Finding God In Our Hearts with Msgr. Don Fischer

PRI Reflections on Scripture | Monday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time

Original Post Date: June 26, 2023 === Gospel Matthew 7:1-5 Jesus said to his disciples: "Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove that splinter from your eye,' while the wooden beam is in your eye? You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother's eye.” Reflection What Jesus is doing, is making a very simple truth evident. When we judge others, it's often because they are in some way representing something in us that we haven't really faced. Why would we not face things when we think about our relationship with God? He is mercy. He is forgiveness. So we need to examine very carefully whenever we're caught in that spirit of judgment to question it. And to know that there's another way, a way of love, a way of forgiveness, a way of understanding. Closing Prayer Father, you are forgiveness.Yet so often we hide our weaknesses from those that we feel want us to be more than we are. We're not as honest as we should be. Give us the honesty to face our weaknesses and know your love and your forgiveness so we can offer that gift to others. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

HOMILY • The 12th Week in Ordinary Time

Original Airdate: June 25, 2023 Jeremiah 20:10-13 | Romans 5:12-15 | Matthew 10:26-33 Opening Prayer: Grant, oh Lord, that we may always revere and love your holy name, never deprive of your guidance those set firm on the foundation of your love.  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, you’ve revealed to us that evil is so powerful when it’s hidden, when people don’t recognize it and blame just human nature for not being what it should be, but the truth is it’s a power so strong that, without you, we are vulnerable.  So open our hearts to a conviction that you are in us, guiding us, empowering us, not only to speak truth but to endure the rejection that comes with speaking truth.  It’s your way.  It’s your plan.  Let us submit, 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 | Saturday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time

Original Post Date: June 22, 2024 === Gospel Matthew 6:24-34 Jesus said to his disciples: "No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? So do not worry and say, 'What are we to eat?' or 'What are we to drink?' or 'What are we to wear?' All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.” Reflection It's interesting how many people base their relationship on God by how quickly and how effectively he answers their prayers. Jesus says, pray and I will give you whatever you ask. But you know and I know that what that means is that we have in God the one who will be there for us always. He will always be what we need, but not necessarily what we think we need or what we want. So along with this beautiful promise of abundance in our life, there is still things that we would call not what we want. Evil things. Things that break down. Things that don't work. And you can't live in the kingdom without accepting both the fullness of that kingdom and the times when we feel that it’s empty and not enough. Closing Prayer Father, we ask for wisdom. We don't always know what to pray for, what to ask for, how to deal with the things going on in our life. But if we are filled with you, your Spirit living in us is the spirit of wisdom, and it's there to enable us to give in to everything that you ask of us, and to rejoice in what is good and what is not. 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 of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time

Original Post Date: June 21, 2024 === Gospel Matthew 6:19-23 Jesus said to his disciples: "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be. "The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light; but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness. And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be.” Reflection The treasures that Jesus is talking about is all those things that we have. They give us a sense of who we are. Our position, our title, or where we live. What we own, what we drive, our job. And he’s really saying that all those things do not explain or capture the fullness of who you are. Who you are is a person whose eyes are being opened to the love of a God who accepts this exactly as we are, and gives us the dignity and the worth that we long for by simply entering into us and teaching us that every day. The darkness is when we think we have to be something in order to be important or valuable. The light is we are all we need to be. Closing Prayer Father, there are so many things that we can become anxious and worried about in life, but it's clear that you're telling us over and over again that you are not without a deep care and interest in everything that happens to us, and there is no scarcity. Everything that's not there is because we don't need it to be there. Everything that is there from God is what we need. Give us this confidence. 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 11th Week in Ordinary Time

Original Post Date: June 20, 2024 === Gospel Matthew 6:7-15 Jesus said to his disciples: “In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. “This is how you are to pray: ‘Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.’ “If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.” Reflection This prayer is a summary of the kingdom of God that Jesus came to establish here on this earth. It’s a kingdom where God is in charge. It's a kingdom where we are fed and nourished, cared for. And it’s a kingdom that gives us power over sin. And what's so clear that is being said, by especially the last part of this passage, is the most important truth in the Kingdom is you have to allow God to forgive you. If you don't allow God to forgive you, it is impossible for you to forgive others their sins. Closing Prayer Father, free us from constantly thinking about how we can earn your attention, your love, your affection. Give us the wisdom to know the value of your unmerited love pouring into us every single day, every hour of every day. We stand forgiven. And when we have that gift, we can establish the Kingdom of God. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]