Diocese of Baton Rouge Vocation Director, Pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus & Vagabond Missions Chaplain; Author & Podcast Host of Ask Fr. Josh;IG: frjoshjohnson
The Catechism of the Catholic Church clearly teaches “since the 1st century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed” (CCC 2271). President Joe Biden, I want to invite you to repent & believe in the Gospel.
#catholic
During an exorcism, the demons that are present typically use vulgar language, blaspheme God, curse & lie. As a Lenten practice, let’s examine our language. In our conversations, do we imitate demons or do we imitate Christ?
When I speak out against racism some people call me a communist. When I speak out against abortion some people call me a conservative. My views on race & life are not communist or conservative … they are Catholic.
#FratelliTutti
#EvangeliumVitae
My sister, Sheree Johnson, passed away on Friday. By the grace of God I was able to share the Sacraments w/ her before she entered into eternity. Please keep her & our family in your prayers.
Fraternal correction is not rejection. Both Joe Biden & Donald Trump are Baptized children of God. They are necessary members of the Body of Christ. Inviting them to repent is not an endorsement of either one of their political parties. It’s a spiritual work of mercy.
This Advent will be a very special Advent for me b/c we have a newly ordained Deacon, Michael Parker & a newly ordained Priest, Fr. Ajani Gibson. Join me in praying & fasting for more Vocations to the Priesthood, Consecrated Life & Diaconate during this Advent Season!
When we experience temptations of pride, envy, lust, gluttony, greed, sloth or wrath we should pick up our Bibles & read the Sacred Scriptures out loud. Even if we do not “feel” anything while reading, the evil spirits tempting us will flee b/c they can’t endure the Word of God.
3 questions to ponder: 1. When I first wake up, do I spend time in prayer or do I check my social media? 2. Do I read tweets, posts, and blogs more than I read Scripture? 3. Have I spent more time on social media than I have in prayer this week?
#pray
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7 years ago on May 31st I was ordained to the priesthood of Jesus Christ! I am so grateful to our Lord for inviting me to abide in an intimate relationship with God through this vocation!
I blessed the perimeters of my parent’s home w/ holy water & salt & celebrated Mass in the house. Now we will spend the next few days in prayer, study & fellowship as Hurricane Ida heads towards Baton Rouge. Let’s remain united w/ each other in prayer!
#idahurricane
I want to invite you to pray for someone who has persecuted you or is currently persecuting you. Your intercession is so powerful! Stephen prayed for Saul & Saul became St. Paul. Imagine if your enemy becomes the next great saint in our Church! Nothing is impossible for God!
Please pray & fast for me over the next two weeks. I am almost finished w/ a work I have been writing for the past few years on race & reconciliation in the Church. My hope is that it will console the heart of Jesus who desires that we may be one!
#CatholicTwitter
#pray
3 questions to ponder: 1.) Do I bless (speak well about) those who curse me? 2.) Do I pray for those who persecute me? 3.) Do I forgive those who do not apologize to me?
#pray
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18 years ago I fell in love w/ Jesus Christ @ a Steubenville Youth Conference. Today I am flying to Franciscan University in Steubenville to help plan the theme for next years Steubenville Youth Conferences! Keep us in prayer as we invite the Holy Spirit to guide our discernment!
Today is the 1st anniversary of my older sister’s passing. I pray to have a holy death like her. She came into the Church 3 days before she died while in the hospital & received her 1st Holy Communion the morning she passed away.
#John6
:51
Today is the 17th anniversary of my reversion back to Jesus & the Catholic Church! During Eucharistic Adoration on Saturday night @ 8:00 pm in Alexandria, La @ the Steubenville South Conference, I encountered Christ, fell in love w/ God & perceived the call to become a priest.
It’s disheartening when tweets from prominent Catholics on social media are more rooted in their ideologies & racially disrespectful rhetoric than they are in Jesus Christ & the teachings of the Church He founded 2000 years ago.
I want to invite you to acknowledge your thoughts, feelings & desires … I encourage you to relate them to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament before you share them w/ Twitter & other forms of social media.
A priest once used a coffee mug in the place of the chalice for Mass at a homeless shelter. After Mass, Dorothy Day kissed the mug & buried it outside. The mug was no longer suited for coffee b/c it held the Blood of Christ. She didn’t want anyone to mistake it for a mug again.
9 years ago I was ordained to the priesthood on May 31, 2014. Falling in love w/ Jesus & staying in love w/ Jesus has been the greatest source of joy in my life! I want to encourage you to seek His Face in the Eucharist, the Bible & the Poorest of the Poor. His Love is sufficient
I want to invite you to pray with these words from St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582): Let nothing disturb you, nothing frighten you, all passes. God never changes. Patience obtains all. Whoever has God lacks nothing. God alone suffices.
Don’t look at Satan. Look at Jesus. Don’t listen to Satan. Listen to Jesus. Don’t dialogue with Satan. Dialogue with Jesus. Don’t follow Satan. Follow Jesus.
#pray
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Beginning July 1st I will be the Pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church in Baton Rouge in addition to my work as Vocation’s Director. I can’t wait to encounter our registered parishioners, teachers, students & neighbors in the geographical boundaries of the Parish!
I’ve heard it said that we need PRAYER like we need FOOD. I disagree. We can go w/out FOOD for a few days & be ok. I prefer to think that we need PRAYER like we need AIR. We cannot live w/out AIR & we certainly cannot live w/out PRAYER.
2000 years ago, the Apostles ignored, abandoned, betrayed, denied & doubted Jesus Christ. Today, racist Clergy in America continue to ignore, abandon, betray, deny & doubt the Black members in the body of Christ.
#CatholicTwitter
#racism
On the Solemnity of Corpus Christi our nation honors Juneteenth. This is the oldest celebration of Black emancipation in the USA. I invite you to join me in offering a Eucharistic Holy Hour of Reparation for the sins of slavery committed against our Black ancestors in our nation.
In less than a week people went from praising God on Palm Sunday to crucifying Him on Good Friday. How long does it take us to transition from praising, worshipping & adoring God to ignoring, cursing & despising people made in the image of God?
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I know a priest from Africa who has the charism of miracles. 3 times God raised the dead after he prayed over them. 1 woman who came back to life immediately requested Confession & after receiving the Sacrament she died again. Her family rejoiced b/c she died in union w/ Christ.
This week I will be entering into the silence with Jesus on an 8 Day Retreat. Cardinal Sarah reminds us that silence must precede the active life. I can’t wait to share the fruits of my friendship w/ Jesus when I get back from retreat!
As we wrap up 2021, I will be spending the night w/ Jesus. There’s no place I’d rather be than w/ Him. My hope & prayer for 2022 is that people of every race, ethnicity & tongue will be invited to spend time w/ Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament throughout our land!
A practice I find helpful is to insert my name in the Scriptures while praying w/ the readings … “Jesus said to Josh, ‘Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?’” —Matthew 7:1-5
EVERY particle of the Eucharistic Host needs to be reverenced, EVERY word of Sacred Scripture needs to be reverenced & EVERY member of the Body of Christ needs to be reverenced.
Commemorating Juneteenth, the oldest celebration of Black emancipation in the USA reminds us of where we have been as a country, celebrates the progress we have made in our land & inspires us to continue the hard work of building an authentic civilization of love.
In the book of Revelation, John had a vision of heaven & he saw people from every nation, all tribes & tongues. If you don’t want your bible study groups, church parishes and families to look like John’s vision of heaven, then maybe heaven is not for you.
#pray
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Dr. of the Church, St Catherine of Siena was asked by God to teach men. She writes that God told her: “If men will humbly receive the teachings I send them through women I will show them great mercy.” Grateful for all the women who sit at the feet of Jesus & share His Mind w/ us!
Today I am renewing the promises I made at my ordination to the priesthood in 2014! Jesus, You are still the
#1
love of my life. Jesus, You are still sufficient for me. Jesus, You are still all that I want. Jesus, You are still enough for me. Jesus, You are still my everything.
A little brother of Saint Francis of Assisi once asked him, “What is the greatest thing we could ever do for Jesus?” Saint Francis responded, “Sit with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.”
Whether we lean more to the “left” or to the “right,” let’s not throw the baby out w/ the bath water. Wisdom can be gained from listening to Progressives & Traditionalists, Liberals & Conservatives. The Catholic approach: both/and, not either/or. Accept the good & reject the bad.
This video from PragerU Kids is dangerous. Veritatis Splendor teaches that slavery is intrinsically evil. After the enslavement of Native Americans, 10.7 million Africans were abducted. 2 million died on ships from starvation, disease & suicide. Slaves were beaten, raped & killed
Slavery was “no big deal”.
That’s what Florida schools are now allowed to teach students after this offensive garbage from PragerU was approved by Ron DeSantis’ Department of Education.
This level of indoctrination would make any fascist dictator proud.
Join me in praying for Father Stephen Ugwu in the Diocese of Lafayette. He was violently assaulted by a man w/ a machete who stated he “wanted to kill a Black man today.”
I want to invite you to pray with these words from Servant of God, Dorothy Day: “I really only love God as much as I love the person I love the least.”
#CatholicTwitter
#pray
#love
#Jesus
One day in Your Presence is better than a thousand elsewhere… God, You satisfy me… I’ve tasted & seen & know that You are sufficient… God, You are enough!
Our Church has 6 African Americans on the path to Sainthood & a number of other Black Catholics from around the world who have been canonized & beatified. As we approach the end of Black Catholic History month, I would love to hear from you who some of your favorites are & why!
Offering prayers & penances today so that all can believe the following: 1. The devil is real. 2. Unborn babies are people who have a right to life. 3. The Eucharist is the Body of Jesus Christ. 4. Institutional Racism is still operative in practices & policies.
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Why do girls apply Vaseline to their necks & faces before they get into a fight? The same reason we apply Chrism Oil to disciples of Jesus at Confirmation... to make it difficult for our enemy to grab us during the battle in our walk toward eternity.
I want to invite you to reorient your attention to the face of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament & the Sacred Scriptures if you are tempted to be concerned with the passing opinions of others today.
The Catholic Church is the Bride of Christ. Jesus & His Bride are united together. If we reject the Bride of Christ we are rejecting Jesus. “The two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery but I speak in reference to Christ & the Church.” —Ephesians 5:31-32
There are certain demons that will only be cast out through prayer and fasting. I want to invite you to intentionally pray and fast today as a penance for the sins of racism in our land. St. Peter Claver, pray for us!
#pray
#fast
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In his Encyclical, “Fratelli Tutti,” Pope Francis writes: “Instances of racism continue to shame us, for they show that our supposed progress is not as real or definitive as we think.”
#FratelliTutti
#catholictwitter
A few years ago, Daughter of St. Paul, Sister Theresa Aletheia Noble said: “We will never find salvation in a political party & we should be apologist & uncritical cheerleaders for no one but Jesus Christ!” I’m grateful for her wisdom!
@pursuedbytruth
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#Jesus
Gentle reminder … our canonized Saints did their best to interpret God’s Word, but, like all theologians, their writings are still subject to error. Just b/c the Saints were holy & virtuous doesn’t mean all of their ideas were inerrant & inspired by the Holy Spirit.
Instead of looking at the life of Jesus, the teachings of the Church & the writings of the saints through the lens of our politics; I suggest we look at politics through the lens of Jesus’ life, the Church’s teachings & the saint’s writings.
I am grateful for everyone who prayed for me today & wished me a Happy Birthday! My morning began w/ Coffee & the Psalms & now I am ending my night w/ Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament! It doesn’t get any better than this! Again, thanks for the Birthday Blessings!
Just because I build tables with good intentions does not mean that Jesus won’t flip them over if they do not bear supernatural fruit.
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The more I engage w/ anti-racism work, the more I am drawn to a deeper intimacy w/ Jesus Christ Crucified. There is no place I’d rather be than at the foot of the Cross w/ the Blessed Mother & St. John the Beloved Disciple.
Tonight
@SJOSEPHINE_CSFN
is giving a talk to the ladies at my parish about being Women of Hope. Tomorrow we are going to visit the Whitney Plantation to learn about the history of slavery on that land. Keep us in your prayers!
They called Jesus a glutton and drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners. I call Jesus my Best Friend, the Love of my Life, the King of the Universe, the Son of God & the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity.
When we recite the Act of the Controtion in the Sacrament of Reconciliation we say: “I will avoid the near occasion of sin.” I think one of the reasons we fall back into the same sins is b/c we aren’t avoiding the people, places & things that are near occasions of sin.
2 questions to ponder: 1.) Do I think/read/tweet/post/speak more about politics than I do about Jesus Christ? 2.) Do I defend the platforms of my political party more than I defend the teachings of Jesus in Scripture & Tradition?
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Today I celebrate my dad, Aaron Johnson Jr. The sacrifices he makes for my mom, Patricia, & all of my siblings is a witness to the love that I desire to imitate throughout my walk toward eternity! Happy Father’s Day dad!
Instead of tweeting about our enemies, let’s pray for them: “That (insert name) may become holier than I, provided I become as holy as I should, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.” —Litany of Humility
#pray
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In Exodus 34:28, Moses fasted. In Psalm 35:13, David fasted. In Esther 4:16, Esther fasted. In Jonah 3.7, the people of Ninevah fasted. Now is the the time for us to increase our prayer & fasting for our brothers & sisters in
#Ukraine
Happy Feast Day St. Josephine Bakhita! You can now order this piece of art that I collaborated with Sacred Artist Tianna Williams &
@AscensionPress
to create! Pre-order your copy at
Don’t miss the 10th National Eucharistic Congress @ the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on July 17 - 21, 2024. This is the 1st National Eucharistic Congress in 83 years! Jesus Christ will be there in the Blessed Sacrament! Will you?
As we read the news it is helpful to consult the Father in prayer & relate our thoughts to the Father in prayer before we consult Twitter & relate our thoughts to Twitter.
#CatholicTwitter
I recently watched a video of a young priest and seminarian who lived like Pope Francis for a day. I learned that Pope Francis prays 3 Holy Hours a day and recites 3 Rosaries a day. If any of us say that we are too busy to pray then we are too busy!
#pray
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I beg for our poor of the world & those who will become poor b/c of war…I plead for those who will be left orphaned, widowed, & left alone… for those who will be left w/ disability & disfigurement… for those who will be left w/ no home, no food & no love. —Mother Teresa, M.C.
What is the Catholic approach to anxiety? Daily prayer, counseling, medication, sacraments, rest, support group meetings, recreation & service to the poorest of the poor.
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Today a number of men from all over the world were ordained to the priesthood! Let us pray that they manifest the fruits of the Spirit in their ministry: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness & self control
#Galatians5
Padre Pio was loved by many people but he was also hated by many people too. However, he never viewed the people who hated him as his enemies. He recognized that his true enemies were the demons. I hope & pray we can remember this truth as well when we experience persecution.
I am grateful for the presence of the Mercedarian Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church & School in Baton Rouge. These religious sisters pray w/ our staff and students & play sports w/ our students. They are a gift to Jesus & a gift to me.
Example of Priestly Blessing: May the Lord inspire you to study the Bible, adore the Eucharist, pray the Rosary, give Alms to the Poor, practice Fasting, cultivate Holy Friendships, avoid the Near Occasion of Sin, receive the Sacraments, develop the Virtues & make Disciples. Amen
I saw a message on social media today encouraging people to pay attention to particular Cardinals & Bishops saying: “For everyone who has eyes to see or ears to hear …” Might I suggest we pay more attention to Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, the Bible & the Poorest of the Poor
I am grateful Pope Francis invited the Church to pray for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in his last days. I want to encourage you to join me in praying for the repose of his soul now that he has passed away. Benedict XVI was a Gift to Jesus & our Church. Requiescat in Pace.
Grateful to worship God at Mass w/ my dear friend, Maxine Crump. She is a descendent of one of the Georgetown Slaves & the President/CEO of Dialogue on Race Louisiana. She is a gift to Jesus & a gift to me.
Just b/c a theory or a movement wasn’t started by Catholics doesn’t mean we can’t use some of their wisdom to build God’s kingdom. Aristotle was a pagan but St. Dominic & St. Thomas Aquinas used his philosophy to refute heretics & describe the Sacraments.
All I want for Christmas is the canonization of Fr. Augustus Tolton, Mother Henriette Delille, Mother Mary Lange, Julia Greely, Pierre Toussaint, Sr. Thea Bowman, Fr. Francisco de Paula Victor, Benedict Daswa, Sr. Teresa Chikaba & Fr. Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi
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Spent the day praying, worshipping, studying & laughing w/ these two disciples of Jesus Christ! I can’t wait to share the fruit of our time together with y’all!
@SJOSEPHINE_CSFN
Blessed are they who are held accountable for their words & actions ... for they shall be given the opportunity to repent, reform and repair.
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Grateful for time as Pastor at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church! Looking forward to continuing my ministry as Director of Vocations for the Diocese of Baton Rouge and collaborating with Fr. Andrew Merrick at Christ the King Student Center on the campus of LSU!
As we prepare for 2023, I propose we imitate St. Thomas Aquinas in our responses to the trending topics on social media: “Every time he intended to undertake a disputation, to teach, to write, or to dictate, he 1st withdrew into the secret of contemplation & prayed…”
If you want to cultivate the domestic church at home w/ your family, I want to invite you to avoid looking at the screens on your phones, computers & televisions 1 day a week as a family & look at each other as you eat meals, play games, rest & pray together.
#CatholicTwitter
It is possible to spend hours in prayer before Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament & spend hours in the community working for Social Justice. Saint Katharine Drexel did it in her lifetime & we have the capacity to do it our lifetime as well.