First Sunday of Lent 2016

5th Sundy of Ordinary 2016 Feb. 7, 2016

3rd Sunday of Ordeinary Time 2016 1/24/2016

Jan 17, 2016 2nd Sunday of Ordinary time show

Jan 3, 2016 Epiphany Show

Sunday Dec 27, 2015 Show Feast of Holy Family

Christmas 2015 Show

Dec 13, 2015 Reflections Show

Dec 6, 2015 Reflections show

November 22 2015 Show

Nov 15, 2015 Reflection

Corpus Christi 2015

Video Reflection for May 31, 2015

God Loves ALL His children

Since I will be away for the diocese retreat this weekend I am posting the reflecgtion early.

5th Sunday of Easter 2015 Reflection

Divine Mercy Sunday Video Reflection

Easter Sunday 2015

REFLECTIONS TV show for March 22nd

3rd Sunday of Lent 2015

Reflection for Sunday March 8, 2015

Something to think about during Lent

A reflection for the 3^rd Sunday of Lent 2015

By Rev. Fr. Bob Johnnene OFJ

Mission Saints Sergius & Bacchus

Independent Catholic Church of the Americas

 

 

For the remaining 25 days of lent before we begin the Sacred Triduum of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday culminating with the glorious feast celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, I thought I would reflect on what this period of the church season means and how we, as followers of Jesus Christ, should be concentrating in order to prepare ourselves for the Pascal Mystery we celebrate on Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday the eve of the Easter Celebration.

Just what exactly, is the message of the all the gospels used by the universal church during Lent, beyond the story of the events leading up to Christ’s passion, death and resurrection?

The first one is of acceptance, accepting Jesus Christ as the promised messiah, the redeemer, the son of God who became man to bring us a new covenant or way of life.

As we have heard in the gospels, not all were ready to accept that and many who did, did so only after witnessing a major miracle.

Our challenge is to believe and accept Jesus Christ as the son of God and the one sent to save us and open up the gates of heaven to us because of our faith and trust and love of Almighty God, the Creator and Father of us all.  

This is a difficult thing for many to do, especially since today we have so many secular distractions. The truth of the Gospels seems to be always challenged and brought into question.  Not too long ago a major television network and all the newspapers and TV stations told the story of the supposed remains of Jesus being found and those supposedly of His child and wife. 

The evidence presented was sparse and highly questionable and not conclusive but it still seemed to convince some that it was factual and therefore opened them to question all that our religion teaches.

In today’s world, many question the will of God, question why, if God is a God of mercy there is so much suffering in the world. I do not have the answer that will satisfy most but I believe that just as God had a reason for creating everything and that everything that he created was good; I have to believe that He has a reason for the suffering.

Some theologians will tell you that it is to allow us to experience a small portion of the suffering that Jesus endured. That may very well be true but, in addition,  I personally believe the suffering is meant to give us an opportunity to take action to ease that suffering and bring comfort to those who are suffering, just as Jesus brought comfort to those who believed and followed Him and he instructed us in His sermon on the mount.

So possibly the first message we get from the readings during the Lenten season is to have total and complete trust in God and to “Love God with all your heart, mind, soul and body”.

Another message is, Christ came for ALL people not just the Jews but for all of children of God which means every human being on the face of this earth regardless of religion, nationality, race or gender.

Just as Christ did not discriminate or abide by the rules of Jewish tradition and the Jewish laws by speaking with women who were not relatives, eating with those who were considered unclean by the priests of His time, so we are called to not discriminate against anyone because of their race, nationality, religious belief, marital status or sexual orientation. 

Christ even spoke with those who were not followers of Judaism and so we need to be open to discussion with those who follow other religions.

God sent Jesus to bring the message of salvation to every living person on the face of the earth. That message was one of hope, peace, love, compassion, mercy and forgiveness.

In the time of Christ, just as today, there were those who felt threatened by this message of hope. If people believed this message of Christ, those in positions of power would not be able to yield the control over them through threats and intimidation.

Today we still see threats and intimidation being used to enforce rules that have been put in place by infallible humans, for no other purpose but to maintain power and prestige.

Rules that hurt and cause people pain and become disenfranchised and question religious teachings because they seem to be in conflict with what Jesus taught.

The lesson here is to listen to your heart, listen to what Jesus taught and labor hard to put His teachings in action in your everyday life.

Make Lent a time of doing, not a time of giving up something but a time to put into practice the Corporal Works of Mercy.

To feed the hungry; To give drink to the thirsty; To clothe the naked; To harbor the homeless; To visit the sick; To ransom the captive; To bury the dead and The spiritual works of mercy which are:

To instruct the uninformed; To counsel the uncertain; To caution sinners; To bear wrongs patiently;   To forgive offences willingly; To comfort the afflicted; To pray for the living and the dead.

 

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus gave us an indication of how people will react if we live by His teachings. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

The Sermon on the Mount closes with this statement, “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.”

To me that indicates that we have to become more trusting, more faithful, more merciful and less judgmental and narrow minded that those who profess to be the anointed ones of discerning God’s will.

The Holy Spirit is alive and wel as Pope Francis has stressed many times since he was chosen by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to be the Bishop of Rome often called Pope or in Italian PaPa.

The Holy Spirit is attempting to open the hearts and minds of all to God’s will and inspire us as to how we can achieve the promised kingdom.

We need to open ourselves to listening to the Spirit as it talks to us.

These are a few of the thoughts I have as I enter the final days of preparation for the Paschal Banquet and the celebration of our salvation in Christ Jesus.

The season of Lent is a time for us to evaluate ourselves and search out ways for us to improve our relationship with Almighty God. Every tool that we can find, in addition to fasting and denial of some of life’s luxuries and going the extra mile to do good deed, help us to have a closer relationship with God. 

Thomas A. Kempis in his THE FOLLOWING OF CHRIST had this comment;

 “What is knowledge if one does not have fear of God? It is better to be a humble countryman that serves God than the proud philosopher who considers the course of the heavens and neglects himself before God.” “High words make not a man holy and righteous, but a virtuous life makes him dear to God.” “If you knew the whole Bible and the sayings of all the philosophers, what does all that avail you without the love and grace of God” The next line is a classic, “Vanities of vanities, all is vanity save only loving God and serving Him alone”.

The question then arises, How do we best serve God?

As stated earlier, the answer is in living, daily, the directions found in Christ’s Sermon on the Mount called the Beatitudes and in The Corporal and Spiritual works of Mercy.

When it comes to the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy how do we stack up in doing the following? To feed the hungry; To give drink to the thirsty; To clothe the naked; To shelter the homeless; To visit the sick; To ransom the captive; To bury the dead.

Do we bear wrongs patiently?; forgive offences willingly?; comfort the afflicted?, and pray for the living and the dead as the Spiritual works of mercy advise us?

If we want to be Christ like we have to begin to act and think in a way consistent with what Christ instructed us to do. This applies to all persons who claim to be followers of Christ, Democrat or Republican, Single, Married or divorced, heterosexual, homosexual or asexual in short every living human who proclaims “I am a Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ”.

We can  only begin to find peace within ourselves and among all those who surround us by actively living as Christ taught.

Let’s change the way we usually prepared during Lent and instead of giving things up let us start doing things like praying more, volunteering time at a food pantry or homeless shelter, visiting the elderly in nursing homes or shut-ins, donating to the food bank or a charity of a poor faith community.

  If we all worked harder at doing these things the glory of the resurrected Christ will illuminate the world come Easter Morning.  AMEN

Video for February 8th 2015

Web Site Update

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Reflecting on the Passing of Saint Francis of Assisi

A Reflection for the Feast of Our Seraphic Father St. Francis of Assisi

October 4&5, 2014

By Rev. Bob Johnnene OFD

Mission Sts. Sergius & Bacchus

www.missionstsergius.org

www.franciscansdivinemercy.org

 

 

This Friday and Saturday all Franciscan Communities around the globe honor the feast of the passing or Transitus of St Francis of Assisi (1181 – 1226)  for this earth to his heavenly abode. St. Francis is the Seraphic Father of the Franciscans of Divine Mercy just as he is to all Franciscan Communities.

The following is a brief reflection about the life of St. Francis and why our order tries to live up to the principals  St. Francis had when he founded the lesser Brothers, as he called what has become one of the largest religious communities of men and woman in the world now known as The Franciscan order.

 

It is very fitting that in the Gospel for this Sunday Jesus asks the chief Priests and the elders of the people “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful to behold” since the stones St. Francis started to use to rebuild that small broken down chapel, have turned into a powerful religious community of dedicated men and woman who have furthered the Good News of Salvation preached by Jesus Christ.

St. Francis was the son of a prosperous cloth merchant in Assisi. One day while Francis was praying before an ancient crucifix in the forsaken wayside chapel of St. Damian's below the town, he heard a voice coming from the crucifix saying: "Go, Francis, and repair my house which as you see is falling into ruin."

Today, in this day and age, another Francis is attempting to carry out that direction given to St. Francis, I refer of course to Pope Francis who chose the name Francis because of the dedication to the poor, outcasts of society and the Gospel that St. Francis of Assisi had.

Pope Francis has taken on the task of rebuilding the One Holy Catholic Apostolic Church and he has asked his Bishops and Priests to live simple lives as the apostles and St. Francis did, giving up fancy clothes and residences and to get out among the people God has sent them to serve, just as Jesus served and healed all he encountered. Pope Francis has chosen to live in a simple studio apartment in a hotel rather than the palatial Palace of the Vatican, he wears a simple Iron cross and simple garments rather than the ermine and gold of previous popes just as St Francis discarded his fancy clothes.

When his father objected to having his goods sold without his consent to pay for the restoration of the chapel Francis heard the voice speaking from the cross which Francis believed to mean that he should rebuild the chapel, his father begged the bishop to commanded Francis to repay the money he had used to buy stones to rebuild the small chapel to him.

Francis not only returned the money but stripped himself of all his clothing which his father had paid for and tossed them at the feet of the father.  He also renounced his father. The Bishop quickly placed his cope on Francis to cover his nakedness.

He even later gave the few garments the people of the town clothed him with to a beggar and instead clothed himself in the coarse woolen rustic material of brown somewhat like that used for flour sacks making, as he named it, a tunic of "beast color".

 It was the kind of clothing then worn by the poorest of the Umbrian peasants, and tied it round him with a knotted rope, Francis went forth at once exhorting the people of the country-side to have penance for their sins,  to have brotherly love towards all, and find ways to achieve peace among the warring factions of the various towns of Italy.

Ten years later 5,000 men were wearing the simple clothing; a hundred years later Dante was buried in it because “it was more glorious than cloth of gold”.

This simple peasant garment is worn to this day by all Franciscan communities all over the globe and found in many different Christian Denominations. There are Franciscans not only in the Roman Church, but in the Anglican, Lutheran, Old Catholic like our Franciscans of Divine mercy, and there are Lay or third order communities as well.

Each year, on the Feast of St. Francis, all Franciscans renew  their commitment to live our lives for others rather than ourselves as Francis did, especially when performing official duties as a brother or priest.

We also wear the image of the Cross St. Francis heard talking to him, often called the San Damiano Crucifix, as a reminder that it is our mission to rebuild and strengthen the Universal church by preaching God’s infinite love for ALL His children since that was what Francis came to understand was the message he received. Francis often spoke out against the excesses practiced by the hierarchy and their failure to live the teachings of Christ, just as Pope Francis has on many occasions.

Francis began a life of perfect evangelical poverty, living by begging and even then only accepting the worst food that people had to give. Franciscans, even today, rely on donations to fulfill their missions work and often perform secular labor to supply their daily needs.

Francis preached to all the love of God and the love of the created world; because, he celebrated everything he received, or saw, or heard, as a gift from God who created everything for good and a purpose known only to God.

A rich man sold everything and joined him in living next to a leper colony; a canon from a neighboring church gave up his position and joined them also. They looked into the Gospel and saw the story of the rich young man whom Jesus told to sell everything; they saw Jesus telling his disciples to take nothing with them on their journey; they saw Jesus saying that his followers must also carry his cross. And on that basis they founded an order.

Francis went to Rome himself and persuaded the Pope to sanction it, though it must have seemed at once impractical and subversive, to set thousands of holy men wandering penniless round the towns and villages of Europe begging alms but that is what the rule St. Francis Drew up required them to do and we still go begging to fulfill the needs of our ministries.
There is too much to say about Francis to fit here.

 Francis died in 1226, having started a revolution. As I said in the beginning of this reflection, the Franciscans of Divine Mercy strive to continue the traditions of St. Francis by spreading God’s message of love to every person especially the poor, alienated and those who society rejects just as Francis did.

This week our ministry, Mission Saints Sergius & Bacchus will also on the 7^th of the month be celebrating the feast of our mission’s patron Saints.

Saints Sergius and Bacchus were two Christian Roman soldiers who were ordered to enter the Temple of Jupiter to participate in a sacrificial ceremony to the god, they refused.

For this act of defiance, the friends were stripped of their arms and badges of rank, dressed in women's clothing and led through the streets of Arabissus (near Comana in Cappadocia) which, for a Roman soldier, was abject humiliation.

Then they were sent to Resapha in Syria (Augusta Euphratesiae in Mesopotamia), where they were tortured.

Bacchus was whipped until his flesh was raw and he died October 1st AD290, confessing his faith in Christ

Sergius's faith faltered with the death of his best friend, but was reinforced when Bacchus appeared to him in a vision saying, "I am still with you in the bond of our union." Sergius kept the faith and after a great deal more of torture, he was beheaded on October 7 AD290. He died a martyr for the love of Christ.

The tomb of Saint Sergius at Resapha become a famous shrine and was honored by great gatherings of Christians because of the frequent miracles there.

Sergius and Bacchus became the heavenly protectors of the Byzantine army, with the two Theodores, Demetrius, Procopius and George.

Their "acts" are preserved in Latin, Greek and Syria.

In AD431, Bishop Alexander of Hierapolis built a magnificent church in Sergius’s honor.

In 434, the town of Resapha was raised to the rank of an episcopal see, was named Sergiopolis, and soon became one of the greatest pilgrimage centers of the East.

Many churches in many towns bore the name of Sergius (sometimes with Bacchus) and in the seventh century, a church was dedicated to them in Rome.

There have been two popes named after Saint Sergius.

During the middle Ages, the relationship of Sergius and Bacchus was considered an exemplar of compassionate union, and possibly even marriage, based on agape (brotherly love) and mutual respect.

In the East, Sergius and Bacchus were universally honored.

Since the seventh century they have had a celebrated church in Rome. Christian Art represents the two saints as soldiers in military garb with branches of palm in their hands.

I strongly recommend that all who love Christ and believe that he is our savior and redeemer take it upon themselves to read the many histories of the church, not just the Roman version, but the versions preceding the establishment of Rome as the “central” seat of the church.

What we now call the Eastern Orthodox churches were all, except for Russia, established before Rome and their historical records are more intact and open than those of Rome.

This week is a week of special feasts and a time for all who profess to love Christ, to begin or continue to live as Christ, St. Francis, and the martyrs Sergius & Bacchus did, giving their all for the love of God and serving all those in need as St. Francis of Assisi did with the lepers and as Pope Francis is asking us to care for the poor, homeless, sick, unemployed and the refugees from all the worn torn lands. Christ, St. Francis and Sergius & Bacchus all have shown us the way, let us follow the path of righteousness and by living in that way, achieve everlasting life with Almighty God and all the saints.

 

REFLECTIONS TV show link for Sept. 14, 2014

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BskVIm5Qwc&list=UU8RuEVHpV5f7lEzckyVHKOg

Mission Fund Drive

In an effort to reduce our outstanding Mission debt we are conducting a fund drive, please consider making a donation. To make a donation go to: https://www.youcaring.com/nonprofits/fund-raiser-to-eliminate-mission-debt-/180847 or use the DONATION buttons on our web sites: www.missionstsergius.org or www.franciscansdivinemercy.org or send your donation directly to our bank account: MISSION STs. SERGIUS & BACCHUS C/O MIDDLESEX SAVINGS BANK, 850 Washington Street, Holliston, MA 01746

Sunday August 3rd Reflection

Only God Can Deny You Salvation A Reflection for the 18th Sunday of Ordinary Time By Rev. Fr. Bob Johnnene OFD Mission Sts. Sergius and Bacchus/ Franciscans of Divine Mercy An All Inclusive and Welcoming Old Catholic Parish and Ministry Of the Independent Catholic Church of the Americas Link to Mission Web Site: www.missionstsergius.org Link to Franciscans of Divine Mercy Web Site: www.franciscansdivinemercy.org Link to all Fr. Bob’s REFLECTIONS TV Shows http://www.youtube.com/user/RevBobJohn Link to St. Joseph Cupertino Parish: http://stjosephcupertino.com/index.html Link to Franciscans of Divine Mercy Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/FranciscansDivineMercy?fref=ts Link to the Independent Catholic Church of the Americas http://www.iccamericas.org Email Address: Divinemercyparish@msn.com Nothing can come between us and the love of Christ, even if we are troubled or worried, or being persecuted, or lacking food or clothes, or being threatened or even attacked. These are the trials through which we triumph, by the power of him who loved us. For I am certain of this: neither death nor life, no angel, no prince, nothing that exists, nothing still to come, not any power, or height or depth, nor any created thing, can ever come between us and the love of God made visible in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35-39 The above words are from the second reading for the 18th Sunday of Ordinary Time and should bring comfort to all who have been made to feel unwanted or rejected by a person, a business or even a religious denomination. No matter what, according to Saint Paul, absolutely nothing can keep us separated from the love of Almighty God and from gaining eternal life in heaven if we live our lives with respect for all God's children and creation and express true contrition for our weaknesses and failures. We are not put on this earth to live our lives for the praise or adulation of others but to achieve everlasting life by living in a manner that will please God, since He is the only person who really counts. We all are going to be rejected by some human being, for some reason. God will only reject us if we do something that offends but He is quick to forgive us if we ask His forgiveness. No human being can deny anyone the love, compassion or forgiveness of God or can they deny access to heaven. God and only God has that power. The Gospel reading this Sunday also affirms that with God all things are possible. In the Gospel, Christ turns five loaves of bread and two fish into enough food to feed five thousand people and there were still twelve baskets of food left over. God is a loving, merciful and compassionate God and he is the ultimate judge of us. It is what God thinks that counts, not what some human thinks. Don't ever let any person be the cause of your giving up on God because God NEVER GIVES UP ON YOU. If you put yourself totally in God's hands, take time every day to communicate with Him, letting him know your joys, sorrows, and your needs, giving thanks to him for the smallest thing that brought some light into what might have been a very dark day, thanking him for the miracle of the butterfly that danced before you in the garden, in essence, taking time every day to include God among those you talk with. Let God know that you desire to have a lasting relationship with Him. Yes, I call God “Father” and therefore male since that is how Christ referred to God. It is God who is the source of all things and who determines who is and who is not worthy to enter into the company of the Heavenly elect. We humans are inferior and imperfect, which means we are prone to make mistakes as history has taught us throughout the years. People who have eventually been declared saints where persecuted by the church, like St. Joan of Arc, only to have the church later admit they were wrong. Paul in today's reading makes it very clear that nothing, absolutely nothing can ever become between us and God’s infinite mercy and love except sin and God is ready and willing to forgive us if we but ask. Paul had this to say:"no prince, nothing that exists, nothing still to come, not any power, or height or depth, nor any created thing, can ever come between us and the love of God made visible in Christ Jesus our Lord.” To me the message is crystal clear, let nothing dissuade you and turn you away from the infinite love of Almighty God and His beloved son, our redeemer and savior Jesus Christ. Christ’s mission here on earth was to proclaim the way, the truth and shed the light of God's teachings and desires for us. Christ was the beacon that illuminated the way to be with God and the heavenly elect when our time here on earth is completed. Follow that light and keep it in your heart every day. Don't ever let anyone tell you that you are not wanted or accepted by God. Even the worst of sinners can obtain forgiveness and be accepted into the heavenly kingdom. Seek God and listen to what is in your heart. Love God and live your life being faithful to God by loving one another as Christ loved and welcomed all He came in contact with. Love of God and of each other is the greatest commandment according to Christ. Let us live each day with love and trust of God securely in our heart and love for each other by living our lives with consideration for the needs of all God's children and not just our own needs. Let us share the gifts we have been given by God with those who are in need and support the servants of God who are attempting to affirm God's infinite love by welcoming all God's children. By loving God and trusting in Him and seeking equality and justice for all God's children, we live as Christ instructed us. God will never abandon us; do not ever allow anyone to cause you to abandon God. AMEN

Sunday July 27th Reflection

Seek and you will find A Reflection for Sunday July 27th 2014 By Rev. Fr. Bob Johnnene OFD Mission Sts. Sergius and Bacchus/ Franciscans of Divine Mercy An All Inclusive and Welcoming Old Catholic Parish and Ministry Of the Independent Catholic Church of the Americas Link to Mission Web Site: www.missionstsergius.org Link to Franciscans of Divine Mercy Web Site: www.franciscansdivinemercy.org Link to all Fr. Bob’s REFLECTIONS TV Shows http://www.youtube.com/user/RevBobJohn Link to St. Joseph Cupertino Parish: http://stjosephcupertino.com/index.html Link to Franciscans of Divine Mercy Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/FranciscansDivineMercy?fref=ts Link to the Independent Catholic Church of the Americas http://www.iccamericas.org Email Address: Divinemercyparish@msn.com Today’s readings from Holy Scripture are all about Love, God’s love to be exact and how we should return that love to God. The first reading for this Sunday is from 1 Kings 3:5 “The LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night. God said, “Ask something of me and I will give it to you.” and it called to my mind another similar passages from Holy Scripture. One is found in Deuteronomy7 4:29 “But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Another is found in 1 Chronicles 28:9 “As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.” and still another in Matthew 7 :7-8 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” Each of these passages are a solid reminder of God’s promise and love for ALL His children who embrace Him and seek Him for solace and forgiveness as well as healing and strength. Today’s Gospel from Matthew 13:44-52 relates the parable that Christ used to describe the Kingdom of Heaven. “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.” Once we have found the truth of Christ’s message and recognize that Almighty God, the Father and creator of all things is a loving, compassionate and forgiving God who has created all things good, we need to hold on to that message and value it as the most precious thing we have. In Paul’s letter to the Romans 8:28, which is the second reading for this Sunday, Paul reaffirms this knowledge by saying “Brothers and sisters: We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined he also called; and those he called he also justified; and those he justified he also glorified.” Combined, these words should hearten us and lift us up when we feel depressed, forlorn or abandoned. Recently Pope Francis told us the following about God’s love and our love for God; “It is more difficult to let God love us than to love Him! The best way to love Him in return is to open our hearts and let Him love us. Let Him draw close to us and feel Him close to us. This is really very difficult: letting ourselves be loved by Him. And that is perhaps what we need to ask today …‘Lord, I want to love You, but teach me the difficult science, the difficult habit of letting myself be loved by You, to feel You close and feel Your tenderness ! May the Lord give us this grace.” This is a wonderful prayer for us to pray daily, especially if we feel that God does not love us. God’s love for us is unlimited and infinite. Pope Francis has emphasized the love of Christ when he said; “The Lord loves us tenderly, The Lord knows that beautiful science of caresses, the tenderness of God. He does not love us with words. He comes close – closeness – and gives us His love with tenderness. Closeness and tenderness! “The Lord loves us in these two ways, He draws near and gives all His love even in the smallest things: with tenderness. And this is a powerful love, because closeness and tenderness reveal the strength of God’s love.” We need to remember that we are never completely alone as long as we hold on to the love of God and believe the message that Christ gave us. It is not the rules of man, or a church organization that should establish how God perceives us but what is embedded deep in our hearts. If we live our lives to serve God with our whole heart and with a willing mind, as the reading from Chronicles reminds us, GOD WILL NEVER REJECT US! If we welcome and accept the truths found in today’s readings we will understand it is God Himself who looks into our hearts and decides who will attain heaven. It is not any humans place to usurp God’s decision. We are taught in today’s readings; “But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.” “know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts If you seek Him, He will let you find Him” “For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” On May 22nd in his homily to those gathered for Thursday Mass at Casa Santa Marta. Pope Francis had the following to say about God’s love and our love for God; “The Christian vocation is this: to remain in the love of God, that is, to breathe, to live of that oxygen, to live of that air, Jesus' love is a love that comes from the Father. The loving relationship between Him and the Father is also a relationship of love between Him and us. He asks us to remain in this love, which comes from the Father,” The Pope was focusing on Jesus’ exhortation from the Gospel of John, “remain in my love.” The sign of remaining in this love is “keeping the commandments.” “When we remain in love,” the pontiff said, “the Commandments follow on their own, out of love.” Love “leads us to naturally fulfill the Commandments. The root of love blossoms in the Commandments.” In essence, if we live by what Christ called the two greatest Commandments: “Love the Lord, your God, with your whole mind, body and soul and love your eighbor as you love yourself” or when he said; “Love one another as I have loved you” God will NEVER reject anyone who comes to him and has faithfully followed those teachings. We must always remember the motto of our Ministry; “God loves ALL His children exactly as He created them” Therefore, go forth and seek God with your heart, mind and entire being and follow Him with love toward individual you encounter on your journey of life and you will have the gates of heaven opened to you and hear God say; “Well done my good and faithful servant”. AMEN

At a stalemate

Dear Family, friends and fellow clergy, Our fund raising drive to replace our dangerous to drive mission vehicle has stalled of late at just slightly above 50% of our goal to raise enough funds to allow us to lease a vehicle with affordable payments we know we will be able to make over the 3 year term of the lease. We feel that leasing will be the best method for us since it covers any and all mechanical work that might have to be done without any expense to us, but if we buy a used vehicle we would have to pay for any mechanical repairs that might happen, and most times, over a 3 year period, there are mechanical problems that happen to used vehicles. The best used vehicle we could buy with the funds available has over 100,000 miles already on it. We did the math, and if we can raise the $5500 needed to lease a vehicle for payments of $98 a month, all we would need to worry about is the monthly payment and Gas, oil and insurance payments for the 3 years. If you feel that this ministry is doing the work of God in its service to hospices, nursing homes, shut-ins and those often marginalized because of age, illness, or sexual orientation, I beg of you, in God's name, to make a donation to our fund drive and ask your family and friends to do so as well. this is how you can make a donation, use this fund raising link or send your donation to our bank. https://www.youcaring.com/nonprofits/deposit-for-mission-vehicle/180847 OR by sending a check or money order directly to our Ministry bank and notating on it that is for the "Vehicle Fund Drive". Mission Saints Sergius & Bacchus C/O Middlesex Savings Bank 830 Washington Street Holliston, MA 01746 Pax et Bonum Peace & All God's Goodness be with you Rev. Fr. Bob Johnnene OFD Mission Saints Sergius & Bacchus Divine Mercy Old Catholic Parish Independent Catholic Church of the Americas Link to Fr. Bob's Weekly TV show http://www.youtube.com/user/RevBobJohn Our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/FriarBobJohn Mission Web Site www.missionstsergius.org Franciscan Web Site www.franciscansdivinemercy.org ICCA Seminary Link http://www.iccamericas.org/seminary/ Diocese Office: http://stjosephcupertino.com/index.html

July13th Reflection

Let God’s Word Be Your Guide A Reflection for 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time 2014 Based on the readings from Isaiah 55, Psalm 65, Romans 8:18-23, Matthew 13:1-23 By Rev. Fr. Bob Johnnene OFD Mission Sts. Sergius and Bacchus/ Franciscans of Divine Mercy An All Inclusive and Welcoming Old Catholic Parish and Ministry Of the Independent Catholic Church of the Americas Link to Mission Web Site: www.missionstsergius.org Link to Franciscans of Divine Mercy Web Site: www.franciscansdivinemercy.org Link to all Fr. Bob’s REFLECTIONS TV Shows http://www.youtube.com/user/RevBobJohn Link to St. Joseph Cupertino Parish: http://stjosephcupertino.com/index.html Link to Franciscans of Divine Mercy Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/FranciscansDivineMercy?fref=ts Link to the Independent Catholic Church of the Americas http://www.iccamericas.org Email Address: Divinemercyparish@msn.com "No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light.” (Luke 8:16) The words above are from the last line of the Gospel of Luke and I have chosen to begin this reflection with them because they tell us that we should never hide our faith and be ashamed of believing in God. The Gospel reading for today from Matthew is the parable story of the farmer who sowed his seed. Christ used the sowing of seeds to represent how some people receive the inspired word of God found in the Holy Scripture we know as The Bible. The parable is explained in this way in a part of the reading that was added by Doctors of the Church many years after the actual first telling and writing of what Christ Said so that those who heard it, remember the Holy Scriptures were not available to every person like they are today. “The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop” The earliest copies were all hand scribed and only available to clergy and in later years to the very rich. The History of THE WORD OF GOD which is what all denominations who believe in the One God, Creator of All, call the Scriptures is very interesting. Two Hundred years before the birth of Christ the Septuagint Greek Manuscripts which contain The 39 Old Testament Books and the 14 Apocrypha Books was hand written. It was not until near then end of the 1st Century after the birth of Christ that the books that make up the New Testament, or the teachings of Christ and the Epistles attributed to the Apostles were hand scribed in Greek. Athenasius, the Bishop of Alexandria, identifies the 27 books of the New Testament which are today recognized as the canon of scripture in the year 315. Three Hundred and Eighty Two years after the birth of Christ St. Jerome produced all 80 books of the Bible in Latin. By the year 500 the Bible was translated into 500 languages, remember, all these translations were done by hand and often resulted in some changes from the original Aramaic and Greek that was the original languages that scripture was written in. About the year 600 the only language that the Bible was allowed to be written in was Latin and that continued until the year 995 when an Anglo-Saxon translation was created which was the beginning of a translation into what we now know as English. The first hand-written English Language version of the Bible was produced in by John Wycliffe an Oxford professor, scholar, and theologian of all 80 Books. In 1455 when Gutenberg Invents the Printing Press; the Bible started to be mass-Produced Instead of Individually Hand-Written. The First Book Gutenberg ever Printed was the Bible in Latin. The Bible has had many translations, many changes and yet, if one looks really close, and compares the different versions we have available, and does the research, we can deduce what was the first things that were transcribed by the first writers in both the Old and the new Testaments and what God was attempting to teach us on how we should live. Recently Pope Francis had this to say about Holy Scripture; “Sacred Scripture is the written testimony of the divine Word, the canonical memory that attests to the event of Revelation, the Word of God precedes the Bible and surpasses it. That is why the center of our faith isn't just a book; rather, the center of Christian faith is Jesus Christ, the Word of God made flesh.” So how do we discern between the actual words that Christ said in the New Testament and what we read? One method I like to use is to search in all the Gospels for a phrase or a teaching and see if I can find the same phrase or teaching in them. I often also look in what are called the Gnostic Gospels, like the Gospel of St. Thomas, Mary Magdalene or the Gospel of Peter. When I find the same teaching or phrase attributed to having been said by Christ, I feel certain that Christ actually said that phrase or teaching. Most theologians will agree that when we find the same “words of Christ” in multiple Gospels we can be fairly certain that they are what Christ taught. Most of us have heard the gospel and scripture stories all our lives, some have been read the Bible stories from the time they were little children which means we have heard the inspired word of God as given to the prophets and the disciples but what have we done with it? I personally like to refer what is found in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke to that which is found in the Gospel of John, which is possibly the only Gospel actually written by the author that it is attributed to since John lived the longest and we know he wrote the Book of Revelation or Apocalypse. Each of the Gospels may have the same central point or teaching although in different wording but the same message. Those readings instruct us “TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER” “ LOVE GOD AND LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR” in other words we are told by Christ, who as Christians believe was the son of God sent by God to enlighten us, that the key to the kingdom of heaven is to Love God and Love all God’s children which would mean we do not hurt anyone by actions that The Commandments individually detail. In the writing of the Epistles of St. Paul we have affirmations of how THE WORD OF GOD should be received and accepted. "I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you -- unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once...." 1 Corinthians 15:1-10 "...our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance..." 1 Thessalonians 1:5 "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17 Let us be like the Good seed; “But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop” and hold The Word of God solidly in our hearts and attempt, with all the energy we can muster and with deep sincerity and love of God to live The Great Commandment; “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, the second is like unto it, Love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Matthew 22, Luke 10, Mark 12) Or “Love one another as I have loved You” (John 13) Let us also not be afraid to proclaim our faith and trust in God by letting others know how wonderful, loving, compassionate and merciful God is. We need to not be afraid to proclaim our faith, as well as live in in our daily actions. God knows we are not perfect and that it is not easy for us to completely follow his command and the teachings of Christ but the one common denominator we have with almost all the saints, and certainly those who are revered among the greatest saints, is admitting how sinful we are and their need to constantly implore God for forgiveness and strength to overcome weaknesses. Why should we be any different than say St. Francis who constantly called himself the most unworthy of all creatures? Morning and night and during the day I often turn to God and pray for the ability to resist the temptations that plague me. I pray for guidance and direction in my ministry. I plead for the means to proclaim God’s infinite mercy and love for all His children and to not give in to the thoughts that I am failing God because of the limitations I have. Like any journey we travel on we encounter many different roads. Some are lined with the beauty of God’s creation with verdant fields or lush foliage, others are filled with pot holes and detours and we struggle to reach out destination. The destination we are aiming for is everlasting life with Almighty God the Father, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, Our beloved mother Mary and all the angels, saints and heavenly elect. The guide book to achieve that goal is Holy Scriptures so we should try to have a daily dose of meditation on the scriptures just like we take our daily vitamins or the medications that we need to keep us healthy. We clergy daily pray the Daily Prayer or Divine Office which has scripture readings to meditate on but there are many resources out there for people to us, the bottom line is to keep referring to what I like to think of as “THE GUIDE BOOK TO ETERNAL LIFE” The Holy Inspired Word of God, found in Holy Scripture, The Bible. By listening to God “speaking to us” through the inspired word, we can avoid the pitfalls and dead ends that this world materialism and secularism put in our path to complete trust and faith in God. AMEN

July 6th TV Show