Finding God In Our Hearts with Msgr. Don Fischer

PRI Reflections on Scripture | Wednesday of the 13th Week of Ordinary Time

Original Post Date: July 5, 2023 === Gospel Matthew 8:28-34 When Jesus came to the territory of the Gadarenes, two demoniacs who were coming from the tombs met him. They were so savage that no one could travel by that road. They cried out, "What have you to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?" Some distance away a herd of many swine was feeding. The demons pleaded with him, "If you drive us out, send us into the herd of swine." And he said to them, "Go then!" They came out and entered the swine, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea where they drowned. The swineherds ran away, and when they came to the town they reported everything, including what had happened to the demoniacs. Thereupon the whole town came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him they begged him to leave their district. Reflection The miracles that Jesus performed that were therapeutic are remembered and treasured, but often people don't remember another way that he showed his power and that was the power he had over evil, and we'd rather not think about evil as a power, but when you think about the things that we see humans do that seem to be almost animalistic, so below what we should be in terms of our consciousness, you're usually looking at something that is like evil, it has gotten into them and robbed them of their true nature. We need to be sure that we know the one thing that Jesus taught about this power of evil: His power is stronger. Closing Prayer Father, whenever we feel discouragement, we look at the human race, we think what's happening to us, we're all seemingly not what we should be, and just remember that so often the evil that we see is not coming from our human nature, but from some force that overrides our human nature, our instinct for goodness. Trust in that power that God has that can conquer that. That's our hope. That's our future. God's power in you and me to help us deal with those things that distort our way of seeing. 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 13th Week of Ordinary Time

Original Post Date: July 2, 2024 === Gospel  Matthew 8:23-27 As Jesus got into a boat, his disciples followed him. Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by waves; but he was asleep. They came and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us!  We are perishing!” He said to them, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?” Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm. The men were amazed and said, “What sort of man is this, whom even the winds and the sea obey?” Reflection The sea in Scripture is often used as an image of darkness, of evil. And so when these disciples are being called into a battle with evil, when they know that they're going to be confronted with things that are radically opposed to who God is calling them to be, they experience fear. And what they're learning from this lesson is that Jesus, even though he's not upset the way things are, he’s resting, in a sense, asleep. But when he's awakened, he says, why are you worried? I got your back. I'm here for you. Don't let the darkness that seems to be destroying you, don't let that happen. Trust in me because I am strong. As witnessed by the fact that he can tell the sea and the wind to cease being a threat. Please ponder this reflection and I'll close with the prayer. Closing Prayer Father, nothing is more essential than trust. Trusting in your power within us that will accomplish whatever it is we need to achieve. And also will protect us from anything that would destroy us. Give us that same trust that Jesus longed to give to his disciples. 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 Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles
Mass during the Day

Original Post Date: June 29, 2024 === Gospel Matthew 16:13-19 When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Reflection Jesus is making clear that he's given authority to his church. The church must be founded on truth so that the Kingdom of God can take place one day here on this earth.  Closing Prayer Father, help us to acknowledge the authority in the truths that we find in our religion. All religions. We pray that churches will proclaim consistently your wisdom, your truth. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

The 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Original Airdate: June 28, 2020 2 Kings 4:8-11, 14-16A | Romans 6:3-4, 8-11 | Matthew 10:37-42 Opening Prayer: Oh God, who through the grace of adoption chose us to be children of light, grant, we pray, that we may not be wrapped in darkness of error but always be seen to stand in the bright light of truth.  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, open our eyes to see you as you are, to know your intention, your plan, your desire to use us, fill us with all the gifts that those around us are in longing for and to give us the enthusiasm and the excitement about being a channel for you.  And let us feel the joy that comes from watching those around us that we love enter into a place of greater wholeness and light and peace.  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 | Saturday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time

Original Post Date: July 1, 2023 === Gospel Matthew 8:5-17 When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully." He said to him, "I will come and cure him." The centurion said in reply, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come here,' and he comes; and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it." When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, "Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven, but the children of the Kingdom will be driven out into the outer darkness, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth." And Jesus said to the centurion, "You may go; as you have believed, let it be done for you." And at that very hour his servant was healed. Jesus entered the house of Peter, and saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. He touched her hand, the fever left her, and she rose and waited on him. When it was evening, they brought him many who were possessed by demons, and he drove out the spirits by a word and cured all the sick, to fulfill what had been said by Isaiah the prophet: He took away our infirmities and bore our diseases. Reflection How are we supposed to interpret the miraculous things that Jesus did? To turn to Him when we have something like a disease and say, I want you to take care of this for me, please fix me. And all of a sudden we get up and we don't have a fever and we're not coughing any longer. That's so over simplified. What He's really saying is, when you ask me to help you to be who you're called to be, I will always do that. And if you're enduring something that's important, I will give you the courage and the strength to endure it. I'm not going to take away the things that are there in your life to help you to grow and change. But if you doubt that you're growing and changing through the things you suffer, you'll lose a tremendous gift. It's called hope and acceptance. That's the key that Jesus wanted his people to have. If you ask Him to take care of you, He will. It's up to Him to choose how Closing Prayer Father, you've told us that our faith is a gift. But it has to be believed in. Our faith is what we need in order to be able to experience the way you are healing us. Bless us with trust in the way you work. And know that that way will bring us to life. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]