All Is Possible with Faith
A Reflection for Sunday, August 10, 2008
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFD
Mission Sts. Sergius & Bacchus/Franciscans of Divine Mercy
www.missionstsergius.org
It was Peter who answered. ‘Lord,’ he said ‘if it is you, tell me to come to you across the water.’ ‘Come’ said Jesus. Then Peter got out of the boat and started walking towards Jesus across the water, but as soon as he felt the force of the wind, he took fright and began to sink. ‘Lord! Save me!’ he cried. Jesus put out his hand at once and held him. ‘Man of little faith,’ he said ‘why did you doubt?’ And as they got into the boat the wind dropped. The men in the boat bowed down before him and said, ‘Truly, you are the Son of God.’ Matthew 14:22 – 33
These words are taken from the Gospel for this Sunday and which tells the story of how Peter when he saw Christ walking on the water toward them in the midst of a raging storm began to walk on water but became frightened and began to sink as he called out to Christ.
This story is very important to us because it is a very strong reminder that if we give ourselves over totally to having faith and trust in Almighty God, all things are possible if what we are seeking is God’s will.
Think about the times we have attempted to do something but lost faith because what we were trying to do was extremely difficult.
Now picture in your mind being before Christ, what is He going to say to you? Will he Say; “Person of little faith, why do you doubt?” or will He tell us “have patience and persevere and you will achieve because you have faith and what you are doing is God’s will”.
I can relate because in the past few months I have asked myself if this ministry is God’s will or should I abandon it. Every time I feel this way, something happens to give me the courage and the strength to continue.
It might just be an email from someone that we have reached with our message of God’s infinite mercy and love that simply says; “Thank you, your Reflection often it is the only spiritual reflection/sermon that I find inspiring.” It might be that I receive a notice from PAYPAL that a donation of $5.00 has been received or a note that says; “I love the fact there is a Mission that is inclusive and so welcoming of the GLBT community.”
Sometimes it is a chance encounter with a person in the market or on the street that comes up to me and asks if I am a priest and could they talk with me. It is those moments I find the inspiration and the affirmation to continue to mission no matter how difficult it is for me.
Prayer and the Eucharist are also places I find strength and they are the foundation of having faith.
We are reminded in Matthew 17:20 “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
We have to keep in mind that the Mustard Seed is a tiny seed but it grown into a large tree.
Now, the question we have to ask ourselves is, “How much Faith do we really have?”
Do we have enough faith to believe that everything God created is good and it is human frailty that often turns the good to bad?
Do we have enough trust and faith in God to believe that God is a loving and merciful God as Christ taught us?
Do we have enough faith to dismiss the nay Sayers that try to tell us we are not welcome or acceptable to God because of divorce or our sexual orientation?
Do we have the faith to believe that God created all people equal and intended for them all to have equality and equal justice under the law?
When Peter believed that it was Christ walking toward them on the water he was willing to attempt to walk toward Christ but when the winds began to torment him, his faith disappeared and he started to sink.
Christ did not let him sink, but reached out a hand and hauled him to safety and into the boat.
So it will be for us, if we call out to God for help when we have doubts. God will reach out and bring us back to safe ground.
All we have to do is believe and have enough faith to place our trust and faith in God and call to Him for help.
He will answer in the way that is best for us and for our salvation. That is what I believe and I trust it is what sustained me through all my difficult times and gives me the strength to carry on even though it is not easy.
Never give up and loose your faith in God. Without God nothing is possible except chaos, suffering and pain. With God, all things are possible even those that seemingly are impossible.
Have Faith and put your trust in God and He will be there to guide you and assist you in living through all difficult times and finding the rainbow and light at the end or your storm.
God bless you and keep you safely in the palm of His hand. AMEN
A mission of the Franciscans of Divine Mercy. We are a welcoming and affirming faith community to all who feel disenfranchised, unwanted, and rejected by Faith Communities. We welcome all persons who believe Christ was the redeemer and savior. The mission pastor is Rev. Robert Johnnene OFD
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Ordination Anniversary Reflection
Anniversary of Ordination Reflection
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFD
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus/Franciscans of Divine Mercy
www.Missionstsergius.org
On the Third anniversary of my ordination as a priest, August 15th, I reflect back on my feelings on the blessed opportunity and great challenge Almighty God has bestowed upon me.
“Your are a priest forever like Melchizedek of Old”, with these words a person goes from being a simple follower of Jesus Christ to an individual whose live is now dedicated completely to the service God and His children here on earth.
As such, you have the awesome responsibility of shepherding all God’s children. You become the hands, feet, mouth, heart and human voice of Almighty God here on earth.
You duty is to give solace and comfort to those in pain and always affirm God’s infinite love, mercy and forgiveness to all His children.
You need to always be uplifting and positive toward all even when you yourself do not feel that well. These responsibilities are to be extended to every child of God that you encounter as you go about your daily life. You need to stop thinking about yourself and focus on the needs of God’s children all over the globe, especially those who feel unwanted and rejected and in need of comfort and affirmation.
In a world that appears to be increasingly more self centered and absorbed in the material things of life and less interested in the needs of others and would rather use violence to settle disputes and differences instead of common sense, it is deeply disturbing and often seems to overwhelm you.
My heart becomes heavy when I see and hear children of God being turned away from participating in a faith community and being denied God’s gift to us, in the Eucharist because they are divorced or have been created by Almighty God with a same sex orientation.
Sadness fills me when I see dedicated men and women being denied the opportunity to serve God because they are married or worse still, just because their gender is female.
I ask myself why a person who is dedicated and has the necessary education and training and believes God is calling them to serve, be refused because of their marital state or sexual orientation. As long as they are willing to live their life in a way that would not bring dishonor to Almighty God they should be welcomed.
It saddens me and has caused much pain and suffering that some called to priesthood and the hierarchy forgot their duty and responsibility to God and failed to live their vows and damaged the trust of many. Good and faithful priests have been hurt by their actions and God’s children have become disillusioned because of what was allowed to happen.
All the titles and wealth of the world cannot raise a person any higher in the eyes of God than being a good and faithful humble servant as a priest.
We need to care for God‘s people as Christ would have cared for them. At times this can become overwhelming especially when you are handicapped by a lack or resources.
So many are hurting and I want to do so much more than I am doing and wonder if I am failing God or if my efforts are being lost because of my limitations.
I find it strange that when God has chosen to communicate with us here on earth either as himself or in the person of our Blessed mother He rarely made himself known to the rich and powerful but choose the poorest of His Children loved Him deeply and who have put their complete faith and trust in Him. St. Francis was a soldier, St. Joan a simple maiden, Juan Diego a peasant Indian, Padre Pio a simple priest, St. Bernadette a simple school girl. None of these were the hierarchy of the church. When they proclaimed what God directed them to do, they were ridiculed, scorned, persecuted and in some cases put to death. One has to wonder why God did not go directly to the hierarchy. Could it be that with their lofty titles and grandiose life styles had lost sight of God’s original intent? Could it be that they chose to use their positions of power to decipher the word of God to suite their own self interests?
I have pondered this often and I believe that this may well be the case.
To have been called by God to be a priest is a tremendous and overwhelming responsibility which I pray daily I am able to live up to. I am sure that God has called me for a special mission at this late stage of my life. I find His choice of me to be surprising and heady, filled with many roadblocks but I willing to accept His call knowing that if it is His will, He would give me the necessary things to do the task.
These past three years have been most humbling. Some of my family and friends and neighbors have rejected me because I do not agree with the rules instituted by the men who rule but in actuality have nothing to do with Christ’s teachings and the early church.
There have also been times that were spiritually uplifting and humbling you receive notes like these; “Thank you for being there in my time of crisis”, “I think the Mission is doing a great job. I wish there were something similar to it here where I live. To me the Catholic Church talks with a forked tongue as the Native Americans say”, “I read your messages and obtain a special insight into the Mass that I attend personally”, “You have more energy and compassion than even I! You give and ask nothing in return. You are indeed a follower of Jesus and Francis.” “Because of your reflections and affirming statement I have gone back to church after many years away”
I am constantly asking Almighty God to inspire me and guide me so that I may only bring honor and Glory to Him. I pray constantly that I can make a difference in the lives of those who come to me and bring them into a closer relationship with Almighty God. That is my only desire and prayer.
I recently said that we have to give ourselves over completely to God, subverting our own personal desires and putting lives in God’s hands. I believe that this is the only way that we can fully serve God. Even Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane cried out "Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” Jesus gave himself over totally to God’s will teaching us to accept all God calls us to do even when it is not what you would rather do.
When I was called to be a priest, after so many years of feeling the call, and believing in my heart I was being called and being denied so many times because I had been married, too old or feeling unworthy of the call, I began to think it was not God’s will.
When, at age 71, I received the acceptance into the Franciscans and not just as a deacon which I had been ordained as in 1980, but as a priest. I accepted the call with the full knowledge that my life, as I had lived it and known, was over and I was to begin a new life, whose only purpose was to serve God with complete and total being.
I ask God to constantly lead me to where He wants me to go.
I trust He will provide me the strength, health, wisdom, means and courage to accept all that I need to do.
During this week of my Anniversary I implore each of you to pray for me and the ministry asking God to provide me with the tools necessary to reach out to all those whom this ministry is intended to reach and guide me by the gifts of The Holy Spirit to always know His will and to accept and do His will for as long as He chooses to allow me to be His humble and simple servant. AMEN
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFD
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus/Franciscans of Divine Mercy
www.Missionstsergius.org
On the Third anniversary of my ordination as a priest, August 15th, I reflect back on my feelings on the blessed opportunity and great challenge Almighty God has bestowed upon me.
“Your are a priest forever like Melchizedek of Old”, with these words a person goes from being a simple follower of Jesus Christ to an individual whose live is now dedicated completely to the service God and His children here on earth.
As such, you have the awesome responsibility of shepherding all God’s children. You become the hands, feet, mouth, heart and human voice of Almighty God here on earth.
You duty is to give solace and comfort to those in pain and always affirm God’s infinite love, mercy and forgiveness to all His children.
You need to always be uplifting and positive toward all even when you yourself do not feel that well. These responsibilities are to be extended to every child of God that you encounter as you go about your daily life. You need to stop thinking about yourself and focus on the needs of God’s children all over the globe, especially those who feel unwanted and rejected and in need of comfort and affirmation.
In a world that appears to be increasingly more self centered and absorbed in the material things of life and less interested in the needs of others and would rather use violence to settle disputes and differences instead of common sense, it is deeply disturbing and often seems to overwhelm you.
My heart becomes heavy when I see and hear children of God being turned away from participating in a faith community and being denied God’s gift to us, in the Eucharist because they are divorced or have been created by Almighty God with a same sex orientation.
Sadness fills me when I see dedicated men and women being denied the opportunity to serve God because they are married or worse still, just because their gender is female.
I ask myself why a person who is dedicated and has the necessary education and training and believes God is calling them to serve, be refused because of their marital state or sexual orientation. As long as they are willing to live their life in a way that would not bring dishonor to Almighty God they should be welcomed.
It saddens me and has caused much pain and suffering that some called to priesthood and the hierarchy forgot their duty and responsibility to God and failed to live their vows and damaged the trust of many. Good and faithful priests have been hurt by their actions and God’s children have become disillusioned because of what was allowed to happen.
All the titles and wealth of the world cannot raise a person any higher in the eyes of God than being a good and faithful humble servant as a priest.
We need to care for God‘s people as Christ would have cared for them. At times this can become overwhelming especially when you are handicapped by a lack or resources.
So many are hurting and I want to do so much more than I am doing and wonder if I am failing God or if my efforts are being lost because of my limitations.
I find it strange that when God has chosen to communicate with us here on earth either as himself or in the person of our Blessed mother He rarely made himself known to the rich and powerful but choose the poorest of His Children loved Him deeply and who have put their complete faith and trust in Him. St. Francis was a soldier, St. Joan a simple maiden, Juan Diego a peasant Indian, Padre Pio a simple priest, St. Bernadette a simple school girl. None of these were the hierarchy of the church. When they proclaimed what God directed them to do, they were ridiculed, scorned, persecuted and in some cases put to death. One has to wonder why God did not go directly to the hierarchy. Could it be that with their lofty titles and grandiose life styles had lost sight of God’s original intent? Could it be that they chose to use their positions of power to decipher the word of God to suite their own self interests?
I have pondered this often and I believe that this may well be the case.
To have been called by God to be a priest is a tremendous and overwhelming responsibility which I pray daily I am able to live up to. I am sure that God has called me for a special mission at this late stage of my life. I find His choice of me to be surprising and heady, filled with many roadblocks but I willing to accept His call knowing that if it is His will, He would give me the necessary things to do the task.
These past three years have been most humbling. Some of my family and friends and neighbors have rejected me because I do not agree with the rules instituted by the men who rule but in actuality have nothing to do with Christ’s teachings and the early church.
There have also been times that were spiritually uplifting and humbling you receive notes like these; “Thank you for being there in my time of crisis”, “I think the Mission is doing a great job. I wish there were something similar to it here where I live. To me the Catholic Church talks with a forked tongue as the Native Americans say”, “I read your messages and obtain a special insight into the Mass that I attend personally”, “You have more energy and compassion than even I! You give and ask nothing in return. You are indeed a follower of Jesus and Francis.” “Because of your reflections and affirming statement I have gone back to church after many years away”
I am constantly asking Almighty God to inspire me and guide me so that I may only bring honor and Glory to Him. I pray constantly that I can make a difference in the lives of those who come to me and bring them into a closer relationship with Almighty God. That is my only desire and prayer.
I recently said that we have to give ourselves over completely to God, subverting our own personal desires and putting lives in God’s hands. I believe that this is the only way that we can fully serve God. Even Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane cried out "Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” Jesus gave himself over totally to God’s will teaching us to accept all God calls us to do even when it is not what you would rather do.
When I was called to be a priest, after so many years of feeling the call, and believing in my heart I was being called and being denied so many times because I had been married, too old or feeling unworthy of the call, I began to think it was not God’s will.
When, at age 71, I received the acceptance into the Franciscans and not just as a deacon which I had been ordained as in 1980, but as a priest. I accepted the call with the full knowledge that my life, as I had lived it and known, was over and I was to begin a new life, whose only purpose was to serve God with complete and total being.
I ask God to constantly lead me to where He wants me to go.
I trust He will provide me the strength, health, wisdom, means and courage to accept all that I need to do.
During this week of my Anniversary I implore each of you to pray for me and the ministry asking God to provide me with the tools necessary to reach out to all those whom this ministry is intended to reach and guide me by the gifts of The Holy Spirit to always know His will and to accept and do His will for as long as He chooses to allow me to be His humble and simple servant. AMEN
Something To Reflect Upon
Do You Reflect Christ’s Love?
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFD
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus/Franciscans of Divine Mercy
www.missionstsergius.org
When you look in your spiritual mirror what do you see? Is the reflection cast back at you sharp and clear or are there streaks or dirty spots on the mirror?
Can you see the infinite and everlasting mercy and love of Christ being reflected back at you?
If there are streaks or spots on your reflection ask yourself what is it in me that is causing those distortions. Possibly they are there because you are not totally accepting yourself as God’s child. They could be caused because you spend too much time thinking about yourself and your needs instead of finding out how you can reach out to help others less fortunate than you.
One thing that can cause dark shadows and streaks on your mirror reflection is the distance you put between you and Almighty God. You believe in God and turn to Him when in need of a special intention such as healing or a job, but do you take time every day to communicate with him as you would with your best friend and give thanks for all he has given you?
Sometimes, just possibly, when you look in the mirror you do not recognize the person staring back at you. You need to ask why.
There is of course those times when you can see another figure behind you who seems to be calling to you. That reflection can either be the dark, frighteening and foreboding presence of Satan who is trying to entice you to reject God and live for pleasure, fame and fortune, or it might be a beautiful luminescent image that seems to glow from within which is the reflection of God, the Holy Spirit or your gaurdian Angel whispering to you to follow the path of rightousness.
Take a good look at yourself in that mirror, do you reflect the infinite love and mercy of Jesus Christ to yourself and to all you encounter on your life journey ? Do you live your live in a way that would prompt God to praise you as “My good and faithful servant”? If so your image is crystal clear and exactly what you want to envision when you look in your spiritual mirror. What you see in that mirror is how others see you and react towards you. If you live your life always striving to be kind, generous, thoughtful, forgiving, and not discriminatory of any individual, even those with whom you disagree, you are well on the way to seeing Christ in your reflection and others will see that in you.
If, however, you discriminate because God created someone with a same sex orientation, or someone has been divorced, or worse yet, that an individual is not of the same nationality, race or religious denomination as you, then your reflection is going to be full of blotches, stains and streaks and your image in the mirror needs to be cleaned up.
Jesus Christ did not reject anyone, he called and welcomed all to himself, even those who were sinners so that he could forgive them and encourage them to “Go and Sin No More” He sat at table with all political and religious persons, rejecting no one, teaching them how to attain salvation. Christ endured suffering and even death on the cross in order to free us from the burden of sin and open the gates of heaven to all. His example should have told us that to live as He instructed would not be easy and that we might be ridiculed and rejected and even have to suffer in order to be truthful and live according to God’s will.
Christ and His Almighty Father have even given us a source of strength in the gifts bestowed upon us by the Holy Spirit; Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord.
The secret here is, we have to seek them out and ask God to bestow them upon you.
In closing I would like to share a prayer that I say every day.
Prayer for God’s Infinite Love
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFD, March 24th 2006
Almighty and merciful God, open my mind, my heart, and my soul to your infinite love. Instill within me the knowledge of your truth. Guide me in your ways in all the things I do so that I may be unto others a reflection of your love towards them. Allow the light of your truth to flow through me, towards them, in order that they may come to know you better.
I pray that all those with whom I come in contact with, each and every day, may be brought into a closer union with you and enjoy the promise of Your salvation earned through your beloved son, Jesus Christ, in His passion, death, resurrection and ascension.
I humbly ask this in the name of your beloved son, Jesus Christ, who lives, and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever unto the ages of ages. AMEN
May your spiritual reflection be crystal clear and bright and may Almighty God give you the fortitude to improve your reflection so that in it you and others see God clearly. AMEN
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFD
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus/Franciscans of Divine Mercy
www.missionstsergius.org
When you look in your spiritual mirror what do you see? Is the reflection cast back at you sharp and clear or are there streaks or dirty spots on the mirror?
Can you see the infinite and everlasting mercy and love of Christ being reflected back at you?
If there are streaks or spots on your reflection ask yourself what is it in me that is causing those distortions. Possibly they are there because you are not totally accepting yourself as God’s child. They could be caused because you spend too much time thinking about yourself and your needs instead of finding out how you can reach out to help others less fortunate than you.
One thing that can cause dark shadows and streaks on your mirror reflection is the distance you put between you and Almighty God. You believe in God and turn to Him when in need of a special intention such as healing or a job, but do you take time every day to communicate with him as you would with your best friend and give thanks for all he has given you?
Sometimes, just possibly, when you look in the mirror you do not recognize the person staring back at you. You need to ask why.
There is of course those times when you can see another figure behind you who seems to be calling to you. That reflection can either be the dark, frighteening and foreboding presence of Satan who is trying to entice you to reject God and live for pleasure, fame and fortune, or it might be a beautiful luminescent image that seems to glow from within which is the reflection of God, the Holy Spirit or your gaurdian Angel whispering to you to follow the path of rightousness.
Take a good look at yourself in that mirror, do you reflect the infinite love and mercy of Jesus Christ to yourself and to all you encounter on your life journey ? Do you live your live in a way that would prompt God to praise you as “My good and faithful servant”? If so your image is crystal clear and exactly what you want to envision when you look in your spiritual mirror. What you see in that mirror is how others see you and react towards you. If you live your life always striving to be kind, generous, thoughtful, forgiving, and not discriminatory of any individual, even those with whom you disagree, you are well on the way to seeing Christ in your reflection and others will see that in you.
If, however, you discriminate because God created someone with a same sex orientation, or someone has been divorced, or worse yet, that an individual is not of the same nationality, race or religious denomination as you, then your reflection is going to be full of blotches, stains and streaks and your image in the mirror needs to be cleaned up.
Jesus Christ did not reject anyone, he called and welcomed all to himself, even those who were sinners so that he could forgive them and encourage them to “Go and Sin No More” He sat at table with all political and religious persons, rejecting no one, teaching them how to attain salvation. Christ endured suffering and even death on the cross in order to free us from the burden of sin and open the gates of heaven to all. His example should have told us that to live as He instructed would not be easy and that we might be ridiculed and rejected and even have to suffer in order to be truthful and live according to God’s will.
Christ and His Almighty Father have even given us a source of strength in the gifts bestowed upon us by the Holy Spirit; Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord.
The secret here is, we have to seek them out and ask God to bestow them upon you.
In closing I would like to share a prayer that I say every day.
Prayer for God’s Infinite Love
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFD, March 24th 2006
Almighty and merciful God, open my mind, my heart, and my soul to your infinite love. Instill within me the knowledge of your truth. Guide me in your ways in all the things I do so that I may be unto others a reflection of your love towards them. Allow the light of your truth to flow through me, towards them, in order that they may come to know you better.
I pray that all those with whom I come in contact with, each and every day, may be brought into a closer union with you and enjoy the promise of Your salvation earned through your beloved son, Jesus Christ, in His passion, death, resurrection and ascension.
I humbly ask this in the name of your beloved son, Jesus Christ, who lives, and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever unto the ages of ages. AMEN
May your spiritual reflection be crystal clear and bright and may Almighty God give you the fortitude to improve your reflection so that in it you and others see God clearly. AMEN
Something To Reflect Upon
Do You Reflect Christ’s Love?
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFD
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus/Franciscans of Divine Mercy
www.missionstsergius.org
When you look in your spiritual mirror what do you see? Is the reflection cast back at you sharp and clear or are there streaks or dirty spots on the mirror?
Can you see the infinite and everlasting mercy and love of Christ being reflected back at you?
If there are streaks or spots on your reflection ask yourself what is it in me that is causing those distortions. Possibly they are there because you are not totally accepting yourself as God’s child. They could be caused because you spend too much time thinking about yourself and your needs instead of finding out how you can reach out to help others less fortunate than you.
One thing that can cause dark shadows and streaks on your mirror reflection is the distance you put between you and Almighty God. You believe in God and turn to Him when in need of a special intention such as healing or a job, but do you take time every day to communicate with him as you would with your best friend and give thanks for all he has given you?
Sometimes, just possibly, when you look in the mirror you do not recognize the person staring back at you. You need to ask why.
There is of course those times when you can see another figure behind you who seems to be calling to you. That reflection can either be the dark, frighteening and foreboding presence of Satan who is trying to entice you to reject God and live for pleasure, fame and fortune, or it might be a beautiful luminescent image that seems to glow from within which is the reflection of God, the Holy Spirit or your gaurdian Angel whispering to you to follow the path of rightousness.
Take a good look at yourself in that mirror, do you reflect the infinite love and mercy of Jesus Christ to yourself and to all you encounter on your life journey ? Do you live your live in a way that would prompt God to praise you as “My good and faithful servant”? If so your image is crystal clear and exactly what you want to envision when you look in your spiritual mirror. What you see in that mirror is how others see you and react towards you. If you live your life always striving to be kind, generous, thoughtful, forgiving, and not discriminatory of any individual, even those with whom you disagree, you are well on the way to seeing Christ in your reflection and others will see that in you.
If, however, you discriminate because God created someone with a same sex orientation, or someone has been divorced, or worse yet, that an individual is not of the same nationality, race or religious denomination as you, then your reflection is going to be full of blotches, stains and streaks and your image in the mirror needs to be cleaned up.
Jesus Christ did not reject anyone, he called and welcomed all to himself, even those who were sinners so that he could forgive them and encourage them to “Go and Sin No More” He sat at table with all political and religious persons, rejecting no one, teaching them how to attain salvation. Christ endured suffering and even death on the cross in order to free us from the burden of sin and open the gates of heaven to all. His example should have told us that to live as He instructed would not be easy and that we might be ridiculed and rejected and even have to suffer in order to be truthful and live according to God’s will.
Christ and His Almighty Father have even given us a source of strength in the gifts bestowed upon us by the Holy Spirit; Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord.
The secret here is, we have to seek them out and ask God to bestow them upon you.
In closing I would like to share a prayer that I say every day.
Prayer for God’s Infinite Love
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFD, March 24th 2006
Almighty and merciful God, open my mind, my heart, and my soul to your infinite love. Instill within me the knowledge of your truth. Guide me in your ways in all the things I do so that I may be unto others a reflection of your love towards them. Allow the light of your truth to flow through me, towards them, in order that they may come to know you better.
I pray that all those with whom I come in contact with, each and every day, may be brought into a closer union with you and enjoy the promise of Your salvation earned through your beloved son, Jesus Christ, in His passion, death, resurrection and ascension.
I humbly ask this in the name of your beloved son, Jesus Christ, who lives, and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever unto the ages of ages. AMEN
May your spiritual reflection be crystal clear and bright and may Almighty God give you the fortitude to improve your reflection so that in it you and others see God clearly. AMEN
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFD
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus/Franciscans of Divine Mercy
www.missionstsergius.org
When you look in your spiritual mirror what do you see? Is the reflection cast back at you sharp and clear or are there streaks or dirty spots on the mirror?
Can you see the infinite and everlasting mercy and love of Christ being reflected back at you?
If there are streaks or spots on your reflection ask yourself what is it in me that is causing those distortions. Possibly they are there because you are not totally accepting yourself as God’s child. They could be caused because you spend too much time thinking about yourself and your needs instead of finding out how you can reach out to help others less fortunate than you.
One thing that can cause dark shadows and streaks on your mirror reflection is the distance you put between you and Almighty God. You believe in God and turn to Him when in need of a special intention such as healing or a job, but do you take time every day to communicate with him as you would with your best friend and give thanks for all he has given you?
Sometimes, just possibly, when you look in the mirror you do not recognize the person staring back at you. You need to ask why.
There is of course those times when you can see another figure behind you who seems to be calling to you. That reflection can either be the dark, frighteening and foreboding presence of Satan who is trying to entice you to reject God and live for pleasure, fame and fortune, or it might be a beautiful luminescent image that seems to glow from within which is the reflection of God, the Holy Spirit or your gaurdian Angel whispering to you to follow the path of rightousness.
Take a good look at yourself in that mirror, do you reflect the infinite love and mercy of Jesus Christ to yourself and to all you encounter on your life journey ? Do you live your live in a way that would prompt God to praise you as “My good and faithful servant”? If so your image is crystal clear and exactly what you want to envision when you look in your spiritual mirror. What you see in that mirror is how others see you and react towards you. If you live your life always striving to be kind, generous, thoughtful, forgiving, and not discriminatory of any individual, even those with whom you disagree, you are well on the way to seeing Christ in your reflection and others will see that in you.
If, however, you discriminate because God created someone with a same sex orientation, or someone has been divorced, or worse yet, that an individual is not of the same nationality, race or religious denomination as you, then your reflection is going to be full of blotches, stains and streaks and your image in the mirror needs to be cleaned up.
Jesus Christ did not reject anyone, he called and welcomed all to himself, even those who were sinners so that he could forgive them and encourage them to “Go and Sin No More” He sat at table with all political and religious persons, rejecting no one, teaching them how to attain salvation. Christ endured suffering and even death on the cross in order to free us from the burden of sin and open the gates of heaven to all. His example should have told us that to live as He instructed would not be easy and that we might be ridiculed and rejected and even have to suffer in order to be truthful and live according to God’s will.
Christ and His Almighty Father have even given us a source of strength in the gifts bestowed upon us by the Holy Spirit; Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord.
The secret here is, we have to seek them out and ask God to bestow them upon you.
In closing I would like to share a prayer that I say every day.
Prayer for God’s Infinite Love
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFD, March 24th 2006
Almighty and merciful God, open my mind, my heart, and my soul to your infinite love. Instill within me the knowledge of your truth. Guide me in your ways in all the things I do so that I may be unto others a reflection of your love towards them. Allow the light of your truth to flow through me, towards them, in order that they may come to know you better.
I pray that all those with whom I come in contact with, each and every day, may be brought into a closer union with you and enjoy the promise of Your salvation earned through your beloved son, Jesus Christ, in His passion, death, resurrection and ascension.
I humbly ask this in the name of your beloved son, Jesus Christ, who lives, and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever unto the ages of ages. AMEN
May your spiritual reflection be crystal clear and bright and may Almighty God give you the fortitude to improve your reflection so that in it you and others see God clearly. AMEN
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