Month: August 2021

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Minute Meditation – “God comes to us disguised as our life”

One great idea of the biblical revelation is that God is manifest in the ordinary, in the actual, in the daily, in the now, in the concrete incarnations of life. That’s opposed to God holding out for the pure, the spiritual, the right idea or the ideal anything. This is why Jesus turns religion on its head! That is why I say it is our experiences that transform us if we are willing to experience our experiences all the way through. But it is also why we have to go through these seemingly laborious and boring books of Kings, Chronicles, Leviticus, Numbers, and Revelation. Those books, documenting the life of real communities, of concrete, ordinary people, are telling us that “God comes to us disguised as our life” (a wonderful line I learned from my dear friend and colleague, Paula D’Arcy).

— from the book Things Hidden: Scripture as Spirituality by Richard Rohr, OFM

//Franciscan Media//

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Saint of the Day – August 23 – Saint Rose of Lima

(APRIL 20, 1586 – AUGUST 24, 1617)
Saint Rose of Lima’s Story

The first canonized saint of the New World has one characteristic of all saints—the suffering of opposition—and another characteristic which is more for admiration than for imitation—excessive practice of mortification.

She was born to parents of Spanish descent in Lima, Peru, at a time when South America was in its first century of evangelization. She seems to have taken Catherine of Siena as a model, in spite of the objections and ridicule of parents and friends.

The saints have so great a love of God that what seems bizarre to us, and is indeed sometimes imprudent, is simply a logical carrying out of a conviction that anything that might endanger a loving relationship with God must be rooted out. So, because her beauty was so often admired, Rose used to rub her face with pepper to produce disfiguring blotches. Later, she wore a thick circlet of silver on her head, studded on the inside, like a crown of thorns.

When her parents fell into financial trouble, she worked in the garden all day and sewed at night. Ten years of struggle against her parents began when they tried to make Rose marry. They refused to let her enter a convent, and out of obedience she continued her life of penance and solitude at home as a member of the Third Order of Saint Dominic. So deep was her desire to live the life of Christ that she spent most of her time at home in solitude.

During the last few years of her life, Rose set up a room in the house where she cared for homeless children, the elderly, and the sick. This was a beginning of social services in Peru. Though secluded in life and activity, she was brought to the attention of Inquisition interrogators, who could only say that she was influenced by grace.

What might have been a merely eccentric life was transfigured from the inside. If we remember some unusual penances, we should also remember the greatest thing about Rose: a love of God so ardent that it withstood ridicule from without, violent temptation, and lengthy periods of sickness. When she died at 31, the city turned out for her funeral. Prominent men took turns carrying her coffin.

Reflection

It is easy to dismiss excessive penances of the saints as the expression of a certain culture or temperament. But a woman wearing a crown of thorns may at least prod our consciences. We enjoy the most comfort-oriented life in human history. We eat too much, drink too much, use a million gadgets, fill our eyes and ears with everything imaginable. Commerce thrives on creating useless needs on which to spend our money. It seems that when we have become most like slaves, there is the greatest talk of “freedom.” Are we willing to discipline ourselves in such an atmosphere?

Saint Rose of Lima is the Patron Saint of:

Americas
Florists
Latin America
Peru
Philippines
South America

//Franciscan Media//

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Verse of the Day – Eternal Life

“Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ. I glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do. Now glorify me, Father, with you, with the glory that I had with you before the world began. I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.” John 17:3-6

//Catholic Company//

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Meditation of the Day – The Soul Desires Happiness

“If the soul will analyze the desire it has of happiness, and the idea of happiness that presents itself to it, it will find that the object of this idea and of this desire is only and can only be God. This is the impression that the soul bears in the depths of its nature; this is what reason will teach it if it will only reflect a little, and this is what neither prejudice nor passion can ever entirely efface.”— Fr. Jean Nicholas Grou, p. 4

//Catholic Company//

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Sermon Notes – August 15 – You Visit My Mother . . . I Remember Your Name

“You Visit My Mother. . . I Remember Your Name”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

 August 14 – 15, 2021

Gospel:  Luke 11:27-28

Where I’m from up north, I lived in a diverse community with very strong ethnic ties and associations.   There was this gentleman who approached a priest and said, “Hey Father, you visit my mother – I remember your name.”  Okay…I’d love to.  What son, as hated as this gentleman allegedly was, doesn’t want to honor his mother.  There’s no shame in honoring one’s mother.  That’s true for us even with all our sins.  What about our good Lord?  He was the only child in history who actually created His mother.  Throughout the centuries, for thousands of years, the Church has always called for devotion to the Blessed Mother – not for worship or adoration – that belongs only to God Himself – but for devotion.  It’s not just a pious tradition for old women sitting in their living-rooms knitting, it’s for the whole Church.  Over the past 50 years or so, Devotion to the Blessed Mother has really fallen to the wayside which is sad, because people really don’t know their faith or scripture.  Non-Catholics say, “I study scripture and I pray scripturally.”  Well, if you studied scripture and prayed scripturally, you would be Catholic.  When you honor the Blessed Mother, you are praying scripturally. 

You’ve heard the proclamation of the Holy Gospel of Saint Luke.  Where did Luke get his gospel?  He wasn’t one of the apostles.  At the Annunciation, Mary was alone when the angel came to her.  Luke wasn’t there.  He wasn’t at Elizabeth’s house when Mary visited her.  So, where did he get all of this information?  Did Luke channel his inner Miss Cleo the psychic?  The first part of the Gospel of Luke is known as the Gospel of Mary, because she told him everything that’s in it.  So, Mary’s words are scriptural.  All of those people who have gotten biblical, theological, or philosophy degrees and who are not Catholic, should sue their professors for theological and intellectual malpractice.  You wasted your money.  Because if you made it this far in the scriptures, then you must be Catholic, and you must honor the Blessed Mother. 

What did Mary say further into the Magnificat?  “All generations will call me blessed.”  So, it’s a scriptural command to honor the mother of Jesus.  It has been 70 years since the so-called Second Vatican Council and some decided that devotion to the Blessed Mother was not scriptural.  Really?  Devotion is decreasing and along with it purity and belief in the Real Presence.  In order to understand Jesus, you have to understand Mary.  In theological studies, Mariology (the study of Mary) is a subset of Christology (the study of Christ).   It was from the Blessed Mother that He took His human nature.  If you look throughout scripture, I’m not going to give you a whole class on Mariology today – it’s a semester-long study – but just look at the highlights.  Protestants say they don’t have to rely on the saints.  Really?  Where is that in scripture?  Who interceded for us before the first miracle recorded in scripture?  The Blessed Mother at the wedding in Cana.   During the Passion, our Lord looked at His mother and said, “Woman, behold your son.”   He then looked at John and said, “Behold your mother.”  Protestants also say, “In order to be saved, you must be washed in the blood.”   Who was standing beneath the cross getting spattered with His blood?  The Blessed Mother.  The blood did not stop. . .the Romans were very good at what they did. When they took her Son down from the cross, He was placed in her lap.  She was covered in His blood.  Was she not bathed in the blood?  Walk in the blood?  After the Resurrection, Mary was in the Upper Room with the apostles when the Holy Spirit came.  This was the second time that the Holy Spirit came to her.  Remember the Annunciation?  The angel said, “Hail full of grace.”  Nobody else in scripture has been called that.  The power of the Holy Spirit came and overshadowed her.  “Oh, you have to be born again in the Holy Spirit.”  Well, Mary did it twice. 

This is why we have devotion to the Blessed Mother.  Just like our own mothers who have died, and hopefully in Heaven, intercede for us to the Holy Father.  How much more so can the mother of Christ intercede for us.  The original woman, the old Eve, took us all out of paradise to the new Eve who leads us to paradise.  Our Blessed Mother is the new Eve. 

Not too long ago, I received a call to go visit woman who was in her last days.  So, I went into the house and gave her the Last Rites.  She said, “Father, I have a Rosary.”  Oh, that’s great!  It was beautiful set of beads.  I said to her, “Hold them in your hands, and as often as you can say the Rosary so that when the time comes when you are to leave this world, our Blessed Mother will come take you by the hand and lead you to her Son.” 

How will you apply this message to your life?  Remain devoted to the Blessed Mother and ask for her intercession with her Son.

 You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to https://annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com/ and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” and then “Sermon Notes.”  From a cell phone, click on “Blog” then “Menu” and then “Categories” (located at the end of page).  There is also a search box if you are looking for a specific topic.

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Sermon Notes – August 8 – The Apostles Had a V-8 Moment

“The Apostles Had a V-8 Moment”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

 August 7 – 8, 2021

Gospel: John 6: 41-51

On Friday, the Church celebrated the Feast of the Transfiguration.  Ten days before His Passion, our good Lord took three of the twelve apostles – Peter, James, and John – up to the mountain to give them the final revelation of who He was …the final miracle before His Passion.  He did this to strengthen them for the trial that was to come.  On the mountain, Jesus lowered the veil of His humanity to show them His divinity.  Remember, Jesus was one Who and two What’s . . . one person and two natures.  The human nature that He took from the Blessed Mother was assumed into His divine nature.  On the altar, when I put one drop of water into the chalice with the wine, it symbolizes two natures in one person.  The wine is consecrated and turned into the Most Precious Blood on the altar.  We have a foretaste of what Heaven will be like. 

Now, the apostles saw Moses and Elijah, but how did they know it was them? There were no pictures.  There were no selfies back in the days of the Old Testament.  There were no statues.  So, how did they know?  Their minds were enlightened in the presence of God.  Moses and Elijah talked to our Lord like one man to another just as we will when we are in Heaven.  They talked about what would happen in future events.  How?  Because Heaven is the eternal now.  God said, “I who I am.”  He is the eternal now . . . no past and no future . . . the eternal present.  It’s a foretaste of His gift.  Our Lord gave the apostles this great gift to strengthen them for the terrible scandal of the cross.  And, what happened?  Even though they had seen three years of miracles and the revelation of who Jesus was, they all took off.  They had not comprehended the lessons.   Afterward, they realized that this is what He is.  They had a spiritual V-8 moment.

Our good Lord, as He did for the apostles, He does for us.  Before our great trials, we have a sense of God’s presence when He manifests Himself to us.  He also does that every now and then to remind us of His love.  Oftentimes, like the apostles, we miss it.  We are too busy, too wound up, and too distracted, so we miss it.  I read a book about 40 years ago by Father Adrian Van Kaam.  In the book, he said, “God speaks to us with ordinary signs like the wind and the stars, and we often miss it.  We are looking for something else.”  With these terribly ordinary signs that we miss, God is telling us that He loves us and is with us. 

During this big crisis we have right now, it may be comforting to think that in ages past it was much better.  Ahh…No.  You know why we think the past was better?  Because we didn’t live in it.  That’s why we think it was much better back then.  But it wasn’t   You weren’t there.  Name for me any time period since the beginning of the world that was much better.  You can’t, because there isn’t one.  Everybody has their crosses in this world.  We are much better off today except for our being so self-absorbed especially during this time.  Now that the Corona virus has mutated into the Delta variant and the Lambda variant, people are panicking.  “Oh my God! We are all going to die!”  Well, I hate to bust your spiritual bubble, but we are all going to die.  “Oh!  This is terrible!”   The Corona virus has a 99% survival rate.  Okay?  It’s much better than anything else we could possibly get.  When I work in the hospital, doctors often tell patients, “We can’t fix you.”  And, they panic.  You know, when you panic, you make wrong decisions.  Fear paralyzes you.  “But, the virus is out there!”  So, what are you going to do about it?  You will take the ordinary precautions and move on with life.  Do not be trapped by fear.  That’s a tool of the devil.  When you listen to his suggestions, it causes you to make bad judgements.   God is always present and giving you signs of His love.  That’s why I never stop the Mass when something happens. . .they are signs that God is with us.  Would I like to be sick?  No, I’d rather not.  I’m not a very good sick person.  I’m not a very good person, in general, but I’m really not a very good sick person.  Besides my personality disorder of being a pain, you know why?  Because I’m a soldier.  I can soldier my way out of this.  Ask Stump or Doc or anyone else who has served in the military.  When I had to undergo anesthesia for a couple of procedures, I thought, “I’m good. I can drive.”  I couldn’t walk, but I thought I could drive.  I’ll be fine!  Like a soldier, I do my job…a sign that God is with me. 

If you stare at something with intent, you will miss the obvious, because you are looking at something else. Keep in mind that every now and then, you will see something extraordinary. Remember that our Lord is constantly with us.  He is always present and desperately trying to get our attention.  Whether it’s through a sign by our Guardian Angel or the Blessed Mother, our Lord shows us that He is present and never far away and may even be right next to you.  God talks to us through people, places, and things.  I’m great at loving myself.  Sometimes, I wonder if God loves me as much as I love me.  I’m pretty sure He loves me more.  My vocation tells me that He does.  We can show human kindness to others through Corporal Works of Mercy.  We can act as Christ would have us act.  Perhaps, we can be nice while driving and let someone in.  Maybe, we can let someone go ahead of us in the checkout line at Wally-World or Harris Teeter . . . just ordinary, everyday things.  Showing extra courtesy is so extraordinary these days..  We can show courtesy not by just doing things, but by not doing things.  If someone cuts you off in traffic or is going ten miles below the speed limit or doing what I call “the slinky” . . . their speed goes from 40 to 58 to 25 to 52.  Yo, dude, you’ve got cruise control on that car.  Use it!   If it’s an older driver, you don’t know what’s going on with them.  They may be crackers, so you need to practice patience.  Say the Rosary.  Also, if they are really old people – if you can’t see them over the back seat – they are probably on their way to Florida.  They are like a Q-Tip driving a car.  All you can see is this puff of white hair over the seat.  But they may have just buried their husband.  They may have just buried their wife.  Wouldn’t we love for someone to show us extra courtesy?  We have our troubles too.  So, if we are willing, God can use our human nature, like He used the one He took from Mary, to show His love to the world and make it visible.

How will you apply this message to your life? Will you show human kindness to others through the Corporal Works of Mercy? 

 You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to https://annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com/ and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” and then “Sermon Notes.”  From a cell phone, click on “Blog” then “Menu” and then “Categories” (located at the end of page).  There is also a search box if you are looking for a specific topic.