Mary and Joseph knew that they had a special role when raising Jesus, but something unexpected happens in the mystery of the Finding in the Temple. Mary may not fully understand Jesus’ explanation that he would be “in his Father’s house”, but she continues to trust in God’s plan. We have all experienced times in which we cannot visualize God’s plan for us, but Fr. Mark-Mary reminds us that we have a perfect director who will make a masterpiece out of our stories. All we have to do is trust and say yes. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.
Simeon’s words at the Presentation of the Lord, “Now let your servant depart in peace according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation,” are said around the world every day by religious and lay people alike in Compline, also known as Night Prayer. Fr. Mark-Mary shares the story of a blind man who truly knew what it meant to see his savior with the eyes of faith, inviting us to pray our Rosary for true sight like Simeon. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.
“You Will Know They are Christian by Their Love” Father Peter Fitzgibbons
February 15 – 16, 2025
Gospel: Luke 6:17, 20-26
In the last year or so, people have become increasingly agitated about politics, football, and other stuff. Everybody is upset about one thing or another. To help people with their agitation and inner strife, I ask them a series of diagnostic questions. The series of diagnostic questions begins like this: Are you taking incoming fire? No. Are there mass casualties? No. Is Walmart closing? No. Has Domino’s stopped delivering? No. Have you lost your flush plumbing? No. Have you lost your breathing privileges? No. Has God stopped loving you? No. Then you are fine, okay? Grow up. You’re fine. This is not the hill to die on. Just do the next right thing, and you will be great. People tell me they need grief counseling. Well, I have a useful way to get it, and it will only cost you a buck. Buy a newspaper and look in the obituary section. Now you will have a sense of belonging. Everybody dies. You are just like the rest of us who must deal with the grief of losing someone.
When I’m out in public, this happens to me a lot. People will say, “Hi, Pastor.” Most people don’t know this, but the word “pastor” is a job title, just like “chaplain” is. I’m a priest. They ask me, “How are you?” and I’ll say, “I’m good. How are you?” Some say, “I’m a Christian,” to which I reply, “Good, I’m glad to hear that.” We exchange a few more pleasantries, and they go about their way. They are respectful and very nice by and large. But I always want to ask them what brand of Christian they are. I would really like to know. I read an article the other day that there are 45,000 different sects of Christianity. Even though they believe different things, they all think they are going to Heaven, everyone except us.
There was a time when everyone who was Christian had a common sense of morality. Every denomination that called itself Christian believed that birth control was a sin. But in 1938, there was a meeting of Episcopal bishops, and they decided to improve Scripture. They decided that birth control is good. What were once considered crimes in the old criminal law are now extolled as virtues. “Christ would have wanted this.” Well, if He wanted it, He would have said it. The New Testament ends with the Book of Revelation. You cannot improve it. So, when people say they are Christian, I have no idea what that means. I really don’t.
If you are a Christian, how would I know unless you tell me? You know people are Christian by their acts of love. The Apostles did what Christ did. Christ said, “If you love Me, you will keep My Commandments (John 14:15). He left specific instructions. He didn’t say, “My instructions only have a shelf life of about 2,000 years. After that, they will be out of date, and you can make up your own.” No, I don’t think so. Christ was quite specific and did not give us much wiggle room. If we are followers of Christ, we will do what He did. Why? Because we love Him more than ourselves. We don’t have to tell anyone we are Christian. They will see it in our acts of love, in our acts of compassion, and in our acts of long-suffering. They will see the love of Christ working through our human nature. They will see His love and care for us. You can call yourself anything you want, but you must be whatever it is you call yourself.
If you claim to be a follower of Christ, you must follow Him by doing what He did. We take up our crosses every day and follow Him. We try to mirror our lives by what He did. We will fall; all of us do, even me. But we all get back up again and strive to follow Christ. This is what we do if we are Christian. We show it by our actions, by the way we live, by the way we love, by the way we sacrifice, and by the way we pray. This is how we can know the followers of Christ.
Father’s Reflections . . . It is good to be home. I’ve had many of you ask how my trip was. To say it was weird, would be an understatement. There are two words we use in the Army that would describe it perfectly, but I cannot use them here. All I can say about my trip is that I picked a hell of a time to stop drinking. After I finished my aunt’s funeral Mass, I talked to the priests who were there for a few minutes and then went to Confession. When I walked out of the church, everyone was gone. Nice. Leave the Holy Man there in the middle of East Nowhere. So, I called my cousin and asked, “Where are you?” She said, “We are in the funeral procession. Where are you?” I’m here at the church. She said, “Well, follow us.” Cousin, I am not from Fall River. I have no idea where I am. “Oh.” She gave me directions, and I knew where I was in a mile or so. After the funeral, I found my way back to the house. They had ordered all sorts of food. The first box I picked up was a cheese pizza with French fries as a topping. You’re joking, right? I’m a cardiac patient. My family is definitely at the top of the weird scale. It is good to be back!
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.
How would we feel if we could experience the Nativity the way Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, and Magi did? Fr. Mark-Mary shares the story of a visitor who truly experienced the awe and wonder of Christmas, revealing what an incredible gift Jesus is for all of us. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Nativity and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.
God takes our ordinary and turns it into the extraordinary. Fr. Mark-Mary leads us through a meditation on the mystery of the Visitation, focusing on the Magnificat, describing how Elizabeth’s words of joy turn into song in Mary. Similarily, God enters the narratives of our lives, turning our prose into poetry and song, making our lives into something beautiful. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Visitation and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.
