Category Archives: Deacon Steven Johnson’s Reflections

Deacon Steven Johnson’s ReflectionReflection for the 29th Week of Ordinary Time, Thursday, 10-20-22, Year CReadings: Eph 3:14-21; Ps 33:1-2,4-5,11-12,18-19; Gospel Lk 12:49-53Optional Memorial: St. Paul of the Cross, PriestTheme: Choose Wisely “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!” These words of Jesus’s, at first hearing,Continue reading “Deacon Steven Johnson’s Reflection 10-20-22”

Reflection for the 28th Week of Ordinary Time, Thursday, 10-13-22, Year CReadings: Eph 1:1-10; Ps 98:1-6; Gospel Lk 11:47-54Theme: The Stumbling Block of Hypocrisy Are you a stumbling block to others who are looking for Christ? This whole week we have been reading from Luke, Chapter 11, in which we find Jesus admonishing the ScribesContinue reading “Deacon Steven Johnson’s Reflection 10-13-22”

Reflection for the 27th Week of Ordinary Time, Thursday, 10-6-22, Year CReadings: Gal 3:1-5; Ps Lk 1:69-75; Gospel Lk 11:5-13Optional Memorial: St. Bruno, Priest; Blessed Marie Rose Durocher, VirginTheme: Law & Faith “O stupid Galatians!” Wow, not many people would appreciate being called stupid, but that is exactly what St. Paul said to the ChristianContinue reading “Deacon Steven Johnson’s Reflection 10-6-22”

Reflection for the 26th Week of Ordinary Time, Thursday, 9-29-22, Year CReadings: Dn 7:9-10,13-14; Ps :138-1,2abcde-3, 4-5; Gospel Jn 1:47-51Feast: Sts. Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, ArchangelsTheme: All Serve and Worship God “Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him.” In the book of Daniel, who are these thousands of thousands ministering to God? There are manyContinue reading “Deacon Steven Johnson’s Reflection 9-29-22”

Reflection for the 25th Week of Ordinary Time, Thursday, 9-22-22, Year CReadings: Eccl 1:2-11; Ps 90:3-6, 12-14, 17bc; Gospel Lk 9:7-9Theme: Building a Treasure in Heaven “Vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!” Almost everyone has heard this quote from the book of Ecclesiastes (Qoheleth). In the Hellenist (Greek) meaning of “vanity.” it is literallyContinue reading “Deacon Steven Johnson’s Reflection 9-22-22”

Reflection for the 23rd Week of Ordinary Time, Thursday, 9-8-22, Year CReadings: Mi 1:1-16; Ps 13:6abc; Gospel Mt 1:1-16, 18-23Feast: The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin MaryTheme: Without Birth, There Is No Life Today we celebrate a feast of the Virgin Mary. It is a celebration of her birth. Without her being born, Christ wouldContinue reading “Deacon Steven Johnson’s Reflection 9-8-22”

Deacon Steven Johnson’s HomilyHomily for the 22nd Week of Ordinary Time, Thursday, 9-1-22, Year CReadings: 1 Cor 3:18-23; Ps 24:1b-4b, 5-6; Gospel Lk 5:1-11Theme: Do Not Outsmart Yourself St. Paul says it best, “If anyone among you considers himself wise in this age, let him become a fool, so as to become wise. For theContinue reading “Deacon Steven Johnson’s Homily – 9-1-22”

Homily for the 21st Week of Ordinary Time, Thursday, 8-25-22, Year CReadings: 1 Cor 1:1-9; Ps 145:2-7; Gospel Mt 24:42-51Optional Memorials: St. Louis, King of France, St. Joseph Calasanz, PriestTheme: Be Prepared The Boy Scouts’ motto is, “Be Prepared.” For any person who went through scouting in the older days, whether boy scouts or girlContinue reading “Deacon Steven Johnson’s Homily – 8-25-22”

Deacon Steven Johnson’s ReflectionReflection for the 20th Week of Ordinary Time, Thursday, 8-18-22, Year CReadings: Ez 36:23-38; Ps 51:12-15, 18-19; Gospel Mt 22:1-14Theme: Recognizing When to Change Our Ways Tom counted the days he had left until his release from prison. He sat in his cell and thought about how he got there, and whatContinue reading “Deacon Steven Johnson’s Reflection 8-18-22”

Deacon Steven Johnson’s ReflectionReflection for the 19th Week of Ordinary Time, Thursday, 8-11-22, Year CReadings: Ez 12:1-12; Ps 78:58-57, 58-59, 61-62; Gospel Mt 18:21-19:1Memorial: St. Clare – VirginTheme: “To Err is Human, To Forgive Divine” “To err is human, to forgive divine,” Alexander Pope, English poet, from his poem, “An Essay on Criticism,” Part II,Continue reading “Deacon Steven Johnson’s Reflection 8-11-22”

Reflection for the 18th Week of Ordinary Time, Thursday, 8-4-22, Year CReadings: Jer 31:31-34; Ps 51:12-15, 18-19; Gospel Mt 16:13-23Memorial: St. John Vianney – Priest Born May 8th, 1786, in Dardilly, France. Died 1859 in Ars, France. Patron St. of Priests & Parish Clergy Theme: Failure Can Lead to Success As humans, we learn byContinue reading “Deacon Steven Johnson’s Reflection – 8-4-22”

Reflection for the 17th Week of Ordinary Time, Thursday, 7-28-22, Year C Readings: Jer 18:1-6; Ps 146:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6ab; Gospel Mt 13:47-53 Theme: The Good, the Bad and The Ugly In the 1966 spaghetti western movie starring Clint Eastwood, “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly,” forces of good, bad, and ugly tussle with eachContinue reading “Deacon Steven Johnson’s Reflection 7-28-22”

Reflection for the 16th Week of Ordinary Time, Thursday, 7-21-22, Year CReadings: Jer 2:1-3, 7-8, 12-13; Ps 36:6-7ab, 8-9, 10-11; Gospel Mt 13:10-17Optional Memorial: St Lawrence of Brindisi, Priest, Doctor of the ChurchTheme: Hear and See the Lord Sometimes, it seems, that you can talk to someone until you are blue in the face andContinue reading “Deacon Steven Johnson’s Reflection 7-21-22”

Deacon Steven Johnson’s ReflectionReflection for the 15th Week of Ordinary Time, Thursday, 7-14-22, Year CReadings: Is 26:7-9, 12, 16-19; Ps 102:13-14ab, 15-21; Gospel Mt 11:28-30Memorial: Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, VirginTheme: Burden of Our Own Making In today’s fast-paced life, we can build up burdens that, in and of themselves are not necessarily burdensome, but as aContinue reading “Deacon Steven Johnson’s Reflection 7-14-22”

Homily for the 14th Week of Ordinary Time, Thursday, 7-7-22, Year CReadings: Hos 11:1-4, 8c-9; Ps 80:2ac, 3b, 15-16; Gospel Mt 10:7-15?Theme: Freely You Have Received, so Freely You Shall Give Have you ever received an advertisement about a person coming to your area to spread an inspirational message they received about God, Jesus, theContinue reading “Deacon Steven Johnson’s Homily 7-7-22”

Deacon Steven Johnson’s ReflectionReflection for the 13th Week of Ordinary Time, Thursday, 6-30-22, Year CReadings: Am 7:10-17; Ps 19:8-11; Gospel Mt 9:1-8Optional Memorial: The First Martyrs of the Holy Roman ChurchTheme: What is Right is Wrong, What is Wrong is Right Many times, throughout the Gospels, we find Jesus teaching a message counter to theContinue reading “Deacon Steven Johnson’s Reflection 6-30-22”

Deacon Steven Johnson’s ReflectionReflection for the 12th Week of Ordinary Time, Thursday, 6-23-22, Year CReadings: Is 49:1-6; Ps 139:1b-3, 13-14ab, 14c-15; Acts 13:22-26; Gospel Lk 1:57-66, 80Solemnity: Nativity of St. John The BaptistTheme: Make Known the Lord When a VIP comes to town there is quite a bit of planning that goes on. Months in advanceContinue reading “Deacon Steven Johnson’s Reflection 6-23-22”

Deacon Steven Johnson’s ReflectionReflection for the 11th Week of Ordinary Time, Thursday, 6-16-22, Year CReadings: Sir 48:1-14; Psalm 97:1-7; Gospel Mt 6:7-15Theme: Others before Ourselves In yesterday’s first reading, Elisha prayed for a double portion of Elijah’s spirit. But, before he did so, he praised Elijah by saying he would never leave his side, evenContinue reading “Deacon Steven Johnson’s Reflection 6-16-22”

Deacon Steven Johnson’s ReflectionReflection for the 10th Week of Ordinary Time, Thursday, 6-9-22, Year CReadings: 1 Kgs 18:41-46; Psalm 65:10-13, Gospel Mt 5:20-26Optional Memorial: St. Ephrem, Deacon, and Doctor of the Church – Circa 303-376 ADTheme: Don’t Put Off Tomorrow What You Can Do Today Many of us can feel a gnawing feeling in ourContinue reading “Deacon Steven Johnson’s Reflection – 6-9-22”

Homily for the 7th Week of Easter, Thursday, 6-2-22, Year CReadings: Acts 22:30;23:6-11; Psalm 16:1-2a,5,7-8,9-10,11; Gospel Jn 17:20-26Optional Memorial: Saints Marcellinus and Peter, MartyrsTheme: Courage and Strength “My concern is not whether God is on my side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.” – Abraham Lincoln. ItContinue reading “Deacon Steven Johnson’s Homily 6-2-22”