Finding God In Our Hearts with Msgr. Don Fischer Msgr. Don Fischer

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 others to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.”
Reflection We tend to judge ourselves and others by our actions, and certainly the temple was a place that had many, many rules and regulations demanded people do them. And when people did, then they witnessed their conviction, their faith in God. But the thing that is lacking in that is any kind of real intimacy with God. It's not our actions that he's worried about.
It's about whether we know him and whether he's able to reveal who he really is to us. And I think that’s said so beautifully in this passage, when more important than the money you give away or more important than the fasting you do, what really you need to do is go into your heart, your inner room, where God lives and dwells, and there pray. And we forget that prayer is as much listening as it is talking.
Closing Prayer Father, it's clear the more you read the scriptures, the more you understand that you are always looking for intimacy. Not our actions, but our heart, not our will in our mind, but our heart. What is it that you ask us most especially to do? It's to love. But what God is trying to say is, unless you know the love I have for you, you cannot be the lover the gospel calls you to be. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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 only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Reflection Anyone that seeks to be perfect is up against something that's too much, too hard, too difficult. But Jesus isn't telling his disciples that they have to do this, but they have to allow God to do this through them. When you are loved as God loves you, when you are treated with great generosity by God, when you see him giving you every single thing you need.
It's easy then to understand that that's what human beings need. That's what they long for. To be cared for, to be loved, to be seen as important.
Closing Prayer When we face our human nature and it shows us reasons why we should not be as loving as God calls us to be. It's exactly then, when we don't look at ourselves and judge ourselves as unable to do it, but we look to God who is able to do it and invite him to dwell within us. It's only then that we can achieve the perfection of a community of love, and we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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.

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.

Gospel Matthew 5:27-32
Jesus said to his disciples: "You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna.
"It was also said, Whoever divorces his wife must give her a bill of divorce. But I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) causes her to commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”
Reflection What is clear in this passage, and the one we had yesterday, is how Jesus taking us from simple laws, to what is at the heart of them, the intention that he wants us to have. And in this case, he's talking about the power and the importance of being committed, making a promise and keeping it.
And that the penalty is so violent that it makes sense that he's just saying, to be a whole person, to be who I want you to be, one thing I ask of you, keep your promises. Be who you are intended to be and who you present yourself to be.
Closing Prayer Father, you continually open our eyes and move us from rules and regulations into a disposition of heart. And you are the only one that can give us the fidelity that we need, the honesty we need. Bless us with these gifts and we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.