A New Year Reflection

Decade 1 of the 21st Century is Over



A Reflection by Fr. Bob Johnnene OFD


Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus/ Franciscans of Divine Mercy


www.missionstsergius.org






On Friday we begin the second decade of the Twenty First Century and my questions are: “IS THE WORLD BETTER TODAY THAN IT WAS ON DECEMBER 31, 1999?”


Looking back I am sorry to say, “I do not think we have learned anything” since we still have wars raging, people are starving and homeless, discrimination still exists, and in actuality more people are out of work than on December 31st 1999. The economy is in worse condition. Unbelievable scandals still continue to come to the surface concerning those who we expect to be leaders in Government and Religion.


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


People continue to make the same mistakes over and over again century after century.


After centuries we still think we can win a dispute by going to war and killing 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 what nationality, religion, race or sexual orientation and feel comfortable excluding people for one of those reasons rather than be welcoming.


Being Inhospitality was the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah


Since before the time of Christ people used their wealth and political and Religious positions to subjugate others and laud themselves over those they should have been taking care of. Christ taught about this many times. There are the stories 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 Years 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.” We received a direction of living our life in accordance with the teachings of Christ and therefore Almighty God. So why do we find this so difficult?


As if to reinforce the truth, that we have all been chosen by God as his children and therefore heirs to the kingdom of heaven we have the words from the second reading found in Galatians 4: “The proof that you are sons is that God has 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 any more; and if God has made you His child, then he has made you heir.”


The Gospel tell us that the name chosen for the child was not a family mane 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, 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” in Greek meaning mother of God. There should be no doubt in anyone mind that Jesus is the promised one of the ages and as such we need to heed the things He has instructed us to do.


We also have to 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, 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 and a New Decade 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 way that we can actively make a difference by our actions and deeds. Can we be more compassionate toward those who are suffering from poverty, hunger, homelessness and serious illness? Can we do more to support the spreading of the Good News of Salvation preached by Jesus Christ? Can we make time in our schedules to pray and communicate with God and give him some of our time?


As the sports adage says; “The ball is in our court” how are we going to play it?


May the New Decade and 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 worlds 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






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