Finding God In Our Hearts with Msgr. Don Fischer

PRI Reflections on Scripture | Thursday after Ash Wednesday

Gospel Luke 9:22-25 Jesus said to his disciples: “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.” Then he said to all, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?” Reflection I often wonder what the disciples must have felt when Jesus reveals to them that He must suffer greatly. Be rejected, be killed. And then this confusing phrase rising from the dead three days later. But if you want to see how this passage is written by Luke, he goes on to explain what basically Jesus is saying in his ministry. It's a reflection of what he told his disciples in private. It's just saying you have to deny your very self, meaning your false self. You're not your true self. You must do whatever is asked of you and basically do it with an unselfishness that says, I'm not focused at all at taking care of myself, but losing a sense of importance to surrender to something more important, which is building the kingdom. Closing Prayer Father, suffering, accepting everything is not natural to our ego, but it is natural to our hearts, our core. We know we are called to surrender to everything you have offered us, no matter what the cost. And we know that we should not be working for ourselves, but for our brothers and sisters. So bless us during this season of Lent with a greater understanding of this core teaching, we must be in service to each other. 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 | Ash Wednesday

Gospel Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 Jesus said to his disciples: "Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. "When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. "When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.” Reflection Jesus describes in this passage righteous deeds. One is being generous, sharing what you have with others. Another is to be a person that converses with God, that talks to him, listens to him in their hearts. And one is about anticipating the Kingdom of Heaven, giving up things that do not help the kingdom to come. And all these, what we're seeing is the power of intention to do anything just to be seen, to be held in esteem by others. Shows that the reason one is doing something is not for the purpose that it was made for, but for something else. Nothing is important that we pay attention to the intention of our hearts. We are generous because God has been generous to us. We spend time in prayer because we believe that He talks to us. And when we are overwhelmed by things that keep our attention away from the core of what it means to be a part of the Kingdom of God on this planet, we are called to be attentive to knowing that everything we do that is in tune with the work of our father is bringing about the kingdom. Closing Prayer Father, we worry about heaven or hell, purgatory. All these images of what might happen after we leave this world. And when in truth Jesus didn't focus on that. He didn't teach that. He told us we are working toward a kingdom that is now, that is here a place of truth and beauty. Care and service. Help us keep our eyes fixed on this place and this work and this will of God, our father. 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 6th Week in Ordinary Time

Gospel  Mark 8:14-21 The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. Jesus enjoined them, "Watch out, guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod." They concluded among themselves that it was because they had no bread. When he became aware of this he said to them, "Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread? Do you not yet understand or comprehend? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear? And do you not remember, when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many wicker baskets full of fragments you picked up?" They answered him, "Twelve." "When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many full baskets of fragments did you pick up?" They answered him, "Seven." He said to them, "Do you still not understand?” Reflection In many ways the disciples are revealed in the Scriptures as people who don't really get it. You know, who don't have a clue. But you have to understand that what Jesus is saying is really so radically new. They knew religion, they knew the temple, they knew its corruption. They didn't expect it to do much for them. And now Jesus is creating a new kingdom, the kingdom of Heaven, on earth. And it's all about something that nurtures and develops and feeds. And so he's longing for his disciples to understand this. So he uses signs and symbols and stories and parables. And he just simply gets frustrated because they don't understand. They don't yet know how to listen to the way he teaches, to ponder the images, to wonder, and to imagine something radically different than what they've known when it comes to religion. Closing Prayer Father, everything that you have created in the world is for us. Even the negative things or those things that remind us of what we don't want to be a part of. So open our eyes and our hearts and our ears. So we can feed on the nurturing love and the nurturing wisdom 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 | Monday of the 6th Week in Ordinary Time

Gospel Mark 8:11-13 The Pharisees came forward and began to argue with Jesus, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. He sighed from the depth of his spirit and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation." Then he left them, got into the boat again, and went off to the other shore. Reflection It is seldom we are shown in the Scriptures the emotions of Jesus. But here he is frustrated, a deep sigh. And what he’s really saying is interesting. He's saying, Look, I have given you sign after sign after sign and you're asking for signs. It just underscores their blindness, their close mindedness, their close hearts. And that's what Jesus is worried about. They simply cannot open themselves to the message of life and joy that he's come to bring. Closing Prayer Father, you are speaking to us constantly. You show us things. You invite us into situations where we learn and we grow. Help us to give thanks for those signs that you've given us that you are with us. Help us to be attentive to them. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

HOMILY • The 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Original Airdate: February 16, 2020 Sirach 15:15-20 | 1 Corinthians 2:6-10 | Matthew 5:17-37 Oh God, who teaches that you abide in hearts that are just and true, grant that we may be so fashioned by your grace as to become a dwelling place pleasing to you.  Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever, amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]