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Sermon Notes – October 26, 2025 – Our Gifts Belong to God

“Our Gifts Belong to God”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

October 25 – 26, 2025

Gospel: Luke 18: 9-14

When I talk to other priests, they can make me feel a little inferior.  These men are extremely gifted.  Some are exorcists.  I can’t tell you who they are because if I did, I’d have to kill you.  Nothing personal; it’s just business.  One priest is a Dr. of Canon Law and another who has a Ph.D. is a professor of Homiletics.  Some know multiple languages and others have been missionaries.  I don’t have the intellectual achievements or accomplished the great things they’ve done in their lives.  I have only one real gift – I’m a good hospitalist.  I don’t get sick in hospitals.  However, a lot of my brother priests are not very comfortable in hospitals. 

Why does God give us gifts?  Does He have to?  No.  He gives us gifts because He loves us.  The gifts He gives us may seem small, but they are all large.  They are sufficient for helping us achieve our salvation and to help others achieve theirs.  I’ve worked in a trauma center and in military hospitals overseas.  No problem; I have a strong stomach.  Doctors would let me watch medical procedures.  Watching the doctors at work was really cool, although it does help to have a strong stomach.  There are smells you would not believe, and neither Lysol nor Vicks Vapor rub helps to dissipate them.   God gave me the ability to endure the smells so that I can do the work of a hospital chaplain. 

There was a gentleman in Hospice who asked to speak with me.  I had talked to him once before, but he was back at the hospital, and his cancer was very much advanced.  He told me that it was his fault because he was supposed to come back to have his colon checked and he never did.  The cancer had spread from his colon to his brain and had become external.  External cancer is a real treat for the senses.  I had been visiting with this patient for about 10 minutes when a nurse came into the room and sprayed a whole can of Lysol.   I appreciated the thought, but the Lysol didn’t touch the smell.  But I sat there and listened to this man because it was important to him.  Was it important to me?  Yes, because it was what I was supposed to do.  I was using my talent.  I could stand the smell of that dying man.  A lot of priests could not do that.   God gave me that talent, and I thank Him for it.  I am not very good at many things, and I’m terrible at a lot of them.   I’m not a good administrator, ask anybody.  I thank God for the good people of this parish who are great at all the things that I am not because it makes me look barely competent.  The gifts God gave me are for the good of others.  They are not for me. 

I baptized a man in Hospice.  His wife told me that her husband, who was nearing the end, had never been baptized.  Really?  I asked him if he wanted to be baptized, and he said “yes.”  His wife belonged to a church that had to vote on the people to be baptized.  So, I said if their church voted in favor of his being baptized, that I would baptize him there at the VA.  When I returned the following week, I asked the wife how the vote went at her church. The wife said the church voted for her husband to be baptized.  Okay. So, I baptized him right there.  “Oh, but he wasn’t Catholic!”  We’ll let God sort it out since he will be with Him.  My goodness!  Stop pole vaulting over mouse droppings.  This guy was just about ready to meet his Maker, and he wanted to put on his baptismal garments, so I was going to help him.  God gave me the gift of being there for this patient at that time. 

I am very grateful for God’s gifts, and I remind myself that those gifts are to be used for His people.  They are not for me or my ego.  I am humble because I wish I could do more, but I can’t.  I’ve done very little for the sake of our God.  I miss my work at the hospital, and I miss the patients, but I can’t do it anymore.  I’m too tired.  Like any old man, my mind writes checks my body can’t cash. 

The gifts I have belong to God.  He gave them to me so that I could help His people on their way to salvation.  The same is true for all the gifts that God has given you.  At the end of the day, thank Him for the gifts He has given you, whatever they may be, and realize that we are just conduits of His love.

Father’s Reflections: A few years ago, I had an appointment with my doctor.  It was during Covid, so to check in, I had to sit in my car and send a text to the staff to let them know I was there.  The staff would then send a form to my phone to complete.  On the form was this question: “In case of emergency, who should we notify?”  My appointment was with a dermatologist.  Really?   How bad can this be?  So, I wrote: “In case of emergency, contact “Dr. House.” 

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.”

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Sermon Notes – October 19, 2025 – “Take the Cotton Out of Your Ears”

“Take the Cotton Out of Your Ears”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

October 18 – 19, 2025

Gospel: Luke 18: 1-8

1) And He spoke also a parable to them, that we ought always to pray, and not to faint, 2) Saying: There was a judge in a certain city, who feared not God, nor regarded man. 3) And there was a certain widow in that city, and she came to him, saying: Avenge me of my adversary.  4) And he would not for a long time. But afterwards he said within himself: Although I fear not God, nor regard man, 5) Yet because this widow is troublesome to me, I will avenge her, lest continually coming she weary me.  6) And the Lord said: Hear what the unjust judge saith.  7) And will not God revenge His elect who cry to Him day and night: and will He have patience in their regard? 8) I say to you, that He will quickly revenge them. But yet the Son of man, when He cometh, shall He find, think you, faith on earth?

Our Lord tells us to pray constantly.  He wants us to bother and annoy Him with our prayers.  Constantly praying for what you want is an exercise of your faith, hope, and charity, the three theological virtues.  It is what we are supposed to do, so never give up.  But you cannot hear what the Lord has to say if you are constantly talking.  If you want something from our Lord, let Him get a word in edgewise.  Take the cotton out of your ears, put it in your mouth, and listen. 

    Father’s Pearls of Wisdom      

  • Prayer is heart speaking to heart. 
  • When in doubt, do the next right thing and you will be progressing toward sanctity. 
  • Priests are men, not angels.
  • Get your donkey to Mass. 
  • Do not blame God for something that someone said or did.  It’s not fair.
  • Storm Heaven with your prayers. 
  • If you want to be beautiful or handsome, be holy.  It’s a lot cheaper, and you’ll be happier.
  • We don’t need more laws; we need more moral people. 
  • Doing only the minimum required limits love.
  • I’m a religious cook. Everything I make is a burnt offering or a sacrifice. That’s why God made Domino’s. 
  • Love is not an emotion.  It is an act of the Will
  • Forgiveness is not an emotion.  It is also an act of the Will
  • Embrace the suck. Do not look at unpleasant things as punishments but as opportunities to offer up our suffering for the salvation of souls. 
  • Christ said that doing the minimum is not enough for those who truly love Him.  So how much should we do?  That is easy . . . just look at the Crucifix.
  • Keep it simple – do what God tells you to do just for today, just for this hour. 
  • Read the black part of Scripture, not the white part. 
  • Jesus came to establish His Church and not to write a book. 
  • The Bible is not a history book.  It only contains what is necessary for salvation. 
  • Sometimes people call the Church an “it.”  No.  The Church is a “Who.” 
  • Stop complaining and come down from the Cross. We need the wood.
  • What is lacking in the sufferings of Christ is our participation in it. 
  • How do you find God?  Stop running.
  • We don’t have to like everybody, but we have to love them.
  • God’s medicine is the gift of the Sacraments. 
  • The only difference between mortal and venial sins for someone who truly loves God is the difference between punching and slapping their spouse.
  • Mortal sin kills the soul immediately. Venial sin kills it slowly with death by a thousand cuts. 
  • Anybody in hell is a self-made man or woman.
  • Hanging on to your faith is an act of Will. 
  • To get things done, all I need is a checkbook and a phone book, and I can make things happen.
  • If you want to be somebody in the Church, be a nobody like Christ.  Be humble.
  • We must die to self to live for others. 
  • Attention to basics is how we grow in spiritual life. 
  • Do the routine things routinely and they will become spiritual muscle memory.  
  • I don’t care how good you are, you cannot earn God’s love.  His Love is free. 
  • Nothing that we have done can stop God’s love for us.  Nothing. 
  • We always ask for too little while God offers us so much.
  • A lot of people have the King Baby Syndrome; “I want what I want when I want it.”
  • Show love.  It can be understood in any language. 
  • “I have no sin.” Then you don’t need to come to church. Don’t anybody start running for the doors! 
  • God calls each of us by name and asks us to be His disciples and evangelists. 
  • “Oh!  Do you mean I have to go to Mass every Sunday?”  Well, you catch all the Panthers games, don’t you?  
  • The more I learn, the more I realize that I don’t know everything. 
  • The greatest sermon is one that people can see.  We preach the love of God by our works of mercy. 
  • We all have a hole in our soul that we try to fill with all sorts of people, places, and things.  But it is a place where only God can dwell to make us whole and complete. 

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.”

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Sermon Notes – October 26, 2025 – Our Gifts Belong to God

“Our Gifts Belong to God”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

October 25 – 26, 2025

Gospel: Luke 18: 9-14

When I talk to other priests, they can make me feel a little inferior. These men are extremely gifted.  Some are exorcists.  I can’t tell you who they are because if I did, I’d have to kill you.  Nothing personal; it’s just business.  One priest is a Dr. of Canon Law, and another who has a Ph.D. is a professor of Homiletics.  Some know multiple languages, and others have been missionaries.  I don’t have the intellectual achievements or accomplished the great things they’ve done in their lives.  I have only one real gift – I’m a good hospitalist.  I don’t get sick in hospitals.  However, a lot of my brother priests are not very comfortable in hospitals. 

Why does God give us gifts?  Does He have to?  No.  He gives us gifts because He loves us.  The gifts He gives us may seem small, but they are all large.  They are sufficient for helping us achieve our salvation and to help others achieve theirs.  I’ve worked in a trauma center and in military hospitals overseas.  No problem; I have a strong stomach.  Doctors would let me watch medical procedures.  Watching the doctors at work was really cool, although it does help to have a strong stomach.  There are smells you would not believe, and neither Lysol nor Vicks Vapor rub helps to dissipate them.   God gave me the ability to endure the smells so that I can do the work of a hospital chaplain. 

There was a gentleman in Hospice who asked to speak with me.  I had talked to him once before, but he was back at the hospital, and his cancer was very much advanced.  He told me that it was his fault because he was supposed to come back to have his colon checked and he never did.  The cancer had spread from his colon to his brain and had become external.  External cancer is a real treat for the senses.  I had been visiting with this patient for about 10 minutes when a nurse came into the room and sprayed a whole can of Lysol.   I appreciated the thought, but the Lysol didn’t touch the smell.  But I sat there and listened to this man because it was important to him.  Was it important to me?  Yes, because it was what I was supposed to do.  I was using my talent.  I could stand the smell of that dying man.  A lot of priests could not do that.   God gave me that talent, and I thank Him for it.  I am not very good at many things, and I’m terrible at a lot of them.   I’m not a good administrator, ask anybody.  I thank God for the good people of this parish who are great at all the things that I am not because it makes me look barely competent.  The gifts God gave me are for the good of others.  They are not for me. 

I baptized a man in Hospice.  His wife told me that her husband, who was nearing the end, had never been baptized.  Really?  I asked him if he wanted to be baptized, and he said “yes.”  His wife belonged to a church that had to vote on the people to be baptized.  So, I said if their church voted in favor of his being baptized, that I would baptize him there at the VA.  When I returned the following week, I asked the wife how the vote went at her church. The wife said the church voted for her husband to be baptized.  Okay. So, I baptized him right there.  “Oh, but he wasn’t Catholic!”  We’ll let God sort it out since he will be with Him.  My goodness!  Stop pole vaulting over mouse droppings.  This guy was just about ready to meet his Maker, and he wanted to put on his baptismal garments, so I was going to help him.  God gave me the gift of being there for this patient at that time. 

I am very grateful for God’s gifts, and I remind myself that those gifts are to be used for His people.  They are not for me or my ego.  I am humble because I wish I could do more, but I can’t.  I’ve done very little for the sake of our God.  I miss my work at the hospital, and I miss the patients, but I can’t do it anymore.  I’m too tired.  Like any old man, my mind writes checks my body can’t cash. 

The gifts I have belong to God.  He gave them to me so that I could help His people on their way to salvation.  The same is true for all the gifts that God has given you.  At the end of the day, thank Him for the gifts He has given you, whatever they may be, and realize that we are just conduits of His love.

Father’s Reflections:  A few years ago, I had an appointment with my doctor.  It was during Covid, so to check in, I had to sit in my car and send a text to the staff to let them know I was there.  The staff would then send a form to my phone to complete.  On the form was this question: “In case of emergency, who should we notify?”  My appointment was with a dermatologist.  Really?   How bad can this be?  So, I wrote: “In case of emergency, contact “Dr. House.” 

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.”

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Sermon Notes – October 5, 2025 – “Heart Speaking to Heart”

“Heart Speaking to Heart”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

October 4 – 5, 2025

Gospel: Luke 17: 5-10

Prayer is heart speaking to heart.  It is wonderful to pray for things.  We are called to pray for every good gift.  We are also called to pray for those who persecute us.  People have suggested different ways in which to pray.  “Pray in the Spirit.”  Here is a news flash – everybody prays in the Spirit.  “Praying precisely this way is the key to getting what you want.”  Are you saying that if we have been praying and haven’t gotten what we ask for, we haven’t been praying correctly?  I have been praying to become a monsignor for 41 years.  Have I gotten it wrong all these years?  I’m beginning to think it’s not going to happen because that might make me more insufferable, unbearable, and a bigger pain in the keister than I already am.  God is trying to save me from grave danger.  

What we ask for in our prayers may seem good, but we do not know God’s plans.  “If you say this prayer 13 times a day in just this way, God will give you what you want.”   No.  That is superstition.  Sometimes He grants our wishes, and sometimes He doesn’t.  I had a lady come to talk with me and she was really upset.  She said, “I claimed this gift in prayer.  I stand on the Bible, and I claimed it!”   Are you saying that because you “claim” it that it is going to happen?  What about the parents of all those kids in children’s hospitals who “claim” it and their children did not survive?  Did they pray wrong?  Did God say, “Because you prayed incorrectly and did not “claim” it, I am taking your child?”  What kind of God is that?  Do you think that happens?  No.  Prayer cannot change God’s Will.  Look at Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.  He expressed His fear through His human nature when He said, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39).  What we ask for in our prayers may seem good, but we do not know God’s plans.  We cannot change God’s Will by our prayers.  Instead, we have to change us.  However, that does not mean we shouldn’t pray as if everything depends on it and use our friends in high places like the Blessed Mother, our Guardian Angel, and the saints.  When I invoke their intercession, I have great confidence that my prayer will be answered even though I may dislike the answer.  Storm Heaven with your prayers.  Become spiritually obnoxious with your prayers for what you want and need.  We are called to do that. 

If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, your faith can increase immeasurably.  How do we increase our faith?  By receiving the Sacraments.  What do I mean by that?  Faith, hope, and charity are divine virtues that are infused into our souls when we receive the Sacraments.  The other virtues are called habitual virtues that you get by doing.  I hear this a lot during confessions, “Father, I pray for patience.”  Oh, you’re in trouble.  Patience is an acquired virtue – you get it by doing.  Every idiot in Stanly County will be knocking on your door just to annoy you.  “Have you heard about Jesus?”  Yes, now go away.  When you pray for patience, you will encounter a lot of people who will stretch your patience.    

Increase your faith by receiving the Sacraments and then act upon that increase in faith by doing what God asks of you.  Do not be sad when your prayers are not answered immediately or as you would like.  Pray for the grace to accept God’s Will.  Giving up our Will is the hardest thing of all to do. Taking back our Will and rejecting God’s is what got us kicked out of Paradise.  But if we resign our Will and trust in God’s, we will find our way back to Paradise. 

Father’s Reflections . . .

Two days ago, we had a gentleman who was run over and killed in a car accident.  He was homeless, and the police are searching for any of his relatives.  I would ask you to offer a Hail Mary for the mother of that man.  Now I know that mothers all have their difficulties not to mention their husbands, but I don’t believe in my heart of hearts that any woman would want their child to be homeless, wandering around the streets at night and getting killed.  I’m sure that was not her wish for her son no matter how bad of a mother she was.  So please, if she is still alive, pray for her soul. 

A friend called me the other day.  She and her husband were college classmates of mine. She’s the one who tried to poison me while I was on vacation.  But I didn’t take it personally.  She told me that what she saw on the news about our military was really stressing her out.   I said, “Let me tell you about stress.  When the sirens went off during the first Gulf war, we had 21 seconds to close our eyes, stop breathing, grab our gas mask, seal it, and clear it.  Then we could breathe again.  After that, we had a leisurely one minute and 39 seconds to put on our chemical protection suits including boots and two sets of gloves.”  That is real stress unlike the stress you get in basic training where they might hurt your feelings.  When you start taking incoming fire, you will be begging to go to Fort Bragg or Parris Island.  So don’t get upset at people who comment on what’s going on in our military, because they have no idea.  They have never had a gunshot fired at or near them.

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.

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Sermon Notes – October 12, 2025 – “Forgiven and Forgotten”

“Forgiven and Forgotten”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

October 11-12, 2025

Gospel: Luke 17:11-19

Leprosy is often mentioned in Scripture.  Now, because I’m not Dr. House although I have watched every episode, I wasn’t sure what Leprosy is.  This was pre-Google, so I looked it up in this book that in those days we called an encyclopedia.  Leprosy is now called Hansens Disease.  It is very rare in this country, and we have very effective treatment for those who get it.   Leprosy will literally eat you alive, and you will rot to death.  Your nose and fingers fall off, and your face becomes disfigured.  In the Old Testament, people with Leprosy were banished because the disease is contagious.  Father Damien, now Saint Damien, was a priest from Belgium.  When he heard that a leper colony in Hawaii had no priest, Father Damien went to the bishop and asked if he could be sent there.  The bishop told him, “If you go, you cannot go back.”  That was the law.  Yet, Father Damien said, “I will go.”  So, he went to work in the leper colony.  When he heard that a supply ship would be coming and that it had a priest on board, Father Damien wanted the priest to hear his confession.  So, he got into his boat and rowed out to the ship but, according to the law, the captain of the ship could not allow him on board because he had been exposed to Leprosy.   Undeterred, Father Damien made a public confession from his boat while the priest stood at the top of the ship.  One of the last pictures of him shows his face rotting away and some of his fingers are missing.  Having Leprosy is not the best way to go.  By the way, after Father Damien’s death, all the signs of Leprosy left him. 

A lot of diseases have distinct smells.  We all smell wonderful when we come to church with our different aftershaves and perfumes.  But when I open the church on Monday mornings, a wall of different aromas hit me in the face, and I’m reminded of my time in the Army and the gas chamber.  It was a real treat for the senses.   We all have two aromas; one comes from holiness, and the other comes from the sin in our souls.  If our soul has sin, it smells.  You may be wondering, “Father, how do you know that?”   Saint John Vianney, the Curé d’Ars, could smell it.  There could be a long line of people waiting for Confession, and he would come out of the confessional, sniff around, point to someone in line, and say, “You are first.  You have mortal sin in your soul.”  He could smell the mortal sin in that soul because we all have it.  Leprosy affects the outside of the body while sin rots our souls from the inside.  Our souls die of mortal sin more immediately while unrepentant venial sin is a slow death.  But we can go to our Good Lord to be cured in the Sacrament of Penance.  We can get treatment for the infection and rot in our souls.  By the way, when we receive the Sacrament of Penance, one of the best prayers never said is “thank you.”   

I always tell people that if they want to be beautiful or handsome they should be holy, and neither time nor disease will be able to take it away from them.  Have holiness in your soul.  Saint Teresa of Calcutta and Saint John Paul II come to mind.  Saint Teresa was not exactly a candidate to be a runway model, but she was beautiful because she carried the living Christ in her soul.   At the end of his life, Saint John Paul II was drooling and shaking but everybody wanted to be near him because of the purity of his soul and the presence of Christ within him.  This is how we evangelize – not by giving away free stuff or having concerts – but by telling people what the Good Lord has done for us.  Our sins are forgiven.  The greatest experience of God’s love is the experience of His forgiveness.  Our sins are forgiven and forgotten.  The State of Washington, like other states before them, tried to pass a law that would require me to reveal whatever I heard about abused children during Confessions.  I cannot and would not do that: 1) I’m old and I don’t remember who the heck came to Confession; and 2) I don’t hear individuals; I hear souls.  I hear sick souls coming in for God’s medicine.  Do I remember all that stuff?  No.  But what I do remember is their love of God and when I give them absolution, the love of God for them.  No matter how bad you think your sins are, God will forgive and forget everything. 

I have been a priest for 42 years, thanks to the goodness of God and His infinite patience.  There is not one sin that has ever affected me except my own.  I have done some interesting things, but that is immaterial compared to the love of God.  Nobody’s sins are going to frighten me.  I tell people in church and at hospitals, “I’ve seen more body parts than you will ever have, so cover up.  I’m not impressed.”   I’ve been a priest for a long time, and I’ve been around the world.  I’ve been there and done that.  If you have a sin I haven’t heard before, I’ll pay you for the privilege of hearing it.  But do you know what impresses me while I’m hearing confessions?  It’s not the sins.  I am impressed by the love that people have to come to Confession, open their souls, and to give what they have.  The worst things people have to confess is what God wants in the Sacrament of Penance.  In exchange, He will give them the best which is Himself.  This is why I say that the most neglected part of the Sacrament of Penance is to say, “thank you.”  Do not take God’s love for granted.

Each night before I go to bed I try to say, “thank you.”  Then I think of how inadequate my gratitude is because I cannot possibly repay God for all that He has done for me.   But that is what we should do – to thank Him for His great love for us.  The greatest part of His love is manifested in His forgiveness of our sins.  By doing so, He saves us from spiritual death in the next world to come.

Father’s Reflections . . . This week I was visiting a lady who is in a nursing care facility.  I went into her room and began talking to her to get a sense of her consciousness and focus.  I said, “Your accent isn’t from around here.  Where did you grow up?”   She was confused and couldn’t quite put it all together, so I said, “That’s okay.  I don’t remember where I grew up because I never grew up.  I’m Peter Pan.”  She thought that was hilarious and laughed.  My work here is done.

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.”   Sermon Notes are also available on the church’s Facebook page at OLA.Catholic.Church.  Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.

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Sermon Notes – September 28, 2025 – “Did You See Me in Them?”

“Did You See Me in Them?”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

September 27 – 28, 2025

Gospel: Luke 16:19-31

Yesterday was the feast of Saint Vincent de Paul, the Patron Saint of Charity.  He was known for his care of the poor, hungry, and needy.  Saint Vincent said we should not be repulsed by their appearance, their uncouthness, their smell, or their confusion.  The Savior said that “whatever you did for one of these least brothers of Mine, you did for Me” (Matthew 25:40).  So do not let those things deter you. 

During my priestly career, I remember spending 20 minutes talking to a patient whose cancer had become external and advanced to his brain.  That was a real treat for the senses. There is nothing like the smell of external cancer.  A nurse came into the room and sprayed Lysol.  That did not help.  But I sat there and I listened.  I remember seeing a patient in the Emergency Room who had little pieces of flesh falling off him.  He had bed bugs.  I have had several patients just swear at me when I came into their rooms.  I said to one of those patients, “Is that the best you’ve got? My aunt was a nurse, so if you want to impress me with your vulgarity, you need to step up your game.”   Do not be put off by the poor, sick, and needy.  They are children of God.  He loves them.  He created them, and He sustains them.  So how can we not love them? 

Some time ago, I watched a YouTube video about Cabarrus County deputy sheriffs.  One of the deputies had pulled over a woman who was doing 61 in a 45.  Usually that will get you a nice autograph and a request to make a contribution to the county and the state.  The deputy came up to the woman’s car, and he was very polite.  I was intrigued by this deputy’s counseling style.  He was very well trained, and you could see that he had a lot of experience.  This woman was belligerent.  The deputy told the woman that she had a bit of an attitude which set her off on another tirade.  He could see that this woman was going through a hard time, so he went back to his car and came back with a warning and not a ticket.  The deputy said to the woman, “It looks as if you are going through a hard time so I’m giving you a warning today.  Slow down.”  This deputy just kept talking to her gently and eventually she opened up to him.  She was three months clean from drugs.  She had just left an abusive relationship up north, and she had to leave her child up there.  She was having a bit of a meltdown.  Finally, she asked the deputy if she could give him a hug.  After she hugged him, the woman said that she was glad he had stopped her because she had been on her way to do something really stupid. 

It is not up to us to judge whether someone is worthy of our love.  We are not called to judge them.   No, it is they who will judge us because God will ask us, “Do you love Me?  Did you see Me in them?”

Father’s Reflections: I am glad to be home from vacation.  Now, you may be wondering, “What does a priest do on vacation?”  I don’t know what other priests do, but my vacations are always bizarre.   * I had a dead man buy me dinner twice.  * I survived a cat fight between my two cousins . . . that was a lot of fun.  * I was walking around the mall saying my prayers and getting my steps in, and people kept saying to me, “Hello. How are you?”  They were very pleasant.  But this is Rhode Island, and nobody does that.  What the heck is going on here!  Then I looked down at my shirt which belonged to my brother, and on the crest of the shirt was “Scituate Police.”  Those people at the mall were just sucking up to the cops.    * I almost got poisoned.  My friend made an Italian dinner for me which included an Italian pastry called zeppole.  Afterwards, I discovered that I have a gall bladder, and that it does not love zeppole nearly as much as I do.  She tried to poison a priest so that is very bad karma for her.  * I went dumpster diving with my sister-in-law.  That was fun.  * When I got off the plane in Charlotte, a parishioner approached me and asked, “Are you Father Fitzgibbons?”  Yes, I am.  I don’t fly on the airline in my clerical garb because it scares people.  One time there were six of us on the plane, and we were all in our clerical garb.  It scared the living you-know-what out of everyone on the plane.  Nobody moved.  Nobody stood up.  Everyone sat in their seats as quiet as church mice, and they didn’t ask for anything.   As we were leaving the plane, flight attendants were giving us food, drinks, and everything else they hadn’t needed during the flight.  * When I left the Charlotte airport, traffic was great, and I thought I would get home early.  I was on Hwy 85 or the ride of death – I felt safer in Iraq.  Then I turned onto Hwy 485.  There was a concert at the pavilion and traffic was bumper to bumper. It was like driving on a slinky, inching my way home.  Well, that was fun!

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

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Sermon Notes – September 14, 2025 – There is Only One Truth

“There is Only One Truth”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

September 13 – 14, 2025

Gospel: John 3:13-17


Years ago, I took a course taught by Father Buckley who was both an interesting and brilliant man.  One day while he was doing academic counseling, a student came into Father Buckley’s office and asked him if he wanted some cake.   The student had some chocolate cake left over from his birthday.  Father Buckley said, “Cake bad,” and he opened a window and threw out the cake.  The only problem was that directly below the window and two stories down was the department director’s car.  Oops!   I remember that while we were taking our final exam on the New Testament, and after we had said the opening prayers, Father Buckley fell to his knees and said, “Saint Jude!”  Oh God, this is not going to be good!  One of the questions on the exam was: “What does this mean?  Jesus was a stumbling block to the Jews and a folly to the Gentiles.”   What that means is that we do not want to suffer for the Savior even though He made suffering the way to salvation. 

Many times, during Christ’s ministry, people reacted negatively to His teachings and left Him.  When He said that marriage is between a man and a woman and that it is until death, what happened?  Everybody left him.  When He said, ““Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you do not have life within you,” what happened?  Everybody left him.   When He suffered and died on the Cross to open the gates of Heaven, what happened?  Everybody left Him.   Peter even asked Jesus to knock off all the talk about suffering because they were losing people.  What was Jesus’ response?  He called Peter satan.   

At His crucifixion in Golgotha, the high priest said, “Come down from the Cross now, so that we may see and believe” (Mark 15:32).  Anything but suffering or renunciation of self.  Paul did not preach that while he was in Greece.  How many people did he get after preaching in Greece?  Two.  After reviewing the after-action report, Paul decided to preach about Christ crucified and then what happened?  Christianity was spread throughout the world.  We preach Christ crucified, not social justice.  We don’t need more civil laws.  We need more moral people. 

Jesus reaches down from the Cross and asks us to grasp His hand.  When we grasp His hand, we have a choice to make.  Will we pull Him down from the Cross to our level or will we allow Him to raise us up to the Cross so that we may have eternal life?  That’s the choice.   People say, “I love Christ, but not the Church.”  That is impossible, because you cannot separate Christ from the Church.  In Acts 9:4, when Saul was on the road to Damascus to persecute Christians, Jesus appeared before him and said, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?”  We don’t need to change what the Church teaches.  Every time it has been tried, it hasn’t worked.  In Protestant churches, there are 10,000 different denominations all proclaiming their own versions of the truth.  Now if you have studied Philosophy, you know that there cannot be 10,000 variations of the truth. The truth is the truth.  

We are not called to change the Church.  We are not called to change the Sacraments.  We are called to change ourselves, and we should start by seeking the Savior to change us.  People say, “Well, we need to change things because God wants us to be happy.”  In the next life, yes, but not in this one.  In this life, we will always have our difficulties.  I can no longer eat bacon, so do not tell me about your problems!   When I got out of my car the other day at the Breakfast Nook, the aroma of bacon was so thick that I teared up in the parking lot.  We will all have troubles in this life, but Jesus is reaching down from the Cross and saying, “Come up to Me, and I will take you to Heaven.”

Father’s Reflections . . . Now, we do not celebrate 9/11, a day on which many people died.  But we do honor the day.  On the Sunday after 9/11, I went to my parish in Statesville and said to them: 

“I will be leaving you very shortly. I am waiting for orders to be called back to active duty overseas. I realize that all of you want payback for this horrendous act of war against us.  Give us your sons, daughters, grandsons, and granddaughters, and we will take care of business.  Although, I must tell you that some of them will come home to you in a box.  So be careful what you wish for. “

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

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Sermon Notes – August 24, 2025 – “He Will Make Us an Offer We Cannot Refuse”

“He Will Make Us an Offer We Cannot Refuse”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

August 23 – 24, 2025

Gospel: Luke 13: 22-30

One day, this will happen.  I don’t know what the exact date will be, but I’m preparing for it.  Our Good Lord will come down from Heaven and put the whack on me.  It will happen to us all.  In my case, I won’t blame Him since I’m probably past my sell-by date.  However, for now, I have a chance to live a life of prayer and penance.   After the divine snuff, our Good Lord will take me from this world to Himself, and I will stand before Him in judgment.  Particular Judgement happens at the moment of death.   

God will ask me, “Do you love Me?  Do you love My Son? Can I recognize My Son in you?”   And before I can say, “Oh, You know I love You; You’re a real great Guy,” everything from my life will be opened to my mind as it is His.  He will see if I love Him.   The Gospel of Matthew has the final exam questions.  “Did you love Me?”   We love Him by doing His Will, keeping His Commandments, feeding and helping the poor, bearing sorrows, and illnesses.  It’s all there in the Book.  If someone slaps you, turn the other cheek.  I’m sorry, but that ain’t happening; I wasn’t trained that way.  I played hockey as a hobby, so, Dude, you are going down with prejudice!   But we should bear and carry the sins others have committed against us as Christ would. 


He will look at us and try to see in us a body of good works.  Non-Catholics will say, “Oh, you think you can earn your way to Heaven.”  These are acts of love as our Good Lord told us, “If you love Me, keep My Commandments.”   By keeping His Commandments, we are transformed.  He will see the nail prints on our hands, the crown of thorns on our head, the wound from a spear on our side, and our backs torn up from the whip.  That is how He will recognize us as belonging in His Father’s Kingdom.  Be ready for our Good Lord.   Conform yourself to Christ, not only by keeping His Commandments but by doing good through Corporal Works of Mercy.   Works of love make us beautiful and conform us to Him with a beautiful soul like it was before Original Sin and the sins committed after Baptism.  If we conform to Him, and we can enter into His Kingdom. 

All those acts of love draw us closer to Him and remove our fear of death.  We all have that fear because we were never meant to die.  Our first parents did that to us, and we helped it along with all the sins we have committed.  But the fear of death can help us to walk closer with our Good Lord.  For the faithful, after the change in venue, our souls will be at peace.  We use the means God has provided in the Sacraments.   I am sure you have no lack of opportunity for doing acts of charity and bearing the sins of others.  All those crosses we carry transform us and give us a celestial makeover.  They make us look like Christ. 

We can be joyful when we leave this life and go with Christ.  But it is constant work.  Some days I feel good about it, and on other days, not so much.   But that’s okay.  As long as I pick up my cross every day and follow Him, I am preparing, as we all should, for that moment the Lord makes me an offer I cannot refuse.  Yes, it’s a bit of a Godfather sermon.  You talking to me?  “Yeah, I’m talking to you!”  The divine beauty treatment that comes from Christ is available to us all, and our Good Lord gives us the strength to achieve it.

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

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Sermon Notes – August 3, 2025 – How Much Do You Love Me?

“How Much Do You Love Me?”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

August 2 – 3, 2025

Gospel: Luke 12: 13-21

In my years of priesthood, I have been asked some really interesting questions.  One that comes to mind is: “Father, did your mother have any good-looking children?”  My answer: “Just my twin brother.”   Another interesting question I often get is: “Father, how often do I have to go to Mass?”  Now, I do know the answer, but I need some additional information first before I can answer the question.   First, do you know what the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is?  Some people have received very poor instruction, both through the CCD and from the pulpit.  You can go to some churches, and the service is like a badly done high school play with people running around doing all sorts of different things.  You might have pleas for money or comments about political topics.  There is so much stuff going on.  But do you know what the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is?  It is Good Friday, which is always before God.  The Sacrifice of Christ is always in Heaven before the Father and brought to the altar. 

When we come to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, we come to offer ourselves with Christ, which is a free act of love and a work of redemption.  Offering ourselves with Christ is an act of love when united with His supreme act of love for the salvation of the world.  That is what going to Mass is and why it is so wonderful, beautiful, and sublime.  There is no difference between what I do here and what I did while I was overseas.  It is the same Mass, the same wonder, and the same awe.  So, the answer to the question about how often you need to come to Mass is that, technically and according to the Precepts of the Church, every Sunday and Holy Day.  What are the Commandments and the precepts of the Church?  They are guides and teach us how to love.  They give us the minimum needed, and without them, we would screw it up. 

Look at our first parents, Adam and Eve.  They saw God, talked to God, and walked with God.  They ate the apple and look what happened.  They had one rule, and they messed it up.  We also have some rules, and we mess them up too.  The Commandments are the minimum we must do, but they prepare us to do other things.  They keep us from sin.  What is the first rule of medicine?  Do no harm.   The Commandments are guidelines that keep us away from sin, and they teach us to do no harm to ourselves and others. 

“Father, why is the penalty for not going to Mass a mortal sin?  Why is that so bad?”  Look at what you have been invited to and to become a part of.  Our Lord, Himself, calls each and every one of us to become a part of His Holy Sacrifice.   Not going to Mass is a rejection of our Lord.  In essence, you are saying: “Lord, I really appreciate the invitation.  You are a really nice Guy, but I’m busy.  I have a soccer game to go to.  I have company, and I cannot offend them.  I can offend You, but not my company”.  So, the question, “Why is missing Mass so bad?” is always an interesting one. 

You do not have to go to Mass.  Coming to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is an act and work of love.  Love cannot be compelled.  Love is an act of free will without any fear, force, or coercion.   Coming here is an act of love.   “Father, how many times do I have to come to Mass?”  Well, how much do you love Jesus?  Love never asks, “How much do I have to do?”   The only question love asks is, “How much can I do?”

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

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Sermon Notes – July 20, 2025 – “Embrace the Suck”

“Embrace the Suck”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

July 19-20, 2025

Gospel: Luke 10: 38-42

Last night, I was watching people come into the church, and it was quite amusing.  They were walking very slowly, and some of them were younger people.  I asked them why they were walking so slowly.  They said it was really hot out there.  Okay, but walking slowly doesn’t make it any cooler.  It reminded me of my last time overseas.  I was a part of the group that arrived there first, so we were the old old-timers. When our replacements arrived so that we could go home, the newcomers would be outside doing light work to get acclimated to the heat.  If it were 110 degrees, that would have been a nice, easy day for us.  We would go running on days like that because we had been acclimated to the heat.  So, the old-timers would watch the newcomers working outside in the heat and start a countdown, 3 – 2 – 1, and plunk, down they would go.  They would have IVs in both arms.  Yep, it takes a little time to get used to that kind of heat.  After a day up north, I could take my shirt off, and if I sat it on the floor, it would literally stand straight up from all the body fluid I had lost.  That is how hot it is over there.

We have a wonderful opportunity despite the discomfort of the summer heat.  Saint Paul wrote, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of His body, that is, the church” (Colossians 1:24).   We can offer up all our discomfort for the salvation of souls and the salvation of our own souls.   We have been given a great gift that we can use for ourselves and others.  So why waste it?   Embrace the suck and offer it up as a penance.  We have months of this heat ahead of us.  I knew that would cheer you up.  But what an opportunity we have to grow in grace and help others by our suffering.  So, take advantage of this uncomfortable heat and offer it up.  You don’t have to enjoy it.   Enjoyment is not a requirement for offering something up.

Now, I’m going to try to save you some money.  I’m going to share with you the secret to happiness and beauty, so you can stop watching TV commercials.  Do you know what the secret to happiness is?  Happiness comes from always having our Lord present in our souls and not losing Him.  We don’t lose Him . . . We kick Him out by our unrepentant venial sin and mortal sin.  Read the poem, “Hounds of Heaven,” by Francis Thompson.  We are the ones who drive Christ away.  Our Lord said, “But seek first the Kingdom [of God] and His righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides” (Matthew 6:33).   When Christ lives within us, we have the greatest peace that is possible in this life, and eventually, we will have even greater peace in Heaven.  But no matter how holy you are or try to be, you will always have disappointments.  For example, I have been a priest for 41 years, and I am still not a Monsignor.  So don’t tell me about your disappointments; I know what real disappointment is!   People will disappoint us.  My parents and brothers all died to get away from me, but I don’t take it personally.  When my mother was dying, God and I had a chat, which included official military words that I will not repeat here.  Was I disappointed?  Yes.  Did I lose faith?  No, because I knew Who I needed to talk to. 

The secret of beauty is having Christ within us and becoming His living Tabernacle.  I was watching a commercial that featured a macho man who was all dressed up and looking very sharp.  The commercial was for a cream that would help men eliminate the lines and creases on their faces.  Really?   Dude, give me your man-card; I’m going to shred it.   I earned all these lines on my face.  Numerous beauty products are available to enhance our appearance.  My favorites for men are the comb-over and the comb-forward.  Yeah, everybody sees it, especially on a windy day.  Former New York City mayor, Rudy Giuliani, would color his hair, and on a hot day, the color would melt and drip down his face.  Nobody sees that; it looks good!   Beauty is not about seeing a dermatologist for treatment just so someone can bounce quarters off your cheeks when you are older.  It is having Christ within you.  True beauty comes from living holy lives.   We are called to be a living Tabernacle and to bring Christ to others.  He uses the beauty that comes from holiness so that people see Christ in us.  At the end of their lives, Saint Teresa of Calcutta and Saint John Paul II were not going to win any beauty contests.   But they radiated a divine beauty, a divine glow, and a divine joy.   This is what we are called to be by living holy lives.  This is how you can become beautiful.  So, save your money on hair products and other beauty products.   Want to be beautiful or handsome?  Be holy.   It’s a lot cheaper, and you will be a lot happier.

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.