Finding God In Our Hearts with Msgr. Don Fischer

PRI Reflections on Scripture | Tuesday of the 1st Week in Ordinary Time

Gospel  Mark 1:21-28 Jesus came to Capernaum with his followers,  and on the sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught. The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are–the Holy One of God!”  Jesus rebuked him and said, “Quiet!  Come out of him!” The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him. All were amazed and asked one another,  “What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.” His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee. Reflection Jesus lived in Capernaum and it was not unusual for him to be in the synagogue. But what was interesting about this case is when he spoke, there was something happening to the people who were listening. It was a feeling or a sense that there was something more here than just someone telling us what to do. But somebody who had this authority over that, which is the enemy, a power over evil, over anything that would destroy us. Closing Prayer Father, your fame was difficult because it became an obstacle to your being able to preach and teach. Bless us with an understanding of the mystery of the power you have over evil. Help us to understand the gift that you had. We also have, 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 | Monday of the 1st Week in Ordinary Time

Gospel Mark 1:14-20 After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the Gospel of God: “This is the time of fulfillment. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel.” As he passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea; they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Then they left their nets and followed him. He walked along a little farther and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They too were in a boat mending their nets. Then he called them. So they left their father Zebedee in the boat along with the hired men and followed him. Reflection This is a moment of transition. Jesus picks up the work of John the Baptist by saying the same thing that John the Baptist said over and over again. Repent and believe in the gospel. The interesting thing about the Kingdom of God is that people are called to be engaged in this work of establishing a kingdom of peace and understanding individually, for very particular reasons. It's so important for us to listen for a call. Everyone is called. Everyone has a role in making the kingdom of God happen. It's difficult at times, but it's also an enormous pleasure to know you are working to save the world. Closing Prayer Father, there's a feeling inside of us. So often we wonder where it comes from that we maybe should not be doing what we're doing. We should be doing something else. Open us to those moments, and let us say yes and leave what is old and enter into what is new. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

HOMILY • The Baptism of the Lord

THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD Original Airdate: January 12, 2020 Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7 | Acts 10:34-38 | Matthew 3:13-17 Almighty, everliving God who, when Christ had been baptized in the River Jordan and as the Holy Spirit descended upon him, solemnly declared him your beloved Son, grant that your children by adoption, reborn of water and the Holy Spirit may always be well-pleasing to you.  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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

PRI Reflections on Scripture | Saturday after Epiphany

Gospel John 3:22-30 Jesus and his disciples went into the region of Judea, where he spent some time with them baptizing.  John was also baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was an abundance of water there, and people came to be baptized, for John had not yet been imprisoned.  Now a dispute arose between the disciples of John and a Jew about ceremonial washings.  So they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is baptizing and everyone is coming to him.” John answered and said, “No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven.  You yourselves can testify that I said that I am not the Christ, but that I was sent before him.  The one who has the bride is the bridegroom; the best man, who stands and listens for him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice.  So this joy of mine has been made complete.  He must increase; I must decrease.” Reflection Can you imagine what it was like for John the Baptist to see his cousin Jesus fulfilling what John knew he was there to get people ready for? Can you imagine the joy he must have felt in seeing it unfold while he was still alive? And what's interesting in this passage is that John was baptized with water. Jesus was nearby, but Jesus wasn't baptizing anyone. It was the message of the kingdom of God that drew people to him. John was living that message. How do we accept the fact that all the promises of the Kingdom of God, the ability we have to participate in transforming the world from darkness to light? How do we believe that's ours without it becoming something we claim we can do? We must decrease. The kingdom must increase. Closing Prayer Father, the power, the beauty, the awesomeness of your promise is still beyond our imagining for so many of us. We live in a world that is not at all connected to this power that is ours by inheritance. Bless us with the capacity to believe that we too, like Christ, have come to the world to heal and to transform. 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 after Epiphany

Gospel Luke 5:12-16 It happened that there was a man full of leprosy in one of the towns where Jesus was; and when he saw Jesus, he fell prostrate, pleaded with him, and said, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.”  Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, “I do will it.  Be made clean.”  And the leprosy left him immediately.  Then he ordered him not to tell anyone, but “Go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.”  The report about him spread all the more, and great crowds assembled to listen to him and to be cured of their ailments, but he would withdraw to deserted places to pray. Reflection Jesus as a human being had to know that the more that he healed people, the more difficult it would be for him to move around. But what I love about this passage is the question, what do you really want to do Jesus? Do you want to teach us all the things that the temple didn't teach us? Do you want us to learn more about our background? No, what he wants more than anything else is to take away darkness. Take away pain, take away leprosy, which is an image of the sinful nature that we've all inherited. That's all he wants. And if it costs him in the sense of having a hard time getting to people, he is not ever going to let go of this most amazing gift. The Kingdom of God is about healing and transformation, not information. Closing Prayer Father, power is a hard thing for human beings to deal with. Our ego loves to think that it's something that comes from us, then puts us in a position of importance. But the real gift of the kingdom of God is not to be somehow empowered to do great things for our own egos sake, but rather simply to have a heart that longs for human beings to find peace and light in life. It's our intention that is so important. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]