Author: olacatholic416

“It’s Not About Us”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

May 17 – 18, 2025

Gospel:  John 13:31-35

Every time our Lord asked the Apostles a question, they got the answer wrong.  And when He gives us tasks, He must be specific, because ever since He created man, we have always tried to improve on God’s Word.  “Well, God said this, but He really meant that.”  Huh-huh.  “I think we should do it this way.  It’s much, much better.”  However, every time we have changed things, we have messed things up. 

Our Lord spelled out exactly what we must do to achieve eternal life.  He said, ”As I have loved you, so you also should love one another” (John 13:34).   We do not have to wonder what love means because He left us very specific ways in which to love Him: “If you love Me keep My Commandments” (John 14:15).  And before you start complaining, He also said, “My Commandments are not burdensome” (John 5:3).   He was very specific about how to love and not in the way we think we should.  I think pizza is still great for breakfast, but some doctors might disagree.  Think about it – pizza contains the four basic food groups, and chocolate cake has milk and eggs – all good stuff.  But our Lord left us with very specific ways in which to love.  He not only told us, but He showed us the depth of His love on the Cross.  We may complain that the Commandments are burdensome, but that’s only because of our love of self.  It may have been Saint Ambrose who said, “There is no work involved in love, and if there is, the work itself is love.”  If there is true love for a spouse, child, or friend, there is no cost in the gift.  We do what our good Lord asks us to do because it is a work of love.

I told you the story about how, at the beginning of my hospital work, I had to leave a patient’s room because of the stench.  I made the mistake of telling my father about it.  My father, who was a medic before he became an officer and spy, said, “Son, I understand that.  Do whatever it is you need to do – throw up, pass an organ or two, but then go back into the room.  You are not what is most important.”  That is self-love dying.  We do for others because they were made in the image and likeness of God. 

When I was a soldier, if a fellow soldier didn’t have any smokes, my smokes were theirs.  We took care of our own, and we didn’t count the costs.  We used to go on 12-mile nature walks every quarter, carrying a 60-pound pack containing everything Uncle Sam had issued us.  Those packs were weighed only at the beginning of the walk and not at the end.  As we were on our way, enjoying the beauty of nature, listening to the birds sing, we rejoiced that we actually got paid for the agony.  If a soldier was having a hard day and began to fall behind, I would see other soldiers go up behind that soldier, grab some of the stuff from the soldier’s pack, and add it to their own packs.  They didn’t ask, they just did it, and at the end of the walk, they returned all the stuff they had carried to the soldier.  There was no need to say thank you.  It was just what we did, and it was the right thing to do.  It was Christ-like.  Now, I didn’t see many of them in chapel very often, and Lord knows I tried to change that.  But they knew the love of Christ.

 Loving one another can be hard.  It really can.  Sometimes people are not nice or don’t treat us the way we think they should, and that’s alright.  We are called to love them as Christ did.  We don’t have to like them, but we have to love them.

Father’s Reflections:

On most mornings, I’m usually here in the church saying my prayers and doing my meditation.  This morning, the fruit of my meditation was that pie is still fruit, and although we have service dogs, we don’t have service cats.  There is some meaning behind that.

I have been a priest for a long time, and I saw something in this church that I’ve never seen before.  There was a wedding being performed by a deacon here in our church.  If you are Catholic, you can get married or have a funeral in any church, even at St. Peter’s in Rome.  Please don’t – I really don’t want to do all the paperwork required.  The people today were from Concord, and they were very wonderful people and delightful to work with, which is a shock for weddings; they can be the worst.  Anyhow, I’m sitting in the Sacristy with the door closed, and someone hung paper over the window of the door.  I guess it’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding.  That was the first time I’ve ever seen that happen.  Okay, Lord, I’m ready to go now!

How will you apply this message to your life? _________________________________________

You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to AnnunciationCatholicAlbemarle.com, clicking on “Blog,” then “Categories,” and 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.