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Sermon Notes: January 30 – 31, 2021: “I Want Pizza!”

“ I Want Pizza! “

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

January 30 – 31, 2021

Gospel:  Mark 1:21-28

How do we pass on the message of Christ?  How do we bring Christ to people?  Well, the answer is rather simple.  It really is.  You don’t need to learn anything new.  You don’t have to sign up for a course.  It doesn’t cost anything.  You just tell people the good news – not your good news, but His.  Saint Francis of Assisi said “Preach the gospel at all times and, if necessary, use words.”  Preach the gospel, whether in season or out of season, convenient or inconvenient, and use words if necessary.  If it’s necessary to use words, what words do we use?  We use the words of Christ.  We talk as He talked, and use the same words He used.  So, what were the words He used?  We have them, and they provide an air of authority, because they are true.  They are the very Word of God. 

The only time Jesus was angry or rebuked someone was when He was dealing with Satan.  He didn’t run up and down aisles screaming and shouting.  He didn’t do that.  He never raised His voice.  His sermons were not very long, and He didn’t use props except for children so that He could shame the apostles.  The Sermon on the Mount is one of the greatest sermons ever given.  Jesus went up on the mountain, sat down, and delivered an eight sentence sermon about the Beatitudes to over 5,000 people.  His words carried and everyone heard Him.  He didn’t speak long, but He spoke with words that everyone heard.  On another occasion, our good Lord went out onto a lake in a boat and preached to a crowd gathered on the shore. That’s very difficult to do when you’re on the water. But, everyone heard Him. 

In Acts, Peter preached at Pentecost to the Jews gathered in Jerusalem for the feast.  Every heart heard him, even though the people there were from different countries and spoke different languages.  Peter didn’t run up and down the aisles.  That’s not preaching – that’s a performance.  Preach as Jesus did.  Paul thought he had a better idea when he went to Athens.  He decided to jazz up the message and make it really hip.  He changed the sermon to make it more meaningful.  I love that word – meaningful – almost as much as I love the word “tasteful.”  Well, everything has a taste.  For example, horse manure has taste…you won’t like it, but it has taste.  Oh, this is very tasty.  That doesn’t mean it’s good or bad.  Paul tried to develop a relationship by getting down on the same level as the Athenians.  Instead of raising them up, he went down and taught on their level and in their language.  What happened?  He got only two disciples.  When he left there, he did an after-action report and had one of those  V-8 moments.  I will only preach Christ and Him Crucified.  And, then look what happened.  He preached the way Christ preached…by actions and by words.  The words he used were Christ’s words.  We should not use our words or the words that we think Christ would say.  “But, God is telling me to do this.”  You need some medicine.  Preach like Christ did.  That’s what He told us to do.  It doesn’t have to be long, and it doesn’t have to be loud.  Christ sat and taught.  He didn’t use props. Also, people were not fed their way to Jesus.  “Give them pizza, and they will come.”  Yeah…they eat the free pizza, and then they leave.  We had a food ministry in the military called Bible study lunch.  I went to one, because I wanted the free pizza.  The soldiers ate the free pizza, and then they left.  There was nothing the chaplains could do about it.  Those were the rules, and the soldiers knew that.  They weren’t stupid.  They may have been paratroopers, but they weren’t stupid. 

Teach as Jesus taught by using His exact words.  Those words give us the authority, not for us, but so that every heart hears the words it was meant to hear.  Now, in case someone is thinking, “Well, your life is not perfect.”  Oh, heck no.  My life is not perfect at all.  The words are not my words. I’m just a conduit.  I’m just passing along what our good Lord said.  The focus must be on the message and not the messenger. I am trying to live like our good Lord said, and I’m having problems with that, so if you would pray for me, I’d really appreciate it.  People are surprised when we don’t defend ourselves by saying something like, “Oh, I’m a great Christian.” 

How do we tell people about Jesus?  Do as Jesus did.  Preach as Jesus preached.  Use words if necessary.

How will you apply this message to your life?  Will you tell others about the good news of Jesus Christ?  Will you do as He did and preach as He preached?

Father’s Afterthoughts…

  • Last night, I had to smile while reading the Old Testament.  All I could think of was that God is Italian.  You know why?  He put out a contract for a hit on all the false prophets.  Wow!  He means business.
  • I was at the hospital on Friday. You should see the working conditions I work under…it’s not just the smells and everything else.   Anyway, I came out of a room and said something to the nurse who said, “You know, Father, you should have gone to medical school.”  I said, “Really?  How…as a student or cadaver?”  Fair question.

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.”

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Saint of the Day – February 4th

St. Jane of Valois (1464-1505) was born to French King Louis XI and Charlotte of Savoy. Much of her life was marked by neglect and emotional abuse. Her father resented her because she was a sickly and deformed female child. He sent her away to a remote country home where she was carelessly raised before being married off at the age of nine to her cousin, the Duke of Orléans. Her husband likewise despised and publicly humiliated her, and their marriage was never consummated.

Jane had a devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary from a young age, especially in the mystery of the Incarnation. One day Our Lady appeared to Jane and told her that in the future she would found a religious community. Through her veneration of the Blessed Mother, Jane found the strength to be a loyal and devoted wife during her painful twenty-two year marriage. When her husband became king, he had their marriage annulled. This left Jane free to found the Order of the Annunciation dedicated to imitating Mary’s virtues, as Our Lady foretold. She also gave her Order the duty of constant prayer for the souls of her father and husband who both mistreated her.

St. Jane of Valois’ feast day is February 4th.

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Saint of the Day – February 3, 2021

Saint Blaise (d. 316 A.D.)

Saint Blaise’s Story

We know more about the devotion to Saint Blaise by Christians around the world than we know about the saint himself. His feast is observed as a holy day in some Eastern Churches. In 1222, the Council of Oxford prohibited servile labor in England on Blaise’s feast day. The Germans and Slavs hold him in special honor, and for decades many United States Catholics have sought the annual Saint Blaise blessing for their throats.

We know that Bishop Blaise was martyred in his episcopal city of Sebastea, Armenia, in 316. The legendary Acts of St. Blaise were written 400 years later. According to them Blaise was a good bishop, working hard to encourage the spiritual and physical health of his people. Although the Edict of Toleration (311), granting freedom of worship in the Roman Empire, was already five years old, persecution still raged in Armenia. Blaise was apparently forced to flee to the back country. There he lived as a hermit in solitude and prayer, but he made friends with the wild animals. One day a group of hunters seeking wild animals for the amphitheater stumbled upon Blaise’s cave. They were first surprised and then frightened. The bishop was kneeling in prayer surrounded by patiently waiting wolves, lions and bears.

The legend has it that as the hunters hauled Blaise off to prison, a mother came with her young son who had a fish bone lodged in his throat. At Blaise’s command the child was able to cough up the bone.

Agricolaus, governor of Cappadocia, tried to persuade Blaise to sacrifice to pagan idols. The first time Blaise refused, he was beaten. The next time he was suspended from a tree and his flesh torn with iron combs or rakes. Finally, he was beheaded.

Reflection

Four centuries give ample opportunity for fiction to creep in with fact. Who can be sure how accurate Blaise’s biographer was? But biographical details are not essential. Blaise is seen as one more example of the power those have who give themselves entirely to Jesus. As Jesus told his apostles at the Last Supper, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you” (John 15:7). With faith we can follow the lead of the Church in asking for Blaise’s protection.

Saint Blaise is the Patron Saint of:

Throat Ailments
English Wool Combers

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Saint of the Day – February 2nd

St. Lawrence of Canterbury (d. 619 A.D.) was among the original band of missionaries sent from Rome to evangelize England with St. Augustine, the first Archbishop of Canterbury. As a fruit of their labor the region’s most powerful ruler, the King of Kent, became a baptized Christian along with many of his countrymen.

When Augustine died, Lawrence became Canterbury’s second Archbishop. He was a zealous leader and urged the Celtic bishops to keep peace and unity with Rome. When the King of Kent died, his pagan son caused great damage to the faith of the people and the mission work which had been done among them; because of this, some of the missionaries fled to Gaul.

Lawrence was so upset by the abandonment of Christianity among his flock that he considered abandoning his bishopric as well. In response, St. Peter the Apostle appeared to him in a vision, rebuked him, and scourged him so badly that Lawrence had physical marks on his body from the encounter. St. Lawrence then relayed his vision to the king and showed him his wounds, causing the king to convert to the Christian faith as his father did. St. Lawrence’s feast day is February 2nd.

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Saint of the Day – February 2nd

St. Brigid of Ireland (451–525 A.D.), also known as St. Brigit of Kildare, was born to a pagan Irish chieftain and a Christian slave mother. Being the daughter of a slave woman, she also was a slave, and worked as a dairy maid. She became known for her virtuous life and her charity to the poor.

Recognizing her great piety and special graces, a Christian king convinced her father to grant Brigid her freedom. Once free to follow her own course in life, St. Brigid refused marriage, consecrated herself to Christ, and became Ireland’s first nun. She also formed Ireland’s first convent at Kildare and became its abbess. She went on to found many other religious communities, as well as a School of Art famous for its metal working and illuminated manuscripts.

St. Brigid was known for her extraordinary spirituality, even converting her father to the faith after he witnessed her fashioning the sign of the cross from strands of rushes. She was also a contemporary and friend of St. Patrick. When she died, her sisters kept a fire burning in an enclosure at her Kildare convent. This fire burned for centuries, tended by the sisters and not burning out until the 13th century. It was later re-lit and burned for 400 more years until the Protestant revolt.

St. Brigid is the patroness of Ireland and many other causes, most notably of dairy and milk maids, chicken farmers, travelers, and sailors. Her feast day is February 1st.

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Saint of the Day – January 31st

Saint John Bosco’s Story

John Bosco (August 16, 1815 – January 31, 1888) had a theory of education that could well be used in today’s schools. It was a preventive system, rejecting corporal punishment and placing students in surroundings removed from the likelihood of committing sin. He advocated frequent reception of the sacraments of Penance and Holy Communion. He combined catechetical training and fatherly guidance, seeking to unite the spiritual life with one’s work, study and play.

Encouraged during his youth in Turin to become a priest so he could work with young boys, John was ordained in 1841. His service to young people started when he met a poor orphan in Turin, and instructed him in preparation for receiving Holy Communion. He then gathered young apprentices and taught them catechism.

After serving as chaplain in a hospice for working girls, Don Bosco opened the Oratory of St. Francis de Sales for boys. Several wealthy and powerful patrons contributed money, enabling him to provide two workshops for the boys, shoemaking and tailoring.

By 1856, the institution had grown to 150 boys and had added a printing press for publication of religious and catechetical pamphlets. John’s interest in vocational education and publishing justify him as patron of young apprentices and Catholic publishers.

John’s preaching fame spread and by 1850 he had trained his own helpers because of difficulties in retaining young priests. In 1854, he and his followers informally banded together, inspired by Saint Francis de Sales.

With Pope Pius IX’s encouragement, John gathered 17 men and founded the Salesians in 1859. Their activity concentrated on education and mission work. Later, he organized a group of Salesian Sisters to assist girls.

Reflection

John Bosco educated the whole person—body and soul united. He believed that Christ’s love and our faith in that love should pervade everything we do—work, study, play. For John Bosco, being a Christian was a full-time effort, not a once-a-week, Mass-on-Sunday experience. It is searching and finding God and Jesus in everything we do, letting their love lead us. Yet, because John realized the importance of job-training and the self-worth and pride that come with talent and ability, he trained his students in the trade crafts, too.

Saint John Bosco is the Patron Saint of:

Boys
Editors
Youth

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Saint of the Day – January 30th

St. Martina of Rome (d. 228 A.D.) was born to a noble Roman family and orphaned at a young age. She was zealous in the practice of her faith, remained a virgin, and, in preparation for the Christian persecutions sweeping the city, gave much of her inheritance to the poor. She was martyred under Roman Emperor Alexander Severus.

According to the accounts of Martina’s martyrdom, she was discovered praying in a church and was arrested by Roman soldiers. She was ordered to pay homage to the pagan gods, which she refused. She was then cruelly tortured over several days. She was raked with iron hooks and scourged, and when a bright light enveloped her, some of her torturers were converted to the Faith amid her fervent prayers. She was then taken to the temple of Diana to be forced to offer sacrifice, but at her presence the temple’s demon left with a scream. They next tried to throw her to a lion (it showed no interest in her) and to burn her alive, but she would not catch fire. Finally, she was beheaded.

St. Martina’s feast day is January 30.

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Saint of the Day – January 29th

St. Aquilinus of Milan (d. 1015 A.D.), also known as St. Aquilinus of Cologne, was born to a noble family in Bavaria, Germany. He received his education in Cologne, Germany and was ordained to the priesthood. He was offered the bishopric of Cologne, but turned it down in order to be a missionary priest and itinerant preacher.

Aquilinus traveled through various European cities fighting against the dangerous and spreading heresies of the Cathars, Manichaeans, and Arians. He was also known to work miracles by healing people from disease, especially during a cholera epidemic. He eventually settled in Milan, Italy, and was so effective in his preaching against the Arian heretics that they stabbed him to death and threw his body in the city sewer. His body was recovered and buried in the Basilica of San Lorenzo, in a chapel which now bears his name. His feast day is January 29.  

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Saint of the Day – January 28th

(1225 – MARCH 7, 1274)

Saint Thomas Aquinas’ Story

By universal consent, Thomas Aquinas is the preeminent spokesman of the Catholic tradition of reason and of divine revelation. He is one of the great teachers of the medieval Catholic Church, honored with the titles Doctor of the Church and Angelic Doctor.

At five he was given to the Benedictine monastery at Monte Cassino in his parents’ hopes that he would choose that way of life and eventually became abbot. In 1239, he was sent to Naples to complete his studies. It was here that he was first attracted to Aristotle’s philosophy.

By 1243, Thomas abandoned his family’s plans for him and joined the Dominicans, much to his mother’s dismay. On her order, Thomas was captured by his brother and kept at home for over a year.

Once free, he went to Paris and then to Cologne, where he finished his studies with Albert the Great. He held two professorships at Paris, lived at the court of Pope Urban IV, directed the Dominican schools at Rome and Viterbo, combated adversaries of the mendicants, as well as the Averroists, and argued with some Franciscans about Aristotelianism.

His greatest contribution to the Catholic Church is his writings. The unity, harmony, and continuity of faith and reason, of revealed and natural human knowledge, pervades his writings. One might expect Thomas, as a man of the gospel, to be an ardent defender of revealed truth. But he was broad enough, deep enough, to see the whole natural order as coming from God the Creator, and to see reason as a divine gift to be highly cherished.

The Summa Theologiae, his last and, unfortunately, uncompleted work, deals with the whole of Catholic theology. He stopped work on it after celebrating Mass on December 6, 1273. When asked why he stopped writing, he replied, “I cannot go on…. All that I have written seems to me like so much straw compared to what I have seen and what has been revealed to me.” He died March 7, 1274.

Reflection

We can look to Thomas Aquinas as a towering example of Catholicism in the sense of broadness, universality, and inclusiveness. We should be determined anew to exercise the divine gift of reason in us, our power to know, learn, and understand. At the same time we should thank God for the gift of his revelation, especially in Jesus Christ.

Saint Thomas Aquinas is the Patron Saint of:

Catholic Schools
Colleges
Schools
Students

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Saint of the Day – January 27th

(March 21, 1474 – January 27, 1540)

Saint Angela Merici’s story

Angela has the double distinction of founding the first teaching congregation of women in the Church and what is now called a “secular institute” of religious women.

As a young woman, she became a member of the Third Order of Saint Francis, and lived a life of great austerity, wishing, like Saint Francis, to own nothing, not even a bed. Early in life she was appalled at the ignorance among poorer children, whose parents could not or would not teach them the elements of religion. Angela’s charming manner and good looks complemented her natural qualities of leadership. Others joined her in giving regular instruction to the little girls of their neighborhood.

She was invited to live with a family in Brescia (where, she had been told in a vision, she would one day found a religious community). Her work continued and became well known. She became the center of a group of people with similar ideals.

She eagerly took the opportunity for a trip to the Holy Land. When they had gotten as far as Crete, she was struck with blindness. Her friends wanted to return home, but she insisted on going through with the pilgrimage, and visited the sacred shrines with as much devotion and enthusiasm as if she had her sight. On the way back, while praying before a crucifix, her sight was restored at the same place where it had been lost.

At 57, she organized a group of 12 girls to help her in catechetical work. Four years later the group had increased to 28. She formed them into the Company of Saint Ursula (patroness of medieval universities and venerated as a leader of women) for the purpose of re-Christianizing family life through solid Christian education of future wives and mothers. The members continued to live at home, had no special habit and took no formal vows, though the early Rule prescribed the practice of virginity, poverty, and obedience. The idea of a teaching congregation of women was new and took time to develop. The community thus existed as a “secular institute” until some years after Angela’s death.

Reflection

As with so many saints, history is mostly concerned with their activities. But we must always presume deep Christian faith and love in one whose courage lasts a lifetime, and who can take bold new steps when human need demands.

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