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. 21H AGO

    PRI Reflections on Scripture | Memorial of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, Virgin

    Gospel Luke 17:20-25 Asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come, Jesus said in reply, "The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed, and no one will announce, 'Look, here it is,' or, 'There it is.' For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you." Then he said to his disciples, "The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. There will be those who will say to you, 'Look, there he is,' or 'Look, here he is.' Do not go off, do not run in pursuit. For just as lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. But first he must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation.” Reflection If you would summarize the work of Jesus you would say, in one sense, he came to establish the kingdom of God. What is it? How do we understand it? Well, it's not something that we can look at as if it's a thing, a place or a particular moment. It is something that’s among us, among us. Interesting. It's God's presence with us, that's the kingdom of God. And slowly, methodically, patiently, he reveals more and more of who he is and who we are with him, in him. And it comes in a unique way. It comes in flashes of understanding. We call it moments of a growth in consciousness, an awareness of something that we never saw before. One after another, those flashes of insight continue to move us into the truth of who we are and how God is longing for us to be with him in the kingdom that we will all participate in creating insight after insight. Closing Prayer Father, we ask that you would bless us with the ability not only to know how the Kingdom is working, but to feel our important role in participating in it. It is something we share with all of creation. Bless us with that constant awareness of the movement, the growth, the evolution that we are destined to have as we live on this earth. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    7 min

  2. 1D AGO

    PRI Reflections on Scripture | Memorial of Saint Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr

    Gospel Luke 17:11-19 As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee. As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, saying, "Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!" And when he saw them, he said, "Go show yourselves to the priests." As they were going they were cleansed. And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. Jesus said in reply, "Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?" Then he said to him, "Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.” Reflection Whenever this is read, people wonder why did the other nine not thank Jesus? It’s because they were like so many of us, that when God enters into our life and does something wonderful for us, we sometimes don't focus so much on who was the source of our healing, our transformation and just go on thinking that we're doing much better. We're growing, we're changing, we're healing. Nothing is more important than recognizing the ways in which God continues to heal us and draw us into his kingdom by slowly, one miracle after another miracle after another miracle. A transforming love is what God offers us. And when that transformation happens, we often think it's our own doing. We need to focus on the source and give him praise and thanks for who he is. A God who saves. Closing Prayer Father, increase our awareness of your flow of grace that comes to us over and over again. Help us to live in a disposition of gratitude, knowing that as we make progress, as we grow in our fullness or consciousness, as we grow and change, let us give the credit to the one who is the source of all healing, of all transformation. God within us, the Holy Spirit's power filling us. We ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    7 min

  3. 2D AGO

    PRI Reflections on Scripture | Memorial of Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop

    Gospel  Luke 17:7-10 Jesus said to the Apostles: "Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, 'Come here immediately and take your place at table'? Would he not rather say to him, 'Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink when I am finished'? Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded? So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.’" Reflection In this gospel, Jesus continues to reveal to his disciples things that are not in their frame of reference. But Jesus makes it clear that the role that we are given in this world is the role of service. Not being served. The religious people at the time of the disciples were notorious for wanting to be served and not serving. And so Jesus is making it clear, humility is what he wants from us. He wants us to recognize there is nothing greater than being called to serve, and then to carry through with service. It is the greatest role that we have, and it has great dignity and value. Closing Prayer Father, free us from our ego that often looks to make ourselves more than we really are. Give us the humility to simply be a loving, caring, forgiving human being. This is what the Kingdom needs in order to grow, to become, and to come to fulfillment. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    6 min

  4. 3D AGO

    PRI Reflections on Scripture | Memorial of Saint Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church

    Gospel Luke 17:1-6 Jesus said to his disciples, "Things that cause sin will inevitably occur, but woe to the one through whom they occur. It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he wrongs you seven times in one day and returns to you seven times saying, 'I am sorry,' you should forgive him." And the Apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith." The Lord replied, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you.” Reflection It's important to remember that Jesus’ disciples had not yet experienced the overflow of the Holy Spirit descending upon them, as it did on Pentecost. So they were always a little confused, out of sync with the teaching of Jesus. And this case, we see something that was so basic to the change from Old to New Testament, from justice to mercy, that Jesus always stressed the importance of forgiving and forgiving and forgiving again. But it was really hard for the disciples to understand this. And so as soon as he says it, they say, well, increase our ability to accept this, to have faith in this, because it doesn't make any sense. And then he says the most important thing, It’s not for you to figure this out right now. What is important is you know that this is the core of my teaching, and you will one day have the faith that you need to believe that I can be the source of all forgiveness flowing through you as I forgive you. Closing Prayer Father, keep us always in touch with the beauty and the compassion that is in a forgiving heart. Who are we to judge? Who are we to condemn? Bless us with mercy, a forgiving heart, as we continue to build the kingdom of God. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    7 min
  5. HOMILY • Dedication of the Lateran Basilica

    4D AGO

    HOMILY • Dedication of the Lateran Basilica

    Originally aired on November 9, 2014. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    27 min

  6. 5D AGO

    PRI Reflections on Scripture | Saturday of the 31st Week in Ordinary Time

    Gospel Luke 16:9-15 Jesus said to his disciples: “I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones. If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours? No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all these things and sneered at him. And he said to them, “You justify yourselves in the sight of others, but God knows your hearts; for what is of human esteem is an abomination in the sight of God.” Reflection When you continue to listen to Jesus’ conversation with the Pharisees, you get a really clear idea of what is the poison of a thing called hypocrisy. To give yourself an image that allows you to believe the image, when other people respond to it positively, is the great addiction of those who were caught in this illusion of who they really are. So, father, we ask that you would please open our hearts to who we really are. Help us to see our motives. Pay attention to the little things we do, because that will be a good indication you're teaching us, so that we will look at the bigger picture, how we are handling you and your message in our life. Closing Prayer Father, help us to pay attention to who we are, how we're dealing with ourselves and others. We don't often see the things that are somehow part of the routine, the way we deal with things. And we may be making terrible mistakes when it comes to the bigger issues. Bless us with that awareness. It's a gift to be conscious and to know and to see and to be able to change. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    7 min

  7. 6D AGO

    PRI Reflections on Scripture | Friday of the 31st Week in Ordinary Time

    Gospel Luke 16:1-8 Jesus said to his disciples, “A rich man had a steward who was reported to him for squandering his property. He summoned him and said, ‘What is this I hear about you? Prepare a full account of your stewardship, because you can no longer be my steward.’ The steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do, now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me? I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg. I know what I shall do so that, when I am removed from the stewardship, they may welcome me into their homes.’ He called in his master’s debtors one by one. To the first he said, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He replied, ‘One hundred measures of olive oil.’ He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note. Sit down and quickly write one for fifty.’ Then to another he said, ‘And you, how much do you owe?’ He replied, ‘One hundred measures of wheat.’   He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note; write one for eighty.’ And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently. For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than the children of light.” Reflection It seems almost selfish to say we should be thinking about what is best for us. What do we really want? What do we really need? But what Jesus trying to do is to make clear that there is a thing in human beings that is wise enough to know, I must take care of myself. And Jesus is offering the very thing we need most to care for ourselves, and that is life with him forever. He’s honoring the man who takes care of himself and he’s warning us that when we don't pay attention to the gifts that God longs to share with us, we are doing something very foolish. We're going to find ourselves in a place where we will not be able to survive. Closing Prayer Father, you continue to long for an intimate relationship with us where you can discuss things with us. We can ask you questions about our choices. You will always lead us to a place of abundance and fullness. Let us always follow you. Trust in you and do all that you call us to do. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    7 min

  8. NOV 6

    PRI Reflections on Scripture | Thursday of the 31st Week in Ordinary Time

    Gospel Luke 15:1-10 The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." So Jesus addressed this parable to them. "What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, 'Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance. "Or what woman having ten coins and losing one would not light a lamp and sweep the house, searching carefully until she finds it? And when she does find it, she calls together her friends and neighbors and says to them, 'Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that I lost.' In just the same way, I tell you, there will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents." Reflection I love when Jesus bases his examples on something we all know, something part of the human condition. If I lose something, especially if it's a value, my wallet, my credit card or whatever, I become consumed about it until I can find it. And that kind of high sensitivity to something is something that Jesus is using to tell us that that's the anxiety, that's the concern, that's the place he is when we are not with him, when we're lost, when we make bad choices. He longs for us to come back to him, and he'll do everything he can to find a way to lead us. Just as we try to find the place where we left something valuable. Closing Prayer Father, help us to know your love, your concern, your focus. It's impossible for us to think that you, one God, can be intimately engaged in the inner life of every human being, every creature you've ever created, everything that you have in the world is part of you. Help us to fathom that great mystery and feel the closeness that you have with us, so we can feel the closeness that we want with you. We ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    7 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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