Jan 17, 2016 2nd Sunday of Ordinary time show

Jan 10, 2016 Baptism of Christ Show

Jan 10, 2016 Baptism of Christ Show

Jan 3, 2016 Epiphany Show

Christmas 2015 Show

Sunday Dec 20, 2015 REFLECTIONS show

Dec 13, 2015 Reflections Show

Nov 15, 2015 Reflection

Nov 8 2015 Reflection

Nov 1 2015 Reflection

October 25 2015 REFLECTIONS SHOW

29th Sunday of Ordinary time 2015

October 112015 REFLECTIONS show

June 7, 2015 Reflection

Trinity Sunday Reflection

7Th Sunday of Easter Video Reflection

6th Sunday of Easter Reflection

I will be on retreat for this weekend so I am posting early.

Video Reflection for Sunday April 19, 2015

Video Reflection for Divine Mercy Sunday

Seeking God, a reflection for July 27, 2014

Seek and you will find
A Reflection for Sunday July 27th 2014
By Rev. Fr. Bob Johnnene OFD
Mission Sts. Sergius and Bacchus/ Franciscans of Divine Mercy
An All Inclusive and Welcoming Old Catholic Parish and Ministry
Of the Independent Catholic Church of the Americas
Link to Mission Web Site: www.missionstsergius.org
Link to Franciscans of Divine Mercy Web Site: www.franciscansdivinemercy.org
Link to all Fr. Bob’s REFLECTIONS TV Shows http://www.youtube.com/user/RevBobJohn
Link to St. Joseph Cupertino Parish: http://stjosephcupertino.com/index.html
Link to Franciscans of Divine Mercy Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/FranciscansDivineMercy?fref=ts
Link to the Independent Catholic Church of the Americas http://www.iccamericas.org
Email Address: Divinemercyparish@msn.com


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

4th Sunday of Advent Reflection

4th Sunday of Advent 2013 Reflection

By Rev. Bob Johnnene OFD

Mission Saints Sergius & Bacchus/ Franciscans of Divine Mercy

Independent Catholic Church of the Americas

Email: Divinemercyparish@msn.com

Link to Mission Web Site: www.missionstsergius.org

Link to Franciscans of Divine Mercy Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/FranciscansDivineMercy?fref=ts

Link to Franciscans of Divine Mercy Web Site: www.franciscansdivinemercy.org

Link to the Independent Catholic Church of the Americas http://www.iccamericas.org/

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

Link to St. Joseph Cupertino Parish: http://stjosephcupertino.com/index.html





Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, 'Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honored with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.' these words from the Gospel for the Fourth Sunday of Advent indicates how powerful the child in the womb of Mary was.

A good thing to remember also is that Elizabeth and Zechariah her husband who was a priest in the Jewish Temple were not young, they had long past the child bearing age but Zechariah was chosen by lot one morning to offer incense in the Holy Place, the temple's inner chamber where only priests were allowed.

As Zechariah was praying, the Angel Gabriel appeared at the right side of the altar. Gabriel told the old man that his prayer for a son would be answered. Zechariah's wife would give birth and they were to name the baby John. Further, Gabriel said John would be a great man who would lead many to the Lord and would be a prophet announcing the Messiah.

Zechariah was doubtful because of his and his wife's old age.

The angel then struck him deaf and mute because of his lack of faith, until the child would be born.

Now when Mary went to visit her cousin Elizabeth who was in the last month of her pregnancy our Gospel story tell us of what Elizabeth experienced and how she knew that the child Mary was carrying was the promised Messiah.

We also must remember that Mary accepted the will of the Lord in spite of the possibility that in doing so she could be stoned to death.

Now we need to ask ourselves how willing are we to do God's will even when it will be difficult.

That is the lesson and the question I believe we need to think about this last Sunday before we celebrate the birth of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Many popes and saints have urged us to follow the example of Mary and give birth to Christ this Christmas spiritually in our hearts and minds.

I am reminded of the words of St. Francis concerning the birth of Christ; "We give birth to him through holy works, which should shine forth as an example for others. How holy and dear, pleasant, humble, peaceful, lovable and desirable above all things it is to have such a brother and such a son, our Lord Jesus Christ!"

As we go through life often times we are faced with problems or trials that we would rather not have to deal with. I have experienced it as well as many others when the doctors give you the news that you have cancer or a serious health condition. But I also have found that with faith and trust that God will bring you through that difficulty, especially if you turn to him and pray often to him putting your trust in his will you will come through the difficulty. Often, the most difficult times are lessons sent by God to lead us toward the place he desires us to be or tests like those Job had to endure as proof of our complete trust and love of God.

St. Franics tells us that when we love God with a sincere heart we give birth to Christ spiritually especially when we accomplish deeds that manifest Christ's teachings to the world.

What would have happened, I wonder, if Mary had told Gabriel "You have got to be kidding? You want me to bring forth a child without being married?" "No Way!" "I could get stoned to death as a harlot"

It is with complete faith in God, The God that Mary knew from the Hebrew Scriptures, that Mary accepted God's invitation even though it could create a very heavy burden for her.

I sometimes wonder what this world would be like is Mary had not accepted God's call.

If Jesus had never been born and therefore we never head the Good News of Salvation that Christ came to enlighten us with through that light lead us on the path that would bring us to everlasting life.

Christ was sent by the Father, Almighty God, to teach us the truth of God's will and to rebuke all the man made rules and regulations that had been imposed over the years..

Christ came to give us the keys to open the doors to heaven for all who desire to follow the path He taught us. The path of Christ is a simple one; "Love God with all our being and love each other as Christ loved us"

Christ loved us enough to die for us. There is no greater love than that.

Mary's acceptance of God's will was the first step in our redemption.

If she had refused Christ would not have been born and the prophet's fulfillment would not have happened which means we would not be celebrating Christmas this Wednesday. On Christmas Day let us attempt to follow Mary's complete trust in God and accept His will for us. Let us learn to be happy with how God created us and to accept others as God created them.

Let us give each other the gifts of brotherly/sisterly love and diligently try to bring about a time of justice, equality, truthfulness and fairness to every individual on the face of the earth since we all are children of God no matter what nationality or religious denomination.

This Christmas let us renew our efforts to bring about a time of peace and justice to all. Let us dig down and support those who are in need and support those charities that are trying to help others. Let us make God a major focal point in our daily schedule.

Let us place our complete faith and trust in God as May did and tell God "Not our will but your will be done unto us according to your word"

On Christmas Day, let us consider what a glorious gift was given to us on that night when our savior was born in a simple stable. The King of Kings, Lord of Lords was not born in a palatial palace.

He was not born in the warmth comfort of a home or inn. No, he was born in a humble stable surrounded not by nurses and doctors and relatives but by Mary and Joseph, who had accepted God's will for them even though it could have left them open to criticism. They were there with only God's other creations, the animals of the barn whose breath provided warms for the new born child.

Jesus first visitors were simple shepherds, not the elite of the world.

God gave us a sign by this choice for His only son's birth.

God is trying to tell us to live our lives simply and not go seeking fame or fortune. We have been given a message that the simple things in life are what count. Not riches, fame, fortune, but the simple things of life like family, friends, and the beauty of nature.

In every event recorded of Christ's life in scripture, we find a message of acceptance, compassion and forgiveness. Christ welcomed all who came to him. He sat and ate with those considered sinners.

Christ is referred to as "The Light of the World" which means He was sent to light the way for us, like a brilliant beacon that guides ships away from dangerous shoals and reefs toward a safe harbor, Christ showed and taught us how we need to live our life.

Christ was born to clarify God's will for us and dispel the darkness that prevailed and still causes so much pain and suffering.

Christ came to comfort us in times of distress by assuring us that there is a great reward awaiting us at the end of our earthly life if we follow his example.

The miraculous birth we celebrate on Wednesday is that of God made flesh. God gave us a human image to equate to; a human being that had to endure all the human feelings, emotions, problems and joys that each of us has to experience in our journey of life.

Christ endured the pain of a loss of a parent and friends, He experienced the joy of a wedding of a friend. He became angry at the greed and callousness of the priests and temple employees.

Christ also told us how to live a life that would insure everlasting peace. His message was one of Love, forgiveness, compassion, mercy and generosity.

On this day that we celebrate God's gift to us of His only son and God's promise of salvation to all his children, let us present an offering to Him that reflects the way of life He advised us to lead.

Let us begin to be more compassionate to those who are suffering from hunger, illnesses such as AIDS and cancer, poverty, substandard housing, and discrimination. Let us work hard to eliminate these ills of our society and bring about a time of equality and justice for ALL God's children.

On this day that we celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace let us make a concerted effort to bring peace into the world beginning with our own families, friends and neighbors whom we might be have hurt in some way. If all of us begin toward this goal, we can make a huge difference in the world.

"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful." (John 14:27) With these words of Christ I end this joyous message the last Sunday before the celebration of the birth of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, with a prayer that the Peace and infinite mercy and love of Christ will invade your hearts today and all the days of your life.

Have a truly wonderful Merry Christmas. AMEN

Christ the King Sunday

Reflection For The Feast Of Christ The King

A reflection for the Feast of Christ the King 2013

By Rev. Bob Johnnene OFD

Mission Saints Sergius & Bacchus/ Franciscans Divine Mercy

Independent Catholic Church of the Americas

This week’s TV Reflection: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQBes0hcAd8

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

Link to St. Joseph Cupertino Parish: http://stjosephcupertino.com/index.html

 Link to Mission Web Site: www.missionstsergius.org

 Link Divine Mercy Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/FranciscansDivineMercy?fref=ts

 Link to Franciscans of Divine Mercy Web Site: www.franciscansdivinemercy.org

Link to the Independent Catholic Church of the Americas http://www.iccamericas.org/

 

This Sunday we celebrate the Feast of the Kingship of Christ, it is also the final Sunday of the Liturgical year and next week we begin a new Liturgical year with the first Sunday of Advent.

Psalm 122 for this Sunday ends with “I will now say, Peace be within you.

“I was glad when they said to me, Let us go into the house of the LORD…….Peace be within your walls, and prosperity within your palaces.  For my brothers and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within you.  Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek your good.”

What wonderful greeting to offer to everyone we meet on our journey of life. “I say, Peace be within you”. 

This Sunday the 24^th of November has been set aside to acknowledge Christ as King. 

Christ declared that He was the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end and as such the human embodiment of the His Father, Almighty God the creator of all things.  

Any king, more precisely a loving good king, is concerned about the safety and welfare of every one of his subjects and so it is with Jesus Christ who told us how a good shepherd, which is exactly what a good king is supposed to be to his people, would go seeking a one lost sheep.

Our present Bishop of Rome, Francis, has often referred to himself as a shepherd and called upon all his Bishops and priests to go out into the pastures and be a shepherd to your flock.

The Second Reading for the feast of Christ the King is from Paul’s letter to the Colossians 1:12-20 which also gives us an affirmation of God’s love and caring for every person on the face of the earth and for the earth itself.

“Giving thanks to the Father, … Who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:  In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:  Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.  And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.  For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell;  And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things to himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven”.

The kingdom that Christ reigns over is not of this world, but is the everlasting kingdom to which we are called after living in this material world. We were reminded of this a few weeks ago when the scripture readings told of the life after this earthly one.

The kingdom of heaven is a spiritual kingdom where peace and harmony and elation of being with the angels and saints and most especially the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, abounds.

As King, Christ has the ultimate say on who will and will not be welcomed into this kingdom. There is not one human being on the face of the earth that can make that judgment, although many who call themselves “pastors” have claimed they know who will be in heaven and who are condemned. 

In The Gospel from Luke 23:35-43, we hear the following; “Above him there was an inscription: ‘This is the King of the Jews’.
One of the criminals hanging beside him abused him saying;. ‘Are you not the Christ?’ he said. ‘Save yourself and us as well.’ But the other spoke up and rebuked him. ‘Have you no fear of God at all?’ he said. ‘You and I received the same sentence as he did, but in our case we deserved it: we are paying for the crimes we committed. But this man has done nothing wrong. He said to Jesus, ‘remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ Christ replied; “‘Indeed, I promise you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

That statement by Christ strengthens the concept that Christ is the power through which we gain eternal life in the paradise that is the Kingdom of Heaven.  

In First Chronicles 29:11 we find this statement “Lord, you are great and powerful. Glory, majesty and beauty belong to you. Everything in heaven and on earth belongs to you. Lord, the kingdom belongs to you. You are honored as the One who rules over all.” and in Matthew 5:19 we read these words of advice as to how we can gain entrance to the Kingdom for which Christ is king; Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
The Commandments we have been called to live by are simple according the Christ they can be found in Matthew 22: 38-39 and have been called “The greatest of Commandments” “Love the Lord, your God, with your whole heart, mind, soul and body and the second is like unto it, Love your neighbor as you love yourself”, 

In Christ’s Sermon on the Mount where Christ gave us the instructions on how to live, often called “The Beatitudes” we were told to do the following; “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Next week we enter into a time of preparing to celebrate the birth of Christ, the season of Advent, which is an excellent time for us to take an inventory of how well we are doing in preparing for our entrance into the Kingdom of Christ, heaven, when our time here on God’s earthly plain is over.

Are we mindful of the needs of others, are we caring and accepting of all of God’s children not just those we consider acceptable because they conform to our way of thinking?

Are we looking out for the welfare of the poor, sick, homeless, aged and those who are unemployed?

Do we discriminate against others because of Race, creed, marital condition, sexual orientation or political party?

Are we giving back 10% to God of from the gifts he has provided us in time or goods or financial assistance?  

Christ has given us the example, He did not reject anyone who came to Him and neither should we.

We will not have to look far for a place to extend help or assistance; there are people in need in every community and in every Faith community all over the Globe.

This Thursday, as we celebrate the holiday of Thanksgiving, let us make it a point to reach out and share some of our resources with someone in need. Take time to help out at a food pantry, or at a homeless shelter.

Give thanks to God by giving back some of the goodness that you have in your life.   

In this time of Advent, when people are thinking of the gifts they are going to get for their family and friends let us acknowledge the gifts God, our father, has given us and how we can use them to benefit those who have not been blessed as much as we are.

I always recall one of my father’s sayings; “I thought I was bad off because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet”

No matter how poor we might be, there is always someone who is worse off than we are and we are called by God to reach out to them and give them a helping hand.

By sharing the gifts God has provided us with someone less fortunate we not only show our love and respect for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords but we build up our treasure in the Kingdom of God which is what we hope to attain when out time here on earth is over.. AMEN

Video Reflection for Nov. 10th

REFLECTIONS TV SHOW for Nov. 3rd

Video Reflection for Nov. 3

Nov. 3rd Reflection, Words of Wisdom & Truth

Words of Wisdom and Truth

A Reflection for the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time

By Rev. Bob Johnnene OFD

Mission Saints Sergius & Bacchus/ Franciscans Divine Mercy

Independent Catholic Church of the Americas

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

Link to St. Joseph Cupertino Parish: http://stjosephcupertino.com/index.html

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

Link to Franciscans of Divine Mercy Web Site: http://www.franciscansdivinemercy.org

Link to the Independent Catholic Church of the Americas http://www.iccamericas.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”

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, sick and aged and seek out every opportunity to share the gifts that God has given us with others especially the poor, sick, homeless and aged. 

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

All Things Are Possible with Faith

With Faith, All Things Are Possible
28th Sunday of Ordinary Time
Reflection For Sunday October 13, 2013
Based on readings from: 2 Kings5, Psalm 98, second Timothy 2, Luke 17:11-19
By Rev. Bob Johnnene OFD
Mission Saints Sergius & Bacchus/ Franciscans Divine Mercy
Independent Catholic Church of the Americas
Link to All Reflections TV Shows; http://www.youtube.com/user/RevBobJohn
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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 ago, while in Minnesota, 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

Video of St. Patricks Reflection

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=682tz7sbQ-k

Link to REFLECTIONS TV show for Feb. 24th 2013

New Year 2013 Reflection

A New Year, Same Problems



A Reflection by Fr. Bob Johnnene OFD

Based on Readings from:

Numbers 6:22-27, Psalm 67, Galatians 4:4-7, Luke 2:16-21

Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus/ Franciscans of Divine Mercy

Divine Mercy Old Catholic Parish, Franklin, MA

Independent Catholic Church of the Americas

www.missionstsergius.org







On Tuesday we begin a new year and my questions are: “IS THE WORLD BETTER TODAY THAN IT WAS ON DECEMBER 31ST 2012?”

I am sorry to say, “I do not think we have learned anything” since we still have grid lock in our government people who are unemployed, homeless, discrimination still exists, the elderly and those on low fixed incomes are having a more difficult time trying to have even the basics of life and all this while some flaunt their riches and seek to gain even more.

The economy is still in a bad way.

Unbelievable scandals still continue to come to the surface concerning leaders in Government and Religion.

When I was growing up I was taught that it was OK to commit a mistake as long as you learned from it and never did it again. So what exactly has happened to that concept since I was a youth?

Recently we have heard of some famous people who had drug and alcohol problems or had gotten into altercations with individuals or stolen items and were given sentences that were the equivalent of a slap on the wrist because of their popularity and they turned around and continued to be in the headlines for offences, they just did not seem to care or felt they were better than others and did not have to comply with the rules.

After centuries of conflicts that have taken millions of lives you would think we would have learned to settle disputes with discussions and compromise rather than wars that kill innocent people.

People still resort to violence rather than sitting down and finding a resolution that both parties can live with.

People still distinguish and judge people on nationality, religion, race or sexual orientation and feel comfortable excluding people for one of those reasons rather welcoming God’s diversity.

Being Inhospitality was the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah

Since before the time of Christ people used their wealth, political and Religious positions to subjugate others and laud themselves over those they should have been taking care of.

Christ spoke about this many times.

There is the story of the Good Samaritan, The money changers in the temple, the Widow who gave her last cent, and my favorite The Sermon on the Mount where He tells us how we should live.

The first reading for New Year’s Day from Numbers instructs us on how to greet people “You shall say to them: May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord let his face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord uncover his face to you and bring you peace.”

All Christians and even the Jewish people in the Old Testament have receive directions of how they should life their lives. Christ taught in parables and plainly when he delivered the Sermon on the Mount and chastised the money changers in the temple.

So why do we find it so difficult to live in accord with these teachings?

I wish I knew the answer.

The second reading from Galatians 4 states; “The proof that you are sons of God is that God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts: the Spirit that cries, ‘Abba, Father’, and it is this that makes you a child of God, you are not a slave anymore; and if God has made you His child, then he has made you heir.”

This statement reinforces the truth, we have all been chosen by God as his children and therefore are His heirs to the kingdom of heaven.

The Gospel tells us that the name chosen for the child was not a family name but that it was given to the infant according to the instructions Mary received from the Angel Gabriel.

When the eighth day came and the child was to be circumcised in accordance with Jewish law, they gave him the name Jesus, the name the angel had given him before his conception. "She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." Matthew 1:22

The western church celebrates the motherhood of Mary, “the Theotokos” a Greek word meaning “Mother of God.

There should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that Jesus is the promised one of the ages and as such we need to listen to what He has instructed us to do.

We must also keep in mind that through the centuries many things have been added to what Jesus instructed, mainly for the purpose of gaining power and wealth.

Those things have very little to do with living our life according to God’s will.

Celibacy of clergy was an idea that came many years after Christ, the early church had women deacons as described by Paul and St. John in scripture, the early church blessed same sex commitment ceremonies, liturgies were celebrated in the language of the people. These are just some of the things that churches enforce that were not defined by Christ.

All the grandeur, splendor, pomp and circumstance that is associated with some churches fly in the face of what Christ taught.

By His birth in a simple manger alone; Christ gave us a lesson that He came to give hope and promise to all and that the poor and needy where more acceptable than the rich and powerful. “Do unto others as you would have done unto you” this teaching should cause us to think about how we treat others and is it the same way that we would want to be treated?

Jesus Christ came to earth to save us, to open up the gates of heaven to all people. Almighty God sent us His son in human form to teach us the truth, to lead us in the path of righteousness, and to gain for us eternal salvation.

As we begin a New Year let us make a new beginning in our relationship with Almighty God through His beloved Son, Jesus the Christ.

Let us vow to make the changes necessary in our lives so that we come closer to God in all that we do.

Let us set aside time each and every day to acknowledge God and ask His help in making us a better and newer person.

Let us examine ways we can actively make a difference in this world by our actions and deeds.

Let us try to become more compassionate toward those who are suffering; the hungry, homelessness, sick, aged and unemployed.

We all can do more to spread the Good News of Salvation as preached by Christ?

Let’s make time in our daily schedules to pray and talk with God.

As the sports adage says; “The ball is in our court”

Now the question is; how are we going to play it?



I close with this prayer:

May the New Year bring peace to the hearts and minds of all people, May the wisdom of God infuse the inner being of all, especially the leaders of the world’s governments and religions so that they find a pathway to peace and unity and bring about the promise of The Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ.

May we all work to change the way we do things and may we actually learn from the mistakes of the past and move forward in a new direction to bring about unity, compassion, charity and peace to all God’s children throughout the world. AMEN

Feast of Holy Family 2012

Holy Family Reflection 2012
By Rev. Bob Johnnene OFD
Mission Saints Sergius & Bacchus/ Franciscans of Divine Mercy
Divine Mercy Old Catholic Parish
Independent Catholic Church of the Americas
www.missionstsergius.org
www.franciscansdivinemercy.org


On this feast honoring the Holy Family, I thought it might be a good idea to explore exactly what constitutes a family in the 21st century.
When you look up the meaning of FAMILY in a dictionary you find the following definition. “In human context, a family from the Latin” familia” is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity; the quality of being descended from the same ancestor as another person, affinity, or co-residence.
In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children. Anthropologists most generally classify family organization as matrilocal (a mother and her children); conjugal (a wife, husband, and children, also called nuclear family); and consanguine (also called an extended family) in which parents and children co-reside with other members of one parent's family.
The one definition that the dictionary seems to leave out is THE FAMILY OF GOD.
Scripture tells us that we are children of God and heirs to heaven. In Romans 8:16-17 we read; “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory”
In Luke 20 verse 36 we read the following; “They are God’s children, since they are children of the resurrection”
And in John 1 verse 12-13 it says; “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of Go…children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”
For a final affirmation that we are all children of God and therefore Family I quote from Romans 8 verses 14 & 17; For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God….Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”
On this feast honoring the Holy Family of Mary, Joseph and the Infant Jesus we need to realize that every individual of the face of this earth is a member of The Holy Family. Christ gave us His earthly mother as he was dying on the cross as our heavenly mother.
It does not matter if a child is what society call “an illegitimate Child”, comes from a one parent family, or is the child of a same sex couple, or child of a traditional husband and wife all are children of God and members of the Family of God and therefore should be consider with love, compassion and never be cast aside.
The so called Extended Family of society is actually God’s Family since every living human being on the planet is a child of God and as scripture tells us heirs to God’s kingdom.
Yesterday many couples here in America were devastated because their dream of adopting a child from Russia was dashed by a law that Premier Putin of Russia instituted which forbids Americans for adopting Russian Children. We need to keep in mind that hundreds of children in Russia are institutionalized in orphanages and will never know of a loving family if they are not adopted, and the Russian people have not been able to adopt the numbers that exist.
In 1979 there was a very popular song by Sister Sledge and composed by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rogers called WE ARE FAMILY with these words as the chorus; “We are family I got all my sisters with me We are family Get up everybody and sing”
We really need to not only sing, but sing loudly in praise of God for giving us such a diverse and wonderful family of humankind and to cherish our immediate families, heal any divisions and separations that may have evolved in our immediate families as well as in our larger families of community, Church, neighborhood and most importantly the world family.
I close this reflection with the words from the song that we should all hold deep within our hearts this Christmas Season and as we begin a New Year.
I suggest we let it become a mantra and a goal for each of us to achieve in our immediate family and in God’s Family; Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me. Let there be peace on earth The peace that was meant to be.
With God as our father Brothers all are we. Let me walk with my brother in perfect harmony. Let peace begin with me Let this be the moment now. With every step I take
Let this be my solemn vow. To take each moment and live each moment With peace eternally. Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.
Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me. Let there be peace on earth
The peace that was meant to be. With god as our father
Brothers all are we. Let me walk with my brother In perfect harmony. Let peace begin with me.
May God grant us the knowledge to understand His will and the desire to heal our family Bonds this Feast of The Holy Family as we enter a New Year. AMEN

A Christmas Reflection

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!





Christmas is a very special time in the universal church and one of the two celebrations where there are more than one set of reading. The celebration begins with the vigil mass the evening before Christmas Day, and then the Midnight Mass, the Dawn Mass and the Masses during the day. Each of these masses have a separate set of readings and combined they give a full telling of the prophesies foretelling the coming of the redeemer or Promised one and the events leading up to the actual birth of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Isaac Watts who lived from 1674-1748 wrote the following words;

“Joy to the World, the Lord has come. Let earth receive her King; Let every heart prepare Him room, And Heaven and nature sing”

I cannot think of any more appropriate words to express the feeling we all should be having this blessed day or the mission we all have been called to live our lives daily by the birth of this infant child called Jesus of Nazareth.

As I stated at the beginning of this reflection, Christmas day there are three sets of readings, one for the Midnight Mass, another for the mass at a special reading for vigil masses held earlier in the evening of December 24th.

When you combine them all they provide us with the very powerful truth and reason for living according to God‘s will.

John 1 begins with these words “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.”

John reminds us that Christ came from God, and is God and that He took on the human form in the same manner as every human being ever born or to be born, as an infant.

He came into this world in the same way as well, being born of a woman.

Let us try to understand the darkness that seems to encompass so many today.

I believe that God chose this way in order to let us know that we are all created in His image and we all have a job do to in this world.

God gave us free choice therefore we can refuse to accept the job He wishes us to do if we so choose.

There is so much symbolism in the miracle of Christmas.

God chose simple people, a carpenter and a humble Jewish woman, not the royalty or the rich and famous.

Christ was born in a poor stable filled with farmer’s animals which were the source of his warmth on a bed of hay laid out in a feeding troth.

The announcement of Christ’s birth was not to the great and mighty or the priests of the temple but to simple shepherds.

God did this to let us know that he calls and loves everyone as he created them and not just the powerful, rich and famous.

Christ even told us “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." Matthew 19:23-25

The readings provide us with the purpose of Christ’s coming to earth;

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus”.

We are called to live sensibly, to be generous, kind, and not to discriminate against one another for any reason.

Sadly, somehow that message seems to have been lost on many people today. People seem to be motivated more for material things than for Spiritual gifts.

Everywhere we hear of news that depresses us and causes to wonder where God is in all this like the terrible tragedy that occurred in Newtown Connecticut and of people who steal Christmas gifts from people especially gifts that have been collected for those who are in need, and we hear of wars that seem to be raging in order to gain wealth, property, money, power or domination at the expense of others.

Rest assured, God is here, he is near but we need to seek him out and not be ashamed to express our trust, faith and love of him. We need to always make time for God in our daily lives not just when tragedy strikes.

Christ came into this world to clear up the mess that humans in their frailty and imperfect state have made of God’s creation and will.

We are supposed to be the caretakers of God’s creation but many do not take that God given responsibility seriously.

We have been charged by God to care for this planet earth and all God’s creatures yet we are destroying the ecosystem that God created because it is cheaper and more profitable than using alternative energies when possible.

“Christ gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. These things speak and encourage and reprimand all authorities. Let no one take no notice of you.” Titus 2:11-15

Jesus told us the way we should live in these words; “Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, mind, soul and body and love your neighbor as you love yourself”

God so loved the world that He gave His only son to us.

There is no greater gift we can ever receive than the forgiveness of our sins and the promise of everlasting life we gained by Christ’s coming into the world and his wiliness to suffer, die and resurrect in accordance with the scriptures.

Now I ask you, what gift are you planning to give Christ on this His birthday?

The perfect gift would be to be kind, considerate, loving, caring, forgiving, charitable, and respectful of the differences that God has created in all things. We might involve God more in our daily lives by talking with him often called praying.

In the reading from Hebrews we read that even the angels are to worship Christ and that His kingdom will last forever.

"Let all God's angels worship him. In speaking of the angels he says, He makes his angels winds, his servant’s flames of fire. But about the Son he says, your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.” Hebrews 1:6-9

On this Christmas day of 2012 let us follow the directions of the angels who announced the Good News to the shepherds watching their flocks.

“Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."

Let us try to be people God will be pleased with, so that we can fully enjoy the peace and joy the birth of the son of God that this day celebrates.

Let us return God’s gift to us by being more tolerant of the differences in others, charitable in giving to organizations and people in need.

Let us be concerned about the homeless, unemployed, sick, poor, aged and disabled of the world.

Let us raise our voices against injustice, war, and greed.

In short, let us make a difference in the world and make it a better place tomorrow than it is today for our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

By doing this we will affirm there is “Joy in the world because the Lord has come and instilled in us His way so we have become His instrument here on earth working hard to bring about the promised peace of Christ.”



May the promise of Christmas fill you with comfort and peace and may that peace be extended from you to all you encounter.

Fourth Sunday of Advent 2012
Reflection is based on the readings from
Micah 5:1-4, Psalm 80, Hebrews 10:5-10, Luke 1:39-44
By Rev. Bob Johnnene OFD, Mission Saints Sergius & Bacchus
Franciscans of Divine Mercy
Divine Mercy Parish, Franklin, MA
Independent Catholic Church of the Americas

www.Missionstsergius@msn.com
www.franciscansdivinemercy.org

This is what Christ said, on coming into the world: “You, who wanted no sacrifice or oblation, prepared a body for me. You took no pleasure in holocausts or sacrifices for sin; then I said, just as I was commanded in the scroll of the book, God, here I am! I am coming to obey your will.”
Notice that he says first: “You did not want what the Law lays down as the things to be offered, that is: the sacrifices, the oblations, the holocausts and the sacrifices for sin, and you took no pleasure in them; and then he says: Here I am! I am coming to obey your will. He is abolishing the first sort to replace it with the second. And this will was for us to be made holy by the offering of his body made once and for all by Jesus Christ. (Hebrews 10:5-10)
On Tuesday we will celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the ultimate sacrifice of all time. Christ came into this world, as the reading from Hebrews seems to imply, for the sole purpose of offering His human body as a sacrifice for the remission of all the sins of humankind.
Christ came to fulfill, not only all the promises of the prophets, but the prayers of those who found the demands of the hierarchy of the Jewish faith to be oppressive & unreasonable.
Now why would God assent to making life easier for his children?
The reason is very easy to answer, because our God is an infinitely loving, caring, merciful God who desires us to love not only Him, but each other.
Our God is a God of justice not oppression. God only asks of us what Christ himself told us was the greatest commandments. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with your entire mind, and your neighbor as yourself." (Luke 10:27)
On December the 8th when we celebrated the Feast of The Immaculate Conception we were reminded of how Mary trusted the words of the Angel Gabriel and accepted the challenge to be the bearer of the promised of the ages even though she might be stoned to death because she was not married yet.
The God bearer or Theotokos as the Eastern Churches call Mary trusted in God and gave of herself totally. She accepted the burdens that she faced without complaint and in that she is a model for us to follow..
When Mary went to visit her cousin Elizabeth whom the Angel Gabrial had told Mary was in the sixth month of her pregnancy even in her old age and having been considered baren Mary was greeted with these words.; “Why should I be honored with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.’ (Luke 1:39-44)
In the reading from Micah 5:1-4 we hear; “The Lord says this; But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, the least of the clans of Judah, out of you will be born for me the one who is to rule over Israel; his origin goes back to the distant past, to the days of old. He will stand and feed his flock with the power of the Lord, with the majesty of the name of his God. They will live secure, for from then on he will extend his power to the ends of the land. He himself will be peace.”
Christ came to earth as the greatest gift God could provide us; The Three kings from the various parts of the world that followed the star to Christ’s birthplace knew in their hearts that this baby was the greatest King of all Kings. As we proclaim in Song often, “God of God’s and King of Kings” They brought with them rare gifts to bestow upon this new
born child.
Today we need to ask ourselves what gift are we going to give to the Christ Child, Have we made it a priority to plan for and think of an appropriate gift from us or have we been too consumed with preparing decorations and buying presents for friends and family to give our gift to God too much thought?
It is not too late; we have two days to prepare ourselves to receive the new born Christ Child into our hearts, minds and homes.
Let us make a commitment to make time every day to think about and talk with God, this is what prayer is. Don’t just ask God for things, but thank God for the gifts he has given us.
For myself, I do not know why he has blessed me so much. I truly feel most unworthy of all that he has given me and I cannot thank God enough.
I close with this Advent Prayer and the wish that God will look mercifully upon us and our ministry and grant us the ability to continue to serve Him and those who have found us with the same kind of compassion and love that Christ gave.
AMEN

AN ADVENT PRAYER

Almighty and merciful God, we come to you this advent season to give you thanks and praise for the many gifts you provide us every day.
We ask forgiveness for our transgressions and sins and promise to strive in our daily lives to live according to the way you taught us.
Guide us by the gifts of the Holy Spirit to be more mindful of the needs of ALL your children and help us to do our part in bringing about the peace and brotherhood for all the children of God throughout the world.
Help and guide us in working to bring about the promised future proclaimed by the angels on the night you were born. “Glory to God in the highest and peace to His people on earth”
We ask this in the name of our redeemer and savior, Jesus Christ, your son, whose coming among us we celebrate this Advent Season. AMEN

Gaudete Sunday Reflection

Gaudete Sunday Reflection
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFD
Mission Saints Sergius & Bacchus/ Franciscans of Divine Mercy
www.missionstsergius.org
Based on Readings from: Zephaniah 3:14-18, Philippians’ 4:4-7, Luke 3:10-18,

Shout for joy, daughter of Zion, Israel, shout aloud! Rejoice; exult with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem! these words from the book of Zephaniah 3:14-18 and the following from St. Paul, in his letter to the people of Philippi, sends us a very powerful message on how to live our life when he begins with these words; “I want you to be happy, always happy in the Lord; I repeat, what I want is your happiness. Let your tolerance be evident to everyone: the Lord is very near…..There is no need to worry; but if there is anything you need, pray for it, asking God for it with prayer and thanksgiving, and that peace of God, which is so much greater than we can understand, will guard your hearts and your thoughts, in Christ Jesus.”
These messages of hope are the reason this Sunday of Advent is called Gaudete Sunday, Meaning a Sunday to Rejoice .and the vestments are ROSE rather than purple.
During this season of advent as we prepare ourselves for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ and the salvation his coming brought to all of the human race we should reflect on what Paul tell us in his letter to the Philippians. “Always be full of joy in the Lord. … Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Do not worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. …. Now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing, fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Rejoice in the Lord!
With so many grumbling about one thing or another these days and with the economy and the world in a state of turmoil and with the daily news services reporting one horrible event after another it might seem difficult to REJOICE.. Just the knowledge that so many children of God around the world are living in poverty, suffering from discrimination, homeless, and being killed because of the greed and power seeking of others, we might wonder how we could ever REJOICE IN THE LORD!
It might just be that the cause of all the suffering facing the world today is that so many have put God totally out of their daily lives and replaced Him with the desire for fame, fortune, power and just plain greed.
Many claim that they are too busy to give God a portion of their time every day or even on Sunday.
They have to work, shop, a game of golf or a sporting event to go to or some other reason rather than take an hour of time devoted to Thanking God and Seeking God’s blessings.
If they would just take some time to think they might come to the realization that all good things came from the creator. If only they realize that, just maybe, they might come to the awareness that they need to thank God for what He has provided them and acknowledge God’s presence in their life.
People are so busy decorating their houses and purchasing gifts in preparing to celebrate Christmas, Chanukah or Kwanzaa that they focus is on the commercial aspects of the holidays and people forget what true meaning of these holidays; REJOICING IN GOD’S GOODNESS AND GIVING THANKS.
Without God, none of these holidays would exist.
Let’s make sure that we have set aside time in these last two weeks of Advent to thank God for all He has provided us. Let’s plan to attend a religious ceremony as a part of our celebration plans. For those who are Christian, attend church and receive the Eucharist.
The Gospel tells us the way to live with these words; “If anyone has two tunics he must share with the man who has none, and the one with something to eat must do the same.’ There were tax collectors too who came for baptism, and these said to him, ‘Master, what must we do?’ He said to them, ‘Exact no more than your rate.’ Some soldiers asked him in their turn, ‘What about us? What must we do?’ He said to them, ‘No intimidation! No extortion! Be content with your pay!”
Christmas is the time we set aside to recognize Christ’s coming here in order to teach us the way to happiness and everlasting peace and open the way for us to achieve eternal salvation.
Let us acknowledge that precious gift from God, the Gift of His beloved son and make room in our lives every day to “Rejoice in Him” through prayer and works of charity, compassion and love for ALL God’s children. Let us strive to live our life every day in a manner that is in accordance with the way Christ instructed in this weeks Gospel reading and let us work toward being more considerate, compassionate, understanding, forgiving and caring person to all we encounter in our daily life. rather than just concentrating on our own needs.
What a wonderful way to present our gift to Almighty God in thanksgiving for all He has done for us. AMEN

November 11, 2012 Reflection

Reflection for the 32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time
Based on Readings from Kings 17:10-16, Psalm 146, Hebrews 9: 24-28, Mark 12:38-44
By Rev. Bob Johnnene OFD
Mission Saints Sergius & Bacchus/ Franciscans of Divine Mercy
www.missionstsergius.org

The themes of the readings for this Sunday are of generosity, trust keeping Faith Justice but most of all that God will provide if we but put our faith and trust in Him.
For me, this message is one that I need to hear and take considerable time to reflect upon in light of the information and events of this past week.
The first reading tells the story of the widow in the town of Zarephath to whom Elijah asked for some water and a bit of bread. The widow explained that she and her son only had a handful of flour and a tiny bit of oil with which to bake bread and when that was gone they would starve. Elijah promised that if she made a cake of bread and brought it to him she and her son would have enough flour and oil forever. True to the promise of Elijah, the flour and the oil never went empty because of the widow trusting Elijah.
The same is true for us today if we place our complete trust in God and let him guide and lead us He will hear our prayers and answer them with what will be best for us and at the best time for us to receive them.
For me this teaching is one that, though difficult, I need to do especially after this last week.
Not only did I receive news that the mission’s car needed some major work to be able to continue to serve the ministry I also received disturbing information regarding someone I thought was concerned for the best interest of God and His children only to find that they were only being self serving, egotistical and interested in power and self glory, which brings us to the theme of this week.
The Alleluia verse is “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” and the Gospel begins with these words; “Beware of the scribes who like to walk about in long robes, to be greeted obsequiously in the market squares, to take the front seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets; these are the men who swallow the property of widows, while making a show of lengthy prayers. The more severe will be the sentence they receive.” The Gospel goes on to tell of the poor widow who gave all she had, a few cents, as a donation to God while the rich and famous of the time mad a big issue of their large donations. Christ told his apostles; “I tell you solemnly, this poor widow has put more in than all who have contributed to the treasury; for they have all put in money they had left over, but she from the little she had has put in everything she possessed, all she had to live on”
All the readings focus on our giving of ourselves for the love of God and not for our own self-interests or glory, fame or wealth. We have been placed here to become a true servant of God to all those who are oppressed, rejected and unwanted.
When I hear of clergy who only are seeking power, wealth fame or glory or defraud people out of their money or who molest children I recoil and want to run as far away from them as I can get.
Sadly, I recently was made aware of just that kind of clerical individual this week and it troubles me deeply but I am placing my trust in Almighty God that what path I have chosen is His path and praying for that individual as I proceed in my attempt to be a humble servant of God.
I place my trust in God that he will inspire people who would deny others their rights which according to the Declaration of Independence “are unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”.
To me this means that two people who love each other should be allowed to marry and have the same legal protections and benefits of heterosexual married couples.
I also trust that God will provide the mission with a more reliable vehicle so that we can continue to serve the hospitals, nursing homes, hospices and the shut-ins we now serve and if it be God’s will, expand our outreach.
This ministry has been a blessing to me as it has kept me busy and filled my days with wondrous moments and such beautiful testaments to God’s infinite love for His children.
We cannot allow a few bad apples to spoil the entire barrel.
There are more good and honest clergy and people in this world, I am certain, than the few bad ones that always seem to get the publicity.
Let us be faithful followers of Jesus Christ and become “Poor in Spirit” so we can achieve eternal life with God.
Let us be willing to give our last penny or ounce of flour in the service of God for the well being of our neighbor and those who are less well off than we.
That is the message and the hope I have for myself and for all who read my simple reflections.
May God, through the Holy Spirit, guide us and lead us so we truly reflect God’s infinite mercy and love, compassion and forgiveness.
AMEN

Sunday August 26th Reflection

21st Sunday of Ordinary Time August 26th 2012
Do You Serve the Lord?
Based on readings from; Joshua 24:1-18, Psalm 34:2-21, Ephesians 5:21-32, John 6:60-69
By Rev. Fr. Bob Johnnene OFD
Mission Saints Sergius & Bacchus/ Franciscans of Divine Mercy
National Catholic Church of America
www.missionstsergius.org www.Franciscansdivinemercy.org

"Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD…..But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." (Joshua 24:14-15)
Just as Joshua challenged the tribes of Israel as to whom they chose to honor and worship, we today are being given the same challenge. Do we choose to serve those human gods of Greed, power, domination, discrimination, materialism and self-effacement or do we choose to follow the way of the son of god, Jesus Christ.
Do we choose to live our lives according to the way Jesus taught by being forgiving, compassionate, kind and generous to all God’s children most especially those in need?
Throughout all of history, there has been one constant idea; it is that there is a supreme being that governs all. We find it in the histories of the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Aztecs, Mayans, Native American Tribes, in fact every known group of people that ever lived on this earth.
The need to recognize that there is a God is one of the natural things we are created with. We seek this supreme power out and, as history has shown, generations have given that power and acknowledgement to the sun, volcanos, under the names of Ra, Zeus, Apollo, Pele the Goddess of Fire, and hundreds of other names.
When Almighty God made himself known with the words “"I am who I am. Here is what you must say to the Israelites. Tell them, 'I am has sent me to you.' " ( Exodus 3:14) we were told who we should give honor, praise and reverence to and whom we should thank for all things. When Jesus Christ came to being in the form of a man and 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).
God, has told us to listen to what Jesus was telling us. To listen to the words and teachings of Jesus Christ, not some mere human man, but Jesus the son of Almighty God.
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 Beatitudes of 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 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) Could Christ’s teachings be any clearer, yet so many try to make this love and service to Almighty God so difficult by injecting a lot of man made things in the way. The have twisted to original writings of the ancient scriptures and the writings of the apostles and early church fathers and in some cases even rejected some of them because they did not “FIT THE POLITICALY CORRECT AGENDA” for the time decisions were made as to what should be included in the canon of the Bible.
People have found passages which referred to a specific kind of sin and twisted it around to use to exclude some individuals from serving God or even to participate in the worship of Almighty God.
When we choose to ignore the teachings of Christ, when we decide what God means and we judge others as outcasts and deny them the opportunity to worship Almighty God and acknowledge Jesus as the son of God and the redeemer and Savior sent by God, then we are not and we cannot claim to be serving God.
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 sharing a meal with. Jesus spoke with women as equals.
If we believe that Almighty God created all things, and we believe that Jesus was the Son of God made man, then we cannot even think about acting like a god and making judgments that are the exclusive property of Almighty God. 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 seem to be breaking the commandments of God by lying, cheating, stealing, killing, committing adultery, coveting another’s wife or property and act in an manner that is prescribed by God.
When we decide to discriminate against someone because of the sex, race or the way that they worship God, When we decide that power, money, prestige, fame, greed or sexual gratification is more important to us that living according to God’s way, we are not serving God.
We must remember what we have been instructed “But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God.” (Rom. 14:10) and “Do not judge lest you be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.“ (Matthew 7:1-2 ) as well as “Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother, or judges his brother, speaks against the law, and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but a judge of it.” (James 4:11) .
The law of God is very clear we are not the ones to judge a person because of how things appear “Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment. Our Law does not judge a man, unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?” (John 7:24, 51) but we should judge a person by their deeds. Do they feed the poor? Do they clothe the Naked? Do they respect and love All of God’s creatures? Do they give shelter to the homeless? Do they give honor, glory and praise to Almighty God, his beloved son Jesus Christ?
If a person is living a just and good life and respecting the rights and property of all God’s children and creation then we do not have a right to reject them and discredit them because God has created them in a certain way. We do not have a right to deny them the same rights and privileges as every other citizen. The question poised at the beginning of this reflection was, Do you serve the Lord ?; The answer is you do if you live in a manner prescribed by Jesus Christ and do not make judgments according to man made decisions but only by the example and teachings given us by Christ. AMEN