Our human hearts were made to love and to be loved, to give and receive love. Every beat of every heart is made possible through a God who is love. But do you know that the very heart of God also beats for you? That is what Jesus said to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, Apostle of the Heart of Jesus, as he revealed his enflamed heart to her: “Behold this Heart which has so loved men as to spare Itself nothing, even to exhausting and consuming Itself, to testify to them Its love.” This revelation is what we have come to know as the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
When we give our lives for the sake of empowerment of the other, we embrace the paradox that is central to every paschal journey. This is not death pursued for its own sake, nor is it suffering for the sake of suffering. It is the daily cross we are all asked to undertake to rid our world of the meaningless suffering largely caused by the blindness that is unable to see the enduring paradox on which all life flourishes. Whether we engage the paradox on the grand cosmic scale or consider its application to our individual lives, the challenge is equally daunting. The first hurdle we need to negotiate is the persistent indoctrination of dualistic splitting, dividing life into the binary opposites of earth versus heaven, matter versus spirit, body versus soul. The illumination of truth does not belong to the clarity of the polar opposites but to the gray area in between, where, day in and day out, we work out the meaning of life.) This is where the real stuff happens. Here is where we encounter afresh our inherited patriarchal, dualistic, and imperialistic wisdom and face the disturbing truth that deeper meaning evolves elsewhere— in the restless, pulsating throes of an evolving universe ever inviting us to new horizons, ever risky, yet persistently creative!
Jesus belongs to a reality greater than his individual self and therefore would also include himself in the command that we should seek first the new companionship (Matthew 6:33). Jesus, therefore, may be viewed as the primordial disciple of this new empowering dispensation, with all humans called to be co-disciples—not for but with Jesus. As co-disciples we are called to be friends and not mere servants. And there are no privileged power positions in this new dispensation, wherein unconditional love is the primary driving force. Knowing that we are loved unconditionally, then we are called to serve all others—humans and nonhumans alike—with something of that same unconditional love with which we ourselves are loved. Finally, the word earthing reminds us unambiguously that it is in and with creation at large that we seek to foster and uphold the power of unconditional love.
The language of paradox is written all over creation. It is there for us to read and discern. When we do attend to it, it seems to make life more tolerable, more bearable; dare I suggest, more meaningful. When we fail to attend, we expose ourselves to forces that can be cruel and devastating. Apparently, we do have a choice. The big problem, however, is that the choice seems to lead in directions that are alien to our imperial Western consciousness, to our rational ways of perceiving and acting, to our prized sense of being in control of the contingent nature of the world we inhabit. To opt for the other choice feels like betraying or abandoning all we have worked so hard for, all that constitutes the very foundations of a civilized world.
Stability has never featured strongly in my life; the older I become the more I encounter daily challenges to integrate change and new perspectives. Observing the natural world we inhabit, the plant, the tree, and the animal never remain the same. Everything grows, unfolds into ever new ways of being. We can’t control such change; indeed, the only authentic response we can make is to learn to flow with it. In the change we experience around and within us, there is another inescapable dimension: decay, decline, and death. Such disintegration is not an evil, nor is it the consequence of sin stated in Romans 6:23, but it is a God-given dimension of all creation. Without the disintegration and death of the old there can be no true novelty. The ability to let go of that which previously sustained us is a perquisite for embracing the new that morphs into further growth and development.
We are birthed into life in the empowering grace of our creative God, and our collaborative responsibility with that God is to birth anew the nature that has birthed us. In this co-creative process, there is no room for patriarchal power or manipulation. It is our sense of belonging that defines our true nature and our God-given identity. That to which we belong defines the very essence of our adult selves. Therefore, God’s will for humans—and for all creation—is to exercise an agency of co-creation: to bring about on earth a greater fullness, the evolutionary complexity I described in chapter one. We are meant to be an engaged and involved species, adult people serving an adult God, in the ever-evolving enterprise of our magnificent universe. Seeking to escape to a life hereafter makes no evolutionary sense anymore; in fact, it never did for our ancient ancestors.
Today Holy Mother Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ or the Feast of Corpus Christi. In the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, our Lord and God, Jesus Christ, is made physically present under the veil of bread and wine. We call that transubstantiation. “Wow, that’s a big word!” It’s six syllables. I know; I learned Catholic school English. “But it’s tough to remember.” Well, first and second graders learn it, so how tough can it be? “It’s hard to understand.” No, it’s not. You’ve all had experience with it. “What do you mean, Father?” For example, my mother’s apple pie was the best. Nobody could make the same apple pie as my mother. Granted, they all had apples, bread, dough, and whatever else goes into an apple pie. I’m not a culinary kind of guy…I’m a real man. They used the same ingredients, but it was different. Now it should have tasted like the pies you can get at Harris Teeter because, as chemistry tells us, it has the same ingredients. But it is different. Why was that? Because my mother’s love transformed those ordinary elements into something wonderful and unique. You will never have that again this side of Heaven. And gentlemen, please do not go to your spouse and say that your mother’s pie was better. It’s different – you don’t have to say it’s better, otherwise you will get so badly hurt that you will need to seek medical treatment. Just an offering of some marriage counseling. But this is what happens here. We experience it all the time. Christ changes the essence of ordinary elements into His love which Himself. If our mothers can do it with their apple pies, why can’t Christ do it?
The priest takes the place of Christ and makes present the Sacrifice which is before the Father in Heaven. We become one with the Sacrifice in the Offertory when the priest takes your human natures and makes them one with Christ on the altar. Christ received His human nature from the Blessed Mother, and He suffered, died, and was redeemed with it. From the Cross, He took the human natures of Saint John, Mary Magdalene, and Mary of Clopas. He took their human natures and united their suffering with Himself. He takes your human nature and unites it with His suffering always before God and present in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. This is our faith. The central doctrine is that God is with us. God is physically here and not in the ethereal sense. That’s why the Blessed Sacrament is kept in the middle of the church. The Blessed Sacrament is central to everything, and everything points to it. We are surrounded by the best way to have a foretaste of Heaven.
Over the years, you have made this church something really beautiful. People who come and visit here always remark about how beautiful it is, and that’s because of your love. Your love for God is expressed in the beauty that is present in testimony of what is here – not what is here – but Who is here. You make a profession of faith every time you receive Holy Communion. Like the apostles at the Last Supper in the Upper Room, you receive from the hands of the priest, who is acting in the person of Christ, Christ Himself. When you are given Holy Communion, I say “Body of Christ.” This gift is so sublime that Paul said there are rules about it. These are not exclusionary rules. Our Lord had rules about it… this greatest act of love. In order to receive this gift, we must show our greatest act of love by a total renunciation of ourselves and sin.
This is our faith, and we are transformed by it. I had a quinceañera which is a Mexican event for 15-year-old girls. The girls wear dresses similar to those in “Gone with The Wind,” and I always ask them, “How do you sit down?” Of course, that’s a mystery I’m not meant to understand on this side of Heaven. I tell these girls to be holy and they will have a joy that no one can take from them. Always be united with our Lord in the Sacraments of Holy Communion and Confession as Saint John Paul II said. Those are the Sacraments of the Most Precious Body and Blood. Then you will have a joy that nobody can take. We can lose that joy only through sin. So, we are the makers of our own misery. You will be transformed. When you leave here you become your own ciborium which is the covered chalice that contains the Blessed Sacrament. You bring God to other people from within yourself. When Saint Therese of Lisieux was too young to receive Holy Communion, after her mother received Communion and returned to the pew, Saint Therese would put her head in her mother’s lap because Jesus was there. You can bring that love. It’s a personal choice, but do what you can
This is our Faith…our wondrous Faith. If you are in a state of grace, you can receive Communion every time you go to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. What a wonderful gift. The Lord remembers every gift. How can we surprise our Lord when we receive His gift? By saying “thank you.” Remember the lepers He cured and how many of them thanked Him? How will you apply this message to your life? __________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________
Father’s Reflections. . .
It’s Fathers’ Day, and during my morning meditation it occurred to me that the greatest lessons my father taught me were never spoken.
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.
The next twenty-one years were a time of total dedication to serving the sick and the poor in the burgeoning city of the Midwest, Detroit, Michigan. Sent by the superiors to be the assistant to Br. Francis Spruck, monastery porter for over twenty-five years, Solanus soon became the one friar whom everybody wanted to see.… Poor Br. Francis, who was provincial tailor and porter at the same time, had hoped that the new porter would lessen his work at the office. Now, as Solanus became more and more known, the doorbell rang constantly. The friars finally put a sign over the bell, “WALK IN.”
The fame of Solanus spread by word of mouth all over the city. When people were sick or in difficulty, the word was, “Go see Father Solanus.” He was everybody’s friend, and like a good friend he was always available. On a typical day at the monastery office, all the chairs lined up around the room would be occupied. People patiently waited a turn to speak with Solanus, who sat at a plain desk in the center of the room. Sometimes he would be interrupted by the telephone on his desk. He would turn his attention to the caller, always with patience and equanimity. Every visitor was important to Solanus. He never hurried anyone. With complete attention he patiently listened to each tale of concern for a sick child or parent or friend. Gently he would speak of God’s love and how God turns trials to blessings. He would try to share his own deep faith and trust in God with the person before him.
While I was up north on vacation, I did some touring and saw a lot of churches. Rhode Island is a small state with only about 1,000 square miles in land mass. Stanly County has 404, so Rhode Island is just a little larger than our parish. So is Massachusetts. It’s funny that even in little West Warwick there are two off-brand Catholic Churches. “We are Catholic, but we are not part of the diocese in Providence.” Well, that means you are not Catholic. You are catholic with a small “c” and not a big “C.” All the churches I saw had signs out front that said, “All people are welcome.” We don’t have a sign like that here. Have I ever thrown anyone out? No. Would I? No… well maybe Doc, but that’s another matter. So, these churches have signs welcoming everyone, and it reminds me of Genesis when God asked Adam and Eve: “Who told you that you were naked?” Who told you that you were not welcome?
Christ calls everybody without condition to Himself. He came so that we might all share in His love and the fruits of His sacrifice so that we might live in Heaven with Him. That’s why He created us…to love and serve Him in this world and to reign with Him in the next. Remember your Catechism. Our Good Lord called everyone to Himself, however, apparently there are qualifications . . . a response to that call of love. That’s why I have never thrown anybody out. Remember Tommy Morton who was a Baptist for 55 years? Like Saint Dismas, he stole Heaven at the end. I loved that guy. Everyone is welcome here, but only practicing Catholics can receive Communion.
When our Good Lord called everyone to Him, He said, “Come and follow Me.” He calls all of us to receive the gift of redemption. Now, according to Scripture, there are requirements which are really acts of love. People say, “Well Christ wants everyone to partake of His love regardless of their state.” No. That’s not what Scripture says. Scripture says, “unless you deny your very self and take up your cross and follow Me, you will not be My disciple.” In order to receive the gift of His love which transforms us from our old sinful ways, we have to surrender ourselves to Him. Remember the rich young man? He said that he had to go bury his mother and father, and he walked away from Christ. Did Christ go running after him to say He was only kidding? No. Three times He was left with only His apostles. Everyone else left Him when He spoke about the Doctrine of the Eucharist – eat My flesh and drink My blood as food; the doctrine of marriage – it is between a man and a woman for life; and the doctrine of suffering – He would have to go to Jerusalem and suffer and die. There are many others, but the mind will hear only what the seat can endure. The Holy Father said that a sermon should only go for eight minutes.
God wants a total response to our love. When I was ordained, I was given the power to absolve sins. I have the power of binding and loosening. What can I bind and what can I not let go? People who are not sorry for their sins and who haven’t resolved to make amends for their wrongs. We all have the resolve to change. We all fall but we get up again. If you say, “I am living with whoever, wherever, and doing whatever, and you have to love me the same as everyone else,” Christ will say, “No.” “But how could you excommunicate anybody?” Paul said we should. Those who eat and drink the Body and Blood of Christ are worthy and guilty of His death.
So, our Good Lord calls everyone to His side. Everyone is welcome here. I don’t think any of the ushers have ever asked anybody for their Baptismal Certificate. I don’t think we say, “Well if you don’t have a proper Baptismal Certificate, you’re not going to Heaven.” I have never said that. I am just hoping to get there myself. If I eat bacon, I might get there a lot sooner than I planned. Just putting that out there. God asks us to renounce our very self. In the Parable of the Wedding Feast, there’s a man there without a wedding garment and he got thrown out. He would not change in order to come to the feast. Christ calls us to change from our sinful selves and to open our hearts without reservation so that we may conform to the great things in life. It’s always a work in progress. But if we fall down, we get back up and keep trying.
Everyone is welcome. However, God wants more than your physical presence. It’s a good start, but He wants us to open our souls and renounce our sins. He cannot force us because love is a free-will act. Open your hearts so that you can be transformed. It’s not a matter of attendance, of making people feel good, or singing “Kumbaya” together. It’s a matter of salvation…of changing and healing souls.
All are welcome. We don’t need to put up a sign out front for that. I’ll tell you one more story about Bishop Waters, the Bishop of North Carolina. In the early 60’s, there was only one diocese in the state. Someone asked the Bishop, “Hey Bishop, how many black Catholics do you have?” He said, “I don’t know. We only have Catholics in our church.” We have no distinction. When people say to me, “Father, I’m not Catholic,” I say, “First of all, I didn’t ask, and 2) We are all children of God.” Everyone has a right to be here. This is our Father’s house and not a club. But our Good Lord wants more than our physical attendance. He calls all of us to come, but not all will accept His love the way God wants to give it. And that’s a real tragedy.
How will you apply this message to your life? __________________________________
Father’s Reflections . . . We all go through trials and temptations. As of late, I have been very troubled with a very grievous and troublesome temptation. I have two fairies on each shoulder whispering in my ears “Bacon is good for you.” And everywhere I go there is a Hardees “Baconator” sign. Really? Well, that’s just food pornography….I don’t care who you are!
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.
