What’s Inside a Humble Heart?
“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.’” – 1 Samuel 16:7
What does God see when he looks into our hearts? Does he see a humble, contrite and broken heart, that he will not spurn?
Today Fr. Mike Schmitz shares a word of encouragement from the book of 1 Samuel for how to shape our hearts so that the Lord can be present to them and abide in them.
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Sermon Notes – January – 14, 2024 – “Heart Speaking to Heart”
“Heart Speaking to Heart”
Father Peter Fitzgibbons
January 13 – 14, 2024
Gospel: John 1:35-42
I visit a lot of different groups. Remember the song, “The In Crowd”? We’re all old enough to remember that song, right? I have two different groups that I’m “in” with . . . the shut-ins and the lock-ins. This sermon has been approved by my lock-ins at the gated community whom I saw on Wednesday. In the gospel, Jesus said, “You are Simon the son of John; you will be called Cephas” – which is Greek and translated as Peter” or “Rock” (John 1:35-42). This was a big deal. Go back to the Old Testament when God called Abram. What did God do? He said, “You will be called Abraham, and you will be the father of My holy people.” God wasn’t like me who gives people nicknames. This was a dramatic shift. However, He had reasons for changing people’s names.
What is the secret to prayer? In the Gospel, Samuel said, “Speak Lord for your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:10). That is the whole secret to prayer. I am guilty of speaking so quickly that most times my mind has to catch up with my mouth. I don’t often see a prayer like the one to Saint Jude for hopeless causes. Sometimes I read in the newspaper that if you pray a certain prayer nine times for nine days, you’ll get what you want. Over the four years of seminary, I was probably sick for a day or two. But I never heard about celestial extortion. Really? “I’ve got the secret to prayer. Light a candle and put on a prayer shawl.” Why? Are you cold? Do you honestly think God doesn’t know what we need? He knows what we want and desire. But He keeps us alive by saying “no” sometimes to our prayers even if they are perfect. If He gave us everything we want, we might not stay close to Him. Probably the reason I haven’t made Monsignor after 40 years is to keep me humble. Well, that didn’t work. We come with our prayers and rattle them off. Of course, I say mine very quickly, and I have a whole laundry list of things to tell God. Whew! I’m done with my prayers. But apparently, God isn’t listening because I asked Him about this yesterday, and it’s still not done. He has fallen down on His job. Maybe He forgot. I know He’s busy but come on! I’m a busy guy too, and I have things to do! If He would just do what I ask, things would be so much better. It’s good to get all these things off our souls by telling Him what we need, what we want, and what we think He should do. He laughs. You have to admit when we tell God what He needs to do, with His divine sense of humor, it cracks Him up. “Oh, I hadn’t thought of that. Thanks a lot; I really appreciate it.”
So, what is prayer? Bishop Sheen said prayer is heart speaking to heart. Prayer is not a monologue. It is not a one-way conversation. It is two-way communication. You can’t communicate with someone who won’t shut up. Hey! Zip it! We must listen, and listening is the hardest part. Listening takes different forms through meditation, quietness, and being interiorly open. We need quiet inside and out. Do you know who is perfect at listening? Nobody; not even monks and religious sisters. It takes a lot of practice. We may be sitting there with our minds racing. Look! Squirrel. But let the other heart speak to you on the other heart’s terms. God speaks to us in ordinary ways at His choosing, in His way, and in His own time. When you tell God what you want, He says, “Thank you very much, Sir. I’ll get right on that order.” No. You’ve got the flow chart on how it works all wrong. It’s a conversation. We should sit and listen, which is the hardest part. It takes time. When you go to Mass at other churches, they may have a prolonged silence after the readings. You know, they didn’t go to school, and if they did, they need to get their money back. A good and proper meditation takes 20 minutes. We did that in seminary. We had nowhere else to go, so why not? We must learn how to quiet ourselves and to listen. It’s tough because we are all so busy. Sometimes when we listen, we really don’t like the answers. However, He knows what is best for everyone, and He loves us more than anyone. When you receive an answer, be sure to authenticate it because satan will tell us stuff just to make us go off the deep end. “Well, God told me to do this.” Uh-Huh. A friend of mine was a chaplain at a prison in Louisiana. One of the inmates told him that God had called him to preach. Really? Aren’t you the guy who sexually abused his granddaughters? You might want to rethink that. You always have to make sure the answer is coming from God. He does not contradict Himself or what He revealed in Jesus Christ.
When you come to church, be like the French farmer. Saint John Vianney was the pastor of a church in a small town in France. He came to the church to hear confessions. He saw this little guy sitting there in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Oh good! He heard some confessions and when he came back, the guy was still sitting there. Priests are trained to notice the unusual. So, Saint John asked the man, “My son is everything okay?” The man answered, “Yes, Father.” Saint John said, “My son you’ve been here for hours. What are you doing?” The man answered, “I am looking at God and God is looking at me.”
How will you apply this message to your life? _________________________________
You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” then “Sermon Notes.” On a cell phone: click on “Blog” and then “Menu.” Scroll to the bottom and click on “Categories.” Sermon Notes are also available on the Church’s Facebook page at ola.catholic.church. Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”
See With Your Heart
//The Contemplative Monk//
The Catechism in a Year – Day 358 – Who Art in Heaven
As we reach the conclusion of the article on the opening words of the Our Father, we take a closer look at the phrase, “Who Art in Heaven.” Fr. Mike emphasizes that God is not distant, but is imminently present all around us. He also emphasizes that while sin has exiled us from heaven, conversion of heart allows us to return to the Father in heaven. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 2794-2802.
Click on link: https://youtu.be/82xkYK59Nbg?si=plYGeppdiCU18R4A
No Beauty Shines Brighter
//The Contemplative Monk//
The Work of Christmas
//Clergy Coaching Network//
The Catechism in a Year – Day 335 – Jesus Teaches Us to Pray
At the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches us to pray through his own prayer to the Father. As we watch Jesus pray, his prayer becomes our template for our own prayer. Fr. Mike emphasizes that our prayer should not just be external, but rather should be an internal conversion of heart. This internal conversion of heart involves many aspects such as, reconciliation, loving our enemies, praying to the Father in secret, and prayerful forgiveness. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 2607-2615.
Click on link: https://youtu.be/7dsRN3QBduc?si=t9OxJflEalznEm8H
The Catechism in a Year – Day 329 – The Gift of Prayer
St. Thérèse said that “prayer is a surge of the heart.” Do we pray from our pride or from a place of humility? The Catechism tells us that “humility is the foundation of prayer.” In humility we can feel God’s thirst for us, accept his gift of prayer, and pray to him from our heart. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 2558-2565.
Click on link: https://youtu.be/8s3THs_mAn0?si=F-v74noPI7mA-5pn
The Catechism in a Year – Day 327 – Poverty of Heart
Where should we find consolation? It’s essential to remember that our ultimate goal and true source of happiness is God. With this in mind, Fr. Mike emphasizes the need to detach ourselves from worldly possessions and strive to be channels of God’s grace. By doing so, when we receive blessings, we can in turn become a blessing to others. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 2544-2557.
Click on link: https://youtu.be/c1aeSJlQkuM?si=h19GjL4gyvYW6Mky