to be considered dogma. Many of the issues that are dividing the church are issues that never received a unanimous agreement and caused the church to begin the slippery slope that has divided the One Holy Catholic Apostolic Church. Colossians 1:24-28 reminds us of what and why we have been called to be servants of Christ and Almighty God. “I became the servant of the Church when God made me responsible for delivering God’s message to you, the message which was a mystery hidden for generations and centuries and has now been revealed to his saints. It was God’s purpose to reveal it to them and to show all the rich glory of this mystery to pagans. The mystery is Christ among you, your hope of glory: this is the Christ we proclaim, this is the wisdom in which we thoroughly train everyone and instruct everyone, to make them all perfect in Christ Colossians 1:24 - 28
I believe that the reason for all the dissentions we are faced with is because the one thing; the Prince of Darkness, Lucifer, fears most is that all the children of God will come together as one family and with one voice praising God and that would defeat him and his minions in their battle with God.
He has throughout history used every device in his arsenal to divide or destroy the followers of Christ and the Church He founded from the crucifixion of Jesus himself through the persecution of the early Christians by the Romans straight through the most recent martyrdom of those whose voices who have spoken out for brotherhood, justice love and peace like Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Matthew Sheppard, Brother Roger of Taize’ and so many others.
Satan has used every one of the Seven deadly sins (Luxuria (extravagance, later lust), Gula (gluttony), Avaritia (greed), Acedia (sloth), Ira (vengeance, more commonly known as anger), Invidia (envy), and Superbia (pride).has been employed in an attempt to destroy the Church and bring discord and division among those called to be it’s shepherds and we still see them being the cause of what is keeping Christians split asunder.
Twenty one centuries after Christ came to proclaim that His Father, Almighty God, was a God of mercy, compassion and most of all infinite love we find Christians who are more than happy to exclude children of God from giving God His due honor and praise and to partake of the gifts of the Sacraments and Eucharist because they do not fit their concept of what a child of God should be.
In the book on the life of Brother Roger of Taize’ A UNIVERSAL HEART I came across some interesting quotes from Popes John XXIII and Paul VI and Brother Roger himself concerning their views on reconciliation and the unification of the One Holy Catholic Apostolic Church. Brother Roger said of the Second Vatican Council ““I was astonished to see how Christians - who nevertheless live from a God of love – use so much energy to justify their separations. So I said to myself that it was essential to create a community where people search to understand one another and to be reconciled with one another always, and through this, to render visible a little parable of communion.” History has marked the mental structures of the whole of Christianity so profoundly that the way for which John XXIII and the council hoped is not the way that was has imposed itself” and Pope Paul VI has stated “If things are going badly it is because we men who hold high responsibility in the church, crucify Christ over again so often”
Pope John Paul II while visiting Taixe’said the following; “Do not be content to criticize passively or to wait for persons or institutions to become better. Go towards the parishes, the student organizations, the different movements and communities, and patiently bring them the force of your youth and the talents you have received. Bring your trust and support to the ministers of the Church; they are your servants in the name of Jesus, and for that reason you need them. The Church needs your presence and your participation. If you remain within the Church, you will of course at times be upset by divisions, internal tensions and the sorry state of its members, but you will receive from Christ, who is the Head, his Word of Truth, his own Life, and the Breath of Love that will enable you to love him faithfully and to make your life a success by risking it in a joyful gift for others.”
The opening words of John XXIII in his encyclical AD PETRI CATHEDRAM “May the light of the Holy Spirit come upon Us from on high as We write this letter and upon you as you read it. May the grace of God move all men to attain these objectives, which all desire, even though prejudices, great difficulties, and many obstacles stand in the way of their achievement. All the evils which poison men and nations and trouble so many hearts have a single cause and a single source: ignorance of the truth—and at times even more than ignorance, contempt for truth and a reckless rejection of it. Thus arise all manner of errors, which enter the recesses of men's hearts and the bloodstream of human society as would a plague. These errors turn everything upside down: they menace individuals and society itself. And yet, God gave each of us an intellect capable of attaining natural truth. If we adhere to this truth, we adhere to God Himself, the author of truth, the lawgiver and ruler of our lives. But if we reject this truth, whether out of foolishness, neglect, or malice, we turn our backs on the highest good itself and on the very norm for right living. As We have said, it is possible for us to attain natural truth by virtue of our intellects. But all cannot do this easily; often their efforts will result in a mixture of truth and error. This is particularly the case in matters of religion and sound morals. Moreover, we cannot possibly attain those truths which exceed the capacity of nature and the grasp of reason, unless God enlightens and inspires us. This is why the word of God, "who dwells in light inaccessible," (2) in His great love took pity on man's plight, "became flesh and dwelt among us," (3) that He might "enlighten every man who cometh into the world" (4) and lead him not only to full and perfect truth, but to virtue and eternal happiness. All men, therefore, are bound to accept the teaching of the gospel. For if this is rejected, the very foundations of truth, goodness, and civilization are endangered. And further on John XXIII says “God created men as brothers, not foes. He gave them the earth to be cultivated by their toil and labor. Each and every man is to enjoy the fruits of the earth and receive from it his sustenance and the necessities of life. The various nations are simply communities of men, that is, of brothers. They are to work in brotherly cooperation for the common prosperity of human society, not simply for their own particular goals……. If this teaching, this consoling hope, were taken away from men, there would be no reason for living. Lusts, dissensions, and disputes would erupt from within us. There would be no reasonable check to restrain them. The olive branch of peace would not shine in our thoughts; the firebrands of war would blaze there. Our lot would be cast with beasts, which do not have the use of reason. Ours would be an even worse lot, for we do have the use of reason and by abusing it (which, unfortunately, often happens) we can sink into a state lower than that of beasts. Like Cain, we would commit a terrible crime and stain the earth with our brother's blood.”
Let us, as true believers and followers of Christ choose the better path and find our common bonds. Let us end the petty discords that have separated us as to which rite or what forms of praise and prayer we should use to give glory and praise to Almighty God. Let us stop trying to outflank one another and end the discussion of who is in charge; there is only one person in charge, GOD the supreme head of all. Let’s stop bickering over who is worthy of receiving the call to serve God as a priest, deacon or Bishop because of their gender or god given sexual orientation and begin to exhibit the love that Christ did for everyone who came to him and heard the truth he proclaimed.
Let us pray the words “Ubi caritas, Deus ibi est” “Where love is, there is God, there He is visible” Let us show God’s infinite love to every person we meet especially those who disagree with us or would have us as enemies. AMEN
Based on the readings for Sunday July 22, 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, 8th Sunday after Pentecost
Luke 10:38 42; Colossians 1:24 – 28; Romans 8. 12-17; Luke 16. 1-9;
A Reflection by Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus; www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverlastingLoveOfChristMinistry
As I was preparing to write this weeks reflection based on the readings for both the Novus Ordo and the Tridentine calendars I was struck by how they called us to address some of the major issues we have been reading and hearing about in the news this past week. The priestly pedophile settlement made by the Diocese of Los Angeles and the criticism of Cardinal Roger Mahoney, the separation of some parish communities from the Episcopal Church here in Massachusetts and other diocese around America, the continued discussions and criticism of Pope Benedict XVI's letter, issued "motu proprio," and the Vatican’s documents concerning "Summorum Pontificum," by various religious denominations; I had the feeling that just maybe Almighty God is asking all of us who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ to take a good hard look at ourselves and how we are being stewards ( care takers) for Almighty God. The gospel story for the Tridentine calendar is the story of the unjust steward and it reminds us of our duties, for we are the children of light, who must not be outdone by the cunning of the children pledged to the prince of darkness, and therefore we should be
Now He was also saying to the disciples, "There was a rich man who had a manager, and this manager was reported to him as squandering his possessions. And he called him and said to him, 'What is this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management, for you can no longer be manager.' The manager said to himself, 'What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig; I am ashamed to beg. 'I know what I shall do, so that when I am removed from the management people will welcome me into their homes.' And he summoned each one of his master's debtors, and he began saying to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?' And he said, 'A hundred measures of oil.' And he said to him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.' Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?' And he said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.' He said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.' And his master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the sons of this age are shrewder in relation to their own kind than the sons of light. And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings. Luke 16. 1-9
The reading from Paul’s letter to the Romans clearly states that we should allow ourselves to be led by the Spirit, but we have to keep in mind that there are two spirits, the Holy Spirit which comes from God and that which is sent out by the minion of darkness.
For those who are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For you have not received the spirit of bondage again in fear, but you have received the spirit of adoption of sons, whereby we cry, Abba (Father). For the Spirit Himself gives testimony to our spirit, that we are the sons of God; and if sons, heirs also; heirs indeed of God, and joint heirs with Christ” Romans 8. 12-17
The readings from the New or Ordinary liturgy is from Luke and it tells of the visit of Christ to the home of Martha and Mary where Martha complains that Mary is not helping with the chores but is concentrating on Christ to which Christ replies: “Martha, Martha,’ he said ‘you worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed, indeed only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better part; it is not to be taken from her. Luke 10:38 42
All these readings got me to reflecting and asking God for some inspiration and I began to wonder why it is that all of us who claim to be followers of Christ have some much difficulty working together and spend so much time in confrontation and argument about who is right and what form of liturgy is the best, what prayers are correct, which of the churches founded by the Apostles is the true church and who is the supreme head of Christ’s church.
The last question the answer is easy, JESUS CHRIST!
Why do we have to be split asunder instead of gathering together as one flock under the one heavenly shepherd Jesus Christ?
For a thousand years each of the Patriarchs of the Churches founded by the Apostles including the church of Rome would gather together to discuss issues and come to a unanimous decision as to what was and was not to be considered dogma. Many of the issues that are dividing the church are issues that never received a unanimous agreement and caused the church to begin the slippery slope that has divided the One Holy Catholic Apostolic Church. Colossians 1:24-28 reminds us of what and why we have been called to be servants of Christ and Almighty God. “I became the servant of the Church when God made me responsible for delivering God’s message to you, the message which was a mystery hidden for generations and centuries and has now been revealed to his saints. It was God’s purpose to reveal it to them and to show all the rich glory of this mystery to pagans. The mystery is Christ among you, your hope of glory: this is the Christ we proclaim, this is the wisdom in which we thoroughly train everyone and instruct everyone, to make them all perfect in Christ Colossians 1:24 - 28
I believe that the reason for all the dissentions we are faced with is because the one thing; the Prince of Darkness, Lucifer, fears most is that all the children of God will come together as one family and with one voice praising God and that would defeat him and his minions in their battle with God.
He has throughout history used every device in his arsenal to divide or destroy the followers of Christ and the Church He founded from the crucifixion of Jesus himself through the persecution of the early Christians by the Romans straight through the most recent martyrdom of those whose voices who have spoken out for brotherhood, justice love and peace like Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Matthew Sheppard, Brother Roger of Taize’ and so many others.
Satan has used every one of the Seven deadly sins (Luxuria (extravagance, later lust), Gula (gluttony), Avaritia (greed), Acedia (sloth), Ira (vengeance, more commonly known as anger), Invidia (envy), and Superbia (pride).has been employed in an attempt to destroy the Church and bring discord and division among those called to be it’s shepherds and we still see them being the cause of what is keeping Christians split asunder.
Twenty one centuries after Christ came to proclaim that His Father, Almighty God, was a God of mercy, compassion and most of all infinite love we find Christians who are more than happy to exclude children of God from giving God His due honor and praise and to partake of the gifts of the Sacraments and Eucharist because they do not fit their concept of what a child of God should be.
In the book on the life of Brother Roger of Taize’ A UNIVERSAL HEART I came across some interesting quotes from Popes John XXIII and Paul VI and Brother Roger himself concerning their views on reconciliation and the unification of the One Holy Catholic Apostolic Church. Brother Roger said of the Second Vatican Council ““I was astonished to see how Christians - who nevertheless live from a God of love – use so much energy to justify their separations. So I said to myself that it was essential to create a community where people search to understand one another and to be reconciled with one another always, and through this, to render visible a little parable of communion.” History has marked the mental structures of the whole of Christianity so profoundly that the way for which John XXIII and the council hoped is not the way that was has imposed itself” and Pope Paul VI has stated “If things are going badly it is because we men who hold high responsibility in the church, crucify Christ over again so often”
Pope John Paul II while visiting Taixe’said the following; “Do not be content to criticize passively or to wait for persons or institutions to become better. Go towards the parishes, the student organizations, the different movements and communities, and patiently bring them the force of your youth and the talents you have received. Bring your trust and support to the ministers of the Church; they are your servants in the name of Jesus, and for that reason you need them. The Church needs your presence and your participation. If you remain within the Church, you will of course at times be upset by divisions, internal tensions and the sorry state of its members, but you will receive from Christ, who is the Head, his Word of Truth, his own Life, and the Breath of Love that will enable you to love him faithfully and to make your life a success by risking it in a joyful gift for others.”
The opening words of John XXIII in his encyclical AD PETRI CATHEDRAM “May the light of the Holy Spirit come upon Us from on high as We write this letter and upon you as you read it. May the grace of God move all men to attain these objectives, which all desire, even though prejudices, great difficulties, and many obstacles stand in the way of their achievement. All the evils which poison men and nations and trouble so many hearts have a single cause and a single source: ignorance of the truth—and at times even more than ignorance, contempt for truth and a reckless rejection of it. Thus arise all manner of errors, which enter the recesses of men's hearts and the bloodstream of human society as would a plague. These errors turn everything upside down: they menace individuals and society itself. And yet, God gave each of us an intellect capable of attaining natural truth. If we adhere to this truth, we adhere to God Himself, the author of truth, the lawgiver and ruler of our lives. But if we reject this truth, whether out of foolishness, neglect, or malice, we turn our backs on the highest good itself and on the very norm for right living. As We have said, it is possible for us to attain natural truth by virtue of our intellects. But all cannot do this easily; often their efforts will result in a mixture of truth and error. This is particularly the case in matters of religion and sound morals. Moreover, we cannot possibly attain those truths which exceed the capacity of nature and the grasp of reason, unless God enlightens and inspires us. This is why the word of God, "who dwells in light inaccessible," (2) in His great love took pity on man's plight, "became flesh and dwelt among us," (3) that He might "enlighten every man who cometh into the world" (4) and lead him not only to full and perfect truth, but to virtue and eternal happiness. All men, therefore, are bound to accept the teaching of the gospel. For if this is rejected, the very foundations of truth, goodness, and civilization are endangered. And further on John XXIII says “God created men as brothers, not foes. He gave them the earth to be cultivated by their toil and labor. Each and every man is to enjoy the fruits of the earth and receive from it his sustenance and the necessities of life. The various nations are simply communities of men, that is, of brothers. They are to work in brotherly cooperation for the common prosperity of human society, not simply for their own particular goals……. If this teaching, this consoling hope, were taken away from men, there would be no reason for living. Lusts, dissensions, and disputes would erupt from within us. There would be no reasonable check to restrain them. The olive branch of peace would not shine in our thoughts; the firebrands of war would blaze there. Our lot would be cast with beasts, which do not have the use of reason. Ours would be an even worse lot, for we do have the use of reason and by abusing it (which, unfortunately, often happens) we can sink into a state lower than that of beasts. Like Cain, we would commit a terrible crime and stain the earth with our brother's blood.”
Let us, as true believers and followers of Christ choose the better path and find our common bonds. Let us end the petty discords that have separated us as to which rite or what forms of praise and prayer we should use to give glory and praise to Almighty God. Let us stop trying to outflank one another and end the discussion of who is in charge; there is only one person in charge, GOD the supreme head of all. Let’s stop bickering over who is worthy of receiving the call to serve God as a priest, deacon or Bishop because of their gender or god given sexual orientation and begin to exhibit the love that Christ did for everyone who came to him and heard the truth he proclaimed.
Let us pray the words “Ubi caritas, Deus ibi est” “Where love is, there is God, there He is visible” Let us show God’s infinite love to every person we meet especially those who disagree with us or would have us as enemies. AMEN
Friday, June 29, 2007
July First Reflection
This Nation was based On Faith in God
A Reflection for the first Sunday of July, 2007 by Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus, Holliston, MA
www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverlastingLoveOfChristMinistry
Sunday begins the great get-a-way of the Summer with schools out and the United States celebration of the 231st birthday of its founding I find it especially gratifying and fitting that we can find in The Good News of Salvation, the Gospels, the basis upon which this nation was formed.
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” (Constitution of the United States)
“We hold these truths to be self-evident that ALL PEOPLE are created equal, that they ARE ENDOWED BY THEIR CREATOR with certain unalienable rights, that among them are LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS” (Declaration of Independence)
In the book of Wisdom and it says, “Love Justice, you who judge the earth think of the Lord in Goodness and seek Him in integrity of heart” (Wisdom 1:1) “God does not rejoice in the destruction of the living for God furnished all things that they might have being…ALL the creatures of the world are wholesome” (Wisdom 1:14-15) “Through the envy of the devil death and evil entered the world” (Wisdom 2:24) “It is the wicked, the sons of Satan who with hands and words invited death and destruction considering it a friend” (Wisdom 1:16) We are also told in Wisdom 15 “Justice is undying”.
The truth is that JUSTICE is undying unless the devil has taken control of those persons who are commissioned to uphold it and guarantee that All people receive the same treatment and rights.
JUSTICE is the root of all freedom, if there is no JUSTICE there is no true freedom. JUSTICE is undying when it is coupled with a sense of FAITH in a superior being, the creator Almighty God. This nations founding fathers had a deep-rooted sense of faith in God. In the Declaration of Independence, they refer to Him as THE CREATOR and THE SUPREME JUDGE OF THE WORLD.
Today we have many people who are attempting to remove any mention of Almighty God from everything in this country; this was not the intent or purpose of our founding Fathers. They had a deep-seated FAITH and A STRONG BELIEF in Almighty God.
In recent years a small minority have prevented prayer in the schools, forbidden the reading of the Bible, are trying to remove and would deny that our rule of laws were established with the commandments in mind.
At the same time we have another segment of our society that use Religion to justify discrimination against people because of their ethnic origin or whom God created with a same sex orientation.
Sadly, some of these people are religious leaders of denomination that call themselves Christian or followers of Jesus Christ..
According to my understanding, Jews, Muslims, and all Christians worship the same God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David or Jesus Christ.
The Bible teaches us how FAITH is powerful. There is the story of the woman who had hemorrhaged for twelve years and an official of the Jewish synagogue, Jairus, had FAITH and TRUST that Jesus could cure her, and He did.
Having FAITH can as Jesus tells us in Matthew 17:20 “If you had faith the size of a tiny mustard seed, you would be able to say to that mountain, move!, and it would move”
JUSTICE is undying when it is coupled with Honesty, Trust, Faith, Generosity or compassion and the same freedoms for all the people.
ALL people should be able to pursue their life by having the same rights and benefits of all other citizens and none should have greater rights than any other regardless of their social, ethnic, religious denomination or financial position.
In order to accomplish this we need to respect and embrace the diversity of God’s creation and nurture it according to it‘s lawful purpose.
Every child of God has been given special gifts and just as the various parts of our body look different and have differing functions they are all part of the same body. So it is with all God’s children, they might look different, may have differing celebrations and customs but they are all our sisters and brothers in Christ which is the underlying message of this weeks second reading from Galatians 5:1-18 “When Christ freed us, he meant us to remain free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery. My brothers, you were called, as you know, to liberty; but be careful, or this liberty will provide an opening for self-indulgence. Serve one another, rather, in works of love, since the whole of the Law is summarized in a single command: Love your neighbour as yourself. If you go snapping at each other and tearing each other to pieces, you had better watch or you will destroy the whole community. Let me put it like this: if you are guided by the Spirit you will be in no danger of yielding to self-indulgence, since self-indulgence is the opposite of the Spirit, the Spirit is totally against such a thing, and it is precisely because the two are so opposed that you do not always carry out your good intentions. If you are led by the Spirit, no law can touch you.”
We have seen examples of how one individual, Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Oprah Winfry and others by stepping forward and using their wealth and fame have made a difference and are living examples of the message found in Second Corinthians 8:12-14; “The willingness to give should be in accord with ones means, not go beyond them...there should be certain EQUALITY. Your plenty now should supply their needs so that there surplus later might be able to supply your needs, with EQUALITY as a result”
As we celebrate the birthday of the United States on Wednesday I urge each and every one who reads or hears this message to think about our freedom, think about how you are contributing to the ideals upon which this country was founded.
Are you being GENEROUS, TRUSTING, HONEST, FAITHFUL? Are you working to insure that EVERY citizen is accorded the same rights and privileges as all the others? Are you accepting the unique differences of races and beliefs that have come together from all over the globe seeking the promise of Freedom and hope that America has become?
As long as each and every person is respecting the RIGHTS of all the others, and reaching out to all with the same LOVE that Jesus demonstrated to all He encountered, there is a chance that we might find ways to end the violence that is killing our youth on the streets of our cities, end the prejudice and hatred that separates us from each other and address the poverty that so many endure all over the world. All these terrible things as well as the desire for vast wealth and power are the tools of Satan injected into people to keep the world confused and unbalanced and casting doubt in peoples hearts and minds about Love of Almighty God and if the God proclaimed in the Holy Scriptures actually exists.
I pray that Almighty God will send His bountiful blessings upon each and every one of us through the Holy Spirit’s guidance so that the leaders of this nation and the nations of the world and the world’s religions can find peaceful and compassionate ways to bring about a more perfect world, end the violent conflict that has killed more than 3600 of our young men and women and hundreds of thousands of innocent people all over the globe through genocide and starvation guiding them to institute laws that insure equality, justice, honesty, truth, trust and the pursuit of happiness for not only the citizens of this great nation but for all the children of God all over the globe, and guide the religious leaders to find the common bond that they all have in order to guide and lead their followers toward understanding and a deeper love of Almighty God by whatever name they call upon Him by.
AMEN
A Reflection for the first Sunday of July, 2007 by Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus, Holliston, MA
www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverlastingLoveOfChristMinistry
Sunday begins the great get-a-way of the Summer with schools out and the United States celebration of the 231st birthday of its founding I find it especially gratifying and fitting that we can find in The Good News of Salvation, the Gospels, the basis upon which this nation was formed.
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” (Constitution of the United States)
“We hold these truths to be self-evident that ALL PEOPLE are created equal, that they ARE ENDOWED BY THEIR CREATOR with certain unalienable rights, that among them are LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS” (Declaration of Independence)
In the book of Wisdom and it says, “Love Justice, you who judge the earth think of the Lord in Goodness and seek Him in integrity of heart” (Wisdom 1:1) “God does not rejoice in the destruction of the living for God furnished all things that they might have being…ALL the creatures of the world are wholesome” (Wisdom 1:14-15) “Through the envy of the devil death and evil entered the world” (Wisdom 2:24) “It is the wicked, the sons of Satan who with hands and words invited death and destruction considering it a friend” (Wisdom 1:16) We are also told in Wisdom 15 “Justice is undying”.
The truth is that JUSTICE is undying unless the devil has taken control of those persons who are commissioned to uphold it and guarantee that All people receive the same treatment and rights.
JUSTICE is the root of all freedom, if there is no JUSTICE there is no true freedom. JUSTICE is undying when it is coupled with a sense of FAITH in a superior being, the creator Almighty God. This nations founding fathers had a deep-rooted sense of faith in God. In the Declaration of Independence, they refer to Him as THE CREATOR and THE SUPREME JUDGE OF THE WORLD.
Today we have many people who are attempting to remove any mention of Almighty God from everything in this country; this was not the intent or purpose of our founding Fathers. They had a deep-seated FAITH and A STRONG BELIEF in Almighty God.
In recent years a small minority have prevented prayer in the schools, forbidden the reading of the Bible, are trying to remove and would deny that our rule of laws were established with the commandments in mind.
At the same time we have another segment of our society that use Religion to justify discrimination against people because of their ethnic origin or whom God created with a same sex orientation.
Sadly, some of these people are religious leaders of denomination that call themselves Christian or followers of Jesus Christ..
According to my understanding, Jews, Muslims, and all Christians worship the same God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David or Jesus Christ.
The Bible teaches us how FAITH is powerful. There is the story of the woman who had hemorrhaged for twelve years and an official of the Jewish synagogue, Jairus, had FAITH and TRUST that Jesus could cure her, and He did.
Having FAITH can as Jesus tells us in Matthew 17:20 “If you had faith the size of a tiny mustard seed, you would be able to say to that mountain, move!, and it would move”
JUSTICE is undying when it is coupled with Honesty, Trust, Faith, Generosity or compassion and the same freedoms for all the people.
ALL people should be able to pursue their life by having the same rights and benefits of all other citizens and none should have greater rights than any other regardless of their social, ethnic, religious denomination or financial position.
In order to accomplish this we need to respect and embrace the diversity of God’s creation and nurture it according to it‘s lawful purpose.
Every child of God has been given special gifts and just as the various parts of our body look different and have differing functions they are all part of the same body. So it is with all God’s children, they might look different, may have differing celebrations and customs but they are all our sisters and brothers in Christ which is the underlying message of this weeks second reading from Galatians 5:1-18 “When Christ freed us, he meant us to remain free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery. My brothers, you were called, as you know, to liberty; but be careful, or this liberty will provide an opening for self-indulgence. Serve one another, rather, in works of love, since the whole of the Law is summarized in a single command: Love your neighbour as yourself. If you go snapping at each other and tearing each other to pieces, you had better watch or you will destroy the whole community. Let me put it like this: if you are guided by the Spirit you will be in no danger of yielding to self-indulgence, since self-indulgence is the opposite of the Spirit, the Spirit is totally against such a thing, and it is precisely because the two are so opposed that you do not always carry out your good intentions. If you are led by the Spirit, no law can touch you.”
We have seen examples of how one individual, Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Oprah Winfry and others by stepping forward and using their wealth and fame have made a difference and are living examples of the message found in Second Corinthians 8:12-14; “The willingness to give should be in accord with ones means, not go beyond them...there should be certain EQUALITY. Your plenty now should supply their needs so that there surplus later might be able to supply your needs, with EQUALITY as a result”
As we celebrate the birthday of the United States on Wednesday I urge each and every one who reads or hears this message to think about our freedom, think about how you are contributing to the ideals upon which this country was founded.
Are you being GENEROUS, TRUSTING, HONEST, FAITHFUL? Are you working to insure that EVERY citizen is accorded the same rights and privileges as all the others? Are you accepting the unique differences of races and beliefs that have come together from all over the globe seeking the promise of Freedom and hope that America has become?
As long as each and every person is respecting the RIGHTS of all the others, and reaching out to all with the same LOVE that Jesus demonstrated to all He encountered, there is a chance that we might find ways to end the violence that is killing our youth on the streets of our cities, end the prejudice and hatred that separates us from each other and address the poverty that so many endure all over the world. All these terrible things as well as the desire for vast wealth and power are the tools of Satan injected into people to keep the world confused and unbalanced and casting doubt in peoples hearts and minds about Love of Almighty God and if the God proclaimed in the Holy Scriptures actually exists.
I pray that Almighty God will send His bountiful blessings upon each and every one of us through the Holy Spirit’s guidance so that the leaders of this nation and the nations of the world and the world’s religions can find peaceful and compassionate ways to bring about a more perfect world, end the violent conflict that has killed more than 3600 of our young men and women and hundreds of thousands of innocent people all over the globe through genocide and starvation guiding them to institute laws that insure equality, justice, honesty, truth, trust and the pursuit of happiness for not only the citizens of this great nation but for all the children of God all over the globe, and guide the religious leaders to find the common bond that they all have in order to guide and lead their followers toward understanding and a deeper love of Almighty God by whatever name they call upon Him by.
AMEN
Friday, June 15, 2007
Father's Day June 17th
Father’s Day, June 17th
A Reflection by Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus
www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverlastingLoveOfChristMinistry
“With God as our father, brothers all are we. Let us work with each other for perfect harmony” These words from the song LET THERE BE PEACE ON EARTH are full of intense meaning for each and every one of us if we take a good look at what they are acknowledging.
On this Father’s day most children seek to find a special gift for their earthly fathers. Some children have two fathers and in my mind this could be a double blessing for them and unfortunately some children have never known their earthly father because of their passing before they had a chance to know them or through divorce or other circumstances.
My father was called home to God in 1976 at the age of 76 but I still have times when I want to talk with him and times when I feel his presence or hear his words.
As a father of three and a grandfather I know how much I love my children and grandchildren and I am but a mere mortal man, how much more does our Heavenly Father love each and every one of us?
With God as our Father, we are all, every person on this planet, brothers and sisters and we are also brothers and sisters to Jesus Christ, the son of God our father.
Why is it then that we have so much trouble getting along with each other and why do we try to exclude some of our brothers and sisters from giving their heavenly father the worship and praise He deserves just because they are a different race or religion or have a sexual orientation toward a member of the same sex or because they are divorced.
Why is it that we do not look out for the well being of those brothers and sisters who are not as well of as we are or are in need of special attention because of physical or mental or medical reasons?
The father in the story of the Prodigal Son was willing to overlook his son’s transgressions and welcome him back with a feast and a joyous celebration which is how our heavenly father will welcome every one who returns to Him.
Our Father in heaven is a loving, caring, compassionate and merciful father, not the God of vengeance of the Old Testament and Christ proclaimed that while He was here on earth.
Now is the time for each and every one of us, to acknowledge that we are all brothers and sisters with the same heavenly father and for us to begin to act with the same compassion and love toward each other that Christ exhibited while he was on earth to all He encountered.
It is time for us to speak up against injustice, bigotry, violence, discrimination, war and poverty and to make a gift that is truly meaningful to our heavenly father, God Almighty.
Christ in His sermon on the mount found in Matthew 5: 3-12 said; Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the earth. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are they who suffer persecution for justice sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.The best way for us to be blessed and follow Christ’s Sermon on the Mount is to put the seven practices of charity toward our neighbor into action. They are based on Christ’s prophecy of the Last Judgment, which will determine each person’s final destiny and they are; Feed the hungry, Give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, Shelter the homeless, Visit the sick, Visit those in prison, and Bury the dead. “Then the King will say to those at his right hand, ’Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ’Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink?’ And the king will answer them, ’Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of my brethren, you did it to me.’”(Matthew 25:34)
On this Fathers day let us make a gift to God that will be truly pleasing to Him and take an action in keeping with how we as brothers and sisters should be acting and lets begin to make a change in this world that will bring about a time of brotherhood for all not just a select few chosen by one group or another.
When Christ taught us to pray He said; “When you pray, say, Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed is your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on this earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive our trespassers and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from all evil” and then we acknowledge “For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. AMEN”
A Reflection by Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus
www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverlastingLoveOfChristMinistry
“With God as our father, brothers all are we. Let us work with each other for perfect harmony” These words from the song LET THERE BE PEACE ON EARTH are full of intense meaning for each and every one of us if we take a good look at what they are acknowledging.
On this Father’s day most children seek to find a special gift for their earthly fathers. Some children have two fathers and in my mind this could be a double blessing for them and unfortunately some children have never known their earthly father because of their passing before they had a chance to know them or through divorce or other circumstances.
My father was called home to God in 1976 at the age of 76 but I still have times when I want to talk with him and times when I feel his presence or hear his words.
As a father of three and a grandfather I know how much I love my children and grandchildren and I am but a mere mortal man, how much more does our Heavenly Father love each and every one of us?
With God as our Father, we are all, every person on this planet, brothers and sisters and we are also brothers and sisters to Jesus Christ, the son of God our father.
Why is it then that we have so much trouble getting along with each other and why do we try to exclude some of our brothers and sisters from giving their heavenly father the worship and praise He deserves just because they are a different race or religion or have a sexual orientation toward a member of the same sex or because they are divorced.
Why is it that we do not look out for the well being of those brothers and sisters who are not as well of as we are or are in need of special attention because of physical or mental or medical reasons?
The father in the story of the Prodigal Son was willing to overlook his son’s transgressions and welcome him back with a feast and a joyous celebration which is how our heavenly father will welcome every one who returns to Him.
Our Father in heaven is a loving, caring, compassionate and merciful father, not the God of vengeance of the Old Testament and Christ proclaimed that while He was here on earth.
Now is the time for each and every one of us, to acknowledge that we are all brothers and sisters with the same heavenly father and for us to begin to act with the same compassion and love toward each other that Christ exhibited while he was on earth to all He encountered.
It is time for us to speak up against injustice, bigotry, violence, discrimination, war and poverty and to make a gift that is truly meaningful to our heavenly father, God Almighty.
Christ in His sermon on the mount found in Matthew 5: 3-12 said; Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the earth. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are they who suffer persecution for justice sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.The best way for us to be blessed and follow Christ’s Sermon on the Mount is to put the seven practices of charity toward our neighbor into action. They are based on Christ’s prophecy of the Last Judgment, which will determine each person’s final destiny and they are; Feed the hungry, Give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, Shelter the homeless, Visit the sick, Visit those in prison, and Bury the dead. “Then the King will say to those at his right hand, ’Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ’Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink?’ And the king will answer them, ’Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of my brethren, you did it to me.’”(Matthew 25:34)
On this Fathers day let us make a gift to God that will be truly pleasing to Him and take an action in keeping with how we as brothers and sisters should be acting and lets begin to make a change in this world that will bring about a time of brotherhood for all not just a select few chosen by one group or another.
When Christ taught us to pray He said; “When you pray, say, Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed is your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on this earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive our trespassers and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from all evil” and then we acknowledge “For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. AMEN”
Friday, June 01, 2007
Holy Trinity Reflection
Blessed be the Father, Son and Holy Spirit
Reflection for Trinity Sunday
Proverbs 8; 22-31; Psalm 8; Romans 11: 33-36:14-17; Matthew 28:16-20
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus
www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverlastingLoveOfChristMinistry
The Feast of the Trinity, the belief that there are three distinct manifestations or persons in God, is one of the most difficult beliefs of Christianity for many to understand and believe. Yet In scripture, there are many references to the three manifestations or persons of God.
Jesus, in Matthew 28, tells the disciples “Jesus said to His disciples: All is power given to Me in heaven and on earth. Going therefore, teach you all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and behold I am with you for all days, even to the consummation of the world.”
“Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit” Jesus tells the Apostles to Baptize in the name of the three persons in God.
In Romans we read “Those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God”
I am not going to go into the scholarly dissertations that have been made throughout the ages. St. Patrick, in trying to show how there could be three distinct parts to one thing used the shamrock to define the trinity, others have used water in its three forms (liquid, solid, gas) to show how one thing can have three distinct qualities.
Most of us who believe in God and Are Followers of Christ accept the fact of the Trinity.
There is only One God, the Father/Creator who is the maker of all things. This is the God who asks only that we recognize Him and only Him. This is the same God who is said to have given Moses the rules for all to follow, the commandments. When the commandments are examined, with intelligence, they make logical sense as an intelligent way to lead ones life. If we follow them, we will not only honor God, but we will also live lives that respect for the dignity and individuality of each and every human being and of all God’s creation.
Christ in Matthew 28 says “Full authority has been given to me both in heaven and on earth. Teach them to observe all the Commands I gave you and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world.
In order to show His unending love for all His children, Almighty God sent himself in the human form of Jesus, to not only clearly demonstrate that a human could live according to the Commandments, but to simplify the commandments by clarifying how simple it is to give honor and glory to God. Christ, the second person of the trinity, summed the ten commandments up with this statement, “Love the Lord, your God, with your whole heart, mind, soul and being and Love your neighbor as yourself”. To love your neighbor as you love yourself means that you do not discriminate against them, do anything that will cause them pain or suffering, and not prevent them from giving praise, glory and honor to Almighty God who created them.
Romans 8:14 states “Everyone moved by the Spirit is a son of God” and it concludes with “If we are children, we are heirs as well; heirs of God, heirs with Christ” That simply means that we all can have the everlasting and eternal life promised to us and earned through the passion, death, and resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity.
The Holy Spirit, the third personage of Almighty God is often referred to as “ENLIGHTENER, COUNSELOR, and COMFORTER.
By our Baptism we, as Jesus himself was baptized by John at the Jordan River, are baptized with water and the Holy Spirit. This means that just as the spirit descended upon Jesus in the form of a dove, and upon the Apostles in the form of tongues of fire, we also receive the spirit and with it the gifts of the Spirit which are, “Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge, Counsel, Fortitude, Piety and Fear of the Lord and we are open to receive the Fruits of the Spirit which are; Love, Joy, Peace, Longsuffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meekness, and Temperance.
The gifts and fruits of The Holy Spirit are strengthened and supposedly deepened within us through prayer, and the Eucharist and will grow within us every day we live as Jesus instructed us and gave us by example in His life here on earth.
If, however, we choose to ignore God’s desires for us by succumbing to greed, sexual promiscuity, discrimination, disregard for the poor and needy, selfishness, and anger, violence and war mongering, we separate ourselves from God and the Gifts of God bestowed through the Holy Spirit.
Therefore by accepting Christ as our redeemer and savior, and by following the commandments of God as clarified by Christ, we will gain the everlasting life in the spirit when our mortal life is over.
We need to be ever vigilant, keeping ourselves open to receiving the Holy Spirit into our life. We need to what our heart is telling us and discern if it conforms to how Christ lived and taught us.
If we do this we will indeed become one with the Father, and the Son and Holy Spirit.
Prayer to Holy Trinity
From the Collect of the Mass for Trinity Sunday
O Almighty and Everlasting God, who has granted to Your servants, in confessing the true Father, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of Majesty to adore the Unity: we beseech You, that by steadfastness in the same Faith, we may ever be defended against all adversity and live our lives with brotherhood toward all persons. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, You Son, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit. AMEN.
O God, the strength of those who put their trust in You, be kindly attentive to our prayers, and since man's weakness is helpless without You, grant the help of Your grace, that in observing Your commandments, we may please You both in will and in deed. Forgive us our failings and strengthen us by your gifts of the Holy Spirit. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, You Son, who lives and reigns with You in the unity as One God, Father, Son and Holy spirit. AMEN
Reflection for Trinity Sunday
Proverbs 8; 22-31; Psalm 8; Romans 11: 33-36:14-17; Matthew 28:16-20
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus
www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverlastingLoveOfChristMinistry
The Feast of the Trinity, the belief that there are three distinct manifestations or persons in God, is one of the most difficult beliefs of Christianity for many to understand and believe. Yet In scripture, there are many references to the three manifestations or persons of God.
Jesus, in Matthew 28, tells the disciples “Jesus said to His disciples: All is power given to Me in heaven and on earth. Going therefore, teach you all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and behold I am with you for all days, even to the consummation of the world.”
“Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit” Jesus tells the Apostles to Baptize in the name of the three persons in God.
In Romans we read “Those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God”
I am not going to go into the scholarly dissertations that have been made throughout the ages. St. Patrick, in trying to show how there could be three distinct parts to one thing used the shamrock to define the trinity, others have used water in its three forms (liquid, solid, gas) to show how one thing can have three distinct qualities.
Most of us who believe in God and Are Followers of Christ accept the fact of the Trinity.
There is only One God, the Father/Creator who is the maker of all things. This is the God who asks only that we recognize Him and only Him. This is the same God who is said to have given Moses the rules for all to follow, the commandments. When the commandments are examined, with intelligence, they make logical sense as an intelligent way to lead ones life. If we follow them, we will not only honor God, but we will also live lives that respect for the dignity and individuality of each and every human being and of all God’s creation.
Christ in Matthew 28 says “Full authority has been given to me both in heaven and on earth. Teach them to observe all the Commands I gave you and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world.
In order to show His unending love for all His children, Almighty God sent himself in the human form of Jesus, to not only clearly demonstrate that a human could live according to the Commandments, but to simplify the commandments by clarifying how simple it is to give honor and glory to God. Christ, the second person of the trinity, summed the ten commandments up with this statement, “Love the Lord, your God, with your whole heart, mind, soul and being and Love your neighbor as yourself”. To love your neighbor as you love yourself means that you do not discriminate against them, do anything that will cause them pain or suffering, and not prevent them from giving praise, glory and honor to Almighty God who created them.
Romans 8:14 states “Everyone moved by the Spirit is a son of God” and it concludes with “If we are children, we are heirs as well; heirs of God, heirs with Christ” That simply means that we all can have the everlasting and eternal life promised to us and earned through the passion, death, and resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity.
The Holy Spirit, the third personage of Almighty God is often referred to as “ENLIGHTENER, COUNSELOR, and COMFORTER.
By our Baptism we, as Jesus himself was baptized by John at the Jordan River, are baptized with water and the Holy Spirit. This means that just as the spirit descended upon Jesus in the form of a dove, and upon the Apostles in the form of tongues of fire, we also receive the spirit and with it the gifts of the Spirit which are, “Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge, Counsel, Fortitude, Piety and Fear of the Lord and we are open to receive the Fruits of the Spirit which are; Love, Joy, Peace, Longsuffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meekness, and Temperance.
The gifts and fruits of The Holy Spirit are strengthened and supposedly deepened within us through prayer, and the Eucharist and will grow within us every day we live as Jesus instructed us and gave us by example in His life here on earth.
If, however, we choose to ignore God’s desires for us by succumbing to greed, sexual promiscuity, discrimination, disregard for the poor and needy, selfishness, and anger, violence and war mongering, we separate ourselves from God and the Gifts of God bestowed through the Holy Spirit.
Therefore by accepting Christ as our redeemer and savior, and by following the commandments of God as clarified by Christ, we will gain the everlasting life in the spirit when our mortal life is over.
We need to be ever vigilant, keeping ourselves open to receiving the Holy Spirit into our life. We need to what our heart is telling us and discern if it conforms to how Christ lived and taught us.
If we do this we will indeed become one with the Father, and the Son and Holy Spirit.
Prayer to Holy Trinity
From the Collect of the Mass for Trinity Sunday
O Almighty and Everlasting God, who has granted to Your servants, in confessing the true Father, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of Majesty to adore the Unity: we beseech You, that by steadfastness in the same Faith, we may ever be defended against all adversity and live our lives with brotherhood toward all persons. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, You Son, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit. AMEN.
O God, the strength of those who put their trust in You, be kindly attentive to our prayers, and since man's weakness is helpless without You, grant the help of Your grace, that in observing Your commandments, we may please You both in will and in deed. Forgive us our failings and strengthen us by your gifts of the Holy Spirit. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, You Son, who lives and reigns with You in the unity as One God, Father, Son and Holy spirit. AMEN
Friday, May 25, 2007
Come Holy Spirit
Veni, Sancte Spiritus, Come, Holy Spirit, Come
Reflection for Pentecost Sunday by Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA Mission Sts. Sergius and Bacchus
www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverlastingLoveOfChristMinistry
Acts 2:1-11; Galatians 5:16-25; Psalm 103, John14:23-31;
“Come, Holy Spirit, come! And from your celestial home shed a ray of light divine!” with these words the beautiful prayer to the Holy Spirit, VENI, SANCTE SPIRITUS, begins. The feast of Pentecost which is also referred to as the Birthday of the church because it celebrates the decent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles. After the Holy Spirit descended upon them in tongues of fire after which when they spoke they were heard the people of every race and nationality proclaiming the truth of Jesus teachings in the language of the nationality of those listeners present.
The word of God needs to be proclaimed in the language of the listener so that they will fully comprehend His teachings but it must be translated carefully into that language preserving the meaning of the original writings in accord with what those words meant at the time they were written and not, as has been done with Holy Scripture and other church documents, into the meaning the words have taken on throughout history. The intent of having the liturgy of the Eucharist, commonly called the Mass, translated from the Latin into English and other languages under Vatican II was to make the liturgy more understandable and reverent to all participating, unfortunately the translations failed to meet the original meaning of the Latin and became less than a spiritual experience and more a modernized prayer service and theatrical experience in some cases.
God’s word was not meant for a chosen few but for all of the human race. The Apostles were told to preach the word to all nations even unto the ends of the earth. In order to do this and faithfully proclaim the truth one has to know the meaning of the original Greek and Aramaic words of the first writings.
A perfect case in point is the word “homosexual” being found in translations. That word was not even created until 1869 and any references where it is being used in scripture were not referring to that orientation but to the use of group sex or sexual excesses as a form of worship to false Gods or for humiliation of a human being which would be a grave sin.
In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, Paul tells us “No one can say, Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit” It is in this letter that one of the most redeeming passages of scripture can be found. Paul informs us “everyone has different gifts bestowed on them by God through the Holy Spirit.” He goes on to affirm that there are “Different forms of service, but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces them all. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit” “For in one Spirit we were all Baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greek, slave of free person, we were all given to drink of the one Spirit”
The Gospel admonishes us to “Live by the Spirit”, it goes further to confirm that the desires of the flesh we can cause a breakdown of the graces provided to us. Some of the “Desires of the flesh” Paul mentions besides the obvious one of indiscriminate sexual pleasure are: immorality (using sex or sexually provoking images to excite one to engage in sexual activity for purposes other than that which God intended) , lust ( desiring after someone or something that belongs to another or craving for self gratification) idolatry ( the worship of false gods which would also include placing money or wealth or power above love of and worship of God), hatred, rivalry, jealousy, anger or fury, selfishness, and drunkenness. To elaborate on each of these today and how we might possibly cause ourselves to be separated from God, and the Gifts He freely gives us through the Holy Spirit, would take more time than we have. I will however, point to the fact that hatred, jealousy, rivalry, anger , fury, and selfishness are among those Paul mentions and often times cause more pain and hurt toward others than partaking in those that involve sexual pleasure.
It is some of those “Desires of the Flesh” that have caused the separations that exist within the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church just as giving in to those personal pleasure desires have caused the scandal that has disgraced so many. So many of the “rules” that churches enforce and claim are necessary for salvation have nothing at all to do with our salvation but with the churches maintaining their financial income and to prevent people from searching for the truth of God’s teachings and researching the history of the church.
Each of these “Desires of the Flesh” affords us many ways of sinning. They are human faults that every individual has; our task is to try our best to resist their lure to partake of their pleasures.
One thing that I personally can attest to is that, if we call upon God daily, or as many times as we need to in order to resist the temptations that plague us every day and ask God to send us the Holy Spirit, God will oblige.
One of my daily prayers begins with “Come, Holy Spirit, fill my heart and kindle in in me the fire of your love so that I might be renewed”
In John 16: we are promised, “The Spirit will guide you to all truth. The spirit will not speak on its own, but will speak what he hears from me and declare it to you” The spirit speaks within us always with God’s will and teachings, we need to hearken to what we hear, even when it is opposite what popular thinking is proclaiming and be steadfast in proclaiming what our inner voice is telling us.
The truth is that God, the almighty creator and father of Jesus Christ, is a loving, forgiving, compassionate God. Jesus proclaimed this and by his example so often during his earthly existence and showed it to us by His actions in relating to all who came to him regardless of their race, creed or sexual orientation.
God is always there awaiting your call to Him. He does not have an answering machine, voice mail, or a secretary. You are not asked to press (1)if you need healing, press (2) for forgiveness, press (3) to seek a favor and so on.
You will not receive a message “Sorry God is busy taking a call from another special customer, please remain on the line and your call will be answered in the order in which it was received”. God is always listening to what we are saying and will respond to us according to what He feels is best for us. God always answers our prayers, just not always in the way we want, but in what will be best for us.
Many times God actually comes to us and speaks to us in our dreams, or quiet times and even sometimes while driving a car, listening to the I pod, watching TV or playing ball.
Unfortunately, we are often too preoccupied to listen to what he is telling us through the Holy Spirit.
I suggest that the time is NOW for us to begin to be more receptive to those calls from God. Don’t put Him on hold, but take a break from what ever we are engaged in and listen with an open and receptive heart.
We need to allow ourselves to “Receive The Holy Spirit” so that we can begin to develop a deeper and closer relationship with Almighty God and thereby begin the elimination of the “Desires of the Flesh” that have prevented us from receiving all the gifts of The Spirit, Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.
May God grant us the wisdom and understanding and the ability to hear Him when He speaks to us and then go out and live in accordance with His will.
AMEN
Reflection for Pentecost Sunday by Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA Mission Sts. Sergius and Bacchus
www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverlastingLoveOfChristMinistry
Acts 2:1-11; Galatians 5:16-25; Psalm 103, John14:23-31;
“Come, Holy Spirit, come! And from your celestial home shed a ray of light divine!” with these words the beautiful prayer to the Holy Spirit, VENI, SANCTE SPIRITUS, begins. The feast of Pentecost which is also referred to as the Birthday of the church because it celebrates the decent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles. After the Holy Spirit descended upon them in tongues of fire after which when they spoke they were heard the people of every race and nationality proclaiming the truth of Jesus teachings in the language of the nationality of those listeners present.
The word of God needs to be proclaimed in the language of the listener so that they will fully comprehend His teachings but it must be translated carefully into that language preserving the meaning of the original writings in accord with what those words meant at the time they were written and not, as has been done with Holy Scripture and other church documents, into the meaning the words have taken on throughout history. The intent of having the liturgy of the Eucharist, commonly called the Mass, translated from the Latin into English and other languages under Vatican II was to make the liturgy more understandable and reverent to all participating, unfortunately the translations failed to meet the original meaning of the Latin and became less than a spiritual experience and more a modernized prayer service and theatrical experience in some cases.
God’s word was not meant for a chosen few but for all of the human race. The Apostles were told to preach the word to all nations even unto the ends of the earth. In order to do this and faithfully proclaim the truth one has to know the meaning of the original Greek and Aramaic words of the first writings.
A perfect case in point is the word “homosexual” being found in translations. That word was not even created until 1869 and any references where it is being used in scripture were not referring to that orientation but to the use of group sex or sexual excesses as a form of worship to false Gods or for humiliation of a human being which would be a grave sin.
In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, Paul tells us “No one can say, Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit” It is in this letter that one of the most redeeming passages of scripture can be found. Paul informs us “everyone has different gifts bestowed on them by God through the Holy Spirit.” He goes on to affirm that there are “Different forms of service, but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces them all. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit” “For in one Spirit we were all Baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greek, slave of free person, we were all given to drink of the one Spirit”
The Gospel admonishes us to “Live by the Spirit”, it goes further to confirm that the desires of the flesh we can cause a breakdown of the graces provided to us. Some of the “Desires of the flesh” Paul mentions besides the obvious one of indiscriminate sexual pleasure are: immorality (using sex or sexually provoking images to excite one to engage in sexual activity for purposes other than that which God intended) , lust ( desiring after someone or something that belongs to another or craving for self gratification) idolatry ( the worship of false gods which would also include placing money or wealth or power above love of and worship of God), hatred, rivalry, jealousy, anger or fury, selfishness, and drunkenness. To elaborate on each of these today and how we might possibly cause ourselves to be separated from God, and the Gifts He freely gives us through the Holy Spirit, would take more time than we have. I will however, point to the fact that hatred, jealousy, rivalry, anger , fury, and selfishness are among those Paul mentions and often times cause more pain and hurt toward others than partaking in those that involve sexual pleasure.
It is some of those “Desires of the Flesh” that have caused the separations that exist within the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church just as giving in to those personal pleasure desires have caused the scandal that has disgraced so many. So many of the “rules” that churches enforce and claim are necessary for salvation have nothing at all to do with our salvation but with the churches maintaining their financial income and to prevent people from searching for the truth of God’s teachings and researching the history of the church.
Each of these “Desires of the Flesh” affords us many ways of sinning. They are human faults that every individual has; our task is to try our best to resist their lure to partake of their pleasures.
One thing that I personally can attest to is that, if we call upon God daily, or as many times as we need to in order to resist the temptations that plague us every day and ask God to send us the Holy Spirit, God will oblige.
One of my daily prayers begins with “Come, Holy Spirit, fill my heart and kindle in in me the fire of your love so that I might be renewed”
In John 16: we are promised, “The Spirit will guide you to all truth. The spirit will not speak on its own, but will speak what he hears from me and declare it to you” The spirit speaks within us always with God’s will and teachings, we need to hearken to what we hear, even when it is opposite what popular thinking is proclaiming and be steadfast in proclaiming what our inner voice is telling us.
The truth is that God, the almighty creator and father of Jesus Christ, is a loving, forgiving, compassionate God. Jesus proclaimed this and by his example so often during his earthly existence and showed it to us by His actions in relating to all who came to him regardless of their race, creed or sexual orientation.
God is always there awaiting your call to Him. He does not have an answering machine, voice mail, or a secretary. You are not asked to press (1)if you need healing, press (2) for forgiveness, press (3) to seek a favor and so on.
You will not receive a message “Sorry God is busy taking a call from another special customer, please remain on the line and your call will be answered in the order in which it was received”. God is always listening to what we are saying and will respond to us according to what He feels is best for us. God always answers our prayers, just not always in the way we want, but in what will be best for us.
Many times God actually comes to us and speaks to us in our dreams, or quiet times and even sometimes while driving a car, listening to the I pod, watching TV or playing ball.
Unfortunately, we are often too preoccupied to listen to what he is telling us through the Holy Spirit.
I suggest that the time is NOW for us to begin to be more receptive to those calls from God. Don’t put Him on hold, but take a break from what ever we are engaged in and listen with an open and receptive heart.
We need to allow ourselves to “Receive The Holy Spirit” so that we can begin to develop a deeper and closer relationship with Almighty God and thereby begin the elimination of the “Desires of the Flesh” that have prevented us from receiving all the gifts of The Spirit, Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.
May God grant us the wisdom and understanding and the ability to hear Him when He speaks to us and then go out and live in accordance with His will.
AMEN
Friday, May 18, 2007
On Prudence and Mutual Charity
Be Prudent and Have Mutual Charity
Reflection for the Sunday within Octave of Ascension
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus, Holliston MA.
www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverlastingLoveOfChristMinistry
“Dearly beloved, be prudent and watch in prayers. But before all things have a constant mutual charity among yourselves: for charity covers a multitude of sins. Using hospitality one towards another, without murmuring: as every man hath received grace, ministering the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speaks, let him speak, as the words of God: if any minister, let him do it, as of the power which God administered: that in all things God may be honored through Jesus Christ our Lord;”
These words from the First Epistle of Peter, chapter 4 verses 7-11 clearly outline how we, as Followers of Jesus Christ, should be living our daily lives. Notice that the first item on the list is to be prudent. According to the dictionary prudence is wisdom in the way of caution and provision; having discretion; being careful in the decisions you make. "Prudence is principally in reference to actions to be done, and due means, order, seasons, and method of doing or not doing." Sir M. Hale. "Prudence supposes the value of the end to be assumed, and refers only to the adaptation of the means. It is the relation of right means for given ends." Whewell.
The second instruction is to have mutual charity. Let us examine exactly what that means in our daily living. Charity is being kind to all persons regardless of their nationality, sex, sexual orientation or religious affiliation and not being resentful or mean towards them and certainly not inflicting anyone with pain or injury as a result of our actions. Charity means being tolerant of the differences that make up the human condition and not being prejudice towards anyone.
Charity means being compassionate and forgiving just as Jesus was toward those who crucified Him. Charity is being generous toward the poor and less fortunate and contributing to the support of your church by tithing with financial assistance or time. Charity means having sympathy for others who are suffering from afflictions like AIDS, cancer, or the loss of a dear one. Charity is being considerate of the needs of others and sometimes having to put the needs of others before your personal gratification.
In short, we are called to look out for each other as we are all children of God and brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ and therefore we need to look upon every human being in that way.
The Gospel is the promise that Christ gave to the Apostles before He ascended back to the Father. “At that time, Jesus said to His disciples: When the Paraclete cometh, whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeded from the Father, He shall give testimony of Me: and you shall give testimony because you are with Me from the beginning. These things I have spoken to you, that you may not be scandalized. They will put you out of the synagogues: yes, the hour comes, that whosoever kills you will think that he does a service to God. And these things will they do to you, because they have not known the Father, nor Me. But these things I have told you, that, when the hour shall come, you may remember that I told you of them. (John 15:26-16:4)
There are some who claim that the promise of the coming of the Holy Spirit and the actual descending of the Spirit upon the apostles means that only those who were in the upper room received the Holy Spirit and it is passed on only to those who have been consecrated and ordained as presbyters. That is so very wrong for all who have been Baptized and Confirmed receive the gifts of the Spirit according to God’s desire. The Holy Spirit works within all in differing ways and is not the exclusive property of a few. Throughout the history of the church God has chosen to enlighten individuals with His insights and direct them to bring His message to all who would listen. The Holy Spirit is called the enlightener of God and does not always open the hearts and minds of the hierarchy but to simple peasants or a humble friar like St. Francis inspiring them to change the wrong direction that the church seems to be headed and back to the truthful teachings of God as proclaimed by Christ. The Church has so often in the past, and I believe currently, diverted from God’s plan in order to gain power, wealth and prestige for the hierarch of the church and to exert control over the minds of people in order to achieve there political and financial gain. Church history is very clear on that.
Over the past centuries the church has modified or changed things that existed for a millennium in order to achieve the above stated goals. They even have changed historical facts in order to do this. As believer in Almighty God and the teachings Christ gave us in word and deed, we need to practice the message of today’s Epistle and call upon the Holy Spirit to inspire us to knowing the truth and we need to be more mindful of how we relate to others each and every day.
In this coming week as we prepare to celebrate the decent of The Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and disciples and thereby the entire Universal Church and by our Baptism and Confirmation each of us I offer this prayer which asks the Holy Spirit to enlighten us and assist us in becoming a better follower of Christ and have a deeper love and greater service to Almighty God.
Prayer to the Holy Spirit
By Father Robert Johnnene OFA
O Most Holy Spirit, merciful Comforter; Come, I beseech You, and take up abode in my heart.
Let my weaknesses be penetrated with your strength, so that I may always do what is right and just.
Fill my heart with charity toward all I encounter.
Enlighten me in my ignorance, advise me in my doubts.
Purify and cleanse me of all sin and sanctify my soul protecting and shielding me from all the temptations that plague me.
Make me truly humble that I may be pleasing to Almighty God.
Instill within me an honest respect of Almighty God and all of his creations.
Assist me to be an instrument of God's Word to all I encounter.
Give unto me the gift of Wisdom to know and live according to God’s will.
By your generous bestowing of your gifts, help me to live a holy life and grow in the everlasting love of Christ so that I may join with all the heavenly elect when my days here on earth are ended.
I ask this through Jesus Christ, my redeemer and savior, who lives, and reigns with you and our creator Almighty God as one triune God, now and forever.
AMEN
Reflection for the Sunday within Octave of Ascension
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus, Holliston MA.
www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverlastingLoveOfChristMinistry
“Dearly beloved, be prudent and watch in prayers. But before all things have a constant mutual charity among yourselves: for charity covers a multitude of sins. Using hospitality one towards another, without murmuring: as every man hath received grace, ministering the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speaks, let him speak, as the words of God: if any minister, let him do it, as of the power which God administered: that in all things God may be honored through Jesus Christ our Lord;”
These words from the First Epistle of Peter, chapter 4 verses 7-11 clearly outline how we, as Followers of Jesus Christ, should be living our daily lives. Notice that the first item on the list is to be prudent. According to the dictionary prudence is wisdom in the way of caution and provision; having discretion; being careful in the decisions you make. "Prudence is principally in reference to actions to be done, and due means, order, seasons, and method of doing or not doing." Sir M. Hale. "Prudence supposes the value of the end to be assumed, and refers only to the adaptation of the means. It is the relation of right means for given ends." Whewell.
The second instruction is to have mutual charity. Let us examine exactly what that means in our daily living. Charity is being kind to all persons regardless of their nationality, sex, sexual orientation or religious affiliation and not being resentful or mean towards them and certainly not inflicting anyone with pain or injury as a result of our actions. Charity means being tolerant of the differences that make up the human condition and not being prejudice towards anyone.
Charity means being compassionate and forgiving just as Jesus was toward those who crucified Him. Charity is being generous toward the poor and less fortunate and contributing to the support of your church by tithing with financial assistance or time. Charity means having sympathy for others who are suffering from afflictions like AIDS, cancer, or the loss of a dear one. Charity is being considerate of the needs of others and sometimes having to put the needs of others before your personal gratification.
In short, we are called to look out for each other as we are all children of God and brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ and therefore we need to look upon every human being in that way.
The Gospel is the promise that Christ gave to the Apostles before He ascended back to the Father. “At that time, Jesus said to His disciples: When the Paraclete cometh, whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeded from the Father, He shall give testimony of Me: and you shall give testimony because you are with Me from the beginning. These things I have spoken to you, that you may not be scandalized. They will put you out of the synagogues: yes, the hour comes, that whosoever kills you will think that he does a service to God. And these things will they do to you, because they have not known the Father, nor Me. But these things I have told you, that, when the hour shall come, you may remember that I told you of them. (John 15:26-16:4)
There are some who claim that the promise of the coming of the Holy Spirit and the actual descending of the Spirit upon the apostles means that only those who were in the upper room received the Holy Spirit and it is passed on only to those who have been consecrated and ordained as presbyters. That is so very wrong for all who have been Baptized and Confirmed receive the gifts of the Spirit according to God’s desire. The Holy Spirit works within all in differing ways and is not the exclusive property of a few. Throughout the history of the church God has chosen to enlighten individuals with His insights and direct them to bring His message to all who would listen. The Holy Spirit is called the enlightener of God and does not always open the hearts and minds of the hierarchy but to simple peasants or a humble friar like St. Francis inspiring them to change the wrong direction that the church seems to be headed and back to the truthful teachings of God as proclaimed by Christ. The Church has so often in the past, and I believe currently, diverted from God’s plan in order to gain power, wealth and prestige for the hierarch of the church and to exert control over the minds of people in order to achieve there political and financial gain. Church history is very clear on that.
Over the past centuries the church has modified or changed things that existed for a millennium in order to achieve the above stated goals. They even have changed historical facts in order to do this. As believer in Almighty God and the teachings Christ gave us in word and deed, we need to practice the message of today’s Epistle and call upon the Holy Spirit to inspire us to knowing the truth and we need to be more mindful of how we relate to others each and every day.
In this coming week as we prepare to celebrate the decent of The Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and disciples and thereby the entire Universal Church and by our Baptism and Confirmation each of us I offer this prayer which asks the Holy Spirit to enlighten us and assist us in becoming a better follower of Christ and have a deeper love and greater service to Almighty God.
Prayer to the Holy Spirit
By Father Robert Johnnene OFA
O Most Holy Spirit, merciful Comforter; Come, I beseech You, and take up abode in my heart.
Let my weaknesses be penetrated with your strength, so that I may always do what is right and just.
Fill my heart with charity toward all I encounter.
Enlighten me in my ignorance, advise me in my doubts.
Purify and cleanse me of all sin and sanctify my soul protecting and shielding me from all the temptations that plague me.
Make me truly humble that I may be pleasing to Almighty God.
Instill within me an honest respect of Almighty God and all of his creations.
Assist me to be an instrument of God's Word to all I encounter.
Give unto me the gift of Wisdom to know and live according to God’s will.
By your generous bestowing of your gifts, help me to live a holy life and grow in the everlasting love of Christ so that I may join with all the heavenly elect when my days here on earth are ended.
I ask this through Jesus Christ, my redeemer and savior, who lives, and reigns with you and our creator Almighty God as one triune God, now and forever.
AMEN
Friday, May 11, 2007
Shout With Joy To God
Shout with Joy To God
A Reflection for the Fifth Sunday After Easter
by Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA, Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus
www.missionstsergius.org
“Jubilate Deo, omnis terra, psalmum dicite Nomini ejus: date gloriam laudi ejus, Shout with joy to God, all the earth, sings a psalm to His Name: give glory to His praise. Declare it with the voice of joy! O God, from whom all good things come, grant unto us, Your suppliant people, that by Your inspiration, we may think what is right, and under Your guidance perform the same.” These opening words from the mass for the Fifth Sunday After Easter are a wonderful and strong prayer that we should pray every day of our life.
We have so many reasons to be thankful to Almighty God and to shout with joy for His infinite mercy and love for us. No matter how bad things might get for us, we have reasons to be thankful and to return God’s love with praise of His name.
The lesson for today is not only a reminder to be thankful to God and to be willing to proclaim loudly His praise, but as the Epistle of St. James reminds us, we need to not just mouth our praise but live it by our deed thereby showing all we are truly followers of Christ and believers in the teachings given us by Jesus which came from the Father Himself, Almighty God. “Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if a man only hears the word and does not live it, he shall be compared to a man beholding his own countenance in a glass: for he sees himself and goes his way, and presently forgot what he looks like. But he that has looked into the perfect law of liberty and has continued living it, not becoming a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work: this man shall be blessed in his deed. And if any man thinks himself to be religious, not guarding his tongue but deceiving his own heart, this man's religion is in vain. Religion clean and undefiled before God and Father is this: To visit the fatherless and widows in their tribulation, and to keep one's self unspotted from this world” (James 1:22-27).
Two more messages of extreme importance for today are found in the Gospel reading from John 16:23-30 is for me the most inspiring and one of the greatest reasons for shouting with Joy to God. The message is simply Christ’s promises to us that “Amen, Amen, I say to you: if you ask the Father any thing in My Name, He will give it to you. Ask, and you shall receive, that your joy may be full.” And “the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came from God. This promise, if for no other reason, is cause enough to shout our praise and thanksgiving to Almighty God. A promise from Christ, that if we ask anything of the Father in Christ name, the Father will grant it. We do, however, have to remember the very last six words of that promise, “THAT YOUR JOY MAY BE FULL”. I feel very strongly that those last six words means that God will not grant us our wishes if they will eventually lead us to sorrow and possible sin. Which may explain why, even though we pray hard and believe and trust in God, that sometimes our prayers seem to not be answered. I also believe that all are prayers are indeed answered but they are answered in a way that God feels is best for us and not what we consider to be best. Our human frailty often leads us to seek things that, though they might give us temporary pleasure, could easily lead us away from God.
Everything, as I have often said, and today’s readings and prayers from the Mass reiterate, that God created and gives to us is Good, but we so often turn that good into something bad by misusing God’s gifts in a manner that was not God’s purpose. We need to approach all God’s gifts with respect for their purpose, and nurture, guard, protect and treat them with the same love with which God bestowed them upon us. Whether it is the environment, our sexuality, our talents or just our neighbors we need to treat them in the same way that Christ gave to us as an example and that will only bring honor, glory and praise to the Eternal Father who bestows them upon us.
I will close this week’s reflection with a prayer that is taken from the prayers from the Mass Secret and Post Communion prayers for the Fifth Sunday of Easter.
Bless the Lord our God, all you peoples, and make the voice of His praise to be heard: God, You set my soul to live, and have not suffered my feet to be moved. Blessed be the Lord, who has not turned away our prayer, or His mercy from us, alleluia, alleluia.
Grant to us, O Lord, that filled with strength from Your infinite mercy and love and the blessings you have bestowed upon us, we may both desire what is right, and obtain that which we desire and that We might live our lives in a manner that reflects the truth, teachings and example of Your beloved son, Jesus Christ. We ask this in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever. AMEN
A Reflection for the Fifth Sunday After Easter
by Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA, Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus
www.missionstsergius.org
“Jubilate Deo, omnis terra, psalmum dicite Nomini ejus: date gloriam laudi ejus, Shout with joy to God, all the earth, sings a psalm to His Name: give glory to His praise. Declare it with the voice of joy! O God, from whom all good things come, grant unto us, Your suppliant people, that by Your inspiration, we may think what is right, and under Your guidance perform the same.” These opening words from the mass for the Fifth Sunday After Easter are a wonderful and strong prayer that we should pray every day of our life.
We have so many reasons to be thankful to Almighty God and to shout with joy for His infinite mercy and love for us. No matter how bad things might get for us, we have reasons to be thankful and to return God’s love with praise of His name.
The lesson for today is not only a reminder to be thankful to God and to be willing to proclaim loudly His praise, but as the Epistle of St. James reminds us, we need to not just mouth our praise but live it by our deed thereby showing all we are truly followers of Christ and believers in the teachings given us by Jesus which came from the Father Himself, Almighty God. “Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if a man only hears the word and does not live it, he shall be compared to a man beholding his own countenance in a glass: for he sees himself and goes his way, and presently forgot what he looks like. But he that has looked into the perfect law of liberty and has continued living it, not becoming a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work: this man shall be blessed in his deed. And if any man thinks himself to be religious, not guarding his tongue but deceiving his own heart, this man's religion is in vain. Religion clean and undefiled before God and Father is this: To visit the fatherless and widows in their tribulation, and to keep one's self unspotted from this world” (James 1:22-27).
Two more messages of extreme importance for today are found in the Gospel reading from John 16:23-30 is for me the most inspiring and one of the greatest reasons for shouting with Joy to God. The message is simply Christ’s promises to us that “Amen, Amen, I say to you: if you ask the Father any thing in My Name, He will give it to you. Ask, and you shall receive, that your joy may be full.” And “the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came from God. This promise, if for no other reason, is cause enough to shout our praise and thanksgiving to Almighty God. A promise from Christ, that if we ask anything of the Father in Christ name, the Father will grant it. We do, however, have to remember the very last six words of that promise, “THAT YOUR JOY MAY BE FULL”. I feel very strongly that those last six words means that God will not grant us our wishes if they will eventually lead us to sorrow and possible sin. Which may explain why, even though we pray hard and believe and trust in God, that sometimes our prayers seem to not be answered. I also believe that all are prayers are indeed answered but they are answered in a way that God feels is best for us and not what we consider to be best. Our human frailty often leads us to seek things that, though they might give us temporary pleasure, could easily lead us away from God.
Everything, as I have often said, and today’s readings and prayers from the Mass reiterate, that God created and gives to us is Good, but we so often turn that good into something bad by misusing God’s gifts in a manner that was not God’s purpose. We need to approach all God’s gifts with respect for their purpose, and nurture, guard, protect and treat them with the same love with which God bestowed them upon us. Whether it is the environment, our sexuality, our talents or just our neighbors we need to treat them in the same way that Christ gave to us as an example and that will only bring honor, glory and praise to the Eternal Father who bestows them upon us.
I will close this week’s reflection with a prayer that is taken from the prayers from the Mass Secret and Post Communion prayers for the Fifth Sunday of Easter.
Bless the Lord our God, all you peoples, and make the voice of His praise to be heard: God, You set my soul to live, and have not suffered my feet to be moved. Blessed be the Lord, who has not turned away our prayer, or His mercy from us, alleluia, alleluia.
Grant to us, O Lord, that filled with strength from Your infinite mercy and love and the blessings you have bestowed upon us, we may both desire what is right, and obtain that which we desire and that We might live our lives in a manner that reflects the truth, teachings and example of Your beloved son, Jesus Christ. We ask this in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever. AMEN
Saturday, May 05, 2007
All Good Comes From God, 4th Sunday of Easter Reflection
All Good Comes From God
Fourth Sunday After Easter Reflection by Reverend Robert Johnnene OFA, Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus
www.missionstsergius.org
The message found in all the readings for the fourth Sunday in Lent say one thing, God’s unending love for His children. This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be Glad. As the Introit for this Sunday proclaims “Sing to the Lord a new song, alleluia, for the Lord hath done wonderful things, alleluia; He hath revealed His justice in the sight of the Gentiles, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. (Ps. 97. 1)” “His right hand and His holy arm have gotten Him the victory. V.: Glory be to the Father, Sing to the Lord a new song, alleluia” “O God, who makes the faithful of one mind and will: grant to Your people the love that you command without limit and infinitely and the desire to live according to Your will” that amid the changes of the world, our hearts may there be fixed where true joys are to be found, in You of Father. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who lives, and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. AMEN
Today’s Lesson is from the Epistle of Blessed James the Apostle Chapter 1. verses 17-21 which has the primary message of “Receiving with meekness the word of truth which is able to save our souls” Almighty God, as James reminds us in the Epistle is the light of truth that opens the door and wipes away the darkness. He reminds us that all things and every perfect gift is from heaven above, coming from the Father. God begot us by the word of truth that we might be some part in His nature. We are called to live our lives in accordance with the way Christ, the beloved son of the Father, lived His life. We should not turn anyone away for any reason, just as Christ did not turn anyone away but welcomed all. Christ drove the evil forces from within people who came to Him filled with the spirit of evil. The Epistle further tells us “Let every man be swift to hear but slow to speak and slow to anger. The anger of man works not in accord with the justice of God. Therefore, with meekness receive the word, which is able to save your souls”.
Over and over the teachings of the Apostles as written in Holy Scripture proclaim the Good News of Salvation through Jesus Christ. Over and over we are told of the infinite mercy and love of God for all His children. We are reminded again and again that all good comes from God. The sad part is that we mere humans often take God’s good gifts and turn them into something bad.
The Gospel reading from John chapter 16, verses 5 through 14 carry the message that “Our Lord will send from heaven to His Church the Spirit of truth. The Holy Ghost will unite all hearts, will teach them all the truth.”. Here we have the promise from Christ that even though He would be returning to the Father, “But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, Where are You going?' But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. And He, when He comes, will teach the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.”
Christ has told us that through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit we will learn the truth concerning sin and righteousness. Sin is not trusting and believing in God. We are told that only the ruler of this world, the only true ruler, Almighty God makes all judgments, not mere mortal men. In other words and human who claims to make judgments against someone, saying they are condemned to hell, is speaking out of turn and therefore is sinning. Our God is merciful and more than willing to forgive anyone for their transgressions if they but ask Him.
God’s goodness, love, mercy and compassion is unlimited, unconditional and infinite for all who come to Him. He trusts us to do the right thing; He has instructed us on how to live through the example set by Christ and in Christ’s teachings. The mercy, love, and compassion of Almighty God is unending and extends to all who believe in Almighty God The Father, The Son Jesus Christ our redeemer and savior, and The Holy Spirit the enlightener. To believe is to trust totally in Him, to honor Him with prayer, good works of charity, compassion, and forgiveness of the wrongs others commit against us, and love toward all of God’s children regardless of their race or sexual orientation. We especially have to extend love and forgiveness to all those who hurt us by their actions and words and we need to pray for them. Christ forgave those who crucified Him as he hung from the cross with these words; “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”. Again, by His example Christ taught us what we need to do.
God is good! All things created by God are good! We have the goodness of God instilled within us if we but seek to find it and then live it. We become living, breathing outward sings of Christ, True Christians, by seek the good in others and living in a way that displays our faith in word, deed and action to all we encounter.
By attempting to live in this manner, we become the fulfillment of Christ here on earth and a disciple in this age proclaiming clearly to all this message , “ our hearts are fixed where true joys are to be found, in You Father” found in the Introit and opening prayer of today’s liturgy.
AMEN
Fourth Sunday After Easter Reflection by Reverend Robert Johnnene OFA, Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus
www.missionstsergius.org
The message found in all the readings for the fourth Sunday in Lent say one thing, God’s unending love for His children. This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be Glad. As the Introit for this Sunday proclaims “Sing to the Lord a new song, alleluia, for the Lord hath done wonderful things, alleluia; He hath revealed His justice in the sight of the Gentiles, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. (Ps. 97. 1)” “His right hand and His holy arm have gotten Him the victory. V.: Glory be to the Father, Sing to the Lord a new song, alleluia” “O God, who makes the faithful of one mind and will: grant to Your people the love that you command without limit and infinitely and the desire to live according to Your will” that amid the changes of the world, our hearts may there be fixed where true joys are to be found, in You of Father. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who lives, and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. AMEN
Today’s Lesson is from the Epistle of Blessed James the Apostle Chapter 1. verses 17-21 which has the primary message of “Receiving with meekness the word of truth which is able to save our souls” Almighty God, as James reminds us in the Epistle is the light of truth that opens the door and wipes away the darkness. He reminds us that all things and every perfect gift is from heaven above, coming from the Father. God begot us by the word of truth that we might be some part in His nature. We are called to live our lives in accordance with the way Christ, the beloved son of the Father, lived His life. We should not turn anyone away for any reason, just as Christ did not turn anyone away but welcomed all. Christ drove the evil forces from within people who came to Him filled with the spirit of evil. The Epistle further tells us “Let every man be swift to hear but slow to speak and slow to anger. The anger of man works not in accord with the justice of God. Therefore, with meekness receive the word, which is able to save your souls”.
Over and over the teachings of the Apostles as written in Holy Scripture proclaim the Good News of Salvation through Jesus Christ. Over and over we are told of the infinite mercy and love of God for all His children. We are reminded again and again that all good comes from God. The sad part is that we mere humans often take God’s good gifts and turn them into something bad.
The Gospel reading from John chapter 16, verses 5 through 14 carry the message that “Our Lord will send from heaven to His Church the Spirit of truth. The Holy Ghost will unite all hearts, will teach them all the truth.”. Here we have the promise from Christ that even though He would be returning to the Father, “But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, Where are You going?' But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. And He, when He comes, will teach the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.”
Christ has told us that through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit we will learn the truth concerning sin and righteousness. Sin is not trusting and believing in God. We are told that only the ruler of this world, the only true ruler, Almighty God makes all judgments, not mere mortal men. In other words and human who claims to make judgments against someone, saying they are condemned to hell, is speaking out of turn and therefore is sinning. Our God is merciful and more than willing to forgive anyone for their transgressions if they but ask Him.
God’s goodness, love, mercy and compassion is unlimited, unconditional and infinite for all who come to Him. He trusts us to do the right thing; He has instructed us on how to live through the example set by Christ and in Christ’s teachings. The mercy, love, and compassion of Almighty God is unending and extends to all who believe in Almighty God The Father, The Son Jesus Christ our redeemer and savior, and The Holy Spirit the enlightener. To believe is to trust totally in Him, to honor Him with prayer, good works of charity, compassion, and forgiveness of the wrongs others commit against us, and love toward all of God’s children regardless of their race or sexual orientation. We especially have to extend love and forgiveness to all those who hurt us by their actions and words and we need to pray for them. Christ forgave those who crucified Him as he hung from the cross with these words; “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”. Again, by His example Christ taught us what we need to do.
God is good! All things created by God are good! We have the goodness of God instilled within us if we but seek to find it and then live it. We become living, breathing outward sings of Christ, True Christians, by seek the good in others and living in a way that displays our faith in word, deed and action to all we encounter.
By attempting to live in this manner, we become the fulfillment of Christ here on earth and a disciple in this age proclaiming clearly to all this message , “ our hearts are fixed where true joys are to be found, in You Father” found in the Introit and opening prayer of today’s liturgy.
AMEN
Friday, April 27, 2007
Shout to God with Joy to our Loving God
Shout with joy to God
A reflection for the Third Sunday after Easter
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus
www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverlastingLoveOfChristMinistry
There undeniable message that is proclaimed over and over again in scripture is that God’s love is everlasting, unconditional, and for all people.
This Sunday’s readings bring this teaching out with crystal clarity beginning with the Introit of the mass.
“Shout with joy to God, all the earth, alleluia: sing a psalm to His Name, alleluia: give glory to His praise, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. -- (Ps. 65. 3) , What a wonderful reminder these words are to us of how we, as followers of Jesus Christ, should be acting, not only this day but every day of our lives, giving praise and glory to God for all He gives us if we but seek him out.
The Collect of the mass also has an important message to us, for it reminds us that Christ came not for the pious and holy but for those who may have gone astray, felt rejected or were told that they were not acceptable to God.
“O God, who to those that go astray did show the light of Your truth, that they may return to the path of justice: grant that all who are enrolled in the Christian faith, may both spurn all that is hostile to that name, and follow after what is fitting to it. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit as one God, now and forever AMEN".
Today’s Epistle, which some attribute to St. Peter, gives us further advice on how to conduct ourselves and live out the message of Jesus Christ.
"Be you subject therefore to every human creature for God's sake: whether it be a king or the governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of the good: for so is the will of God, that by doing well you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: as free persons, and not by making liberty a cloak for malice, but as the servants of God. Honor all men: love the brotherhood: fear God."
The last words from the Epistle reading might need an explanation as to the meaning of the phrase “Fear God”. To Fear God does not mean the kind of fear one might have of a major disaster or event in their life or the fear some have of heights or flying or the fear a child has of the boogey man but it means to hold God in esteem, awe and respect. Christ proclaimed clearly that His Father, Almighty God, was not a person to be feared but a person to love, respect and to trust.
The part about honoring all men simple means to have respect for all people, men and women, regardless of their race or creed or sexual orientation. By honoring some one does not mean giving them rewards or undeserved praise for their existence but it means not to defame them or ridicule them or cause them suffering or pain.
“Love the brotherhood” is repeating what we find in the Gospel of John 15 which is the preceding chapter to today’s Gospel; “Love one another as I have loved you, there is no greater love than this”
The part that particularly struck me in the epistle for this Sunday was the words; “not as making liberty a cloak for malice but as the servants of God”. “Making Liberty a cloak for malice” stuck a note in light of how today we use the phrase liberty so loosely to justify many actions that are totally opposite the teachings of Christ.
Why is it that we, humans who profess to be believers in the message of Jesus Christ, seem to find ways of not loving each other? We decide that because a person speaks a different language has a different ethnic background, possesses a same sex orientation that they do not deserve the same kind of love that Jesus gave to all that he encountered. How do we justify this kind of action? Where in scripture do we find validation for our actions?
The kind of love the Christ preached and that the Scriptures proclaim is unselfish, kind, merciful, forgiving and not judgmental. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you.” (John 14:27) It is clear in this quote, that Jesus wants us know that the perceptions of the world are not the perceptions of God. He implores us in John 15:7 “If you live in me and my words remain in you, you may ask what you want and it will be done for you”
When you love someone, you do not, under any circumstances, want to be the cause of pain and suffering. When you love someone, you try to shield them from harm. You gently advise them of their mistakes and guide them. If necessary you try to obtain healing for them. That is Love.
If today, we had more love for all God’s creatures and children the world would not be in the mess it is.
We who call ourselves Christians are being called to actively live God’s love. We are being called to do all within our power to bring about a change in the attitudes that are causing so much pain and suffering in this world. Every tiny thing we do that makes progress in this call from God will bring us a deeper love for God and God will love us more and live within us giving us the strength we need to continue His work here on earth.
Today’s Gospel is from John 16 verses 16 to 22 and it also sends a confirmation of the above readings concerning how we are to live our lives as Christians but it also lets us know that Christ foresaw the confusion the we today might have because even those who had been with him during His life journey to the cross did not understand the meaning of everything He said.
"At that time Jesus said to His disciples: A little while, and now you shall not see me: and again a little while, and you shall see me: because I go to the Father.
Then some of His disciples said one to another: What is this that He is saying to us: A little while, and you shall not see me: and again a little while, and you shall see me, and, because I go to the Father? They said “What is this that He says, a little while?” We do not know what He is speaking about. Jesus knowing that they had a mind to ask Him, He said to them: Why do you inquire among yourselves, because I said: a little while, and you shall not see Me: and again a little while, and you shall see Me? Amen, amen, I say to you, that you shall lament and weep, but the world shall rejoice: and you shall be made sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman, when she is in labor, hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but when she has brought forth the child, she remembers nothing of the anguish, for joy that a child is born into the world. So also you will indeed have sorrow: but I will see you again and your heart shall rejoice: and your joy no man shall take from you." John 16:16-22
Here Christ was clearly predicting the sorrow that they all would have at his passion and death on the cross, but that they would rejoice when he appeared to them after his conquering death and sin and rising from the tomb three days after His death. This passage from John’s Gospel is from a chapter telling of the events of Christ’s life that preceded Christ Passion and Resurrection on Easter.
A deeper message from this Gospel reading is how, if we truly believe in Jesus Christ and are truly Christians in every sense of the teachings of Christ, the joy and peace we will find cannot and will not be able to be taken away from us by any proclamations of mere human individuals. Just because a person is a minister, rabbi, priest, Bishop, Cardinal or the Pope they are first and foremost human and therefore imperfect.
You and I are being called to actively live God’s love. We are being called to do all within our power to bring about a change in the attitudes that are causing so much pain and suffering in this world. Every tiny thing we do that makes even the slightest progress in this call from God will bring us a deeper love for God and in return God will love us more and live within us giving us the strength we need to continue His work here on earth.
We live in troubled times. We hear many versions of how life is going to change for us by doing one thing or another. Politicians will be promoting their agendas over the next months all claiming to improve our lives. Television networks are all vying for our eyes claiming to be the #1 network that gives us the best news and entertainment. Advertisers tell us our lives will improve by using their product. The truth is the only way our lives will ever change is if we change them within our selves. Our lives and the world condition will only change when we begin to make a serious examination of our behavior and how closely it and our lives are being lived in relationship to Christ’s teachings. The challenge is ours alone. We should not be seeking to be the top gun but must be willing to be the humble servant just as Jesus was when he washed the feet of His apostles.
We need to become a servant of God, serving our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and working to harvest peace among all God’s children.
We have Christ’s challenge to us to Love one another as He loved us. Let us answer it by changing our faults into virtues and live in accordance with the will of God and pleasing to Him by the way we are living.
Do not let the whims of mere men with their natural human weaknesses cause you to stray away from the love of God or from the worship and praise of God or receiving the Sacraments and Gifts of God because they have told you that you are not worthy but truly believe the promises of God as proclaimed by our savior and redeemer Jesus Christ. "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
May Almighty God give us the Wisdom to know and live according to the truth of Christ’s teachings and not the proclamations and ignorance of foolish mere mortals.
May The Almighty and merciful God grant us patience, compassion, forgiveness, and courage to live according to his way so that we will be welcomed into His Kingdom with open and loving arms as depicted in the image of Christ toward the children, which we are in the eyes of God, His Children. AMEN.
A reflection for the Third Sunday after Easter
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus
www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverlastingLoveOfChristMinistry
There undeniable message that is proclaimed over and over again in scripture is that God’s love is everlasting, unconditional, and for all people.
This Sunday’s readings bring this teaching out with crystal clarity beginning with the Introit of the mass.
“Shout with joy to God, all the earth, alleluia: sing a psalm to His Name, alleluia: give glory to His praise, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. -- (Ps. 65. 3) , What a wonderful reminder these words are to us of how we, as followers of Jesus Christ, should be acting, not only this day but every day of our lives, giving praise and glory to God for all He gives us if we but seek him out.
The Collect of the mass also has an important message to us, for it reminds us that Christ came not for the pious and holy but for those who may have gone astray, felt rejected or were told that they were not acceptable to God.
“O God, who to those that go astray did show the light of Your truth, that they may return to the path of justice: grant that all who are enrolled in the Christian faith, may both spurn all that is hostile to that name, and follow after what is fitting to it. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit as one God, now and forever AMEN".
Today’s Epistle, which some attribute to St. Peter, gives us further advice on how to conduct ourselves and live out the message of Jesus Christ.
"Be you subject therefore to every human creature for God's sake: whether it be a king or the governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of the good: for so is the will of God, that by doing well you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: as free persons, and not by making liberty a cloak for malice, but as the servants of God. Honor all men: love the brotherhood: fear God."
The last words from the Epistle reading might need an explanation as to the meaning of the phrase “Fear God”. To Fear God does not mean the kind of fear one might have of a major disaster or event in their life or the fear some have of heights or flying or the fear a child has of the boogey man but it means to hold God in esteem, awe and respect. Christ proclaimed clearly that His Father, Almighty God, was not a person to be feared but a person to love, respect and to trust.
The part about honoring all men simple means to have respect for all people, men and women, regardless of their race or creed or sexual orientation. By honoring some one does not mean giving them rewards or undeserved praise for their existence but it means not to defame them or ridicule them or cause them suffering or pain.
“Love the brotherhood” is repeating what we find in the Gospel of John 15 which is the preceding chapter to today’s Gospel; “Love one another as I have loved you, there is no greater love than this”
The part that particularly struck me in the epistle for this Sunday was the words; “not as making liberty a cloak for malice but as the servants of God”. “Making Liberty a cloak for malice” stuck a note in light of how today we use the phrase liberty so loosely to justify many actions that are totally opposite the teachings of Christ.
Why is it that we, humans who profess to be believers in the message of Jesus Christ, seem to find ways of not loving each other? We decide that because a person speaks a different language has a different ethnic background, possesses a same sex orientation that they do not deserve the same kind of love that Jesus gave to all that he encountered. How do we justify this kind of action? Where in scripture do we find validation for our actions?
The kind of love the Christ preached and that the Scriptures proclaim is unselfish, kind, merciful, forgiving and not judgmental. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you.” (John 14:27) It is clear in this quote, that Jesus wants us know that the perceptions of the world are not the perceptions of God. He implores us in John 15:7 “If you live in me and my words remain in you, you may ask what you want and it will be done for you”
When you love someone, you do not, under any circumstances, want to be the cause of pain and suffering. When you love someone, you try to shield them from harm. You gently advise them of their mistakes and guide them. If necessary you try to obtain healing for them. That is Love.
If today, we had more love for all God’s creatures and children the world would not be in the mess it is.
We who call ourselves Christians are being called to actively live God’s love. We are being called to do all within our power to bring about a change in the attitudes that are causing so much pain and suffering in this world. Every tiny thing we do that makes progress in this call from God will bring us a deeper love for God and God will love us more and live within us giving us the strength we need to continue His work here on earth.
Today’s Gospel is from John 16 verses 16 to 22 and it also sends a confirmation of the above readings concerning how we are to live our lives as Christians but it also lets us know that Christ foresaw the confusion the we today might have because even those who had been with him during His life journey to the cross did not understand the meaning of everything He said.
"At that time Jesus said to His disciples: A little while, and now you shall not see me: and again a little while, and you shall see me: because I go to the Father.
Then some of His disciples said one to another: What is this that He is saying to us: A little while, and you shall not see me: and again a little while, and you shall see me, and, because I go to the Father? They said “What is this that He says, a little while?” We do not know what He is speaking about. Jesus knowing that they had a mind to ask Him, He said to them: Why do you inquire among yourselves, because I said: a little while, and you shall not see Me: and again a little while, and you shall see Me? Amen, amen, I say to you, that you shall lament and weep, but the world shall rejoice: and you shall be made sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman, when she is in labor, hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but when she has brought forth the child, she remembers nothing of the anguish, for joy that a child is born into the world. So also you will indeed have sorrow: but I will see you again and your heart shall rejoice: and your joy no man shall take from you." John 16:16-22
Here Christ was clearly predicting the sorrow that they all would have at his passion and death on the cross, but that they would rejoice when he appeared to them after his conquering death and sin and rising from the tomb three days after His death. This passage from John’s Gospel is from a chapter telling of the events of Christ’s life that preceded Christ Passion and Resurrection on Easter.
A deeper message from this Gospel reading is how, if we truly believe in Jesus Christ and are truly Christians in every sense of the teachings of Christ, the joy and peace we will find cannot and will not be able to be taken away from us by any proclamations of mere human individuals. Just because a person is a minister, rabbi, priest, Bishop, Cardinal or the Pope they are first and foremost human and therefore imperfect.
You and I are being called to actively live God’s love. We are being called to do all within our power to bring about a change in the attitudes that are causing so much pain and suffering in this world. Every tiny thing we do that makes even the slightest progress in this call from God will bring us a deeper love for God and in return God will love us more and live within us giving us the strength we need to continue His work here on earth.
We live in troubled times. We hear many versions of how life is going to change for us by doing one thing or another. Politicians will be promoting their agendas over the next months all claiming to improve our lives. Television networks are all vying for our eyes claiming to be the #1 network that gives us the best news and entertainment. Advertisers tell us our lives will improve by using their product. The truth is the only way our lives will ever change is if we change them within our selves. Our lives and the world condition will only change when we begin to make a serious examination of our behavior and how closely it and our lives are being lived in relationship to Christ’s teachings. The challenge is ours alone. We should not be seeking to be the top gun but must be willing to be the humble servant just as Jesus was when he washed the feet of His apostles.
We need to become a servant of God, serving our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and working to harvest peace among all God’s children.
We have Christ’s challenge to us to Love one another as He loved us. Let us answer it by changing our faults into virtues and live in accordance with the will of God and pleasing to Him by the way we are living.
Do not let the whims of mere men with their natural human weaknesses cause you to stray away from the love of God or from the worship and praise of God or receiving the Sacraments and Gifts of God because they have told you that you are not worthy but truly believe the promises of God as proclaimed by our savior and redeemer Jesus Christ. "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
May Almighty God give us the Wisdom to know and live according to the truth of Christ’s teachings and not the proclamations and ignorance of foolish mere mortals.
May The Almighty and merciful God grant us patience, compassion, forgiveness, and courage to live according to his way so that we will be welcomed into His Kingdom with open and loving arms as depicted in the image of Christ toward the children, which we are in the eyes of God, His Children. AMEN.
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