 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Praise God from whom all good things come, praise him all creatures here below,Give Glory to God for all He has done for us, Let us Praise God now and always. The Infinite mercy and love of God is for All His children here on Earth regardless of their race, social or political or sexual orientation. |
| This Week's Reflection |
Be Proud of Being a Christian
A Reflection for Seventh Sunday After Easter
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFD
The readings today are very powerful and affirming as they instruct us to be proud of being a follower of Christ, A Christian, and infer that when we
are punished or ridiculed by others for proclaiming our faith and living out our faith as Jesus instructed, we should realize how much Christ loves us
because He allows us to share in His suffering.
“If you can have some share in the sufferings of Christ, be glad, because you will enjoy a much greater gladness when his glory is revealed. It is a
blessing for you when they insult you for bearing the name of Christ, because it means that you have the Spirit of glory, the Spirit of God resting on
you. None of you should ever deserve to suffer for being a murderer, a thief, a criminal or an informer; but if anyone of you should suffer for being a
Christian, then he is not to be ashamed of it; he should thank God that he has been called one.” (1 Peter 4:13 - 16)
Being called a Christian is not an insult, or something to be ashamed of, it is a heavenly honor bestowed upon us by Almighty God and His beloved
son, Jesus Christ.
Let us face it, in today’s society many people claim to be Christians, but when you look closely, their actions are diametrically opposite the teachings
of Christ. Many discriminate and reject God’s children for reasons that are selfish or based on ignorance. People are refused participation in the
worship of God because of their race, nationality, or sexual orientation or divorce. Children are refused Baptism because their parent is a single
parent. This is not what Jesus taught.
If we are ashamed to live and act as Christ taught us and showed us by His actions, then we should not claim we are Christian.
If we do not have compassion for the sick, aged, homeless, and poor and reach out to help them, then we cannot claim to be a follower of Christ.
If we do not support and assist in the work of those who try to live the teachings of Christ by giving back some of the gifts God has provided us, we
can not claim to be living out the message of Christ.
Being proud to be a Christian means we are not ashamed to say a prayer of thanksgiving to God before eating a meal;, even when that is in a public
place.
Being proud and living out a Christian life means to be active in the ministry of Christ and worshiping God by prayer, receiving the Gift of Christ’s
body and blood in the Eucharist, and speaking out against injustice when ever we encounter it.
The Gospel reading from John 17:1 - 21 is the prayer Christ said in the Garden just before being betrayed and handed over to fulfill the plan of our
salvation.
“Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said: ‘Father, the hour has come: glorify your Son so that your Son may glorify you; and, through the power
over all mankind that you have given him, let him give eternal life to all those you have entrusted to him. Moreover, eternal life is this: to know you,
the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. ….. I have made your name known to the men you took from the world to give me. They
were yours and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now at last they know that all you have given me comes indeed from you; for I
have given them the teaching you gave to me, and they have truly accepted this, that I came from you, and have believed that it was you who sent
me. I pray for them; I am praying for those you have given me, because they belong to you: all I have is yours and all you have is mine, and in them
I am glorified… Holy Father, keep those you have given me true to your name, so that they may be one like us.’ While I was with them, I protected
them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. ….. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any
more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one… Sanctify them by
the truth; your word is truth… I have sent them into the world… While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave
me. …..I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not
that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by
the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly
sanctified.”
This prayer ends with Christ asking God, His Father, to protect from the Evil one all who accept to live as Christians and commissioning us to go out
into the world and proclaim God’s will by word and deed.
“They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them
into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.”
Christ not only gave us The Truth, but He was the Light that showed us the way to the Father and that was is to live out our lives in the same way
Christ, St. Francis and Mother Teresa of Calcutta and all those who speak out against injustice, poverty, homelessness, and discrimination have
before us.
Being proud of your Christianity is to live your life every day by being Christ centered in prayer, word, action and doing it without fear of being
ridiculed for it. AMEN
A Reflection for Seventh Sunday After Easter
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFD
The readings today are very powerful and affirming as they instruct us to be proud of being a follower of Christ, A Christian, and infer that when we
are punished or ridiculed by others for proclaiming our faith and living out our faith as Jesus instructed, we should realize how much Christ loves us
because He allows us to share in His suffering.
“If you can have some share in the sufferings of Christ, be glad, because you will enjoy a much greater gladness when his glory is revealed. It is a
blessing for you when they insult you for bearing the name of Christ, because it means that you have the Spirit of glory, the Spirit of God resting on
you. None of you should ever deserve to suffer for being a murderer, a thief, a criminal or an informer; but if anyone of you should suffer for being a
Christian, then he is not to be ashamed of it; he should thank God that he has been called one.” (1 Peter 4:13 - 16)
Being called a Christian is not an insult, or something to be ashamed of, it is a heavenly honor bestowed upon us by Almighty God and His beloved
son, Jesus Christ.
Let us face it, in today’s society many people claim to be Christians, but when you look closely, their actions are diametrically opposite the teachings
of Christ. Many discriminate and reject God’s children for reasons that are selfish or based on ignorance. People are refused participation in the
worship of God because of their race, nationality, or sexual orientation or divorce. Children are refused Baptism because their parent is a single
parent. This is not what Jesus taught.
If we are ashamed to live and act as Christ taught us and showed us by His actions, then we should not claim we are Christian.
If we do not have compassion for the sick, aged, homeless, and poor and reach out to help them, then we cannot claim to be a follower of Christ.
If we do not support and assist in the work of those who try to live the teachings of Christ by giving back some of the gifts God has provided us, we
can not claim to be living out the message of Christ.
Being proud to be a Christian means we are not ashamed to say a prayer of thanksgiving to God before eating a meal;, even when that is in a public
place.
Being proud and living out a Christian life means to be active in the ministry of Christ and worshiping God by prayer, receiving the Gift of Christ’s
body and blood in the Eucharist, and speaking out against injustice when ever we encounter it.
The Gospel reading from John 17:1 - 21 is the prayer Christ said in the Garden just before being betrayed and handed over to fulfill the plan of our
salvation.
“Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said: ‘Father, the hour has come: glorify your Son so that your Son may glorify you; and, through the power
over all mankind that you have given him, let him give eternal life to all those you have entrusted to him. Moreover, eternal life is this: to know you,
the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. ….. I have made your name known to the men you took from the world to give me. They
were yours and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now at last they know that all you have given me comes indeed from you; for I
have given them the teaching you gave to me, and they have truly accepted this, that I came from you, and have believed that it was you who sent
me. I pray for them; I am praying for those you have given me, because they belong to you: all I have is yours and all you have is mine, and in them
I am glorified… Holy Father, keep those you have given me true to your name, so that they may be one like us.’ While I was with them, I protected
them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. ….. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any
more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one… Sanctify them by
the truth; your word is truth… I have sent them into the world… While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave
me. …..I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not
that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by
the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly
sanctified.”
This prayer ends with Christ asking God, His Father, to protect from the Evil one all who accept to live as Christians and commissioning us to go out
into the world and proclaim God’s will by word and deed.
“They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them
into the world. For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.”
Christ not only gave us The Truth, but He was the Light that showed us the way to the Father and that was is to live out our lives in the same way
Christ, St. Francis and Mother Teresa of Calcutta and all those who speak out against injustice, poverty, homelessness, and discrimination have
before us.
Being proud of your Christianity is to live your life every day by being Christ centered in prayer, word, action and doing it without fear of being
ridiculed for it. AMEN
Blessed be Father, Son and Holy Spirit
Reflection of reading for Trinity Sunday
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFD
From: Genesis 1:1 -2:4; Psalm 8; 2 Corinthians 13:11-13; Matthew 28:16-20
The Feast of the Trinity, the belief that there are three distinct manifestations of the One God, is one of the most difficult for
many to understand and believe. In scripture, we find many references to the three manifestations or persons of God. Jesus, in
Matthew 28 tells the disciples “Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit” In Romans we read “Those
who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God” I am not going to go into the scholarly dissertations that have been made
through the ages. St. Patrick used the shamrock to define the trinity, others have used the qualities of (water, liquid, solid, gas) to
show how one thing can have three distinct qualities. Most of us who believe accept the fact of the Trinity.
I do want to reflect on how we relate to the Trinity. There is only One God, the God who is the creator of all things. The God who
asks only that we recognize Him and only Him is the same God who gave to Moses the Commandments for all to follow. When
the commandments are examined, with intelligence, they make logical sense as an intelligent way to lead ones life. If we follow
them, we will not only honor God, but we will also live lives that respect the dignity and individuality of all humanity.
Christ in Matthew 28 says “Full authority has been given to me both in heaven and on earth. Teach them to observe all the
Commands I gave you and know that I am with you always; yes, until the end of the earth”. In order to show His unending love
for all His children, Almighty God sent himself in the human form of Jesus to not only clearly demonstrate that a human could
live according to the Commandments, but to simplify them by clarifying how simple it is to give honor and glory to God. “Love
the Lord, your God, with your whole heart, mind, soul and being and Love your neighbor as yourself”.
The reading from Romans 8:14 states “Everyone moved by the Spirit is a son of God” and it concludes with “If we are children,
we are heirs as well; heirs of God, heirs with Christ”
The Holy Spirit, the third person or persona of Almighty God is often referred to as “ENLIGHTENER, COUNSELOR,
COMFORTER. In Baptism we, as Jesus himself was by John at the Jordan river, are baptized with water and the Spirit. This
means that just as the spirit descended upon Jesus in the form of a dove, we also receive the spirit and with it the gifts of the
Spirit which are, “Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge, Counsel, Fortitude, Piety and Fear of the Lord and the fruits of the Spirit
is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance". These gifts and fruits of the Spirit are
strengthened and supposedly deepened within us through prayer, and the Eucharist and each day we live as Jesus taught us.
If, however, we choose to ignore God’s desires for us; succumbing to greed, sexual promiscuity, discrimination, disregard for the
poor and needy, selfishness, and anger; we separate ourselves from God and the Gifts of the Spirit.
In other words, if we believe and accept Christ as our redeemer and savior, and if we follow the commandments of God and
clarified by Christ, we then will gain everlasting life in the spirit when our time in these mortal bodies of ours is over.
We need to be ever vigilant, opening ourselves to receive the Holy Spirit into our life, listening to what our hearts are telling us
and discern whether it conforms to what Christ has bid us do.
Paul, in his second letter to the people of Corinth which is often called his final goodbye sums up how we should all live as
followers of Christ, or Christians; “Finally, brothers and sisters, good-by. Try to be perfect. Pay attention to what I'm saying.
Agree with one another. Live in peace. And the God who gives love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy
kiss. All of God's people send their greetings.” (2 Corinthians 13:11-13) “LIVE IN PEACE”, powerful directions which are as
relevant today as in Paul’s time if not more so when we consider how people, who call themselves Christians, cause dissension
and separation from one another over man made rules and regulations or are not welcoming to individuals because they are of a
different race or color or nationality. The time is now for us to set aside our petty differences and come together in love and peace
as Paul instructed the Christians of Corinth.
If we can do this we will indeed have taken a giant step toward becoming one with the Father, The Son and Holy Spirit.
AMEN
Reflection of reading for Trinity Sunday
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFD
From: Genesis 1:1 -2:4; Psalm 8; 2 Corinthians 13:11-13; Matthew 28:16-20
The Feast of the Trinity, the belief that there are three distinct manifestations of the One God, is one of the most difficult for
many to understand and believe. In scripture, we find many references to the three manifestations or persons of God. Jesus, in
Matthew 28 tells the disciples “Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit” In Romans we read “Those
who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God” I am not going to go into the scholarly dissertations that have been made
through the ages. St. Patrick used the shamrock to define the trinity, others have used the qualities of (water, liquid, solid, gas) to
show how one thing can have three distinct qualities. Most of us who believe accept the fact of the Trinity.
I do want to reflect on how we relate to the Trinity. There is only One God, the God who is the creator of all things. The God who
asks only that we recognize Him and only Him is the same God who gave to Moses the Commandments for all to follow. When
the commandments are examined, with intelligence, they make logical sense as an intelligent way to lead ones life. If we follow
them, we will not only honor God, but we will also live lives that respect the dignity and individuality of all humanity.
Christ in Matthew 28 says “Full authority has been given to me both in heaven and on earth. Teach them to observe all the
Commands I gave you and know that I am with you always; yes, until the end of the earth”. In order to show His unending love
for all His children, Almighty God sent himself in the human form of Jesus to not only clearly demonstrate that a human could
live according to the Commandments, but to simplify them by clarifying how simple it is to give honor and glory to God. “Love
the Lord, your God, with your whole heart, mind, soul and being and Love your neighbor as yourself”.
The reading from Romans 8:14 states “Everyone moved by the Spirit is a son of God” and it concludes with “If we are children,
we are heirs as well; heirs of God, heirs with Christ”
The Holy Spirit, the third person or persona of Almighty God is often referred to as “ENLIGHTENER, COUNSELOR,
COMFORTER. In Baptism we, as Jesus himself was by John at the Jordan river, are baptized with water and the Spirit. This
means that just as the spirit descended upon Jesus in the form of a dove, we also receive the spirit and with it the gifts of the
Spirit which are, “Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge, Counsel, Fortitude, Piety and Fear of the Lord and the fruits of the Spirit
is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance". These gifts and fruits of the Spirit are
strengthened and supposedly deepened within us through prayer, and the Eucharist and each day we live as Jesus taught us.
If, however, we choose to ignore God’s desires for us; succumbing to greed, sexual promiscuity, discrimination, disregard for the
poor and needy, selfishness, and anger; we separate ourselves from God and the Gifts of the Spirit.
In other words, if we believe and accept Christ as our redeemer and savior, and if we follow the commandments of God and
clarified by Christ, we then will gain everlasting life in the spirit when our time in these mortal bodies of ours is over.
We need to be ever vigilant, opening ourselves to receive the Holy Spirit into our life, listening to what our hearts are telling us
and discern whether it conforms to what Christ has bid us do.
Paul, in his second letter to the people of Corinth which is often called his final goodbye sums up how we should all live as
followers of Christ, or Christians; “Finally, brothers and sisters, good-by. Try to be perfect. Pay attention to what I'm saying.
Agree with one another. Live in peace. And the God who gives love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy
kiss. All of God's people send their greetings.” (2 Corinthians 13:11-13) “LIVE IN PEACE”, powerful directions which are as
relevant today as in Paul’s time if not more so when we consider how people, who call themselves Christians, cause dissension
and separation from one another over man made rules and regulations or are not welcoming to individuals because they are of a
different race or color or nationality. The time is now for us to set aside our petty differences and come together in love and peace
as Paul instructed the Christians of Corinth.
If we can do this we will indeed have taken a giant step toward becoming one with the Father, The Son and Holy Spirit.
AMEN
| God Love ALL His Children Exactly as HE Created Them and so should WE |
Do You Hear God’s Teaching?
A Reflection for the 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFD
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus, Reformed Catholic Church International
www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Divine_Mercy_Franciscans
For the heart of this nation has grown coarse, their ears are dull of hearing, and they have shut their eyes, for fear they should see with
their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and be converted and be healed by me. Matthew 13:1 - 23
These words taken from the Gospel for this Sunday may very well describe the condition of our country and to the rest of the world.
It would appear that we as people have not learned much since Paul wrote these words in his letter to the Romans 8:18-23 “but
creation still retains the hope of being freed, like us, from its slavery to decadence, to enjoy the same freedom and glory as the
children of God. From the beginning till now the entire creation, as we know, has been groaning in one great act of giving birth; and
not only creation, but all of us who possess the first-fruits of the Spirit, we too groan inwardly as we wait for our bodies to be set
free.”
Throughout history the children of God have sought to find a place where they were treated with respect and dignity and
acknowledged for their inner self and not for their race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, or their wealth. Even in this
country that proclaims to be founded on the principal that “ALL PEOPLE ARE CREATED EQUAL” distinctions are made because of
a persons wealth, or race, creed, marital situation or sexual orientation.
Paul begins his letter to the Romans “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through
Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was
weakened by the sinful nature ….And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be
fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. Those who live according to the sinful
nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what
the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to
God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God."
If we are meant to please God one might ask how we do that. The answer, as far as I am concerned, is simple. We please God by first
of all giving God the thanks and praise that He deserves for all He has provided us with and then we show compassion, respect,
equality and charity toward all God children no matter who or where we encounter them.
Just as Christ told them many things in parables the word of God is not always clear to us and often given mistaken interpretations in
order to meet the popular views of the time in order to maintain wealth and power.
In today’s Gospel we hear the parable of the sower who scattered seed and some fell along the edge of the path, some on rock, some on
thorns and some on fertile soil. Only the seeds that fell on fertile soil grew and bore fruit, the rest died for one reason or another. So
it is with the Truth of Christ’s teachings.
Jesus goes on to say in this Gospel; “Listen, anyone who has ears!…they look without seeing and listen without hearing or
understanding. So in their case this prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled: You will listen and listen again, but not understand, see and
see again, but not perceive. For the heart of this nation has grown coarse, their ears are dull of hearing, and they have shut their eyes,
for fear they should see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and be converted and be healed by me.”
When we are true to the teachings of Christ and adhere to His teachings, giving Love to all God’s children as He gave Love to all He
encountered, forgoing the man made rules that have caused division and suffering to so many, then and only then will we be true to
Christ teachings and give honor and glory to Almighty God.
The family of God need to become a true loving, compassionate, caring, family and look out for the well being of every member of the
family, not just the select few who meet our standards.
We need to work to end the violence, hunger, homelessness and suffering so many are encountering and find was to lift the sick, poor,
and aged up so that they can enjoy some of life’s basic needs.
The Gospel reading ends with these words; “Happy are your eyes because they see, your ears because they hear! I tell you solemnly,
many prophets and holy men longed to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it. When anyone
hears the word of the kingdom without understanding, the evil one comes and carries off what was sown in his heart: this is the man
who received the seed on the edge of the path.”
Let us not receive God’s truth as given us by Jesus Christ and then go our way accepting only that which suites us and seek only
wealth, power and material and physical pleasure, for when we do we give ourselves over to the temptations of the evil one and are in
danger of loosing our heavenly reward.
All God’s children are precious to Him and should be to all of us who consider ourselves followers of Christ. AMEN
A Reflection for the 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFD
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus, Reformed Catholic Church International
www.missionstsergius.org
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Divine_Mercy_Franciscans
For the heart of this nation has grown coarse, their ears are dull of hearing, and they have shut their eyes, for fear they should see with
their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and be converted and be healed by me. Matthew 13:1 - 23
These words taken from the Gospel for this Sunday may very well describe the condition of our country and to the rest of the world.
It would appear that we as people have not learned much since Paul wrote these words in his letter to the Romans 8:18-23 “but
creation still retains the hope of being freed, like us, from its slavery to decadence, to enjoy the same freedom and glory as the
children of God. From the beginning till now the entire creation, as we know, has been groaning in one great act of giving birth; and
not only creation, but all of us who possess the first-fruits of the Spirit, we too groan inwardly as we wait for our bodies to be set
free.”
Throughout history the children of God have sought to find a place where they were treated with respect and dignity and
acknowledged for their inner self and not for their race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, or their wealth. Even in this
country that proclaims to be founded on the principal that “ALL PEOPLE ARE CREATED EQUAL” distinctions are made because of
a persons wealth, or race, creed, marital situation or sexual orientation.
Paul begins his letter to the Romans “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through
Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was
weakened by the sinful nature ….And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be
fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. Those who live according to the sinful
nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what
the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to
God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God."
If we are meant to please God one might ask how we do that. The answer, as far as I am concerned, is simple. We please God by first
of all giving God the thanks and praise that He deserves for all He has provided us with and then we show compassion, respect,
equality and charity toward all God children no matter who or where we encounter them.
Just as Christ told them many things in parables the word of God is not always clear to us and often given mistaken interpretations in
order to meet the popular views of the time in order to maintain wealth and power.
In today’s Gospel we hear the parable of the sower who scattered seed and some fell along the edge of the path, some on rock, some on
thorns and some on fertile soil. Only the seeds that fell on fertile soil grew and bore fruit, the rest died for one reason or another. So
it is with the Truth of Christ’s teachings.
Jesus goes on to say in this Gospel; “Listen, anyone who has ears!…they look without seeing and listen without hearing or
understanding. So in their case this prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled: You will listen and listen again, but not understand, see and
see again, but not perceive. For the heart of this nation has grown coarse, their ears are dull of hearing, and they have shut their eyes,
for fear they should see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and be converted and be healed by me.”
When we are true to the teachings of Christ and adhere to His teachings, giving Love to all God’s children as He gave Love to all He
encountered, forgoing the man made rules that have caused division and suffering to so many, then and only then will we be true to
Christ teachings and give honor and glory to Almighty God.
The family of God need to become a true loving, compassionate, caring, family and look out for the well being of every member of the
family, not just the select few who meet our standards.
We need to work to end the violence, hunger, homelessness and suffering so many are encountering and find was to lift the sick, poor,
and aged up so that they can enjoy some of life’s basic needs.
The Gospel reading ends with these words; “Happy are your eyes because they see, your ears because they hear! I tell you solemnly,
many prophets and holy men longed to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it. When anyone
hears the word of the kingdom without understanding, the evil one comes and carries off what was sown in his heart: this is the man
who received the seed on the edge of the path.”
Let us not receive God’s truth as given us by Jesus Christ and then go our way accepting only that which suites us and seek only
wealth, power and material and physical pleasure, for when we do we give ourselves over to the temptations of the evil one and are in
danger of loosing our heavenly reward.
All God’s children are precious to Him and should be to all of us who consider ourselves followers of Christ. AMEN
Please consider making a donation to our ministry during this
time of economic crisis to allow us to continue to serve God's
children who have sought us out for healing and comfort.
You can donate by using the DONATION BUTTONS found on
the various pages of this site or by sending donations directly to
the mission account
Mission Saints Sergius & Bacchus
c/o Middlesex Savings Bank
830 Washington Street
Holliston, MA 01746.
time of economic crisis to allow us to continue to serve God's
children who have sought us out for healing and comfort.
You can donate by using the DONATION BUTTONS found on
the various pages of this site or by sending donations directly to
the mission account
Mission Saints Sergius & Bacchus
c/o Middlesex Savings Bank
830 Washington Street
Holliston, MA 01746.
Seek and you will Find
A Reflection for Sunday July 27th 2008
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFD
Mission Sts. Sergius & Bacchus/ Franciscans of Divine Mercy
www.missionstsergius.org
The first reading for this Sunday is from 1 Kings 3:5 “The LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night. God said, “Ask something of me and I will
give it to you.” and it called to my mind another similar passages from Holy Scripture. One is found in Deuteronomy7 4:29 “But if from there you seek
the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Another is found in 1 Chronicles 28:9 “As for you,
my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands
every intent of the thoughts If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.” and still another in Matthew
7 :7-8 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks
finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”
Each of these passages are a solid reminder of God’s promise and love for ALL His children who embrace Him and seek Him for solace and
forgiveness as well as healing and strength.
Today’s Gospel from Matthew 13:44-52 relates the parable that Christ used to describe the Kingdom of Heaven. “Jesus said to his disciples: “The
kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that
field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has
and buys it.” Once we have found the truth of Christ’s message and recognize that Almighty God, the Father and creator of all things is a loving,
compassionate and forgiving God who has created all things good, we need to hold on to that message and value it as the most precious thing we have.
In Paul’s letter to the Romans 8:28, which is the second reading for this Sunday, Paul reaffirms this knowledge by saying “ Brothers and sisters: We
know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those he foreknew he also predestined to be
conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined he also called; and
those he called he also justified; and those he justified he also glorified.” Combined, these words should hearten us and lift us up when we feel
depressed, forlorn or abandoned.
We need to remember that we are never completely alone as long as we hold on to the love of God and believe the message that Christ gave us. It is
not the rules of man, or a church organization that should establish how God perceives us but what is embedded deep in our hearts. If we live our lives
to serve God with our whole heart and with a willing mind, as the reading from Chronicles reminds us, GOD WILL NEVER REJECT US!
Over the past week there has been much written about in the Boston and National press about the three women who were “ordained” to the “Catholic”
church as priests. There have been statements by the Roman clergy and others about the validity of these ordinations. Among them this statement
which to my mind was in direct contradiction to the Roman churches own teachings; “Christ had no female disciples”. The truth is that there were
female disciples and the church has called them thus even to recognizing them as saints. They were Mary and Martha the sisters of Lazarus, Mary the
mother of James, Mary the mother of Jesus and our Blessed mother, Mary Madeline on whose feast day I am writing this reflection and others. It was
the women along with the youngest of the apostles that stayed with Christ through the entire passion and death on the cross while all the other apostles
including Peter hid away in fear.
As far as women deacons we find mention of the qualities a women deaconess must have in Paul’s letter to Timothy and in Romans when Paul talks
about Phoebe a women deaconess.
The reality of it all is that the Roman church has had in its past not only women deacons, but also priests and in the past has had married priests. So
why the divergence of truth? I do not know for certain, but can only surmise that it has something to do with control, power and domination as well as
finances.
Another statement was; “The Roman Catholic church is the only true church and salvations outside it is not possible”. This also contradicts past
teachings since the church excommunicated Fr. Feeney for making that very same statement. If there is no salvations outside of the Roman church, I
feel that an enormous number of God loving, fearing followers of the teachings of Christ who accept the basic truths of the Christian Faith as found in
the Nicene Creed have been excluded from heaven by the Roman church which has placed their contradictory teachings above those of the writers of
the scriptures quoted above. According to the readings I have used, it is God Himself who looks into our hearts and decides who will attain heaven. It
is not any humans place to usurp God’s decision. We are taught in today’s readings; ““But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find
him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.” “know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind;
for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts If you seek Him, He will let you find Him” “For everyone who asks
receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”
God will NEVER reject anyone who comes to him and has faithfully followed his teaching to; LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS I HAVE LOVED YOU”
Remember “God loves ALL His children exactly as He created them”
Therefore, seek him with your heart, mind and entire being and follow Him with love toward ALL His children and you will have the gates of heaven
opened to you. AMEN
A Reflection for Sunday July 27th 2008
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFD
Mission Sts. Sergius & Bacchus/ Franciscans of Divine Mercy
www.missionstsergius.org
The first reading for this Sunday is from 1 Kings 3:5 “The LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night. God said, “Ask something of me and I will
give it to you.” and it called to my mind another similar passages from Holy Scripture. One is found in Deuteronomy7 4:29 “But if from there you seek
the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Another is found in 1 Chronicles 28:9 “As for you,
my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands
every intent of the thoughts If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.” and still another in Matthew
7 :7-8 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks
finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”
Each of these passages are a solid reminder of God’s promise and love for ALL His children who embrace Him and seek Him for solace and
forgiveness as well as healing and strength.
Today’s Gospel from Matthew 13:44-52 relates the parable that Christ used to describe the Kingdom of Heaven. “Jesus said to his disciples: “The
kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that
field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has
and buys it.” Once we have found the truth of Christ’s message and recognize that Almighty God, the Father and creator of all things is a loving,
compassionate and forgiving God who has created all things good, we need to hold on to that message and value it as the most precious thing we have.
In Paul’s letter to the Romans 8:28, which is the second reading for this Sunday, Paul reaffirms this knowledge by saying “ Brothers and sisters: We
know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those he foreknew he also predestined to be
conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined he also called; and
those he called he also justified; and those he justified he also glorified.” Combined, these words should hearten us and lift us up when we feel
depressed, forlorn or abandoned.
We need to remember that we are never completely alone as long as we hold on to the love of God and believe the message that Christ gave us. It is
not the rules of man, or a church organization that should establish how God perceives us but what is embedded deep in our hearts. If we live our lives
to serve God with our whole heart and with a willing mind, as the reading from Chronicles reminds us, GOD WILL NEVER REJECT US!
Over the past week there has been much written about in the Boston and National press about the three women who were “ordained” to the “Catholic”
church as priests. There have been statements by the Roman clergy and others about the validity of these ordinations. Among them this statement
which to my mind was in direct contradiction to the Roman churches own teachings; “Christ had no female disciples”. The truth is that there were
female disciples and the church has called them thus even to recognizing them as saints. They were Mary and Martha the sisters of Lazarus, Mary the
mother of James, Mary the mother of Jesus and our Blessed mother, Mary Madeline on whose feast day I am writing this reflection and others. It was
the women along with the youngest of the apostles that stayed with Christ through the entire passion and death on the cross while all the other apostles
including Peter hid away in fear.
As far as women deacons we find mention of the qualities a women deaconess must have in Paul’s letter to Timothy and in Romans when Paul talks
about Phoebe a women deaconess.
The reality of it all is that the Roman church has had in its past not only women deacons, but also priests and in the past has had married priests. So
why the divergence of truth? I do not know for certain, but can only surmise that it has something to do with control, power and domination as well as
finances.
Another statement was; “The Roman Catholic church is the only true church and salvations outside it is not possible”. This also contradicts past
teachings since the church excommunicated Fr. Feeney for making that very same statement. If there is no salvations outside of the Roman church, I
feel that an enormous number of God loving, fearing followers of the teachings of Christ who accept the basic truths of the Christian Faith as found in
the Nicene Creed have been excluded from heaven by the Roman church which has placed their contradictory teachings above those of the writers of
the scriptures quoted above. According to the readings I have used, it is God Himself who looks into our hearts and decides who will attain heaven. It
is not any humans place to usurp God’s decision. We are taught in today’s readings; ““But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find
him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.” “know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind;
for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts If you seek Him, He will let you find Him” “For everyone who asks
receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”
God will NEVER reject anyone who comes to him and has faithfully followed his teaching to; LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS I HAVE LOVED YOU”
Remember “God loves ALL His children exactly as He created them”
Therefore, seek him with your heart, mind and entire being and follow Him with love toward ALL His children and you will have the gates of heaven
opened to you. AMEN
We Cannot Ever Know God’s Intent
A Reflection for the 21st Sunday of Ordinary Time
By Rev. Bob Johnnene OFD
Mission Sts. Sergius & Bacchus/Franciscans of Divine Mercy
www.missionstsergius.org
The second reading for this Sunday clearly states that no human can ever really know God’s mind or the reasons He chooses to do anything.
How rich are the depths of God – how deep his wisdom and knowledge – and how impossible to penetrate his motives or understand his methods!
Who could ever know the mind of the Lord? Who could ever be his counsellor? Who could ever give him anything or lend him anything? All that
exists comes from him; all is by him and for him. To him be glory for ever! Amen. Romans 11:33 – 36
For centuries churches have taken this line; “You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold
out against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you
loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.” from the Gospel of Matthew 16, to justify their selectivity of who is and who is not welcome
within their church and also to claim that the Bishop of Rome is the one and only head of the church and many other actions that his excluded
people rather than include ALL God’s Children.
In Actuality, the words that Jesus used in His answer are almost identical to those used in Isaiah 22 which is the first reading for today and one that
Jesus would have been very familiar with. “I place the key of the House of David on his shoulder; should he open, no one shall close, should he
close, no one shall open. I drive him like a peg into a firm place; he will become a throne of glory for his father’s house.”
We must remember that even though Peter was the person who gave the answer to Christ’s question; “Who do people say the Son of Man is?’; and
Peter replied “You are the Christ,"; all twelve apostles were present and all, except Judas, after the decent of the Holy Spirit upon them went forth
and established churches, the first being the Church in Jerusalem headed by James.
The Church of Rome actually was one of the last churches to be established. But I digress from the main point I want to make.
There is nothing in this world that was not initially created by Almighty God and still is watched over by Him. God created everything for a purpose
and for good. Unfortunately, we children of God seem to find a way to turn some of God’s creation into something bad. We misuse God’s creation
in ways that He did not intend. We also make judgments about some of God’s creation using our less than perfect minds and human values to
perceive God’s intent usually incorrectly.
Paul, in his letter to the Romans makes it very clear “No human can ever penetrate God’s motives or understand God’s methods” “No human can
ever know the mind of God”
What we do know is that God, the God who created all things, God, who sent His only begotten son to earth to make His desire and will clear, The
God Jesus the Christ claimed to be His Father in Heaven, is first and foremost a compassionate, merciful and infinitely loving God who cares for
ALL His children.
A loving God would never condemn a person to everlasting suffering because they loved another and lived their life in a decent and lawful manner
with concern for others and a love and devotion to God.
The son of God, Jesus the Christ, never turned anyone away that came to Him in belief and trust. He denied no one who sought help. Jesus often
instructed that His Father was a forgiving Father and would welcome all who might have strayed away just as the father in the story of The Prodigal
Son welcomed and rejoiced upon the son’s return.
We, humans need to stop believing that we know the mind of God and the reasons He chooses to do things.
We need to stop condemning people for their sexual orientation and for loving another. We need to seek ways to end the cycle of violence against
God’s children that has brought so much pain and suffering in this world.
We need to begin to find ways of helping those who are poor, aged, sick, homeless and addicted to drugs and alcohol and put an end to wars that
are waged in order to gain riches or property and dominate the minds of God’s children making them subservient to the few.
We need to live the Sermon of the Mount and be like the Good Samaritan. We need to love one another as God loves us and respect the diversity
that God created instead of trying to control and change it to suite our inferior selves. Only God is perfect and we can never know God’s reasons
or intent. AMEN
A Reflection for the 21st Sunday of Ordinary Time
By Rev. Bob Johnnene OFD
Mission Sts. Sergius & Bacchus/Franciscans of Divine Mercy
www.missionstsergius.org
The second reading for this Sunday clearly states that no human can ever really know God’s mind or the reasons He chooses to do anything.
How rich are the depths of God – how deep his wisdom and knowledge – and how impossible to penetrate his motives or understand his methods!
Who could ever know the mind of the Lord? Who could ever be his counsellor? Who could ever give him anything or lend him anything? All that
exists comes from him; all is by him and for him. To him be glory for ever! Amen. Romans 11:33 – 36
For centuries churches have taken this line; “You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold
out against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you
loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.” from the Gospel of Matthew 16, to justify their selectivity of who is and who is not welcome
within their church and also to claim that the Bishop of Rome is the one and only head of the church and many other actions that his excluded
people rather than include ALL God’s Children.
In Actuality, the words that Jesus used in His answer are almost identical to those used in Isaiah 22 which is the first reading for today and one that
Jesus would have been very familiar with. “I place the key of the House of David on his shoulder; should he open, no one shall close, should he
close, no one shall open. I drive him like a peg into a firm place; he will become a throne of glory for his father’s house.”
We must remember that even though Peter was the person who gave the answer to Christ’s question; “Who do people say the Son of Man is?’; and
Peter replied “You are the Christ,"; all twelve apostles were present and all, except Judas, after the decent of the Holy Spirit upon them went forth
and established churches, the first being the Church in Jerusalem headed by James.
The Church of Rome actually was one of the last churches to be established. But I digress from the main point I want to make.
There is nothing in this world that was not initially created by Almighty God and still is watched over by Him. God created everything for a purpose
and for good. Unfortunately, we children of God seem to find a way to turn some of God’s creation into something bad. We misuse God’s creation
in ways that He did not intend. We also make judgments about some of God’s creation using our less than perfect minds and human values to
perceive God’s intent usually incorrectly.
Paul, in his letter to the Romans makes it very clear “No human can ever penetrate God’s motives or understand God’s methods” “No human can
ever know the mind of God”
What we do know is that God, the God who created all things, God, who sent His only begotten son to earth to make His desire and will clear, The
God Jesus the Christ claimed to be His Father in Heaven, is first and foremost a compassionate, merciful and infinitely loving God who cares for
ALL His children.
A loving God would never condemn a person to everlasting suffering because they loved another and lived their life in a decent and lawful manner
with concern for others and a love and devotion to God.
The son of God, Jesus the Christ, never turned anyone away that came to Him in belief and trust. He denied no one who sought help. Jesus often
instructed that His Father was a forgiving Father and would welcome all who might have strayed away just as the father in the story of The Prodigal
Son welcomed and rejoiced upon the son’s return.
We, humans need to stop believing that we know the mind of God and the reasons He chooses to do things.
We need to stop condemning people for their sexual orientation and for loving another. We need to seek ways to end the cycle of violence against
God’s children that has brought so much pain and suffering in this world.
We need to begin to find ways of helping those who are poor, aged, sick, homeless and addicted to drugs and alcohol and put an end to wars that
are waged in order to gain riches or property and dominate the minds of God’s children making them subservient to the few.
We need to live the Sermon of the Mount and be like the Good Samaritan. We need to love one another as God loves us and respect the diversity
that God created instead of trying to control and change it to suite our inferior selves. Only God is perfect and we can never know God’s reasons
or intent. AMEN
How Do We Serve God and Live According to His Will?
A Reflection for the 22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFD
Mission Sts. Sergius & Bacchus/ Franciscans of Divine Mercy
www.missionstsergius.org
This week has been an inspiring week and interesting week spiritually as well as politically. Spiritually the readings for not only this Sunday but the
past week have all been about how we, as followers of Jesus Christ, should be living our lives and making judgments about how our country should
act as one founded upon the principals of justice, freedom and equality FOR ALL ITS PEOPLE and the people of the world.
In Paul’s letter to the Romans 12 Paul urges us “Do not conform selves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may
discern what is the will of God, discern what is good and pleasing and perfect in the eyes of God” and in Matthew 19: Christ tells us clearly "If you
want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."…."I tell you the
truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a
rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
According to Matthew in chapter 23 Christ is to have said;” But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom
of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.” Could this not apply to those churches
that reject people because they are single mothers, divorced, or have a same sex orientation? Christ NEVER turned any one away.
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will
receive greater condemnation " Does not this statement resound in you as what is happening to people who have lost their homes because of the
unscrupulous practices of financial institutions?.
"Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple is obligated.'
"You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold?” This is clearly an incrimination of those who
place wealth and power above service to God by being charitable and compassionate to the poor, sick, and aged. Christ then goes on to make it
completely clear that by swearing allegiances to God and living a life of “ justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should
have done without neglecting the others.”"Outwardly you appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”Woe to
you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, 'If we had been
living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' "So you testify against
yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.”Fill up, then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers. "You serpents, you brood
of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell? (Excerpts from Matthew 23:13-32)
This passage not only was talking about the Religious leaders of Christ’s time but, I believe, to the Religious and Political leaders of today.
Building magnificent palaces as a sign of giving praise, honor and glory to God and His beloved Son Jesus the Christ is a waste of the funds that
built them when they could have been used to annihilate poverty, illness and provide affordable adequate medical care and education and housing
to millions of people all over the globe who are impoverished. God did not ask us to honor Him that way, God wants us to honor Him by caring for
one another and loving one another as His Son, Jesus Christ taught us.
We must keep in mind that we humans have a tendency to look at the world through our inferior mind compared to God’s perfection as Christ tells
us; “You are thinking, not as God does but as human beings do” Whoever wishes to follow me, must deny themselves”…..”What profit is there for
a person to gain the whole world and forfeit their life” (Matthew 16: 26)
“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world” these words spoken by Ann Frank in her Diary
of a Young Girl ring true today. We don’t have to wait for someone else to change the world, we can begin now each one of us, individually by
changing our own perspective and evaluate what we need to do to live God’s greatest commandment; “Love God with your whole mind, body and
soul and love your neighbor as you love yourself” or as Christ told us; "Love one another as I have loved you.”
Remember what Christ warned us; "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” (Matthew 24:42) Might it
not be better for us to "not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up
for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal". (Matthew 6:19-20)
AMEN
A Reflection for the 22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFD
Mission Sts. Sergius & Bacchus/ Franciscans of Divine Mercy
www.missionstsergius.org
This week has been an inspiring week and interesting week spiritually as well as politically. Spiritually the readings for not only this Sunday but the
past week have all been about how we, as followers of Jesus Christ, should be living our lives and making judgments about how our country should
act as one founded upon the principals of justice, freedom and equality FOR ALL ITS PEOPLE and the people of the world.
In Paul’s letter to the Romans 12 Paul urges us “Do not conform selves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may
discern what is the will of God, discern what is good and pleasing and perfect in the eyes of God” and in Matthew 19: Christ tells us clearly "If you
want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."…."I tell you the
truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a
rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
According to Matthew in chapter 23 Christ is to have said;” But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom
of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.” Could this not apply to those churches
that reject people because they are single mothers, divorced, or have a same sex orientation? Christ NEVER turned any one away.
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will
receive greater condemnation " Does not this statement resound in you as what is happening to people who have lost their homes because of the
unscrupulous practices of financial institutions?.
"Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple is obligated.'
"You fools and blind men! Which is more important, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold?” This is clearly an incrimination of those who
place wealth and power above service to God by being charitable and compassionate to the poor, sick, and aged. Christ then goes on to make it
completely clear that by swearing allegiances to God and living a life of “ justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should
have done without neglecting the others.”"Outwardly you appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”Woe to
you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, 'If we had been
living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' "So you testify against
yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.”Fill up, then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers. "You serpents, you brood
of vipers, how will you escape the sentence of hell? (Excerpts from Matthew 23:13-32)
This passage not only was talking about the Religious leaders of Christ’s time but, I believe, to the Religious and Political leaders of today.
Building magnificent palaces as a sign of giving praise, honor and glory to God and His beloved Son Jesus the Christ is a waste of the funds that
built them when they could have been used to annihilate poverty, illness and provide affordable adequate medical care and education and housing
to millions of people all over the globe who are impoverished. God did not ask us to honor Him that way, God wants us to honor Him by caring for
one another and loving one another as His Son, Jesus Christ taught us.
We must keep in mind that we humans have a tendency to look at the world through our inferior mind compared to God’s perfection as Christ tells
us; “You are thinking, not as God does but as human beings do” Whoever wishes to follow me, must deny themselves”…..”What profit is there for
a person to gain the whole world and forfeit their life” (Matthew 16: 26)
“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world” these words spoken by Ann Frank in her Diary
of a Young Girl ring true today. We don’t have to wait for someone else to change the world, we can begin now each one of us, individually by
changing our own perspective and evaluate what we need to do to live God’s greatest commandment; “Love God with your whole mind, body and
soul and love your neighbor as you love yourself” or as Christ told us; "Love one another as I have loved you.”
Remember what Christ warned us; "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” (Matthew 24:42) Might it
not be better for us to "not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up
for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal". (Matthew 6:19-20)
AMEN
God’s Infinite Love is for ALL
A Reflection for the Exaltation of the Cross Feast Sunday September 14th
By Rev. Bob Johnnene OFD
Mission Sts. Sergius & Bacchus/Franciscans of Divine Mercy
www.missionstsergius.org
“God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal
life. For God sent his Son into the world not to condemn the world, but so that through him the world might be saved.” (John 3:13-
17)
The gospel for this Sunday is a clear reminder to us of exactly how much Almighty God loves ALL His children. His love is so
great that He was willing to send his beloved son, Jesus Christ, to earth in human form and subject to all the difficulties and
pressures of being human even to the ultimate indignity of being persecuted, tortured and crucified just so Christ, by that action,
could open the gates of heaven to ALL who desired to seek it.
Because it was by the cross that Christ redeemed the world. That is why the church commemorates this redeeming action of Jesus
on this Sunday.
As adults, we sometimes feel abandoned and afraid and feel like we are being treated unfairly or blamed for things unfairly. We
have a hard time when people criticize us for following our inner feelings even when we have discerned what we are feeling to
determine if it is in accord with God’s will.
As adults the same feelings of insecurity that we felt as children raise their ugly head and we feel that everything we do is not
appreciated. There are also those times when we believe that we have taken on more responsibility or a project that we are not
capable of or is not actually God’s will.
We often feel sorry for ourselves; even though the crosses others have to carry are much greater than anything we have to
contend with.
Even Jesus, who was fully aware of what was in store for Him pleaded with His father “"My Father, if it is possible, let this cup
pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will."(Matthew 26:39)
In all these insecure feelings we must always pray to God in the same way that Jesus did by asking our heavenly Father to grant
to us that which is in accord with His will and not what we think we desire.
God’s infinite love for us will NEVER give us more than we are capable of enduring and, often, God has caused those He loves
greatly, like His son, to endure greater suffering because God knows that our faith in Him is strong and we will be like Job,
keeping our faith in spite of our difficulties.
In today’s world so many individuals and religious organizations reject and discriminate against others because they are not
exactly like them. God did not create only one species or one kind of person. God created great diversity and because of His
creation we have much to be thankful for because if all people, animals and countries were the same boredom would certainly
have overtaken this world many millennium ago.
Christ was sent to us as an act of God’s love to make known the way to salvation.
One of the basic teachings of Christ is compassion for the downtrodden, poor and marginalized.
To me that indicates that those who have been given wealth, fame and power have an obligation to take care of those who are in
need. "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much,
much more will be asked" (Luke 12:48)
Just as Christ set aside His human instincts to remain alive and not suffer the agony of the passion and death on a cross in order
to attain salvation for ALL God’s children so too must we set aside our self interests make decisions that will benefit the greatest
number of people especially those who are suffering because of age, poverty, war, discrimination and illness.
By doing this we can be assured that we are truly living in accord with God’s will and as Jesus tells us in John 17:26 that God’s
love for us is as great as the love God had for His son and that we are living in a Godly way and that God is with us. "I have
made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I
myself may be in them." (John 17:26) AMEN
A Reflection for the Exaltation of the Cross Feast Sunday September 14th
By Rev. Bob Johnnene OFD
Mission Sts. Sergius & Bacchus/Franciscans of Divine Mercy
www.missionstsergius.org
“God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal
life. For God sent his Son into the world not to condemn the world, but so that through him the world might be saved.” (John 3:13-
17)
The gospel for this Sunday is a clear reminder to us of exactly how much Almighty God loves ALL His children. His love is so
great that He was willing to send his beloved son, Jesus Christ, to earth in human form and subject to all the difficulties and
pressures of being human even to the ultimate indignity of being persecuted, tortured and crucified just so Christ, by that action,
could open the gates of heaven to ALL who desired to seek it.
Because it was by the cross that Christ redeemed the world. That is why the church commemorates this redeeming action of Jesus
on this Sunday.
As adults, we sometimes feel abandoned and afraid and feel like we are being treated unfairly or blamed for things unfairly. We
have a hard time when people criticize us for following our inner feelings even when we have discerned what we are feeling to
determine if it is in accord with God’s will.
As adults the same feelings of insecurity that we felt as children raise their ugly head and we feel that everything we do is not
appreciated. There are also those times when we believe that we have taken on more responsibility or a project that we are not
capable of or is not actually God’s will.
We often feel sorry for ourselves; even though the crosses others have to carry are much greater than anything we have to
contend with.
Even Jesus, who was fully aware of what was in store for Him pleaded with His father “"My Father, if it is possible, let this cup
pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will."(Matthew 26:39)
In all these insecure feelings we must always pray to God in the same way that Jesus did by asking our heavenly Father to grant
to us that which is in accord with His will and not what we think we desire.
God’s infinite love for us will NEVER give us more than we are capable of enduring and, often, God has caused those He loves
greatly, like His son, to endure greater suffering because God knows that our faith in Him is strong and we will be like Job,
keeping our faith in spite of our difficulties.
In today’s world so many individuals and religious organizations reject and discriminate against others because they are not
exactly like them. God did not create only one species or one kind of person. God created great diversity and because of His
creation we have much to be thankful for because if all people, animals and countries were the same boredom would certainly
have overtaken this world many millennium ago.
Christ was sent to us as an act of God’s love to make known the way to salvation.
One of the basic teachings of Christ is compassion for the downtrodden, poor and marginalized.
To me that indicates that those who have been given wealth, fame and power have an obligation to take care of those who are in
need. "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much,
much more will be asked" (Luke 12:48)
Just as Christ set aside His human instincts to remain alive and not suffer the agony of the passion and death on a cross in order
to attain salvation for ALL God’s children so too must we set aside our self interests make decisions that will benefit the greatest
number of people especially those who are suffering because of age, poverty, war, discrimination and illness.
By doing this we can be assured that we are truly living in accord with God’s will and as Jesus tells us in John 17:26 that God’s
love for us is as great as the love God had for His son and that we are living in a Godly way and that God is with us. "I have
made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I
myself may be in them." (John 17:26) AMEN
Give to God that which belongs to Him
A Reflection for the 29th Sunday of Ordinary Time
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFD
Mission Sts. Sergius & Bacchus/Franciscans of Divine Mercy
www.missionstsergius.org
“Very well, give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar – and to God what belongs to God”. Matthew 22:21
How do we give back to God those things that belong to Him? The Gospel reading for the twenty ninth Sunday of Ordinary time informs us that
we should give back to the government that which is theirs and to God that which is His. We therefore are advised by Christ to live up to the
obligations we owe to our government and give to God what God deserves, honor, praise and glory.
We have a choice, we can choose to serve those human gods of Greed, power, domination, discrimination, materialism and self-effacement or do
we choose to follow the way of Jesus Christ. The answer should be very easy if we seek not only everlasting peace in the hereafter but in this
world we live in. We soon will be asked to fulfill one of our obligations to government by voting for the person who will have the ability to make
not only this country but the world a better place.
This weeks Gospel tells us to give government what it requires of citizens, one of which is to vote. When we exercise that right we not only will be
fulfilling our obligation but if we do it with an eye toward which candidate will best meet the way Jesus taught and which candidate will insure a
government that is compassionate, kind and concerned for all God’s children especially those most in need of help, the poor, sick, elderly and
homeless we will be giving honor to God.
When Jesus Christ was transfigured God informed us clearly who Jesus was with these words; “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well
pleased. Listen to him!" (Matthew 17:4-6).
When we read the teachings of Christ, we find clear concise guidelines as to how we are expected to live our lives. These are found in The
Sermon on the Mount, and in the “GREAT COMMANDMENT”, "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: '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 your entire 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)
Could Christ’s teachings be any clearer, yet so many try to FIT THEIR POLITICALLY CORRECT AGENDA” and reject things that might put
a financial strain on the few who have gotten rich and powerful through means that was not always best for the majority. The Book of Isaiah (58:
10) teaches us that; "if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom
will become like midday."
When we fail to be concerned for the well being of ALL God’s children we are not, and we cannot, claim to be serving God and giving back to
Him what He deserves.
Jesus, in the stories of his everyday life, rejected no one, not even those who were to crucify him. Jesus sat and ate with those that Jewish law
forbade eating a meal with. We can dislike the way another person acts, we can reject their choices as not acceptable, we have the freedom to
choose not to associate with some people because they lie, cheat, steal, murder, and act in an manner that is offensive to God, But, When we
decide that power, money, prestige, fame, and greed are more important to us than living according to God’s way, we are not serving God.
We need to remember what we have been instructed, we should judge a person, even our elected officials, by their past deeds. Have they fought
to feed the poor and clothe the Naked and provide adequate housing to the homeless or sought equal pay for equal work? Have they spoken out
against atrocities and war? Do they respect and love All of God’s children and seek to have all treated fairly?
In this coming election we have seen character assassination, lies and behavior that is not becoming to a person who desires to be a leader of a
great nation. We have heard the candidate for the posts of Vice president preach bigotry and discrimination. That kind of action is not in accord
with the teachings of Christ.
The question poised at the beginning of this reflection was, “Do you render to God that which is God’s and to Caesar that which is
His” You will if you vote for a person who has fought for others according to the manner prescribed by Christ and has made past judgments
based on the teachings given us.
By casting a vote for equality, justice and peace you will be rendering to God that which is His and to Caesar what is His and fulfilling your civic
duty. AMEN
A Reflection for the 29th Sunday of Ordinary Time
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFD
Mission Sts. Sergius & Bacchus/Franciscans of Divine Mercy
www.missionstsergius.org
“Very well, give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar – and to God what belongs to God”. Matthew 22:21
How do we give back to God those things that belong to Him? The Gospel reading for the twenty ninth Sunday of Ordinary time informs us that
we should give back to the government that which is theirs and to God that which is His. We therefore are advised by Christ to live up to the
obligations we owe to our government and give to God what God deserves, honor, praise and glory.
We have a choice, we can choose to serve those human gods of Greed, power, domination, discrimination, materialism and self-effacement or do
we choose to follow the way of Jesus Christ. The answer should be very easy if we seek not only everlasting peace in the hereafter but in this
world we live in. We soon will be asked to fulfill one of our obligations to government by voting for the person who will have the ability to make
not only this country but the world a better place.
This weeks Gospel tells us to give government what it requires of citizens, one of which is to vote. When we exercise that right we not only will be
fulfilling our obligation but if we do it with an eye toward which candidate will best meet the way Jesus taught and which candidate will insure a
government that is compassionate, kind and concerned for all God’s children especially those most in need of help, the poor, sick, elderly and
homeless we will be giving honor to God.
When Jesus Christ was transfigured God informed us clearly who Jesus was with these words; “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well
pleased. Listen to him!" (Matthew 17:4-6).
When we read the teachings of Christ, we find clear concise guidelines as to how we are expected to live our lives. These are found in The
Sermon on the Mount, and in the “GREAT COMMANDMENT”, "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: '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 your entire 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)
Could Christ’s teachings be any clearer, yet so many try to FIT THEIR POLITICALLY CORRECT AGENDA” and reject things that might put
a financial strain on the few who have gotten rich and powerful through means that was not always best for the majority. The Book of Isaiah (58:
10) teaches us that; "if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom
will become like midday."
When we fail to be concerned for the well being of ALL God’s children we are not, and we cannot, claim to be serving God and giving back to
Him what He deserves.
Jesus, in the stories of his everyday life, rejected no one, not even those who were to crucify him. Jesus sat and ate with those that Jewish law
forbade eating a meal with. We can dislike the way another person acts, we can reject their choices as not acceptable, we have the freedom to
choose not to associate with some people because they lie, cheat, steal, murder, and act in an manner that is offensive to God, But, When we
decide that power, money, prestige, fame, and greed are more important to us than living according to God’s way, we are not serving God.
We need to remember what we have been instructed, we should judge a person, even our elected officials, by their past deeds. Have they fought
to feed the poor and clothe the Naked and provide adequate housing to the homeless or sought equal pay for equal work? Have they spoken out
against atrocities and war? Do they respect and love All of God’s children and seek to have all treated fairly?
In this coming election we have seen character assassination, lies and behavior that is not becoming to a person who desires to be a leader of a
great nation. We have heard the candidate for the posts of Vice president preach bigotry and discrimination. That kind of action is not in accord
with the teachings of Christ.
The question poised at the beginning of this reflection was, “Do you render to God that which is God’s and to Caesar that which is
His” You will if you vote for a person who has fought for others according to the manner prescribed by Christ and has made past judgments
based on the teachings given us.
By casting a vote for equality, justice and peace you will be rendering to God that which is His and to Caesar what is His and fulfilling your civic
duty. AMEN
Are You “Semper Paratus” Always Ready?
A Reflection for the 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFD
Mission Sts. Sergius & Bacchus/ Franciscans of Divine Mercy
www.missionstsergius.org
The readings for this Sunday remind us that we never know when we will be called home to the Lord and
that we should always be prepared and ready. Many people believe that the reading from Paul’s letter to
the Thessalonians was referring to the final days of the world but I feel that it is referring to the time
when God will call us home to answer for our lives here on earth and how we used the gifts he provided us
with.
“The Day of the Lord is going to come like a thief in the night. It is when people are saying, ‘How quiet
and peaceful it is’ that the worst suddenly happens…. it is not as if you live in the dark, my brothers, for
that Day to overtake you like a thief. No, you are all sons of light and sons of the day: we do not belong
to the night or to darkness, so we should not go on sleeping, as everyone else does, but stay wide awake
and sober.”
1 Thessalonians 5:1-6
As I go about tending to those who are ill and as I myself advance in age I often wonder if this persons
illness is the illness that will be the last one on this earth or will the person recover to live and use their
God given gifts in a manner that will reward them when they are called home with these words from God
“Well done, good and faithful servant; you have shown you can be faithful in small things, I will trust
you with greater; come and join in your master’s happiness.” Matthew 25:14-30 I examine my own
actions each and every day to determine if I did all I could do to help those in need of comfort, spiritual
uplifting or just some companionship and conversation. Have I shared myself and the gifts God gave me
with others?
During these troubling times with the downturn in the economy, war, famine, genocide and job and home
losses we hear daily of the excesses that the financial institutions and corporate executives have lavished
upon themselves as rewards in spite of the fact that their greed and avarice how contributed to our
problems. Some even continue their excesses in spite of the fact that the taxpayer and the average
citizen is paying for their bailout are suffering because of their greed. They certainly have misused the
gifts that God has given them and I am certain that they will be called to answer for their misuse when
they have their judgment day.
The same holds true for those government and church leaders who attempt to impose their dictates upon
others, usually for financial or power gains, at the cost of many lives and suffering to so many innocent
children and adults. Restrictions and laws that segregate and exclude some from equal justice are
imposed that deprive people of equal rights.
This week’s readings should be a wake up call to us. We need to acquire the motto “Semper Paratus” as
the way of living so that we will be ready when we are called before God to answer for how we used the
gifts he gave us.
Have we shared our resources with those in need? Have we shown compassion for the aged and sick?
Have we practiced discrimination or have we shown brotherly love to all God’s children?
We have been given the instructions on how we should live this earthly life by Christ in the Beatitudes He
preached in the Sermon on the Mount and with His parables like the Good Samaritan.
Next week we will be celebrating the holiday of Thanksgiving to commemorate the first Thanksgiving
that the Pilgrims had to thank God for bringing them to this New Land or as they called it New England
and the harvest they had. They had a feast and invited the natives of the area rather than exclude them
because it was the natives that taught them how to survive in this new country. We, as children of God,
need to embrace the custom of welcoming newcomers who come here seeking a “better life” than in their
birth countries just as the Pilgrims were welcomed and helped by the Wampanoag Indians of “New
England”.
We, who are all brothers and sisters in Christ and Children of God no matter what religious denomination
we belong to, need to work together striving to bring about a time when ALL God’s children live in a
place where they have adequate food, housing, medical care and experience justice, peace, and equality.
We need to be able to tell God we used the treasures He gave us well and they increased in worth
because we did not hide them and hoard them for ourselves but used them to good advantage and shared
them with others. By sharing our gifts we will be assured that when our time here is over and we are
called before God we will hear Him tell us “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have shown you
can be faithful in small things, I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master’s happiness.”
AMEN
A Reflection for the 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFD
Mission Sts. Sergius & Bacchus/ Franciscans of Divine Mercy
www.missionstsergius.org
The readings for this Sunday remind us that we never know when we will be called home to the Lord and
that we should always be prepared and ready. Many people believe that the reading from Paul’s letter to
the Thessalonians was referring to the final days of the world but I feel that it is referring to the time
when God will call us home to answer for our lives here on earth and how we used the gifts he provided us
with.
“The Day of the Lord is going to come like a thief in the night. It is when people are saying, ‘How quiet
and peaceful it is’ that the worst suddenly happens…. it is not as if you live in the dark, my brothers, for
that Day to overtake you like a thief. No, you are all sons of light and sons of the day: we do not belong
to the night or to darkness, so we should not go on sleeping, as everyone else does, but stay wide awake
and sober.”
1 Thessalonians 5:1-6
As I go about tending to those who are ill and as I myself advance in age I often wonder if this persons
illness is the illness that will be the last one on this earth or will the person recover to live and use their
God given gifts in a manner that will reward them when they are called home with these words from God
“Well done, good and faithful servant; you have shown you can be faithful in small things, I will trust
you with greater; come and join in your master’s happiness.” Matthew 25:14-30 I examine my own
actions each and every day to determine if I did all I could do to help those in need of comfort, spiritual
uplifting or just some companionship and conversation. Have I shared myself and the gifts God gave me
with others?
During these troubling times with the downturn in the economy, war, famine, genocide and job and home
losses we hear daily of the excesses that the financial institutions and corporate executives have lavished
upon themselves as rewards in spite of the fact that their greed and avarice how contributed to our
problems. Some even continue their excesses in spite of the fact that the taxpayer and the average
citizen is paying for their bailout are suffering because of their greed. They certainly have misused the
gifts that God has given them and I am certain that they will be called to answer for their misuse when
they have their judgment day.
The same holds true for those government and church leaders who attempt to impose their dictates upon
others, usually for financial or power gains, at the cost of many lives and suffering to so many innocent
children and adults. Restrictions and laws that segregate and exclude some from equal justice are
imposed that deprive people of equal rights.
This week’s readings should be a wake up call to us. We need to acquire the motto “Semper Paratus” as
the way of living so that we will be ready when we are called before God to answer for how we used the
gifts he gave us.
Have we shared our resources with those in need? Have we shown compassion for the aged and sick?
Have we practiced discrimination or have we shown brotherly love to all God’s children?
We have been given the instructions on how we should live this earthly life by Christ in the Beatitudes He
preached in the Sermon on the Mount and with His parables like the Good Samaritan.
Next week we will be celebrating the holiday of Thanksgiving to commemorate the first Thanksgiving
that the Pilgrims had to thank God for bringing them to this New Land or as they called it New England
and the harvest they had. They had a feast and invited the natives of the area rather than exclude them
because it was the natives that taught them how to survive in this new country. We, as children of God,
need to embrace the custom of welcoming newcomers who come here seeking a “better life” than in their
birth countries just as the Pilgrims were welcomed and helped by the Wampanoag Indians of “New
England”.
We, who are all brothers and sisters in Christ and Children of God no matter what religious denomination
we belong to, need to work together striving to bring about a time when ALL God’s children live in a
place where they have adequate food, housing, medical care and experience justice, peace, and equality.
We need to be able to tell God we used the treasures He gave us well and they increased in worth
because we did not hide them and hoard them for ourselves but used them to good advantage and shared
them with others. By sharing our gifts we will be assured that when our time here is over and we are
called before God we will hear Him tell us “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have shown you
can be faithful in small things, I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master’s happiness.”
AMEN