Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus

Saturday, September 17, 2016

Sunday Sept. 18, 2016 Reflection

Sunday September 18^th 2016 Reflection

25^th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Based on the readings from: Amos 8:4-7, 1 Timothy 2:1-8, Luke 16:1-13

By Rev. Fr. Bob Johnnene OFM

Mission Saints Sergius & Bacchus/

Order Franciscans of Mercy

www.missionstsergius.org

www.orderfranciscansofmercy.org

What powerful instructions we find in this week’s readings for us to think upon as we go along our highway of life this week. From the first words of the first reading from The book of Amos 8: verses 4-7 which tell us the following; Listen to this, you who trample on the needy and try to suppress the poor people of the country, you who say, ‘When will New Moon be over so that we can sell our corn, and the Sabbath finish, so that we can market our wheat? Then by lowering the bushel, raising the shekel, by swindling and tampering with the scales, we can buy up the poor for money, and the needy for a pair of sandals, and get a price even for the sweepings of the wheat.’

The Lord swears it by the pride of Jacob, “Never will I forget a single thing you have done.’

St. Paul’s letter to Timothy follows that up with the following instruction. “My advice is that, first of all, there should be prayers offered for everyone – petitions, intercessions and thanksgiving – and especially for kings and others in authority, so that we may be able to live religious and reverent lives in peace and quiet. And finally the instruction found in the last paragraph of the Gospel reading from Luke 16 which has the following advice; “Jesus said to his disciples, ‘The man who can be trusted in little things can be trusted in great; the man who is dishonest in little things will be dishonest in great.

If then you cannot be trusted with money, that tainted thing, who will trust you with genuine riches? And if you cannot be trusted with what is not yours, who will give you what is your very own? No servant can be the slave of two masters: he will either hate the first and love the second, or treat the first with respect and the second with scorn. You cannot be the slave both of God and of money.’

I have no doubt what we are being instructed to do and it is a continuation of the teaching that Christ constantly gave all who would listen.

We have been instructed to be extremely conscience of the needs of others especially the poor, sick and aged. We should always conduct ourselves with honesty in all our daily actions.

We need to offer up prayers to God, our creator of thanksgiving for the gifts we have been given and to share them with all we encounter.

Members of our Franciscan Community in Massachusetts, New York and Georgia work in ministry to the homeless, in hospitals, nursing homes, hospices and prisons as well as visitations with Eucharist and often bags of groceries for those who are in need because of low fixed incomes. Our work is only possible through the generosity of our benefactors who donate the funds necessary for us to meet the expenses of our work.

Daily we pray for everyone especially those who may have hurt us in some way either intentionally or unintentionally and ask God for forgiveness for any hurts we may have inflicted on others.

This is a way of life that all followers of Our Lord Jesus Christ should be living to insure they fulfil in their lives the way Christ instructed us too live.

The readings inform us to refrain from cheating others by selling goods at a far greater profit than necessary and to make sure that what we do sell is the best that we can provide for the amount being charged. Sadly, not all businesses, even those owned and operated by so called Christians, follow this teaching of Jesus.

In short we should refrain from having excessive profits from any business we own and share our blessings with those in need or with charities that do provide for them.

I wonder if the major corporations of this world have ever heard or read these passages.

Pope Francis has reminded us of the need for us to be merciful to those with needs when he said: These days there is a lot of poverty in the world, and that's a scandal when we have so many riches and resources to give to everyone. We all have to think about how we can become a little poorer…….There is a danger that threatens everyone in the church, all of us. The danger of worldliness. It leads us to vanity, arrogance and pride.”

It would seem to me that they have not considering what has taken place in recent history and continues every business day.

In today’s world it seems that far too many people have given themselves over to greed and money as their master rather than trying to serve God as best as they can.

Very possibly we need to give serious thought to who our master is. Do we serve God or do we serve the God of Greed often called Satan.

We need to take the last words of the Gospel, You cannot be the slave both of God and of money.” to heart and make any changes in our lives that need to be made so that we live our lives and are not doing the following; trample on the needy and try to suppress the poor people of the country, but are; offering prayers for everyone of petitions, intercessions and thanksgiving especially for kings and others in authority of the nations and religions of this world, so that we may be able to live religious and reverent lives in peace and quiet with compassion, respect, justice and equality for All God’s children with no regard for their race, nationality, religious denomination or sexual or gender identity. AMEN

Friday, September 16, 2016

25th Ordinary Sunday 2016

Friday, September 9, 2016

Sept 11, 2016 REFLECTIONS Show

Saturday, September 3, 2016

A Reflection for Labor Day Weekend

Labor, Not In Vain

                          A Labor Day Reflection for September 4, 2016
                Based on Genesis 2:2, Exodus 23:12, Matthew 11:28, Luke 12:27
                                    By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFM,
                                  Mission Saints. Sergius & Bacchus
                                        Order Franciscans of Mercy
                                          www.missionstsergius.org
                                   www.orderfranciscansofmercy.org

“Six days you are to do your work, but on the seventh day you shall cease from labor so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female slave, as well as your stranger, may refresh themselves.”(Exodus 23:12) “On the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.” (Genesis 2:2) “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28) "Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not evenSolomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these”(Luke 12:27)

Many passages in Holy Scripture refer to labor and/or the need for people to rest from their labors. On this Labor Day weekend, I felt compelled to examine how we look upon labor and what we consider important to labor for.

At one time in my youth the only thing that people did on a Sunday was go to church and spend time with family and friends. That was before our society began the progression into materialism and greed that seems to permeate our society today.

Today, even a national holiday that is supposed to honor all who labor and a holiday that at one time almost every store was closed to give the workers time off, we find the day turned over to Super Sales and enticements to go shopping. The papers are filled with ‘Labor Day Sales”. The holiday that in many states in the US since 1894 and finally in 1897 meant to give the average worker a day off, with pay, to enjoy their family has turned into a day where people are required to do the same old thing they do every day, work, work and more work.

Pope Francis has made statements about the dignity of work and the need for every person to have equal opportunity and fair wages.

Work is fundamental to the dignity of a person. Work, to use an image, "anoints" us with dignity, fills us with dignity, makes us similar to God, who has worked and still works, who always acts...

There is no worse material poverty, I am keen to stress, than the poverty which prevents people from earning their bread and deprives them of the dignity of work.

Where there is no work there is no dignity! ... [lack of work] is the result of a global decision, of an economic system which leads to this tragedy; an economic system centered on an idol called “money”.

In Exodus 23:12 God directs people to take time off to rest, and in verse 16 God tells the Israelites “Also you shall observe the Feast of the Harvest of the first fruits of your labors from what you sow in the field; also the Feast of the Ingathering at the end of the year when you gather in the fruit of your labors from the field.”

This is God’s instruction upon which the Labor Day Holiday was based.

In addition to speaking on the dignity of work Pope Francis has also spoken on how it is necessary as well for people to take time to rest and take time to give thanks to God for their ability to work.

Responding to the question, “Do we need to rediscover the meaning of leisure?” Pope Francis replied: “Together with a culture of work, there must be a culture of leisure as gratification. To put it another way: people who work must take the time to relax, to be with their families, to enjoy themselves, read, listen to music, play a sport. But this is being destroyed, in large part, by the elimination of the Sabbath rest day. More and more people work on Sundays as a consequence of the competitiveness imposed by a consumer society.” In such cases, he concludes, “work ends up dehumanizing people.”

On another occasion the Pope continued his thoughts on the dignity of work and the necessity of taking time off for God, family and rest. That is what this holiday we will be celebrating on Monday was intended to do when it was established

The pope said; “ rest and celebration are part of the very order of creation, “We recall the conclusion of the account of Creation…’And on the seventh day God finished his work which he had done, and he rested on the seventh day.’”

In other words, Catholics believe in taking time off for rest, relaxation and recreation, and what is recreation except “re-creation”? The pope reminds us that a day off or vacation is therefore not laziness or shirking from work. He said; “A celebration is first of all a loving and thankful look on work well done; we celebrate work…. a true time of celebration halts professional work and is sacred, because it reminds man and woman that they are made in the image of God, who is not a slave of work.”

While encouraging the celebration of time off, the pope also reminds us that there are many around the world who do not enjoy this simple right. “Millions of men and women and even children that are slaves of work! In this time they are slaves, they are exploited, slaves of work and this is against God and against the dignity of the human person!”

While work is good, The Pope Teaches; “ it is not everything. Greed drives us to work without a break and to put ourselves and others at risk and leads to terrible waste of human lives and resources. So he cries out, “Do we work for this? The greed of consuming, which entails waste is an awful virus that, among other things, in the end makes us feel more tired than before. It harms true work and consumes life. The disorderly rhythms of a celebration create victims — often young people.”

Instead, life should be abundant and full of joy. We should take pride in our work and be satisfied with a job well done. We should enjoy the financial benefits of hard work and celebrate that prosperity with family and friends. Sunday is the unique day when Christians should take time off work to celebrate positively with family and friends.”

1. So in taking the Popes thoughts and putting them into action, what we should be doing this entire weekend is take time to give God thanks for the ability to work and then take time to enjoy our family and friends as the holiday that, By the time it became an official federal holiday in 1894, thirty U.S. states officially celebrated Labor Day. Thus by 1887 in North America, Labor Day was an established, official holiday meant to provide every employee a day off with pay to enjoy their family and friends at the official end of Summer.

Work is a necessity often mentioned throughout the Old and New Testaments and worthy of dignity, equality in pay and decent working conditions but like the old proverb say’s “All work and no play makes Jack and Jill dull persons”

I have taken the liberty to make the proverb gender neutral.

When we work hard for something we appreciate it more than things that are handed to us, although we all appreciate unsolicited gifts.

I hear so many excuses as to why someone is unable to take time for God and go to church on Sunday or for that matter to even take time daily to pray. We can find time to watch television, listen to our I-Pod or send texts or post on Facebook every place we go but we cannot take 20 minutes out of our day for God or an hour on Sunday, the Sabbath day of rest, to gather together with our brothers and sisters in Christ and offer God honor, praise and our offerings to Him and receive in return God’s gift to us of the Bread of Life, The Eucharist.

We fail to reflect on what Luke 12:27 was trying to teach us; “Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not evenSolomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these” The lesson is that if we have faith and complete trust in God and if we acknowledge Him properly, He will provide us with the necessities of life we need just as He does the birds of the air and the fish of the sea and the flowers of the field.

Labor Day is a day to take time off from work and to spend time with the greatest gifts God has given us, our family and friends and to take time acknowledging and giving thanks to God for those things we have been given.

Labor Day should not be a day to spend, spend, spend and put ourselves further in debt but a time to take inventory of the heavenly treasure we are storing up for ourselves and to evaluate what we might have to do to increase that heavenly treasure.

On this Labor Day we also want to pray for all those people who are unable to find work after being laid off from their previous employer, and those who do not receive a fair living wage or are forced to work in unsanitary and unsafe conditions. We need to pray for those are physically unable to work because of illness or war or discrimination.

We need to be thankful that we have jobs to go to and be thankful for the time off to enjoy our family and friends.

I will close with two passages we might reflect on this Labor Day weekend, the first is from Psalms 127:1 “Unless the LORD builds the house, its builder’s labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain” and the second is from 1 Corinthians 15:58 “Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

May Almighty God bless all who labor to sustain themselves and grant unto them just wages and fair, healthy and safe working conditions and May we come to know love and thank God for the gifts He has provided to us and his infinite mercy and love for us. AMEN

Friday, September 2, 2016

Sept 4th 2016 Labor Day Show

Saturday, August 27, 2016

Sunday August 28th Scripture Reflection

He who humbles himself will be exalted

Reflection for 22^nd Sunday of Ordinary Time, August 28, 2016

By Rev. Bob Johnnene OFM

Mission Saints Sergius & Bacchus

Order Franciscans of Mercy

TV Shows link; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8elKccazfx4

Link to Mission Web Site: www.missionstsergius.org

Link to OFM web site: www.orderfranciscansofmercy.org

The readings for this week follow closely on last week’s teaching by pointing two very important things for us to reflect upon through this coming week.

The first is the need for us to be humble and acknowledge that we are far from perfect always needing to take inventory of our successes and our failures.

The Gospel of Luke 14:1-14 tells the story of Jesus eating at the house of one of the Pharisees and wathching how people seated themselves. Christ then told these parapbles. “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take your seat in the place of honour. A more distinguished person than you may have been invited, and the person who invited you both may come and say, “Give up your place to this man.” And then, to your embarrassment, you would have to go and take the lowest place. No; when you are a guest, make your way to the lowest place and sit there, so that, when your host comes, he may say, “My friend, move up higher.” In that way, everyone with you at the table will see you honoured. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the man who humbles himself will be exalted. Then he said to his host, ‘When you give a lunch or a dinner, do not ask your friends, brothers, relations or rich neighbours, for fear they repay your courtesy by inviting you in return. No; when you have a party, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; that they cannot pay you back means that you are fortunate, because repayment will be made to you when the virtuous rise again”.

The lesson Christ is trying to teach us is of humility.

This virtue seems to have become totally irrelevant especially with the lies and untruths that our politicians spread in order to get elected or that businesses tell in order to sell products and increase their bottom line and the profits for their stockholders.

One of the most difficult things for us to do is admit we are wrong and even more difficult for us is to ask for forgiveness when we are wrong, especially when what we did hurt someone especially those closest to us, like family and friends.

All too often when we do ask forgiveness the person from whom we are seeking it is reluctant if not completely unwilling to be forgiving. That, thankfully is not God’s way, Our God is a merciful and compassionate God who is always ready to forgive us for the times we failed to do what he expects of us.

That is why Pope Francis, the Bishop of Rome, declared this year to be a Special Jubilee Year of Mercy, in order to point out God’s unending and infinite mercy.

I have experienced the unwillingness of individuals to forgive me in spite of my many attempts seeking forgiveness, the other person is not only unforgiving but hostile to this day after 37 years.

Fortunately, Almighty God is a merciful God willing to forgive us even of the most grievous of crimes committed against others but also those sins against God himself.

In the first reading for this Sunday from Ecclesiasticus 3:19-21, 30-31we read the following; “My son, be gentle in carrying out your business, and you will be better loved than a lavish giver.The greater you are, the more you should behave humbly, and then you will find favour with the Lord; for great though the power of the Lord is, he accepts the homage of the humble. There is no cure for the proud man’s malady, since an evil growth has taken root in him.”

The way so many people today spend their time in poursuite of pleasure, wealth, power and prestige even resorting to lies and innuendo in order to achieve their goals, it seems to me that the powers of evil have taken over the hearts and minds of far too many people.

Because one person has the gift of great knowledge this does not make him any better than the person who has the gift of tilling the fields and producing great harvests.

In the eyes of God all equal and deserve the same kind of respect as kings, business moguls, world famous actors, athletes, Cardinals or Popes.

Humility and equality are virtues that go together and ones each of us need to strive constantly to develop within ourselves.

In an age where so many are seeking their fifteen minutes of fame and try to extend that to a lifetime of acclaim, we need to look closer at how we are building up recognition in the eyes of God.

Are we living our lives as God has asked us by caring for those who are less fortunate than ourselves? Are we sharing our gifts, both material and spiritual with others?

Do we have respect for God’s creation by doing our part to keep the environment as livable as possible?

Every day we read and see the horrible situation of people in drought torn countries, or those who lost everything in the wild fires that raged through the West recently and the countries that are embroiled in wars just to gain power, wealth and domination.

Here in the United states we have people who daily struggle to eat a healthy meal or do not have a decent place to live or cannot afford to obtain medical care or prescriptions because they do not earn enough to live, while others go about driving luxury cars and paying $400 for a haircut all the while finding every way to avoid paying their fair share of taxes, one of the candidates for President even boasted about how he sought to pay as little as possible, and most of these same people rarely give the 10% or tithe back to God that scripture calls us to do.

They seem to have become like the scribes and pharasies spoken about in Matthew 23:23: “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you have left undone the weightier matters of the law, justice, and mercy, and faith have been left undone”.

We spend Trillions on weapons of destruction but we cannot afford to care for the poor properly and insure that every child receives the highest quality education.

It seems to me that many have our priorities greatly confused; they can afford a $4.00 or more cappuccino but cannot put even a dollar in the offertory collection.

God has been very good to the United States and given us many gifts, decent honorable men and women built a nation on the principals of freedom, democracy, justice and as the Declaration of Independence declares; “We hold these truths to be self-evident that ALL PEOPLE are created equal, that they ARE ENDOWED BY THEIR CREATOR with certain unalienable rights, that among them are LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS”)

We, who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ, need to work harder to insure that every man, woman and child in this country is guaranteed the same rights and privileges as those whom God has blessed with a bounty of wealth so they easily afford the quality education, health care and housing and all the luxuries that this nation has.

We need to emulate the tax collector and ask God for forgiveness for failing to be mindful of the needs of others and having our priorities misplaced from the teaching of Jesus Christ.

We need to respect other nationalities customs and way of life and not force our way on them.

We need to appreciate the diversity that God has created rejoicing that not everything and everyone is identical.

God created everyone with differing gifts and we should be thankful for those gifts God has given us and share them wisely with others.

I share my thoughts on this week’s readings with you and suggest you reflect upon these readings during this coming week.

I hope that you will look, as I have within myself, attempting to discern how I can better use the gifts God has bestowed upon me better in the service toward others.

May Almighty God send the Holy Spirit down on us as assisting us in our discernment of the Gifts he has given us guiding us too become exalted in His eyes every day of our lives.

I close by asking your prayers for this ministry as I struggle to meet the financial responsibilities of the ministry and continue the work I do.

Friday, August 26, 2016

August 28, 2016 REFLECTIONS show

Friday, August 19, 2016

August 21, 2016 REFLECTIONS TV show

Saturday, August 13, 2016

20^th Sunday of Ordinary Time 2016

Based on Readings from Jeremiah 38, Psalm 40, Hebrews 12, Luke 12:49-53

By Rev. Bob Johnnene OFM

Mission Saints Sergius & Bacchus

Order Franciscans of Mercy

Link to Mission Web Site: www.missionstsergius.org

www.orderfranciscansofmercy.org

The Gospel for this Sunday begins with these words; Jesus said to his disciples: “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!”

What exactly, I wonder did Christ mean by “He had come to set the world on fire?”

What is meant that Christ came to inflame us with the truth of God’s will and that he wished that those who were living at that time, and had been told of God’s will by the prophets, had listened and practiced God’s will.

Even after Christ came, people refused to listen and often scorned Christ. Granted, thankfully, some who heard Christ listened and believed and they became his disciples and the persons who founded the One Holy Catholic Apostolic Church we profess to believe in every time we pray the Creed.

The Gospel goes on to say; “There is a baptism with which I must be baptized and how great my anguish is until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on a household of five will be divided,
three against two and two against three; a father will be divided against his son and a son against his father, a mother against her daughter and a daughter against her mother, a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

Those are heady words and very difficult to comprehend, but if we examine them well we can begin to understand exactly what Christ was saying.

What Jesus is telling us is that he did not come here to win a popularity contest, but came to upset the apple cart and overthrow the common beliefs and concepts of his time.

The Baptism that Christ speaks of is not that of water and the Holy Spirit, which he had already received but the Baptism of immersion into the pain and suffering of his passion and death so that he could overcome sin and win all who believed the forgiveness of sin and everlasting life at the end of their earthly time.

Christ knew that what he preached would be very unpopular among some, he knew even some of his own family would reject him.

Christ in essence was foretelling what many would experience who tried to follow the teachings and truth he proclaimed.

The second reading for this Sunday compares life with running a race and tells us that we need to persevere in our attempts to live in accord with Christ’s teachings in spite of the rejection by some of our family and friends or the unpopularity of it.

The first reading from the book of Jeremiah relates how people sought to have Jeremiah killed because they did not like being told that what they were doing was wrong. Not much changes even today.

Children don’t like to be told what to do, employees of think they know better and fail to follow company rules. Even clergy, have rebelled, and rejected things because they were difficult.

Throughout history people have rejected one thing or another because it did not fit their personal agenda.

Being a true Christian, a follower of the teachings of Jesus Christ is not easy and Christ knew that.

As the song by Lynn Anderson proclaims; “I beg your pardon,
I never promised you a rose garden. Along with the sunshine, there’s got to be a little rain sometimes. When you take, you got to give, so live and let live, I beg your pardon, I never promised you a rose garden.”

Christ never told us that living in accord with his teachings would be easy, but he did tell us how to live, and the prime way was to LOVE. Love God, Love your neighbor, Love one another as Christ loved us.

To follow Christ, one has to make difficult decisions; one has to be willing to seek not fame, fortune, popularity, and power, but needs to have compassion, forgiveness, mercy, generosity, and humility.

One needs to care for the sick, homeless, oppressed, unemployed, aged and poor.

To live our lives as true followers of Christ, we need to spurn the popular notions of society for those that are often the most unpopular.

From shortly after the apostles established the first churches, later generations have decided to make changes in order to suite some sort of gain in power, wealth of to reject something they found difficult.

That trend continues to this day. Everyone wants to be the boss and far too many demand that things be their way or no way.

That is not a Christian way.

Christ established on Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church through his teachings and the apostles with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Christ came to set the world on fire with the Love of God and the knowledge of God’s infinite mercy and love for us.

We need to become open to receiving that fire and letting it consume us so that we then go forth setting others on fire with the love of God.

We can accomplish that be opening ourselves to living lives that are compassionate, forgiving, merciful, charitable and focused on being a reflection of God and Jesus Christ as the title of this show proclaims.

May God’s love set you afire with the gifts of the Holy Spirit and may you go forth enkindling that fire in others. AMEN

Friday, August 12, 2016

20 th Ordinary Sunday August 14, 2016

Friday, August 5, 2016

19th Ordinary Sunday Aug 7, 2016

Friday, July 29, 2016

July 31st 2016 Reflection

Friday, July 22, 2016

17th Odinary Time July 24, 2016

Saturday, July 16, 2016

16th Ordinary Sunday July 17, 2016

Saturday, July 9, 2016

15th Ordinary Sunday July 10, 2016

Friday, July 1, 2016

July 3 4th 2016 Independence Day

Friday, June 24, 2016

13th Sunday of Ordinary Time June 26, 2016

Saturday, June 18, 2016

Father's DAy Reflection

Father’s Day, June 19^th2016
12^th Sunday of Ordinary time
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFJ
Mission Saints Sergius & Bacchus
Franciscans of Joy of the Gospel
Independent Catholic Church of the Americas
www.missionstsergius.org

“With God as our father, brothers all are we. Let us work with each other for perfect harmony” These words from the song LET THERE BE PEACE ON EARTH are full of intense meaning for each and every one of us if we take a good look at what they are acknowledging.

On this Father’s day most children seek to find a special gift for their earthly fathers.

Some children have two fathers and in my mind this could be a double blessing for them and unfortunately some children have never known their earthly father because of their passing before they had a chance to know them or through divorce or other circumstances.

My father was called home to God in 1976 at the age of 76 but I still have times when I want to talk with him and times when I feel his presence or hear his words.

As a father of three and a grandfather of 2 I know how much I love my children and grandchildren and I am but a mere mortal man, how much more does our Heavenly Father love each and every one of us?

For parents and children who are estranged from each other they need to reach out to each other to seek/give forgiveness just as Christ taught us in the parable of the Good Shepherd.

In it God as the Good Shepherd would leave the flock to seek out the lost sheep and return it to the flock.

With God as our Father, we are all, every person on this planet, brothers and sisters and we are also brothers and sisters to Jesus Christ, the son of God our father.

Why is it then that we have so much trouble getting along with each other and why do we try to exclude some of our brothers and sisters from giving their heavenly father the worship and praise He deserves just because they are a different race or religion or have a sexual orientation toward a member of the same sex or because they are divorced.

Why is it that we do not look out for the well being of those brothers and sisters who are not as well of as we are or are in need of special attention because of physical or mental or medical reasons?

The father in the story of the Prodigal Son was willing to overlook his son’s transgressions and welcome him back with a feast and a joyous celebration which is how our heavenly father will welcome every one who returns to Him.

Our Father in heaven is a loving, caring, compassionate and merciful father, not the God of vengeance of the Old Testament and Christ proclaimed that while He was here on earth.

Now is the time for each and every one of us, to acknowledge that we are all brothers and sisters with the same heavenly father and for us to begin to act with the same compassion and love toward each other that Christ exhibited while he was on earth to all He encountered.

It is time for us to speak up against injustice, bigotry, violence, discrimination, war and poverty and to make a gift that is truly meaningful to our heavenly father, God Almighty.

In today’s Gospel from Luke Christ asks the apostles who people think he is “Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am? They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.” Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.”

The Gospel story demonstrates how God’s infinite mercy and love was so strong that even though he knew what he would have to endure for us, he was willing to suffer the ignominious death on the cross in addition to being rejected, beaten, insulted and abandoned just so we could have everlasting life and forgiveness of our sins.

Christ instructed us in His sermon on the mount found in Matthew 5: 3-12 how we are to live our lives.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the earth. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are they who suffer persecution for justice sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

God is our heavenly Father, and is the most compassionate and loving father that ever existed. God is the consummate of all Love. Deus Caritas Est, God is Love.

As our Father let us acknowledge him and thank him for all he has given us, let us, on this Father’s day; give God the best gift of all, ourselves.

We can do that by living in accord with how Christ taught us and by serving not only God, but all God’s children.

We can make sure that we actively do things that will help the poor, sick, aged, homeless, and unemployed. We can stop being negative and condemning and discriminating against people who are not exactly like us.

The best way for us to be blessed is to put the seven practices of charity toward our neighbor into action.

They are based on Christ’s prophecy of the Last Judgment, which will determine each person’s final destiny and they are; Feed the hungry, Give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, Shelter the homeless, Visit the sick, Visit those in prison, and Bury the dead. “Then the King will say to those at his right hand, ’Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me” (Matthew 25:34)

In the second reading for this Sunday from Paul’s letter to the Galatians 3:26-29 we hear Paul say “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

Christ came to earth to suffer the indignities of human existence for every human being on the face of the earth because the Fater of all things, Almighty God, loves us unconditionally and infinitely with the ultimate Mercy which Pope Francis made aware to us by dedicating this year as the Jubilee Year of Mercy.

On this Father’s day let us make a gift to God that will be truly pleasing to Him.

Let us reach out to those who are in need, being abused, homeless, hungry or sick and extend The Fathers love to them by giving them some comfort.

Let us make the changes in this world that will bring about a time of brotherhood, justice, compassion and equality for every child of God and our ALL our brothers and sisters in Christ not just the few chosen by one group or another because they feel comfortable with them but for ALL of God’s children.

When Christ taught us to pray He said; “When you pray, say, Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed is your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on this earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive our trespassers and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from all evil”

In the liturgy of the Eucharist the priest continues this prayer with these words; “For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever” “Deliver us Lord from every evil, and grant us the peace in our day. In your mercy keep us free from sin and protect us from all anxiety as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our savior Jesus Christ” and then all acknowledge “For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever.

God is Father of all of the human race and as such we need to honor and recognize him and give him thanks and praise on this Father’s Day. AMEN