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Sermon Notes – The 2nd Baptism

“The 2nd Baptism”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

January 11 – 12, 2020

Scripture: Matthew 3:13-17

I’ve had a number of people ask me when the Christmas season ends. Well, when I was young, it was when my mother could no longer stand the pine needles on the carpet…and everything went away…including the tinsel, one piece at a time. Technically, this weekend is the end of the Christmas season. However, we will use all of the poinsettias, gifts of love by people in the Church, for as long as we can. Then we will put them into an adoption program. Some are ready to be adopted now…they are right outside the door.

Today’s gospel takes me back to my seminary days. In seminary, they have transitional deacons, one I thought I knew well. This particular deacon chose to proclaim the gospel in front of the Archbishop and televised to people in Boston. These are called Snow White and the seven dwarfs. So, the deacon gets up and says, “Jesus was baptized in the John by the Jordan.” Okay! Deacons did not proclaim the gospel anymore after that. That deacon actually became a priest and a good one. I bet he got it when he went back to the seminary.

In today’s scripture, like any parent, our good Lord shows us what to do to gain salvation. He came to identify with the sinful man and to associate Himself with us by being baptized. When people came to John before they were baptized, they had not confessed their sins. Jesus did not confess any sins…He had none, because He is God. This is why John said, “I need to be baptized by You, not You by me. But, Christ insisted and said, “No, you must do this.” Everything that happens in our lives, our Lord has experienced before, and He identifies with us. Our sicknesses and our illnesses He identifies with and experienced. He took all the pain and sufferings to the cross. When He cured people; what did He do? He sighed and He groaned, as He took upon Himself all of the sickness from all time. Everything we have experienced, Jesus experienced it before. Does Jesus know our sufferings? Yes…a bad back from carrying His cross; anxiety and mental illness from the crown of thorns gripping into His skull; bad eyesight from the blood and sweat streaming down and stinging His eyes; and death on the cross. He experienced everything.

Jesus came to save sinners. We accept baptism to begin our walk with Him. After His baptism, Christ began His public ministry. We, too, must begin our public ministry by virtue of our baptism in Jesus. We come to Him to begin our walk with Him in faith and baptism. Did He need baptism? No. But, like a good parent He showed us how to do it. When I was a young child, I was sick and had to take some yucky medicine. Of course, I didn’t want to take it. My father said, “Nothing to it. Come on, this is great!” He took the medicine first and said, “See, it’s not bad.” So I said, “Well if it’s not that bad, I’ll do it.” Did my father need the medicine? No. He wasn’t sick, I was, but he took the medicine to show me it wasn’t that bad. It’s the same with teaching kids to eat vegetables like cucumbers. Before we can be baptized, we have to admit that we have sin. For children, that is original sin and afterward the sins committed in their lives. After baptism, we may think, “Hey, I got an ‘A’ , I’m baptized, I’m good! Well, it’s a good start. We have to express a need for God. But, if you have no sins, there is no need for baptism, and you don’t need communion, because, Who do you receive in Holy Communion? You receive the Savior…the Redeemer. What does He save and redeem us from? Our sins. But, really, if you don’t have any sins, you don’t need to be here; please leave but after the collection.

A couple of points…the first and only time that God and the Holy Spirit, a manifestation of the Trinity, was ever in the form of a dove was at the baptism of Christ. Remember, when He came down the road from Pentecost, it was in the form of wind. In our Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, I invoke the Holy Spirit over the elements and put my hands out flat over them. In the Eastern Rite of the Church, they take the chalice veil and wave it back and forth. The dove was used also in the New Testament in Leviticus during the presentation of our Lord at the Temple when Mary offered a pair of turtle doves, an offering by the poor, for His redemption. Doves are a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

At our Lord’s baptism, He proclaimed that He had another baptism to undergo and how He wished it was already over, because He couldn’t wait to bestow the gifts of love upon His children. He wanted to achieve the goal for which He came; the goal of love which was to open the gates of Heaven; and giving us the means of salvation. It wasn’t that He was looking forward to His Passion and death in the human sense; instead, He wanted to share the fruits of His gifts with us. We are baptized in one baptism and on earth in our conversion. We, too, are looking forward to our 2nd baptism when we are with our Lord and baptized by His blood. One day, when we face our final cross, our baptism will be complete. Most of us will share His passion; the pure anguish He suffered…maybe not the exact physical ailments ….thank God for medicine – but the pure anguish that He endured. Remember, He said, “My God, My God, why have you abandoned me?” Did He really think God had abandoned Him? For Jesus, it was a metaphor. Yet, it expresses how we feel when we are very sick and feel neglected. When we are passing from this world, it feels like God has abandoned us. But, we will be strengthened by receiving the fruits of Jesus’ 2nd baptism in the Sacraments. As much as we share in Christ’s suffering, we also share in His glory.

How will you apply this message to your life? Are you ready to share in His Passion?

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Sermon Notes – The Sword will Pierce Your Heart

“The Sword will Pierce Your Heart”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

February 1- 2, 2020

Scripture: Luke 2: 22-40

The law required that Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the temple for purification and presentation. If you read scripture, every first-born male had to be consecrated to the Lord. You might say, “Well, if there was a first-born male, there must have been a second-born male.” But, that’s just not true. Putting on my lawyer’s hat, I would say that you are assuming facts not in evidence. If you had one son as your first child, he would be what? Your first-born son. Having a first-born son doesn’t mean there is a second. So, scripture is not implying that Mary had other children, only that Jesus was the first-born.

The traditional offering was two lambs if the parents were rich or two turtle doves if they were poor. Mary and Joseph brought two turtle doves…but, they also brought a lamb. They were rich. Now, you may be thinking, “Father, you probably need to up your meds; it doesn’t say that in scripture.” But, Joseph and Mary brought the Lamb of God, Jesus, to the temple. This is the promise of a sacrifice, and 33 years later He would fulfill that sacrifice on the cross.

Isaac asked his father, Abraham, “Where is the Lamb?” Abraham answered, “The Lamb has come to Jerusalem.” John the Baptist pointed Him out to all of Israel over 30 years later, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world”.

Simeon, was a just man, and he had an epiphany, a teaching moment, and an ongoing revelation of who Christ is. When Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple, Simeon revealed the mission of Christ to Mary and Joseph… He was to be a light to the nations. Simeon prophesied that “this Child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” (Luke 2: 34-35). The last prayer that priests say before retiring is the same prayer Simeon said after seeing Christ in the temple:

“Lord, now you let your servant go in peace; Your word has been fulfilled: my own eyes have seen the salvation which You have prepared in the sight of every people: a light to reveal You to the nations and the glory of Your people Israel.”

The sign of the cross was contradictory. It was a stumbling block for the Jews and a folly to the Gentiles, because they did not want a suffering Savior…it’s a contradiction. Remember, one of the last temptations of the cross was when they said: “Come down from the cross and we will believe You.” We don’t want a suffering Savior, because that means we have to suffer with Him.

Jesus said, if you want to reign with Me you must suffer with Me. Ugh. I’d rather just reign…I don’t want to suffer… I’d rather just reign. No. One step follows the other. We turn to Mary and view her role. As Christ was fulfilling His role, so was Mary. Christ looked down at Mary from the cross and said, “Woman behold your Son” and looking at John, He said, “Behold your mother.“ It was not enough that she was the mother of God. She was to be mother of all the living…the new Eve…the spiritual mother of us all as well as the Mother of the Church and intercessor for the Church. As Simeon prophesied, the sword will pierce your heart so that the souls of many may be laid bare. Now, to fully understand that, we need to read the original Greek. In Greek, there are three words for sword: a dueling sword, a surgical scalpel, and a two-handed battle sword like that used by Schwarzenegger..….not for sissy boys. A sword that big will not only pierce your heart, it will destroy it so that the flaws of the soul are laid bare.

Mary suffered when she couldn’t find her Son. After searching for Jesus for three days and finding Him in the temple, He said to Mary and Joseph, “Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” Mary had another lesson in heartbreak during the Wedding at Cana in Galilee. When they ran out of wine, she said, “Son, they have no more wine.” Our Lord said, “Woman, who is thee to Me.” Or to say it in my northern heritage, “You talking to Me??” That’s exactly what He said to the Blessed Mother. “Who is thee to Me.” It was an insult that broke her heart, but it was her role in salvation, and her love had to expand beyond it.

The fulfillment of her role, as prophesied, was at Calvary. Mary’s heart was completely destroyed while watching her Son being crucified. She was beneath the cross and bathed in the blood of Christ as He was pulled down from the cross and placed in her arms. Her ongoing formation was completed at the cross. She became the intercessor for all of us…our Blessed Mother. Whether we ask her to or not, she is always watching over us.

Our good Lord offers that same sword to us so that we can experience the sufferings of Mary and imitate her compassion. Those crosses we see and experience, help open our hearts to love others. By the crosses we carry and the sins we endure, our hearts are laid open.

All of us experience death. Part of it is from getting old and part of it is from living in this world. We have all lost someone we love very much, whether it’s a spouse, a brother, or a parent, and our hearts are broken….our hearts are destroyed, and sometimes we wallow in self-pity. I saw this in soldiers all the time. “Oh, I need grief counseling…someone in my life died.” Just read the death certificates for Charlotte; they have lots of people who die every day. It’s all about me. We can become very isolated, and that’s okay, but then again we can use our grief to help others; to see the sufferings of others. Suffering opens our hearts to help others so that we become compassionate and can offer them consolation. We can suffer together; that’s what compassion means…to suffer together. Whatever crosses we have can help us to see how we can help others, to understand their crosses, and at least to pray with and for them.

One of the good parts of my work at the veterans’ hospital is that the patients will talk to me, because I have been where they’ve been…to the same level of hell where everything tastes like chicken. No, it doesn’t! Monkey tastes like monkey. Patients will say, “People are trying to kill me.” No, I’m not. I’m a nice guy! Really! Well, not really, but okay. But, we learn to suffer, and we learn to pray for them especially in hospitals and nursing homes where people are sick. They don’t want to be sick. Some are brought in by the police; others are suffering from old age. Pray for the ones who take care of them because it is no picnic. We have some people trying to take of others and they get cussed out…you wouldn’t believe some of the words that these old women know!

I will tell you a funny story, at least it was funny to me anyway. I got a call from a mental health nurse, it wasn’t about me, but about a patient there who I’ve known for nine years and says he hears voices. I said okay, but I’m not a pharmacist…up his dosage…besides, I just talked to him yesterday about the voices. “Well, he says he needs to talk to someone.” So, I went up and knocked on his door. “Tommy, you alright?” He was sleeping with his pants down around his ankles, and I thought about the sadness…nobody wants that cross. I walked out of his room and told the staff to let him sleep.

Although I joke about it, because that’s what we do, visiting with the sick and suffering is humbling. What suffering I have seen in hospitals and nursing homes. One elderly man I visited in the nursing home just sat there holding a stuffed rabbit. This man spent the better part of his military career knocking heads with the North Koreans. How hard it is for us to carry some of our crosses.

I was in an Alzheimer’s unit and this one lady was from Massachusetts where I was born…a World War II bride. She was standing at the wall and saying all these nasty words that I won’t repeat here. Finally, I said, “Mom, stop!”

We don’t always get nice people in the hospital, and sometimes we have to call our special friends in blue with badges, guns, and night-sticks to teach people how to play well with each other. But they teach us about crosses. So, every time I leave the hospital, I try to say the rosary for all those who are in pain and suffering and especially for those who are taking care of them, because they take those sufferings upon themselves.

When you go over to Bethany Woods, sometimes the aroma is a bit different and sometimes it’s a bit weird. One time, there was a nurse assistant trying to block a woman from leaving. I mean, this woman wanted to get out that door. It was close to let’s get ready to rumble time. That woman didn’t want to be like that; she didn’t want to be locked in there. Nobody wants that.

The sufferings we endure, our crosses, can open our hearts and lead to our helping others or praying for them. It probably won’t change one wit what’s going on. “Oh, but I’m powerless.” No you’re not. We have a lot of power…we have the power of Christ. Just like the Blessed Mother does in heaven, we can intercede on other people’s behalf. The sufferings you bear for the sake of others may be fruitful for them, and you, in return, may receive abundant blessings and grace.

How will you apply this message to your life? Will you open your heart and have compassion for those who are suffering? Will you suffer with them?

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Sermon Notes – Feel the Love of God

“Feel the Love of God”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

January 4 – 5, 2020

Scripture: Matthew 2: 1-12

I would ask for your prayers for the family of Cathy Henry, the Produce Queen. Cathy was diagnosed a year ago with brain cancer. The other day, I spoke with her husband who told me that the cancer had spread, and she was home in the care of Hospice. We learned on Sunday that Cathy died on Friday. I also ask for your prayers for the repose of the souls of two priests…Father George Closter, 79, pastor in Murphy, and Father Matthew Leonard, pastor in Swannanoa. Father Leonard did not show up for a wedding last Saturday, so they broke into the house and found him dead.

Wise men still seek Him. Well, they do, and they don’t. Chief priests and scribes were the most educated men in Israel at the time. They knew when and where the Messiah was to be born…Bethlehem in Judea. Did they go? No, they did not act on their knowledge. That proves that just because you have knowledge, it doesn’t make you holy. Otherwise, every bishop and priest would be a saint. Sadly, that’s not true. To be holy, we must be willing to take direction like the Wise Men who followed the star. They did what they were told and found the Savior. Faith is an action. It’s not how much you know; instead, it is how obedient you are. By the way, the Wise Men went to Joseph and Mary’s house…they were never at the nativity.

Scripture tells us ways in which to pray. One of the gifts the Wise Men brought was frankincense. Frankincense, in the Old Testament, was used in the temple at the altar. It was used to worship Almighty God. If you look in the Book of Revelation, you will see that it was used in Heaven too. The prayers of God’s people rose up with the incense toward the throne. So, the Wise Men brought incense to adore our Savior. This why it is used, and should be used, in Catholic worship because it is scriptural. You may not care for it, and you may not use it at home, but we use it in church because it is scriptural prayer. Our Good Lord didn’t say, “Hey, get that stuff out of here…it stinks.” He didn’t say it in Heaven either. I use it sparingly, because the ventilation in the church is not the greatest, and I’m not trying to turn it into a gas chamber. If you really want incense, go to the Eastern Rite of the Church. There it really is like having Mass in a gas chamber. I mean, they really love to use incense. I love it too, but I’m not going to make you cry and do all sorts of nasty things as if you really were in a gas chamber.

The Wise Men showed us something else about prayer. What did they do when they came before the Divine Presence? They prostrated themselves. They put their faces on the floor. They recognized the real presence of God on Earth. How did members of the ancient church pray? Did they run around screaming, babbling, and raising they hands up high? No. They prayed the “Our Father” flat on their faces, because these are the words our Savior told us to pray in absolute wonder and awe; that’s scripture. Holding hands during the ”Our Father” is so 1970’s…there is no scriptural basis for it. When I was in seminary, Father Burke told us to hold hands while we said the “Our Father.” One of the seminarians turned to me, and I told him, “I will break it!” He didn’t do that anymore. What…were we in a war together? You taking my pulse? Leave me alone. My goodness!

Besides frankincense, the Wise Men also brought gifts of gold because Christ was King, and myrrh which is a burial spice indicated what His mission was to be. The gift of frankincense was nice, and I’m sure Mary was thrilled with the gold….oh yeah, Cha Ching! But, the gift of myrrh ….a burial spice placed inside burial wraps…not so much. That particular gift must have upset both Mary and Joseph. Mary was on a mission, but she was not read into the plan. Neither she nor Joseph knew that Jesus was to die. God did not brief them. He only tells us as much as we need to know, and they didn’t need to know. Can you imagine Mary’s reaction when three complete strangers, wealthy strangers, but three strangers nevertheless, showed up with myrrh…a burial spice? If three people from Acquadale came to your house and brought you these gifts…that would be pretty different wouldn’t it?

Our Lord came into the world and went to the cross. That is why He came…to open the Gates of Heaven so we that may all have eternal life. By His death and resurrection, we have the means for salvation through the Sacraments which help us carry our crosses. He came for the sole mission to manifest His love. The greatness of His love is not the incarnation; rather, the greatness of His love came 30 some years later…after His death. Salvation is open to everyone. He offers the fruits of His love to all who will take it. God wants us all to get to heaven, and He gives us the means through the Sacraments to get there. He offers through His Holy Mother Church the infallible means through its teachings to do so. He has given us the absolute perfect map of the mine fields on this Earth that tells us where all the land mines are buried. Sometimes we are blind, and we want what we want. And when we don’t read the map, we go BOOM. He gives us the means to carry our crosses through the Sacraments, so that when we fall, we can get up and try again. This is for everyone, everywhere. We are all God’s children…His chosen people. You are God’s favorite, you – you – and so are you. Every one of you are worthy of the Crucifix.

Take a look at this face; I’m paler than Casper the ghost. But, at the 9:30 Mass, we had Chinese, Vietnamese, Mhong, Spanish, Germans, Phillipinos, and Yankees. We get people from everywhere. There are no hyphenated-Catholics; we are all God’s people. Regardless of where we were born, our skin color, our language, or anything else, salvation is open to all of God’s people. While at Hospice, I go into patients’ rooms and ask if I may say Prayers for the Dying…I do that a lot. If they say, “Well, Father, we aren’t Catholic,” I say, “Well, neither is God.” The nurses, if they are free, stay in the room while I say the prayers. Are those nurses Catholic? No. Are all those patients Catholic? No, but they are all God’s children, and only He knows their crosses. His mercy and love extend to all. He calls us to respond by opening our hearts so that He can give us His love. All He asks of us in return is to respond to His call to love Him.

Nobody is looking forward to taking the dirt nap or the way to it. We will do anything to avoid it, even undergo a colonoscopy or take noxious potions to survive. Thank God for our doctors. Death is not natural to us, because we were never made to die. We were supposed to live forever, but our original parents ate us out of house and home, and you know what happened after that.

On Friday, I was at the Gated Community, otherwise known as the Felon Academy or the Felon University of Salvation. One of the pagan felons became a Catholic felon. We can never say that someone is beyond the mercy of God, because nobody is. Nobody is beyond salvation. Know who taught him the faith? Another felon convicted of two murders. Part of the process is that he had to go to Confession and, believe it or not, I didn’t die from being stoned to death with popcorn. I’ve been doing this for 35 years, and if you can tell me something I haven’t heard before, I’ll pay you for the privilege of hearing it. Really? Is that the best you’ve got? Afterward, the Catholic felon was filled with joy when I gave him absolution …your sins are forgotten, and this happens every time you go to Confession. These are the fruits of God’s love that come to you by His death and resurrection. Feel the love of God!

Father’s Reflections…

While in the military, I served overseas in the Middle East and held Mass at various outposts. Pakistanis would ask me if they could participate. I told them, “Of course.” But, they were too afraid. You see, in a lot of Arabic communities, Mass is outlawed and often raided.You’ve heard me say this for 15 years…I can only give what I’ve got. The mind will only hear what the seat will endure.

How will you apply this message to your life? Need to feel the love of God? Go to Confession.

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Sermon Notes – Do Whatever He Tells You

“Do Whatever He Tells You”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

December 28 – 29, 2019

I am going to tell you the secret to happiness, and as we will all find out this year, it’s definitely not sugar cookies or dessert. The secret to happiness is holiness. What is the secret to holiness? Go back to my famous sermon on the Feast of All Saints. It is doing what you are told. My mother didn’t think I was holy nor did my former evil twin brother. But, look at the Blessed Mother; she said, “Let it be done to me according to Your word.” Saint Joseph was told to take Mary as his wife. Saint Joseph…he was a very military kind of guy…saluted the flag and moved on. He was told to get up, do this, and he did it that very night…boom!

So, Joseph did as he was told even though it was difficult taking the shoe leather express to Egypt and back. It was not an easy assignment, yet, he said yes to God, because he had more trust in God than he did himself. This showed he had humility and did not have pride. Our sins are all what? They are all pride. I want to eat the apple. I want to do what I want to do, so you have to change the church. The issues are so trivial that you are pole dropping over mouse droppings. You really are. Either choice A or B would be a fine solution, so pick one. Pride says we want to do it our way. So, how is that working for you?

The hardest thing for me coming out of the military and into civilian life was relearning English. English outside the military is very different. In the military, “no” means “no.” You don’t ask for an explanation from the old man or the commander if it’s a lady (calling her an old lady is not a good career move). When they say “no”, it’s no. That’s it, you’re done, case closed. In civilian life, saying “no” is difficult. If someone asks you a question and you say no, they say, “what do you mean, no?” It’s a complete sentence…no. You expect them to do as you say. It’s like herding cats out here, and it is so frustrating! I want a pony for Christmas…No!

In order to love God, we need to do what He tells us; to keep His commandments. The apostles tell us His commandments are not burdensome; yet, we make them that way. “Oh, I can’t do it; This is too hard for me.” I love that phrase, and I heard it often in the military. “Oh, First Sergeant, I can’t do it!” Really? I hear from people who are in school. l know one lady who was in nursing school. She said, “I can’t do it.” No, the school staff are not stupid, and when they accepted you into nursing school, they knew you could do it. But, you don’t want to do it.

God knows we can all be saints because He created us that way. We are all called to be saints, and He give us the precise to path to follow to become one. This is not just for those who need it, because everybody does. It’s for those who want it. The precise path is to trust in the loving God and to do what He asks you to do. And, this is especially for parents… you ask your children to obey you in all things, because you have greater experience. When they see you do what God tells you to do, they are witnesses which we are all called to be. How did I feed my faith into manhood? It came from my father who gave it to me through his example. Where did he get it? From his father who was a cop for 38 years, and he never missed Mass. Back then Mass was in Latin, and I am fairly certain that my grandfather was not a Latin scholar. This is how you pass on your faith to your children and to others.

Not happy? Even in religious orders and the priesthood, there are not a lot of happy people. It’s a fact of life. We are men and not angels. Remember, the happiness we seek is union in the presence of God. That doesn’t mean everything is going to go our way, that we will win the lottery, or that we will have cookies and rice with our cake at dinner every night. That’s not the kind of happiness our Lord promises us. Our God promises us the presence of His love in our souls and a peace that the world cannot give. It is knowing the strong love and support for carrying our daily crosses. It is the love we seek and give to others. It will happen, and it will happen naturally. You won’t even have to think about it.

A happy family is a holy family, all striving toward the Almighty God in perpetuity. It’s all a struggle, and we all fall down, even I do. When i was sick and not feeling well, there were some 4-letter arrows flying around in the rectory – not fun – and not very uplifting if anyone had heard them. Even though I was sick, a mitigating factor, it was still a sin, and I went to my confessor. What was surprising is that the bad words flowed so naturally. Maybe it was my background or maybe I had a bad upbringing. But, if you want to be happy and to have a happy family, seek holiness through God’s help. Teach your children the faith. Pray together. Talk out loud about everything. On the way to Walmart, turn the radio off, put the phone away, and do a decade of the rosary.

Last Sunday, I spoke to the Spanish for Christmas, and there were all these young guys there who were dragged to Mass by their parents…I know that. And they were all tough young men. Really? I said, “you think you’re tough huh?” Then, pray the rosary; tough guys pray the rosary. They laughed, and I said, “The greatest man I ever knew did.” Who’s that? My father. Paratroopers in World War II prayed the rosary. Read the book, “Band of Brothers.” Father Samson was walking down the road to give last rites to some soldiers who had been hit. The problem was that we didn’t own that real estate yet…negotiations with the Germans were still ongoing. The soldiers yelled at Father Samson to get off the road before he got himself killed. Know what Father Samson was doing? He was praying the rosary. For that action he was awarded the Silver Star. You want to pass on the faith to your children? Let them see it. Don’t let them just hear it – let them see it.

How will you apply this message to your life? Will you do whatever He tells you? Will you pass the faith onto your children and others by letting them see it?

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Sermon Notes – You Will Know Them by Their Fruits

“You Will Know Them by Their Fruits”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

December 14 – 15, 2019

Scripture: Matthew 11: 2-11

Pop quiz: What time is Midnight Mass? Midnight!

Yesterday, I had a flashback from my time in the military. My old glasses had broken, so I went to Walmart to buy designer glasses for my new Clark Kent look. The cost? $9 (NTGFF – Nothing Too Good for Father). While I was at Walmart, I encountered lots of women hustling about with their shopping carts full of packages….zipping in and out, here and there…and I had no bodyguard. Oh my gosh! I felt safer in Iraq!

I want to thank the Misfits who have worked extremely hard on the 2nd floor of the rectory. When I came back from the VA on Thursday, I watched a parade of Misfits leaving the house, male and female, all dusty and dirty; they looked like they had been in a pig pen. They had cleaned out the 2nd floor, pulled up the carpet, sanded the floors, and put in insulation….it was really dirty work. I really thought we might find Jimmy Hoffa up there. The Misfits are really doing some incredible work, especially for what we pay them; it’s amazing. And, since the Misfits did all of that work upstairs, my allergies are much better, and I’m not using nearly as much tissue…a small expense, but it adds up.

Right after WWII, a young girl named Agnes began to discern a vocation, and she started taking care of the sick. Other women began to join her, and over the years, a new Order was formed. One of the amazing things about the Sisters of Charity is that they never ask for money and they don’t hold capitol campaigns. These Sisters work with the sickest of the sick including lepers whose flesh is decaying on their bodies that has a stench you would not believe nor soon forget. Even so, Agnes continued to attract more and more women to join her in the care of the sickest of the sick, to bring God’s love to them, and to pass on the faith. They continue to do that work today all over the world. Know what Agnes’ full name was? Saint Theresa of Calcutta, and the Order she founded is huge today. The Lord tells us to judge people and that we will know them by their fruits.

The Sisters of Charity spend hours each day before the Blessed Sacrament. While I was in Gitmo, I worked with the Sisters. I remember one in particular, Sister Magda, who had been a medical doctor in Spain, but gave it up to join the Sisters of Charity. She liked Gitmo, because it was an upgrade from Haiti. The Sisters owned two outfits…one that they wore and another that they washed by hand in a barrel. Even though the Sisters had diplomatic status and were afforded every luxury, they refused. They wouldn’t eat the food sent from the General; instead they chose to eat what Gitmo’s “guests” were eating. That is the power of what we have…the power of our faith.

Our parish is small and barely a blip on the diocese’s radar; except when they don’t receive their check on time. Then they go ballistic and know exactly where we are. Look at our Knights of Columbus…the numbers are few and older. Yet, they are distributing bags of groceries to 50 families at Christmas. Thank God for them. Look at our Misfits….we don’t pay them, but they love working in the muck and yuck. That’s a fringe benefit for them. They also work on a lot of charity projects. So, where does that spirit …that motivation to work hard and to get dirty, come from? It comes from our faith.

I’ll tell you another story about the power of our faith. Once, when I was covering Mercy Hospital, all of a sudden there was a Code Blue…an emergency call. Father Cal Bryon who was in his 80’s was very sick and a patient at Mercy. There was not much left to him; in fact, you could stand him in front of a window to take an x-ray. When Father Bryon heard the Code Blue called, he immediately got off his sick bed to go answer it. Father Bryon was walking down the hall in his hospital gown to answer the call when the nurses grabbed him under each elbow and told him that there was another priest on duty that day. Where does this come from? You will know them by their fruits.

The gifts of our Lord… the blind can see; cripples are able to walk and Christ will help carry their crosses; the deaf will hear the Word of God and His call – hope is given by the teachings of Christ and salvation through His love. The dead will rise from their sins and their souls healed through the Sacrament of the Eucharist. G.K. Chesterton, a famous author, converted from Anglicanism, and in England that was not a cool thing to do. When he was asked why he converted, Chesterton said, “I wanted my sins forgiven not just explained away.”

I went to the hospital today, and I didn’t know the hospital chaplain was out. The nurses told me that the guy in Room 12 was close to dying. So, I went down there, the guy was Catholic, but the week before he didn’t want to see anyone. But today, because of his disease and the drugs they were giving him, he was more amenable to having me give him Last Rites and yesterday I said the Prayers for the Dying…he is probably gone today. You have to time these things just right. So, do nurses tell me when someone is about to pass because I’m a great guy? No. It’s because they see the works of God in me; not that I can do it myself; it’s God working in spite of me. This is the hope we give. You will know them by their fruits.

Do we have people who do not live up to the gift of their Baptism? Yes. Do they cause scandal? Oh, yes. Does that mean we change the faith because people refuse to live it? No. People don’t follow the speed limit; should we change it? Oh, heck no!. People have fallen short of every goal that has ever been made. Doctors, lawyers, nurses, teachers …every profession, all have fallen short. But the transformative power of God’s grace allows people to see His goodness in us which allows us to pass on the faith.

We all endure sufferings, some of us endure many, some visible, some not so much. Through our faith, we can see a reason for them…there is a purpose to our suffering. It is to show the world the beauty of our faith and how we are able to carry our crosses and help others with theirs. In the old days, Catholic hospitals had lots of sick people come in and sick people go out. Often, the bills were “forgotten about”, “lost” or written off. We had great schools too. Back then, they were affordable, and non-Catholics begged to get their kids in to Catholic schools. Today, Catholic schools have become expensive prep academies for the rich, but they do have a football team. The Church has gone through crises like the Reformation; we are men and not angels. Yet, I know of three chaplains who were Medal of Honor recipients, and two who received a Purple Heart. Finally, do you know who gives more money to HIV patients around the world? The Catholic Church. You can judge for yourself if the Catholic Church has the fullness of faith and truth. The Lord said you will know them by their fruits.

How will you apply this message to your life? Can people see the beauty of our faith in you? Do your fruit trees need pruning?

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Sermon Notes – Small Sacrifices

“Make Small Sacrifices with Great Love”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

November 30 – December 1st, 2019

Scripture: Matthew 24: 37-44

Today is the first day of Advent and the beginning of the Church’s new year. In 24 days, we will celebrate the birthday of Christ.

Peace is a “Who” not a “what.” Our Lord wants to give us peace; but, it does not come from our own virtuousness; instead, it comes from Him. Yet, we want to keep what we have. We don’t want to be told how to live, and we want to keep our stuff. My brother, John, went to the doctor who told him that he had Hepatitis C. The doctor said that he could cure my brother, but he would have to stop drinking. The Lord offered to heal him, but my brother said, “No, thank you.” John wanted other things more. He died an unpleasant death, but it was within the arms of the Holy Church.

Thousands of years ago, after our parents committed the first sin, God tried to prepare His people. He sent St. John the Baptist and other profits to teach them. Some got it, and some did not. From the Old Testament, we know that they wouldn’t listen to Him; they didn’t get it, and they went looking for love in all the wrong places. God cried, because He was trying to prepare people and wanted to gather them to Him.

Christ never failed to fulfill any of His promises, and He never will. We long for the promises of God, and while we wait, He is preparing us with His teachings and the Sacraments. You should not give people things for which they are not ready. For example, we prepare ourselves to eat out at restaurants by not eating beforehand. We also do not give a young child a horse…or get them a cat, even if they say “Oh, I’ll take care of it.” We have been preparing for the Savior for thousands of years. He will judge when we are ready… not us.

Involuntary suffering helps us prepare for the death of self. An example is when you try to take a nap in spite of a lot of noise. Another example is when we cannot go home for Christmas to be with those we love. Or, maybe it’s the first Thanksgiving or Christmas without loved ones who have received their celestial discharge. These are real sufferings. When we hear happy songs, we may even want to chuck the radio out the window. We feel the loss. One of my involuntary sufferings (it’s really all about me) is when I get called out in the middle of the night. As I go through town, every light is working, even at 2 am and there’s nobody around. But, if I zipped through a light, most likely there would be a trooper nearby waiting to catch me. Another involuntary suffering occurs when I get behind someone who can’t do the speed limit; they go from 58 mph to 42 then back to 58…they drive like a Slinky. Have they ever heard of cruise control? It drives me insane! Other drivers cannot seem to do the speed limit until they are behind me and then they speed up. Dude really? Still another, is when I’m at the grocery store and someone with 25 items gets into the 12-item or less lane. No matter what it is we have to endure, we can turn into a prayer. All of those involuntary mortifications, and there seems to be so many, are the renunciation of self.

Voluntary mortifications are personal sufferings in which we strip ourselves of small things like…I won’t have that extra piece of pie, meat, or squirrel depending on how you roll. You don’t have to donate a kidney; just do something small like saying an extra decade of the rosary. This is how we can prepare to meet God. Some other examples of voluntary mortification are: Going to confession frequently; Participating in the Mass…even on weekdays; and, Praying. Saint Teresa said that there are no small sacrifices that are made with a great deal of love.

How will you apply this message to your life? Will you make small sacrifices with great love? Will you turn your involuntary sufferings into prayers?

Father’s Reflections….

  • God’s gifts are not our reward for being special. He gives us just enough to want more and to grow closer to Him. God doesn’t want to give us just gifts. He wants to give us the gift of Himself.
  • When I was very young, we attended my uncle’s funeral. When I looked inside his coffin, I saw that he had a missing leg. Not wanting to go looking around for it, I asked Dad where it was. Dad, always quick on his feet, said they had put it back in the box. My uncle’s funeral was held at a French parish in Massachusetts where they say the rosary very quickly. Even so, it helps prepare our souls.
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Sermon Notes – How to Renew the Church

“How to Renew the Church is Staring Us in the Face”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

November 16-17, 2019

Scripture: Luke 21:5-19

I did a wedding on Saturday that really made me feel my age…it reminded me of my mortality. The bride married a nice guy; I married her parents 30 years ago before the Army sent me overseas for sun and fun. Afterward, I baptized all of their kids. Wow..I’m getting really, really old! This morning, I got another reminder when I could do only six minutes on the elliptical machine when at one time I was able to do an hour.

When I think back over my life in the Church, I’m sad to see that it is falling in to terrible shape and has been for a long time. But, we’ve always had problems in the Church; however, bishops think we need something to revive it. I’ve seen so many programs like Catholics Come Home, Renew, RCIA, etc. We are going to do this and that and have all these new programs, but we need money and even more money. Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been wasted which is an interesting renewal; money goes from your bank account into theirs.

Some people have a lot of zeal and a lot of hutzpah. They make things up and brow beat us into obedience. Yet, we’ve always had the remedy, for the past 2,000 years, and it has been overlooked. Bishops, priests, and many lay people have it. All they need to do is take the book (Butler’s Lives of the Saints) off the shelf, dust it off, and read about the lives of the saints and how they followed the teachings of Christ. We don’t need to spend any money, we don’t need to form prayer groups, we don’t need to create new committees…please, no more committees!

Saint John Vianney wasn’t particularly bright and was taught Latin one smack at a time. He had no money, but he lived a life of prayer and penance. As a result, he changed the Church and renewed the faith. Saint Francis of Assissi was a deacon who never aspired to become a priest. He formed the Franciscans and required members to beg for food while preaching. Today, Franciscans look like they are a little late in leaving the table. There was a young girl in France, St. Therese de Lisieux, who never left the convent, who died in her early 20’s, but changed the Church with her “Little Way.” Saint Theresa of Calcutta worked with the sickest of the sick…people afflicted with leprosy. What she did, she did with great love. She had a passionate love for Christ. Saint Isidore led a life of learning and holiness and was able to unite a country split in its faith. These are just a few of the saints who followed the teachings of Christ and who changed the Church as a result.

So, how do we renew the Church? Go back to the saints and look at what they have done for the Church by becoming holy. We are all called to live a holy life by following the teachings of Christ which is also the best way to evangelize. People will see the change in you and want what you have. The power of God’s word is not found in any program. The power is in the tabernacle, the Sacraments, in your soul and in your very will.

How will you apply this message to your life? Will you model your life after the Saints? Will you live the teachings of Christ?

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Sermon Notes – I Am With You Always

“I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

November 9-10, 2019

Scripture: Luke 20: 27-38

When I was a young priest and just out of seminary, I was assigned to a cathedral parish. I was working with Father Burke who was a good priest. One day, when I had just finished the Vigil Mass and Father Burke and I were about to leave for dinner, someone came running up to us saying “Father you must go to hospital; there is an emergency.” Father Burke looked at me and said “Jesus took care of everything before you, and He will after you leave; so relax.”

In modern times, we have television, radio, and internet, etc., and everything has become a crisis. However, as you may recall, my definition of an emergency is if we have:

• Incoming fire;

• Mass casualties; and

• No money for paychecks… especially mine

If you were to read a history of the church, you would see that, throughout history, popes and bishops have thought to make reforms to the clergy and other religious vocations. St. Paul wrote 1st Corinthians in which he addressed issues in the Church that concerned him such as gluttony and sexual immorality. There were also attempts to reform and suppress the Carmelites. So, there have always been concerns about the Church being this or that, and how bad the priests are. In fairness some things may be true, but it’s not even close to what they’re claiming. Never anything specifically, but let your minds go wild. Yes, there have been problems through the ages…we are men not angels. I am distressed and saddened by my own sins and those of other people. But, nothing can thwart His will. Christ told Peter, in person, that upon “this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” He also said “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Father’s Reflection about Veterans’ Day:

One day while I was making my rounds in the treatment area of the VA Hospital, I saw a muscular man wearing a “wife beater” shirt sitting in the waiting area. I called out to him “Marine!” He jumped to attention and when I walked up to him, he asked how I knew he was a Marine. I said “Uncle Sam’s Muscle Club” (USMC).

I met another patient at the VA who looked in pretty bad shape. I told him “You look too good to be here. What branch of the military were you in?” He said that he was a Coast Guard Corpsman and had served on-board a ship. Me: “Where did you go?” Him: “We went to New York and then to Vietnam. We took care of business and came home.” Me: “Doc…thank you.” Him: “Nobody has called me that in a very long time.”

Most of these heroes will never tell you what they did for our country. One of my uncles flew 38 combat missions over Nazi-Germany while another earned a Purple Heart and a CIB. We are all surrounded by these silent hero’s.

One of our parishioners had a family member who served in the Marine Corps during World War II. The President of the United States awarded this soldier the Bronze Star Medal for his bravery. Here is the citation: For heroic achievement while serving as Detail Chief of Battery N. Fourth Battalion, Fourteenth Marines, Fourth Marine Division, during operations against enemy Japanese forces on Saipan, Marianas Islands, from 15 to 21 June, 1944. On 21 June, when an enemy group pinned down sections of his Battery, seriously impairing its firing efficiency, Platoon Sergeant Santella quickly located the group and, when several of his men were wounded in the fray due to superior numbers of Japanese, withdrew with his patrol, leaving an injured man, who was unable to walk, in the forward area until a stretcher could be brought up. Observing that intense hostile fire prevented the stretcher-bearers from reaching the casualty, Platoon Sergeant Santella crawled to a flank position and, standing up, opened fire with an automatic weapon, continuing fire despite two shoulder wounds until the corpsmen were able to evacuate the injured Marine. His initiative, courage, and unselfish devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

*******

On the 11th hour of the 11th day, of the 11th month, the guns fell silent, and World War I ended. Tomorrow, our nation honors those who have served in the U.S. Military. If you see a vet; don’t just say thank you for your service; instead, thank them for their sacrifice.

******

How will you apply this message to your life? Are you thankful for what veterans have done for our country? If so, will you thank them for their sacrifice?

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Sermon Notes – The Final Exam

“The Final Exam”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

November 2-3, 2019

Scripture: Luke 19: 1-10

One night, about 30 years ago, I was staring out over the desert sand with fellow soldiers. We were all dressed in chemical protection suits while having a smoke break and waiting on the scud missiles that were nearby. I asked First Sergeant Chico Rodriguez how I should do my job in Iraq and survive. I was a young captain and had learned the school house theory at Fort Bragg about what I was to do. Chico had been a tunnel rat in Vietnam and had searched tunnels with a knife in his mouth and a side arm at his waist….not a job for the nervous. I wanted Top’s experiential knowledge, and he became my mentor.

There are three ways in which we can know God:

1. We can know God by His signature…by everything around us. He is the perfection of all virtues…of all beauty. A word of advice to the men – All women are beautiful all the time. You can thank me later!

2. We can know God by what the Church has taught us. But, does knowledge make us holier? Not necessarily.

3. We can know Him by using the first two ways. We can experience God in His very being…love. We can experience His nature…His mercy…His forgiveness, and He will infuse His very life into our souls. We know God by how He has revealed Himself, and we know He is good. We know Him because of His revelation and the spirit of His essence…He is love. We experience His love by the grace of His mercy found in the sacraments.

This is but a foretaste of what we will experience in heaven.

Book knowledge is good to a certain extent. Thomas Aquinas once said that “Love takes up where knowledge leaves off.” Some people have master’s degrees and doctor’s degrees. Are they more holy? Not necessarily. Did Saint Therese have a degree? No. If that is all it took, we would all be saints. It doesn’t prove anything. We are called to share with others our book knowledge as well as our experiences with God and His love.

A friend sent me a remembrance card for an event that happened 20 years ago. I brought him in to the Church, and he is now a priest in Monroe. I advised Ben to take all of his books and go to the chapel to study. Let Christ teach you. He will give meaning to your knowledge. Bishop Sheen wrote all of his books in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Books are good, but they are limited; we must experience Him personally by having His nature in our souls and by experiencing His mercy in the Sacraments. In Holy Communion, He comes to us as the Savior.

Remember, the final exam is not a written test. He will ask “what did you do? How did you show My love to others?”

How will you apply this message to your life? Will you pass the final exam? Do you share your knowledge and His love with others?

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Sermon Notes – I am Fine

“I am Fine”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

October 19-20, 2019

Scripture: Luke 18:1-8

Recently, I was visiting a man at the VA Hospital. When I asked him how he was doing, he said “Fine.” I thought to myself, “Dude, you’re in the hospital, how fine can you be!” I often ask patients if they would like to make peace with God and come back to Church. Usually, they say “No, I am fine.” Hey, I’ve seen the numbers on your chart, and they all end with Stage 4. I wouldn’t be taking out a magazine subscription right now! The word “Fine” can be used as an acronym for Fouled up, Insensitive, Neurotic, and Emotional.

Only 37% of people are regular churchgoers. Sadly, even though you have made sacrifices, many of your children do not participate in the Mass. My family is not immune to this trend, and it breaks my heart. I was at a funeral and one of my cousins asked me if I “still believed all that stuff”. No, I wear this outfit to get out of tickets!

Our Lord never said to have parish councils, to create new programs, or to have a 2nd collection. Instead, He said to proclaim the message. All other changes are like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. We are all called to be disciples and to preach as Christ did. We are called to sow the seed of His word whether it is convenient or not and whether they like it or not. And, if they don’t like it, there is something wrong in them…it’s called sin. It can be depressing, and we can become discouraged when people do not respond the way we hoped they would, but we must let the Good Lord take it from there. You are doing the right thing, and He is pleased.

Even if we were able to pack this sanctuary at every Mass, you have a much bigger audience than I could ever have. Saint Timothy said to preach the word not only with our lips, but as Saint Francis said also with our actions. Preach the word that Christ has taught us without changing the language, and He will be pleased. Will you get your feelings hurt? Oh yes! But timing is everything. Sometimes I wait until the drug cart has gone by before talking to a patient.

People say the Church needs to change the laws on this or that and such and such a thing. They say if you change the teaching, I’ll come back to church. But, Christ meant what He said. He never changed His mind. When He proclaimed the truth and everyone left Him, did He change the truth then? No, and He didn’t run after them. As Jack Nicholson said, “You can’t handle the truth!” When Christ asked his apostles if they would leave Him too, Saint Peter said “To whom should we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

Father’s Reflections…

• G.K. Chesterton, a former atheist, left the Anglican church and converted to Catholicism, because he wanted his sins forgiven, not just explained away.

• Men, stay awake with one eye open, because while you sleep, your wives are plotting

How will you apply this message to your life? Are you or someone you know “Fine”? Will you preach His word to others with your lips as well as your actions?