gesima,A Time of Reflection, Sacrifice, and Renewal
A Reflection for Septuagesima Sunday
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA, Mission St. Sergius & Bacchus
Holliston MA
www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverlastingLoveOfChristMinistry
February begins the countdown and beginning of the church season set aside to remind us of what Christ was willing to do for us and how we are doing, as followers of Christ, in living according to His instructions.
We are reminded during the weeks leading up to the official start of Lent on Ash Wednesday to begin our period of reflection and preparation by the titles of the Sundays leading up to Ash Wednesday.
The 17-day period beginning on Septuagesima Sunday is intended to be observed as a preparation for the season of Lent, which is itself a period of spiritual preparation.
In the Catholic liturgy, the Alleluia ceases to be said during the liturgy, effective at First Vespers of Septuagesima Sunday, and is not sung again until Easter. Violet Vestments are worn, except on feast days, during the period from Septuagesima Sunday until Holy Thursday. The readings of the Divine office during this time are from the Books of Genesis which describe the Creation of the universe, the human race and the fall from grace of man by disobedience of God’s law, the sin of Cain and Abel and continue with the promises of redemption and the Messiah made to Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses. The Gospel Story for Septuagesima Sunday is that of the Prodigal son and is meant to remind us of the forgiving and infinite merciful way of God.
Usually during this week I try to spend time reflecting on the past year and how well I did in living up to the teachings of Jesus Christ. Was I kind and considerate of others, even those who were not so nice to me? Did I give back to God a portion of what he provided me with, sometimes called tithing, in time or financial resources? Did I care for the sick and needy? Did I discriminate against anyone or put anyone down? Did I cause anyone to become angry and if so, did I apologize and try to make amends? I ask myself how I can become a better person and how I can best serve God. Where I find weaknesses in my life or when I think of ways to improve myself, I write them down as something to put on my list of things I need to do.
Sexagesima” is Latin for “sixtieth”; this Sunday is so called because it is roughly sixty days from Easter. Sexagesima brings us a firm warning that as we work for Christ and His Kingdom, we must always be aware that any success we may see is not due to our own efforts, but to God’s direction and His Grace. This Sunday is a perfect time to reflect on where we are and why and how we got here and what part and for what reason God placed us here. During this week I ask if I am doing all that I can to be a true servant and disciple of Christ.
Quinquagesima Sunday marks the period of fifty days before Easter. It begins with the Sunday before Ash Wednesday, called Dominica in Quinquagesima or Esto Mihi from the beginning of the Introit of the Eucharistic Liturgy; it is a Sunday of the second class, and the Color for the vestments of the Mass is violet. In the past, for early Christians it was the beginning of fasting period, and is called “The days without Meat” by many nationalities. This is the Sunday that I usually have my list of things that I need to do to improve myself in living according to the teachings of Christ prepared and posted somewhere that I can see it every day.
This year Ash Wednesday begins on the 21st of the month and on this day, worshippers are blessed with ashes by the priest. The priest or minister marks the forehead of each participant with black ashes, in the shape of a cross, and the worshipper traditionally retains until washing it off after sundown as a reminder of their mortality and sinfulness. The symbolism echoes the ancient Near Eastern tradition of throwing ash over one's head signifying repentance for the sins one has committed (as related numerous times in the Scripture). The priest marks the forehead of the person with one of these three blessings: "Remember, man that you are dust and unto dust you shall return." (Latin: Memento homo, quia pulvis es, ET in pulverem reverteris.) From Genesis 3:19 or "Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel." Or "Repent, and hear the good news."
The ashes are prepared by burning palm leaves from the previous year's Palm Sunday and mixed with olive oil; as a fixative. Ash Wednesday is observed by both fasting and abstinence and is a day of contemplating one's transgressions. The ashes are not a Sacrament but a Sign or Sacramental. (A Sacramental is something that aids one’s devotion to God but is not a sacrament.) Sacramentals are commonly divided into six classes: prayer, anointing, eating, confession, giving, and blessings.
As the title of this reflection indicates this is a time for us to reflect on our past and how well we are doing in coming closer to God and on what we might have to change from our current way of life and to plan for making those changes. It is a time of Sacrifice, of giving up some of the comforts we are accustomed to, reflecting the sacrifice Christ offered up for us and also of the forty days and nights that Christ fasted in the desert.
It is a time of Renewal, a time to make our selves over so that we better reflect Christ in our day to day lives.
God placed us here to achieve the promise of everlasting life with Him and all the heavenly elect but we have to earn that by living our lives in accord with the way Christ instructed us. We need to adhere to what Christ Called the two great commandments “Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, soul, mind and body and the second is like unto it, Love your neighbor as you love yourself” AMEN
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, February 03, 2007
Sunday, January 28, 2007
A Twenty First Century Saiont
A 21st Century Saint
A Reflection of Franciscan Priest and Martyr Mychal Judge OFM
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus
www.missionstsergius.org
On September 11, 2001 a son of Saint Francis paid the ultimate sacrifice while doing the job that he believed Christ called him to do. Fr. Mychal Judge OFM was the chaplain of the New York City Fire Department and had answered to call when extremist militants destroyed the World Trade Center and claimed the lives of over 3000 American citizens. There are many people who feel that, just a Christ died in order to save the all people and and so many martyrs died believing and living according to the teachings of Christ, Fr. Mychal also died believing that hwat he was doing was what Christ would have done. Michael Ford, in his FR. MUCHAL JUDGE, AN AMERICAN HERO, writes some of Fr. Michal’s words which are words we should all live by and use often.
Fr. Mychal has often said “Is there so much love in the world that we can afford to discriminate against any kind of love”? When asked why he was a priest and how he viewed his life he responded "The life I have is not what I planned on, but I had no idea what life I'd have. You just don't know, so you just go and take one day at a time. I don't get into tomorrow because God hasn't created it yet. So I live in today as best I can for the glory of God and His people." Describing his day he said I start the day with this prayer, 'Lord, show me, take me, mold me, fashion me, show me what You want, take me where you want me to go, let me meet who You want me to meet, tell me what to say and keep me out of Your way.'Many believe that Fr. Mychal should be declared a saint but that is unlikely to ever happen if the Church of Rome continues to proclaim their current teachings. Through the centuries they have almost successfully buried many saints from the the early church history from common knowledge for the same reasons that they will probably never canonize Fr. Mychal.
The reason, he like Saints Sergius, Bacchus, Polyeuct, and Nearchus, and so many others was an openly gay man.
The saints I mention above all have dates assigned to them on the Roman calendar but most people have never heard of them.
Nearly 3,000 participated in his funeral Mass Sept. 15. He is buried in the friars' plot of Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Totowa, N.J.
I would like to suggest that you visit a web site dedicated to Fr. Mychal where so many more inspiring stories about the brother of St. Francis who lived a saintly life can be found at: www.SaintMychal.com and also plan to see the wonderful documentary about his life entitles SAINT OF 9/11.
A Reflection of Franciscan Priest and Martyr Mychal Judge OFM
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus
www.missionstsergius.org
On September 11, 2001 a son of Saint Francis paid the ultimate sacrifice while doing the job that he believed Christ called him to do. Fr. Mychal Judge OFM was the chaplain of the New York City Fire Department and had answered to call when extremist militants destroyed the World Trade Center and claimed the lives of over 3000 American citizens. There are many people who feel that, just a Christ died in order to save the all people and and so many martyrs died believing and living according to the teachings of Christ, Fr. Mychal also died believing that hwat he was doing was what Christ would have done. Michael Ford, in his FR. MUCHAL JUDGE, AN AMERICAN HERO, writes some of Fr. Michal’s words which are words we should all live by and use often.
Fr. Mychal has often said “Is there so much love in the world that we can afford to discriminate against any kind of love”? When asked why he was a priest and how he viewed his life he responded "The life I have is not what I planned on, but I had no idea what life I'd have. You just don't know, so you just go and take one day at a time. I don't get into tomorrow because God hasn't created it yet. So I live in today as best I can for the glory of God and His people." Describing his day he said I start the day with this prayer, 'Lord, show me, take me, mold me, fashion me, show me what You want, take me where you want me to go, let me meet who You want me to meet, tell me what to say and keep me out of Your way.'Many believe that Fr. Mychal should be declared a saint but that is unlikely to ever happen if the Church of Rome continues to proclaim their current teachings. Through the centuries they have almost successfully buried many saints from the the early church history from common knowledge for the same reasons that they will probably never canonize Fr. Mychal.
The reason, he like Saints Sergius, Bacchus, Polyeuct, and Nearchus, and so many others was an openly gay man.
The saints I mention above all have dates assigned to them on the Roman calendar but most people have never heard of them.
Nearly 3,000 participated in his funeral Mass Sept. 15. He is buried in the friars' plot of Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Totowa, N.J.
I would like to suggest that you visit a web site dedicated to Fr. Mychal where so many more inspiring stories about the brother of St. Francis who lived a saintly life can be found at: www.SaintMychal.com and also plan to see the wonderful documentary about his life entitles SAINT OF 9/11.
Friday, January 26, 2007
Hve Faith, Love and Trust in God
Have Faith, Love and Trust In God
A Reflection for the Fourth Sunday After Epiphany
Readings: Romans 13:8-10, Matthew 8:23-27,
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus
www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverlastingLoveOfChristMinistry
The readings for this Sunday sum up the basic truths of Christ and God’s desire for the human race. I believe that if we do not start to implement this every day in our lives that the situation the world finds itself in will only get worse. We first need to Love God totally and completely for the day is fast approaching when we will need to answer for the way we lived our life. The Epistle reading clearly states how the writer of the letter to the Romans understood what Jesus taught when He was asked what the greatest commandment was and Christ replied “Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, mind, soul and body is the first and most important commandment and the second is like unto it, Love your neighbor as yourself” Today we hear the words from the letter to the Faith community of Rome which is very clear and precise; Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet, and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. (Romans 13:8-10
“Love is the fulfillment of the law” Love of God and love for all God’s children.” If we love someone we do not go about causing them pain and suffering. When we love someone we attempt to insure that they are comfortable, well fed, healthy, and safe. We do not intentionally place someone we love in the way of danger or somewhere that they are apt to be killed. I will elaborate more on this after I introduce the second part of today’s message, the need to put our complete trust in Almighty God. The second reading is the story of how the disciples and Jesus had gone out on the lake and a sudden storm arose while Jesus was asleep in the bow of the boat. The apostles became very frightened and woke Jesus with these words; "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!" Jesus replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!" Matthew 13:25-27 The lesson here is one of faith and trust in God. How often have we gone into a panic about something and totally forgotten to turn to God and place the result into His hands?
Granted, the results we desire are not always the results that God will provide, but they are His answer and we have to accept those results as being God’s will. We have to trust that God has a very good reason for things turning out the way they do and if we do trust God we eventually will learn God’s reason. I can testify to that myself. So many times in the past things have happened that I did not understand why and I agonized over what I might have done to cause what I perceived was a negative result. The events usually forced me to make changes in my life that I had not planned on. The strange thing was that each time I found myself being led closer and closer to what eventually became my current life. I must admit I had some help in accepting the changes. When I was in the depths of depression of one of the climatic changes in my life I actually was contemplating ending it all but in a moment of desperation and I must admit anger, I threw open the Bible and it opened to the Book of Job. I read the story of Job and it was like a spotlight was beaming down upon me. I realized that I had spent most of my life searching for fame and fortune I thought important because of the gifts I was blessed with instead of seeking out what it was that God wanted me to do with those gifts.
When I stopped living according to me plans and began to ask God to lead me where He wanted me things became clearer and though not always smooth my road was mapped out for the remaining journey of life.
Each day I awake thankful for another day to try to do God’s will and to proclaim to all that I can of the everlasting mercy and love of God for all His children. God is Love, not vengeance, retaliation, discrimination, hatred, or condemnation. God asks us only to love and trust in Him, to accept His desire for us and to live our life in a manner that does not hurt anyone else.
Today our world is embroiled in conflicts between political parties, nations and even churches. This is not God’s way. Conflict is the domain of Satan and He uses it to tear families, governments and nations apart in order to cause pain and suffering and to attempt to turn people away from God just as he did with Job.
Our country is following in a pattern that has caused the downfall of every great empire and kingdom since the beginning of time. When the great empires tried to force their religious and cultural ideologies on others and expand their land holdings and wealth and domination of other cultures, they eventually came to a crashing demise. That history has been repeated from the Ancient Babolonians, Egyptians, Greeks, Roman, Spanish, English, and French and Prussian empires.
Without respect and love for others there will never be peace. Love has to begin with loving ourselves and loving and accepting the way God created us. We cannot truly love others until we love and accept ourselves.
In order to comply with the teaching of the lesson from scripture this week we need to begin the process by accepting who we are, and then going about and making the best of the gifts we have been given by actively promoting peace and brotherhood in our families, neighborhoods and speaking out against injustices we observe being done to others by our friends, neighbors, government and churches. By doing that we are demonstrating our love of God and the love He has for all His children. We become a beacon of God’s love here on earth to all we encounter.
I end with the words of St. Francis’s Peace Prayer;
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love; when there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy.
Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood, as to understand, to be loved as to love; for it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. AMEN
A Reflection for the Fourth Sunday After Epiphany
Readings: Romans 13:8-10, Matthew 8:23-27,
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus
www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverlastingLoveOfChristMinistry
The readings for this Sunday sum up the basic truths of Christ and God’s desire for the human race. I believe that if we do not start to implement this every day in our lives that the situation the world finds itself in will only get worse. We first need to Love God totally and completely for the day is fast approaching when we will need to answer for the way we lived our life. The Epistle reading clearly states how the writer of the letter to the Romans understood what Jesus taught when He was asked what the greatest commandment was and Christ replied “Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, mind, soul and body is the first and most important commandment and the second is like unto it, Love your neighbor as yourself” Today we hear the words from the letter to the Faith community of Rome which is very clear and precise; Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet, and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. (Romans 13:8-10
“Love is the fulfillment of the law” Love of God and love for all God’s children.” If we love someone we do not go about causing them pain and suffering. When we love someone we attempt to insure that they are comfortable, well fed, healthy, and safe. We do not intentionally place someone we love in the way of danger or somewhere that they are apt to be killed. I will elaborate more on this after I introduce the second part of today’s message, the need to put our complete trust in Almighty God. The second reading is the story of how the disciples and Jesus had gone out on the lake and a sudden storm arose while Jesus was asleep in the bow of the boat. The apostles became very frightened and woke Jesus with these words; "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!" Jesus replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!" Matthew 13:25-27 The lesson here is one of faith and trust in God. How often have we gone into a panic about something and totally forgotten to turn to God and place the result into His hands?
Granted, the results we desire are not always the results that God will provide, but they are His answer and we have to accept those results as being God’s will. We have to trust that God has a very good reason for things turning out the way they do and if we do trust God we eventually will learn God’s reason. I can testify to that myself. So many times in the past things have happened that I did not understand why and I agonized over what I might have done to cause what I perceived was a negative result. The events usually forced me to make changes in my life that I had not planned on. The strange thing was that each time I found myself being led closer and closer to what eventually became my current life. I must admit I had some help in accepting the changes. When I was in the depths of depression of one of the climatic changes in my life I actually was contemplating ending it all but in a moment of desperation and I must admit anger, I threw open the Bible and it opened to the Book of Job. I read the story of Job and it was like a spotlight was beaming down upon me. I realized that I had spent most of my life searching for fame and fortune I thought important because of the gifts I was blessed with instead of seeking out what it was that God wanted me to do with those gifts.
When I stopped living according to me plans and began to ask God to lead me where He wanted me things became clearer and though not always smooth my road was mapped out for the remaining journey of life.
Each day I awake thankful for another day to try to do God’s will and to proclaim to all that I can of the everlasting mercy and love of God for all His children. God is Love, not vengeance, retaliation, discrimination, hatred, or condemnation. God asks us only to love and trust in Him, to accept His desire for us and to live our life in a manner that does not hurt anyone else.
Today our world is embroiled in conflicts between political parties, nations and even churches. This is not God’s way. Conflict is the domain of Satan and He uses it to tear families, governments and nations apart in order to cause pain and suffering and to attempt to turn people away from God just as he did with Job.
Our country is following in a pattern that has caused the downfall of every great empire and kingdom since the beginning of time. When the great empires tried to force their religious and cultural ideologies on others and expand their land holdings and wealth and domination of other cultures, they eventually came to a crashing demise. That history has been repeated from the Ancient Babolonians, Egyptians, Greeks, Roman, Spanish, English, and French and Prussian empires.
Without respect and love for others there will never be peace. Love has to begin with loving ourselves and loving and accepting the way God created us. We cannot truly love others until we love and accept ourselves.
In order to comply with the teaching of the lesson from scripture this week we need to begin the process by accepting who we are, and then going about and making the best of the gifts we have been given by actively promoting peace and brotherhood in our families, neighborhoods and speaking out against injustices we observe being done to others by our friends, neighbors, government and churches. By doing that we are demonstrating our love of God and the love He has for all His children. We become a beacon of God’s love here on earth to all we encounter.
I end with the words of St. Francis’s Peace Prayer;
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love; when there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy.
Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood, as to understand, to be loved as to love; for it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. AMEN
Thursday, January 25, 2007
From Sinner To Saint
From Great Sinner to God’s Messenger
A Reflection on the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus
www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverlastingLoveOfChristMinistry
Today is the feast commemorating the conversion of St. Paul possibly one of the most influential of the messengers of Christ’s light of truth. The story of Saint Paul should be an inspiration to every person on the face of the earth. Here was a man who was among the educated elite of the Jewish faith, a Pharisee, who so despised and feared the teachings of Christ that he went about persecuting and killing those followers of Christ’s teachings. On the way to Damascus a blinding light struck him blind and he, according to his writings found in the Acts of the Apostles and Paul’s Epistles, heard the voice of Christ asking him “Saul, why are you persecuting me?”
We need to notice the words Christ used in addressing Paul. He did not say “Saul, why do you persecute my followers” but “Why are you persecuting me”
Christ himself by those words acknowledges that once we are baptized and acknowledge Christ as the promised messiah of God we become one with Christ. We become one in the Mystical Body of Christ. In short, we become the church, not some building, some city, or some group, we become and are the church.
The story of Paul’s conversion is also a message of hope for all who feel that they are not welcome or that they cannot be accepted because of their past sins or transgressions. How much more affirming can that message be for us because if a person who actual inflicted pain and suffering and murdered children of God can be forgiven and become one of the greatest evangelist of all time we can be assured that we can also achieve the promise of everlasting live with God.
It was also Paul who proclaimed that the message of salvation was not for a select few but for all people of all nations. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians makes it crystal clear when he wrote “There is one body. But it has many parts. Even though it has many parts, they make up one body. It is the same with Christ. We were all baptized by one Holy Spirit into one body. It didn't matter whether we were Jews or Greeks, slaves or free people. We were all given the same Spirit to drink. The body is not made up of just one part. It has many parts. Suppose the foot says, "I am not a hand. So I don't belong to the body." It is still part of the body. And suppose the ear says, "I am not an eye. So I don't belong to the body." It is still part of the body. ……….But God has joined together all the parts of the body. And he has given more honors to the parts that didn't have any. In that way, the parts of the body will not take sides. All of them will take care of each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it. If one part is honored, every part shares in its joy. You are the body of Christ. Each one of you is a part of it. This last line is of great importance when we look at how some churches have caused pain to parts of the body of
Christ by turning away people because they were divorced or have a same sex orientation.
In Galatians 2:6 Paul wrote “Some people in Jerusalem seemed to be important. It makes no difference to me what they were. God does not judge by what he sees on the outside. Those people added nothing to my message.” This passage makes it very clear that the high priests and those who set up rules and regulations added nothing to the message of Christ.
In 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 Paul tells us that He is only proclaiming what Christ made clear to him, What I received I passed on to you. And it is the most important of all. Here is what it is. Christ died for our sins, just as Scripture said he would. 4 He was buried. He was raised from the dead on the third day, just as Scripture said he would be.” These lines tell the whole story of our redemption and salvation as promised throughout the Old Testament to all the prophets, we have been saved by Christ’s gift of himself to us. Just as Paul, a sinner who committed the gravest of sins became on of God’s great messengers of the light of truth found in Christ’s teachings so we also will be welcomed by God if we live as Christ taught us in the two great commandments; “Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, mind, soul and body and the second is like unto it; Love your neighbor as you love yourself”
Let us go forth from this day forward letting the light of Christ shine forth from us as a beacon to all we encounter. Let us not be afraid to live and act in ways that are befitting to a follower of Christ. Let us follow the instruction from Jesus found in Mark 16: 15 “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. Who ever believes and is Baptized will be saved”
Just as Paul went from great sinner to Evangelist, so too we can go from being a passive believer to becoming an active participant in the Mystical Body of Christ, the church, by our deeds and actions. Prayer alone is not enough, for prayer is a conversation with God and as we all know from the actions of so many in today’s world, especially those who are supposed to lead us, “Talk is cheap if not followed up by action”.
Paul went from contempt of Christ to a staunch believer and put his entire faith and trust in God, so too must we.
Our human nature is only a fleeting thing, but our spiritual salvation is forever. Let no human make you turn away from God by what they have done or said but listen to the truth found in Christ’s teachings and follow them.
God is love and God is forgiving and welcoming. Remember the teaching found in Luke 15:6-8 “In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!”
Let us praise God from whom all blessings flow. AMEN
A Reflection on the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus
www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverlastingLoveOfChristMinistry
Today is the feast commemorating the conversion of St. Paul possibly one of the most influential of the messengers of Christ’s light of truth. The story of Saint Paul should be an inspiration to every person on the face of the earth. Here was a man who was among the educated elite of the Jewish faith, a Pharisee, who so despised and feared the teachings of Christ that he went about persecuting and killing those followers of Christ’s teachings. On the way to Damascus a blinding light struck him blind and he, according to his writings found in the Acts of the Apostles and Paul’s Epistles, heard the voice of Christ asking him “Saul, why are you persecuting me?”
We need to notice the words Christ used in addressing Paul. He did not say “Saul, why do you persecute my followers” but “Why are you persecuting me”
Christ himself by those words acknowledges that once we are baptized and acknowledge Christ as the promised messiah of God we become one with Christ. We become one in the Mystical Body of Christ. In short, we become the church, not some building, some city, or some group, we become and are the church.
The story of Paul’s conversion is also a message of hope for all who feel that they are not welcome or that they cannot be accepted because of their past sins or transgressions. How much more affirming can that message be for us because if a person who actual inflicted pain and suffering and murdered children of God can be forgiven and become one of the greatest evangelist of all time we can be assured that we can also achieve the promise of everlasting live with God.
It was also Paul who proclaimed that the message of salvation was not for a select few but for all people of all nations. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians makes it crystal clear when he wrote “There is one body. But it has many parts. Even though it has many parts, they make up one body. It is the same with Christ. We were all baptized by one Holy Spirit into one body. It didn't matter whether we were Jews or Greeks, slaves or free people. We were all given the same Spirit to drink. The body is not made up of just one part. It has many parts. Suppose the foot says, "I am not a hand. So I don't belong to the body." It is still part of the body. And suppose the ear says, "I am not an eye. So I don't belong to the body." It is still part of the body. ……….But God has joined together all the parts of the body. And he has given more honors to the parts that didn't have any. In that way, the parts of the body will not take sides. All of them will take care of each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it. If one part is honored, every part shares in its joy. You are the body of Christ. Each one of you is a part of it. This last line is of great importance when we look at how some churches have caused pain to parts of the body of
Christ by turning away people because they were divorced or have a same sex orientation.
In Galatians 2:6 Paul wrote “Some people in Jerusalem seemed to be important. It makes no difference to me what they were. God does not judge by what he sees on the outside. Those people added nothing to my message.” This passage makes it very clear that the high priests and those who set up rules and regulations added nothing to the message of Christ.
In 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 Paul tells us that He is only proclaiming what Christ made clear to him, What I received I passed on to you. And it is the most important of all. Here is what it is. Christ died for our sins, just as Scripture said he would. 4 He was buried. He was raised from the dead on the third day, just as Scripture said he would be.” These lines tell the whole story of our redemption and salvation as promised throughout the Old Testament to all the prophets, we have been saved by Christ’s gift of himself to us. Just as Paul, a sinner who committed the gravest of sins became on of God’s great messengers of the light of truth found in Christ’s teachings so we also will be welcomed by God if we live as Christ taught us in the two great commandments; “Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, mind, soul and body and the second is like unto it; Love your neighbor as you love yourself”
Let us go forth from this day forward letting the light of Christ shine forth from us as a beacon to all we encounter. Let us not be afraid to live and act in ways that are befitting to a follower of Christ. Let us follow the instruction from Jesus found in Mark 16: 15 “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. Who ever believes and is Baptized will be saved”
Just as Paul went from great sinner to Evangelist, so too we can go from being a passive believer to becoming an active participant in the Mystical Body of Christ, the church, by our deeds and actions. Prayer alone is not enough, for prayer is a conversation with God and as we all know from the actions of so many in today’s world, especially those who are supposed to lead us, “Talk is cheap if not followed up by action”.
Paul went from contempt of Christ to a staunch believer and put his entire faith and trust in God, so too must we.
Our human nature is only a fleeting thing, but our spiritual salvation is forever. Let no human make you turn away from God by what they have done or said but listen to the truth found in Christ’s teachings and follow them.
God is love and God is forgiving and welcoming. Remember the teaching found in Luke 15:6-8 “In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!”
Let us praise God from whom all blessings flow. AMEN
Friday, January 19, 2007
Living In Peace and Harmony With All People
Reflection for Third Sunday after Epiphany
Living in Peace, Harmony in Compliance With God’s Will
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus, Holliston, MA
www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverlastingLoveOfChristMinistry
From Romans 12:16-21, Psalm 101:16-17, Matthew 8:1-13,
“Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position, do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay, says the Lord.” On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 16-21)
These powerful words from the Epistle of Paul to the Romans seem to have fallen on the deaf ears of the powerful world leaders if one looks at their actions. Instead of attempting to live in harmony they prefer to cause strife and war. Their actions cause pain and suffering and huge loss of innocent lives.
The same can also be said of some leaders of the Christian churches who it seems would rather exclude whole sections of people because they feel that they do not fit their life style and reject the truth that God creates all things and people for purposes known only to God alone.
It is also clear that many of the hierarchy of churches did not pay attention to the section of the reading that says; “Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody”, for if they did they never would have allowed pedophile priests to continue in positions where they could abuse children by transferring them around.
Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay, says the Lord.” On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Instead of adhering to this teaching people seem quite willing to live by the adage “Revenge is Sweet”.
The time has come, if we ever hope to actually know a time of peace and brotherhood, for all people, especially those who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ, to stop traveling the road leading to strife and misery, the road that causes suffering and pain to so many parents and children by the loss of their mother, father, sister or brother. We need to stop using bombs and guns to bring about peace and begin using food and medicine, education and diplomacy to promote stability and peace. The road we have traveled is not working, it has not worked in the past and it certainly is not working now.
The time is now for us to be more mindful of the needs of others who have not been as blessed as we have. We need to learn to appreciate the cultural artistic and religious differences of countries and stop trying to make all carbon copies of the US. We need to search for the things we have in common with each other and not focus on the differences; this applies to all the religious denominations that claim to believe in the teachings of Jesus Christ.
All around us we see the glorification of excess. Ads promote treatments not for disease that are killing people like cancer, Parkinson’s, AIDS but for the search for the fountain of youth and beauty or to enhance ones sexual pleasure. Every other advertisement in the papers, television, magazines, radio and now over the internet promotes items that pander to the carnal nature of man or greed. People put themselves in debt to acquire things like 60” flat screen home theater systems so they can impress their neighbors.
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” The final sentence of Paul’s letter to the Romans implores us to not allow ourselves to be overcome by evil but for us to overcome evil by doing good. As we reflect on this reading I suggest that we look within ourselves and seek out the places in our lives where we can make a difference. What can I do to make a change for the good in my personal life, in my families’ lives, in the neighborhood and in the world?
I will close with this prayer:
Almighty and Merciful God instill within me the knowledge and truth of your teachings, guide me in all my actions, thoughts, words and deeds through the gifts of the Holy Spirit to better serve you. Inspire me as to ways that I can make a difference in my own live and in the lives of all those with whom I touch. Help me to better serve you and all your children each and every day. Forgive me for any transgressions I may have committed in though, word, deed or action in the past and lead me on your road to eternal life. I ask this through your beloved son, Jesus Christ, my redeemer and savior who lives with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. AMEN
Living in Peace, Harmony in Compliance With God’s Will
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus, Holliston, MA
www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverlastingLoveOfChristMinistry
From Romans 12:16-21, Psalm 101:16-17, Matthew 8:1-13,
“Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position, do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay, says the Lord.” On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 16-21)
These powerful words from the Epistle of Paul to the Romans seem to have fallen on the deaf ears of the powerful world leaders if one looks at their actions. Instead of attempting to live in harmony they prefer to cause strife and war. Their actions cause pain and suffering and huge loss of innocent lives.
The same can also be said of some leaders of the Christian churches who it seems would rather exclude whole sections of people because they feel that they do not fit their life style and reject the truth that God creates all things and people for purposes known only to God alone.
It is also clear that many of the hierarchy of churches did not pay attention to the section of the reading that says; “Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody”, for if they did they never would have allowed pedophile priests to continue in positions where they could abuse children by transferring them around.
Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay, says the Lord.” On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Instead of adhering to this teaching people seem quite willing to live by the adage “Revenge is Sweet”.
The time has come, if we ever hope to actually know a time of peace and brotherhood, for all people, especially those who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ, to stop traveling the road leading to strife and misery, the road that causes suffering and pain to so many parents and children by the loss of their mother, father, sister or brother. We need to stop using bombs and guns to bring about peace and begin using food and medicine, education and diplomacy to promote stability and peace. The road we have traveled is not working, it has not worked in the past and it certainly is not working now.
The time is now for us to be more mindful of the needs of others who have not been as blessed as we have. We need to learn to appreciate the cultural artistic and religious differences of countries and stop trying to make all carbon copies of the US. We need to search for the things we have in common with each other and not focus on the differences; this applies to all the religious denominations that claim to believe in the teachings of Jesus Christ.
All around us we see the glorification of excess. Ads promote treatments not for disease that are killing people like cancer, Parkinson’s, AIDS but for the search for the fountain of youth and beauty or to enhance ones sexual pleasure. Every other advertisement in the papers, television, magazines, radio and now over the internet promotes items that pander to the carnal nature of man or greed. People put themselves in debt to acquire things like 60” flat screen home theater systems so they can impress their neighbors.
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” The final sentence of Paul’s letter to the Romans implores us to not allow ourselves to be overcome by evil but for us to overcome evil by doing good. As we reflect on this reading I suggest that we look within ourselves and seek out the places in our lives where we can make a difference. What can I do to make a change for the good in my personal life, in my families’ lives, in the neighborhood and in the world?
I will close with this prayer:
Almighty and Merciful God instill within me the knowledge and truth of your teachings, guide me in all my actions, thoughts, words and deeds through the gifts of the Holy Spirit to better serve you. Inspire me as to ways that I can make a difference in my own live and in the lives of all those with whom I touch. Help me to better serve you and all your children each and every day. Forgive me for any transgressions I may have committed in though, word, deed or action in the past and lead me on your road to eternal life. I ask this through your beloved son, Jesus Christ, my redeemer and savior who lives with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. AMEN
Saturday, January 13, 2007
The Symbolism of The Cana Miracle
The Symbolism of Cana Miracle
A reflection of the Gospel of John 2:1-12
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus
www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverlastingLoveOfChristMinistry
The Gospel story from John chapter 2 verses 1-12 which many churches today are proclaiming, is filled with a great amount symbolism for us to ponder. The water which Christ turns into the finest of the wine served symbolizes the “Living Water” that Jesus is for us. Christ tells us in John 4:14
“ whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."And in John 6 verse 35 "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”The symbolism should not be lost on us for as John, who was the closest to Christ and is often called “The Beloved Disciple”, tells us in Chapter 7:37-38 ,Christ proclaimed “On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”The story of the miracle of Cana ends with the remark of the steward to the bridegroom ‘People generally serve the best wine first, and keep the cheaper sort till the guests have had plenty to drink; but you have kept the best wine till now’. Water turned to a deep red wine, the same color as the water and the blood that flowed from the side of Christ when the soldier pierced his side as he was crucified. The same color as that which we receive in the Eucharist water and wine that has been offered up, as Christ offered Himself up on the cross, and which is turned into the Body and Blood of Christ.
There are two other references to quenching our thirst in Scripture one in Revelations 21:6 "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.” And in Revelations 22:17 "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.” Just as Christ freely and obediently obeyed His mother’s request and turned the water into wine, so also does He invite us to partake freely of the bread and water of life that is His word and which we receive in the Eucharist.
Water which is clear and without which one can not survive, becomes the blood red wine which fortifies and strengthens us just as the word of God in Scripture and the Eucharist fortify and strengthen us in our faith.
Another lesson of course found in the miracle of Cana is obedience, Christ responds to His mother “Woman, why turn to me? My hour has not come yet.” Yet He obeys her wishes as she tells the steward ‘Do whatever he tells you’.
The six jars could easily represent the six original churches founded by the apostles after the Pentecost overflowing with Christ’s message of hope, salvation, truth and redemption.
“you have kept the best wine till now” the words spoken by the wine steward also could relate to God’s desire to make His will and truth clear to all as to exactly how we could gain eternal life and happiness for all eternity.
With our Baptism we all become children of God and heirs of heaven and servants of the Lord and as such we have been given the secret of salvation just as the servants who drew the water Christ turned into the best wine were the only ones who knew where this wonderful wine came from “only the servants who had drawn the water knew”
We know the way, we know the truth, and we know that Christ is the light that leads us to the company of God. We have been given the choice to a follow Him and to live in a manner which is in accord with His teachings or to go thirsty and dry up just as our bodies dry up from lack of water.
This miracle convinced the apostles of Christ’s divinity and the glory of God which John tells us in the last sentence “He let his glory be seen, and his disciples believed in him.” If we too believe in Him let us not allow anyone to drive us away or divert us from living in accord with His teachings. Let us not be disillusioned by the actions of those who are supposed to represent Christ which are not in accord with His teachings.
Let us partake freely of the Life Giving Water by which we were Baptized and which sustains us through diversity and sorrow and live our lives by giving thanks to Almighty God by our words, deeds and devotion to God. Let us use the tools and gifts we have been given by God to proclaim His glory and truth to all. Let God’s will be done here on earth as it is in heaven.
Remembering the words of Christ at the Last Supper when He gave us the Eucharist “This is my body which shall be given up for you, take and eat” “This is the cup of my blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant which will be shed for you and for the many so that sins will be forgiven. As often as you do this you do so in remembrance of me” partake of His gift to us in the Bread of life and the cup of salvation by receiving Eucharist as often as possible and go forth living in and for Christ in obedience to God’s will. AMEN
A reflection of the Gospel of John 2:1-12
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus
www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverlastingLoveOfChristMinistry
The Gospel story from John chapter 2 verses 1-12 which many churches today are proclaiming, is filled with a great amount symbolism for us to ponder. The water which Christ turns into the finest of the wine served symbolizes the “Living Water” that Jesus is for us. Christ tells us in John 4:14
“ whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."And in John 6 verse 35 "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”The symbolism should not be lost on us for as John, who was the closest to Christ and is often called “The Beloved Disciple”, tells us in Chapter 7:37-38 ,Christ proclaimed “On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”The story of the miracle of Cana ends with the remark of the steward to the bridegroom ‘People generally serve the best wine first, and keep the cheaper sort till the guests have had plenty to drink; but you have kept the best wine till now’. Water turned to a deep red wine, the same color as the water and the blood that flowed from the side of Christ when the soldier pierced his side as he was crucified. The same color as that which we receive in the Eucharist water and wine that has been offered up, as Christ offered Himself up on the cross, and which is turned into the Body and Blood of Christ.
There are two other references to quenching our thirst in Scripture one in Revelations 21:6 "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.” And in Revelations 22:17 "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.” Just as Christ freely and obediently obeyed His mother’s request and turned the water into wine, so also does He invite us to partake freely of the bread and water of life that is His word and which we receive in the Eucharist.
Water which is clear and without which one can not survive, becomes the blood red wine which fortifies and strengthens us just as the word of God in Scripture and the Eucharist fortify and strengthen us in our faith.
Another lesson of course found in the miracle of Cana is obedience, Christ responds to His mother “Woman, why turn to me? My hour has not come yet.” Yet He obeys her wishes as she tells the steward ‘Do whatever he tells you’.
The six jars could easily represent the six original churches founded by the apostles after the Pentecost overflowing with Christ’s message of hope, salvation, truth and redemption.
“you have kept the best wine till now” the words spoken by the wine steward also could relate to God’s desire to make His will and truth clear to all as to exactly how we could gain eternal life and happiness for all eternity.
With our Baptism we all become children of God and heirs of heaven and servants of the Lord and as such we have been given the secret of salvation just as the servants who drew the water Christ turned into the best wine were the only ones who knew where this wonderful wine came from “only the servants who had drawn the water knew”
We know the way, we know the truth, and we know that Christ is the light that leads us to the company of God. We have been given the choice to a follow Him and to live in a manner which is in accord with His teachings or to go thirsty and dry up just as our bodies dry up from lack of water.
This miracle convinced the apostles of Christ’s divinity and the glory of God which John tells us in the last sentence “He let his glory be seen, and his disciples believed in him.” If we too believe in Him let us not allow anyone to drive us away or divert us from living in accord with His teachings. Let us not be disillusioned by the actions of those who are supposed to represent Christ which are not in accord with His teachings.
Let us partake freely of the Life Giving Water by which we were Baptized and which sustains us through diversity and sorrow and live our lives by giving thanks to Almighty God by our words, deeds and devotion to God. Let us use the tools and gifts we have been given by God to proclaim His glory and truth to all. Let God’s will be done here on earth as it is in heaven.
Remembering the words of Christ at the Last Supper when He gave us the Eucharist “This is my body which shall be given up for you, take and eat” “This is the cup of my blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant which will be shed for you and for the many so that sins will be forgiven. As often as you do this you do so in remembrance of me” partake of His gift to us in the Bread of life and the cup of salvation by receiving Eucharist as often as possible and go forth living in and for Christ in obedience to God’s will. AMEN
Friday, January 12, 2007
One God, Many Gifts, One Spirit
One God, Many Gifts, One Spirit
A Reflection for the Second Sunday after Epiphany
Based on Readings from Romans 12:5-16, Matthew 8:1-13
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus, Holliston MA
www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverlastingLoveOfChristMinistry
The first reading from for this Sunday, Romans 12:5-16, is one of the most powerful readings found in Holy Scripture, so much so that I do not want to break it apart into pieces but begin with the entire passage and then comment on what I believe it says to us and how we might react to it.
Each of us has one body with many parts, and the parts do not all have the same purpose. So it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically, rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all! Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with every one.Within this passage are the directions for living a truly Christian life, of being truly Christ Like. The first part sentence states that, just as the human body has many divergent parts each that has a unique function within the whole, so to does the Mystical Body of Christ, what we call THE CHURCH, have different parts that make up the entire One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. We all belong to each other and therefore need to stop the infighting between each other. We know that when one part of our body is not functioning properly, the entire body suffers. So it is within the church. Throughout history we have seen the church split apart over matters that have absolutely nothing to do with the teachings of Christ but with man made regulations that usually had to do with gaining control, power and wealth. This must come to an end.
God, in His wisdom, grants unto every person special gifts. Who are we, mere mortals, to criticize someone for the way they pray or offer honor and praise to God? Isn’t there only one God?
The passage also goes on to tell us not to pretend to love someone, but to really love them with genuine affection. It clearly states that Hate is wrong. We are told to work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically, be generous, to bless those who persecute you and most importantly, work in harmony with each other.
The last sentence, I believe speaks volumes especially to our politicians and the leaders of all church denomination, especially in light of recent happenings. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with every one.
Do things so that everyone can see you are honorable. That sentence, to me, would mean no closed door negotiations between special interests and government leaders passing legislation that affects everyone. To me it means not keeping the misdeeds of individual’s secret and trying to cover them up. It means corporations need to be open and honest with consumers.
The last sentence in today’s world is even more meaningful, . Do all that you can to live in peace with every one.We are being told to do everything possible to live in peace with everyone, not just a select few, but everyone. Living in peace does not mean attempting to force our will on others. Living in peace does not mean using bombs and guns to enforce our way of living on different cultures. Living in peace does not mean sacrificing more and more lives for the sake of having control of a country that is rich in oil resources. Living in peace means not sacrificing the future of our country by having it’s youth killed in a land that has been divided among ethnic groups for thousands of years. The Billions of dollars being spent and the many more billions that would have to be spent are depriving citizens of services that are needed here in this country for health care, decent housing for the poor, guaranteed education for every child, proper affordable medical and prescription medicines for seniors with fixed incomes.
This weeks reading is a challenge to every individual who claims to be a follower of Jesus Christ and to all those who worship the God of Abraham, Moses, Isaac, Isaiah, Jacob and David. It is challenging us to rethink the way we have been living and make the changes necessary to be more God like in our lives.
To be and live a true Christian life is not easy in this world today. It requires a lot of faith in God and strength to fight against the popular “more is better, money and power are all that counts, my need supersede to concerns of others” thinking of so many people today.
May Almighty God open the hearts, minds and souls of all of us to live our lives according to the teachings of Christ, Gandhi, Martin Luther King and the other great people who preached non-violence and brotherhood. AMEN
A Reflection for the Second Sunday after Epiphany
Based on Readings from Romans 12:5-16, Matthew 8:1-13
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus, Holliston MA
www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverlastingLoveOfChristMinistry
The first reading from for this Sunday, Romans 12:5-16, is one of the most powerful readings found in Holy Scripture, so much so that I do not want to break it apart into pieces but begin with the entire passage and then comment on what I believe it says to us and how we might react to it.
Each of us has one body with many parts, and the parts do not all have the same purpose. So it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically, rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all! Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with every one.Within this passage are the directions for living a truly Christian life, of being truly Christ Like. The first part sentence states that, just as the human body has many divergent parts each that has a unique function within the whole, so to does the Mystical Body of Christ, what we call THE CHURCH, have different parts that make up the entire One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. We all belong to each other and therefore need to stop the infighting between each other. We know that when one part of our body is not functioning properly, the entire body suffers. So it is within the church. Throughout history we have seen the church split apart over matters that have absolutely nothing to do with the teachings of Christ but with man made regulations that usually had to do with gaining control, power and wealth. This must come to an end.
God, in His wisdom, grants unto every person special gifts. Who are we, mere mortals, to criticize someone for the way they pray or offer honor and praise to God? Isn’t there only one God?
The passage also goes on to tell us not to pretend to love someone, but to really love them with genuine affection. It clearly states that Hate is wrong. We are told to work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically, be generous, to bless those who persecute you and most importantly, work in harmony with each other.
The last sentence, I believe speaks volumes especially to our politicians and the leaders of all church denomination, especially in light of recent happenings. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with every one.
Do things so that everyone can see you are honorable. That sentence, to me, would mean no closed door negotiations between special interests and government leaders passing legislation that affects everyone. To me it means not keeping the misdeeds of individual’s secret and trying to cover them up. It means corporations need to be open and honest with consumers.
The last sentence in today’s world is even more meaningful, . Do all that you can to live in peace with every one.We are being told to do everything possible to live in peace with everyone, not just a select few, but everyone. Living in peace does not mean attempting to force our will on others. Living in peace does not mean using bombs and guns to enforce our way of living on different cultures. Living in peace does not mean sacrificing more and more lives for the sake of having control of a country that is rich in oil resources. Living in peace means not sacrificing the future of our country by having it’s youth killed in a land that has been divided among ethnic groups for thousands of years. The Billions of dollars being spent and the many more billions that would have to be spent are depriving citizens of services that are needed here in this country for health care, decent housing for the poor, guaranteed education for every child, proper affordable medical and prescription medicines for seniors with fixed incomes.
This weeks reading is a challenge to every individual who claims to be a follower of Jesus Christ and to all those who worship the God of Abraham, Moses, Isaac, Isaiah, Jacob and David. It is challenging us to rethink the way we have been living and make the changes necessary to be more God like in our lives.
To be and live a true Christian life is not easy in this world today. It requires a lot of faith in God and strength to fight against the popular “more is better, money and power are all that counts, my need supersede to concerns of others” thinking of so many people today.
May Almighty God open the hearts, minds and souls of all of us to live our lives according to the teachings of Christ, Gandhi, Martin Luther King and the other great people who preached non-violence and brotherhood. AMEN
Friday, January 05, 2007
Baptism of Jesus, The Beloved Son
This Is My Beloved Son In whom I am Well Pleased
A Reflection for The Baptism Of Christ/First Sunday After Epiphany
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus
Holliston, MA
www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverlastingLoveOfChristMinistry
“Console my people, console them, says your God.” (Isaiah 40:1) These are the opening words of one of the first Readings for this feast celebrating the Baptism of Christ. The Reading for this feast whether it is celebrated Sunday January 7th as in the Roman church or on January 13th as in many Eastern and other churches, are words that shout clearly Almighty God’s desire for all people.
In all the readings assigned for this day there is found words of affirmation, comfort and a clear truth that all should embrace. The truth, Jesus Christ is the Son of God made man, He is the Messiah promised to all the prophets. Jesus came to bring us the truth and to be the light that would lead us to the father. In Luke 3:15 - 22 we hear John The Baptist proclaim; “someone who is more powerful than I am, and who I am not fit to undo the strap of his sandals will come; he will Baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Now when all the people had been Baptized, and while Jesus after his own baptism was at prayer, the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily shape, like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; my flavor rests on you’.
In John 1:29-34 we find further affirmation of the event as John the disciple was an observer of the event and recorded it in His Gospel “ The next day when John was Baptizing by the Jordan River and He saw Jesus coming toward him he exclaimed “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! He is the one I told you about when I said, "Someone else will come. He is greater than I am, because he was alive before I was born." I didn't know who he was. But I came to baptize you with water, so that everyone in Israel would see him.” The passage goes on to tell us what happened after Christ was baptized with water; “I was there and saw the Spirit come down on him like a dove from heaven. And the Spirit stayed on him. Before this I didn't know who he was. But the one who sent me to baptize with water had told me, "You will see the Spirit come down and stay on someone. Then you will know that he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit. I saw this happen, and I tell you that he is the Son of God.”Another reading assigned to this feast, from Titus 2:11 and 3:7, provides us with even more of God’s truth and another reason for us to not only be thankful to Almighty God but to have hope. “You see, God’s grace has been revealed, and it has made salvation possible for the whole human race and taught us that what we have to do is to give up everything that does not lead to God, and all our worldly ambitions; we must be self-restrained and live good and religious lives here in this present world, while we are waiting in hope for the blessing which will come with the Appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Christ Jesus. But when the kindness and love of God our savior for mankind were revealed, it was not because he was concerned with any righteous actions we might have done ourselves; it was for no reason except his own compassion that he saved us, by means of the cleansing water of rebirth and by renewing us with the Holy Spirit which he has so generously poured over us through Jesus Christ our Savior. He did this so that we should be justified by his grace, to become heirs looking forward to inheriting eternal life”.
I personally do not know how things could be made any clearer to us. When we read these words of the readings for the Feast of The Baptism Of Christ and couple them with the teachings Christ gave us with his words and actions how can we possibly claim to be followers of Christ is we continue to discriminate against others, allow people to go hungry while others luxuriate in excesses? How can we justify the taking of another person’s life in the name of justice? How, as Christians can we take upon ourselves the rite to question why God creates people differently? How can we accept the old rule of “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”, when Christ said: “Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.”If we are to actually live our lives as followers of Christ, and we acclaim Jesus as our Redeemer and our Savior we need to begin to set aside the petty differences that have caused the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic church to be divided into many segments and look to the basic truths of Christ as the glue that should bind us and hold us together. In the early church priests were married, Commitments between same sex individuals were blessed, There were women deacons, Bishops, priests lived simple lives and used simple vessels to celebrate the Eucharist and did not wear jeweled encrusted clothing but simple home spun clothing.
All the trappings that we have come to associate with the celebration of the liturgies and the vestments worn by the clergy came about when the hierarchy began to consider themselves equal with royalty. They even began to call some PRINCES OF THE CHURCH, a title that is still being used in some circles.
All religious are called and have accepted to be Christ’s servant and instrument here on earth. Our task is to be the instrument through which the compassion and mercy of Almighty God are made known to all people. We should not be driving people away, but trying to bring them home like the shepherd searching for the lost sheep.
On this day which confirms the truth of Christ being the Son of God, the creator and father of all things, let us evaluate ourselves and seek out what changes we need to make in our lives to completely and joyfully truly live as followers of Christ and believers in God. Then let us go forth to turn our decisions into actions that will bring about changes for the betterment of the human race. Let us work hard to bring about the changes that will improve the environment. Let us do our part in ending oppression, hunger, homelessness, discrimination, and division and become an instrument of Almighty God and a true follower of Christ working to bring peace to all God’s children. AMEN
A Reflection for The Baptism Of Christ/First Sunday After Epiphany
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus
Holliston, MA
www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverlastingLoveOfChristMinistry
“Console my people, console them, says your God.” (Isaiah 40:1) These are the opening words of one of the first Readings for this feast celebrating the Baptism of Christ. The Reading for this feast whether it is celebrated Sunday January 7th as in the Roman church or on January 13th as in many Eastern and other churches, are words that shout clearly Almighty God’s desire for all people.
In all the readings assigned for this day there is found words of affirmation, comfort and a clear truth that all should embrace. The truth, Jesus Christ is the Son of God made man, He is the Messiah promised to all the prophets. Jesus came to bring us the truth and to be the light that would lead us to the father. In Luke 3:15 - 22 we hear John The Baptist proclaim; “someone who is more powerful than I am, and who I am not fit to undo the strap of his sandals will come; he will Baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Now when all the people had been Baptized, and while Jesus after his own baptism was at prayer, the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily shape, like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; my flavor rests on you’.
In John 1:29-34 we find further affirmation of the event as John the disciple was an observer of the event and recorded it in His Gospel “ The next day when John was Baptizing by the Jordan River and He saw Jesus coming toward him he exclaimed “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! He is the one I told you about when I said, "Someone else will come. He is greater than I am, because he was alive before I was born." I didn't know who he was. But I came to baptize you with water, so that everyone in Israel would see him.” The passage goes on to tell us what happened after Christ was baptized with water; “I was there and saw the Spirit come down on him like a dove from heaven. And the Spirit stayed on him. Before this I didn't know who he was. But the one who sent me to baptize with water had told me, "You will see the Spirit come down and stay on someone. Then you will know that he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit. I saw this happen, and I tell you that he is the Son of God.”Another reading assigned to this feast, from Titus 2:11 and 3:7, provides us with even more of God’s truth and another reason for us to not only be thankful to Almighty God but to have hope. “You see, God’s grace has been revealed, and it has made salvation possible for the whole human race and taught us that what we have to do is to give up everything that does not lead to God, and all our worldly ambitions; we must be self-restrained and live good and religious lives here in this present world, while we are waiting in hope for the blessing which will come with the Appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Christ Jesus. But when the kindness and love of God our savior for mankind were revealed, it was not because he was concerned with any righteous actions we might have done ourselves; it was for no reason except his own compassion that he saved us, by means of the cleansing water of rebirth and by renewing us with the Holy Spirit which he has so generously poured over us through Jesus Christ our Savior. He did this so that we should be justified by his grace, to become heirs looking forward to inheriting eternal life”.
I personally do not know how things could be made any clearer to us. When we read these words of the readings for the Feast of The Baptism Of Christ and couple them with the teachings Christ gave us with his words and actions how can we possibly claim to be followers of Christ is we continue to discriminate against others, allow people to go hungry while others luxuriate in excesses? How can we justify the taking of another person’s life in the name of justice? How, as Christians can we take upon ourselves the rite to question why God creates people differently? How can we accept the old rule of “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”, when Christ said: “Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.”If we are to actually live our lives as followers of Christ, and we acclaim Jesus as our Redeemer and our Savior we need to begin to set aside the petty differences that have caused the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic church to be divided into many segments and look to the basic truths of Christ as the glue that should bind us and hold us together. In the early church priests were married, Commitments between same sex individuals were blessed, There were women deacons, Bishops, priests lived simple lives and used simple vessels to celebrate the Eucharist and did not wear jeweled encrusted clothing but simple home spun clothing.
All the trappings that we have come to associate with the celebration of the liturgies and the vestments worn by the clergy came about when the hierarchy began to consider themselves equal with royalty. They even began to call some PRINCES OF THE CHURCH, a title that is still being used in some circles.
All religious are called and have accepted to be Christ’s servant and instrument here on earth. Our task is to be the instrument through which the compassion and mercy of Almighty God are made known to all people. We should not be driving people away, but trying to bring them home like the shepherd searching for the lost sheep.
On this day which confirms the truth of Christ being the Son of God, the creator and father of all things, let us evaluate ourselves and seek out what changes we need to make in our lives to completely and joyfully truly live as followers of Christ and believers in God. Then let us go forth to turn our decisions into actions that will bring about changes for the betterment of the human race. Let us work hard to bring about the changes that will improve the environment. Let us do our part in ending oppression, hunger, homelessness, discrimination, and division and become an instrument of Almighty God and a true follower of Christ working to bring peace to all God’s children. AMEN
Epiphany Reflection
Jan. 6th Feast of Epiphany
Also known as Three Kings Day
A Reflection by Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
Mission Saints Sergius & Bacchus
www.missionstsergius.org
If we look up the word EPIPHANY in a dictionary you find it has more meanings than just a feast we celebrate on January sixth celebrating the presentation of gifts by the Three Wise Men to the Infant Jesus and the Holy Family. One of the meanings is “manifestation of a divine being”; the other meaning is “A Sudden intuitive leap of understanding or faith, especially through an ordinary but striking occurrence”.
The feast of The Epiphany fits both definitions. God mad His son known to the world through the Three Wise Men’s visit after following a star that they, as astronomers and astrologers believed foretold of the birth of the king of all kings. , The Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates the feast as the baptism of Jesus Christ.
The event certainly fits both definitions; a manifestation of a divine being and an intuitive leap of understanding or faith through an ordinary but striking occurrence, for that is exactly what happened. The three wise men believed an astrological sign and followed a star which was not one they knew and which seemed to be a beacon traveling through the sky to Bethlehem to behold the King of Kings, Jesus Christ. The birth of such a child had also been prophesized not only in Jewish writings but in the writings of other religions, probably those who trace themselves back to Abraham.
In Hispanic and Latin cultures, as well as some places in Europe, the feast day is known as Three Kings’ Day. Because of differences in church calendars, mainly between the Eastern Orthodox and the western Catholic and Protestant traditions, both Christmas and Epiphany have been observed at different times in the past. Today, most of the Eastern Orthodox traditions follow the western church calendar. The exceptions are some Greek Orthodox Churches and related traditions. The Russian and Serbian Orthodox churches still follow the older calendar and celebrate Epiphany as the Feast of Theophany (From the Greek, Theo (God), and phainein (to show forth), Theophany means an appearance of God to man.) on January 19th.
Epiphany marks the end of the Christmas Season and the Twelve Days of Christmas, which are usually counted from December 25th until January 5th. In most traditions, the day before Epiphany is the Twelfth Day of Christmas, the evening of which is called Twelfth Night. This is an occasion for feasting in some cultures, including the baking of a special King's Cake as part of the festivities of Epiphany. Polish people celebrate the feast by marking the initials of the three Kings, (Casper, Melchior, Balthasar) over their door with the numerals of the year in the following manner; (20CMB07) which they believe will bring them good fortune throughout the year and their dining table upon which they feast is covered with straw under a linen cloth to simulate the manger where Christ was born.
What we need to reflect on is the wonderful manifestation of God’s only Son, who came to us as a poor infant human with all the characteristics and difficulties of the human race and what that should mean to each of us.
God in His goodness and wisdom made himself visible to us in Jesus Christ. Prior to this all the recorded manifestations of God to humans were in tongues of fire, a burning bush, a cloud, but never in human form. In fact the Jewish people and even the prophets believed that looking directly at God would mean death. Not exactly the picture of a loving, merciful, forgiving God.
I believe that God decided that it was time to reveal the true God and the best way for God to do that was through the birth of Jesus. Jesus came, as He himself told us, to give us a new covenant. Jesus came to make clear to us the way, the truth and the life. Jesus is the light which would guide us to the Father.
Jesus said: “Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. 7 If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!” Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Fathers who lives in me does his work through me. Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.” (John 14:5-11)
Jesus came to teach us the way to the father, Jesus gave us the two great commandments “Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, mind, soul and body and the second is like unto it Love your neighbor as yourself”
In John 14:15-21 Jesus makes the reason for his being sent to earth for all men to see and touch completely clear, He was not a disjointed voice booming out of clouds or in a burning bush, He was flesh and blood. He said: “If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. I will send The Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you, No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”
The manifestation of God in the person of Jesus Christ that we celebrate on the feast of Epiphany came about in an ordinary way, not as a sudden appearance but in a natural birth that followed the nine month pregnancy of Mary, the Theotokos. The pronouncement of the birth of the King of Kings by the Wise men to Herod and the world and how they arrived in Bethlehem certainly was a striking occurrence.
The birth of Christ and the pronouncement of that event brought into the world a message of hope, forgiveness and the promise of everlasting life for all people, not just the Jewish people. Christ promised us that by living justly and as He instructed and gave an example we would all find a peace that the world can not give.
In this time of trouble throughout the world each of us needs to acknowledge Christ and love Him and through Him, the Father who sent Him. We need to look to them for our deliverance from the worlds and churches’ troubles and seek guidance from the Holy Spirit for a way of ending the divisions that separate us and are causing so much pain and strife for so many. We need to express our love more, we need to open our hearts to forgiveness and mercy, we need to pray more and seek self gratification less. As Christ has promised; "Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching and My Father will love him. We will come to him and make our home with him. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. The words you hear me say are not my own. They belong to the Father who sent me. (John 14:23-24)
On this feast of Epiphany, take time to reflect on Christ’s teachings, take time to offer thanks to God for the things He has given you, set aside time to talk to God and Christ using your own words or by reading aloud a portion of scripture or the Psalms or just recite the Our Father. Make a visit to a church and partake of the liturgy and most especially, the Eucharist. Give God honor and praise by living your life according to Christ’s example and teachings. Practice you love of God by your deeds. I can think of no better way to praise God and to celebrate our thanks for God’s decision to make known to us His truth by sending us His beloved son to live among us as a human.
“Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.” AMEN
Also known as Three Kings Day
A Reflection by Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
Mission Saints Sergius & Bacchus
www.missionstsergius.org
If we look up the word EPIPHANY in a dictionary you find it has more meanings than just a feast we celebrate on January sixth celebrating the presentation of gifts by the Three Wise Men to the Infant Jesus and the Holy Family. One of the meanings is “manifestation of a divine being”; the other meaning is “A Sudden intuitive leap of understanding or faith, especially through an ordinary but striking occurrence”.
The feast of The Epiphany fits both definitions. God mad His son known to the world through the Three Wise Men’s visit after following a star that they, as astronomers and astrologers believed foretold of the birth of the king of all kings. , The Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates the feast as the baptism of Jesus Christ.
The event certainly fits both definitions; a manifestation of a divine being and an intuitive leap of understanding or faith through an ordinary but striking occurrence, for that is exactly what happened. The three wise men believed an astrological sign and followed a star which was not one they knew and which seemed to be a beacon traveling through the sky to Bethlehem to behold the King of Kings, Jesus Christ. The birth of such a child had also been prophesized not only in Jewish writings but in the writings of other religions, probably those who trace themselves back to Abraham.
In Hispanic and Latin cultures, as well as some places in Europe, the feast day is known as Three Kings’ Day. Because of differences in church calendars, mainly between the Eastern Orthodox and the western Catholic and Protestant traditions, both Christmas and Epiphany have been observed at different times in the past. Today, most of the Eastern Orthodox traditions follow the western church calendar. The exceptions are some Greek Orthodox Churches and related traditions. The Russian and Serbian Orthodox churches still follow the older calendar and celebrate Epiphany as the Feast of Theophany (From the Greek, Theo (God), and phainein (to show forth), Theophany means an appearance of God to man.) on January 19th.
Epiphany marks the end of the Christmas Season and the Twelve Days of Christmas, which are usually counted from December 25th until January 5th. In most traditions, the day before Epiphany is the Twelfth Day of Christmas, the evening of which is called Twelfth Night. This is an occasion for feasting in some cultures, including the baking of a special King's Cake as part of the festivities of Epiphany. Polish people celebrate the feast by marking the initials of the three Kings, (Casper, Melchior, Balthasar) over their door with the numerals of the year in the following manner; (20CMB07) which they believe will bring them good fortune throughout the year and their dining table upon which they feast is covered with straw under a linen cloth to simulate the manger where Christ was born.
What we need to reflect on is the wonderful manifestation of God’s only Son, who came to us as a poor infant human with all the characteristics and difficulties of the human race and what that should mean to each of us.
God in His goodness and wisdom made himself visible to us in Jesus Christ. Prior to this all the recorded manifestations of God to humans were in tongues of fire, a burning bush, a cloud, but never in human form. In fact the Jewish people and even the prophets believed that looking directly at God would mean death. Not exactly the picture of a loving, merciful, forgiving God.
I believe that God decided that it was time to reveal the true God and the best way for God to do that was through the birth of Jesus. Jesus came, as He himself told us, to give us a new covenant. Jesus came to make clear to us the way, the truth and the life. Jesus is the light which would guide us to the Father.
Jesus said: “Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. 7 If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!” Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Fathers who lives in me does his work through me. Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.” (John 14:5-11)
Jesus came to teach us the way to the father, Jesus gave us the two great commandments “Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, mind, soul and body and the second is like unto it Love your neighbor as yourself”
In John 14:15-21 Jesus makes the reason for his being sent to earth for all men to see and touch completely clear, He was not a disjointed voice booming out of clouds or in a burning bush, He was flesh and blood. He said: “If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. I will send The Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you, No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”
The manifestation of God in the person of Jesus Christ that we celebrate on the feast of Epiphany came about in an ordinary way, not as a sudden appearance but in a natural birth that followed the nine month pregnancy of Mary, the Theotokos. The pronouncement of the birth of the King of Kings by the Wise men to Herod and the world and how they arrived in Bethlehem certainly was a striking occurrence.
The birth of Christ and the pronouncement of that event brought into the world a message of hope, forgiveness and the promise of everlasting life for all people, not just the Jewish people. Christ promised us that by living justly and as He instructed and gave an example we would all find a peace that the world can not give.
In this time of trouble throughout the world each of us needs to acknowledge Christ and love Him and through Him, the Father who sent Him. We need to look to them for our deliverance from the worlds and churches’ troubles and seek guidance from the Holy Spirit for a way of ending the divisions that separate us and are causing so much pain and strife for so many. We need to express our love more, we need to open our hearts to forgiveness and mercy, we need to pray more and seek self gratification less. As Christ has promised; "Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching and My Father will love him. We will come to him and make our home with him. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. The words you hear me say are not my own. They belong to the Father who sent me. (John 14:23-24)
On this feast of Epiphany, take time to reflect on Christ’s teachings, take time to offer thanks to God for the things He has given you, set aside time to talk to God and Christ using your own words or by reading aloud a portion of scripture or the Psalms or just recite the Our Father. Make a visit to a church and partake of the liturgy and most especially, the Eucharist. Give God honor and praise by living your life according to Christ’s example and teachings. Practice you love of God by your deeds. I can think of no better way to praise God and to celebrate our thanks for God’s decision to make known to us His truth by sending us His beloved son to live among us as a human.
“Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.” AMEN
Thursday, December 28, 2006
New Year Blessing Reflection
May the Lord Bless and Keep You
A Reflection for January First, The Feast of the Circumcision of Our Lord/ Mary Mother of God
Readings: Numbers 6:22-27, Galatians 4:4-7, Luke 2:16-21,
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus, Holliston, MA
www.Missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverlastingLoveOfChristMinistry
The Psalm for the liturgy of New Years Day proclaims a message we all should be shouting from the rooftops, “Shout with joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of His name; Make His praise glorious. Say to God, How awesome are your works!”
When we couple that with the direction given in the first reading of the day from the book of Numbers chapter 6 verses 22-27 on how to greet people “You shall say to them: May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord let his face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord uncover his face to you and bring you peace.” We receive a direction of living our life in accordance with the teachings of Christ and therefore Almighty God.
Our hearts should be filled with the knowledge and love that the King of Glory, Jesus Christ brought to this world. Was not just happenstance, but was part of God’s design from the very beginning of time.
As if to reinforce the truth, that we have all been chosen by God as his children and therefore heirs to the kingdom of heaven we have the words from the second reading found in Galatians 4: “The proof that you are sons is that God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts: the Spirit that cries, ‘Abba, Father’, and it is this that makes you a son, you are not a slave any more; and if God has made you son, then he has made you heir.”The Gospel tell us that the name chosen for the child was not a family mane but that it was given to the infant according to the instructions Mary received from the Angel Gabriel. When the eighth day came and the child was to be circumcised, they gave him the name Jesus, the name the angel had given him before his conception. "She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." Matthew 1:22
Besides being the feast of the Circumcision of Jesus, today is also commemorated in the western church to celebrate the motherhood of Mary, “the Theotokos” in Greek meaning mother of God. The Gospel reading reminds us that Mary pondered all that had come to pass and also the things she was told would occur in her heart by the priest “Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too." Luke 2: 34-35.
There should be no doubt in anyone mind that Jesus is the promised one of the ages and as such we need to heed the things He has instructed us to do. We also have to keep in mind that through the centuries many things have been added to what Jesus instructed, mainly for the purpose of gaining power and wealth. Those things have very little to do with living our life according to God’s will. Celibacy of clergy was an idea that came many years after Christ, the early church had women deacons, the early church blessed same sex commitment ceremonies, liturgies were celebrated in the language of the people. These are just some of the things that churches enforce that were not defined by Christ.
All the grandeur, splendor, pomp and circumstance that is associated with some churches fly in the face of what Christ taught. By His birth in a simple manger alone; Christ gave us a lesson that He came to give hope and promise to all and that the poor and needy where more acceptable than the rich and powerful. “Do unto others as you would have done unto you” this teaching should cause us to think about how we treat others and is it the same way that we would want to be treated?
Jesus Christ came to earth to save us, to open up the gates of heaven to all people. Almighty God sent us His son in human form to teach us the truth, to lead us in the path of righteousness, and to gain for us eternal salvation.
As we begin a New Year let us make a new beginning in our relationship with Almighty God through His beloved Son, Jesus the Christ. Let us vow to make the changes necessary in our lives so that we come closer to God in all that we do. Let us set aside time each and every day to acknowledge God and ask His help in making us a better and newer person. Let us examine way that we can actively make a difference by our actions and deeds. Can we be more compassionate toward those who are suffering from poverty, hunger, homelessness and serious illness? Can we do more to support the spreading of the Good News of Salvation preached by Jesus Christ? Can we make time in our schedules to pray and receive the bread of life, the Eucharist?
As the sports adage says; “The ball is in our court” how are we going to play it?
May the New Year bring peace to the hearts and minds of all people, May the wisdom of God infuse the inner being of all especially the leaders of the worlds governments and religions so that they find a pathway to peace and unity and bring about the promise of The Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ. AMEN
A Reflection for January First, The Feast of the Circumcision of Our Lord/ Mary Mother of God
Readings: Numbers 6:22-27, Galatians 4:4-7, Luke 2:16-21,
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus, Holliston, MA
www.Missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverlastingLoveOfChristMinistry
The Psalm for the liturgy of New Years Day proclaims a message we all should be shouting from the rooftops, “Shout with joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of His name; Make His praise glorious. Say to God, How awesome are your works!”
When we couple that with the direction given in the first reading of the day from the book of Numbers chapter 6 verses 22-27 on how to greet people “You shall say to them: May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord let his face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord uncover his face to you and bring you peace.” We receive a direction of living our life in accordance with the teachings of Christ and therefore Almighty God.
Our hearts should be filled with the knowledge and love that the King of Glory, Jesus Christ brought to this world. Was not just happenstance, but was part of God’s design from the very beginning of time.
As if to reinforce the truth, that we have all been chosen by God as his children and therefore heirs to the kingdom of heaven we have the words from the second reading found in Galatians 4: “The proof that you are sons is that God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts: the Spirit that cries, ‘Abba, Father’, and it is this that makes you a son, you are not a slave any more; and if God has made you son, then he has made you heir.”The Gospel tell us that the name chosen for the child was not a family mane but that it was given to the infant according to the instructions Mary received from the Angel Gabriel. When the eighth day came and the child was to be circumcised, they gave him the name Jesus, the name the angel had given him before his conception. "She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." Matthew 1:22
Besides being the feast of the Circumcision of Jesus, today is also commemorated in the western church to celebrate the motherhood of Mary, “the Theotokos” in Greek meaning mother of God. The Gospel reading reminds us that Mary pondered all that had come to pass and also the things she was told would occur in her heart by the priest “Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too." Luke 2: 34-35.
There should be no doubt in anyone mind that Jesus is the promised one of the ages and as such we need to heed the things He has instructed us to do. We also have to keep in mind that through the centuries many things have been added to what Jesus instructed, mainly for the purpose of gaining power and wealth. Those things have very little to do with living our life according to God’s will. Celibacy of clergy was an idea that came many years after Christ, the early church had women deacons, the early church blessed same sex commitment ceremonies, liturgies were celebrated in the language of the people. These are just some of the things that churches enforce that were not defined by Christ.
All the grandeur, splendor, pomp and circumstance that is associated with some churches fly in the face of what Christ taught. By His birth in a simple manger alone; Christ gave us a lesson that He came to give hope and promise to all and that the poor and needy where more acceptable than the rich and powerful. “Do unto others as you would have done unto you” this teaching should cause us to think about how we treat others and is it the same way that we would want to be treated?
Jesus Christ came to earth to save us, to open up the gates of heaven to all people. Almighty God sent us His son in human form to teach us the truth, to lead us in the path of righteousness, and to gain for us eternal salvation.
As we begin a New Year let us make a new beginning in our relationship with Almighty God through His beloved Son, Jesus the Christ. Let us vow to make the changes necessary in our lives so that we come closer to God in all that we do. Let us set aside time each and every day to acknowledge God and ask His help in making us a better and newer person. Let us examine way that we can actively make a difference by our actions and deeds. Can we be more compassionate toward those who are suffering from poverty, hunger, homelessness and serious illness? Can we do more to support the spreading of the Good News of Salvation preached by Jesus Christ? Can we make time in our schedules to pray and receive the bread of life, the Eucharist?
As the sports adage says; “The ball is in our court” how are we going to play it?
May the New Year bring peace to the hearts and minds of all people, May the wisdom of God infuse the inner being of all especially the leaders of the worlds governments and religions so that they find a pathway to peace and unity and bring about the promise of The Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ. AMEN
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
An Idea For A New Year's Resolution
A New Year Prayer, A Resolution for Peace On Earth,
A Reflection for January 1 in the year of Our Lord Two Thousand and Seven
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFAMission Saints Sergius and Bacchus,
a Franciscans of the Annunciation mission
www.missionstsergius.org
Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me,Let there be peace on earth, the peace that was meant to be.With God as our Father, brothers all are we,Let me walk with my brother, in perfect harmony. Let peace begin with me, let this be the moment now,With every step I take, let this be my solemn vow,To take each moment and live each moment in peace eternally.Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me! AMEN
A Reflection for January 1 in the year of Our Lord Two Thousand and Seven
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFAMission Saints Sergius and Bacchus,
a Franciscans of the Annunciation mission
www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverlastingLoveOfChristMinistry
As we prepare to make our resolutions for the New Year 2007, how about we try this one on for size?I based this reflection on the words to a once very popular prayer/song “Let There Be Peace On Earth” written and copy written in 1955by Sy Miller and Jill Jackson. In this time of world turmoil I feel we need to focus on the issues that have been tearing nations, churches and people apart and make a resolution to do our part to change the direction the world seems to be headed. Daily we are reminded of all the dissention between the various churches which claim to be Christian and other religious denominations that claim the God of Abraham, Isaac, David and Jacob as their father. Every day the news is filled with reports throughout the world, of strife, conflicts over territory and in some countries genocide, poverty, and starvation caused by the need of a minority for power, control and greed. Families have been torn apart over the issue of their child’s sexuality by individuals who claim to represent Christ and have taken upon themselves the role of making judgments that are only God’s right to make. Did not Christ Himself say “Let those among you that is without sin, cast the first stone” We all are sinners to one degree or another, we need to acknowledge that and be repentant for our own misdeeds and assume we are better than the others.The words of this wonderful prayer/song are very poignant. It not only makes a request but it points out that it all must start with each of us individually; “Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.” This is a lesson to us that we cannot wait for others to set the ball in motion, we need it to begin within our selves. We need to make a move in our own lives to settle any disagreements we might have with members of our own family, friends, neighbors or employees. If each and every person would work toward the goal of peace in their own live the result would be like a snowball rolling down a very steep hill, it would keep building and growing larger and faster as it traveled along. Each individual action would cause a similar reaction from others and it could spread throughout the world.The second line in this message written in 1955 is also powerful as it directs us to the source of all peace; “Let there be peace on earth, the peace that was meant to be. With God as our Father.” In order to achieve any kind of lasting and meaningful peace we need to turn to the source, Almighty God. We need to place Him at the center of our lives and live according to the way His beloved son, Jesus Christ instructed us. We need to look around us and be thankful for the gifts we have been given and stop grumbling about the things we think we need. We need to come to the realization that we are all children of the same God and therefore brothers and sisters of each other as the prayer/song explains; “brothers all are we, Let me walk with my brother, in perfect harmony.”As we contemplate what kind of resolution we are going to make to change our lives in this new year I suggest that each of us place this as number one and that we make sure that we keep this resolution even if all the others are forgotten as the year progresses; “Let peace begin with me, let this be the moment now, With every step I take, let this be my solemn vow, To take each moment and live each moment in peace eternally.”. Peace is not something to be wished for, it is something one has to work hard to achieve. If these words “ Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me!” are to ever be realized we all have to work together to make it a reality. We cannot be satisfied as long as there is one child of God that is being oppressed because social or economic status, suffering discrimination for any reason, dying because of lack of proper food or medicine, homeless due to inadequate affordable housing, or being violently murdered over drugs or gang disputes. As children of God and followers of Jesus Christ we are called to live the Gospel message not just preach it. Let us resolve to begin this New Year with one single purpose, to do our part in bringing about changes that will make this prayer/songs words a reality.
As we prepare to make our resolutions for the New Year 2007, how about we try this one on for size?I based this reflection on the words to a once very popular prayer/song “Let There Be Peace On Earth” written and copy written in 1955by Sy Miller and Jill Jackson. In this time of world turmoil I feel we need to focus on the issues that have been tearing nations, churches and people apart and make a resolution to do our part to change the direction the world seems to be headed. Daily we are reminded of all the dissention between the various churches which claim to be Christian and other religious denominations that claim the God of Abraham, Isaac, David and Jacob as their father. Every day the news is filled with reports throughout the world, of strife, conflicts over territory and in some countries genocide, poverty, and starvation caused by the need of a minority for power, control and greed. Families have been torn apart over the issue of their child’s sexuality by individuals who claim to represent Christ and have taken upon themselves the role of making judgments that are only God’s right to make. Did not Christ Himself say “Let those among you that is without sin, cast the first stone” We all are sinners to one degree or another, we need to acknowledge that and be repentant for our own misdeeds and assume we are better than the others.The words of this wonderful prayer/song are very poignant. It not only makes a request but it points out that it all must start with each of us individually; “Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.” This is a lesson to us that we cannot wait for others to set the ball in motion, we need it to begin within our selves. We need to make a move in our own lives to settle any disagreements we might have with members of our own family, friends, neighbors or employees. If each and every person would work toward the goal of peace in their own live the result would be like a snowball rolling down a very steep hill, it would keep building and growing larger and faster as it traveled along. Each individual action would cause a similar reaction from others and it could spread throughout the world.The second line in this message written in 1955 is also powerful as it directs us to the source of all peace; “Let there be peace on earth, the peace that was meant to be. With God as our Father.” In order to achieve any kind of lasting and meaningful peace we need to turn to the source, Almighty God. We need to place Him at the center of our lives and live according to the way His beloved son, Jesus Christ instructed us. We need to look around us and be thankful for the gifts we have been given and stop grumbling about the things we think we need. We need to come to the realization that we are all children of the same God and therefore brothers and sisters of each other as the prayer/song explains; “brothers all are we, Let me walk with my brother, in perfect harmony.”As we contemplate what kind of resolution we are going to make to change our lives in this new year I suggest that each of us place this as number one and that we make sure that we keep this resolution even if all the others are forgotten as the year progresses; “Let peace begin with me, let this be the moment now, With every step I take, let this be my solemn vow, To take each moment and live each moment in peace eternally.”. Peace is not something to be wished for, it is something one has to work hard to achieve. If these words “ Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me!” are to ever be realized we all have to work together to make it a reality. We cannot be satisfied as long as there is one child of God that is being oppressed because social or economic status, suffering discrimination for any reason, dying because of lack of proper food or medicine, homeless due to inadequate affordable housing, or being violently murdered over drugs or gang disputes. As children of God and followers of Jesus Christ we are called to live the Gospel message not just preach it. Let us resolve to begin this New Year with one single purpose, to do our part in bringing about changes that will make this prayer/songs words a reality.
Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me,Let there be peace on earth, the peace that was meant to be.With God as our Father, brothers all are we,Let me walk with my brother, in perfect harmony. Let peace begin with me, let this be the moment now,With every step I take, let this be my solemn vow,To take each moment and live each moment in peace eternally.Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me! AMEN
I am also adding the prayer of the seraphic father of our order and all the
Franciscan orders, Saint Francis which helps us to understand the things we need to do to achieve a true and lasting peace.
Peace Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;where there is hatred, let me sow love;when there is injury, pardon;where there is doubt, faith;where there is despair, hope;where there is darkness, light;and where there is sadness, joy.Grant that I may not so much seekto be consoled as to console;to be understood, as to understand,to be loved as to love;for it is in giving that we receive,it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. AMEN
May God fill each and every one with an abundance of His mercy, infinite love and grace throughout the new year and grant you the courage and strength to do what is necessary to bring about changes on this planet so that there will be a new beginning for all and a time of peace and reconciliation.
A New Interpretation To 12 Days Of Christmas
A New Meaning to the Twelve Days of Christmas Song
Day 1 A PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TREE
Jesus, The Son of God
Day 2 2 TURTLE DOVES
The Old and New Testament
Day 3 THREE FRENCH HENS
The Virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity
Day 4 FOUR CALLING BIRDS
The Four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
Day 5 FIVE GOLDEN RINGS
The Pentateuch or first five books of the Old Testament
Day 6 SIX GEESE A LAYING
The six days of creation
Day 7 SEVEN SWANS A SWIMMING
The Seven Sacraments
Day 8 EIGHT MAIDS A MILKING
The Eight Beatitudes
Day 9 NINE LADIES DANCING
The nine fruits of the Holy Spirit; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”
Day 10 TEN LORDS A LEAPING
The Ten Commandments
Day 11 ELEVEN LORDS A LEAPING
The eleven faithful apostles (excludes Judas)
Day 12 TWELVE DRUMMERS DRUMMING
The Twelve points of doctrine found in the Apostles Creed.
1 I Believe in God the Father Almighty, creator of Heaven and earth
2 I Believe in Jesus Christ the Only Son of the Father
3 He was born of the Virgin Mary
4 He became man
5 He Suffered under Pontius Pilot
6 He Was Crucified, Died and was buried
7 On the Third day he rose again.
8 He ascended into heaven
9 He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
10 I believe in the Holy Spirit
11 I believe in the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church
12 I acknowledge one Baptism for the forgiveness of sin.
Rev. Robert Francis Johnnene OFA
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus
www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverlastingLoveOfChristMinistry
Day 1 A PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TREE
Jesus, The Son of God
Day 2 2 TURTLE DOVES
The Old and New Testament
Day 3 THREE FRENCH HENS
The Virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity
Day 4 FOUR CALLING BIRDS
The Four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
Day 5 FIVE GOLDEN RINGS
The Pentateuch or first five books of the Old Testament
Day 6 SIX GEESE A LAYING
The six days of creation
Day 7 SEVEN SWANS A SWIMMING
The Seven Sacraments
Day 8 EIGHT MAIDS A MILKING
The Eight Beatitudes
Day 9 NINE LADIES DANCING
The nine fruits of the Holy Spirit; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”
Day 10 TEN LORDS A LEAPING
The Ten Commandments
Day 11 ELEVEN LORDS A LEAPING
The eleven faithful apostles (excludes Judas)
Day 12 TWELVE DRUMMERS DRUMMING
The Twelve points of doctrine found in the Apostles Creed.
1 I Believe in God the Father Almighty, creator of Heaven and earth
2 I Believe in Jesus Christ the Only Son of the Father
3 He was born of the Virgin Mary
4 He became man
5 He Suffered under Pontius Pilot
6 He Was Crucified, Died and was buried
7 On the Third day he rose again.
8 He ascended into heaven
9 He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
10 I believe in the Holy Spirit
11 I believe in the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church
12 I acknowledge one Baptism for the forgiveness of sin.
Rev. Robert Francis Johnnene OFA
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus
www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EverlastingLoveOfChristMinistry
Saturday, December 23, 2006
Joy To The World, A Christmas Reflection
Joy to the world, the Lord is come!A Christmas Reflection
by Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA,
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus
Based on the Scriptural Readings from Luke 2:1-14, Titus 2:11-15, Titus 3:4-7, Luke 2:15-20, Hebrews 1:1-12, John 1:1-14
These words of the well know Christmas Carol written by Isaac Watts (1674-1748)“Joy to the World, the Lord has come. Let earth receive her King; Let every heart prepare Him room, And Heaven and nature sing” could not express the feeling we all should be having this blessed day nor the mission we have been called to live by the birth of this infant child called Jesus of Nazareth.On Christmas day there are three sets of readings, one for the Midnight Mass, another for the mass at dawn and the third for the later mass of the day. When you combine them all they provide us with the very powerful truth and reason for living according to God‘s will. John 1 begins with these words “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” These words are to remind us that Christ came from and is God and that He took on the human form in the same manner as every other human being ever born or to be born, as an infant. He came into this world in the same way as well, in being born of a woman. Let us try to understand the darkness that seems to encompass so many today.I believe that God chose this way in order to let us know that we are all created in His image and we all have a job do to in this world for God. Of course He has also given us free choice therefore we can not accept the job He wishes us to do. There is so much symbolism in the miracle of Christmas. God chose simple people, not the rich and famous. Christ was born in a poor stable filled with the animals of the farmers and travelers. The announcement of Christ’s birth was not to the great and mighty or the High priests but to simple shepherds. God did this to let us know that it is the average person he calls not necessarily the rich and famous. Didn’t Christ say “Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." Matthew 19:23-25The readings also provide us with the purpose of Christ’s coming to earth; “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, We are called to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and live sensibly, righteously and goodly. Somehow that message seems to be all together lost on many people today. Everywhere we hear of news of people who steal, rape, murder and let us not forget wage wars all in search of money, power and domination at the expense of others. Only God has the right to dominate things on this earth since He created them and they are His, we are supposed to be the caretakers and we do not even take that God given responsibility seriously. We have been charged by God to care for this planet earth and all God’s creatures yet we are destroying the ecosystem that God created because it is cheaper and more profitable than using alternative energies that are possible. “Christ gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. These things speak and encourage and reprimand all authorities. Let no one take no notice of you.” Titus 2:11-15 Jesus told us He came to clarify the law and to give us a new covenant. He told us the way we should live and prime in that message was “Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, mind, soul and body and love your neighbor as you love yourself” God so loved the world that He gave His only son to us. There is no greater gift anyone could ever receive and how do we repay god for that Gift? We can repay God by living in the manner that Christ instructed us. We can be kind, considerate, loving, caring, forgiving, charitable, and respectful of the differences that God has created in all things. We are called to worship God and be joyful for the things we have been given. The reading from Hebrews lets us know that even the angels are to worship Christ and that His kingdom will last forever."Let all God's angels worship him. In speaking of the angels he says, He makes his angels winds, his servants flames of fire. But about the Son he says, Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.” Hebrews 1:6-9The Introit of the second mass of Christmas is a reading from Isaiah 9: 6-7 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.”On this Christmas day of 2006 let us follow the directions of the angels who announced the Good News to the shepherds watching their flocks. “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased." Let us try to be persons with whom God will be pleased, so that we can fully enjoy the peace and joy the birth of God’s son we celebrate this day. Let us return God’s gift to us by being more tolerant of the differences in others, charitable by giving to organizations and people in need, concerned about the homeless, sick, and disabled of the world. Let us speak out against injustice, war, and greed. In short, let us make a difference in the world and make it a better place tomorrow than it is today.By doing this we will affirm that indeed there is “Joy in the world because the Lord has come and instilled in us His way so that we have become His instrument here on earth to bring about the promised peace of Christ.”
A Blessed and joyous Christmas be with you all.
Fr. Bob Johnnene OFA
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Know The Lord Will Come
Know That the Lord Will Come
A Reflection for the Vigil of Christmas Dec. 24thExodus 16:6-7, Psalm 2: 7-12, Romans 1:1-6, Matthew 1:18-21
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFAMission Saints Sergius and Bacchus
www.missionstsergius.org
“This day you will know that the Lord shall come to save us and in the morning you shall see His glory” Exodus 16:6-7“And she shall bring forth a son and you shall call his name Jesus, for He shall save all people from their sins” Matthew 1:21
“This day you will know that the Lord shall come to save us and in the morning you shall see His glory” Exodus 16:6-7“And she shall bring forth a son and you shall call his name Jesus, for He shall save all people from their sins” Matthew 1:21
The two passages above are affirmation as to why the celebration of Christmas is to be joyful and filled with rejoicing. Monday we will hear the proclamation of the angels to the shepherds “Fear not, for I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to ALL the People; for this day is born to you a savior, who is Christ the Lord” Luke 2: 10
If ever any have had doubts as to why Jesus came to earth, the above proclamations should resound with crystal clarity. Jesus came to save ALL the people of the earth not just a select few. Jesus came to save us from our sins and gain for us eternal salvation.These gospel passages acknowledge two very important things we need to reflect upon.First, they acknowledge that we are all sinners, God knew that and sent His only begotten son to earth for the purpose of saving us from those sins. Christ took on human form and lived among us to show us the way and to teach us the truth of God. Jesus came, not as a great and powerful king or warrior, but as a simple baby born not in a palace but a humble stable with a bed of straw and the breath of the animals to keep Him warm. The first people to whom the Good News of salvation was proclaimed were not the rich and powerful but simple shepherds tending their flocks on the hillside. God’s message could not be any clearer if He had written it in the heavens for all to see. Power, money, fame, material things are not important but the love and respect for all God’s creation is. God provides individuals with those things to be shared with those who have not. The Magi, kings from different points of the globe brought gifts to honor the little infant Jesus that were considered to be of great worth and precious to the people of that time. This was another message to us that we need to share our wealth and goods with the poor. Christ emphasized this on many occasions in His preaching.Our world today seems to be more interested in the material things of this life and not too many are focusing on the hereafter. There is so much that we can do today to offer God our thanks for sending His only begotten son here to earth to save us. We can begin by speaking out against the genocide that is occurring in some parts of the world. We can try to understand the diversity that God created in this world and try to embrace it as having been God’s will. We can speak out against the senseless killing that is taking place all over the globe, not only in the war torn countries but here at home. These words taken from the Psalms is a warning to us we need to consider seriously, “Take warning, O you judges of the earth. Worship the LORD with reverence, and rejoice with trembling. Do homage to the Son that the Father not become angry and you perish in the way, for His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!” Psalm 2:10-12On this last day of Advent, as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, let us look deeply within ourselves and determine how we are presenting ourselves before God and Christ. Are we being prejudiced toward others because they are different than we are? Do we offer back to God some of the gifts he has provided to us by being generous to the poor and needy? Do we respect all of God’s children and forgive those who have caused us unhappiness by their words or actions? Do we set aside time every day for giving praise and thanksgiving to God for all He has done for us. Do we turn to God for help in overcome our weaknesses? In short, have we made room in our busy lives for God in our life?When tomorrow comes, what will our gift to the infant Jesus be? Will we present Him with ourselves in a manner consistent with the teachings He gave us or will we just go on about our merry way doing everything as we have without regard for how God might look upon it. God’s love and mercy is unlimited and infinite. It is there for All regardless of their race, creed or sexual orientation as long as everyone has made a prominent place in their life for God and strives to live their life in a decent and respectful way according to how Jesus taught us.One of my favorite preachers who never received proper recognition by the church, I believe, taught that “The family that prays together, stays together” Bishop Fulton J. Sheen (1895 - 1979) others of his quotes we might also consider “Love is a mutual self-giving that ends in self-recovery.” “There are 200 million poor in the world who would gladly take the vow of poverty if they could eat, dress and have a home like I do”. "It is not a unity of religion we seek but a union of religious people. We may not be able to meet in the same pew, but we can meet together on our knees as Christians." Remember, Without Christ there would not be a Christmas to celebrate and no Santa, or gifts or glorious decorations and feasts. I am going to close this reflection with another quote from Oren Arnold “Christmas gift suggestions:To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect.”May the peace of Christ proclaimed by the angels on the night He was born, invade the hearts and minds of all the leaders of the world nations, Religious denominations and government institutions and individual people so that the promise of Christmas is realized for all. AMEN
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Rejoicing In The Lord
Reflection for Third Sunday of Advent
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
Mission Saints Sergius & Bacchus
www.missionstsergius.org
Based on Philippians’ 4:4-7, Psalm 84, John 1:19-28
“Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say Rejoice” (Philippians 4:4)
St. Paul in his letter to the people of Philippi sends us a very powerful message on living life especially during this season of advent as we prepare ourselves for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ and the salvation his coming brought to all of the human race.
Paul tell us to; “Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Do not worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing, fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”
Rejoice in the Lord! With so many today grumbling about one thing or another, with the daily news services reporting one horrible event after another. With the knowledge that so many children of God around the world are living in poverty, suffering from discrimination, homeless, and being killed because of the greed and power seeking of others. With multitudes of senior citizens lacking adequate medical care and struggling to have the basic needs of life, we might wonder how we could ever REJOICE IN THE LORD!
Possibly the cause of all the suffering facing the world today is that so many have put God far in the back of their minds. So many today do not consider God in their daily lives or take time to offer thanks for the gifts God has provided them. They claim that they are too busy to give God the time necessary and be successful.
If they would just take some time to think about their life and who gave them the abilities they posses to seek recognition in their chosen field of endeavor, they might come to the realization that Almighty God who created them infused them with those abilities. If they had come to that realization then maybe they might come to the awareness that they need to thank God for what He has provided them and take a more active participation in acknowledging God in their life.
All over the globe people are decorating their houses and purchasing gifts for celebrating Christmas and Chanukah both celebrations which honor God, yet most people focus on the commercial aspects of the holidays and forget about the true purpose of them, REJOICING IN GOD!.
Without God, there would not be either of these holidays. Let us focus on this and integrate God into all our preparations. Let us make sure that we have set aside times to thank God for all He has provided us. Let us plan to attend a religious ceremony as a part of our celebration plans. For those who are Christian, attend church and receive the Eucharist. For members of the Jewish faith attend Synagogue.
Remember the words of John The Baptist ““I baptize with water, but right here in the crowd is someone you do not recognize. Though his ministry follows mine, I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandal.” (John 1:26-27)
We know whom it was John spoke of, Jesus Christ. Christmas is the time we set aside to recognize His coming to live among us in order to teach us they way to happiness and everlasting peace and to gain for us eternal salvation. Let us acknowledge that precious gift from God, the Gift of His beloved son and make room in our lives every day to “Rejoice in Him” through prayer and deeds. Let us strive to live our life every day in a manner that is in accordance with the way Christ instructed.
Let us work toward being more considerate, compassionate, understanding, forgiving and caring more for all those around us rather than just concentrating on our own needs. What a wonderful way to present our gift to Almighty God in thanksgiving for all He has done for us.
PRAYER
Almighty and merciful God, we come to you this advent season to give you thanks and praise for the many gifts you provide us every day. We ask forgiveness for our transgressions and sins and promise to strive to live our daily lives according to the way you taught us.
Guide us by the gifts of the Holy Spirit to be more mindful of the needs of ALL your children and help us to do our part in bringing about the peace and brotherhood for all the children of God all over this world that was proclaimed by the angels on the night you were born. We ask this in the name of our redeemer and savior, Jesus Christ, your son, whose coming among us we celebrate this Christmas Season. AMEN
Saturday, December 09, 2006
An Advent Guide For Our Daily Life from God
Advent Guide for living According to Christ
Reflection by Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
For the Second Sunday of Advent
In preparing this weeks reflection I contemplated on how we might actually prepare ourselves to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ during this Advent season. I decided to seek out passages in scripture where Christ gave us specific ways to live as His followers.
The following passages say much and there is very little that I or anyone else could add except to say:
“If only all people would follow this guidelines of Christ, what a wonderful world this could be.
We might actually be able to achieve peace with one another, end poverty, injustice, discrimination, violence, and bring about a time when the prime commandments of Almighty God and His beloved son Jesus Christ, are actually practiced and lived to the fullest by all nations and people.
I begin with a passage from Leviticus 19:18 "Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.” and in the new testament Jesus repeated it more clearly by saying: “Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself. 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew 22:37-40
I pray that you read the compiled passages, and reflect on how you are doing now and what you might need to work on in order to put Christ’s directions on living our daily life into practice. The possibilities of how the world would change if everyone could practice these directions of Christ. “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not think you are superior. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. ’” Romans 12: 9-21
Christ in His sermon on the mount gave us even more indication as to how we should live when He told us:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are they that have been persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets that were before you. You are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost its savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under the foot of men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a lamp, and put it under the bushel, but on the stand; and it shines till all are in the house. Even so let your light shine before men; that they may see your good. works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets: I came not to destroy, but to fulfill the law. Truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Matthew 5:3-19
Christ goes on to say the following; “whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment. But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who holds a brother or sister in contempt is answerable to the law. And anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell. Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. Go first and be reconciled to that person; then come and offer your gift. Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny. Matthew 5:19-26
We are further advised in Romans 12:13-15 “Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
It is very clear that we are called to contribute to the needs of God's people, and pursue the practice of hospitality. We need to learn to live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, snobbish, high-minded or so exclusive we shut people out. We should never overestimate ourselves or be too wise in our own conceits. We must also remember these words of Jesus to His apostles and follow them daily.
“Pray, and when you pray say; Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be you name. Your kingdom come, your will be done here on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from all evil. For yours is the Kingdom and the power and the Glory now and forever. AMEN Luke 11:2-4 and in Matthew 6: 9-13
May Almighty God, in His wisdom, grant each of us the ability to follow these directions each and every day of our lives working toward perfection of them and toward a time when all of God’s children can live in peace and harmony with each other and a time when all who accept Christ and claim Him as redeemer and savior can gather as one family and one body in Christ. . AMEN
Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus
Reflection by Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
For the Second Sunday of Advent
In preparing this weeks reflection I contemplated on how we might actually prepare ourselves to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ during this Advent season. I decided to seek out passages in scripture where Christ gave us specific ways to live as His followers.
The following passages say much and there is very little that I or anyone else could add except to say:
“If only all people would follow this guidelines of Christ, what a wonderful world this could be.
We might actually be able to achieve peace with one another, end poverty, injustice, discrimination, violence, and bring about a time when the prime commandments of Almighty God and His beloved son Jesus Christ, are actually practiced and lived to the fullest by all nations and people.
I begin with a passage from Leviticus 19:18 "Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.” and in the new testament Jesus repeated it more clearly by saying: “Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself. 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew 22:37-40
I pray that you read the compiled passages, and reflect on how you are doing now and what you might need to work on in order to put Christ’s directions on living our daily life into practice. The possibilities of how the world would change if everyone could practice these directions of Christ. “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not think you are superior. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. ’” Romans 12: 9-21
Christ in His sermon on the mount gave us even more indication as to how we should live when He told us:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are they that have been persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets that were before you. You are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost its savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under the foot of men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a lamp, and put it under the bushel, but on the stand; and it shines till all are in the house. Even so let your light shine before men; that they may see your good. works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets: I came not to destroy, but to fulfill the law. Truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Matthew 5:3-19
Christ goes on to say the following; “whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment. But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who holds a brother or sister in contempt is answerable to the law. And anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell. Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. Go first and be reconciled to that person; then come and offer your gift. Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny. Matthew 5:19-26
We are further advised in Romans 12:13-15 “Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
It is very clear that we are called to contribute to the needs of God's people, and pursue the practice of hospitality. We need to learn to live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, snobbish, high-minded or so exclusive we shut people out. We should never overestimate ourselves or be too wise in our own conceits. We must also remember these words of Jesus to His apostles and follow them daily.
“Pray, and when you pray say; Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be you name. Your kingdom come, your will be done here on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from all evil. For yours is the Kingdom and the power and the Glory now and forever. AMEN Luke 11:2-4 and in Matthew 6: 9-13
May Almighty God, in His wisdom, grant each of us the ability to follow these directions each and every day of our lives working toward perfection of them and toward a time when all of God’s children can live in peace and harmony with each other and a time when all who accept Christ and claim Him as redeemer and savior can gather as one family and one body in Christ. . AMEN
Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
A Lesson On Trusting In God
Mary’s Lesson on Trusting In God
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA, Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus
www.missionstsergius.org
Email: Mission_St_Sergius@msn.com
The Feast of The Immaculate Conception celebrates Our Lady‘s complete trust in Almighty God. The feast also celebrates God’s greatest gift to humankind, His beloved son Jesus Christ.
The feast celebrates the fact that Almighty God deemed that the woman who was to bring His son into the world would be free of the stain of sin that all the rest of humankind is prone to in order that she would be a pure vessel within which Our blessed Lord would be conceived through the Holy Spirit and nurtured to human life for nine months. When He sent His messenger, the Angel Gabriel, to her to inform her that God had chosen her to bear the promised one of the prophets with these words "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.” Luke 1:29-35. Mary asked; “How can this be, for I know not man?. "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.”
The redeemer foretold by God when He drove Satan from the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3:14-16 “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” and in Isaiah 11: 1: “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse: from his roots a branch will bear fruit.” was to be born to this unmarried woman.
What faith in God she must have had to accept this message. After all, the punishment for having had a sexual relation without being married , even though betrothed to Joseph they were not married nor had they had relations, was to be stoned to death as an adulteress.
Mary’s response to Gabriel’s message was “Let it be done to me according to God’s will” Luke 1:38
In our daily live we are often faced with challenges or situations where we have great apprehension do we respond to them with “Let it be done to me according to God’s will” as Mary did or do we gross and complain because things are difficult.?
What might have gone through Our Blessed Mothers mind when Simeon told her or our minds if we received this message? "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too." Luke 2: 34-35
Mary gave us an example to follow in our own live and it was to seek out God in prayer and putting our trust in God will for us. When we do we acquire a sense we will come through our difficulties alright. After all, Even Jesus, when faced with what was about to happen after His entry into Jerusalem cried out to God "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done." Matthew 26:41-43For me this feast day has special significance. It was on Dec. 8th, 1957 that I could not fall asleep because of a series of thoughts flashing through my mind, I finally got up and wrote down what I was thinking and went back to bed to fall into a peaceful and deep sleep. Upon awakening the following day I noticed this paper with writing on it , read it and thought, “My mother will like this” and mailed it off to her. 30 years later, after mom passed on, as I was going through her things, I found the original paper I had written that night. I will end this reflection with this advice to you and the words I wrote that Dec. 8th night in 1957.
Always believe in God and put your trust in Him. He will never forsake you or reject you no matter what others may tell you. Talk to Him often, either with formal prayers or just regular conversation as though He were your best friend sitting there with you, WHICH HE IS. AND If you want to do as I did that night in 1957 pray these words I called A SINNER’S PRAYER.
A SINNER’S PRAYER
Written in 1957 By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
O, Mary Immaculate, virgin so fair, mother of Our Savior, please hear my prayer.
Intercede, dearest mother, to your heavenly son.
Tell Him I am truly sorry for all the wrongs and sins I have done.
Ask Him to guide me by the graces and gifts of the Holy Spirit in all of my ways
So that I might give Him honor, glory and praise with all the Heavenly elect when I come to the end of my earthly days. AMEN
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA, Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus
www.missionstsergius.org
Email: Mission_St_Sergius@msn.com
The Feast of The Immaculate Conception celebrates Our Lady‘s complete trust in Almighty God. The feast also celebrates God’s greatest gift to humankind, His beloved son Jesus Christ.
The feast celebrates the fact that Almighty God deemed that the woman who was to bring His son into the world would be free of the stain of sin that all the rest of humankind is prone to in order that she would be a pure vessel within which Our blessed Lord would be conceived through the Holy Spirit and nurtured to human life for nine months. When He sent His messenger, the Angel Gabriel, to her to inform her that God had chosen her to bear the promised one of the prophets with these words "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.” Luke 1:29-35. Mary asked; “How can this be, for I know not man?. "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.”
The redeemer foretold by God when He drove Satan from the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3:14-16 “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” and in Isaiah 11: 1: “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse: from his roots a branch will bear fruit.” was to be born to this unmarried woman.
What faith in God she must have had to accept this message. After all, the punishment for having had a sexual relation without being married , even though betrothed to Joseph they were not married nor had they had relations, was to be stoned to death as an adulteress.
Mary’s response to Gabriel’s message was “Let it be done to me according to God’s will” Luke 1:38
In our daily live we are often faced with challenges or situations where we have great apprehension do we respond to them with “Let it be done to me according to God’s will” as Mary did or do we gross and complain because things are difficult.?
What might have gone through Our Blessed Mothers mind when Simeon told her or our minds if we received this message? "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too." Luke 2: 34-35
Mary gave us an example to follow in our own live and it was to seek out God in prayer and putting our trust in God will for us. When we do we acquire a sense we will come through our difficulties alright. After all, Even Jesus, when faced with what was about to happen after His entry into Jerusalem cried out to God "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done." Matthew 26:41-43For me this feast day has special significance. It was on Dec. 8th, 1957 that I could not fall asleep because of a series of thoughts flashing through my mind, I finally got up and wrote down what I was thinking and went back to bed to fall into a peaceful and deep sleep. Upon awakening the following day I noticed this paper with writing on it , read it and thought, “My mother will like this” and mailed it off to her. 30 years later, after mom passed on, as I was going through her things, I found the original paper I had written that night. I will end this reflection with this advice to you and the words I wrote that Dec. 8th night in 1957.
Always believe in God and put your trust in Him. He will never forsake you or reject you no matter what others may tell you. Talk to Him often, either with formal prayers or just regular conversation as though He were your best friend sitting there with you, WHICH HE IS. AND If you want to do as I did that night in 1957 pray these words I called A SINNER’S PRAYER.
A SINNER’S PRAYER
Written in 1957 By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFA
O, Mary Immaculate, virgin so fair, mother of Our Savior, please hear my prayer.
Intercede, dearest mother, to your heavenly son.
Tell Him I am truly sorry for all the wrongs and sins I have done.
Ask Him to guide me by the graces and gifts of the Holy Spirit in all of my ways
So that I might give Him honor, glory and praise with all the Heavenly elect when I come to the end of my earthly days. AMEN
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