For years, I haven’t given up anything for Lent. Father Antonio Rosmini coined the term PPIs or Peculiar Penances of the Institute. (The Institute of Charity is the name of our religious order.) They are those little or big crosses that come unexpectedly. It takes a lot of grace to embrace these crosses joyfully every day, and I couldn’t do it without Jesus helping me.
When I read Jesus’s words, PPIs came to mind: "Why are you troubled?" I wonder how often Jesus has asked you and me, "Why are you troubled?" He said this to His disciples on the first Easter Sunday. They thought they saw a ghost when He appeared to them. It’s like He is saying, "Don’t you get it? I am alive. May I have a piece of fish?" So, He took it and ate it. Yummy.
Eating the fish before the disciples proved that Jesus was not a ghost. So, when you and I are troubled, Jesus will ask us for a piece of fish. The piece of fish is the incredible thing that only Jesus can do in any struggle we are experiencing – a PPI. So, the piece of fish is trust, the trust that Jesus will bear the battle for me and bring me through it to the other side (resurrection). It’s just as He promised, "Come to me, all you who labor and are overburdened, and I will give you rest."
Gospel Challenge:
The "rest" is a tiny drop of heaven – a little resurrection from the dead. So, what fish are you giving to Jesus today?
October 22, 2025, Luke 12:39-48 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/102225.cfm I will do whatever it takes. I often recorded Tampa Bay Rays post-game shows. They always interview the player
October 21, 2025, Luke 12:35-38 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/102125.cfm It seems like a long time. Waiting for something to happen feels so far away. When I began
October 20, 2025, Luke 12:13-21 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/102025.cfm DISCOVERING THE POWER OF A MAGNIFYING GLASS. As a child, I noticed a magnifying glass on the kitchen counter
October 19, 2025, Luke 18:1-8 https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/101925.cfm Does God have a cell phone? Cell phones are extremely convenient devices that enable us to perform numerous tasks,
Thursday in the Octave of Easter April 4, 2024
Father Rick’s Two-Minute Homily for Thursday in the Octave of Easter
April 4, 2024, Luke 24:35-48
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/041323.cfm
Why Are You Troubled? May I Have A Piece of Fish?
For years, I haven’t given up anything for Lent. Father Antonio Rosmini coined the term PPIs or Peculiar Penances of the Institute. (The Institute of Charity is the name of our religious order.) They are those little or big crosses that come unexpectedly. It takes a lot of grace to embrace these crosses joyfully every day, and I couldn’t do it without Jesus helping me.
When I read Jesus’s words, PPIs came to mind: "Why are you troubled?" I wonder how often Jesus has asked you and me, "Why are you troubled?" He said this to His disciples on the first Easter Sunday. They thought they saw a ghost when He appeared to them. It’s like He is saying, "Don’t you get it? I am alive. May I have a piece of fish?" So, He took it and ate it. Yummy.
Eating the fish before the disciples proved that Jesus was not a ghost. So, when you and I are troubled, Jesus will ask us for a piece of fish. The piece of fish is the incredible thing that only Jesus can do in any struggle we are experiencing – a PPI. So, the piece of fish is trust, the trust that Jesus will bear the battle for me and bring me through it to the other side (resurrection). It’s just as He promised, "Come to me, all you who labor and are overburdened, and I will give you rest."
Gospel Challenge:
The "rest" is a tiny drop of heaven – a little resurrection from the dead. So, what fish are you giving to Jesus today?
Love Your Neighbor.
Fr. Rick Pilger, IC
www.bscchurch.com
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