Finding God In Our Hearts with Msgr. Don Fischer

PRI Reflections on Scripture | Tuesday of the 3rd Week of Advent

Gospel  Matthew 21:28-32 Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people: “What is your opinion?  A man had two sons.  He came to the first and said, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’  The son said in reply, ‘I will not,’ but afterwards he changed his mind and went.  The man came to the other son and gave the same order.  He said in reply, ‘Yes, sir,’ but did not go.  Which of the two did his father’s will?”  They answered, “The first.”  Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the Kingdom of God before you.  When John came to you in the way of righteousness, you did not believe him; but tax collectors and prostitutes did.  Yet even when you saw that, you did not later change your minds and believe him.” Reflection The beautiful part of this reading for me is we're in this world to go through a process called conversion. Transformation. We start with one truth or one half truth, or one lie or whatever, and we move closer and closer to what we are called to be in truth. And the whole thing that is important for one to understand is we have to change, continue to change. The Pharisees would not. And so Jesus points out, I came into the world to change people, to awaken them, to renew them. And the Pharisees were not interested at all. Closing Prayer Father, why should we ever be ashamed of something that we have done that is wrong, or something that we misunderstood? It's part of the plan. It's why you have made it so clear to us that your response to us in our failures is nothing but love, forgiveness, and the power to change. Bless us with that conviction that we should never be afraid to face where we have made mistakes, or when we continue to make mistakes. Help us to be transformed. 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 3rd Week of Advent

Gospel Matthew 21:23-27 When Jesus had come into the temple area, the chief priests and the elders of the people approached him as he was teaching and said, "By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you this authority?" Jesus said to them in reply, "I shall ask you one question, and if you answer it for me, then I shall tell you by what authority I do these things. Where was John's baptism from? Was it of heavenly or of human origin?" They discussed this among themselves and said, "If we say 'Of heavenly origin,' he will say to us, 'Then why did you not believe him?' But if we say, 'Of human origin,' we fear the crowd, for they all regard John as a prophet." So they said to Jesus in reply, "We do not know." He himself said to them, "Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things.” Reflection It's easy to see why Jesus was in conflict with the leaders of the temple. They were hypocrites, and one of their great mistakes is clearly shown in this passage, for Jesus makes it clear that they're not interested in truth, but only in manipulating things so that they work out in favor of them. It underscores for all of us, any time we drift from the truth, we're in trouble. We're likely to find ourselves in a place that we never wanted to be. We are likely to be doing things we never thought we would do. It's so essential that we just say one thing to God over and over again. Tell me what is true. Show me what is true. Let me live out what is true. Closing Prayer Father, we get lost. We get so many things in our heads all day long. Bless us with a clarity about one single thing. The only thing that is important. The only true authority in our life is whatever is true, and we grow in consciousness over generation after generation to see and to feel that truth. Bless us with the fruit of that work. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

HOMILY • The 3rd Sunday of Advent

THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT Original Airdate: December 11, 2023 Isaiah 35:1-6a, 10 | James 5:7-10 | Matthew 11:2-11   Oh God, who see how your people faithfully await the feast of the Lord’s nativity, enable us, we pray to attain the joys of so great a salvation and to celebrate them always with solemn worship and glad rejoicing 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]

PRI Reflections on Scripture | Memorial of Saint Lucy, Virgin and Martyr

Gospel Matthew 17:9a, 10-13 As they were coming down from the mountain, the disciples asked Jesus, "Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" He said in reply, "Elijah will indeed come and restore all things; but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased. So also will the Son of Man suffer at their hands." Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist. Reflection In this gospel Peter, James and John have just witnessed the Transfiguration. Jesus turning into light. Enlightenment. And there on either side is Elijah, the prophets and Moses, the law. And what it’s saying clearly to the disciples that there is a radical change coming where all that has gone before will be transformed into something radically new, called the Kingdom of God. It's important to recognize all the stages that went into this transition, because in a sense, we all go through something like that, leaving behind that which is not really productive and entering into a productive kingdom of God. Closing Prayer Father, we have this major story, and yet we today are living in the final times. We're living in the time of the Kingdom of God. Help us to discern the work that we are engaged in as we continue to move forward and not fall back into things that lead to violence, destruction. The Kingdom of God that is being established is about life, hope, love, connection. 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 | Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Gospel Luke 1:39-47 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, “Most 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.” Reflection If we look at the lives of Mary and Elizabeth, it's hard to imagine what they must have felt. But it's clear in the way they describe their relationship to each other. It's they're there for each other, and they have no ego. They simply are so overwhelmed by the way God has entered into their lives. There's no competition, is just awe that we are being used for something so marvelous, so wonderful. And not even understanding what it would be. Or how much it would cost them. They’re the models of humility. Closing Prayer  Father, to be a human being and yet be called into roles that are so powerful and so transforming or destructive. It's amazing how we need to remind ourselves over and over again, that we are surrendering to a plan that you are in charge of, not we, but you are the source of everything, and you are the revealer of the direction we are going. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]