Believe and the Lord will Provide

A Reflection for 17^th Ordinary Sunday July 29, 2018

By Rev. Robert Johnnene OFM

www.missionstsergius.org   www.orderfranciscansofmercy.org

 

Listening to the news today is so depressing, Battles over immigrants, wars rage in the middle east, natural disasters are occurring all over the globe, people in Africa are being devastated by hunger,

 I have heard many say, “What is happening in this world, people are so self-concerned and don’t seem to care about anybody but themselves” “The way things are in the world today, my heart is full of fear” “Why is there so much chaos, tribulation in the world ?”

My answer to them is the theme of today’s reflection, “Believe in God,” “Put your trust and Faith in God”, “Turn toward God and work hard to live as Jesus taught us” “Trust in God and He will take care of You”

In this Sunday’s gospel, the story of the miracle of the loaves and fishes, is an example of what is possible when you trust in God.

The five loaves of bread and two fish were enough to feed a huge multitude of people who had followed Christ. After all had eaten their fill there were still twelve baskets leftover.

This story is an example of what is possible if we put our trust and faith in Almighty God.

In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians he is entreating the people to “Lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Holy Spirit in the bond of peace. Live according to the call God has given you and accept it with humility and meekness and patience with others always seeking the gifts of The Holy Spirit to sustain you.

“In A Bond Of Peace” As long as individuals, governments, church denominations and nations cannot live in a Bond of Peace we seem to be destined to continually bring on ourselves the troubles we are experiencing.

As long as we continue to be focused on our own personal needs and not expand our horizons to actively take an interest in the needs and concerns of all God‘s children, as long as we fail to extend outreach to those in need and demonstrate compassion, as long as we fail to turn to Almighty God and live according to the commandment given us by Jesus Christ “Love the Lord, your God, with your whole heart, mind, soul and body and love your neighbor as yourself” we will continue to see strife and discord running rampant through the world.

Strife, jealousy, greed, and discord are the tools the Evil one uses in his attempt to gain dominance over Almighty God and gain followers to His evil intent of becoming greater than Almighty God.

Today, we desperately need to turn our focus toward the teachings of Jesus Christ and begin to put our faith into action. We must begin to be more accepting of God’s diversity. We need to put an end to all discrimination based on a person’s marital status, sexual orientation or race. We need to share the blessings that God has provided us with those less fortunate. We must stop being self-centered and greedy and more generous. In short, we need to believe and trust in Almighty God, Turn to Him pleading for justice for all His Children.

Jesus has said: "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.” (John 11:25-26)

The letter of Paul to the Ephesians ends with the reminder “There is one body and one spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, ONE LORD, ONE FAITH, ONE BAPTISM, ONE GOD and father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4:4-6)

I implore each of you as you go forth into the world today and every day to put God first and foremost in your daily actions. Treat everyone in the same way as you yourself want to be treated. Let God know that you accept His will totally and completely even when it does not fit your agenda.

I believe that if each and every one of us were to actually live this way and allow God’s grace to flow through us to all we encounter, we could actually see changes for the Good in the world.

If we put our total trust in God, I know, from personal experience, that He will provide us with all that

we need, when we need it and in proportion to how much we need.

Go forth and Believe in God totally and He will Provide. AMEN

Sunday July 29 2018 show

Sunday July 22, 2018 Homily

Oneness and Peace in Christ

Reflection for July 22, 2018 by Rev. Bob Johnnene OFM

Mission Saints Sergius & Bacchus/ Order Franciscans of Mercy

Based on Ephesians 2:11-19

www.Missionstsergius.org    www.orderfranciscansofmercy.org

Divinemercyparish@msn.com

Ephesians 2: 11-19, One of the readings for Sunday twenty second of July is one of the moat affirming and welcoming passages that a person who might have doubts or questions could reflect on. It begins by reminding people that we were all considered outsiders. Today we find more and more people withdrawing into smaller and smaller groups and differing with others over petty and truly insignificant things. The world is being torn apart because of national, political, racial and religious differences. Churches are being torn apart because of same sex unions, homosexuals, woman and married priests, and families are being torn apart because of infidelity.

We need to call to mind that this is not something new as Paul reminds us with the following; “Don't forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders by birth. You were called "the uncircumcised ones" by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts."

This is something that we should keep in mind. Throughout history and in our everyday life, one group or another is or has been looked upon as an outsider by other groups or nations. I believe we all have experienced the feeling of “Not being one of the accepted ones”. Every Day we read about some group or another being excluded because “they are different”. This passage lets us know that the followers of Christ themselves were considered such, and today many still are because they do not conform to the manmade rules.

Paul reminds the newly converted of Ephesus that those things only affect the body and not their hearts. It is our hearts and souls, the way we live that determines if we are outsiders or part of the accepted crowd.

The important thing to remember is that, if you totally accept Jesus Christ as your Redeemer and Savior and you live a life according to His teachings, you are not an outsider, at least not in God’s eyes. And isn’t that what really counts?

“But now you belong to Christ Jesus. Though you once were far away from God, now you have been brought near to him because of the blood of Christ.”

“He has broken down the wall of hostility that used to separate us.”

This part of the message is also very enlightening, and important in light of the events taking place in the Middle East. It explains Christ mission here on earth and as followers of Christ we are called to continue His purpose. “His purpose was to make peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new person from the two groups.“

I feel that possibly that part of the message might have been left for us to fulfill. In fact I feel certain that it is our responsibility as followers and believers of Jesus message to work toward bring peace to all of God’s children, Muslims, Jew, Arab, Asian, Latino, Gay or straight, man and woman and all Who proclaim to believe in Jesus Christ.

Unfortunately, the next part of the message seems to not have come to fulfillment, “

Now all of us, both Jews and Gentiles, may come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.”

The next part of the letter of Paul reminds us that Our Bodies become a Temple for the Lord.

“So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God's holy people. You are members of God's family. We are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We who believe are carefully joined together, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through him you Gentiles are also joined together as part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.”

If we are temples for the lord, then why do we defile that temple by prejudice, hatred, violence, war, and discrimination. If we are temples of the Lord, why do we allow people to suffer because of poverty, lack of medical attention, loneliness‘, inadequate affordable housing?

If we are truly the temples of God, then we need to be open to all as God is open to all. We need to stop separating ourselves into one of the groups that look upon others as outsiders and start living as one group. We need to come together as one family, the family of Almighty God, brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ. We need to accept the differences that exist in each individual, group, denomination, just as Jesus accepted all different people and groups.

We need to begin to live as Jesus instructed us. Jesus is called; THE PRINCE OF PEACE, we need to work for and in him to achieve that Peace in each of us and between all the various groups, nations, and churches. AMEN

“God's love is everlasting and infinite and His mercy and compassion is unlimited.”

AMEN

July 22 2018 REFLECTIONS Show

Reflec tion for Sunday July 8, 2018