Heart to Heart: Fr. Jim Willig - Gospel Teachings

Surround yourself with wisdom. In this Gospel parable, Jesus tells the story of the 5 wise bridesmaids and 5 foolish ones. The wise, who were prepared, got into the feast, while the foolish ones did not because they were not ready when the bridegroom arrived.

Fr. Jim challenges us to live as the wise bridesmaids did by living for the Lord and anticipating our Heavenly feast.

from Matthew 25:1-13
Jesus told his disciples this parable:
"The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins
who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 
Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 
The foolish ones, when taking their lamps,
brought no oil with them,
but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps. 
Since the bridegroom was long delayed,
they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
At midnight, there was a cry,
‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. 
The foolish ones said to the wise,
‘Give us some of your oil,
for our lamps are going out.’
But the wise ones replied,
'No, for there may not be enough for us and you.
Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’ ...

Read the full Gospel: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/111223.cfm

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Fr. Jim preaches on the Beatitudes from Matthew's gospel.

Matthew 5:1-12
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain,
and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.
He began to teach them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven.
Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Gospel Study: Fr. Jim Willig
Gospel Narration: Fr. J Michael Sparough, SJ
Narration: Lili Fuller 
Narration Producers: Lili Fuller and Joe Sofranko
Primary Music: Michael Kramer
Producer: Nathaniel Stubblefield

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In this Gospel Study Fr. Jim explores the two commandments that Jesus says are the greatest: Love the Lord God with all your heart, soul and strength, and love your neighbor as your self.

Throughout this important Gospel Study Fr. Jim challenges our notion and commitment to loving as God does. Further, he asks us: Are we ready to decide each day to do what is loving?

from Matthew 22:34-40
When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees,
they gathered together, and one of them,
a scholar of the law tested him by asking,
"Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" ...

Read the full Scripture passage: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/102923.cfm

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Once again Jesus is put to the test, but again he turns the test around on His interlocutors and exposes their hypocrisy and true selves.

Listen and learn as Fr. Jim provides the historical context for this test and the deeper meaning behind Jesus' command to "Give to God What is God's"

Matthew 22:15-21
The Pharisees went off
and plotted how they might entrap Jesus in speech.
They sent their disciples to him, with the Herodians, saying,
"Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man
and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.
And you are not concerned with anyone's opinion,
for you do not regard a person's status.
Tell us, then, what is your opinion:
Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?"
Knowing their malice, Jesus said,
"Why are you testing me, you hypocrites?
Show me the coin that pays the census tax."
Then they handed him the Roman coin.
He said to them, "Whose image is this and whose inscription?"
They replied, "Caesar's."
At that he said to them,
"Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar
and to God what belongs to God."

Gospel Study: Fr. Jim Willig
Gospel Narration: Fr. J Michael Sparough, SJ
Narration: Lili Fuller 
Narration Producers: Lili Fuller and Joe Sofranko
Primary Music: Michael Kramer
Producer: Nathaniel Stubblefield

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In this Gospel parable, some who are invited to the feast reject the king's invitation and some who accept are deemed unworthy, but among them are a few who make the cut. Which group do you fall in?

Listen to Fr. Jim's teaching and learn how to be among the chosen at God's Heavenly feast.

Matthew 22:1-14
Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and elders of the people
in parables, saying,
"The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king
who gave a wedding feast for his son.
He dispatched his servants
to summon the invited guests to the feast,
but they refused to come.
A second time he sent other servants, saying,
‘Tell those invited: “Behold, I have prepared my banquet,
my calves and fattened cattle are killed,
and everything is ready; come to the feast.”’
Some ignored the invitation and went away,
one to his farm, another to his business.
The rest laid hold of his servants,
mistreated them, and killed them.
The king was enraged and sent his troops,
destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.
Then he said to his servants, 'The feast is ready,
but those who were invited were not worthy to come.
Go out, therefore, into the main roads
and invite to the feast whomever you find.’
The servants went out into the streets
and gathered all they found, bad and good alike,
and the hall was filled with guests.
But when the king came in to meet the guests,
he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment.
The king said to him, 'My friend, how is it
that you came in here without a wedding garment?'
But he was reduced to silence.
Then the king said to his attendants, 'Bind his hands and feet,
and cast him into the darkness outside,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’
Many are invited, but few are chosen."

Gospel Study: Fr. Jim Willig
Gospel Narration: Fr. J Michael Sparough, SJ
Narration: Lili Fuller 
Narration Producers: Lili Fuller and Joe Sofranko
Primary Music: Michael Kramer
Producer: Nathaniel Stubblefield

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In the Gospel from Matthew 21:33-43, Jesus tells the parable of the wicked tenants who kill all of the servants and the son of the vineyard owner, hoping to steal his inheritance. In his Gospel Study, Fr. Jim reminds us of the need to respect life as life; as the gift from God it truly is.

Matthew 21:33-43
Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people:
"Hear another parable.
There was a landowner who planted a vineyard,
put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower.
Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey.
When vintage time drew near,
he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce.
But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat,
another they killed, and a third they stoned.
Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones,
but they treated them in the same way.
Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking,
'They will respect my son.'
But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another,
'This is the heir.
Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.’
They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?"
They answered him,
"He will put those wretched men to a wretched death
and lease his vineyard to other tenants
who will give him the produce at the proper times."
Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures:
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes?
Therefore, I say to you,
the kingdom of God will be taken away from you
and given to a people that will produce its fruit."

Gospel Study: Fr. Jim Willig
Gospel Narration: Fr. J Michael Sparough, SJ
Narration: Lili Fuller 
Narration Producers: Lili Fuller and Joe Sofranko
Primary Music: Michael Kramer
Producer: Nathaniel Stubblefield

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In this Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of two sons. One who disobeys his father, but then repents and one who says he will obey but doesn’t.

Fr. Jim teaches us that faith is an active verb. Jesus is essentially asking, “Do you mean what you say? If so, change your life. Follow me.”

The teaching concludes with the song Give Myself to Mercy by Michael Poirier: www.prayerbreaks.org.

Matthew 21:28-32
Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people:
“What is your opinion?
A man had two sons.
He came to the first and said,
‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’
He said in reply, ‘I will not,’
but afterwards changed his mind and went.
The man came to the other son and gave the same order.
He said in reply, ‘Yes, sir, ‘but did not go.
Which of the two did his father’s will?”
They answered, “The first.”
Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you,
tax collectors and prostitutes
are entering the kingdom of God before you.
When John came to you in the way of righteousness,
you did not believe him;
but tax collectors and prostitutes did.
Yet even when you saw that,
you did not later change your minds and believe him.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Gospel Study: Fr. Jim Willig
Gospel Narration: Fr. J Michael Sparough, SJ
Narration: Lili Fuller 
Narration Producers: Lili Fuller and Joe Sofranko
Primary Music: Michael Kramer
Producer: Nathaniel Stubblefield

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With over 4,000 views on YouTube, this is one of Fr. Jim's most popular gospel studies. From Matthew 20:1-16, Jesus tells the parable of the landowner who hires workers for his vineyard throughout the day, but when the time comes to pay them an argument ensues.

Those hired in the morning resented being paid the same as those hired later in the day. The landowner reminds them that they agreed to work for the wage he paid them and he can pay the others what he wishes.

Matthew 20:1-16a
  Jesus told his disciples this parable:
    “The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner
    who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard.
  After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage,
    he sent them into his vineyard.
  Going out about nine o’clock,
    the landowner saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
    and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard,
    and I will give you what is just.’
  So they went off.
  And he went out again around noon,
    and around three o’clock, and did likewise. ...

Read the full Gospel: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/092423.cfm

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This Gospel Study addresses the time Peter asked Jesus, “How many times are we called to forgive another?” Jesus surprised Peter and the disciples when he said to forgive 70 times 7 times.

Jesus uses the parable of the master who forgave the full debt of one of his servants after showing compassion to his plea. Then this same servant held a friend in contempt for a much smaller debt owed to him. When the master learned of this, he became angry and turned the debtor over to the ones whom he tortured until his entire debt was paid.

Matthew 18:21-35
Peter approached Jesus and asked him,
"Lord, if my brother sins against me,
how often must I forgive?
As many as seven times?"
Jesus answered, "I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.
That is why the kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king
who decided to settle accounts with his servants.
When he began the accounting,
a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount.
Since he had no way of paying it back,
his master ordered him to be sold,
along with his wife, his children, and all his property,
in payment of the debt.
At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said,
'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.'
Moved with compassion the master of that servant
let him go and forgave him the loan.
When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants
who owed him a much smaller amount.
He seized him and started to choke him, demanding,
'Pay back what you owe.'
Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him,
'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'
But he refused.
Instead, he had the fellow servant put in prison
until he paid back the debt.
Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened,
they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master
and reported the whole affair.
His master summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant!
I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to.
Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant,
as I had pity on you?'
Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers
until he should pay back the whole debt.
So will my heavenly Father do to you,
unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart."

Gospel Study: Fr. Jim Willig
Gospel Narration: Fr. J Michael Sparough, SJ
Narration: Lili Fuller 
Narration Producers: Lili Fuller and Joe Sofranko
Primary Music: Michael Kramer
Producer: Nathaniel Stubblefield

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Pentecost. The descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles to enliven them and send them out to proclaim Christ crucified and raised. Pray today to receive that same spirit and spread the Good News, the Gospel of Jesus. 

from John 20:19-23
...Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained.”

The Gospel of the Lord

Read the full Gospel passage: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/052321-Day.cfm

Gospel Study: Fr. Jim Willig
Gospel Narration: Fr. J Michael Sparough, SJ
Primary Music: Michael Kramer
Additional Music: Gettin Through It by Brent Wood licensed to Nathaniel Stubblefield via Soundstripe
Producer: Nathaniel Stubblefield

Heart to Heart Catholic Media Ministry
Evangelize Seekers. Inspire Believers. Foster Disciples.
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