Finding God In Our Hearts with Msgr. Don Fischer

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Gospel Matthew 5:43-48 Jesus said to his disciples: "You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers and sisters only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Reflection It's amazing to me how this call on the part of Jesus to all of us to understand that love is what this kingdom is all about. How clearly it is that we just don't seem to grasp the fullness of this. It's not unusual for people in positions of authority within the church to judge and condemn people for an action they might perform. And yet it’s clear that the job that we have is to love those who fail, those who are evil, knowing that that is a powerful healing element in this whole process of living in the Kingdom. To love someone is to give them an energy, a grace, the presence of God, to help heal them of whatever evil they have done. Closing Prayer Father, give us a keen awareness of where judgment flares up inside of us, when we see someone or hear something that someone has done. Train us to realize that the only obligation we have is not so much to change people, but to love them and believe that loving them is the greatest power to change them. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. 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 Jesus had such a hard time with the judgment against him from the scribes and the Pharisees, and he’s warning his disciples that they should not ever fall into the trap of judgment against someone. It's like he's saying, you have to understand that the kingdom of God is about a flow of energy that goes between God in Jesus, to other people, and when that is not a loving, forgiving, nurturing presence, the kingdom cannot happen. So whether you've offended someone or someone has offended you, whatever is causing division among you before you can truly be a worshiper of God, you need to make peace with everyone. Closing Prayer Father, one might say that forgiveness is one of the major teachings that we have coming from the lips of Jesus. It is the mark of whether or not we are in the kingdom of God. Bless us with awareness of that and motivate us, perhaps by the very selfish notion that we would want to be treated better. Why do we treat someone in a way that is less than we would want? It's one of the key teachings of the kingdom and we need to follow it. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gospel Matthew 7:7-12 Jesus said to his disciples: "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asked for a loaf of bread, or a snake when he asked for a fish? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him. "Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the law and the prophets.” Reflection The Kingdom of God is our work here on this planet. We are here to participate in its becoming. And it doesn't just come to people. There's something within us that longs to understand it. So it's a beautiful way that Jesus is talking about how we participate in the Kingdom. We need to ask for wisdom. We need to seek answers. We need to ponder questions. And most especially when we do this, the promise is that we will knock on the door of the kingdom and we will be allowed in. Closing Prayer Father, you make it clear that the kingdom is something that is experienced, both now and forever. And as we participate in its being founded on this earth, we are reminded that there's a simple rule that you could use, and that simply do to other people what you would like them to do to you. It's so simple, but yet so powerful. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gospel Luke 11:29-32 While still more people gathered in the crowd, Jesus said to them, "This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. At the judgment the queen of the south will rise with the men of this generation and she will condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and there is something greater than Solomon here. At the judgment the men of Nineveh will arise with this generation and condemn it, because at the preaching of Jonah they repented, and there is something greater than Jonah here." Reflection Jesus talks about the kingdom of God and what it means to believe in it. What is this sign that we're looking for? It's so interesting that Jesus, when he looks at the generation around him that's always asking for signs, he points out what the core sign truly is, the sign of Jonah. And what does that mean? It means that Jonah was swallowed by a whale, three days he was in the stomach of the whale, and then he was released. He lived. That image is the image of what Jesus has come into the world to establish. The end of evil's power, to destroy. And basically, what we see in Jesus is his own death, he gives in to evil. Everyone thinks there again, evil has done something awful and destroyed the good it was in Jesus. And what we need to realize, no he rose three days later. He destroys the death that evil could cause before our redemption. Closing Prayer It's so easy to fall into the trap of thinking that things are going in the wrong direction. That is evil is winning. Nothing is further from the truth. Evil, when it's exposed, is vulnerable. And the vulnerability that is there is the realization, in the believer's, that they know that evil has been destroyed and there is no fear of evil. Only hope and trust in the mystery of the sign of Jonah. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 men their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.” Reflection Jesus has the Pharisees and scribes in mind when he says, don't babble on like pagans. In a way, they were kind of pagans. But here's what he's beautifully describing. The thing you need to pray for, the words that I will give you to pray, are absolutely essential issues that you need to embrace. First of all, you need to recognize my father in heaven. He is holy, and he's here to help us to establish the Kingdom of God, and it will be done. It'll be one earth in heaven, a new heaven, a new earth. And then he simply says, Ask God. Realize that God longs to feed you, to forgive you, and to protect you from evil. It's such a beautiful, succinct way of focusing on what the kingdom is all about. Receiving the love of a father incarnated in a human being. Longing for us to achieve the goal. Closing Prayer Father, the simplicity, the economy of words in this beautiful prayer, is so like you to make it all, in a way, simple. To know that you will take care of us. Feed us. Nurture us. Protect us. Forgive us. It's the essence of what you do for us, but most especially, what we need to do for ourselves and for others. If we live this prayer, we will live already in the kingdom. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gospel Matthew 25:31-46 Jesus said to his disciples: "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous will answer him and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?' And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.' Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.' Then they will answer and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?' He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.' And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” Reflection The meaning is clear that we need, if we wish to enter the kingdom of God, to care for one another. But the depth of this passage is really much more than that. It is saying that the things we do to each other, we do to God. When you think about that, it radically changes our relationship with each other because we realize how could we possibly worship God when we're angry at, or want to destroy someone? Everything is interconnected. When we love each other, we're loving God. When we hate each other, we are hating God. It's a terrifying thought in one sense, but it's also such a strong motive, such a clear image of how it is that God wants us to love him. He doesn't need our love. He needs us to love one another. Closing Prayer Father, open us to this mystery of interconnectedness. Everything is one. What we do to our brothers and sisters, we do it ourselves. What we do to our brothers and sisters, we also do to God. It's all one. It's all connected. Open our eyes to see and feel this great mystery. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Gospel Luke 5:27-32 Jesus saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the customs post. He said to him, "Follow me." And leaving everything behind, he got up and followed him. Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were at table with them. The Pharisees and their scribes complained to his disciples, saying, "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" Jesus said to them in reply, "Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners.” Reflection This story is a beautiful story about the clarity of who Jesus was compared to the leaders of the temple. They saw evil as something that should be avoided at all times. You don't get near it, you don't get around it. And that would make you holier. And it’s so interesting that they didn't seem to care for those who were in the pain of sin, and Jesus comes to turn that upside down. The Pharisees and scribes were not to be models of perfection, but they were to be healers. And Jesus pointed this out so clearly when he simply reminds them that the God who created them, the God who is, came into the world as a healer, not an example of perfection. Closing Prayer Father, we know that evil is a powerful force. But you've taught us that you are so much more powerful. And when you are within us, when we are counting on your strength, not our own, to overcome evil, we will always succeed. So bless us with this confidence. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gospel Matthew 9:14-15 The disciples of John approached Jesus and said, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, but your disciples do not fast?" Jesus answered them, "Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast." Reflection Fasting in the time of Jesus was not just not eating food. It was about deep reflection, most especially about repentance. Wanting to change, struggling to change. What Jesus is pointing out, that when you have the source of forgiveness living with you, when you have this source of truth living with you, there's no reason to go off by yourself and to ponder and to wonder and to ask when he is right there in your midst. It's a beautiful image of what the Old Testament is versus the New Testament. The Old Testament longs for a Savior. The New Testament announces his presence. Closing Prayer Father, during this season, help us to recognize the reality of your presence in our hearts. That when we go there and converse with you, we are truly engaged in the most important work, particularly the work of this season. Bless us with an awareness of your presence. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gospel Luke 9:22-25 Jesus said to his disciples: "The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised." Then he said to all, "If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself?” Reflection Jesus had to die in order to bring life into the world. It's the great paradox. Why would we he be asked to die in order to live? If it wasn't for the fact that there is such a radical change when Jesus came into the world to explain how and why we are here. It is a cry for authenticity. It is the need to be honest about who we are to ourselves and to one another. The less authenticity there is, the less grace that abounds. Closing Prayer Father, your will is that the kingdom be established here on this earth. And it cannot grow. It cannot become what you long for it to become, without our honest reflections on who we are and why we're here. Bless us, especially during this Lenten season, to ponder these mysteries and to grow in our authenticity. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gospel Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 Jesus said to his disciples: "Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. ”When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. "When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.” Reflection What strikes me in this list of things that we should do, is the image of prayer. When you pray, you go to the inner room. Where is that inner room? What is it? And it seems so clear to me, it's our heart where God dwells. We are taught to go to that inner place, and to spend time with God, and to seek his advice and his direction, it’s called our conscience. And it's such a gift, such a treasure. And during this season of lent, it seems like nothing would be better than to spend more and more time with God in our hearts and listen. Listen to how he wants us to grow and change. That's his will. That's why he is present. Closing Prayer Father, you make yourself so available to us. Dwelling in our hearts. Resonating love and healing. Bless us with this recognition. Help us never to lose the beauty of your relationship with us as we continue to work for your kingdom. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices