“In order to be an image of God, the spirit must turn to what is eternal, hold it in spirit, keep it in memory, and by loving it, embrace it in the will.”
– St. Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein)
Morning Offering
My Hope is in You
Hold Out Your Hand
“And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you”
(Psalm 39:7).
It might be time to let go. It might be time to empty your hands. It might be time to stop grasping.
Open up your hands. There are things I want to place in them. For I do want you to hold on to some things.
I want you to hold on to hope. This day is full of Me. There is beginning here. There are things for which to be grateful.
I want you to hold on to love. What is more important than you, than your own pursuits? What is before you, who is before you? How can you enter into a situation with my love pouring out? How can you show her, show him, my face?
I want you to hold on to faith. You do not stay in the hard times forever. There is good coming. There is also beauty here, right now. Look for Me and you will find Me. Listen for Me and you will hear my voice, all around.
I want you to hold on to joy. Joy is for you. Joy is for you to feel. Joy is for you to wake up with and experience and demonstrate. Could you imagine practicing spreading joy? It is for you to know.
I want you to hold on to Me. I want you to treasure moments, and I want you to be present with Me. Look ahead, to the future, and ask for wisdom so I may teach you the way to go, whether to spend time here or there.
I want you to hold on to grace, the forgiveness and life I give you. I want you to remember how I came for you and come again. I want you to live in freedom, breathe deeply, rest in what I give.
I want you to hold on to my hand, in everything you do. I want you to hold on to my hope, my love, my faith, my joy, my grace. I want you to hold in your heart the image of you I put before you, the daughter clinging to her Father’s hand.
Gather Ministries
Sermon Notes – Hey You!
“Hey You!“
Father Peter Fitzgibbons
January 23 – 24, 2021
Gospel: Mark 1:14-20
In my meditation on the Gospel this morning, I changed my sermon a bit. I was meditating on how the military asks for volunteers. Jesus said, “Come, follow Me.” The military’s way of asking for volunteers is “Hey you!” Love to. Thanks for asking!. Officers were also subject to “hey you!” I may have had captain or major’s rank, but sometimes I still became “hey you.” When a job needed to be done, who did it depended on your level on the food chain. Hey you! Oh, thank you. I’d love to.
Our Lord called the apostles by name to be His followers, to become holy, and to bring that holiness to us. Now, if you look at their resumes, they were fishermen. They did not get master’s degrees in Theology or Canon Law. They did not even earn certificates for lay ministry. They didn’t do any of that, yet they brought Christ’s love to the world. Their bravery in the face of their own deaths is a testament to that love. Christ call us all the same way. He calls us by name. Each of us were made in the likeness of God, and He died especially for each one of us. He calls each of us by name. Not “hey you” plural, but “hey you” singular. He wants you to follow Him. He wants you to become holy and to bring His love to the world. He wants every one of His children who do not know Him to know the fullness of truth found in the Catholic Faith. First follow Him, become holy, and then bring it to the world. You may say, “Father, I don’t have any advanced degrees.” Mine are honorary. So, don’t worry about it. It doesn’t matter.
Do you know who the most educated apostle was? It was Matthew. He could read and write in three languages. The most educated of all was not even an apostle. Know who it was? Luke. He was a physician, but was transformed. Peter converted over 5,000 people, and they all heard his message in their own languages. When you speak the language of God, of eternal love, and truth, everyone hears you. St. John Vianney couldn’t learn Latin. He just couldn’t get it. Latin is not a hard language, even I managed to learn it. But, not St. Vianney. He was basically put in a parish in the village of Ars so that he could basically just sit there. He was the village idiot, and look what happened. You could say that about all Catholic priests. However, St. Vianney could read souls. Theresa de Lisieux, a doctor of the Church, did not finish high school. Yet, if you read her autobiography, she cited scripture 127 times. If you read other so-called Catholic books, they don’t cite scripture very much at all. It’s not about knowledge, it’s about love.
You may say, “Well, my past is not perfect.” None of ours are. He takes each of us and our abilities to be conduits of His love. Sometimes your past is your greatest asset. Who did Christ send to the nations? The persecuted Gentiles. Who did he send to recover alcoholics from their disease? Two other alcoholics. Your past with Christ’s love can be your greatest asset in evangelization.
We have approximately 110 priests in the Charlotte diocese. A lot of them have advanced degrees. These priests are very educated, and they are very good at so much. But, none of them can do what I can do…besides be obnoxious – that’s my strong suit. None of them have been where I’ve been. My work at the Veterans Hospital depends on my military background. These men and women can tell me their stories before they pass, because I’ve been where they’ve been. The other priests can all give the Sacraments, but they cannot give what I can give…understanding veterans and helping them lay down their crosses. That’s only because of what I’ve been through, by giving it to God, and letting Him use it. This is what God calls you to do.
Your past can be your greatest asset for bringing God’s love to the world. There’s no need to be ashamed of it, because it can be a great tool. First become holy and then bring that holiness to others. Christ calls you just like He called the apostles. Wherever God puts you, He put you there for a reason. He is very good at personnel management. Whatever part of the body of Christ you are called to be in, make yourself available. You are the only one who can do that job in that place and at that time. So, whatever your past, whatever you have done, Christ says through you, I can call others.
How will you apply this message to your life? Will you use your past and unique abilities to bring God’s love to the world?
Spiritual Direction from Father…
I want to give you some advice, some spiritual direction, during this pandemic/epidemic and period of constant agitation. Most people will overreact; “Oh, this is terrible! It’s the worse time we’ve ever been through!” No, it hasn’t been. They like to ramp up the hysterics. Back in the 1940’s, you hated to see a boy riding a bicycle up to your house, because that is how they delivered bad news that your loved one wasn’t coming home. So, we’ve had far worse times – we just forget. I would suggest to help you get through these rough times is 1) Pray a heck of a lot more; and 2) Do not use social media. Let me put this way so that you can remember it: Social is the media and social is the disease. If there is a cure of cancer, someone will let you know. Nothing good comes from social media with the exception of our church’s webpage. We are probably the only church that doesn’t have a “donate button.” My staff asked, “Should we put a donation button on there?” No. There’s a lot of good things on our website. Stay off the news stations. They know nothing, and they don’t tell you the full truth. All military officers lie to you. How do I know? I was one. We were taught how to lie on a professional level as part of the charm course we had to go through. In Stanly County, they say we have 100 deaths from COVID. But, that tells you nothing. We have a hospital, a prison, and seven nursing homes in the county. How many people died there? “We cannot tell you.” Then the figures are meaningless. How many had comorbidities? Yes, they are dead, and I feel bad for them, I really do. Some died long before they should have. But just throwing numbers out there is scaring the living bejesus out of Stanly County residents and is irresponsible. You aren’t telling them anything. Stay away from the news stations and watch cartoons like the “Road Runner.” I always liked the “Road Runner.” Listen to easy listening music. Do something. Just turn it off. There’s no need for that. They aren’t going to tell you anything you really need to know that’s going to be life-changing. It’s just going to make you more miserable.
You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to https://annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com/ and clicking on “Blog.”
Daily Reflection – January 26, 2021
Minute Meditation – January 26, 2021
I believe that Francis’s message is even more important in light of this most recent pandemic. Francis—and his spiritual sister, Clare—remind us we are all connected. The paths of greed, consumerism, individualism, and nationalism endanger the planet and its peoples. In the spirit of Francis, we need to break down barriers of friend and stranger, citizen and immigrant, rich and poor, if we are to survive in this increasingly interdependent world. Nations need to see patriotism in terms of world loyalty as well as self-affirmation. We need the Franciscan vision of all creation singing praises to the Creator if we are to flourish in the years and centuries to come. Like Francis and Clare, we need to become earth-loving saints, committed to our planet and its peoples—in our time and our children’s and grandchildren’s time.
—from the book Walking with Francis of Assisi: From Privilege to Activism
by Bruce Epperly
Saint of the Day – January 26, 2021
What we know from the New Testament of Timothy’s life makes it sound like that of a modern harried bishop. He had the honor of being a fellow apostle with Paul, both sharing the privilege of preaching the gospel and suffering for it.
Timothy had a Greek father and a Jewish mother named Eunice. Being the product of a “mixed” marriage, he was considered illegitimate by the Jews. It was his grandmother, Lois, who first became Christian. Timothy was a convert of Paul around the year 47 and later joined him in his apostolic work. He was with Paul at the founding of the Church in Corinth. During the 15 years he worked with Paul, he became one of his most faithful and trusted friends. He was sent on difficult missions by Paul—often in the face of great disturbance in local churches which Paul had founded.
Timothy was with Paul in Rome during the latter’s house arrest. At some period Timothy himself was in prison (Hebrews 13:23). Paul installed him as his representative at the Church of Ephesus.
Timothy was comparatively young for the work he was doing. Several references seem to indicate that he was timid. And one of Paul’s most frequently quoted lines was addressed to him: “Stop drinking only water, but have a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent illnesses” (1 Timothy 5:23).
Titus has the distinction of being a close friend and disciple of Paul as well as a fellow missionary. He was Greek, apparently from Antioch. Even though Titus was a Gentile, Paul would not let him be forced to undergo circumcision at Jerusalem. Titus is seen as a peacemaker, administrator, great friend. Paul’s second letter to Corinth affords an insight into the depth of his friendship with Titus, and the great fellowship they had in preaching the gospel.
When Paul was having trouble with the community at Corinth, Titus was the bearer of Paul’s severe letter and was successful in smoothing things out. Paul writes he was strengthened not only by the arrival of Titus but also “by the encouragement with which he was encouraged in regard to you, as he told us of your yearning, your lament, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more…. And his heart goes out to you all the more, as he remembers the obedience of all of you, when you received him with fear and trembling” (2 Corinthians 7:7a, 15).
The Letter to Titus addresses him as the administrator of the Christian community on the island of Crete, charged with organizing it, correcting abuses, and appointing presbyter-bishops.
Reflection
In Titus we get another glimpse of life in the early Church: great zeal in the apostolate, great communion in Christ, great friendship. Yet always there is the problem of human nature and the unglamorous details of daily life: the need for charity and patience in “quarrels with others, fears within myself,” as Paul says. Through it all, the love of Christ sustained them. At the end of the Letter to Titus, Paul says that when the temporary substitute comes, “hurry to me.”
Saints Timothy and Titus are the Patron Saints of:
Stomach Disorders
Meditation of the Day – January 26, 2021
Morning Offering
“Listen with the ear of your heart.”
– St. Benedict of Nursia
Daily Reflection – January 25th, 2021
Minute Meditations – January 25th, 2021
What we bring to the pursuit of the God of life is what we will get out of it. The regularity of prayer, the depth of our lectio, the embrace of silence, the space we give
to the search for God, the surrender of our own obsessions with self to the concerns of God for the world—all these will determine the quality of the contemplation we achieve. Prayer becomes the olive press we walk, the chafing wheel we tread which, over and over again, breaks open our hearts to the Word of God. Then, finally, after years of immersion in daily prayer, we begin to be what we have prayed for all those years.
–from the book In God’s Holy Light: Wisdom from the Desert Monastics
by Joan Chittister, OSB