Homily for Holy Family Feast

Feast of Holy Family 2017

A Reflection by Rev. Bob Johnnene OFM

Mission Sts. Sergius & Bacchus/ Franciscans of Mercy/Divine Mercy Parish

Reformed Catholic Church

Hopkinton/Upton MA

www.missionstsergius.org

WWW.Orderfranciscansofmercy.org

The Gospel from Luke tell us the following; “Joseph and Mary, in the company of Jesus, go as pilgrims to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover” (Lk 2:41-52).

In his homily for the feast of The Holy Family Father Thomas Rosica, CSB of Toronto begins this way; “In the afterglow of Christmas, the Church celebrates the feast of the Holy Family. This weekend we are invited to reflect on the gift and mystery of life and the blessing of family life in particular.”

In Luke's Gospel scene of the Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple in Jerusalem, we encounter four individuals who embrace the new life of Jesus held in their arms: the elderly and faithful Simeon, the old, wise prophetess Anna, and the young couple, Mary and Joseph, who in faithful obedience offer their child to the Lord. Simeon's beautiful prayer "Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel" (Luke 2:29-32). 

The whole scene of the Presentation and the carefully chosen words of Simeon's prayer raise several questions for us and I believe them to be these; how are we, as followers of Christ’s teachings living those teachings?  How do we treat those children of God that we encounter daily on our life journeyespecially those often refered too as “Street People” or “Beggers”?

Do we discriminate against some of God’s children because we feel they do not conform to our way of life, are a different color, race, nationality or sexual orientation than we are?

The gospel of Matthew 2: which we hear today tells of St. Joseph’s complete trust in Almighty God and is but another lesson for us to put our complete trust in God for all things. 

The word made flesh, the light of the world, was Jesus Christ and he made it quite clear as to how we should live our lives in order to please the Father/Creator who sent him.

Pope Francis in his homily on the feast of the Holy Family had this reminder to all of us; “How important it is for our families to journey together towards a single goal!  We know that we have a road to travel together; a road along which we encounter difficulties but also enjoy moments of joy and consolation.  And on this pilgrimage of life we also share in moments of prayer”

In my life, my mother and father taught me to always say “Good Night and God bless You” The Pope went further reminding us that we need; “To bless them, that is, to entrust them to the Lord, just like Elkanah and Anna, Joseph and Mary, so that God can be their protection and support throughout the day.”.

The Gospel from Like 2: verse 51 ends telling us; “At the end of that pilgrimage, Jesus returned to Nazareth and was obedient to his parents. Returning home, Jesus surely remained close to them, as a sign of his complete affection and obedience. 

Christ taught us who our neighbor was when he told the parable of THE GOOD SAMARATON.  Our neighbor is everyone on the planet regardless of race, nationality, sexual orientation, married or single. 

If we are to be true followers of Christ we need to treat all people alike and treat them with dignity and respect. We need to stop aggression and greed.  We need to put an end to poverty and care for the sick, aged, and poor.  We need to educate all the children of the world and proclaim and acknowledge God by what ever name.  Every person in this world is a part of the Family of God.

The Holy Family is the example of how families should be.  Mary was the Theotokos, (God bearer)

Joseph the descendant of David and earthly foster father of the Christ child was a faithful follower of the Jewish faith and a firm believer in the creator/God and accepted God’s will even though he knew he might be scorned for having “sired” a child without being married to Mary. 

Joseph heeded the messengers of God who came to him twice without question but with faith.

As the words in that wonderful Sister Sledge song WE ARE FAMILY say; “We are family I got all my sisters and brothers with me.  We are family …. Have faith in you and the things you do.  You won't go wrong.

On this feast of the Holy Family let us realize that we, every man, woman and child on the face of the earth is a part of the family of God. 

Let us strive to live together in harmony and peace.  Let us seek ways to end injustice, poverty, homelessness, addiction, war and begin to care for one another as Christ cared for all He encountered.

AMEN

2018 Holy Family

Christmas 2017 homily

A Christmas Prayer

A Christmas Prayer

by Robert Louis Stevenson

 Loving Father, help us remember the birth of Jesus, that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds, and worship of the wise men. Close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world. Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting.  Deliver us from evil by the blessing which Christ brings, and teach us to be merry with clear hearts. May the Christmas morning make us happy to be thy children, and Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus' sake.    Amen.

 

Have a truly blessed Christmas, may the Christ Child bring you comfort, peace and love this Christmas and for many years to come.

Fr. Bob

New Pastoral Letter

4th Sunday of Advent 2017

A Pastoral Letter to all Christians

Gaudete Sunday 2017

2nd Sunday of Advent 2017

1st Sunday of Advent 2017

Christ the King 2017

Christ the King homily

Reflection For The Feast Of Christ The King

November 26, 2017

By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFM

Mission Sts. Sergius & Bacchus/ Order Franciscans of Mercy

www.missionstsergius.org

www.franciscansdivinemercy.org

Divinemercyparish@msn.com

 

Psalm 23 reads as follows;

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want; he makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anointed my head with oil, my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

The words of this Psalm acknowledge God as the loving God who watches over us and cares for us as a good Shepherd cares for His flock. Since Christ, the only begotten Son of God, was given dominion over all the earth by the Father we acknowledged Christ as the heavenly King.

 

Christ himself declared that He was the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end and as such the human embodiment of the Father.  

 

A king, more precisely a good king, is concerned about the safety and welfare of every one of his subjects and so it is with Jesus Christ who told us how a good shepherd, which is exactly what a king is supposed to be to his people, would go seeking a lost sheep in order not to lose even one.

 

The kingdom that Christ reigns over is not of this world, but is the everlasting kingdom to which we are called after living in this material world. The kingdom is a spiritual kingdom where peace and harmony and elation of being with the angels and saints and most especially the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, abounds.

 

As King, Christ has the ultimate say on who will and will not be welcomed into this kingdom. 

In the Gospel Of Matthew 25:31-46 we read, “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit on the throne of his glory:  And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say to them on his right hand, Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  For I was an hungered, and you gave me meat: I was thirsty, and you gave me drink: I was a stranger, and you took me in: Naked, and you clothed me: I was sick, and you visited me: I was in prison, and you came to me”.

This only strengthens the concept that Christ is the power through which we gain eternal life in the paradise that is the Kingdom of Heaven.  

 

Christ gave us two simple Commandments to live by as found in Matthew 22: 38-39 “Love the Lord, your God, with your whole heart, mind, soul and body and the second is like unto it, Love your neighbor as you love yourself”, and in His Sermon on the Mount (the Beatitudes) tells us the way to treat our fellow human brothers and Sisters here on earth.  Matthew 5:19 instructs us on how we gain entrance to the Kingdom for which Christ is king; “Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

In Matthew 25:34-43 Christ also reminds us of how we need to live in order to gain eternal life with God and the heavenly elect; “I was hungry, and you gave me food to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in; naked, and you clothed me; I was sick, and you visited me; I was in prison, and you came to me”. The group on the right asked God; “Lord, when did we see you hungry, and feed you; or thirsty, and give you a drink?  When did we see you as a stranger, and take you in; or naked, and clothe you? When did we see you sick, or in prison, and come to you?”   God replied; “I tell you, whatever you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.”
Next week we enter a time of preparing to celebrate the birth of Christ, the season of Advent.

This is a time for us to make an evaluation of how well we are living our daily lives to prepare ourselves for the Kingdom of Christ, heaven.   Have we been mindful of the needs of others, are we caring and accepting of all of God’s children, not just those we consider acceptable because they conform to our way of thinking, but ALL?

Have we discriminated against others because of Race, creed, marital condition, sexual orientation or political party? Are we charitable toward those who are in need?

Christ gave us the example of how we should lead our lives. He never rejected anyone who came to Him and neither should we.  In this time where people are thinking of giving gifts to their family and friends let us acknowledge the gifts God, our father, has given us. Let us use them to the benefit of all God’s children, especially those who have not been as blessed as we have been, and not hoard them for ourselves.

By doing this we can not only show our love and respect for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords but we will build up a treasures in heaven for ourselves so that we will be greeted with “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”          AMEN

Christ the King 2017

33rd Ordinary Sunday 2017

32 Sunday of Ordinary time 2017

31st Ordinary Sunday 2017

30th Ordinary Sunday Oct 29 2017

29th Ordinary Sunday 2017

28th Ordinary Sunday 2017

26th Ordinary Sunday 1012017

REFLECTIONS video for 9/24/2017

REFLECTIONS video for 9/24/2017

Sunday Sept. 24, 2017 Holily

Seek the Lord for True Peace

A Reflection for the Twenty Fifth Sunday or Ordinary Time

September 24^th, 2017

By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFM

Mission Sts. Sergius & Bacchus/Order Franciscans of Mercy

www.missionstsergius.org

www.orderfranciscansofmercy.org

Divinemercyparish@msn.com  

“Seek the Lord while he is still to be found, call to him while he is still near” these words taken from the first reading from the book of Isaiah 55:6-9 should be a wakeup call for us even in this the twenty-first century. 

The second reading for this Sunday from Paul’s letter to the Philippians 1:20-27 has some wise words of advice for us also when he tells people to; “Avoid anything in your everyday lives that would be unworthy of the gospel of Christ”

This week’s gospel story is a very familiar one of the landowner who hires laborers at various times of day offering to pay them the same amount as those who were hired at the beginning of the day. At the end of the day when the laborers were being paid many complained that those hired at the last hour of the day received the same amount as those hired in the morning as being unfair Jesus answered them with this statement; “My friend, I am not being unjust to you; did we not agree on one denarius? Take your earnings and go. I choose to pay the last comer as much as I pay you. Have I no right to do what I like with my own? Why be envious because I am generous?” Thus the last will be first, and the first, last.”

The lesson for us is quite simple, it does not matter when we decide to live according to Christ’s teachings, nor does it matter at what hour of our lives we call upon God to be with us, God will accept us with love and forgiveness and welcome us into the heavenly kingdom.

The only requirement that is needed to receive the same reward as those who have labored faithfully from the beginning is desire to be a true follower of Christ and then for us to actually live according to Christ’s teachings.

To live as Christ taught means to have compassion for the sick, poor, aged and reach out to help them. We need to be fair and honest in all our personal and business dealings.  We must speak out against injustice and demand equality for everyone.

Our world is facing many challenges and has far too often rejected many of these principals.  Wars are being waged unjustly and with tragic results.  Some nations seek to dominate others and greed and materialism have replaced compassion and justice.

In the United States, our government is proposing laws that will give tax breaks to the super rich while also advocating cuts in programs that help the poor, elderly and sick have bare minimum quality of life.

Seniors on fixed incomes buying power has lost more than 50% in the last 10 years while the percentage or millionaires have increased greatly.

The government has cut the food stamp allocation claiming the cost of living has gone down while every food item in the stores has gone up by more than 10%.

To be a true follower of Christ one must always be aware of the needs of those less fortunate and make sure they are cared for adequately.

A True follower of Christ would welcome all who came to seek God with open arms and not reject them or drive them away.  A Person who loves God would love all God’s children as God and Christ love.  No follower of Christ would cause any child harm or abuse them. The aged and sick would be cared for and receive affordable quality medical and dental care.

If we are to “Seek the Lord while he is still to be found, call to him while he is still near” we need to heed Christ’s teachings and insure that we do all in our power to make the adjustments in our society that are needed so that we, as a nation, can live up to the motto “One Nation, under God, with liberty and justice FOR ALL” and truly be a country that lives and practices what our founding fathers envisioned when they wrote these words in the Declaration of Independence “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” and in the Constitution of our country; “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”

Let us all pray that those who claim to be followers of Christ, and those who worship the one God, creator of all, will reflect on the teachings  of Christ, Buddha, Mohammad, Gandhi, and all those who have advocated peace, brotherhood, mercy, compassion and love over injustice, war, poverty and dissention. Let us “Seek the Lord while he is still to be found, call to him while he is still near” AMEN   

25th Ordinary Sunday 2017

15th Ordinary Sunday 2017

14th Ordinary Sunday 2017

Homily for Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi, The Body of Christ

A Reflection by

By Rev. Bob Johnnene OFM

Mission Sts. Sergius and Bacchus/ Franciscans of Mercy

Link to Mission Web Site: www.missionstsergius.org

Link to Franciscans of Mercy Web Site: www.orderfranciscansofmercy.org

Email Address: Divinemercyparish@msn.com

 

The feast of Corpus Christi has very special significance in the Church. 

In honoring the Eucharist, especially following the celebrations of the Ascension and the Trinity the universal church proclaims one of the basic beliefs of the Catholic faith, that in the Eucharist or Holy Communion as some refer to it, we are receiving the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

The feast of Corpus Christi is one of the most exalted mysteries of the Catholic faith, since for sublimity and incomprehensibility to mortal man; it yields nothing to the allied mysteries of the Trinity and Incarnation and is often one that is challenged by other Christian denominations along with the other two mysteries.

It is one of the mysteries that require you to have complete faith and trust in God.

Recently Pope Francis had this to say about the Eucharist in his reflection on the Seven Sacraments; “First, the Eucharist affects the way we see others. In his life, Christ manifested his love by being with people, and by sharing their desires and problems. So too the Eucharist brings us together with others – young and old, poor and affluent, neighbors and visitors. The Eucharist calls us to see all of them as our brothers and sisters, and to see in them the face of Christ.
Second, in the Eucharist we experience the forgiveness of God and the call to forgive. We celebrate the Eucharist not because we are worthy, but because we recognize our need for God’s mercy, incarnate in Jesus Christ. In the Eucharist, we renew the gift of the Body and Blood of Christ for the remission of sins, and our hearts are enlarged to receive and show mercy.
Third, in the Eucharistic celebration, we are nourished as the Christian community by Christ’s Word and Life. It is from the Eucharist that the Church receives continually her identity and mission. It is in our celebration that Christ fills us with his grace, so that our lives may be consonant with our worship of God in the Liturgy. Let us live the Eucharist in a spirit of faith and prayer, with the certainty that the Lord will bring to fulfillment all that he has promised”.  On Thursday, the feast of Corpus Christi in many countries especially Italy the Pope said this regarding the Eucharist; “To live the experience of faith means to let the Lord nourish us and to build our existence not on material goods, but on the reality, that does not perish: the gifts of God, his word and his body, The Body of Christ is the bread of the end times, capable of giving life, and eternal life, because the substance is this bread of love.”

Because Holy Thursday is linked so closely with the final days of Christ’s earthly life and therefore often with sadness it was very appropriate that we celebrate the gift of that day to us of Christ’s body and blood on a separate day to honor the Corpus Christi. 

The Eucharist is often called “The Bread of Life” because of the promise by Christ that; “He that eats of My Flesh, and drinks of My Blood, lives in Me, and I in him” which is found in John 6:54.  

The words found in John 6 are a clear explanation of why we celebrate the feast of Corpus Christi as a separate joyful feast and one that is affirming and welcoming and clearly shows Almighty God’s infinite and everlasting love for us. 

In the Eucharist, we have been given Christ as a companion to us for as long as we live and through partaking of this bread of life we receive the strength to overcome the daily temptations that plague us. The Body of Christ is a sustaining strength for us and therefore a life-giving source.

Paul’s letter to the Hebrews 9:11-15 proclaims the following; “the blood of Christ, who offered himself as the perfect sacrifice to God through the eternal Spirit, can purify our inner self from dead actions so that we do our service to the living God. When we receive the Eucharist, no matter if we receive it as just the bread or in the bread and wine, we receive the Body and Blood of Christ which will nourish us and assist us to reject temptations.

If only we all could have the kind of love and devotion and belief young children have when they receive their First Communion every time we receive the Eucharist.   I feel that as adults, we become complacent and receive the Eucharist more out of habit rather than recognizing what a wonderful gift God has given us in the Eucharist. If we approached the table with more faith and devotion when we receive the Eucharist we might receive and appreciate the gift Christ left us and be more open and willing to live our lives as He instructed us.   We might become more concerned for the wellbeing of all the people of this world and be more active in speaking up against injustice, poverty, war and genocide. We might have to courage and strength to fight for fairness and equal rights for all people regardless of their race, nationality, creed or sexual orientation.   

Prayer

O God, who in a wonderful Sacrament has left unto us the memorial of Your Passion; grant, we beseech You, that we may so venerate the sacred mysteries of Your Body and Blood as to experience continually, within ourselves, the fruit of Your Redemption.   O Lord Jesus Christ, in the Most Blessed Sacrament be praised, adored and loved, with grateful affection, at every moment, in all the tabernacles of the world, and by all who receive you into their bodies and souls, even to the end of time!  O Sacrament most holy! O Sacrament divine! All praise and all thanksgiving be every moment Thine!   We ask this in the name of our redeemer and Savior, Jesus Christ, Who lives and reigns with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. AMEN

Corpus Christi 2017 June 18th

Pentecost Sunday 2017

7th Easter Sunday&Ascension Thursday

Mother's Day Homily

A Tribute to Our Heavenly Mother and all Mothers

A reflection for Mother’s Day May 14, 2017

By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFM

Mission Sts. Sergius & Bacchus

Order Franciscans of Mercy

www.orderfranciscansofmercy.org

www.missionstsergius.org

TV YouTube Page Link: https://www.youtube.com/user/RevBobJohn

 

 

 

The Mother's Day holiday in the United States, celebrates motherhood generally and the wonderful contributions of all mothers and women to society.

It is the result of a campaign by Anna Marie Jarvis who, following the death of her mother on May 9, 1905, devoted her life to establishing Mother's Day as a national, and later an international, holiday.

Throughout all of history, mothers have played one of the most important roles in society. There is an old adage that “Behind every successful man there is a woman” and this is an adage that holds true almost every time, that woman is usually the man’s mother.

We know from scripture that Jesus’ mother was often in his company and suffered with him because of the rejection and ultimately the crucifixion of her beloved son. With His last breath, Christ symbolically gave His mother to all of us with these words “Woman, behold, your son! Son, Behold, your mother!”(John 19:25-27)

Mary was the catalyst for the first recorded miracle of Jesus at the wedding feast of Cana. Mary and the other women discovered that Christ has risen from the dead. It is Our Blessed Mother that often is the bearer of messages to the world from Her son and Almighty God.

Mary’s appearances at Lourdes, Fatima, Guadalupe, Mejigore, and to Saint Catherine Laboure’ to whom the Blessed Mother displayed herself inside an oval frame, standing upon a globe, wearing many rings of different colors, most of which shone rays of light over the globe and around the margin of the frame appeared the words O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

Just as Our Heavenly Mother Mary had and still has an important place in the Christian life, so to do all mothers have an important role in the future of society. The mother nourishes the child from inception to adult hood and beyond.  Mothers are the first educators, set the moral guidelines and often teach the first prayers and instill a love and devotion to God.

It was 30 years ago this week, May 5^th 1987, three days before Mother’s Day, that a beautiful woman by the name of Elizabeth was called home to Almighty God. 

She did not become famous, never made headlines, if anything her life was very simple. 

Born in Ireland in 1906 her early years were anything but wonderful. She lived in fear of the British troops who roamed her country.  When she was only 5 years old, she watched in horror as her mother died in childbirth while her father and uncle were arguing, drunk, in an adjoining room. Shortly after that, her father left her with another uncle and aunt while he went off to America in search of a better life. The Aunt, according to the stories told, mistreated little Elizabeth to the point she ran away to another uncle who took her in and lived with along with his young son Willie until 1913, when word came for her to come to America. She remembers arriving at Ellis Island frightened and amazed, as she gazed from the gangplank at the enormous glowing statue of a woman holding a torch on the base of which was inscribed the words “Give me your tired and your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free”

In 1929, while working in a drug store, a handsome man, Bob, who was working days as a welder and nights as a singer in the Keith Vaudeville Circuit and studying law, spotted her.  

They got married in September 1930 but life was not to be a “Happy Ever After” of the storybooks.  Bob had a drinking problem and it caused many arguments as it often does but Betty had faith and hung in there.

Through all her life’s problems, she never gave up her faith in Almighty God and had a deep devotion to the Blessed Mother Mary. A devotion she passed on to her son, yours truly.

The life of Elizabeth is just a regular life, it is a life that millions of woman happily do every day. They are the woman who we celebrate on Mother’s Day.

My Mother and many other mothers emulate the role Our Blessed Mother gave and they, through the years, followed in Our Lady’s footsteps, giving of themselves for their children and spouses.

I know that Elizabeth is in the company of Our Blessed Mother and our Redeemer Jesus Christ and that Bob my father is serenading Almighty God and all the heavenly elect with his magnificent tenor voice while Elizabeth sits proudly and appreciatively as she did every time he sang.

Since my Mom had two miscarriages before I arrived, she could never understand how anyone could end the gift of life and the opportunity to be a mother.  Women are more compassionate, nurturing and forgiving than most men. If women were given a greater role in the activities of the church, we might not have had the problems we have been facing in recent years.

If women were allowed to be deacons or priests we probably would not have a shortage of priests and the church would be more nurturing towards individuals seeking the love of God.

Mothers are less likely to reject a child because of their sexual orientation.  

In short, on this Mother’s Day we need to celebrate ALL Women, Mothers, Grandmothers, mothers to be, woman who may never be mothers, All Woman, for without woman, there would be no men.

 Without Our Blessed Mother, Jesus would not have been.

This weekend, let us give woman the credit they deserve, let us try to do something special for all woman in our life. Let us make this a celebration for all women for the contributions that they have played in forming not only the Judea/Christian and other Religious faiths but also History in general.

Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers, your children are a gift; never let them feel unloved or unwanted. God created them and gave them to you to cherish. Protect them as best as possible, give them strong love and knowledge of how to love, forgive, and know and serve God.

Love can conquer all adversity as the story of Elizabeth and Bob can illustrate, their love was stronger than any adversity they faced.

Just as God’s love is stronger than any adversity any of us may face. AMEN

Mothers Day 2017

Mothers Day 2017

Good Shepherd Sunday 2017

3rd Sunday of Easter 2017

Divine Mercy Sunday 2017

Palm Sunday Homily

Palm Sunday 2017

April 9, 2017

A Reflection for Palm Sunday by Rev. Robert Johnnene OFM

Mission Sts. Sergius & Bacchus/ Order Franciscans of Mercy, Upton, MA

Based on the Readings from Isaiah 50:4-7, Psalm 22, Philippians 2:6-11,

Mark 14:1-15:47, Mt. 21:1-11

www.missionstsergius.org

http://www.orderfranciscansofmercy.org

 

Today we celebrate Christ’s triumphant entrance into Jerusalem but we must keep in mind it marks the beginning of the week that details the suffering that Christ was willing to endure so we could have forgiveness of our sins and achieve everlasting life with God and all the heavenly elect.

The week highlights what Christ was willing to GIVE UP in order for us to receive forgiveness of our sins.

For this reason throughout all of the history of the church the faithful have been asked to GIVE UP some of the comforts and luxuries that make our lives pleasurable.

As a Franciscan I and the members of our Franciscan Community follow the rule of St. Francis who is most often shown surrounded by animals not just because he respected all of God’s creatures but because they reminded him of Christ’s teaching found in Matthew 6 :26  “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”

St. Francis saw in animals a vision of the poverty of God, a freedom for life not dependent on possessions, a freedom that lives by giving and receiving, rather than by possessing.

The hallmark of St. Francis’ commitment to life with and for the poor is the practice of voluntary begging. Voluntary begging, for Francis, is the act of intentionally and publically relying on the charity of others for the sake of one’s livelihood and a means of caring for those who are in need because of illness, age, poverty and homelessness.

Item one of the Rule of St. Francis it states “This is the rule and way of living of the brothers: namely to observe the holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, living in obedience, without personal possessions”, and Item 6 it states “The brothers shall appropriate nothing to themselves, neither a house, nor a place, nor anything; but as pilgrims and strangers in this world, in poverty and humility serving God, they shall confidently go seeking for alms. Nor need they be ashamed, for the Lord became poor for us in this world even to giving up His earthly live in order for us to gain forgiveness of our sins and achieve everlasting life with God and all the heavenly elect. .”

On this Palm Sunday and the final week of Lent called Holy Week this reflection will talk about specific ways we can practice self-denial to and in a small way participate in a very small way in the suffering that Christ endured during his week of passion.

It is so easy for us to be attracted to material riches and the creature comforts they often provide but to be true followers of Christ we need to make a categorical decision not to let them become an idol we honor more than we honor God.

When Christ was in the garden of Gethsemane he cried out; “‘Abba (Father)!’ he said ‘Everything is possible for you. Take this cup away from me. But let it be as you, not I, would have it.” These words cried out by Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane should be a constant reminder to us that it is alright to ask God to lift a burden from us.

One curious passage in the Gospel of Mark 14 relates an incident that many choose to overlook and it is just one line long it is part of the story that tells how the disciples and apostles abandoned Christ. “And they all deserted him and ran away. A young man who followed him had nothing on but a linen cloth. They caught hold of him, but he left the cloth in their hands and ran away naked.”  The symbolism here is clear to me that we are naked and exposed by our actions. So many try to hide their dirty laundry with fancy clothes but before God we are all seen naked for exactly who we are.  The Gospel story today is a telling of the entire passion and a different story than the celebration we associate Palm Sunday with the triumphant entry into Jerusalem where we hear the people shouting; “Hosanna! Blesses is He who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel” It can be assumed that many of those same people who were shouting Hosanna, four days later were in the crowds shouting, “Crucify Him” because he did not meet their expectations or because they succumbed to greed and accepted bribes from officials of the temple.

We see cases where it is crystal clear that a bribe influenced someone, a business leader or an elected official to vote a certain way.

Often times, as we have seen in recent events in Washington, the rule or legislation or the vote that occurred because of financial infusion was not in the best interest of the majority but a select minority.

When laws are passed that hurt any part of our population, like the poor, the elderly on low fixed incomes, the homeless, or the quality of public education of our youth we, as followers of Jesus Christ must speak out loudly against such actions.

If we are to call ourselves Christians, or followers of Jesus Christ we are called to care for those in need as Christ stated in the parable found in Matthew 25 verses 35-40

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.

 

One way we can overcome this constant temptation to ignore any action that causes anyone suffering, or discrimination is too constantly seek ways to respond to our neighbor's needs and share with them what God, in His generosity, has given to us or allowed us to earn.

Make a donation of the cost of what we gave up during Lent to a charity or your faith community or a ministry that works to assist the poor, sick, elderly and disenfranchised so they can help others as St. Francis instructs in his rule one. mentioned above.
Saint Paul, in Romans 15:25-27 speaks of the collection for the Faith Community of Jerusalem which tells us that even in the early church the work of proclaiming the Good News of Salvation required all the faithful to participate and care for each other. It is no different today.

A Faith Community is only as successful as how many of the community get involved in doing the work of God by providing the means to do it.   

There is no better way for us to show our intercommunion and fellowship with the Body of Christ than to “Do unto others as we would have done unto us.” (John 15:13)

All over the world ministries and churches are having difficulty meeting the basic needs of their faith communities.  Even here in the United States many faith Communities have difficulty because of the move by society to a self-absorbed society only interested in their own comfort and pleasure.

I hear the same story from pastors all over this country how they are struggling and having difficulties because collections and donations have dropped drastically

If everyone reading or listening to this reflection would just give the cost of a daily cup of coffee at Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks for the week to their Church the result would make a huge impact. 

I pray that everyone who this reflection reaches will reflect on their sharing of the gifts God has given to them.

The Church from the earliest times has called on Christ’s followers to give of themselves as Christ was willing to give for us as we will recall in the Gospel of Christ’s passion and as we commemorate this Holy week.

Giving up something does nothing unless it also has a positive result like Christ’s Passion and Death did, giving us the forgiveness of our sins and the promise of everlasting life..  

May Almighty God inspire you during this last week of Lent to be merciful and generous to the needs of our brothers and sisters in Christ and neighbors of the world for it is not what we have given up that will open the gates of heaven, but what we have done to help others.     AMEN

 

Palm Sunday 2017

5th Lenten Sunday 2017

Stations of the Cross 2017

Laetare Sunday Homily 2017

Let God’s Light Illuminate the Dark

A Reflection for the Fourth Sunday of Lent March 26, 2017

By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFM

Mission Saints Sergius & Bacchus/ Order Franciscans of Mercy

Reformed Catholic Church

www.missionstsergius.org

www.orderfranciscansofmercy.org

 

I have  come into this world, so that those without sight may see and those with sight turn blind’. John 9:39

Christ is the light that brings truth and justice to all who believe, Christ came to enlighten us and to teach us the way to seek our happiness here on earth as well as to gain for us Eternal happiness.

 

In Paul's letter to the Ephesians he tells us: “You were darkness once, but now you are light in the Lord; be like children of light, for the effects of the light are seen in complete goodness and right living and truth. Try to discover what the Lord wants of you, having nothing to do with the futile works of darkness but exposing them by contrast. The things which are done in secret are things that it is ashamed even to speak of; but anything exposed by the light will be illuminated and anything illuminated turns into light. That is why it is said: Wake up from your sleep, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Ephesians 5:8 – 14

 

All around us today we see darkness and it is necessary for us to turn on the light to dispel that darkness. So how do we bring the light of truth into the world? We do it by placing our lives in God's hands and by living according to the way Christ taught us.

First we have to acknowledge that every person on the face of this planet is a child of  God and deserves  respect, dignity, compassion and love. 

I recall a quote of Mother Teresa of Calcutta who said; “God told us, "Love your neighbor as yourself." So first I am to love myself rightly, and then to love my neighbor like that. But how can I love myself unless I accept myself as God has made me?”(St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta)

By accepting our self as God made us and making the best of the gifts God gave us for the benefit of all our brothers and sisters in Christ, we take a huge step toward dispelling the darkness that depresses us and discourages us.

 

The Responsorial Psalm for this Sunday is a prayer attributed to King David.  It is a prayer that, if we say it daily, can remind us of  all God does for us and of how much we need to attempt to return the favor by helping those who are caught in the darkness of discontent, poverty, and illness.  We need to reject the enticement of those who listen to the voice of darkness by seeking only self-glorification, power, money and physical pleasure.

The Lord is my shepherd: I shall lack nothing. He has taken me to green pastures, He has led me to still waters;
He has healed my spirit. He has led me along right paths for his own name’s sake. Even if I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil, for you are with me: your rod and your staff give me comfort.  You have set a table before me in the sight of my enemies. You have anointed my head with oil, and my cup overflows.
Truly goodness and kindness will follow me all the days of my life. For long years I shall live in the house of the Lord. Psalm 22 (23)

Mother Teresa reminds us: “Words which do not give the light of Christ increase the Darkness”.

In the Chinese Han philosophy the world is divided into two segments,  Yin (Earth) and Yang (Heaven).

Yin is depicted as black or darkness and Yang is depicted by White or light. Many also describe Yin and Yang as being Good and Bad, Day and Night, and all agree that they are in opposition to each other but also they exist in all things, just as the inclination for good and evil exist in every person which may well be that often there is a spot of black in the white and white in the black.

The concept is that people who do not know what bad is cannot know what good is. 

Christ clearly came to enlighten us as to what good is and how we were to act as children of God. Christ came to dispel the darkness.

 

Think about your favorite horror movie and how most evil things that happened did so in the darkness.

 

Safety Officers tell us that having lights around our house at night is a deterrent to thieves. Light dispels darkness and fear and the light Christ brought into the world was a light of truth, justice and God's will for us. 

The Gospel of John 9:1-41 is the story of how Jesus cured the blind man. It is another reminder of how Christ brings light into the world.

A man born blind has lived his entire life in darkness.  The story tells how after Jesus brought sight to the blind man he went to the Synagogue and how the Pharisees claimed Christ was from Satan because he cured the man on the Sabbath “This man cannot be from God: he does not keep the sabbath” when they questioned the man's parents they replied thusly “We know he is our son and we know he was born blind, but we do not know how it is that he can see now, or who opened his eyes. He is old enough: let him speak for himself.’ His parents spoke like this out of fear of the Jews, who had already agreed to expel from the synagogue anyone who should acknowledge Jesus as the Christ.”

In my mind, not much has changed today. There are still people who refuse to acknowledge Christ and some who do select the parts of Christ's teachings that suit their own agenda but reject the most important teaching of Christ “Love one another as I have loved you”.  They do not accept ALL God's children but only those that reflect their skin color, or nationality or social and political orientation.

 

Christ welcomed all who came to Him.  Just as His father will welcome and love ALL His children even those who have wandered away  just like the Prodigal son's father welcomed his son who had strayed away with joy and feasting when he returned humble and sorrowful for his actions. 

God, Our heavenly Father, will always welcome all and forgive all who return to Him with sorrow for their failures.  

When the darkness is dispelled and we walk in the light of Christ, even in the most difficult situations of our life we will be able to find a ray of hope.

The Gospel story ends with these words “I came into this world for judgment, so that those who do not see might see, and those who do see might become blind”

If you were blind you would not be guilty but since you say “We See” Your guilt remains.”

We have been shown the way, the truth and the light through Jesus Christ. This Sunday is Lætare Sunday when the Church interrupts her Lenten mournfulness and instead of purple, rose-colored vestments, flowers adorn the altar and music is often used creating a marked contrast between the other weeks of lent and today.

The word Laetare means “Rejoice” and comes from the Entrance Antiphon for the Mass which is; “Rejoice Jerusalem! Be glad for her, you who love her; rejoice with her, who mourned for her, and you will find contentment at her consoling breasts.”

This Sunday differs from the other Sundays of Lent not only by the brilliant rose vestments and music and even in some cases flowers because it is emblematic of all human life, happiness and joy often  mingled with a certain amount of sadness, just as the Yin and Yang which represent the two forces in the universe, according to a Chinese theory: yin is the passive, negative force, and yang the active, positive force.

I have often said and believed that we can never truly appreciate happiness until we have experienced sadness and the greater our sadness in life so also will be the greater happiness.

The message for this Sunday is one of hope because it speaks of God's truth and the promise of finding truth in the Light of Christ.

As the light of the world, Jesus has come to enlighten people about God and show us the way to gain everlasting life. 

The blind man represents us and Jesus curing the man born blind represents how Jesus Teachings bring the message of God's truth to us and lights our way to salvation if we live our lives in a manner consistent with Christ's teachings.

I close this reflection with the opening prayer for this Sunday: “Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.”

The Eucharist we receive is the bread of life because it is the Body and Blood of Christ which provides us with the graces or “Spiritual vitamins” to persevere in our journey of following Christ’s light guiding us in our daily lives.

It is not enough for us to say “I believe” we also need to live our faith by through our daily actions reflecting the teachings of Christ.   AMEN

Laetare Sunday 2017

Stations of the Cross 2017

One Hours Pay

One Hours Pay

If every person who reads our Facebook Pages or receives our weekly TV show REFLECTIONS and Homilies were to commit to sending the ministry what they receive as pay for one hour of work I would not have to constantly be begging every month in the hope we would receive enough to pay the monthly expenses of the ministry.

This past month because we have taken on two more facilities for seniors we have had to purchase complete Altar materials including chalice, paten, Sacramentary, Lectionary, altar cloths and linens, cruets, lavabo dish and the materials for antependium’s for the portable altars. As today March 21, 2017 we do NOT have enough in the Mission Bank to pay April’s bills.

Please consider making a donation of a days pay every week or the cost of a Latte’ or even a special Lenten/Easter donation.

Donating is easy using the DONATE buttons on our Web site www.missionstsergius.org which will bring you to PayPal where you can safely use a credit or debit card to make a secure donation OR you can send a check or money order directly to the Mission Bank account:

MISSIONS SAINTS SERGIUS & BACCHUS,C/O Middlesex Savings Bank,830 Washington Street, Holliston, MA, 01746.

Donations to MISSION SAINTS SERGIUS & BACCHUS are tax-deductible in the USA, Mexico, Spain, France and Germany.

Tax Exempt # 203106639 Expires September 2025.

The mission future depends on you!

Pax et Bonum!

Rev. Bob Johnnene OFJ, Pastor Mission Saints Sergius & Bacchus

  

Homily for Sunday March 19, 2017

Worship In Spirit and Truth

A Reflection for the Third Sunday of lent, March 19, 2017

Based on the readings from: Exodus 17:3-7, Romans 5:1-8, John 4:5-42

By Rev. Fr. Bob Johnnene OFM

Mission Sts. Sergius and Bacchus/ Order Franciscans of Mercy

Reformed Catholic Church

www.orderfranciscansofmercy.org

www.missionstsergius.org

 

This week’s readings have so much for us to reflect upon. Each of the readings has a lesson for us to ponder and if we do so, it will open our hearts and minds so that we too will proclaim, as the Samaritans do in today’s Gospel:“Now we no longer believe because of what you told us; we have heard him ourselves and we know that he really is the savior of the world’.

We hear Christ speaking to us on the pages of the Holy Scriptures written by those who were there at the time and their followers to whom they related them who transcribed them under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.   If our hearts and minds are open to the Holy Spirit speaking within us we can discern God's truth.  We need to listen with open hearts and minds to the Holy Spirit speaking within us today and discern essence of truth we perceive while comparing it with the differing teachings proclaimed by the various Catholic Councils , thereby knowing God’s will for us, in this age and time, through the inspiration of the Spirit.

The Gospel story is filled with lessons, that if we were to compare them against the social and political customs of the Christ's time and today we would realize that Christ broke many taboos of His day. 

 The Gospel begins with Christ breaking tradition and speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well.

This was in total contradiction to Jewish Religious law. Christ tells us that He came to bring a new covenant, in other words Christ proclaimed a new way of being, of relating and experiencing God.   Christ then stayed there for a period of days teaching and at the end of that time the Samaritans came to accept Him as the promised of the ages while the Religious hierarchy rejected and feared Him.

 

Christ is said to have proclaimed; But the hour will come – in fact it is here already – when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth: that is the kind of worshiper the Father wants.  God is spirit, and those who worship must worship in spirit and truth.’(John 4:23)

The hour is now for us to turn to God who created all things, for reasons known to Him alone, and to Christ who is the light come into the world to proclaim God’s truth, and light the way of truth for us, not man’s idea of truth. 

By allowing the Holy Spirit to enlighten us in accord with the traditions and customs of the early church and examining the reasons behind why some rituals and customs were eliminated we might be inspired to review the concept of reviving them in today's world, like the tradition of married priests and woman deacons.

Paul in his letter to the Romans reminds us that “the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit which has been given us. We were still helpless when at his appointed moment Christ died for sinful men.”

Christ came not for those who lived righteous lives but for those who were sinners to teach them the way, the truth and to be the light that will guide us all to eternal happiness.  Christ suffered and died so that our sinfulness could be forgiven and forgotten.

The Holy Spirit is forever working today just as the Holy Spirit worked on that first Pentecost and in the guiding of the early Fathers of The Church and Patriarchs in the formative years of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. 

I often ask God the same question Moses beseeches of God; “Moses appealed to the Lord. “How am I to deal with this people?” (Exodus 17: 4) when I am confronted by individuals who refuse to even consider that those  who do not adhere to a singular concept of worship to Almighty God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are not true Christians. 

I usually ask them if they believe that God created all things and the response is usually “Of course”. 

I then ask them if they believe that everything God created was good, to which I get the same answer.

I then remind them that if God created all people then all people are children of God and, as such, their prayers and their devotions are acceptable to God assuming they are offering them to the God of Isaac, Jacob, Jeremiah, Elijah, Moses, and David.

Jesus Christ came to instruct us on the way to achieve everlasting live with His father.

God himself, as we heard in last week’s Gospel, proclaimed “This is my Son, the Beloved; he enjoys my favor. Listen to him.” (Matthew 17:5)

The people of Samaria listened and believed, the woman at the well believed, Paul tells us “The love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit which has been given us”. (Romans 5: 5). The love of God is the Truth and it is still being poured into our hearts if we but take the time to listen and seek the truth and desire God's infinite love. 

Far too many individuals want everyone and everything to be exactly alike and they leave no room for diversity in celebrations or prayer practices. 

We know for a fact that diversity enriches educational experiences. We learn from experiences, beliefs, and perspectives that are different from ours and these lessons can enrich our spiritual growth.

Diversity challenges stereotyped preconceptions; it encourages critical thinking; and it helps us to develop respect for people of various backgrounds while enriching our liturgical practices and even bringing a deeper relationship in the Eucharistic Liturgy.

The Mass, Eucharistic Liturgy, is the most perfect prayer as it involves a gathering together of a faith community together to worship God,  The Mass begins with our admitting our failures and the seeking God's forgiveness for  our failures, the proclamation of the Word of God and a lesson or reflection on that word, the offerings of the people to Almighty God, proclamation of our faith in God and giving praise to God and is culminated in God giving us His beloved Son in the Eucharist and our being sent forth to live our life in accordance with Christ's teachings.

An example of diversity and how it enriches the Eucharistic liturgy is experienced yearly at the Religious Education Conference in Anaheim CA sponsored by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, where every day during the three day conference, Masses are celebrated exploring the cultural traditions of Native Americans, African Americans, Latinos, Filipino, Asian, and other groups. 

The vestments, music and prayers reflect the ethnic culture, dress and spirituality of the various ethnic groups.

I have witnessed Eucharistic liturgies where dance was an intricate part of the liturgy.  Jeremiah said that when Christ came “Then young women will dance and be glad. And so will the men, young and old alike. I will turn their sobbing into gladness. I will comfort them. And I will give them joy instead of sorrow”. Jeremiah 31:13)  \

In light of this why shouldn't dance be incorporated into liturgical celebrations if it contributes to the spiritual depth of individuals attending?

All Prayer is communication with God whereby we offer thanks, petition and ourselves.  At the offertory of the Eucharistic Liturgy we offer ourselves and the fruits of our labor to God in return God gives us the Bread of Life, Christ truly present in the Eucharist.  For this we need to rejoice and be glad, even in this time of Lent as we reflect on the passion of Christ and what he was willing to endure on our behalf, we rejoice that God loves us so much He allowed His son to suffer so in order that we could attain Everlasting live or as Paul says: “what  proves that God loves us is that Christ died for us while we were still sinners.”

Let us go forth today with open minds, hearts and souls ready to listen to the Holy Spirit speaking and guiding us on our journey toward God. AMEN