PRI Reflections on Scripture | Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

HOMILY - The 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Original Airdate: August 16, 2020 Isaiah 56:1, 6-7 | Romans 11:13-15, 29-32 | Matthew 15:21-28 Opening Prayer Oh God, who has prepared for those who love you good things, which no eye can see, fill our hearts, we pray, with the warmth of your love so that loving you and all things and above all things, we may attain your promises, which surpass every human desire.  Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever, amen. Closing Prayer Father, your goodness, your love, your mercy is so far beyond our expectations that we need your help in grasping the fullness of being loved unconditionally like you so generously do.  Bless us with the freedom from shame and from a distance that we create over our weaknesses, knowing that you are there, filled with mercy, filled with understanding, filled with compassion, which brings us great peace and hope and life.  And we ask this through Christ our Lord, amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

PRI Reflections on Scripture | Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Original Post Date: August 15, 2024 === Gospel Luke 1:39-56 Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” And Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, and has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he has remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children forever.” Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home. Reflection There are many things that God has done that are shocking to humanity, and certainly one of them is choosing a woman and saying that I need you.. God needs you to help him create a human slash divine figure that will be the model for the world of who we are to become. It's an incredible privilege. But even more than that, it is an incredible way of imagining the dignity that Jesus is engaged us in. He's not going to save us alone. He's only going to save us through one another. Closing Prayer Father, the dignity that God wants us to have about the way in which he has created us to be a part of saving the world, establishing the kingdom. Keep us always engaged in that excitement and enthusiasm for what he is doing with, for us, through us. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

PRI Reflections on Scripture | Friday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time

Original Post Date: August 16, 2024 === Gospel Matthew 19:3-12 Some Pharisees approached Jesus, and tested him, saying, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause whatever?" He said in reply, "Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator made them male and female and said, For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, man must not separate." They said to him, "Then why did Moses command that the man give the woman a bill of divorce and dismiss her?" He said to them, "Because of the hardness of your hearts Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) and marries another commits adultery." His disciples said to him, "If that is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry." He answered, "Not all can accept this word, but only those to whom that is granted. Some are incapable of marriage because they were born so; some, because they were made so by others; some, because they have renounced marriage for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever can accept this ought to accept it.” Reflection When Jesus points out an obligation to human beings, we must remember that his promise, is that he will enable us to fulfill those obligations. He’s not laying a burden on us that's impossible to fulfill. So when we see him talking about marriage, it is clear he’s saying that divorce is not the plan. But at the same time, he's also saying that marriage is not something you just do by going through a ritual and signing some papers. It's a mystery. It's a gift. It's a vocation and needs to be honored by those who have been gifted with it. Closing Prayer Father, give us the wisdom to understand the work of human beings in relationships doing so much to help the world to become what God wants it to be. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

PRI Reflections on Scripture | Thursday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time

Original Post Date: August 14, 2025 === Gospel Matthew 18:21–19:1 Peter approached Jesus and asked him, "Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?" Jesus answered, "I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. That is why the Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount. Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt. At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.' Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan. When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount. He seized him and started to choke him, demanding, 'Pay back what you owe.' Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' But he refused. Instead, he had the fellow servant put in prison until he paid back the debt. Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master and reported the whole affair. His master summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?' Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart." When Jesus finished these words, he left Galilee and went to the district of Judea across the Jordan. Reflection What always stands out to me in this passage is the fact that this man who represents humanity has been given an enormous gift, say $1 million, and turns around and beats up a buddy who owes him five. Why such a split between the two? It's because Jesus is making reference to the awesome gift of forgiving all of our sins in his act on the cross, and we won't forgive our brothers and sisters? when we refuse to forgive our brother over whatever they have done, it's clear that we've lost sight of what's been done for us. That's the key to understand the redemption that Jesus won for us. Freedom from all sin. Closing Prayer Father, you ask that we face our sins, that we own them. But we often don't do that for fear that we will alienate ourselves from you or from ourselves or others. Lead us to a place we accept our selfishness. Face it and change. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

PRI Reflections on Scripture | Wednesday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time

Original Post Date: August 14, 2024 === Gospel Matthew 18:15-20 Jesus said to his disciples: "If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that  every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell the Church. If he refuses to listen even to the Church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector. Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Reflection The beautiful thing about the ministry of Jesus is he cares for the church, the institution in a sense, where we're all going, but it also cares for the individuals involved. He cares about our relationships because they are so crucial. And if someone is in a relationship with you and they're doing something negative, you need to point it out. If they won’t listen you ask others to join you. If they don't listen, you use the authority of others. But the key is you don't stay in the relationship. You leave it because the heart of the message is the truth that God has placed in our hearts. And that truth is, that what God is creating is people that think alike, that work together, that aren’t at odds with each other. And when they gather in Jesus’ name and want the truth, there is Jesus in their midst accomplishing and bringing the truth and light and life. Closing Prayer Father, nothing is more important in your kingdom than the flow of life between us. As individuals seeking you, loving you. Wanting to be more what you call us to be. Bless us in our relationships. Help them to be healthy, and life giving, and everything you intend them to be. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]