HOMILY • The 12th Week in Ordinary Time

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]

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

Original Post Date: June 28, 2024 === Gospel Matthew. 8:1-4 When Jesus came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. And then a leper approached, did him homage, and said, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” He stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, “I will do it.  Be made clean.” His leprosy was cleansed immediately. Then Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one, but go show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.” Reflection This story makes clear that if we see Jesus as who he says he is, if we believe that he can do what he promises to do, we will receive that gift. That's the promise. Closing Prayer Father, it's hard for us to believe in your love for us, especially in our sinfulness and our disease. But give us that faith that this leper had, that knows that your desire is not to ever condemn us, but only to heal and free 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 | Thursday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time

Original Post Date: June 27, 2024 === Gospel Matthew 7:21-29 Jesus said to his disciples: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’ Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’ “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.” When Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes. Reflection Jesus knew the background of his disciples, and they were prone to, as the temple seemed to be filled with images of human beings that were doing what was right, but not becoming who God wanted them to be. They lacked authenticity. And what Jesus is trying to say to his disciples is, when I ask you to do something, I'm really not just saying do it. I'm saying, let me enter into you and do it through you. That's our authenticity. That's our strength. God being the source of the power that we have to heal and change people's lives. Closing Prayer Father, over and over again, you show us signs of your desire to share your power, your wisdom, your strength with us. It is not that we can learn what you know, as much as we can be who you are through your indwelling presence. Bless us with the confidence that comes not from ourselves, but from you. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]