Ash Wednesday Reflection 2010
by Rev. Robert Johnnene OFD
Mission Saints Sergius & Bacchus/ Franciscans of Divine Mercy
Joel 2:12-18, Psalm 51, 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:2, Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18
www.missionstsergius.org
The first reading for Ash Wednesday is from Joel 2:12-19 and it encourages us with the following words, “The Lord says, Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your heart Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.”
Do not tear your clothing or cover yourself with ashes but tear your hearts instead. What we are being told here is that we need to open ourselves up to being more compassionate and caring. We need to change our ways from being selfish and greedy and open ourselves up toward more generous and forgiving.
Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish. With these words God is telling us, in no uncertain terms, that he is not out to inflict vengeance and condemnation upon us but is very merciful and forgiving. Let the priests, who minister in the Lord’s presence, pray, “Spare your people, Lord! Don’t let your special possession become an object of mockery. Don’t let them become a joke for unbelieving foreigners” I understand the last sentence to indicate that as priests of God we should never allow those who do not accept God or Jesus Christ and His teachings to dictate to us how we should think and behave. So many people laugh and talk about what church leaders of all denominations have done or preached in the name of God and remark how that does not seem to be what Christ had to say. I have heard many say about religious leaders “They talk the talk but they do not walk the walk” meaning of course they preach the words but their actions are the exact opposite of the teachings.
If we but begin to live according to the teachings of Jesus Christ and work to bring about justice and peace to all the people of the earth then we have the following promise from God that; “The Lord’s Promises Restoration, Then the Lord will pity his people and jealously guard the honor of his land. The Lord will reply, “Look! I am sending you grain and new wine and olive oil, enough to satisfy your needs. You will no longer be an object of mockery among the surrounding nations.”
The second reading of the day comes from Matthew 6:16-21 “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth that is the only reward they will ever get. But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. Again we are promised a reward for living our lives without seeking out special recognition from other and living our life for God’s recognition. The passage goes on further to instruct us on how we should perceive our possessions. “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” Everything we do in this live should be directed toward our Eternal life and not toward this fleeting existence on this earth. This is brought very clearly to focus when we receive the sign of the cross on our forehead with the words “Remember, you are dust and unto dust you shall return.” This life is not an everlasting one, we are here only for a short time and it is what and how we live our life here on earth that will determine how our eternal life will be.
There are so many opportunities to serve God according to Christ’s teachings in this world today. The guide I personally use for what I need to do is found in the Corporal Works of Mercy which tell us to; 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. These are the criteria by which God will judge us. We will not be judged by how many rosaries we say or how many times we go to church but by whether or not we practiced these actions for the sake of all God’s children and not just for our own personal recognition.
In Matthew 25:34-39 Christ makes this clear when He tells us “Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you? “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these, my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me, I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’ “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’
On this Ash Wednesday let us allow the ashes to remind us of the briefness of our time here to build up our heavenly treasure and the frailty of our nature and attempt as much as possible to become a fervent follower of Christ and child of God by our actions in His honor. Let us work fervently to seek a lasting peace and brotherhood between all of God’s children and not be the cause of friction and dissent but of compassion and forgiveness. Let us put our words into action and let our actions speak louder than our words. We are the masters of our destiny here on earth. God has given us the directions all we need to do is follow them. Christ made clear the will of the Father, He clarified the teachings of the Old Testament and gave us the New Covenant now all we have to do is realy live our daily life by it. AMEN
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
God's Love, Greatest Love of All
God’s Love, The Greatest Love of All
A Reflection for Saint Valentines Day
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFD
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus/ Franciscans of Divine Mercy
www.missionstsergius.org
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud (1 Corinthians 13:4)
February 14th had always been celebrated by the church for centuries as the day to honor the three Saint Valentine’s but in 1969 it was removed from the church’s official calendar. It is still extremely popular as a commercial holiday set aside to give special recognition to your loved ones.
According to history St. Valentine was a priest in the Roman Empire who helped hide and save persecuted Christians during the reign of Claudius II, was thrown in jail and later beheaded on Feb. 14. There is supposed to be another St. Valentine who was the Catholic bishop of Terni and was also beheaded during the reign of Claudius II. According to some historians there was a third St. Valentine who secretly married couples when marriage was forbidden in Africa and was later beheaded. The one common factor for all the St. Valentines is that they lost their heads over love. Possibly that explains why so many men and women seem to loose their heads when they think they are in love.
There was also a conventional belief in Europe during the middle Ages that birds chose their partners in the middle of February. Thus the day was dedicated to love, and people observed it by writing love letters and sending small gifts to their beloved. Legend has it that Charles, duke of Orleans, sent the first real Valentine card to his wife in 1415, when he was imprisoned in the Tower of London. (He, however, was not beheaded, and died a half-century later of old age.)
These words from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians sums up what love really is “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud” It is not the sexual or physical attraction that counts, but the deeper spiritual actions one puts forth toward others. Mother Teresa put it nicely when she would tell people “Give your hands to serve and your hearts to love.'' - Mother Teresa
Christ, himself, told us that love was the greatest commandment, Love of God and Love of your neighbor. Today the word love is far too often confused with sex and nothing could be further from the truth. When two people are deeply in love, yes sex is a means of sharing and expressing that love and in the case of heterosexual couples of creating a physical expression of their love in children. But for true love to blossom and bloom there has to be understanding, honesty, trust cooperation and devotion. Both parties have to be willing to give 100% of themselves to the other.
Galatians 5:22 reminds us that love is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit and therefore it is a special gift that comes from Almighty God “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness”, (Galatians 5:22) and like all gifts from God it should not be taken lightly but appreciated and used in accordance with God’s intentions. Take special not of the gifts that follow love and its placement as the first gift.
On Saint Valentines day (even though the Roman church no longer celebrates it as a feast day) let us show our love for God’s children by doing more than sending a special greeting to a few friends and lovers, but put into actions that show all our love for God and for all God’s children by voicing our indignation for the actions of governments and individuals who promote hatred, bigotry, discrimination and violence. Let’s speak out in favor of funding for quality affordable health care for all, adequate affordable housing, affordable quality education for every child. “The Lord is waiting for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who seek his help”. (Isaiah 30:17-19) “But love your enemies, do well to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. (Luke 6:35) these words from Luke even advise us to love our enemies and one way to show that love is to pray for them. Pray that God will open their hearts to find solutions to the things that have caused the discord.
I close this reflection for Valentines Day with this prayer from 2 Thessalonians 2 : 16-17 “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” AMEN
May Almighty God’s infinite and abundant love overflow within your hearts and out onto all those with whom you come in contact with.
Have a Blessed St. Valentines Day.
A Reflection for Saint Valentines Day
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFD
Mission Saints Sergius and Bacchus/ Franciscans of Divine Mercy
www.missionstsergius.org
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud (1 Corinthians 13:4)
February 14th had always been celebrated by the church for centuries as the day to honor the three Saint Valentine’s but in 1969 it was removed from the church’s official calendar. It is still extremely popular as a commercial holiday set aside to give special recognition to your loved ones.
According to history St. Valentine was a priest in the Roman Empire who helped hide and save persecuted Christians during the reign of Claudius II, was thrown in jail and later beheaded on Feb. 14. There is supposed to be another St. Valentine who was the Catholic bishop of Terni and was also beheaded during the reign of Claudius II. According to some historians there was a third St. Valentine who secretly married couples when marriage was forbidden in Africa and was later beheaded. The one common factor for all the St. Valentines is that they lost their heads over love. Possibly that explains why so many men and women seem to loose their heads when they think they are in love.
There was also a conventional belief in Europe during the middle Ages that birds chose their partners in the middle of February. Thus the day was dedicated to love, and people observed it by writing love letters and sending small gifts to their beloved. Legend has it that Charles, duke of Orleans, sent the first real Valentine card to his wife in 1415, when he was imprisoned in the Tower of London. (He, however, was not beheaded, and died a half-century later of old age.)
These words from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians sums up what love really is “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud” It is not the sexual or physical attraction that counts, but the deeper spiritual actions one puts forth toward others. Mother Teresa put it nicely when she would tell people “Give your hands to serve and your hearts to love.'' - Mother Teresa
Christ, himself, told us that love was the greatest commandment, Love of God and Love of your neighbor. Today the word love is far too often confused with sex and nothing could be further from the truth. When two people are deeply in love, yes sex is a means of sharing and expressing that love and in the case of heterosexual couples of creating a physical expression of their love in children. But for true love to blossom and bloom there has to be understanding, honesty, trust cooperation and devotion. Both parties have to be willing to give 100% of themselves to the other.
Galatians 5:22 reminds us that love is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit and therefore it is a special gift that comes from Almighty God “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness”, (Galatians 5:22) and like all gifts from God it should not be taken lightly but appreciated and used in accordance with God’s intentions. Take special not of the gifts that follow love and its placement as the first gift.
On Saint Valentines day (even though the Roman church no longer celebrates it as a feast day) let us show our love for God’s children by doing more than sending a special greeting to a few friends and lovers, but put into actions that show all our love for God and for all God’s children by voicing our indignation for the actions of governments and individuals who promote hatred, bigotry, discrimination and violence. Let’s speak out in favor of funding for quality affordable health care for all, adequate affordable housing, affordable quality education for every child. “The Lord is waiting for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who seek his help”. (Isaiah 30:17-19) “But love your enemies, do well to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. (Luke 6:35) these words from Luke even advise us to love our enemies and one way to show that love is to pray for them. Pray that God will open their hearts to find solutions to the things that have caused the discord.
I close this reflection for Valentines Day with this prayer from 2 Thessalonians 2 : 16-17 “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” AMEN
May Almighty God’s infinite and abundant love overflow within your hearts and out onto all those with whom you come in contact with.
Have a Blessed St. Valentines Day.
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