🙏 76 MEDITATION for PEACE in the WORLD 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time Octo...

Thanksgiving Day Message 2020

Archbishop Benny Sagra

Patriarch and Presiding Bishop

Celtic Cross Communion 

USA

To all the holy people of God, dearly beloved leaders of ecclesial and civil societies of the world, men and women of goodwill, distinguished chosen leaders and members of the Celtic Cross Communion and its various branches:  The Celtic Cross Old Catholic Church, The Celtic Cross Anglican Church, The Celtic Cross Orthodox - Catholic Church, The Celtic Cross Evangelical Church; HAPPY THANKSGIVING AND PEACE!

1.  "No matter what happens, always be thankful for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." - 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Let us praise and thank the Lord today as a family of humankind, as a nation, as a group and as individual families for all the blessings we have received inspite of the many difficult challenges of our earthly existence and human life which include among others the ongoing and persistent Covid 19, the alarming Climate Change, the prevailing propensity to falsehood and fake news rather than clinging to the truth, the many forms of natural disasters around the world which brought about the loss of many lives, the closing of businesses, the loss of jobs and also created a lot division, bias and misunderstanding not withstanding the subtle and daylight abuses of power and taking advantage of those in power of the weaknesses and fragility of the common people they are bound to serve, honor and love.

2.  "I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High." - Psalm 7:17

On this day of Thanksgiving, every family gathers together around the table and relish a sumptuous meal filled with turkey and various sides including the legendary pumpkin or apple pie.  Before the meal is served the head of the family or group leads a prayer of thanks for the food and the blessings God has bestowed during the past year. The first Thanksgiving Dinner was originated in 1620. But even before that in many religious traditions the thanksgiving meal was already practiced as illustrated in the biblical stories like the Book of Samuel.  Deep within the corner of every human heart is a sense of gratitude and thankfulness.  Indeed, "Gratitude is the memory of the heart."

3.  "The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him." - Psalm 28:7

One of the things we can do to maintain peace, unity and good standing with our fellow men and women here on earth is to avoid being harsh in making judgement of one another.  What we do not know is that each one of us or as a group or as a family, as a nation or as an institution, as an agency both private or public is fighting our own demons, is battling our own war, is managing our own inner conflicts and shadows.  What we also don't know is that The Lord God is fighting the battle for us, is with us all the time to care and to comfort, to bind our wounds and give us strength.  He is our deliverer and protector, our shield and strength in ages past, present and future.  What a great and awesome God we have!  Come let us praise Him today and adore Him.  Let us sincerely, heartily and joyfully give thanks to Him!.

4.  "Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me." - Psalm 50:14-15

Let us pause for a moment and reflect along memory lane those experiences in our lives wherein we were in the brink of life and death situation, or an experience of great loss of a loved one, or an experience of hitting bottom due to abuse of alcohol or drugs or other forms of addictive behavior like food, gambling, shopping, etc, or a fatal disease or accident...Let us think for a moment how in many surprising and mysterious ways the Lord delivered us and kept us sane, positive and alive inspite those many odds and experiences of powerlessness, weakness and emptiness.  Let us for a moment think of those days when we feel depressed, hurt, abandoned and maligned and how with some act of kindness and some willingness and resolve we got out of the puzzle and dilemma of life with God's grace and comfort.  The same Jesus Christ who asked Barthemeus the blind man, "what do you want?" which Bartemeus answered, "I want to see" is the same Jesus Christ who comes at the junction of our street or the corner of our house and still asks the same question, "what do you want?" and which we can answer, "Lord, I want to get out of this depression."; "Lord, I want to be free of all my debts."; "Lord I want to be cured of this cancer."; etc.

5. "I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving."

The hymn of praise and thanksgiving to God is part and parcel of every religious tradition from the native American Indian tradition to the ancient religious traditions of the Hebrews, Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus all over the world.  At times not only in songs but also in dances the spirit of joy and gratefulness burts forth.  Here gratitude is giving due respect, honor and praise to where goodness and kindness and helpfulness is due. In human history, total redemption was brought about by the self sacrificial offering of Jesus Christ of his very own body and blood on the cross of Calvary.  Each time we offer the holy sacrifice of the Mass or even just a prayer to remember the Lord's sacrifice on the cross, we sing our song of thanksgiving to God for setting us free from sin and death and for adopting each one of us as His very own beloved child in Jesus Christ His only beloved Son, Our Lord.

Let us pray,  Lord Our God, in You we move and have our being.  You are the creator and builder of this beautiful world.  You are the Savior of the world through Your beloved Son Jesus Christ.  You are the breath of life and our comforter in the Holy Spirit.  Please keep us in your constant care and love.  Please deliver us from every threat and onslaught of Covid 19.  Please make us feel your love and kindness through those who come to help us.  Please cover us with your constant protection and give us strength for at times we feel too weary and losing hope.  We love you and we praise you.  We give you thanks and we honor your holy name.  We ask this in the Name of Jesus Christ Your Son, who lives and reigns with You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, One God, forever and ever.  Amen.

Blessed be the name of the Lord, now and forever.

Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

May the Almighty God bless you, the  Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen

Most sincerely yours,

++Archbishop Benny Sagra

www.celticcrossfoundation.org

Christmas Message 2018 - Interim Patriarch CCM +BP Sagra

CHRISTMAS MESSAGE 2018

CELTIC CROSS MINISTRY

City of Laguna Woods

USA

"Behold , a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and His name shall be called 

Emmanuel (which means God with us)

Matthew 1:23

To Our Most Esteemed Andrew Cardinal Manley, Patriarch Emeritus

Our Brothers and Sisters in ministry as Bishops, Priests and Deacons

Our Celtic Cross Templar Knights International - CCTK

Our Celtic Cross Templar Mining Group - CCTMG

Our Independent Order of the Benedictine Brotherhood and Sisterhood - SOSBNB & SOSSS

Our International Chaplains Association of the Celtic Cross - ICACC

Our Celtic Cross Seminary of Theology - CCSTh

Our Celtic Cross Institute of Magisterium - CCIM

Our Worldwide Ecumenical Accreditation Network - WEAN

Our Celtic Cross Global Peace Corps - CCGPC

Our Celtic Cross Media Network and Related Links - CCMN

Our Brothers and Sisters in Faith worldwide
Our Brothers and Sisters of other mainstream 
Religious Traditions 
Modern men and women in search of truth and God

Christmas Greetings of Peace, Salutation of Unity and Mutual Love and Wishes of Joy to all!

1.  Context of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ in the world

     As we celebrate Christmas this year 2018, our world continues to be in constant and dramatic tensions from East to West, from North to South.  The U.S. government has been shut down.  The middle east is in a state of war again. A big tsunami just hit Indonesia.  Over 25,000 lives lost in the Philippines over a questionable pretext of war on drugs. Demonstrations in France continues.  United Kingdom is on the  brink of exiting the European Union. The list just goes on and on.

2.  The situation of the world seen in the heart and mind of man

     About a week ago, together with a friend of mine on a spiritual trek, we went inside the St. Nicolas Catholic Church over here in Laguna Woods, California, USA.  A Holy Mass was being celebrated and the priest celebrant was doing the homily.  The gospel that was read was taken from the first seventeen verses of the Gospel of St. Matthew on the genealogy of Jesus. "Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham."(Mt.1:1) One very important consideration about it is that the ancestors of Jesus himself were not perfect men and women. Not all of them are Jewish. Not all of them came from the rich and powerful.  In one way or another they represented the heart and mind of an ordinary man or woman created in the likeness and image of God.  The sinful, weak, defiled nature of humanity is well represented.  On the other hand, the simple, devout, faithful and God fearing part is also very well seen. The context of the war, violence, catastrophe, corruption and injustice in the world is also reflected in the very deep imperfection and sinfulness in the heart and mind of everyday and ordinary humanity.

3.  Human Tension and Divine Intervention

     Mary, the mother of Jesus conceived her child by the Holy Spirit.  Joseph, who was betrothed to Mary decided to divorce her quietly, so as not to put her to shame.  Then God through an Angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and said to him, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit."(Mt. 1:20)

In the village of Mary and Joseph, just like in our global village today, what comes around goes around.  It is a great shame for a woman who already carries a baby without yet getting married and having intercourse with her husband.  It is an impossible situation like many impossible and difficult situations today in the world at large and in individual and family life of our generations.  My own youngest sister suffered a severe stroke and when it happened it seemed impossible for her to regain consciousness when she was brought to the hospital and confined in an Intensive Care Unit.  A very good and long time friend of my wife is suffering from cancer and she has tried all medical and holistic means to recover, yet her condition still remains very precarious and fragile.  The caravan of people from Central America seeking to migrate to USA and in stampede in Mexico is one of our current hopeless groups on the road.  Victims of human trafficking, injustice, racism and economic exploitation abound in our world too.

The continues incidents of mass gun violence in USA and other parts of the world is also another thing which is just impossible to stop.

The Philippines becoming the killing fields of Asia and China's treacherous attempts to grab  islands in the West Philippine Sea.  There are many other forms of impossible situations caused by natural disasters, diseases, famine and the like around the world today.  Our Christmas is no different that the first Christmas.  We still have our own impossible situations and difficult circumstances in life which need God's intervention.  Like Joseph, we don't need to listen to our own human thinking to resolve the conflict.  We wait, listen and act according to what God will reveal to us in every situation we are in.  God's way of loving each one of us is through direct or indirect intervention using all kinds of means just to convey His message and direction for our lives.  Let us not be hasty in our imperfect judgments.  Rather, let us be patient and open to God's direction and purpose in our lives.

4.  Hope springs eternal

     "She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." (Mt. 1:21)  Our hope lies in the fact that God who holds the whole world in His hands and who watches over the histories and destinies of nations, individuals, families and societies cannot just create a concrete change without using the resources of human instruments and cooperation through humility, courage and faith.  God used the virginity of Mary and the faith of Joseph to accomplish the turning point in human history - God becoming man and embracing humanity in his restless, determined and immense love.  The process of change in the conditions of our human experience of powerlessness and hopelessness lies in the very roots of our God given gifts of life, will and faith.  The hope we seek lies beneath the cloaks of our human powers and resources.  We just need to continue to be open to His grace and intervention and like Mary to say, "I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your word." (Lk. 1:38)

5.  God with us

     "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be Emmanuel, which means, God with us." (Mt.1:23)  On Christmas Night, Jesus the only begotten son of God was born in a manger and became a human being like each one of us.  What a paradox of God's way of giving us the dignity of being His sons and daughters.  God has a crazy love for humanity.  Instead of us becoming God, as many false prophets and fanatics religious leaders claim they are, God humbly stooped down and became man, one of us, one with us and concretely becoming God with us in Jesus Christ our Lord.  

6.  "Be Not Afraid"(John 6:20)

     On October 22, 1978, a holy man in robed with papal dignity stood in the balcony of St. Peter's Square in Rome and said these words, "Be not afraid."  Those words were actually the words spoken by the risen Lord, Jesus Christ to his very fearful disciples.  Pope John Paul II explained why he chose these words as the magna carta of his pontificate in the following:  "At the end of the second millennium, perhaps we need more than ever these words of the risen Christ:  "Be not afraid."  Man needs these words because, even after the fall of communism, he has not stopped being afraid and, in reality, has many reasons to feel fear deep within.  The peoples and the nations of the entire world need these words.  Their consciences need to grow in the certainty that Someone exists who holds in his hands the destiny of this passing world; Someone who holds the keys of death and the netherworld:  Someone who is the Alpha and the Omega of human history.  And this Someone is Love. Love became man. Love crucified and risen."  

     Saint Pope John Paul II continued by saying, "Contemporary man finds it hard to return to faith because he is afraid of the moral demands that faith places before him.  The gospel is certainly demanding.  God wills man's salvation.  He desires the fulfillment of humanity according to the measure he has set.  Christ has the right to say that the yoke he places on us is easy and that his burden, when all is said and done, is light.....It is very important TO CROSS THE THRESHOLD OF HOPE:  not to stop in front of it, but to allow ourselves to be led onward.  There is every reason for the truth of the Cross to be called the Good News."

7.  Towards a world of peace and moral responsibility

     In 2014, the successor of the Chair of Peter in Rome, Pope Francis wrote the Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium on the Proclamation of the Gospel in Today's world.  Pope Francis wrote, "Nor is peace 'simply the absence of warfare, based on a precarious balance of power; it is fashioned by efforts directed day after day towards the establishment of the ordered universe willed by God, with a more perfect justice among men.'  In the end, a peace which is not the result of integral development will be doomed; it will always spawn new conflicts and various forms of violence."  Then he continued, "People in every nation enhance the social dimension of their lives by acting as committed and responsible citizens, not as a mob swayed by the powers that be.  Let us not forget that 'responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation.'  Yet becoming a people demands something more.  It is an ongoing process in which every new generation must take part:  a slow and arduous effort calling for a desire for integration and a willingness to achieve this through the growth of a peaceful and multifaceted culture of encounter.  Progress in building a people in peace, justice and fraternity depends on four principles related to constant tensions present in every social reality.  These derive from the pillars of the Church's social doctrine, which serve as 'primary and fundamental parameters of reference for interpreting and evaluating social phenomena.'"

8.  What concrete steps we can dare to make

     To all Bishops, Pastors and Lay Leaders of the Church, the way to a concrete and significant change toward peace and justice in the world today is through undergoing a process of conversion.  Here Pope Francis has an advice, "Conversion from our sins, from our egoism, leads us to being available to others.  The mission of a pastor is to 'include' all the sheep (even those of 'other flocks,' as the Lord says (cf. John 10:16).  It implies a true conversion from our egoism, so that, in the moment of truth, we are well disposed  to receive everyone, and not dismissive of anyone because of differences of character or narrowness of vision.
     To all people of God, the way to peace is forgiveness and seeking of justice using the democratic and legal means afforded in every country.  It is seeing each neighbor with the eyes of seeing each person as a brother or a sister, as a friend and associate.  It is building bridges of unity and destroying the walls of division.  It is in sharing one's own bread, one's own clothes, one's own shelter with a neighbor in need.  It is truly concrete action of love in the streets and byways of humanity.

9.  The way of love and how far it can go

     In John 15:13 Jesus said to his disciples, "No greater love man has than to lay down his life for his friends."  Out there in the world or right behind or in front of our house, are strangers who are actually friends in the making.  The beauty of disparity and inequality in the arena of human societies and life is that we can all encounter, help and love one another as Jesus Christ has commanded us in his new commandment of love,  "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." (John 15:12)  At Christmas we go out and encounter a lot of people, some we know but most of them we just usually walk by and don't mind.  The true spirit and joy of Christmas is in the art of human encounter, where kindness is sown in the hearts of others, where love is shared and joy is multiplied.  Mary, our Mother too is the epitome of love.  I hear Mary singing the verse from the Song of Songs, "Set me a seal on your heart, as a seal on your arm; For stern as death is love, relentless as the netherworld is devotion; its flames are a blazing fire.  Deep waters cannot quench love, nor floods sweeps it away. Were one to offer all he owns to purchase love, he would be roundly mocked." (Songs 8:6-7)

10.  The way of Mary in human transformation

     Mary believed in her heart that whatever the Lord has promised her He will fulfill.  So as she sang in the middle part of the Magnificat, she prayerfully proclaimed, "He has shown strength with His arm, he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts, he has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away." (Luke 1:51-53)  
     To all my brothers and sisters in the service of the Church and who are very much involved in the human experience of pain and suffering, in joy and celebration of the triumph of the human spirit, I sincerely and humbly urge each one of you to keep the flame of hope alive in your heart, to keep waiting for the Lord like Mary and the poor of her time, for God's coming and intervention.  It is not the will of God for us to feel afraid like orphans without parents to take care of them.  We are sons and daughters of the living God who holds the whole world and who keeps everything in being.  God knows our needs and situation and He will have the last word:  life, love, joy,... in the midst of a culture of violence, hatred and uncertainty!  Merry Christmas to one and all!  God bless you and keep you!

Sincerely your brother and friend in the walk of faith,



+Bishop Benito P Sagra
Interim Patriarch
Senior Bishop Primus
Celtic Cross Ministry
www.celticcrossministry.com
Laguna Woods, CA USA

December 25,2018

    

New Year's Message - +Bishop Benito P. Sagra

New Year’s Message 2018

Prayer for this First Day of the New Year

O Lord our God, the morning is here.
Thou who hast chased the slumber from our eyes,
and once more assembled us
to lift up our hands to Thee in praise,
accept our prayers and supplications,
and give us faith and love.
Bless our going out and coming in,
our thoughts, words and works,
and let us begin this day
with praise of the unspeakable sweetness of Thy mercy.

- Taken from GREEK LITURGY

1. After a year of many blessings wrapped in both colors of joy
and sadness it will be good to begin the New Year in the spirit and attitude of Gratitude and Thanksgiving. Also, it is a greater good to zero in the examination of the clear and present dangers confronting our world which affect
our capacity to live in peace, mutual respect and relish the gifts of joy and feel the power of love.

2. Each one of us is actually not indispensable in the context of a big and complicated world. The world, time, governments, institutions, religions, groups, communities can just go on leaving you and I behind the scenes for that matter. However, if each one does his or her job for the common good in an honest, loving and cheerful way, one can make an impact, a difference and multiply the force of good to keep the world spinning in the right direction.

3. We should be against the idea that World Peace is just a figment of our human imagination. World Peace is a joint project and each person, each community, each nation that wants peace ought to work hand in hand to attain a considerable and lasting peace for the joy of everyone. As the song goes, “let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.” But just a caution, peace will remain just a dream without concrete actions to give justice where justice is due. Peace will only be an illusion without taking steps of openness to compromise, willingness to forgive and courage to dialogue as each party steps in the shoes of the other party.

4. How can we, as members of the human family, be truly happy and celebrate the coming year with a big show of fireworks 💥 when deep in our hearts we know that some if not many people are hurting in one way or another? The fact is undeniable that the existence of suffering is horrific and horrendous in some sectors cutting like a sharp knife and breaking the hearts 💕 of many. We may never be super heroes to save others, but we can help the next needy person who comes our way even with a little resources we have to ease the pain his or her within, to relieve the anguish of his or her face and to fill up his or her deserted heart with a little bit of love ❤️ and care.

5. The voices of the powers and the daily rantings has been a destructive and mind boggling cacophony of a never ending conflict of interests and issues. We go to a quiet place and seek the still small voice of God in the passing mist of the morning, in the golden sunset, in the wondering eyes of little children, in the beautiful spinning wheels of a passing car and simply rest our minds and hearts 💕 for a while.

6. The culture of fake news, violence, fear and animosity is spreading like wildfires destroying great democratic establishments of nations and peoples in significant areas in the world. While new technologies boasts of aiming for the greater good of humanity, these very technologies are used to confuse and divide a lot of people and nations. There is no compromise to truth, let us defend the truth! “Love casts away all fears,” (1 John 4:18) let us love another. Walls divide, let us make bridges of unity and mutual respect and understanding. God commanded us not to kill our brother, let us respect the sacredness and dignity of human life!

7. How about the question on personal and collective responsibility for the ills and pitfalls of the world? Is there a grain of truth in the statement, “we manufacture our own suffering “ because of many selfish and irresponsible choices we have made? It is high time for a recoup! We can reset our motto: to be more selfless and self giving without counting the cost! Think twice before speaking or acting. Promptly admit mistakes and begin anew! Let us not be too serious brooding over the past, rather let us eagerly move on to what we can still become!

8. In the best of times and in the worst of time, let us not loose our sense of wonder and amazement for the gifts 🎁 of artists, musicians, actors, poets and writers in ordinary tattered clothes who create eternal sense of beauty that transcends the perplexed situation of our world! They see better and their works penetrate and describe the psyche and sorry state of our world in one hand and the grandeur and greatness of the indomitable human spirit on the other hand! Let us not loose sight of our artists nor disregard the cries of them who are new prophets of God for our times!

9. The groans of the whole creation is deafening and disturbing. God has created the world and said, “it was good!” (Genesis1: 10) And God has made us His stewards to take care of everything He has created! However, due to abuse and irresponsible management of God’s creation we have experienced in recent years heat waves, floods, hurricanes, and the like. Species of fishes, animals and birds 🦅 are in danger of extinction. Let us be humble and honest to accept our mistakes and renew our love for creation and our commitment to take care of it according to God’s design and purpose.

10. Finally, as we accept the losses of the past year and live well in the present just taking the next right step with greater care, prudence and wisdom, we look forward with new and determined hope for the coming year. Let us embrace the hopes and aspirations of those who are poor and have less in life, not just materially but also spiritually. Let us hold our hands together and carry each other's heart and burdens, as we trudge the road to another promising year of our lives. The great American Poet, E.E. Cummings have this to say as we pause and get ready to move on in our process of becoming, in our hopes and desires for growing and in our common quest for peace, love, unity, justice and responsible care of God's beautiful creation.

i carry your heart with me

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in
my heart) i am never without it (anywhere
i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)
i fear
no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want
no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)
© by owner. provided at no charge for educational purposes

HAPPY NEW YEAR AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU
IN THE HALLOW OF HIS LOVING HANDS!

- Benny Sagra
Bishop at Celtic Cross Old Catholic Templar Church
Archdiocesan Headquarter
Laguna Woods, California, USA
New Year's Day 2018