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

PRI Reflections on Scripture | Thursday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time

Original Post Date: July 11, 2024 === Gospel Matthew 10:7-15 Jesus said to his Apostles: “As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give. Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick. The laborer deserves his keep. Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it, and stay there until you leave. As you enter a house, wish it peace. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; if not, let your peace return to you. Whoever will not receive you or listen to your words— go outside that house or town and shake the dust from your feet. Amen, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.” Reflection Jesus, in his wisdom, makes sure that the disciples who are going out with this power within them are not getting caught up in their egos with it, saying, I'm going to go give this, and I'm going to see these people receive it, and it's going to be because I was able to do it. No, it's not about them doing it successfully. It's about them doing it generously. And if it's not accepted, they're not to fear or feel they've failed, but simply to move on and keep offering this to anyone whose heart is open. Closing Prayer Father, it is difficult for us to be a source of goodness without taking credit for it ourselves. Bless us with a selfless attitude as we go about sharing a gift that has only been given to us to be given freely to one another. 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 | Wednesday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time

Original Post Date: July 10, 2024 === Gospel Matthew 10:1-7 Jesus summoned his Twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness. The names of the Twelve Apostles are these: first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus; Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus. Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus, “Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” Reflection We see in the action of Jesus in this passage the seed of establishing the new Kingdom of God. It’s a kingdom that is made up of people who are open and receptive to a power that is not from them, but comes from God to them. And when they use it, they bring life and light to those that are in darkness. It's a beautiful image of the church. And what Jesus wants this to take root in is the temple. So he’s encouraging these disciples to teach this new message by bringing it to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Closing Prayer Father, we need to appreciate the gift that God is inviting us to participate in. The possibility that his love dwelling within us can heal and help those in need around us. What a gift that is. What an important thing to remember. We, all of us, have a common call to bring life and mercy to everyone around 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 | Tuesday of the 14th Week of Ordinary Time

Original Post Date: July 9, 2024 === Gospel  Matthew 9:32-38 A demoniac who could not speak was brought to Jesus, and when the demon was driven out the mute man spoke. The crowds were amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.” But the Pharisees said, “He drives out demons by the prince of demons.” Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” Reflection The Pharisees took almost no time to deal with what Jesus was really saying, and just wrote him off as a demon. But the beauty of who Jesus is in this passage is so important, because it's revealing the God whose heart is filled with compassion and understanding and a desire to free us from pain and suffering. That God had been hidden by the Pharisees and now revealed by Jesus himself. He looked at these people and saw them troubled and abandoned, and his heart was moved with love for them, and desired so deeply to change them. And all he's saying is, the father longs for people like me, like the Christ, to continue the work that I'm establishing and he wants these people to be able to do the work of dealing with people's struggles, their sense of abandonment and shame. When each of us does that, we are creating the kingdom of God. Closing Prayer Father, we often don't realize the power we have through our intention. We're quick to judge, quick to criticize, quick to not understand someone's pain. Bless us with this gift of mercy that is the inheritance that we have your death and resurrection. Make us merciful friends and kind to people that know and understand and feel the suffering of our brothers and sisters. 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 14th Week in Ordinary Time

Original Post Date: July 8, 2024 === Gospel Matthew 9:18-26 While Jesus was speaking, an official came forward, knelt down before him, and said, “My daughter has just died. But come, lay your hand on her, and she will live.” Jesus rose and followed him, and so did his disciples. A woman suffering hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the tassel on his cloak. She said to herself, “If only I can touch his cloak, I shall be cured.” Jesus turned around and saw her, and said, “Courage, daughter! Your faith has saved you.” And from that hour the woman was cured. When Jesus arrived at the official’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd who were making a commotion, he said, “Go away! The girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they ridiculed him. When the crowd was put out, he came and took her by the hand, and the little girl arose. And news of this spread throughout all that land. Reflection We see in this gospel the reaction that people have to who God is in Jesus Christ, who he is in us. Radically different than the Old Testament, God in the form of Jesus comes into the world to work individually, personally, with each one of us and longs for us to go through a process much more complicated than following rules and regulations flowing from the temple. But engaging in the work of being transformed into who we have been created to be. We see two reactions to this gift of God in Christ. The woman who is absolutely convinced that he is who he says he is, and he's promised healing to her, and she just needs to touch him, and she's healed. And then there's those who resist, those who are mourning the death of someone. When Jesus comes, they are told he's there to heal, to transform, to bring somebody out of a place of death. They mock him and make fun of him. It sets the tone for the way in which the gospel will find root in the people of God. Closing Prayer Father, it's difficult for us to embrace the fullness of the way in which the New Testament teaches, you will be working in us, with us, for us, and giving us everything that we need. And that is in the form of healing those weaknesses that we've inherited. And we need that gift, keep us strong in our faith and trust that it is never earned, but only generously shared through your love for us. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

HOMILY • The 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Original Airdate: July 9, 2023 Zechariah 9:9-10 | Romans 8:9, 11-13 | Matthew 11:25-30 Opening Prayer: Oh God, who in the abasement of your Son have raised up a fallen world, fill your faithful with holy joy, for on those you have rescued from slavery to sin, you bestow eternal gladness.  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, your love is beyond our imagining, your presence so intimate, so close to us.  Bless us with all abandonment to ways in which we’ve imagined the world to be and openness to the way it truly is, and we ask this in Jesus’ name, amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]