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
Friday, December 16, 2016
Wednesday, December 14, 2016
Is God Calling You?
Is
God Calling You?
Do
you feel God Calling you to serve him and his beloved children?
If
so consider The Order Franciscans of Mercy an all affirming,
welcoming inclusive Franciscan Community of the Reformed Catholic Church, an
Independent Old Catholic denomination
Visit our web site www.orderfranciscansofmercy.org
to learn about our order and go to the Syllabus tab to learn the application
process.
We welcome dedicated men and woman,
single, married or partnered who feel called to serve God as a Brother, Deacon,
Priest, or Professed Sister.
We serve ALL God’s children
especially those who are often forgotten, maligned, abused, and homeless; the
aged and sick through our street ministry, nursing home, prison and hospice
ministries in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, New York City and in Kennesaw
GA.
We understand our calling from God
is to proclaim the Infinite Mercy and Love of God for ALL his children
regardless of their race, creed, nationality, sexual orientation or gender
identification or marital status.
Friday, December 02, 2016
Saturday, November 26, 2016
Homily for 1st Sunday of Advent
1st Sunday of Advent 2016
By Rev. Bob Johnnene OFM
Mission Saints Sergius &
Bacchus
Order Franciscans of Mercy
This
Sunday we begin the new liturgical year A with a reading from the book of
Isaiah that helps us understand what we need to do to prepare to meet our God.
“And it shall come to
pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be
established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills;
and all nations shall flow to it. And many people shall go and say, Come you,
and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob;
and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of
Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he
shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall
beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation
shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war any more.
O house of Jacob, come you, and let us walk in the light of the LORD”
The reading also foretells
of the coming of the Redeemer and Savior and the light of God‘s truth came into
being.
The second reading from Paul’s letter to the
people of Rome reads thusly; Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in
rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and
envying. But put you on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the
flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.”
For Christians, the season of Advent anticipates the coming of Christ from
two different perspectives. The season offers the opportunity to share in the
ancient longing for the coming of the Messiah, and to be alert for his Second
Coming. The word itself comes from the Latin adventus which is the translation
of the Greek word Parousia which refers to the Second Coming of Christ at the last
days.
The message of the
readings for the first Sunday of Advent is to be prepared, to be prepared for
the time when God calls us home and we face our judgement by God on how well we
lived our lives in accord to the teachings Christ gave us.
If we are to be prepared
we need to examine how well we are living our daily lives now and then make any
necessary changes that need to be made in order to truly be living reflections
of Christ’s teachings.
The Gospel from Matthew 24
proclaims the following; “As the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming
of the Son of man shall be. For as in the days that were before the flood they
were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that
Noah entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all
away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. ….. Watch therefore: for
you know not what hour your Lord does come. But know this, that if the manager
of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have
watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be
you also ready: for in such an hour as you think not the Son of man comes.”
Every year during the
church season of advent we are asked to review how we are living in accord with
God’s will and a time of preparing for our eternal life not just preparing to
celebrate Christmas the holiday that celebrates the birth of our redeemer and
Savior, Jesus Christ, not the arrival of Santa Clause and the presents we might
receive.
We are being called to prepare
ourselves to meet our creator and answer to Him as how well we have used the
gifts He has given us.
How will we meet Him? Will
we meet him with tattered clothing or will we meet Him with clean and shining souls
which are the clothing that God sees.
In a Broadway musical
JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR there is a chant that proclaims “Prepare ye the way of
the Lord” It says exactly what we are called to do while living on here on
God’s planet.
God put every person on
earth for the explicit reason of preparing ourselves to meet him when our time
here on earth is over and we have that judgment by God on how well we did.
We will be asked questions
like; “Did we care for His all His creations by being mindful of the
environment and protect it?”
“Did we have compassion
for the poor and disadvantaged and share our gifts with those who were not as
well off as we were?”
“Did we treat all those we
met on our life’s journey with respect by recognizing them as one of our
brothers and sisters in Christ and not discriminate against them?”
“Did we use the Gifts God
provided us with in a manner that they were intended for or did we misuse them
only for personal pleasure and/or financial gain?
Did we go about our being self-centered,
caring only for our own comfort and pleasure without regard for how our actions
affected others?”
“Did we thank God daily
for the gifts we have no matter how small and did we appreciate the people who
were placed in our lives, even those who criticize us and pointed out our
faults and pray for those who have caused us pain and suffering?”
These are some of the
questions God expects us to be able to answer in the affirmative because that
is how God instructed us to live our lives.
So many of us go about our
daily lives without ever taking the time to recognize what is around us or what
gifts we have been given, we only turn to God when things go badly.
I do not want to count the
many times I have heard people say, “Where is God when people are dying from Cancer,
Aids, or other divesting diseases, why God allows innocent children and the
poor to suffer so much?”
My response, which seems
logical to me is; so that you will have reasons to practice the Beatitudes and
to open your eyes to how well God has blessed you. Those things give you the opportunity to thank
God for the gifts you have been given by using them to reach out to those who
are suffering.
God wants to see if you
will just sit back being complacent or do you live as Jesus and the saints did speaking
out against injustice, fighting poverty, working for equality for all people
and seeking peaceful means to settle disputes.
Advent is the time that
reminds us that we have to remain diligent, be awake to what is going on around
us and respond in a Christ like way.
We need to give God
private time each day, morning and evening, where we examine how we went about
the day and where we can improve ourselves.
We need to be mindful of
the blessings we have been given by God.
We must take time daily to thank God for bringing us through the day.
We need to be preparing
ourselves for the day when we will meet Christ dressed not in filthy clothing
but in our finest raiment.
Let us begin the season of
Advent preparation by seriously evaluating ourselves and if we are prepared to
meet God at our final judgment.
Let’s be honest with
ourselves when we take our inventory on how we are living as Christians and
make whatever adjustments are necessary to life in accord with the teachings
Christ.
Let’s make sure our gift
to Christ on the celebration of his birth is a more perfect self this
Christmas. AMEN
Friday, November 25, 2016
Saturday, November 19, 2016
Saturday, November 12, 2016
Nov. 13, 2016 Homily
33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time 2016
November 13, 2016
MalachI 3:19-20A, Psal 98, 2 Thessalonians 3:7-12,
Luke 21:5-19
By Rev. Fr. Bob Johnnene OFM
Mission Saints Sergius & Bacchus
Order Franciscans of Mercy
The readings
for this Sunday seem to be preparing us for the coming season of Advent from
the first readings admonition; “The day is coming now, burning like a
furnace; and all the arrogant and the evil-doers will be like stubble. … But
for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness will shine out with healing
in its rays.”; and the final Gospel reading where Christ is telling those
around him at the Temple of Jerusalem the following; “ , Jesus said, ‘All
these things you are staring at now – the time will come when not a single
stone will be left on another: everything will be destroyed. Those around him
poised this question: ‘Master,’ they said ‘when will this happen, and what sign
will there be that this is about to take place?’ Take care not to be deceived,’ Christ said
‘because many will come using my name and saying, “I am he” and, “The time is
near at hand.” Refuse to join them. And when you hear of wars and revolutions,
do not be frightened, for this is something that must happen but the end is not
so soon.” ….. “You will be hated by all men on account of my name, but not a
hair of your head will be lost. Your endurance will win you your lives.”
This week is a
very good time to contemplate how Equality and Justice could be insured to all
our citizens and in all the nations of the world and what we could do on our
part to work toward that goal.
There is a
dire need today of finding ways to put an end to the torture, bigotry, hatred,
and injustices that plague our society and so many countries in the world.
Sadly we have
seen and heard about so many young people who have either taken their lives
because of being bullied or have suffered brutal beatings and even death by
people who felt that they were superior to those they bullied and tortured or felt
that their religious or political beliefs were the correct one.
We must
remember that every human being on the face of the earth is a child of God,
created in God’s image and likeness.
Therefore,
every human being on the face of the earth is our brother and sister in Jesus
Christ.
Christ’s
message of the Gospel tells us that if we have faith and put our trust in God
we can overcome any injustices.
People who
have been the victims of bullying or those who have had any violent act
committed against them may well think that the end is near.
Survivors and
victims of crimes often have feelings of denial, fear, anger, vindictiveness.
Often they do
not understand why the crime happened to them, and are often unable to forgive.
But we MUST
forgive just as Christ did when he hung on the cross and proclaimed “Father,
forgive them, for they know not what they do”
It is true,
many who commit the violent acts, especially one of prejudice and hatred, do so
because they have been taught prejudice and hatred by bigoted people who are
either ignorant of God’s teachings or just don’t care about living as God
desires. They well may even be minions of the prince of Darkness himself.
All too often
the victims of prejudice, hatred and violence are often overlooked and
forgotten about but the trauma that they experienced lives forever in their
mind and heart and gives them fear often deep enough for them to believe that
their world has ended.
During this
week, and in fact every day of the year, we are called by God to bring hope to
hopeless victims.
Giving people
the knowledge of God’s infinite love and mercy and a spiritual well being can bring comfort and
help to people in pain, As it says in our first reading from the prophet
Malachi, “Those who have knowledge and faith (Fear) in God the sun of
justice with its healing rays.” There is something each of us can do to
advance this process of justice and equality for all as promised in the
Declaration of Independence of the United States, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men
are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain
unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of
Happiness.” In
doing so, we can be carried through suffering to glory along with Jesus. And we
will be living out the final words found in Psalm 97; “ You that love the
LORD, hate evil“
Will be
delivered out of the hand of the wicked.”
This is a time
not of endings or finality but of hope and a time to begin to turn away from
accepting violence and hatred and turning to being a loving and caring child of
God who extends the kind of love Christ exhibited toward all who came to him.
This is a time
to become open and affirming toward all God’s children regardless of their
nationality, race, gender identity, marital status or sexual orientation.
Every person
on the face of this earth is a child of God and deserves to have dignity,
equality and justice and the freedom to live without fear. Let us make this our
goal for the coming season of Advent as we prepare to celebrate the birth of
Our redeemer and Savior. Let us work
hard to restore Justice to ALL God’s children all over the globe. AMEN
Friday, November 11, 2016
Saturday, November 05, 2016
Sunday Nov. 6, 2017 Reflection
A God of Infinite Love
32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time November 6,
2016
A Reflection on 2 Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14; 2
Thessalonians 2:15-3:5; Luke 20:27-38.
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFM
Mission Saints Sergius & Bacchus
Order Franciscans of Mercy
At the end of Sunday’s
Gospel passage, Jesus explains the reason why there must be life after death. "Those
who are deemed worthy to attain the coming age and the resurrection of the dead
neither marry nor are given in marriage. They can no longer die, for they are
like angels."…… "That the dead will rise, even Moses made known in
the passage about the bush, when he called out 'Lord, the God of Abraham, the
God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob,' and he is not God of the dead, but of the
living, for to him all are alive."
Some people ask “Where in
that is the proof that the dead rise?” The answer is; Since God is called the
God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and Jesus calls God a God of the living, not of
the dead, then one must conclude that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are alive
somewhere, even if they had been dead for centuries at the time God spoke to
Moses from the bush.
In the preface of the Mass
for the dead, the liturgy says “that with death life is changed, not taken
away" That means that we or at least the one thing that separates us
humans from all other creatures of God, our soul, lives on.
The material shell may
disintegrate and it returns back to the earth from which scripture says “God
created the human from the slime of the earth” and which we are reminded of every Ash
Wednesday when we place the sign of the Cross on the forehead with these words,
“Remember you are dust and unto dust you shall return” Therefore after mortal death we continue
living but in an altered state and specifically a state of perfection.
We will be living in the
perfection of God, a state unlike anything that is possible here on earth. The
love for the people we loved here on earth will be enhanced to perfection and
those things that annoyed us or separated us will be wiped away for they were
not of perfection.
Christ, in His response to
the Sadducees, meant that which is
an integral part of our life, even a marriage that did not last here on earth,
will be perfected in the love that united the two individuals in the first place
even if only for a brief time.
I personally believe, a
marriage that did not last but one that began with true love for each other was
according to a plan God had for reasons known only to Him.
It could well be that the
children born of that marriage had to come into being to fulfill some plan God
has for them.
The defects,
misunderstandings, pain or suffering that the two people inflicted on each
other, will be forgotten when they are rejoined in heaven and only the love
that brought them together will remain.
In God, all things are
understood, all transgressions will be excused, all sin is forgiven. We exist
in perfection.
Even those who have
legally remarried (This was the concept presented in the Gospel story) will
have their feelings enhanced and their love continue because God is Love and
all love is objectively a good coming from God, that cannot be dissolved.
Rivalry, jealousy, hatred,
prejudice, bigotry have nothing to do with love and indeed are the total
opposite to Love but tools of Satan.
Heaven is a state of
perfection and the ultimate expression of Love; THE LOVE OF GOD. St.
Bartolomé Blanco Márquez, one of the Spanish martyrs who was canonized a few
years ago wrote "Let My Memory Always Remind You There Is a
Better Life" in a letter to his fiancé the day before he died and
ended it with the following advice “Goodbye, until that moment, then,
dearest Maruja! Do not forget that I am looking at you from heaven, try to be a
model Christian woman, since, in the end, worldly goods and delights are of no
avail if we do not manage to save our souls.”
This Tuesday we will be called to vote for the person who will lead this great nation for the next 4 years. I will not tell you who I plan on voting for but I will tell you the qualities that the person you do vote for should be committed to carry out.
This Tuesday we will be called to vote for the person who will lead this great nation for the next 4 years. I will not tell you who I plan on voting for but I will tell you the qualities that the person you do vote for should be committed to carry out.
The next president should
be one who is not going to eliminate programs that help the poor, the elderly
who live on low fixed incomes because they never knew in their day the kinds of
salaries people receive today so their Social Security which they paid into
from their salaries is very low and not adequate for today’s cost of living.
The next president should not be advocating cuts in Medicare which allows
seniors to receive quality health care.
The next president should
be one who wants to insure that our veterans receive quality health care
including mental health care for those who suffer from PTSD because of the atrocities
they witnessed while serving our country.
The next president should
work to find ways to end all the senseless violence that permeates our nation
and get weapons of war off our streets.
The next president needs
to insure that that big business and the richest of our citizens pay the same
rate of taxes and the individual working for minimum pay, speaking of which,
the person you choose to elect should be committed to making sure that the
minimum pay is commensurate with the cost of living and that everyone receives
equal pay for equal work.
In two weeks we will be
celebrating Thanksgiving, let us hope that everyone, including the poor,
homeless, and elderly can all enjoy the festivities of the day We need to
remind ourselves of the final admonishment of St. Bartolomé Blanco about
worldly goods and delights and think about how we can share some of the things
we have been given with those who are in need.
Let us put aside the petty
human disagreements that may have divided family and friends and reach out to
mend them.
Let us go forth in the
spirit of love and brotherhood, reaching out in friendship and Christian love to
the disenfranchised and our Asian, Latino, Moslem, Arab, Jewish, and all other
nationalities who are our brothers and sisters in Christ and therefore children
of God.
Let us work diligently to
put an end the bullying, violence, hatred and bigotry that separates people
from love and full participation in God’s love and has caused pain, suffering
and even death to so many innocent people.
I end this reflection with
the words of St. Paul from Sunday’s second reading, “ Pray that the Lord’s
message may spread quickly, and be received with honor and pray that we may be
preserved from the interference of bigoted and evil people, for true faith is
not given to everyone. But the Lord is faithful, and he will give you strength
and guard you from the evil one. (2 Thessalonians 2:16 - 3:5)
May the Lord turn our
hearts towards the infinite love of God and may we find fortitude in Christ to
live our life in a way that is pleasing to God and which will assure our
perfection with God in Eternity. AMEN
Friday, November 04, 2016
Saturday, October 29, 2016
Sunday October 30, 2016 Reflection
Words of Wisdom and Truth
A Reflection for the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time 10/30/2016
By Rev. Bob
Johnnene OFM
Mission Saints
Sergius & Bacchus
Order Franciscans
of Mercy
Link to
Franciscans of Mercy web site www.orderfranciscansofmercy.org
The reading most certainly should open our hearts and
minds to God’s infinite mercy and love for all His children regardless of their
race, nationality, gender, or religious denomination.
When we take into consideration the other readings for
this Sunday we have not only a message affirming God’s love and mercy for us
all but also advice on how we can and will be welcomed and found pleasing in
God’s eyes.
The reading from the book of Wisdom 11 verses 22
through Wisdom 12:verse 2 says; “Before
the Lord the whole universe is like a grain of dust that tips the scales,or
like a drop of morning dew falling on the ground. Yet you are merciful to all,
because you can do all things and overlook men’s sins so that they can repent. Yes,
you love all that exists; you hold nothing of what you have made in abhorrence,
for had you hated anything, you would not have formed it. And how, had you not willed it, could a
thing persist, how be conserved if not called forth by you? You spare all
things because all things are yours, Lord, lover of life, you whose
imperishable spirit is in all. Little by
little, therefore, you correct those who offend, you admonish and remind them
of how they have sinned, so that they may abstain from evil and trust in you,
Lord.”
When coupled with, are taken into consideration from
St. Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians chapter 1:11-2:2 we become strengthened even
more in the knowledge of God’s love for us; “all
that you have been doing through faith the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ will
be glorified in you and you in him, by the grace of our God and the Lord
Jesus Christ. To turn now to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we
shall all be gathered round him: please do not get excited too soon or alarmed
by any prediction or rumor or any letter claiming to come from us, implying
that the Day of the Lord has already arrived.”
So many who claim to be preaching the word of God have
tried to frighten people with the admonition that dooms day is at hand, and
have done so from the earliest days of the church but Christ himself told us; “However, no one knows the day or hour when
these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. (Mark
13:32)
The message from Sunday’s Gospel is also comforting
and affirming in that it reminds us that Christ did not heed the admonishments
of the Religious of His time. It also makes clear that God and Christ are there
for everyone who believes in them and tries to live in a way that is pleasing
to God according to the teachings that Christ proclaimed.
Unfortunatly there are some who believe that they are the
“chosen ones” because of their position, their wealth or because or their devotional
practices and attendance at church but when they leave the confines of the
church, and sometimes even while there, they do not practice Christian Charity
and often demean others because of how they dress, or the color of their skin
or their nationality.
The Gosple tells us: “When
Jesus reached the spot he looked up and spoke to him: “Zacchaeus come down.
Hurry, because I must stay at your house today.” And Zacchaeus hurried down and
welcomed Christ joyfully. Others complained when they saw what was happening. “He
has gone to stay at a sinner’s house” they said. But Zacchaeus stood his ground
and said to the Lord, “Look, sir, I am going to give half my property to the
poor, and if I have cheated anybody I will pay him back four times the
amount”And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because
this man too is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek out and
save what was lost” (Luke 19:1-10)
We might also take note of what Zacchaeus said to
Christ about giving half of his property to the poor and needy and making right
any injustices or cheating he might have done since it is also one of the major
teachings of Christ, to be mindful of the needs of others and to share our
gifts with those who have not.
Christ has told us time and again that being aware of
others and having compassion and generosity are keys to entering into heaven.
The Seraphic Father of our order, The Franciscan’s of Divine
Mercy and love of God, our official name, knew this message so very well.
St. Francis is known to have said “I acknowledge that all my possessions were
given to me by God, and now here I am ready to give them back to Him”
Everything we have comes from God and therefore we
need to give thanks for the gifts we have received and not hoard them to
ourselves but share then according to our ability.
We need to open our eyes to the needs of others around
us and to put aside our prejudices and self centered interests and open our
hearts to being more receptive to living the great commandment of Christ every
moment of our life here on earth.
“Love the Lord, your God, with your
whole heart, mind, soul and body and love your neighbor as you love yourself”
“Love one another as I have loved you”
Tomorrow, Monday, we celebrate the eve of All Saints
Day called All Hallows Eve.
The traditions we have of dressing up like ghosts and
gobblins and witches dates back to ancient times when the people of a village
would dress up and carry torches and banged on drums in the belief that they
could chase evil spirits away from the village.
We, Catholics, should spend time recalling and praying
for those loved ones who have passed on to their eternal reward.
In fact, since this Tuesday is the feast of All
Saints, and a time we should attend Mass, and Wednesday is the feast of All
Souls, spending this week meditating on the lives of those who have been called
home to the Lord and also meditating on how well we are living our lives in
accord with the teachings Christ gave us as the means to gain everlasting life
with Almighty God, His Blessed Mother and all the heavenly elect.
To bring forth the idea of what these two feast days
are all about all I had to do was write two of the readings from scripture for
the feasts days because the readings sum up everything we have to do in order
to gain everlasting life and also fulfill God’s desire for us while we inhabit
this planet.
The Second Reading for All Saints day is from the
first gospel of John verse 3:1-3 and states;
“Think of the
love that the Father has lavished on us, by letting us be called God’s
children; and that is what we are.
Because the world refused to acknowledge him, therefore it does not
acknowledge us.
My dear people, we are already the
children of God but what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed;
all we know is, that when it is revealed we shall be like him because we shall
see him as he really is. Surely
everyone who entertains this hope must purify himself, must try to be as pure
as Christ”.
The Gospel from Matthew 5:1-12 continues on with what
is often called “The Sermon on the Mount” in which Christ talks about how we
should live our life here on earth. “Seeing
the crowds, Jesus went up the hill. There he sat down and was joined by his
disciples. Then he began to speak. This is what he taught them: ‘How happy are
the poor in spirit; theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Happy the gentle: they shall have the earth
for their heritage. Happy those who mourn: they shall be comforted. Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is
right: they shall be satisfied. Happy
the merciful: they shall have mercy shown them. Happy the pure in heart: they shall see
God. Happy the peacemakers: they shall
be called sons of God. Happy those who
are persecuted in the cause of right: theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Happy
are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny
against you on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great
in heaven; this is how they persecuted the prophets before you.”
Let us go forth from this day forward, putting these
words of Christ into action by being more concerned about the needs of others
especially the poor, homeless, unemployed, sick, aged as well as those society
has disenfranchised, maligned as well as those who are less fortunate than we are
and go out of our way to find every opportunity to share the gifts that God has
given us with them.
If we do this we will be living the Gospel every day
of our life and by doing so not only be an inspiration to those who we
encounter in our daily life but we will also be opening the door into our
partaking in the everlasting glory in heaven with Almighty God our Father and
creator of all things, His beloved Son, our redeemer and savior Jesus Christ,
the Holy Spirit and all the heavenly elect.
May God bless you and keep you, may his light shine
upon you and may you be filled with the comfort and peace that comes from God. AMEN
Friday, October 28, 2016
Friday, October 21, 2016
Saturday, October 15, 2016
Sunday Oct. 16, 2016 Reflection
God’s Justice Will Be Done
A Reflection for the 29th
Sunday in Ordinary Time 2016
October 16, 2016
by Rev. Robert Johnnene OFM
Based on readings from; Psalm 121; 1-8,
2 Timothy 3:14-4:2, Luke 18:1-8
Mission Sts. Sergius & Bacchus
Order Franciscans of Mercy
The Gospel for this Sunday is the parable
about the judge in a
certain town who had neither fear of God nor respect for man and our need to
pray continually and never lose heart. Which ends with a promise from Christ
and also a question that is worth our considering in this age and time, “will not God see justice done to his chosen
who cry to him day and night even when he delays to help them?? I
promise you, He will see justice done to them, and done speedily. But when the
Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?”
The Gospel story could very well be speaking about the
many people who live in this world today and seem to have little or no fear of
God or the consequences of how they are living their daily lives and who also
have no respect for anyone but their own self interests.
Our world today is very narcissistic and a great many
people seek out fame, fortune, (even I sucumed to that desire in my younger
years) and power and seem to care not about God or the plight of their brothers
and sisters in Christ.
Sadly some of the candidates running for the highest
office in this nation, congress and even down to local governmental office are
advocating the elimination of programs that assist the poor, sick, elderly and
those members of society who are often targeted for violence because of
ingrained discrimination often perpetrated by clergy.
A recent survey has pointed out a decline in the last
few decades of those who attend church on a regular basis. According to the poll
this trend has increased in the last decade at an alarming rate which might account
for the massive closing of churches and schools throughout the United States
and in other nations.
The attacks on Just the mere mention of God and the
display of any Christian symbols in public places as well as an attempt to
prevent prayers that use the word GOD or CHRIST at military funerals or any
Government function have also increased and with it we have seen the decline of
all moral values and simple courtesy and respect and an increase in violence.
Hardly a day goes by that we don’t hear of a report of
someone being gunned down on the streets of this country or senseless mass
killings by some fanatical group, often doing it in the name of God.
The only God that I am aware of that would condone
such acts of violence is the lord of the netherworld.
Far too many use God to justify their violence,
discrimination and prejudice toward ethnic and other groups of people who do
not fit their idea of the ideal individual.
One can but not wonder what God perceives of all this
and how He is going to judge us when it is our time to justify how we lived our
life.
We might want to think about the words of Christ at
the end the Gospel reading “when the Son
of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?”
I believe that He will find some who have tried to
live according to God’s will and the teachings of Christ.
He will find some who have “Loved their neighbor as they have loved themselves” and who have
practiced the Beatitudes and looked out for the well being of those who are
sick, aged, poor and needy. Christ, when He comes again, will also find people
who sought to know and love God in spite of rejection and ridicule from others.
In Paul’s second letter to Timothy 3:14-4:2, Paul
tells timothy to “Remain faithful to what
you have learned and believed and remember from whom it was taught”
The teacher was God’s master teacher, His beloved Son,
Jesus Christ.
Believing in God and accepting Jesus Christ as our
redeemer and Savior is not enough, we are called to live our faith every day we
live. We are called to put our lives in
God’s hands and to trust God’s will for us.
We must make it our life’s goal to live our lives with
respect for all God’s creation especially all His children regardless of their
race, creed, nationality, social position or sexual orientation.
A recent newspaper story about the condition of
seniors and how they are having a greater struggle every year especially those
who live on only their Social Security and even when those on fixed incomes do
receive a COLA, it does not actually keep up with the actual increase in the
cost of living.
In the last decade seniors have actually lost 52% of
their purchasing power and that will increase through the year 2017.
Many seniors have already given up all forms of simple
entertainment and had to cut back on , what many consider esentials.
Calls by all the organizations that serve the elderly
to change the COLA wis calculated have fallen on deaf ears.
This is just one example of the desire for greater
profits for the corporations so their investors can obtain bigger dividends and
become wealthier while neglecting needs of those who are suffering because of
inadequate health care, shelter, food and medicine.
Everywhere in our society there are many examples of a
total disregard of the needs of the less fortunate.
As Christians and followers of the teachings of Jesus
Christ, we need to actively speak out against all injustices and do everything
in our power to force changes in the laws of this country and the attitude of
governments all over the globe.
We need to rethink our own individual priorities and
make sure that we set aside at least 10% of the gifts God has given us returning
some of it back to help the needy or those that serve the less fortunate like
church ministries, food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters for battered men
and women.
God desires justice done in all things. The Gospel
reminds us of what Christ said of God; “I
promise you, he will see justice done to them, and done speedily. AMEN
Friday, October 14, 2016
Saturday, October 08, 2016
Sunday October 9, 2016 Reflection
With Faith, All Things Are Possible
28th Sunday of Ordinary Time
Reflection for Sunday October 9, 2016
Based on readings from: 2 Kings5, Psalm 98, second Timothy 2, Luke
17:11-19
By Rev. Bob
Johnnene OFM
Mission Saints
Sergius & Bacchus
Order Franciscans
of Mercy
Link to All Fr.
Bob’s TV Shows; http://www.youtube.com/user/RevBobJohn
Link to Mission
Web Site: www.missionstsergius.org
Link to Order
Franciscans of Mercy Web Site: www.orderfranciscansofmercy.org
The Good News message for this Sunday is “with faith in God, all things are possible”.
The Gospels tell stories of people being cured because
of their faith. In the Gospel from The
Gospel from Luke 17:11 – 19 is the
story of the healing of lepers and that faith in God was the reason for the cure.
As Christ entered one of the
villages, ten lepers came to meet him. They stood some way off and called to
him, ‘Jesus! Master! Take pity on us.’ When he saw them he said, ‘Go and show
yourselves to the priests’. Now as they were going away they were cleansed.
Finding himself cured, one of them turned back praising God at the top of his
voice and threw himself at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. The man was a
Samaritan. These made Jesus say, ‘Were not all ten made clean? The other nine,
where are they? It seems that no one has come back to give praise to God,
except this foreigner.’ And he said to the man, ‘Stand up and go on your way.
Your faith has saved you.”
Why is it that for some it often takes a miracle for
some people to believe in God? Why is it that some people only turn to God when
there is a problem in their lives?
Far too often in this day and age we only turn to God seeking
a favor and but when it is granted, we often forget to thank God and we feel we
deserved it.
Today, everywhere we look we find people who are seeking
material things,the perfect figure, the perfect home, the classiest car, big
fancy houses, the latest electronic gadgets, the latest fashions and ever more
money.
Far too few who have been blessed with an abundance of
God’s gifts rarely think of sharing those gifts with the less fortunate or if
they do so they need to have public recognition for their acts and it is
usually a ptiance of what they have received and certainly not 10%.
In the United States alone there are thousands who do
not have adequate medical assistance, food or shelter. All over the globe people are suffering
because of the few who seek to control the many.
A few years back, while in Fargo North Dakota, I
became aware of a program sponsored by the Lutheran Church called HOMELESS AND
HUNGRY.
This program’s purpose is to raise awareness of the
plight and struggles of the homeless by having people pledge to fast for 24
hours and live on the street in cardboard boxes like the homeless and to beg
for food stuffs and money.
Every participant pledges $365.00 each which is the
cost of feeding one person each day of the year.
The money collected that year reached a staggering
total of over $75,000 and more than 5000 pounds of food was collected. Those who participated said they never knew
how hard it was for the “Street People” and how they were discriminated
against. Many described how they were called names and insulted and some
actually described how people would cross the street to avoid being near them.
What became clear to me was that we all need to do
more to address this despicable condition in the richest country in the world.
For those conditions to exist is a major blemish on the
nation as a whole and especially the political leaders rant and rave against
spending any tax payer money when ever a program to help those in need is
suggested by government.
To have Faith in God is much more than saying prayers
and attending church but it is also having our actions reflect the teaachings
of Christ to “Love one another as I have
loved you” and “Love God with your
whole mind, soul, and body and love your neighbor as you love yourself”
In last weeks gospel lesson we learned who our
neighbor is and that we should always act like the Good Samaritan of last weeks
Gospel and the Samaritan of this weeks gospel who returned to thank God for
curing hem.
Part of the message this week is also about putting
our full trust in God because when we do anything is possible and as we learned
last week, by having faith as small as a mustard seed we could move mountains. Having Faith in God is not just seeking God’s
healing when we are sick but believing that it is possible and also doing those
things we need to do to keep ourselves and all God’s children in good
health.
People can not be healthy if they do not have proper
nutrition and medical care.
Our Nation has been blessed with an abundance of God’s
gifts but at every opportunity there are people who do everything in their
power to remove all mention of God in public places.
The ranks of those who claim there is no God is
growing at an alarming rate according to the latest statistics.
Without a living faith, a practiced faith, without
believing in a supreme being and a loving and merciful God our nation will
continue to experience more and more violence and continue to decay just as
every great nation before it that turned away from the basic values found in
most religions; peace, brotherhood, compassion, mercy, forgiveness and love for
all God’s creation.
As the gospel for today say’s; ‘Were not all ten made clean? The other nine, where are they? It seems
that no one has come back to give praise to God, except this foreigner.’ And he
said to the man, ‘Stand up and go on your way. Your faith has saved you.”
Without faith and by that I mean a living faith that
is more than words but action in our daily lives, how can we ever expect to be
cured of the ills that plague us?
The time is now for us to turn to God and ask God for
His healing graces.
Now is the time to begin living our lives in accord
with the teachings of Christ and not those imposed by mere humans for the
purpose of domination and control.
Only God can judge and determine who is and who is not
saved.
We who are Christians have been told how God expects
us to live and how to attain everlasting life.
We will be judged on how well we lived that life in
not only word but in our deeds.
Now is the time to seek God’s guidance to overcome our
weakness.
We need to place our trust and faith in God because when
we do, we too will be healed as those in the gospel of today were healed. AMEN
Friday, October 07, 2016
Friday, September 30, 2016
Friday, September 23, 2016
Friday, September 16, 2016
Saturday, September 10, 2016
9/11/ Reflection
Reflection for the 24th Sunday of Ordinary
Time
September 11, 2016
By Rev. Bob Johnnene OFM
Mission Saints Sergius & Bacchus
Order Franciscans of Mercy
Today’s Gospel Reading is
one of my favorites because it clearly states that God is a forgiving and
loving God who will forgive all things if only we honestly seek His forgiveness.
On this Memorial Day
honoring all those who died in the multiple disasters on Sept. 9, 2009
including victim number one, Fr. Mychal Judge OFM who was one of the devout
followers of our Seraphic Father St. Francis of Assisi we need to seek the strength
to forgive those who perpetrated that disaster and all those that have occurred
all over the globe.
The Gospel Reading from
Luke 15-1-32 coupled with Paul’s letter to Timothy are powerful reminders to us
of God’s infinite mercy and love.
The reading from Luke is
sometimes called The Good Shepherd reading because it tells the story of how a
good shepherd will go seeking one lost sheep.
‘What man among you
with a hundred sheep, losing one, would not leave the ninety-nine in the
wilderness and go after the missing one till he found it? And when he found it,
would he not joyfully take it on his shoulders and then, when he got home, call
together his friends and neighbors? “Rejoice with me,” he would say, “I have
found my sheep that was lost.” In the same way, I tell you, there will be more
rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner than over ninety-nine virtuous
men who have no need of repentance.
Luke’s Gospel also has the
story of The Prodigal Son who after taking his inheritance went and squandered
it on all the excesses that life had to offer. “A few days later, the
younger son got together everything he had and left for a distant country where
he squandered his money on a life of debauchery.” The story ends with; “While
he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with pity. He ran
to the boy, clasped him in his arms and kissed him tenderly. Then his son said,
“Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to
be called your son.” But the father said to his servants, “Quick! Bring out the
best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
Bring the calf we have been fattening, and kill it; we are going to have a
feast, a celebration, because this son of mine was dead and has come back to
life; he was lost and is found.” And they began to celebrate.”
The other son who was
laboring in the fields for His father came home to find all the celebration
going on and became angry because he had been faithful while the other son did
every terrible thing possible yet was being treated like a prince. When the who
had remained faithful confronted his father he was told the following; “The
father said, “My son, you are with me always and all I have is yours. But it
was only right we should celebrate and rejoice, because your brother here was
dead and has come to life; he was lost and is found.”
These two stories clearly
tell us how God will react when we seek Him out to ask forgiveness for any
wrongs we may have done and desire to claim our rightful place within the
Mystical Body of Christ, The Universal Church, which includes all denominations
that trace their roots back to The Apostles.
Paul’s letter to Timothy
reinforces this teaching when he tells Timothy; “I thank Christ Jesus our
Lord, who has given me strength, and who judged me faithful enough to call me
into his service even though I used to be a blasphemer and did all I could to
injure and discredit the faith. Mercy, however, was shown me, because until I
became a believer I had been acting in ignorance; and the grace of our Lord
filled me with faith and with the love that is in Christ Jesus. Here is a
saying that you can rely on and nobody should doubt: that Christ Jesus came
into the world to save sinners. I myself am the greatest of them; and if mercy
has been shown to me, it is because Jesus Christ meant to make me the greatest
evidence of his inexhaustible patience for all the other people who would later
have to trust in him to come to eternal life”
Our God is not a God of
Vengeance but a God of infinite LOVE. God does not want us going about
spreading hatred and violence but wants us to do what Christ called the two
greatest commandments.
“Hear, O Israel, the
Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and
with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The
second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment
greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-30)
As followers of Christ and
believers in One God, the same God of Abraham, Isaac, Moses, Jacob and
Mohammad, we need to work for peace and harmony and not promote hatred and
violence as one so called Christian pastor has suggested or exclude people from
entering this country based on their Religious belief.
Those terrorist who have
been perpetrating all the mass killings of 9/11/2009, in France, Germany, and
all over the world are NOT FOLLOWERS of any recognized religion, especially the
Muslim or Islamic religion.
If we go down that road
soon we will start banning people who are Jewish or even Christian because we
don’t agree with the teaching of the religion.
Those who perpetrated the 9/11
mass killings and those people in Orlando or the airport in Turkey do not
follow the teachings of Mohammad, in fact they are acting in a manner that is
totally opposite to the teachings found in the Koran .
The kind of actions that that
pastor or some political candidates are advocating are tools Satan uses to
divide people who believe in God and cause them to do evil hoping that they
will not seek God’s forgiveness but will come over to the dark side.
As people who claim to
love God and believe in the teaching of Christ we must stand up against this
kind of activity that can only cause hatred, division and further violence but
we need to reach out to our Muslim brothers and Sisters to find a way for all
faiths, nationalities and ethnicities to live in harmony and peace.
If we find ways to bring
this about we would be acting as God wants us too and which could very well
lead to a time of Peace, Justice, compassion and love consistent with God’s
will. AMEN
Friday, September 09, 2016
Saturday, September 03, 2016
Labor Day Reflection
Labor, Not In Vain
A Labor Day Reflection for September 4, 2016
Based on Genesis 2:2, Exodus 23:12, Matthew 11:28, Luke 12:27By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFM,
Mission Saints. Sergius & Bacchus
Order Franciscans of Mercy
www.missionstsergius.org
www.orderfranciscansofmercy.org
“Six days you are to do your work, but
on the seventh day you shall cease from labor
so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female slave, as
well as your stranger, may refresh themselves.”(Exodus
23:12) “On the seventh day God completed
His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work
which He had done.” (Genesis 2:2) “Come
to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest”
(Matthew 11:28) "Consider the
lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even
Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these”(Luke
12:27)
Many passages in Holy Scripture refer to labor and/or
the need for people to rest from their labors.
On this Labor Day weekend, I felt compelled to examine how we look upon
labor and what we consider important to labor for.
At one time in my youth the only thing that people did
on a Sunday was go to church and spend time with family and friends. That was
before our society began the progression into materialism and greed that seems
to permeate our society today.
Today, even a national holiday that is supposed to
honor all who labor and a holiday that at one time almost every store was
closed to give the workers time off, we find the day turned over to Super Sales
and enticements to go shopping. The papers are filled with ‘Labor Day Sales”. The holiday that in many states in the US
since 1894 and finally in 1897 meant to give the average worker a day off, with
pay, to enjoy their family has turned into a day where people are required to
do the same old thing they do every day, work, work and more work.
Pope Francis
has made statements about the dignity of work and the need for every person to
have equal opportunity and fair wages.
Work is fundamental to the dignity of a person. Work, to use an image,
"anoints" us with dignity, fills us with dignity, makes us similar to
God, who has worked and still works, who always acts...
There is no worse material poverty, I am keen to stress, than the poverty
which prevents people from earning their bread and deprives them of the dignity
of work.
Where there is no work there is no dignity! ... [lack of work] is the result
of a global decision, of an economic system which leads to this tragedy; an
economic system centered on an idol called “money”.
In Exodus 23:12 God directs people to take time off to
rest, and in verse 16 God tells the Israelites “Also you shall observe the Feast of the Harvest of the first fruits of
your labors from what you sow in the field; also the Feast of the Ingathering
at the end of the year when you gather in the fruit of your labors from the
field.”
This is God’s instruction upon which the Labor Day
Holiday was based.
In addition to speaking on the dignity of work Pope Francis
has also spoken on how it is necessary as well for people to take time to rest
and take time to give thanks to God for their ability to work.
Responding to the question, “Do we need to rediscover the meaning
of leisure?” Pope Francis replied: “Together with a culture of work, there
must be a culture of leisure as gratification. To put it another way: people
who work must take the time to relax, to be with their families, to enjoy
themselves, read, listen to music, play a sport. But this is being destroyed,
in large part, by the elimination of the Sabbath rest day. More and more people
work on Sundays as a consequence of the competitiveness imposed by a consumer
society.” In such cases, he concludes, “work ends up dehumanizing people.”
On another occasion the Pope continued his thoughts on
the dignity of work and the necessity of taking time off for God, family and
rest. That is what this holiday we will be celebrating on Monday was intended
to do when it was established
The pope said; “ rest and celebration are part of the very
order of creation, “We recall the conclusion of the account of Creation…’And on
the seventh day God finished his work which he had done, and he rested on the
seventh day.’”
In
other words, Catholics believe in taking time off for rest, relaxation and
recreation, and what is recreation except
“re-creation”? The pope reminds us
that a day off or vacation is therefore not laziness or shirking from work. He
said; “A celebration is first of all a
loving and thankful look on work well done; we celebrate work…. a true time of
celebration halts professional work and is sacred, because it reminds man and
woman that they are made in the image of God, who is not a slave of work.”
While
encouraging the celebration of time off, the pope also reminds us that there
are many around the world who do not enjoy this simple right. “Millions of men
and women and even children that are slaves of work! In this time they are slaves, they are
exploited, slaves of work and this is against God and against the dignity of
the human person!”
While
work is good, The Pope Teaches; “ it is not everything. Greed drives us to
work without a break and to put ourselves and others at risk and leads to
terrible waste of human lives and resources. So he cries out, “Do we work for
this? The greed of consuming, which entails waste is an awful virus that, among
other things, in the end makes us feel more tired than before. It harms true
work and consumes life. The disorderly rhythms of a celebration create victims
— often young people.”
Instead,
life should be abundant and full of joy. We should take pride in our work and
be satisfied with a job well done. We should enjoy the financial benefits of
hard work and celebrate that prosperity with family and friends. Sunday is the
unique day when Christians should take time off work to celebrate positively
with family and friends.”
1. So in taking
the Popes thoughts and putting them into action, what we should be doing this
entire weekend is take time to give God thanks for the ability to work and then
take time to enjoy our family and friends as the holiday that, By the time it became an official
federal holiday in 1894, thirty
U.S. states officially celebrated Labor Day. Thus by 1887 in North America,
Labor Day was an established, official holiday meant to provide every employee
a day off with pay to enjoy their family and friends at the official end of
Summer.
Work is a necessity often mentioned throughout the Old
and New Testaments and worthy of dignity, equality in pay and decent working
conditions but like the old proverb say’s “All
work and no play makes Jack and Jill dull persons”
I have taken the liberty to make the proverb gender
neutral.
When we work hard for something we appreciate it more
than things that are handed to us, although we all appreciate unsolicited
gifts.
I hear so many excuses as to why someone is unable to
take time for God and go to church on Sunday or for that matter to even take
time daily to pray. We can find time to
watch television, listen to our I-Pod or send texts or post on Facebook every
place we go but we cannot take 20 minutes out of our day for God or an hour on
Sunday, the Sabbath day of rest, to gather together with our brothers and
sisters in Christ and offer God honor, praise and our offerings to Him and
receive in return God’s gift to us of the Bread of Life, The Eucharist.
We fail to reflect on what Luke 12:27 was trying to
teach us; “Consider the lilies, how they grow: they
neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his
glory clothed himself like one of these” The lesson is that if we have
faith and complete trust in God and if we acknowledge Him properly, He will
provide us with the necessities of life we need just as He does the birds of
the air and the fish of the sea and the flowers of the field.
Labor Day is a day to take time off from work and to
spend time with the greatest gifts God has given us, our family and friends and
to take time acknowledging and giving thanks to God for those things we have
been given.
Labor Day should not be a day to spend, spend, spend
and put ourselves further in debt but a time to take inventory of the heavenly
treasure we are storing up for ourselves and to evaluate what we might have to
do to increase that heavenly treasure.
On this Labor Day we also want to pray for all those
people who are unable to find work after being laid off from their previous employer,
and those who do not receive a fair living wage or are forced to work in
unsanitary and unsafe conditions. We need to pray for those are physically
unable to work because of illness or war or discrimination.
We need to be thankful that we have jobs to go to and
be thankful for the time off to enjoy our family and friends.
I will close with two passages we might reflect on
this Labor Day weekend, the first is from Psalms 127:1 “Unless the LORD builds the house, its builder’s labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand
guard in vain” and the second is from 1 Corinthians 15:58 “Always give yourselves fully to the work of
the Lord, because you know that your labor
in the Lord is not in vain.”
May Almighty God bless all who labor to sustain
themselves and grant unto them just wages and fair, healthy and safe working
conditions and May we come to know love and thank God for the
gifts He has provided to us and his infinite mercy and love for us. AMEN
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)