Finding God In Our Hearts with Msgr. Don Fischer

Msgr. Don Fischer

At a particular time in our evolution, God chose to enter into our world and a story was born. It has been carefully written, proclaimed and pondered. It possesses the power to awaken a knowing that has always been in us…the ability to experience the God who is, and to know a love that exceeds all others. Msgr. Don was ordained a Catholic priest in 1967. His preaching ministry grew beyond his parish work, and in 1987 began a Sunday radio broadcast that ran for 36 years on WRR in Dallas, TX. He has never tired of pondering the story, and admits the God he knew at his ordination, has little in common with the God he has discovered.Pastoral Reflections institute is non-profit located in Dallas, TX dedicated to enriching your spiritual journey.

  1. 20 HR AGO

    PRI Reflections on Scripture | Memorial of Saint Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church

    Gospel  Luke 9:51-56 When the days for Jesus to be taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem, and he sent messengers ahead of him. On the way they entered a Samaritan village to prepare for his reception there, but they would not welcome him because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?" Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they journeyed to another village. Reflection The Old Testament is essential. It is a story that we have to understand. And then Jesus came, God incarnate, and so many things changed. And one of the things you see in the Old Testament is God using violence, destruction to make things clear to people. They understood violence and they understood power. But there's a new form of power in the New Testament. And so when Jesus rebukes James and John, who by the way, had the nickname Sons of Thunder. He said, no, we're not there anymore. We're not using violence to establish my kingdom. But forgiveness. Closing Prayer Father, violence often has at its heart, hate. And everything about your kingdom is not about hate, but about acceptance, about love, about compassion. Help us always to live with the message that came from you, your son Jesus. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    6 min

  2. 1 DAY AGO

    PRI Reflections on Scripture | Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels

    Gospel John 1:47-51 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, "Here is a true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in him." Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree." Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel." Jesus answered and said to him, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this." And he said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” Reflection We all know the miraculous powers that Jesus had to heal, to raise people from the dead. But we may not understand he had the ability to read a heart, to know where people where really coming from. Duplicity is often when you present yourself as someone you're not, when you pretend to be holy when you're not. And what he's saying is that when you have a pure heart, when you really do feel God living there and resonating his truth, you will be in touch with the real power of Jesus. Angels were always the things that brought messages from God, but now God Himself is the messenger and his message is powerful. Closing Prayer Father, help us to accept your judgment of who we are. Open our hearts to let you tell us what we need to change, what we need to get past. We're masters at holding things back, pretending we’re someone we’re not. So bless us with honesty and openness to you. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    6 min
  3. HOMILY • The 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    2 DAYS AGO

    HOMILY • The 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Originally aired on September 29, 2019. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    28 min

  4. 3 DAYS AGO

    PRI Reflection on Scripture | Memorial of Saint Vincent de Paul, Priest

    Gospel Luke 9:43b-45 While they were all amazed at his every deed, Jesus said to his disciples, "Pay attention to what I am telling you. The Son of Man is to be handed over to men." But they did not understand this saying; its meaning was hidden from them so that they should not understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying. Reflection There's a line in Scripture that says Jesus is often the stumbling block. Because people can't fathom the reality of who he really is. And he's revealing to us the doubt in his disciples over and over again. And what I believe it's there for, is so that we can understand that we alone cannot do the work of belief in something as awesome as who Jesus really is God incarnate, God living inside of us. It's something we have to make a decision about one way or the other, and often we don't. We just kind of let it slide and don't really have to ponder the fullness of its meaning. Closing Prayer Father, create in us a space, a place where we can be still and listen to who you really are in our life. You're more than a story, you're more than a promise. You're a person, a power, a presence that we are invited to become. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    6 min

  5. 4 DAYS AGO

    PRI Reflection on Scripture | Friday of the 25th Week in Ordinary Time

    Gospel Luke 9:18-22 Once when Jesus was praying in solitude, and the disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” They said in reply, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’” Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said in reply, “The Christ of God.” He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone. He said, “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.” Reflection What I believe Jesus is trying to make clear is that even though Peter used the right words, he didn't fully understand. It was impossible for any of the disciples to fully grasp who Jesus was and the gift that he returned to the father to send to them. It could only come to them after they received the gifts of Christ’s death on the cross. Then they could know. Then they could see. Closing Prayer Father, words are easy. We can say Jesus is Lord, we can say God is present, but we have to grow into an experience of these things and know how important they are and how powerful they are. To say it is easy, to know it is difficult. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    6 min

  6. 5 DAYS AGO

    PRI Reflection on Scripture | Thursday of the 25th Week in Ordinary Time

    Gospel Luke 9:7-9 Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was greatly perplexed because some were saying, "John has been raised from the dead"; others were saying, "Elijah has appeared"; still others, "One of the ancient prophets has arisen." But Herod said, "John I beheaded. Who then is this about whom I hear such things?" And he kept trying to see him. Reflection Luke is describing in this passage very clearly that there was an expectation of a messiah, but it was nothing like the Messiah that came. It was a messiah that would be just like the other prophets, only perhaps more wise and more knowledge coming back from the dead. But the most important thing for all of us is to recognize no one can really know who the Messiah is and how he works, unless we open our heart to experience it. Closing Prayer Father, we ask your grace in helping us to ponder the words of Scripture. They are filled with such wisdom and open us to so many new experiences. So don't let us let the Messiah become an ordinary voice. It is God's presence, not just a teaching, but a power that he shares. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    6 min

  7. 6 DAYS AGO

    PRI Reflection on Scripture | Wednesday of the 25th Week in Ordinary Time

    Gospel Luke 9:1-6 Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money, and let no one take a second tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there. And as for those who do not welcome you, when you leave that town, shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them.” Then they set out and went from village to village proclaiming the good news and curing diseases everywhere. Reflection It's hard to imagine what that experience must have been like for the twelve. They had seen Jesus do all these works, and now they were experiencing them. They could see and feel something unique if they didn't yet understand the Holy Spirit's indwelling presence, because it hadn't happened, but they were still able to do something extraordinary. And it was so essential to the disciples that they had that experience as the things then continued to evolve. More mysterious, more frightening, then they ever expected. Closing Prayer Father, we need and long for experiences of your spirit flowing through us. Open us to all that you are doing so we can be more attentive to listening to what you ask us to do and following it. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    6 min

  8. 23 SEPT

    PRI Reflection on Scripture | Memorial of Saint Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest

    Gospel  Luke 8:19-21 The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him but were unable to join him because of the crowd. He was told, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and they wish to see you." He said to them in reply, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it." Reflection There are two passages in Scripture that make this particular passage make sense. They both state that the family of Jesus thought he was crazy. The words they use is he was outside of himself. And so it's clear that Jesus is saying here that his work is not to be arguing with people about whether or not he is who he says he is. He's looking for people wide open to the most amazing signs and wonders that he's performing. They are his calling card. They are what makes him so unique. And those in his family, worried probably about their reputation, just was very closed to who he really was. Closing Prayer Father, bless us with an awareness of how easy it is for us to write off this marvelous plan that you have for each of us. It's mysterious, it's miraculous and powerful. So focus us always on what Jesus came to teach. His power flowing through us, doing wonders. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    6 min
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About

At a particular time in our evolution, God chose to enter into our world and a story was born. It has been carefully written, proclaimed and pondered. It possesses the power to awaken a knowing that has always been in us…the ability to experience the God who is, and to know a love that exceeds all others. Msgr. Don was ordained a Catholic priest in 1967. His preaching ministry grew beyond his parish work, and in 1987 began a Sunday radio broadcast that ran for 36 years on WRR in Dallas, TX. He has never tired of pondering the story, and admits the God he knew at his ordination, has little in common with the God he has discovered.Pastoral Reflections institute is non-profit located in Dallas, TX dedicated to enriching your spiritual journey.

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