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. 13h ago

    PRI Reflections on Scripture | The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed
(All Souls)

    Original Postdate: 11-2–2024 === Gospel John 6:37-40 Jesus said to the crowds: “Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me, because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.” Reflection This passage flies in the face of all the ways in which we might believe or think that salvation is something that we accomplish, that we earn by doing something. God has chosen to save everyone who turns to him and believes in him. It's not something that we need to worry about. Whether or not we are good enough. It's not about performance. It's about a presence that is connected to God, believing in everything he teaches. But most especially that we will be with him one day, forever in heaven. Closing Prayer Heavenly father, so often I hear people worried about whether or not they're good enough to make it to heaven, whether they've earned your love or earned your respect. But the real question is not whether or not we are good enough to receive this place of greatness with God, but the question is whether or not God can do what he promises, that he can save us. No matter how far we've drifted from him, he is the source of salvation. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  2. 2d ago

    PRI Reflections on Scripture | Saturday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time

    Original Postdate: 11-4-2023 ===Gospel Luke 14:1, 7-11 On a sabbath Jesus went to dineat the home of one of the leading Pharisees,and the people there were observing him carefully. He told a parable to those who had been invited,noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table.“When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet,do not recline at table in the place of honor.A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him,and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say,‘Give your place to this man,’and then you would proceed with embarrassmentto take the lowest place.Rather, when you are invited, go and take the lowest placeso that when the host comes to you he may say,‘My friend, move up to a higher position.’Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table.For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” Reflection This unusual passage is Jesus giving advice so the Pharisees can be, in a sense, more esteemed. He plays on the reality that these men were living for esteem. They had to be seen as someone important, someone more important than others. And so He gives this simple advice that will help them not lose that esteem. And what He’s really trying to do is to say to them, pay attention to who you are, what motivates you? It's a great question. What does motivate our hearts, and our minds, and our will? What is it that we're trying to accomplish? Is it about me and my importance, or is about others and their value? Closing Prayer Father, our human nature is something that you've given to us, and in that nature we see things that we're drawn to that are not fully in sync with your kingdom, and we know that we should change and it's very difficult. So bless us with the grace, the power to see ourselves clearly and to choose a way of life that will bring something wonderful to us and to those around us. Help us to build your kingdom. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  3. 3d ago

    PRI Reflections on Scripture | Friday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time

    Original Postdate: 11-3-2023 === GospelLuke 14:1-6 On a sabbath Jesus went to dineat the home of one of the leading Pharisees,and the people there were observing him carefully.In front of him there was a man suffering from dropsy.Jesus spoke to the scholars of the law and Pharisees in reply, asking,“Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath or not?”But they kept silent; so he took the man and,after he had healed him, dismissed him.Then he said to them   “Who among you, if your son or ox falls into a cistern,would not immediately pull him out on the sabbath day?”  But they were unable to answer his question. Reflection It's clear to see that Jesus was the healer and the temple was the obstacle to God being able to give to His people all that they needed to fill their life with the kingdom of God. And so in this story we see Jesus again challenging the Pharisees with the idea of a Sabbath being the day that you are most in contact with God, that that contact with God empowered you to heal any day of the week. And so we need to listen carefully to this complaint, this obstacle, this difficulty that is a shadow of all religions, and that is it tends to make us look first at what we have to do for God rather than what God does for us. Closing Prayer Father, give us wisdom that we will always be able to get to the heart of what you're calling us to be. We're not simply people who are told to follow regulations and rules, but people who are called to be like Your son filled with your spirit, and that spirit is healing and powerful and needed desperately in the world today. So bless us with our role of being those who heal instead of those who control. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  4. 4d ago

    PRI Reflections on Scripture | Thursday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time

    Original Postdate: 10-31-24 ===Gospel Luke 13:31-35 Some Pharisees came to Jesus and said,“Go away, leave this area because Herod wants to kill you.”He replied, “Go and tell that fox,‘Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow,and on the third day I accomplish my purpose.Yet I must continue on my way today, tomorrow, and the following day,for it is impossible that a prophet should dieoutside of Jerusalem.’ “Jerusalem, Jerusalem,you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you,how many times I yearned to gather your children togetheras a hen gathers her brood under her wings,but you were unwilling!Behold, your house will be abandoned.But I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say,Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” Reflection The Pharisees come to warn Jesus that the work he is engaged in might be destroyed by Herod. But Jesus makes clear that his work is being accomplished. The purpose he came for will be accomplished. But then he reminds the Pharisees of their greatest weakness, their greatest sin. How many times they had rejected the work of God, trying to open their hearts to his love and his care. This is the greatest sin of the Pharisees, because it kept them always from the kingdom of God. Closing Prayer Father, always, it's clear that your greatest gift to us is something that we have to not work for, but have to receive generously. Allow the work that he has done for us to take root in us, that we can build his kingdom. Keep us free from the pride. Keep us free from this sin of the Pharisees, who simply would not allow God to be God. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  5. 5d ago

    PRI Reflections on Scripture | Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles

    Original Postdate: 10-28-2024 ===Gospel Luke 6:12-16 Jesus went up to the mountain to pray,and he spent the night in prayer to God.When day came, he called his disciples to himself,and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles:Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew,James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew,Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus,Simon who was called a Zealot,and Judas the son of James,and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.   Reflection There's a mystery that surrounds the divinity of God. There's a mystery that surrounds the identity of Jesus. Is he a man or is he God? Well, we know he's both. So what we see in so many situations, he is the model of who we are to be, we’re to be like him. And the beautiful image here is that whenever he has a decision to make, he turns to God, turns to the father. It's like God is praying to God, and the point is well taken, because it means that we should always be focused on turning to God first. What is it I need to do? Help me to see what is really important.   Closing Prayer Father, you know everything, yet you still invite us to turn to you over and over again, and seek your guidance. Seek your direction. Help us never to feel that we can do this work alone. It's our greatest weakness. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  6. 6d ago

    PRI Reflections on Scripture | Tuesday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time

    Original Postdate: 10-29-2024 ===Gospel Luke 13:18-21 Jesus said, “What is the Kingdom of God like?To what can I compare it?It is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in the garden.When it was fully grown, it became a large bushand the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches.” Again he said, “To what shall I compare the Kingdom of God?It is like yeast that a woman tookand mixed in with three measures of wheat flouruntil the whole batch of dough was leavened.” Reflection Jesus came to establish the kingdom of God. But what is it like? And it's clear in this passage that what Jesus said, it's very organic. It's very natural. It begins small and continues to grow and enlarge and become more real. That's the challenge, each of us to take our part seriously, in how we evolve more toward this kingdom of God. Each of us have our part. Each of our gifts moves the kingdom closer and closer to fulfillment. Closing Prayer Father, it's easy for us to not to feel that we're that important, or that we don't matter that much, but we do. Every one of us, as we continue to grow toward the kingdom, are lifting each other up. And the kingdom becomes more and more a reality. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  7. Oct 26

    PRI Reflections on Scripture | Monday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time

    Original Postdate: 10-30-2023 ===Gospel Luke 13:10-17 Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the sabbath.And a woman was there who for eighteen yearshad been crippled by a spirit;she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect.When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said,“Woman, you are set free of your infirmity.”He laid his hands on her,and she at once stood up straight and glorified God.But the leader of the synagogue,indignant that Jesus had cured on the sabbath,said to the crowd in reply,“There are six days when work should be done.Come on those days to be cured, not on the sabbath day.”The Lord said to him in reply, “Hypocrites!Does not each one of you on the sabbathuntie his ox or his ass from the mangerand lead it out for watering?This daughter of Abraham,whom Satan has bound for eighteen years now,ought she not to have been set free on the sabbath dayfrom this bondage?”When he said this, all his adversaries were humiliated;and the whole crowd rejoiced at all the splendid deeds done by him.   Reflection In this story, we have a dramatic example of the change, that presence of God in a human being made. The temple, which was focused on the law and controlling people's behavior, was burdening people. And the woman in this story is a perfect example of why the temple had to be destroyed. It was just a burden to people. And when Jesus replaced it with His love, with His power to heal, with His desire for people to be treated in a way that they deserved, is was so welcomed by the crowd. It is also welcomed in our hearts when we know that the reason that God created us in this world is to get us to a place where we trust in Him to be everything we need and to be following Him through His spirit, living in us, and not through laws and regulations. Closing Prayer Father, the wisdom that you have given us by your ministry, by your presence in the world is such a treasure. Open our hearts to receive it. Help us to see the distinction between the old way and the new way. From the burden to a gift, from darkness to light. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  8. Oct 25

    HOMILY • The 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

    Original Airdate: October 25, 2020 Exodus 22:20-26 | 1 Thessalonians 1:5C-10 | Matthew 22:34-40 Opening Prayer Almighty, everliving God, increase our faith, hope and charity, and make us love what you command so that we may merit what you promise.  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 gift is our heart, the part of us that is made for love and understanding and compassion and communion, union, oneness, surrender to what is, learning, growing.You put your heart in our hearts. Help us to be connected to that great source so that we know that the work you ask us to do is not based on our power but on your power in us. We can love like you love.It’s our inheritance, so bless us with an awareness of its effectiveness — loves effectiveness and the power you give us to do it.And we ask this in Jesus’ name, amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See All (1.4K)

Trailer

4.8
out of 5
150 Ratings

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.

Information

You Might Also Like