Finding God In Our Hearts with Msgr. Don Fischer

PRI Reflections on Scripture | Saturday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time

Original Post Date: June 15, 2024 === Gospel Matthew 5:33-37 Jesus said to his disciples: "You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, Do not take a false oath, but make good to the Lord all that you vow. But I say to you, do not swear at all; not by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Do not swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. Let your 'Yes' mean 'Yes,' and your 'No' mean 'No.' Anything more is from the Evil One.” Reflection Once again, Jesus makes it clear that we are not regulated by rules and regulations. We're simply regulated by a spirit within us. And the spirit is the spirit of truth. He's just saying, whenever you say yes to someone, you make a promise. Keep it, mean it, and make clear that your intention is honest. It's not something that you will follow through on because you have to, but because you want to. Closing Prayer Father, the authenticity that you create for us, through your spirit dwelling within us is such a great gift. Help us to be aware of it. Help us to turn to it as we struggle with our own human nature, so that we can become more and more engaged in the divine nature that you share with 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 | Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

Original Post Date: June 16, 2023 === Gospel Matthew 11:25-30 At that time Jesus exclaimed: "I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to little ones. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him. "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” Reflection There will always be difficulty, strife, separation, anger, resentment in the world. And yet we know that there is a work that is being accomplished by God. It's the heart of His message. I've come into the world to save and to heal and to bring life. So there's a moment you should take, and I should take it always, in the midst of whatever struggle we're in, to take a moment to remember that. To rest in a promise. Even though what is the goal of our work has not yet been accomplished. Closing Prayer Father, give us the discipline that we need to stop whatever is going on in our life and spend a moment with you in meditation, reflection. And experience a calm that is so essential so that we can go on with the work in a spirit of hope and trust. 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 10th Week in Ordinary Time

Original Post Date: June 13, 2024 === Gospel Matthew 5:20-26 Jesus said to his disciples: "I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven. "You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, Raqa, will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, 'You fool,' will be liable to fiery Gehenna. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.” Reflection The Pharisees were noted for following the letter of the law, but their hearts were not where God wanted them to be. What this passage is pointing out, is that we are called to always look deeply into who we are in relationship to those around us. Do we judge them? Do we criticize them? Do we call them stupid or foolish? It may not seem like such an important thing, but when you look at it, what it reveals is that we do what we're told, but we aren't becoming what we're called to be. We are called together to come to an altar and to invite God to enter into us, and to be a source of love and forgiveness. Closing Prayer Father, reveal to us how we treat each other. Make us more sensitive to our comments and our criticisms, so we can be aware of how easy it is to fall into a trap of a kind of righteousness about people who aren't what they're supposed to be. Make us loving, forgiving human beings. 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 10th Week in Ordinary Time

Original Post Date: June 12, 2024 === Gospel Matthew 5:17-19 Jesus said to his disciples: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.” Reflection Jesus has come to empower us to live under the law, infused with the law. And he's not talking about the Mosaic law of 613 different rules and regulations. He's talking about the Ten Commandments, which are reduced to the most beautiful explanation that it's all about loving God and loving our neighbor. And he's just simply saying, the kingdom of heaven is made up with those who can make a distinction between regulations that are not really about relationships. Relationships are the heart of what Jesus has come to transform. Closing Prayer Father, we live in a sea of things that are asked of us, rules and regulations we follow for all kinds of reasons, but help us always to focus on one law, the law of love. That's the most essential. That's the one that you've called us to live. 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 | Tuesday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time

Original Post Date: June 11, 2024 === Gospel  Matthew 5:13-16 Jesus said to his disciples: “You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.” Reflection I've always loved this passage because one of the things that is clear when you look at what salt is, salt never loses its flavor. You don't have stale salt without any seasoning power. And also a light, once even a match is lit in a totally dark universe, that light is not extinguished by the darkness. It gives us an image of the power of the love that God has created for us to dwell within us, to bring light to those around us. Closing Prayer Father, your Spirit within us is unlimited in its ability to do the work you call us to do. Give us that trust in what you've given us, not in what we ourselves think we need to create. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]