Sunday Nov. 6, 2017 Reflection

A God of Infinite Love

32^nd 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

www.orderfranciscansofmercy.org

www.missionstsergius.org

 

 

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.

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

November 06, 2016 Reflections Show

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 Reflections TV Shows;  http://www.youtube.com/user/RevBobJohn

Link to Mission Web Site:  http://www.missionstsergius.org

Link to Franciscans of Mercy web site www.orderfranciscansofmercy.org

 

The words from the first reading for the 31^st Sunday of Ordinary Time is from the Book of Wisdom 11:22-12:2 and worth more than a billion words and sermons.  

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

 

 

Oct 30 2016 All SaintsSouls show

Sunday October 23, 2016 Reflections Show

Sunday Oct. 16, 2016 Reflection

God’s Justice Will Be Done

A Reflection for the 29^th 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

Web site: www.missionstsergius.org

Franciscan Web Site: www.orderfranciscansofmercy.org

 

 

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 

Sunday October 16 2016 Reflections Show

Sunday October 9, 2016 Reflection

 

With Faith, All Things Are Possible

28^th 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

28th Ordinary Sunday Oct 9, 2016

Oct 2, 2016 Feast of St Francis

26th Ordinary Sunday Sept 25 2016

25th Ordinary Sunday 2016

9/11/ Reflection

Reflection for the 24^th Sunday of Ordinary Time

September 11, 2016

By Rev. Bob Johnnene OFM

Mission Saints Sergius & Bacchus

Order Franciscans of Mercy

www.missionstsergius.org

www.orderfranciscansofmercy.org

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

Sept 11, 2016 REFLECTIONS Show

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 12:27
                                   By 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  

Sept 4th 2016 Labor Day Show

August 28, 2016 REFLECTIONS show

Reflection for Sunday August 21, 2016

Reflection for Sunday August 21, 2016

21^st Sunday of Ordinary Time

By Rev. Bob Johnnene OFM

                                     Mission Saints Sergius & Bacchus
                                     Franciscans of Joy of the Gospel

Independent Catholic Church of the Americas

Link to Mission & Franciscan Web Sites:  www.missionstsergius.org

www.OrderFrancisacansofMerccy.org

The readings for this Sunday have much to say about who are welcomed into the house of God our Father.

The first reading from Isaiah 66 tells us that God in the human form of Jesus Christ will be sent to teach and gather ALL NATIONS and it foretells that his disciples would be sent to ALL the ends of the world to proclaim God’s GOOD NEWS OF SALVATION.

The Lord says this: I am coming to gather the nations of every language. They shall come to witness my glory. I will give them a sign and send some of their survivors to the nations: (Isaiah 66:18-21)

The second reading from the book of Hebrews 12 tells us that God will reprimand us if we fail to follow his teachings but it is because he loves us as a father and wants us to strive for perfection but will also forgive us and embrace as because he is merciful and loving.

“do not get discouraged when the father reprimands you. For the Lord trains the ones that he loves and he punishes all those that he acknowledges as his children. Suffering is part of your training; God is treating you as his children. Has there ever been any child whose father did not train them?  (Hebrews 12:5-7,11-13)

As I was reading the passage from Hebrews my thoughts traveled back to my youth and the times my parents “spanked me” or took away a privilege because I had broken a rule or failed to do as I was told.  

The spankings were all administered on that part of our body that has a lot of padding and they were administered with love just as Gods chastisements are.

Today that kind of punishment is considered child abuse and parents have been jailed for “spanking” their child. 

I have to wonder if the lack of punishment when a child has done something wrong is why we have so many children totally unaware of correct social behavior and very self-centered focusing on luxuries, fame, fortune and personal self-gratification  rather than doing works of social justice.

The Gospel from Luke ends with words that we have all heard many times; "And behold, some are last who will be first and some are first who will be last." (Luke 13:30)

Some Christian clergy persons have claim to know who is and who is not acceptable to Almighty God and who is damned for eternity.

There is not a clergy person of any denomination that knows that for sure, in fact the church teaches that even Judas Iscariot who betrayed Christ and then hung himself could very well be among the heavenly elect since all he had to do with his last dying breath was think “God forgive me” and God would have forgiven him because God is a compassionate and merciful God. Determining who can enter the kingdom of heaven and who will be condemned to Hell is God’s and only God’s determination.

God is going to judge us on how well we followed and lived the teachings that he sent Jesus to this earth to make completely clear to us.

Have we lived the The Beatitudes by caring for the planet God created, being compassionate toward the poor, sick, imprisoned, elderly, homeless, unemployed, and did we respect our neighbor as we would like to be respected?

The Gospel of Luke has three parables, the first about the narrow door and how some will not be strong enough to enter, I am reminded of the traditional Christian song “When the Saints Come Marching in; Oh, when the saints go marching in Oh, when the saints go marching in, I want to be in that number When the saints go marching in”

The second Parable is about those who are late and that refers to those people who failed to ask for forgiveness, a very good way to not fall into this category is to frequently receive the sacrament of reconciliation.

The third parable concerns those who are pretentious and think they are better than their neighbor and a much better Catholic because they attend Mass every week, receive Eucharist and pray daily but failed to be compassionate, merciful and were very judgmental of those who were not of the same faith, nationality or social strata as them, they would leave church and criticize someone because they didn’t dress as well as they did or their skin was of a different color.

The Gospel ends by telling us; “For behold some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last”

In this Jubilee Year of Mercy, Pope Francis constantly is reminding us of the infinite mercy and love of God for ALL His children and telling us to seek out that mercy as it is freely given by God. We need to do that before it is too late as the Gospel tells us this week.

In the Sermon on the Mount Christ tells us too; “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” He is advising us to not be ashamed to let people know we love God in the way the Sermon on The Mount instructed when it said; “ Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

God is calling us to be caring for ALL of His children no matter who or where they are since every human being on the face of the earth is a child of God.

The sermon also tells us how we should pray when it teaches us this; When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. … When you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
In the sermon we are advised to be “ that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes, Sadducees and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

During the time of Christ the Sadducees tended to be wealthy and held powerful positions, including that of chief priests and high priest.

 A Pharisee was a man especially trained as an expert in the Torah he was an official interpreter of the Law.

The most distinguished position of the day was that of a scribe. He wore a special long robe and was always given a seat of honor at public gatherings, such as the synagogue and they were looked up as living models to be followed.

Today the equivalent of Scribes, Sadducees and Pharisee’s would have to be the Hierarchy of all Churches who have taken it upon themselves to determine who will be welcomed and who is not.

Some have even gone so far as to prohibit people from worshiping “God and partaking of the Sacraments.

This was not Christ’s way and it should not be ours. 

Our job, as Christ’s Presbyters,  is to proclaim the infinite mercy and love of God for ALL and instill a love of God and therefore his teachings as found in the greatest Sermon of all given by Jesus Christ who as we proclaim in the Creed every time we attend Mass is: “the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end”.

Scripture tells us that God acknowledged that Jesus was His son with these words; "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased” (Luke 3:22).

Christ told us in the Sermon on the Mount that he was sent by the Father "to fulfill God‘s law.” Jesus told us he came to give us a “New Covenant” and in this week’s readings we are told that gaining everlasting happiness among the heavenly elect will not be easy, it will be like trying to enter a narrow gate, we won’t be able to enter if we are late to seek God’s forgiveness and we certainly won’t be welcome if we consider ourselves better than others.

I sum up this week’s teachings with Christ’s own words;

Christ was sent by God “unless our righteousness surpasses that of the scribes, Sadducees and Pharisees, we will not be among those who are invited to partake in the banquet of heaven.”  AMEN

 

August 21, 2016 REFLECTIONS TV show

20 th Ordinary Sunday August 14, 2016

19th Ordinary Sunday Aug 7, 2016

July 31st 2016 Reflection

17th Odinary Time July 24, 2016

16th Ordinary Sunday July 17, 2016