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Sermon Notes – December 18, 2022 – “The Silent Saint”

“The Silent Saint”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

 December 17 – 18, 2022

Gospel:  Matthew 1:18-24

18 This is how Jesus Christ came to be born. His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph; but before they came to live together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.  19 Her husband Joseph, being an upright man and wanting to spare her disgrace, decided to divorce her informally. 20 He had made up his mind to do this when suddenly the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because she has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit.  21 She will give birth to a Son and you must name Him Jesus, because He is the one who is to save His people from their sins.’  22 Now all this took place to fulfil what the Lord had spoken through the prophet:  23 Look! the virgin is with child and will give birth to a Son whom they will call Immanuel, a name which means ‘God-is-with-us’. 24 When Joseph woke up he did what the angel of the Lord had told him to do: he took his wife to his home.

In the Christmas narratives about the birth of our Lord, one person gets short scripted, spiritually speaking.   However, it doesn’t bother him because he’s in Heaven in the presence of our good Lord forever.  He has everything, so he doesn’t take it personally although some of us would.  Who is he?  Saint Joseph the Silent who never uttered a word in scripture.   According to some traditions, Saint Joseph was without sin but that is pious tradition and not de fide.   The Church is silent on that.  But, if you look at the staff he carries, it always has a lily, and the lily is a sign of purity. 

In ancient Israel, when you were betrothed, you were considered married even before you lived together.  You have to read the Gospel in the context of the times because that is when it was written.  Even though events in the Gospel happened over 2,000 years ago, we tend to interpret the events and words as if they were a part of our culture today.  And that’s not true.   An angel of the Lord came to Joseph in a dream and said, “Have no fear about taking Mary as your wife.”  It is the beginning and the continuing of our redemption because he said “yes” to Almighty God in a dream.  Did he understand it?  No – but he did it.  The obedience of Saint Joseph is a model for what our response should be.  What an example of faith.    

In other dreams, he was told to go to Egypt and to come back from Egypt.  He did a lot of walking.  He had to walk with Mary who rode on a mule or something like it all the way to Bethlehem.  It was shoe leather express all the way.  When he couldn’t find a room for her, he had to put her in a stable.  You may say, “Well, he was poor.”  Scripture doesn’t say that.  Quite to the contrary.  When the Wise Men came, they found the family in a house.  Joseph was a skilled tradesman.  In those days, carpenters were highly skilled tradesmen.  So, he was probably very secure in his finances.   Scripture doesn’t mention that – only that he was a carpenter.  They figured we would know all that.  What a great act of faith by Joseph. .to be told that Mary is with child by God and to take her as his wife.  How can that be possible?  Well, in a few days, we will also wonder how God can become man.  He can because He is God. 

Obedience has two forms.  There is the objective part where you do things out of fear.  Nobody drives 35 mph in town just because it’s the right thing to do.  We do it because the Albemarle Police Department may be close by and watching us.  I always see the Highway Patrol and sheriff deputies at the VFW sitting out of view in Richfield.  They hide really well.  I saw one sitting at the Lutheran Church just over the crest of the hill.  Perfect!   And if law enforcement catches you speeding, they will say, “Come here and make a donation to the State.”   That is objective obedience.  I’ve told you before that the toughest part of obedience is mental interior obedience.  To obey for love of the law giver who wants our service.   It was designed only for our good, and that’s the hard part because our original sin cries, “I know more than You.”    

Joseph never spoke a word in Scripture, but he said “yes” by his actions.  By his actions, he imitated the Blessed Mother’s fiat, “Be it done to me according to thy will.”  What a humble submission of will.  What a humble submission of intellect.  In a few days, we will mark the fruits of Joseph’s cooperation.  What are the fruits of his cooperation?  He was the first human being to hold God in his hands.

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”

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Why Should You Read the Catechism of the Catholic Church?

Why Should You Read the Catechism of the Catholic Church? 

For the same reason that I should wipe the dust off of mine. Because we are called to both deeper intimacy with Christ and to tell the world that Jesus is Lord. Our world has often, in all of its changes and empty promises, forgotten who Jesus Christ is. It looks at broken members of the Church and sees an invention of history, an institution belonging to the past. But we know that the Church is alive, so we must learn the truth and then share it with others. We must show the world how to look at brokenness and see the promise of the Redeemer. 

Reading the Catechism will only enrich your spiritual life. With the help of Fr. Mike Schmitz, we have the opportunity to read the Catechism together, and I encourage you to take that opportunity. I pray that we utilize the Catechism and The Catechism in a Year podcast to come to know, love, and believe in the teachings of the Church. Even more, I pray that we use this opportunity to seek her bridegroom, Christ Jesus, and come to love him through our study. 

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Why Should You Read the Catechism of the Catholic Church?

Why Should You Read the Catechism of the Catholic Church?
For the same reason that I should wipe the dust off of mine. Because we are called to both deeper intimacy with Christ and to tell the world that Jesus is Lord. Our world has often, in all of its changes and empty promises, forgotten who Jesus Christ is. It looks at broken members of the Church and sees an invention of history, an institution belonging to the past. But we know that the Church is alive, so we must learn the truth and then share it with others. We must show the world how to look at brokenness and see the promise of the Redeemer.

Reading the Catechism will only enrich your spiritual life. With the help of Fr. Mike Schmitz, we have the opportunity to read the Catechism together, and I encourage you to take that opportunity. I pray that we utilize the Catechism and The Catechism in a Year podcast to come to know, love, and believe in the teachings of the Church. Even more, I pray that we use this opportunity to seek her bridegroom, Christ Jesus, and come to love him through our study.

//Ascension//

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Do I Have to Go to Mass?

Why do we go to Mass every Sunday? Is it because of what we “get out of it”? Is it the way it makes us feel? Is it out of love for God? Or something even deeper and more profound?

Today, Fr. Mike explains the Church’s teaching on Sunday Mass obligation, and why this is the way that God has asked us to worship him.

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Sermon Notes – December 11, 2022 – “Name It. Say It. Claim It.”

“Name It. Say It. Claim It.”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

 December 10 – 11, 2022

Gospel:  Matthew 11:2-11

2 Now John had heard in prison what Christ was doing and he sent his disciples to ask him, 3 ‘Are you the one who is to come, or are we to expect someone else?’ 4 Jesus answered, ‘Go back and tell John what you hear and see; 5 the blind see again, and the lame walk, those suffering from virulent skin-diseases are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life and the good news is proclaimed to the poor; 6 and blessed is anyone who does not find me a cause of falling.’ 7 As the men were leaving, Jesus began to talk to the people about John, ‘What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swaying in the breeze? No? 8 Then what did you go out to see? A man wearing fine clothes? Look, those who wear fine clothes are to be found in palaces.  9 Then what did you go out for? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet: 10 he is the one of whom scripture says: Look, I am going to send my messenger in front of you to prepare your way before you.  11 ‘In truth I tell you, of all the children born to women, there has never been anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of Heaven is greater than he.


Today is a wonderful day.  Our Lord tells us, “I sent my messenger ahead of me.”  Who is that messenger?  That would be you and me by virtue of our baptism.  We are called to proclaim the coming of Christ.   Christ is coming soon as we know.  We celebrate Him at Christmas during this time of Emmanuel (God is with us).   How do we prepare the way for Him?  First, we prepare ourselves.  We cannot give what we do not have.  I cannot do carpentry work.  Why?  I can’t use power tools…I’m terrible at it.  I don’t have that gift.  But we all have the gift to be holy.  We clean our souls and fill them with Jesus, and we bring that to other people.  How do we tell people?   How can the deaf hear us and the blind see us?   By seeing Christ in us.  We bring the news of Christ by our actions or lack of actions and not by our words.  Nobody says, “Please forgive me.”  They say, “Yeah, I’m sorry; you know that.” 

There is a famous Irish saying, “You do not have to go to every fight you are invited to.”  You don’t have to do that.  What is deadly to our soul?  Sin.  Leprosy was a deadly disease back then…a slow killer as is the unrepentant evil in us.  Read the Catechism.  When we sin, we ask for forgiveness.  Do not apologize.  It is not a sign of weakness as television tells us.  An apology is for using the wrong fork at dinner.  I have only one set of forks in my house, so I’m good.  However, you don’t have to be like Patsy Cline, “I’m sorry, so sorry.”  Shut-up!  You hear this all the time, “I misspoke.”  No, you lied.  You didn’t misspeak.  You lied. Name it.  Say it.  Claim it.   You hear all these what I call “moral theology weasel words.”  Every sin has a name…so name it.  I did pass the Moral Theology course.  You ask for forgiveness.  “I have sinned,” be it culpably, knowingly, or by omission and just being an ignorant jerk.  “I have sinned, and I am sorry.  Please forgive me.”   This is how we preach the Gospel.  You’d be surprised at the look you get on people’s faces. 

We preach the gospel; I get to do it here because I’m a priest.  But my preaching means nothing if I don’t show it in my actions.  That’s what people see.  Many times, in the hospital, people have asked me, “Father, will you visit so-and-so?  They are dying.”  Are they Catholic?  “No.”  So, I visit the patient and say the Prayer for the Dying Soul.  Sometimes nurses will page me and ask that I pray for a patient who is dying.  The patients aren’t Catholic.  The nurses aren’t Catholic.  But because I showed up and visited them they will call me.  The rules have changed at Atrium and nursing homes, but I had a couple of moles and spies who would tell me who was sick.  Now they can’t do that, but I’m working on a new deal.  It takes time to get new sources.  People will see you by your actions.  We pave the way for the Lord by preparing ourselves first.  By preparing our souls first, we prepare the way of the Lord outside of ourselves.

Father’s Reflections:

My first blessing this morning was that I had mince meat pie and jello for breakfast.  I’m living every man’s dream.  Such is life without a wife.  Yesterday we had the funeral for Cornelius Waxmuski, and I told the family that I never knew his first name.  We called him “Waxi.”  The funeral director informed me that there was a problem at the cemetery and that they needed 10 extra minutes.  So, the vehicle procession to the cemetery was slowed down to 10 mph through the city.  Nobody beeped their horns.  It was fun.  We don’t have to wear seat belts in a hearse.  So, you get fringe benefits at a funeral.  One of the good things about being in a small parish for a long time….you get to know the town and its people.  And that is a true blessing.  I feel for those priests who have big parishes and fight fires all the time.  They go from one explosion to another in what we called in the military, “Quick Reaction Force.” 

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”