416 N 2nd St, Albemarle NC 28001 | (704) 982-2910
Fr. Mike reflects on the sacredness of Scripture and why the Church venerates Scripture with great reverence. He helps us understand the mystery behind the powerful reality that God speaks to us through human authors. Most importantly, Fr. Mike reminds us that the eternal Word of God is both living and true. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 101-108.
Click on the link to play video: https://youtu.be/RupRbJjkP6c
“The Little Church”
Father Peter Fitzgibbons
January 7-8, 2023
Gospel: Matthew 3:13-17
13 Then Jesus appeared: He came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptised by John. 14 John tried to dissuade Him, with the words, ‘It is I who need baptism from You, and yet You come to me!’ 15 But Jesus replied, ‘Leave it like this for the time being; it is fitting that we should, in this way, do all that uprightness demands.’ Then John gave in to Him. 16 And when Jesus had been baptised He at once came up from the water, and suddenly the heavens opened and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on Him. 17 And suddenly there was a voice from heaven, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on Him.’
Today is the Epiphany which is a Greek word that means manifestation and revelation. There are many of them in Scripture. Next week we will commemorate another epiphany – the baptism of our Good Lord. Today is also called the “Little Christmas” because this is when gifts were given to Christ. It is also a day in which people start taking down their Christmas decorations although some people probably have already taken them down. The Sacristans will soon remove the Manger, but the poinsettias will stay for a while until they start dropping petals which really drives me nuts. But it’s sad when they take all that stuff away, especially the Manger or the creche because it calls to mind a lot of things. However, the highest act of love did not happen on Christmas. It happened at His Passion, death, and resurrection. And that is why He came.
Church is a “what” but it is also a “Who.” Remember in the Book of Acts, Christ said, “Paul, why are you persecuting Me?” He didn’t say, “Paul, why are you persecuting the people who tithe and who helped build the buildings.” He said, “Why are you persecuting Me?” The Church is Christ. Therefore, the Manger is the “Little Church.” By the way, according to Scripture, the family lived in a house. They were not poor – they had a house. The Manger scene is visible scripture and visible theology. Because Christ is present, it is Christology (the study of Who Christ is). Because the Manger is the Little Church, it is also Ecclesiology (the study of what the Church is). It teaches us about the Church.
More is revealed through the gifts given by the Magi (the wise men and kings from the East). They gave Him gold because He is king. They gave Him frankincense because He is God. Remember the Jews used incense at the altar in the temple. In Revelation, incense is present before the throne of God. So, using incense is scriptural. I use it sparingly and not like in a military gas chamber. But if you have a cold, get near the incense and it will clear you right up. Incense portrays that our Lord is visibly present. And finally, the Magi gave our Lord myrrh, a burial spice, because of why He came.
Who do you find around Jesus? They were all gathered around and looking at Jesus. They weren’t talking about the latest political scandals. They prostrated themselves…they didn’t stand and pray… they prostrated themselves as you do before God. Their faces were in the dirt. But who was there? You find the pure – the Blessed Mother and Saint Joseph who are pure of heart. You find the simple – the shepherds who knew they were ignorant and knew nothing. They were humble and followed God’s directions like Saint Joseph did. And you find the wise men who were astrologers and kings from the East. They were truly educated. What is the best fruit of an education? Is it having a bunch of initials after your name? Is it having a Mensa card in your wallet? The best fruit of an education is realizing that you don’t know everything. Even with everything you have learned in the past, there is so much more to learn. You have just scratched the surface. The more you learn the more you realize how ignorant you are. The wise men realized how ignorant they were, and that’s why they came. They came to be in the presence of Christ. And that is who you will always find around Christ – the holy, the simple, and the wise.
The Manger is the Church, and it is a beautiful thing to have in your home. Everything is right there in the Manger and very teachable. So, as you put the Manger scene away for the next 48 weeks or so, remember that you have a beautiful library stashed away. It is a beautiful meditation on what our Faith is.
How will you apply this message to your life? ________________________________________
You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” then “Sermon Notes.” On a cell phone: click on “Blog” then “Menu” and then “Categories.” Sermon Notes are also available on the church Facebook page at facebook.com/ola.catholic.church. Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”
Saint Hilary of Poitiers (c. 315 – c. 368)
This staunch defender of the divinity of Christ was a gentle and courteous man, devoted to writing some of the greatest theology on the Trinity, and was like his Master in being labeled a “disturber of the peace.” In a very troubled period in the Church, his holiness was lived out in both scholarship and controversy. He was bishop of Poitiers in France.
Raised a pagan, he was converted to Christianity when he met his God of nature in the Scriptures. His wife was still living when he was chosen, against his will, to be the bishop of Poitiers in France. He was soon taken up with battling what became the scourge of the fourth century, Arianism, which denied the divinity of Christ.
The heresy spread rapidly. Saint Jerome said “The world groaned and marveled to find that it was Arian.” When Emperor Constantius ordered all the bishops of the West to sign a condemnation of Athanasius, the great defender of the faith in the East, Hilary refused and was banished from France to far off Phrygia. Eventually he was called the “Athanasius of the West.”
While writing in exile, he was invited by some semi-Arians (hoping for reconciliation) to a council the emperor called to counteract the Council of Nicea. But Hilary predictably defended the Church, and when he sought public debate with the heretical bishop who had exiled him, the Arians, dreading the meeting and its outcome, pleaded with the emperor to send this troublemaker back home. Hilary was welcomed by his people.
Reflection
Christ said his coming would bring not peace but a sword (see Matthew 10:34). The Gospels offer no support for us if we fantasize about a sunlit holiness that knows no problems. Christ did not escape at the last moment, though he did live happily ever after—after a life of controversy, problems, pain and frustration. Hilary, like all saints, simply had more of the same.
In today’s “In Brief” section, Fr. Mike reviews the relationship between Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture, emphasizing that both make up the single deposit of Faith. He also explains how the Magisterium is able to interpret authentically and authoritatively the Word of God. Lastly, he reminds us that the way the Church prays and lives, reveals who the Church is. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs are 96-100.
Click on the link to play video: https://youtu.be/9FJCprViVq0
How do we come to accept the binding truths of the Faith? Fr. Mike explains how the dogmas of the Faith are boundaries designed to help us know God and ourselves accurately. He invites us to see these boundaries as lights along our path that enable us to love God and fully do his will. If we can understand that these dogmas are guided by love, we can come to receive them as gifts for the salvation of our souls. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 88-95.
Click on the link to watch video: https://youtu.be/7YeNZPlVhfQ
Saint Marguerite Bourgeoys’ Story (April 17, 1620 – January 12, 1700)
“God closes a door and then opens a window,” people sometimes say when dealing with their own disappointment or someone else’s. That was certainly true in Marguerite’s case. Children from European as well as Native American backgrounds in 17th-century Canada benefited from her great zeal and unshakable trust in God’s providence.
Born the sixth of 12 children in Troyes, France, Marguerite at the age of 20 believed that she was called to religious life. Her applications to the Carmelites and Poor Clares were unsuccessful. A priest friend suggested that perhaps God had other plans for her.
In 1654, the governor of the French settlement in Canada visited his sister, an Augustinian canoness in Troyes. Marguerite belonged to a sodality connected to that convent. The governor invited her to come to Canada and start a school in Ville-Marie (eventually the city of Montreal). When she arrived, the colony numbered 200 people with a hospital and a Jesuit mission chapel.
Soon after starting a school, she realized her need for coworkers. Returning to Troyes, she recruited a friend, Catherine Crolo, and two other young women. In 1667, they added classes at their school for Indian children. A second trip to France three years later resulted in six more young women and a letter from King Louis XIV, authorizing the school. The Congregation of Notre Dame was established in 1676 but its members did not make formal religious profession until 1698 when their Rule and constitutions were approved.
Marguerite established a school for Indian girls in Montreal. At the age of 69, she walked from Montreal to Quebec in response to the bishop’s request to establish a community of her sisters in that city. By the time she died, she was referred to as the “Mother of the Colony.” Marguerite was canonized in 1982.
Reflection
It’s easy to become discouraged when plans that we think that God must endorse are frustrated. Marguerite was called not to be a cloistered nun but to be a foundress and an educator. God had not ignored her after all.
Fr. Mike breaks down the Catechism’s teaching that divine revelation consists of both Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition and emphasizes why both sources are of equal importance in the Faith. He also clarifies the difference between Apostolic Tradition and ecclesial traditions. Lastly, Fr. Mike encourages us to receive with docility the teachings and directives of the Magisterium of the Church, trusting in the authority of the Pope and the bishops. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 80-87.
The Gospel was handed on in two ways — orally and in writing. Both Scripture and Tradition are sources of Divine Revelation. Fr. Mike describes how the first apostles left bishops as their successors, passing down to them their teaching authority, and this apostolic succession is preserved until the end of time. The passing on of the Faith isn’t something reserved for bishops but something we are all called to participate in. Through the Holy Spirit, God’s Word is present and active in the Church today. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 74-79.
Click on the link to play video: https://youtu.be/zkg_64i4uVY