HOMILY • The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

PRI Reflections on Scripture | Monday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time

Original Post Date: June 17, 2024 === Gospel Matthew 5:38-42 Jesus said to his disciples: "You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one to him as well. If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.” Reflection The transition between the Old and New Testament is very clear here. In the Old Testament, because of the condition of human beings, the most that they were asked to do was to be fair. If someone hurt you, you could hurt them back. If someone took something from you, you could take something back from them. But here Jesus begins to reveal the new kingdom, the kingdom of God. It is based not in justice, but in service. In love. And what he's simply asking you to do is consider first the needs of someone else before you consider your own. Closing Prayer Father, when we seek to be more generous, we need to realize how you have promised your spirit dwelling within us. We cannot be who God wants us to be without God living within us, loving through us, those that are in need. Bless us with this conviction and this understanding of the Kingdom. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

HOMILY • The 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Original Airdate: June 18, 2023 Exodus 19:2-6a | Romans 5:6-11 | Matthew 9:36—10:8 Opening Prayer: Oh God, strength of those who hope in you, graciously hear our pleas, and since without you mortal frailty can do nothing, grant us always the help of your grace that, in following your commands, we may please you by our resolve and our deeds.  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, help us to remember always that your plan for us is not so much that we grow in a personal perfection but rather we enter more fully into the participation of you saving the world.  Bless us with this hope.  Bless us with this kind of sense that there is meaning in all that we do, 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 10th Week in Ordinary Time

Original Post Date: June 15, 2024 === Gospel Matthew 5:33-37 Jesus said to his disciples: "You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, Do not take a false oath, but make good to the Lord all that you vow. But I say to you, do not swear at all; not by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by the earth, for it is his footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Do not swear by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. Let your 'Yes' mean 'Yes,' and your 'No' mean 'No.' Anything more is from the Evil One.” Reflection Once again, Jesus makes it clear that we are not regulated by rules and regulations. We're simply regulated by a spirit within us. And the spirit is the spirit of truth. He's just saying, whenever you say yes to someone, you make a promise. Keep it, mean it, and make clear that your intention is honest. It's not something that you will follow through on because you have to, but because you want to. Closing Prayer Father, the authenticity that you create for us, through your spirit dwelling within us is such a great gift. Help us to be aware of it. Help us to turn to it as we struggle with our own human nature, so that we can become more and more engaged in the divine nature that 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 | Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

Original Post Date: June 16, 2023 === Gospel Matthew 11:25-30 At that time Jesus exclaimed: "I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to little ones. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him. "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” Reflection There will always be difficulty, strife, separation, anger, resentment in the world. And yet we know that there is a work that is being accomplished by God. It's the heart of His message. I've come into the world to save and to heal and to bring life. So there's a moment you should take, and I should take it always, in the midst of whatever struggle we're in, to take a moment to remember that. To rest in a promise. Even though what is the goal of our work has not yet been accomplished. Closing Prayer Father, give us the discipline that we need to stop whatever is going on in our life and spend a moment with you in meditation, reflection. And experience a calm that is so essential so that we can go on with the work in a spirit of hope and trust. 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 10th Week in Ordinary Time

Original Post Date: June 13, 2024 === Gospel Matthew 5:20-26 Jesus said to his disciples: "I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven. "You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, Raqa, will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, 'You fool,' will be liable to fiery Gehenna. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.” Reflection The Pharisees were noted for following the letter of the law, but their hearts were not where God wanted them to be. What this passage is pointing out, is that we are called to always look deeply into who we are in relationship to those around us. Do we judge them? Do we criticize them? Do we call them stupid or foolish? It may not seem like such an important thing, but when you look at it, what it reveals is that we do what we're told, but we aren't becoming what we're called to be. We are called together to come to an altar and to invite God to enter into us, and to be a source of love and forgiveness. Closing Prayer Father, reveal to us how we treat each other. Make us more sensitive to our comments and our criticisms, so we can be aware of how easy it is to fall into a trap of a kind of righteousness about people who aren't what they're supposed to be. Make us loving, forgiving human beings. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]