HOMILY FOR FEAST OF EPIPHANY 2011
By Rev. Fr. Bob Johnnene OFD Mission Saints Sergius & Bacchus & Divine mercy Parish, Franklin, MA
http://www.missionstsergius.org/ Email: DivineMercyParish@msn.com
The Dictionary defines EPIPHANY as; an appearance, to show forth, to manifest. All these meanings explain the feast we celebrate today January 2 rather than January 6th this year.
The Epiphany of Our Lord is the day in which we celebrate Almighty God’s eternal plan of Salvation. This particular feast is one of the oldest celebrated by the universal church.
Often it is known as Three Kings’ Day
As with most aspects of the Christian liturgical calendar, Epiphany has theological significance as a teaching tool in the church.
The Wise Men or Magi who brought gifts to the infant Jesus were the first Gentiles to acknowledge Jesus as "King" and so were the first to "show" or "reveal" Jesus to a wider world as the incarnate Christ.
The gifts they are said to have presented represented the Kingship of Christ (Gold), The Son of God (Frankincense used as an offering to God) and Myrrh which was used to dress the mortal body of those who died thereby proclaiming the death and resurrection of Jesus.
This act of worship by the Magi, which corresponded to Simeon’s blessing that this child Jesus would be "a light for revelation to the Gentiles" (Luke 2:32), was one of the first indications that Jesus came for all people, of all nations, of all races, and that the work of God in the world would not be limited to only a few.
This is a time of focusing on Christian brotherhood and fellowship, especially in healing the divisions of prejudice and bigotry that we all too often created separations between God’s children.
God’s children are separated from the Sacraments and members of a family because they do not conform to the desires of others. It doesn’t matter that they live a good life not hurting others, being generous and forgiving of the hurts inflicted on them.
Today many who proclaim to be believers of Christ’s teaching try to exclude people for proclaiming their love of God because they have been divorced or God created them with a homosexual orientation. They use passages from scripture to try to justify their positions. Unfortunately they use translations out of context. Nowhere in scripture did Jesus ever preach or say anything about homosexuality. In three of the Gospels we read these words; “YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”(Luke 10:27; Mark 12:30;, Matthew 22:37) which Jesus is said to have proclaimed.
At this time of the Church year, we are called to reflect on the truths found in the teachings of Jesus.
We are called to heal in the same way that Christ healed.
In the last few days I personally have experienced the healing power of God when one gives their life over to God with complete trust that God will provide and do what is best for you.
By forgiving those who have done us wrong, by being generous to those in need, by having compassion for those who are ill.
As anyone who has ever undergone an operation knows, healing takes time, it does not happen over night but if we work at it each and every day healing will occur.
In today’s world, there are many ills that need to be healed.
We need to address the separation between the haves and the have-nots.
All around the globe, even here in the United States, people are going without proper nutrition because they cannot afford to buy groceries and their necessary medicines.
People are living in unsanitary conditions because they cannot afford decent housing.
We need to look around and find those who need help, the aged, the parentless children, the struggling faith community that needs some financial assistance to develop programs or repairs or just to pay the rent for their worship space such as our ministry which struggles daily.
If we open our eyes and hearts we can all find a way of discovering, within ourselves, the message of this feast of Epiphany.
We can put the message of Christ’s coming to work here on earth now.
By Baptism we have been called to be the hands, heart and soul of Christ, we are called to be copartners in His promise, His disciples living His message and the message of Christ’s Glory shining through us.
Let us all now affirm that we will increase our commitment to the love of God and His beloved Son and Our Blessed Mother by making a new resolution to live our faith by, not only words, but by action.
I close with the alternative opening prayer from the liturgy of the feast of Epiphany.
Father of light, unchanging God, today you reveal to men of faith the resplendent fact of the Word made flesh.
Your light is strong, Your love is near; draw us beyond the limits which the world imposes, to the life where Your Spirit makes all life complete. We ask this through Christ our lord and savior.
Amen.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Thanks For the Miracle
Thank you for a real miracle that your prayers have brought about according to my doctors.
I went into the hospital believing that my chest would have to be opened up in order to remove the enlarged and possible cancerous remaining ( the right gland was removed in 2003) left thyroid gland.
I awoke to a relatively small scar on my throat with a drain to be told that when they opened me up they found that the gland, the size of a grapefruit, had not actually entwined any of the other vital organs like the lungs, vocal cord, and arteries that the ultrasound, MRI and CAT scan had shown but had actually pushed all of them away allowing for the surgeons to dissect the enlarged gland to remove it, without the much larger and more dangerous opening of the chest, by dissecting it.
The two surgeons, floor doctor and nurses were even more surprised by how rapidly my vital signs and recovery were allowing me to be able to be home days earlier than originally believed to write this message of thanks to you for it was most certainly your prayers that made this happen.
I do have a list of restriction and DO NOT DO's for the next 3 weeks and Because of the size of the gland I will not have the biopsy results for about a week to know if they will follow up with some radiation if the gland had any cancerous cells that might have “escaped” or if the were all encapsulated within the gland.
I am under order NOT to drive or have too much “action for at least a week until I see the doctors on January 5th to have the stitches or what ever is closing up the slit in my throat.
I feel that this operation was a message from God to allow me to inform you again, with a real life experience, about the power of prayer and putting your trust in God. As we are taught in Matthew 19:26 “with God all things are possible.”
Always remember, Prayer is the most powerful of all medicines when coupled with complete trust in God.
Thank you for your prayers and concern, you are all a super blessing to me from God.
PS: if you wish to continue to receive the reflections, newsletters and other news of our ministry and the Franciscans of Divine Mercy PLEASE send an EMAIL to the new mailing address for our Parish, DivineMercyParish@msn.com to be added tto our mailing list as I am consolodating all mission activities correspondance into the new parish email address and having you sendan email from that address makes it much easier than my retyping the more than 400 address that receive mission email.
May Almighty God fill your heart with happiness, Peace and all Good. Recalling Padre Pio's most famous words: "Pray, Hope and don't worry"!
Fr. Bob Johnnene OFD
Mission Saints Sergius & Bacchus/Franciscans of Divine Mercy
A Faith Community of the NAOCC
Franklin, MA
www.missionstsergius.org
I went into the hospital believing that my chest would have to be opened up in order to remove the enlarged and possible cancerous remaining ( the right gland was removed in 2003) left thyroid gland.
I awoke to a relatively small scar on my throat with a drain to be told that when they opened me up they found that the gland, the size of a grapefruit, had not actually entwined any of the other vital organs like the lungs, vocal cord, and arteries that the ultrasound, MRI and CAT scan had shown but had actually pushed all of them away allowing for the surgeons to dissect the enlarged gland to remove it, without the much larger and more dangerous opening of the chest, by dissecting it.
The two surgeons, floor doctor and nurses were even more surprised by how rapidly my vital signs and recovery were allowing me to be able to be home days earlier than originally believed to write this message of thanks to you for it was most certainly your prayers that made this happen.
I do have a list of restriction and DO NOT DO's for the next 3 weeks and Because of the size of the gland I will not have the biopsy results for about a week to know if they will follow up with some radiation if the gland had any cancerous cells that might have “escaped” or if the were all encapsulated within the gland.
I am under order NOT to drive or have too much “action for at least a week until I see the doctors on January 5th to have the stitches or what ever is closing up the slit in my throat.
I feel that this operation was a message from God to allow me to inform you again, with a real life experience, about the power of prayer and putting your trust in God. As we are taught in Matthew 19:26 “with God all things are possible.”
Always remember, Prayer is the most powerful of all medicines when coupled with complete trust in God.
Thank you for your prayers and concern, you are all a super blessing to me from God.
PS: if you wish to continue to receive the reflections, newsletters and other news of our ministry and the Franciscans of Divine Mercy PLEASE send an EMAIL to the new mailing address for our Parish, DivineMercyParish@msn.com to be added tto our mailing list as I am consolodating all mission activities correspondance into the new parish email address and having you sendan email from that address makes it much easier than my retyping the more than 400 address that receive mission email.
May Almighty God fill your heart with happiness, Peace and all Good. Recalling Padre Pio's most famous words: "Pray, Hope and don't worry"!
Fr. Bob Johnnene OFD
Mission Saints Sergius & Bacchus/Franciscans of Divine Mercy
A Faith Community of the NAOCC
Franklin, MA
www.missionstsergius.org
Monday, December 13, 2010
Update On Parish
UPDATE ON PARISH NAME
All people who receive our emails are eligible to help us choose a name for our parish no matter where you live since you are considered a member of our Faith Community even if you are a member of another religious community or faith community. since you are a child of God and have chosen to be on our email address list.
The top suggested names for our new North American Old Catholic Church Parish are:
St. Padre Pio Parish
Divine Mercy Parish
Blessed Junipero Serra Parish
Our Lady of Mercy Parish
Because there has also been write in suggestions to name the Parish after
Saint Maximilian Kolbe
Saint Didacus Alcala
St. Thomas More,
St. Lawrence Brindisi
Saint Edward
I am re-submitting the names for a final vote.
Please try to send your vote to me no later than December 22nd as I hope to be able to give you the location of our Parish and the dates of the first mass on that date or immediately after Christmas.
Fr. Bob Johnnene OFD
Mission Saints Sergius & Bacchus/Franciscans of Divine Mercy
A Faith Community of the NAOCC
Franklin, MA
www.missionstsergius.org
All people who receive our emails are eligible to help us choose a name for our parish no matter where you live since you are considered a member of our Faith Community even if you are a member of another religious community or faith community. since you are a child of God and have chosen to be on our email address list.
The top suggested names for our new North American Old Catholic Church Parish are:
St. Padre Pio Parish
Divine Mercy Parish
Blessed Junipero Serra Parish
Our Lady of Mercy Parish
Because there has also been write in suggestions to name the Parish after
Saint Maximilian Kolbe
Saint Didacus Alcala
St. Thomas More,
St. Lawrence Brindisi
Saint Edward
I am re-submitting the names for a final vote.
Please try to send your vote to me no later than December 22nd as I hope to be able to give you the location of our Parish and the dates of the first mass on that date or immediately after Christmas.
Fr. Bob Johnnene OFD
Mission Saints Sergius & Bacchus/Franciscans of Divine Mercy
A Faith Community of the NAOCC
Franklin, MA
www.missionstsergius.org
Friday, December 10, 2010
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: Isaiah 35:1-10, Psalm 14, James 5:7-10, Matthew 11:2-11
“The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the excellence of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellence of our God”. These opening words from the Isaiah 35 and the following from James 5, in which he seems to be instructing the people of Jerusalem, where he was the .head of the church and is often thought to be “the brother of Christ”, are a messages of hope as well as instructions on living our daily life.
The epistles of James stress good works as the means to gain everlasting life with God in Heaven. In the epistle for Gaudete Sunday James instruct his church in the following manner; “Be patient therefore, brothers, to the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be you also patient; establish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draws near. Grudge not one against another, brothers, lest you be condemned: behold, the judge stands before the door. Take, my brothers, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.”
This Sunday of Advent is called Gaudete Sunday, Meaning a Sunday to Rejoice .and the vestments are ROSE rather than purple. We are rejoicing that soon the promised of the ages birth will be celebrated.
During this season of advent as we prepare ourselves for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ and the salvation his coming brought. The Gospel for Gaudete Sunday is from Matthew tell the story of how Christ when asked by John the Baptist’s followers if he was the promised of the ages and how Christ tell them to report to John all the miracles they have witnessed and then Christ goes on to say the following; “Truly I say to you, Among them that are born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he”.
What this says is that basically, in God’s eyes, all who believe and live their lives extending love, compassion, charity and work toward a peaceful world are equal in heaven
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 an 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 preparation of celebrating Christmas, Chanukah or Kwanzaa that all they focus is on the commercial aspects of the holidays.
People forget what true meaning of these holidays is all about.
REJOICING IN GOD’S GOODNESS AND GIVING THANKS.
Without God, none of these holidays would exist. Without Christ, there can never be a Christmas.
Let’s make sure that we 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 reading from James letter to his church in Jerusalem instructs us to; “Grudge not one against another, brothers, lest you be condemned: behold, the judge stands before the door”
The message here is the same as the last two weeks, we need to be prepared or as the Coast Guard motto says we need to be “Semper Paradus” (Always Ready)and we also need to follow the Marines motto when it comes to God, Semper Fidelis which is Latin for "Always Faithful".
We must set aside time to recognize Christ’s coming here 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 accord with the way Christ instructed.
Let us work toward becoming more considerate, compassionate, understanding, forgiving and caring persons to all we encounter in our daily life rather than just concentrating on our own desires and wants.
Let our gift to God be our thanking him for our lives and what we have and let us share, if we can, what we have with those who are in need.
AMEN
By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFD
Mission Saints Sergius & Bacchus/ Franciscans of Divine Mercy
www.missionstsergius.org
Based on Readings from: Isaiah 35:1-10, Psalm 14, James 5:7-10, Matthew 11:2-11
“The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the excellence of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellence of our God”. These opening words from the Isaiah 35 and the following from James 5, in which he seems to be instructing the people of Jerusalem, where he was the .head of the church and is often thought to be “the brother of Christ”, are a messages of hope as well as instructions on living our daily life.
The epistles of James stress good works as the means to gain everlasting life with God in Heaven. In the epistle for Gaudete Sunday James instruct his church in the following manner; “Be patient therefore, brothers, to the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be you also patient; establish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draws near. Grudge not one against another, brothers, lest you be condemned: behold, the judge stands before the door. Take, my brothers, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.”
This Sunday of Advent is called Gaudete Sunday, Meaning a Sunday to Rejoice .and the vestments are ROSE rather than purple. We are rejoicing that soon the promised of the ages birth will be celebrated.
During this season of advent as we prepare ourselves for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ and the salvation his coming brought. The Gospel for Gaudete Sunday is from Matthew tell the story of how Christ when asked by John the Baptist’s followers if he was the promised of the ages and how Christ tell them to report to John all the miracles they have witnessed and then Christ goes on to say the following; “Truly I say to you, Among them that are born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he”.
What this says is that basically, in God’s eyes, all who believe and live their lives extending love, compassion, charity and work toward a peaceful world are equal in heaven
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 an 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 preparation of celebrating Christmas, Chanukah or Kwanzaa that all they focus is on the commercial aspects of the holidays.
People forget what true meaning of these holidays is all about.
REJOICING IN GOD’S GOODNESS AND GIVING THANKS.
Without God, none of these holidays would exist. Without Christ, there can never be a Christmas.
Let’s make sure that we 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 reading from James letter to his church in Jerusalem instructs us to; “Grudge not one against another, brothers, lest you be condemned: behold, the judge stands before the door”
The message here is the same as the last two weeks, we need to be prepared or as the Coast Guard motto says we need to be “Semper Paradus” (Always Ready)and we also need to follow the Marines motto when it comes to God, Semper Fidelis which is Latin for "Always Faithful".
We must set aside time to recognize Christ’s coming here 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 accord with the way Christ instructed.
Let us work toward becoming more considerate, compassionate, understanding, forgiving and caring persons to all we encounter in our daily life rather than just concentrating on our own desires and wants.
Let our gift to God be our thanking him for our lives and what we have and let us share, if we can, what we have with those who are in need.
AMEN
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