Heart to Heart: Fr. Jim Willig - Gospel Teachings

Zaccaeus went out on a limb for Jesus. Would we?

from Luke 19:1-10
At that time, Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town.
Now a man there named Zacchaeus,
who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man,
was seeking to see who Jesus was;
but he could not see him because of the crowd,
for he was short in stature.
So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus,
who was about to pass that way.
When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said,
"Zacchaeus, come down quickly,
for today I must stay at your house."

Read the full scripture passage: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/103022.cfm

Homily read by Fr. J. Michael Sparough, SJ
Gospel Study by Fr. Jim Willig

Heart to Heart Catholic Media Ministry
Evangelize Seekers. Inspire Believers. Foster Disciples.
--
Join Heart to Heart: htoh.us/subscribe
Support Heart to Heart: htoh.us/donate

from Luke 18:9-14
Jesus addressed this parable
to those who were convinced of their own righteousness
and despised everyone else.
"Two people went up to the temple area to pray;
one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector.
The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself,
'O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity --
greedy, dishonest, adulterous -- or even like this tax collector...

Read the full scripture passage: bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/102625.cfm

Heart to Heart Catholic Media Ministry
Evangelize Seekers. Inspire Believers. Foster Disciples.
--
Join Heart to Heart: htoh.us/subscribe
Support Heart to Heart: htoh.us/donate

What does it mean to pray always? Does it mean to pray without ceasing? As Fr. Jim notes, St. Luke is giving us a little hint. The goal isn't to pray without end, but to be consistent and to persevere in prayer, regardless of the outcome.

from Luke 18:1-8
...The Lord said, "Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says.
Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones
who call out to him day and night?
Will he be slow to answer them?
I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily.
But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

Read the full scripture: bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/101925.cfm

Heart to Heart Catholic Media Ministry
Evangelize Seekers. Inspire Believers. Foster Disciples.
--
Join Heart to Heart: htoh.us/subscribe
Support Heart to Heart: htoh.us/donate

What are you thankful for?

Imagine you wake up tomorrow and all you have left are the things you were thankful for today.

Now what are you thankful for?

from 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 voices, 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.

Read the full scripture passage: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/101225.cfm

Heart to Heart Catholic Media Ministry
Evangelize Seekers. Inspire Believers. Foster Disciples.
--
Join Heart to Heart: htoh.us/subscribe
Support Heart to Heart: htoh.us/donate

Fr. Jim asks: "If you could ask God for one gift or blessing, what would it be?" The apostles said, "Increase our faith." and Jesus compares their faith to a tiny mustard seed and the power even that tiny bit would bring. Can we even wrap our heads around the enormity of God and the true gift of faith?

from Luke 17:5-10
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...

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/100525.cfm

Heart to Heart Catholic Media Ministry
Evangelize Seekers. Inspire Believers. Foster Disciples.
--
Join Heart to Heart: htoh.us/subscribe
Support Heart to Heart: htoh.us/donate

Lazarus, a poor sick man covered in sores is ignored by the rich man living near him. They both die. Who gets the royal treatment in heaven? Listen to Fr. Jim's gospel teaching to find out.

from Luke 16:19-31
Jesus said to the Pharisees:
"There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen
and dined sumptuously each day.
And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,
who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps
that fell from the rich man's table.
Dogs even used to come and lick his sores.
When the poor man died,
he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham.
The rich man also died and was buried,
and from the netherworld, where he was in torment,
he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off
and Lazarus at his side.
And he cried out, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me.
Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue,
for I am suffering torment in these flames.'

Read the full scripture passage: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/092825.cfm

Heart to Heart Catholic Media Ministry
Evangelize Seekers. Inspire Believers. Foster Disciples.
--
Join Heart to Heart: htoh.us/subscribe
Support Heart to Heart: htoh.us/donate

from Luke 16:1-13

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 the steward said, 'And you, how much do you owe?'
He replied, 'One hundred kors of wheat.'
The steward said to him, 'Here is your promissory note;
write one for eighty.'
And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently.

Read the full scripture passage: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/092125.cfm

Heart to Heart Catholic Media Ministry
Evangelize Seekers. Inspire Believers. Foster Disciples.
--
Join Heart to Heart: htoh.us/subscribe
Support Heart to Heart: htoh.us/donate

Fr. Jim teaches on the living water of Christ based on this passage from the Gospel of John extolling us to recognize God's gift.

from John 4:5-42

Jesus came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, 
near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.
Jacob's well was there.
Jesus, tired from his journey, sat down there at the well.
It was about noon.

A woman of Samaria came to draw water.
Jesus said to her,
"Give me a drink."
His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.
The Samaritan woman said to him, 
"How can you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?"
—For Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans.—
Jesus answered and said to her,
"If you knew the gift of God
and who is saying to you, 'Give me a drink, '
you would have asked him 
and he would have given you living water."

Read the full scripture: bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/032325-YearA.cfm

Heart to Heart Catholic Media Ministry
Evangelize Seekers. Inspire Believers. Foster Disciples.
--
Join Heart to Heart: htoh.us/subscribe
Support Heart to Heart: htoh.us/donate

from Luke 9:28B-36

Jesus took Peter, John, and James 
and went up the mountain to pray.
While he was praying his face changed in appearance 
and his clothing became dazzling white.
And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah, 
who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus 
that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem.
Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep, 
but becoming fully awake, 
they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.
As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus, 
"Master, it is good that we are here;
let us make three tents,
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."
But he did not know what he was saying. ...

Heart to Heart Catholic Media Ministry
Evangelize Seekers. Inspire Believers. Foster Disciples.
--
Join Heart to Heart: htoh.us/subscribe
Support Heart to Heart: htoh.us/donate

How often in our lives do we have a powerful spiritual moment only to be faced with a similarly profound challenge or struggle? Listen today as Fr. Jim teaches about the challenge in the desert Jesus faced right after being baptized "and the holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, 'You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.'" (Luke 3:22)

Heart to Heart Catholic Media Ministry
Evangelize Seekers. Inspire Believers. Foster Disciples.
--
Join Heart to Heart: htoh.us/subscribe
Support Heart to Heart: htoh.us/donate