Author Archives: Deacon Jonathan Jones

Independence Day; “Happy Fourth of July!!!”

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Prayer for the Nation, written in 1791 by Archbishop John Carroll of Baltimore, Maryland, for the inauguration of President George Washington.

We pray, O almighty and eternal God, who through Jesus Christ has revealed thy glory to all nations, to preserve the works of your mercy, that your Church, being spread through the whole world, may continue with unchanging faith in the confession of your name.

We pray Thee, who alone are good and holy, to endow with heavenly knowledge, sincere zeal and sanctity of life, our chief bishop, the pope, the vicar of Our Lord Jesus Christ, in the government of his Church; our own bishop, all other bishops, prelates and pastors of the Church; and especially those who are appointed to exercise among us the functions of the holy ministry, and conduct your people into the ways of salvation.

We pray O God of might, wisdom and justice, through whom authority is rightly administered, laws are enacted, and judgement decreed, assist with your Holy Spirit of counsel and fortitude the president of these United States, that his administration may be conducted in righteousness and be eminently useful to your people over whom he presides; by encouraging due respect for virtue and religion; by a faithful execution of the laws in justice and mercy; and by restraining vice and immorality.

Let the light of your divine wisdom direct the deliberations of Congress, and shine forth in all the proceedings and laws framed for our rules and government, so that they may tend to the preservation of peace, the promotion of national happiness, the increase of industry, sobriety and useful knowledge; and may perpetuate to us the blessing of equal liberty.

We pray for his excellency, the governor of this state, for the members of the assembly, for all judges, magistrates, and other officers who are appointed to guard our political welfare, that they may be enabled, by your powerful protection, to discharge the duties of their respective stations with honesty and ability.

We recommend likewise, to your unbounded mercy, all our brethren and fellow citizens throughout the United States, that they may be blessed in the knowledge and sanctified in the observance of your most holy law; that they may be preserved in union, and in that peace which the world cannot give; and after enjoying the blessings of this life, be admitted to those which are eternal.

Finally, we pray to you, O Lord of mercy, to remember the souls of your servants departed, who are gone before us with the sign of faith and repose in the sleep of peace, the souls of our parents, relatives and friends; of those who, when living, were members of this congregation, and particularly of such as are lately deceased, of all bene who, by their donations or legacies to this Church, witnessed their zeal for the decency of divine worship and proved their claim to our grateful and charitable remembrance. To these, O Lord, and to all that rest in Christ, grant, we beseech you, a place of refreshment, light and everlasting peace, through the same Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior.

Amen.

Twelfth Sunday of Ordinary Time Homily

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Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Carver MA.

Jeremiah 20: 10-13
Romans 5: 12-15
Matthew 10: 26-33

“Jesus said to the Twelve: ‘Fear no one.’”


Today’s reading from the Gospel of St. Matthew is part of Jesus’ instructions to the Twelve Apostles, as he is about to send them off on a preaching tour throughout the Galilee. I can picture the look on the Apostles faces as they prepare for this journey. As much as they want to do this, they were also hesitant, because of what they may encounter. They could guess what the reactions of the Pharisees would be. And then there was also the Roman occupiers; who have governed the province with an iron fist. They would maintain peace at any cost, even if meant cracking open some heads. So the Apostles would not be blamed if they were all feeling a little apprehensive. Jesus keeps telling them that they will not be alone, that the Father would be watching over them; so he tells them to shout out the Good News; that salvation was at hand. Shout it out in the village squares. Shout it out in vineyards and throughout the fields. Shout it out!


And Jesus’ message holds very true for us in our present times. And there is such a great need for people in our communities to hear this Good News. There is a great need for people out there to experience the Good News of Jesus Christ being lived, here and now!


And that is challenge that is before all of us. And to meet that challenge requires continuing conversion on our part. To realize and to accept the fact that with all our own faults and failures, God does loves us, cares for us. And if that is true, we, in turn, must love others. Loving those we call friends, and loving those we may have a hard time accepting as friends; bringing them all together as brothers and sisters in Christ.


So as Jesus is always reaching out to us with love; so we also must reach out to those we encounter daily, relative, friend or stranger. And we let them know, by word and deed, that there are people out there who care for them.


“So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.” (Matthew 10: 26-33)

Feast Day of Saint Anthony of Padua

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Saint Anthony of Padua with the Christ Child

Among the list of Franciscan saints, the most popular among them, after Saint Francis of Assisi, is Saint Anthony of Padua (1195-1231). But, were it not for a chance encounter, things might have been different.

He was born in Lisbon, Portugal, with the name of Fernando Martins de Bulhoes. The family was well off, and arranged for him to be educated in a local cathedral school. He would eventually join an Augustinian community near Lisbon. He would be ordained a priest and was giving the responsibility of welcoming visitors and guests to the monastery. It was then, that one could say, that the Holy Spirit then took over. Near the monastery was a small community of newly arrived Franciscan friars. They had established a small hermitage, and Fernando had frequent contact with them. He found their evangelical way of life attractive.

The Franciscans had sent a group of their brothers to North African country of Morocco, to evangelize. This group would suffer beheading at the hands of the Moroccan rulers. Their remains were returned to Portugal, and were buried at the Augustinian monastery. Fernando was inspired by their courage and their faith. He asked for, and received permission from the Augustinians to transfer over to the Franciscan order. He took the name Anthony, after an early Saint, Anthony the Great.

He joined another group of Franciscan friars being sent to Morocco, but he became seriously ill upon arrival. He was sent home back to Portugal. But stormy weather drove his ship further into the Mediterranean, winding up in Sicily. He went to the last great gathering of Franciscan friars with Saint Francis present. At the conclusion of it, he was sent to a small community of lay brothers, in Italy. There, the story goes, the community was celebrating the ordination of a friar, but the guest speaker had not arrived. Anthony was asked to preached. It was then the depth of his learning was revealed, as was also his skill as a speaker. And the rest, as they say, is history.

He would be sent out on preaching tours, up and down throughout Italy. It was said the thousands of people gathered to hear him speak. They came away inspired to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ more intensely. Francis himself, gave Anthony the work of teaching theology to the friars, and how to preach.

He became ill in his thirties, and died on June 13, 1231, in Padua.

He was canonized as Saint in 1232. He proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope Prius XII, in 1946.

Homily – Pentecost 2023

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The Easter season of 2023 is rapidly drawing to a close. Before this, we had the season of Lent and of Holy Week. And today, we celebrate the feast of Pentecost. We commemorate, we celebrate the day when the Holy Spirit, as promised by Jesus, descended upon the Apostles, Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and the other disciples.

Now keep in mind, that these early disciples of Jesus were also in hiding. They still feared the power of the Sanhedrin, and Roman authorities. And they did not know exactly what was about to happen, or when it would happen. It was one thing to feel courage when they could see our Risen Lord in front of them. It was another thing when they are in hiding, fearing that the Jerusalem authorities may find them.

Then something happened, something wondrous. The fierce wind, the tongues of flame settling on top of each head. The people in that were no longer simple fishermen, homemakers, a tax collector. They became proclaimers of the Good News of our Risen Lord. They were promising a healing, a peace that could only come through the name of Jesus.

This is the story that has been told; that is being told, being proclaimed in so many homes, street corners, churches; throughout this country, throughout this world, and in this place, here, now!

But I am finding it necessary to ask if this, the greatest story ever told; this Good News, still has the power to move hearts; to move souls? I mean we have all heard the reports of declining numbers of members, in our parishes, in our dioceses. Religious orders are fading away, in this country, and in Europe. We have all heard the stories of churches closing down. And it can be discouraging.

But there is reason to hope. In what has been called the Global South, we see a rebirth of faith communities; communities fired up by the Holy Spirit. And we see the efforts being made here is our own parish. And we are called to be in one way or another, evangelizers, bearers of the Good News of Jesus Christ. As Saint Paul wrote to the Corinthians:

“There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.”

We each have a role in proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ; by word or by action, we bring the Gospel message to life, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Easter Morning

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Jesus Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed!!

We all awake with the hope that only comes from our Risen Lord! Now some of us may be experiencing hard times; some may be experiencing normal times! Some may be feeling down; some struggling. Some of us are feeling unsure of the moment; or of the future.

Today, though, the Church cries out; that In Jesus Christ there is hope. In letting Christ in, there is peace, there is hope!

Let us open wide our hearts, and let in the King of Glory!!

“Wait for the Lord!” Holy Saturday.

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God is for us a refuge and strength, 
an ever-present help in time of distress;
so we shall not fear though the earth should rock,
though the mountains quake to the heart of the sea;
even though its waters rage and foam,
even though the mountains be shaken by its tumult.
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Come and behold the works of the Lord,
the awesome deeds God has done on the earth;
breaking bows, snapping spears, and burning shields with fire;
“Be still and know that I am God, exalted over nations, exalted over earth.”
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.

Psalm 46: 2-4, 9-12

Sons & Daughters of St. Francis and St. Clare.

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Saint Catherine of Bologna

St. Catherine was born into a noble family of Bologna, Italy, in 1413. As she grew into a teenage girl, it became obvious that she wanted to live a life very different from other daughters of the nobility. She persuaded her parents to allow her to join a community of lay Franciscan women (Secular Franciscan Order).

As a member of that community, she grew in the spiritual life, both the joys and challenges. She became known as a mystic; known to have experienced intense visions of Christ and the Blessed Mother. Now Bologna had a community of Poor Clare sisters, that must have been afflicted with laxity, because Catherine was ordered to take over the community.

She lead the convent by example, gentleness, and wisdom. The community became known for it’s holiness of life, attracting many new novices.

Saint Catherine died in 1463. She was canonized a Saint in 1712. Her feast day is March 9.

“Blessed be God in his angels and in his saints.”

Following Jesus Into The Desert – Homily for the First Sunday of Lent – 2023

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Today’s readings provides us with a short lesson on salvation history. In the first reading, from the Book of Genesis, we have a description of how humanity came to be; how God brought about the parents. And how he blessed them with a paradise, a wondrous garden that would provide for their every need. So what happened? They messed up, that is what happened! They gave into temptation to want more, disobeying God and resulting in humanity losing Paradise!


But the Father was not going to abandon us. He set into motion those events, that would lead eventually to the birth of a savior; God’s own Son, Jesus. We have read and have celebrated what follows; Jesus comes to the Jordan River, is baptized by John the Baptist; the Holy Spirit descends upon him, and the Father declaring that Jesus is His Son. In today’s Gospel, continuation of Matthew, we see that Jesus was lead by the Spirit into the desert.


Now, in preparation for this homily, I came across a painting that illustrates what we have just heard in the Gospel reading. The title of the painting is “Christ in the Desert.” It was painted in 1872, by a Russian painter, whose name was Ivan Kramskoi. It portrays Jesus at the end of his forty days fast; he is seating on a rocky hill. We see him worn out by the ordeal, and we know that the devil is coming soon. Or maybe he already there, invisible, but already tempting Jesus, whispering in his ear; pushing him hard to give in, to surrender to the Evil One, to screw up like Adam and Eve did. However, Jesus holds true. Jesus overcomes the Tempter.


Fast forward to today; to us hearing this Gospel; it calls us to reflect on those times we have been tempted, and how hard it is for us to resist; and whether we either succeed is resisting temptation, or not. Call him “Evil,” “the Devil,” “the Tempter,” or “Mr. Scratch,” he is out there. And by every subtle means, he is always trying to trip us up. And let’s be honest with ourselves, sometimes we do!


However, we have a companion who is with us, who is always walking with us! And he has showed us how to deal with temptation, by turning to Scripture, reflecting on the Good News that God is there with us, strengthening us. We are to pray; seeking the help of our Heavenly Father, to overcome the temptation to sin. Now sometimes, we do fail; sometimes, we do not follow the teachings of Jesus as we are called to do. It is moments like that, when we should turn to the Sacrament of reconciliation; to heal our soul, and be strengthened to resist sin.


So this Lent, let us reflect on how well, or not; we have tried to live the Gospel life . And then rededicate ourselves to following Jesus, more closely, more intensely; during the time of Lent, and for all time.

Baptisms at St. Peter’s Church, Plymouth MA

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O God, whose Son, baptized by John in the waters of the Jordan, was anointed with the Holy Spirit, and, as he hung upon the Cross, gave forth water from his side along with blood, and after his Resurrection, commanded his disciples: “Go forth, teach all nations, baptizing them in the name Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” look now, we pray, upon the face of your Church and graciously unseal for her the fountain of Baptism.”

From the Order of Baptism for Children

On February 19, 2023, I had the honor and joy to baptize 4 beautiful children; welcoming them into the Catholic Church!

Was not able to snap any good pictures, but I would like to share what I did snapped!

“In you, O Lord, I take refuge.” For Hard Times; For Rough Times!

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Psalm 31

In you, O Lord, I take refuge.
Let me never be put to shame.
In your righteousness, set me free;
incline your ear to me, and speedily rescue me.

Be a rock of refuge for me,
a mighty stronghold to save me.
For you are my rock, my stronghold!
Lead me, guide me, for the sake of your name.  

Release me from the snare they have hidden,
For you are my rock, my stronghold!
Lead me, guide me, for the sake of your name.

Release me from the snare they hidden,
for you indeed are my refuge.
Into your hands I commend my spirit. 
You will redeem me, O Lord, O faithful God.

You detest those who serve empty idols.
As for me, I trust in the Lord.

Let me be glad and rejoice in your love, for you have seen my affliction and taken heed of my soul’s distress,
have not left me in the hands of the enemy, but set my feet at large.