Category: Sermon Notes

Transripts of weekly sermons

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Sermon Notes – January 22, 2023 – “God’s Rottweiler”

“God’s Rottweiler”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

January 21-22, 2023

Gospel:  Matthew 4:12-23

This past week we had the funeral of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI.  He was a great teacher even though he was highly educated.  He was a wonderful scholar – not because he earned advanced degrees – but because he could pass along his knowledge and, more importantly, he could share the Faith.   Many educated people cannot take what is in their heads and share it effectively.  They were educated beyond their abilities.

One of the things I really loved about Pope Benedict was his great humility.  He didn’t want to be pope.  He would have been happy to remain a priest and scholar.   I recommend any of his books to you.  You don’t need graduate or post-graduate degrees to understand his writings.  You don’t have to sit there with Google – I would say the dictionary, but that’s so passé – to understand what he said.   My evil twin had two doctorates. . .show-off!  He wrote a textbook on wastewater management.  Now, I’m not a total idiot; I did go to school.  So, I decided to take a look at the textbook.  I couldn’t get past the introduction and first paragraph.  Well, that was fun!  I’m done. 

One of the names given to Pope Benedict when he was a cardinal and Prefect of Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith was God’s Rottweiler.  He didn’t like the name, but I do because I love dogs.  His Holiness was a Rottweiler in the very best sense of the word.  He protected those he loved.  He protected them by teaching them what was true and how to achieve salvation.  He also protected them by pointing out the mine fields.  “Don’t listen to that person. . .their words sound believable but are not.”   “I have a map, and this is a mine field so don’t step there.”  People called him a doctor of the Faith because he gave people correction.   I don’t like being corrected.  You know who you’re talking to?  I know a guy.  But as any parent knows, they correct their children because they love them. 

Why did God give us dogs?  To love and protect us. . . and to fertilize our neighbors’ lawns.   That is their mission.  I was in hospice one day, and the nurses set me up.  They said a patient had a dog in room 7 and that I should go see it.   So, I knocked on the door and was greeted by the head of a Rottweiler.   When you see something like that, you think this is not going to end well.   But the patient said, “Oh, he’s friendly. He likes people.”  Yeah, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!   But I let him smell my hand and petted him on the head.  Then it was kissy time.  He was a big baby. 

Pope Benedict was a priest, bishop, cardinal, and pope.  A pastor protects the sheep entrusted to his flock.  Jesus said, “When I leave, vicious wolves will come in among you.”  He forecasted it.  Wolves are in the flock.  There are both interior and exterior assaults.  Like those of Father James Martin of the society of Jesus – which is no longer a society of Jesus – no offense.  He says that gay marriage is a Sacrament.  Really?  I wonder what’s going to happen to him – probably nothing. 

Protecting the faith from attacks from the inside and the outside are works of love that aren’t against anybody.  They are corrections to help us achieve our salvation and to protect the Deposit of Faith. . . that precious gift from Christ Himself so that we and generations after us may have it.  Sometimes, when we receive a correction, we get very upset.  That is pride.  “My way is right!  You don’t know what you’re doing!”  Yeah.  Don’t step on that mine field.  James Martin ignored the warning.  “I know what I’m doing!”  Famous last words.  Corrections are to protect and to call back the strays.  Go out and seek what was lost.   First tell them what they need to do to come back to the Truth.  And then help them come back. 

Some people throw around the so-called penalties of the Church.  “Oh, I’m excommunicated.”   No.  Excommunication is only by a formal decree of the Church or by latae sententiae or “automatic” excommunication.  Do the act, and you’re excommunicated.   That form of excommunication can be forgiven through the Sacrament of Penance.  The formal one must go to Rome.  I had a priest tell me once, “Oh, they suspended me.”  I said, “No, they didn’t.  Did you get a letter?”  No.  Then you aren’t suspended.   Another penalty the Church uses is “administrative leave.”   All these penalties are supposed to be medicinal remedies and meant to bring people back.  I was actually awake during Canon Law class.  God is not a punisher.   He is a holy God, and He calls people back.   When the woman was accused of adultery – did He berate her?  No.  Did He berate Peter who denied Him three times?  No.  All the corrections are intended to bring people back to the Sacred Heart and to make His joy and our joy complete.  Why?  Because He is God.   

What Pope Benedict did came at a great cost.  Bishop Sheen said this about Saint Pope Paul XI, “Every night he goes to bed with a crown of thorns because of all the hate mail he receives.”  I am sure this was true for Pope Benedict as well.  His Holiness Pope Benedict sacrificed his life for the love of God and to bring that love to others.  It’s very sad to hear all the ungratefulness and venom coming from people.  What a cross he carried.  You didn’t see the crown of thorns on his head.  You only saw the white skull cap.  You are offering people salvation, and they tell you to stuff it because you don’t know what you’re talking about.  Parents, you know the feeling. 

At the age of 85, Pope Benedict knew it was time to give it up because of his health problems.  He was head of the Church and State, and he just couldn’t keep it up physically.  So, he retired.  Some say, “Well he should have stayed until he died.”   That sounds a lot like civilians . . .their guts and our blood.  I don’t see them volunteering for the job. 

This is why we pray for Pope Benedict.  He suffered so much.  We are never aware of another person’s sufferings.  Only God is aware of them.  Pope Benedict has all the crowns and thorns about his head.  People complain and complain and complain.  “You don’t love me.”  “You have to change this.”  “You have to change that.”  He wore a heavy crown, but he protected his Faith which was his job as a priest, bishop, and especially as supreme confidant.  His job was to care for his flock both from the wolves that seek to savage the flock from the outside and especially the deviants from within.  It is a heavy cross that he wore.   It was a crown of thorns that he never took it off even after he retired. 

This is why we pray for His Holiness.  He was a man who responded to God’s will.  He didn’t want to be pope, but he was.  So, pray for the repose of his soul.  The greater the responsibilities a person has the greater the culpability there is for the sins from within.  So, pray for his soul and ask him to pray for us.

How will you apply this message to your life? ________________________________________

You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” then “Sermon Notes.”  On a cell phone: click on “Blog” then “Menu” and then “Categories.”  Sermon Notes are also available on the church Facebook page at facebook.com/ola.catholic.church.  Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”

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Sermon Notes – January 15, 2023 – “Peace is a Who”

“Peace is a Who”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

January 14-15, 2023

Gospel:  John 1:29-34

29 The next day, he saw Jesus coming towards him and said, ‘Look, there is the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.  30 It was of Him that I said, “Behind me comes one who has passed ahead of me because He existed before me.”  31 I did not know Him myself, and yet my purpose in coming to baptise with water was so that He might be revealed to Israel.’   32 And John declared, ‘I saw the Spirit come down on Him like a dove from  heaven and rest on Him.  33 I did not know Him myself, but He who sent me to baptise with water had said to me,   “The Man on whom you see the Spirit come down and rest is the one who is to baptise with the Holy Spirit.”  34 I have seen and I testify that He is the Chosen One of God.’

This happened to me several times while I was overseas.  The Army had some “guests” we were keeping.  Apparently, they didn’t like our hospitality and began to riot.  So, we sent in the Quick Reaction Force (QRF), and the riot ended rather quickly.  That’s all I can tell you about that.  But peace reigned again.  I like that.  But that’s not the peace our good Lord was talking about.  He didn’t mean sending angels down to do a quick and brutal beat down on people.   He was talking about the peace in our soul.   Peace is not a “what”.  Peace is a “Who.”  Jesus is our peace, and He is a “Who.”  If we want peace, we must have that “Who” inside of us.   This gift of peace is one that the world cannot take away.  “We want peace on Earth!”  Great.  I’m all for that.  I was in an organization that enforced peace, but I’d much rather see people convert to Christ than receive an American bullet. 

If you want peace, let Christ into your souls.  Then you will have peace and a lot of happiness.  That happiness will be deep and abiding.  It will change over time and become deeper.  It will be different, but different is not always bad.  The true way to peace is Christ.  It is not a negotiation.  Negotiations involve conflict and don’t get to the root cause.  The root cause of evil in the world is sin.   “Nobody ever says that!”   Shocking!    The way to peace is Christ. 

In every 12-Step Program, what is the basis for maintaining sobriety or abstinence?   Do participants just “white knuckle” it?   In these programs, there is a phase in which people have a spiritual awakening.  They have something far better.  They have God in their souls, and they no longer want the booze or drugs.  It’s in the literature…check it.  The same is true for us.   Having Christ in our souls is how we get peace. 

Recently, we had a Spanish quinceañera for a 15-year-old girl, and I gave her the secret to happiness.  You all know what the secret to happiness is don’t you?  It is to be holy.  I haven’t done my job in over 18 years if you don’t know that by now.  It is to be holy – that’s what Jesus said, and I tend to remember my boss’ words.  You will have a peace that nobody can take from you.  Look it up.  It’s in the black part of the Book.   He said, “You will have a peace that no one can take from you.”   Our happiness lies in a Person and not in things.  Even rich people get upset – did you know that?   I was the curate at the richest parish in the diocese, and we had people who would get upset even though they had boo-koo cha-ching.  The secret to happiness is having peace in your soul.  And that peace comes with Christ. 

That inner peace – that place where Christ resides in our souls – cannot be removed by any outward occurrence, be it spiritual or temporal.  It can only be removed by us through neglect or unrepentant venial sin and directly by committing mortal sin and throwing Christ out of our souls.  The only thing that can take our peace away is us.  People may challenge our peace, and bad things may happen to us.  We may get Covid.  We may have our cars scratched.  We may get cut off in traffic.  People may give us the one finger salute.   I’ve been here for 18 years, and I haven’t been made a Monsignor yet.  And I’m very hurt.  Saint Teresa of Avila said, “If this is how you treat your friends, Lord, no wonder you have so few.”   Granted, sometimes our peace may be threatened, and we’ll be upset.  But that is  just normal. 

Two by-products of having Christ in our souls is that it gets better and better the closer you grow to Christ.  Your situations will be different that’s true.  You’ll be older, maybe not as good looking, and you may not have as much hair.   Nowadays at the barber shop, I try to convince myself that “I’m too sexy for my hair.”  But whether it’s by scissor or by time, I’m losing mine.   Your happiness will increase as your love for Christ and His presence in your soul increases.  You will find that you will have more energy because you won’t be distracted by fighting all those other things. 

The second by-product of having Christ in your soul is that you will have more friends.  You’ll have more people who want to be around you and not because of the things you bake or cook although I appreciate that as your pastor.  People will like being around you.  They may not be able to define it, but there is something about you that they like being around.  They feel wonderful while they are with you and as they leave.  You will bring Christ to them.  Look at Saint Teresa of Calcutta and Saint John Paul II.   People wanted to be around them – not to ask questions or ask for favors – but just to be with them.  Why?  Because of He who was inside their souls.  And He who was inside them can also be inside us.  This is the peace our Lord has come to offer us.  Whether we take it or not is up to us.

How will you apply this message to your life? ________________________________________
You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” then “Sermon Notes.”  On a cell phone: click on “Blog” then “Menu” and then “Categories.”  Sermon Notes are also available on the church Facebook page at facebook.com/ola.catholic.church.  Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”

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Sermon Notes – January 8, 2023 – “The Little Church”

“The Little Church”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

January 7-8, 2023

Gospel:  Matthew 3:13-17

13 Then Jesus appeared: He came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptised by John.  14 John tried to dissuade Him, with the words, ‘It is I who need baptism from You, and yet You come to me!’ 15 But Jesus replied, ‘Leave it like this for the time being; it is fitting that we should, in this way, do all that uprightness demands.’ Then John gave in to Him.  16 And when Jesus had been baptised He at once came up from the water, and suddenly the heavens opened and He saw the Spirit of God  descending like a dove and coming down on Him.  17 And suddenly there was a voice from heaven, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on Him.’

Today is the Epiphany which is a Greek word that means manifestation and revelation.  There are many of them in Scripture.  Next week we will commemorate another epiphany – the baptism of our Good Lord.   Today is also called the “Little Christmas” because this is when gifts were given to Christ.  It is also a day in which people start taking down their Christmas decorations although some people probably have already taken them down.  The Sacristans will soon remove the Manger, but the poinsettias will stay for a while until they start dropping petals which really drives me nuts.  But it’s sad when they take all that stuff away, especially the Manger or the creche because it calls to mind a lot of things.   However, the highest act of love did not happen on Christmas.  It happened at His Passion, death, and resurrection.  And that is why He came. 

Church is a “what” but it is also a “Who.”   Remember in the Book of Acts, Christ said, “Paul, why are you persecuting Me?”   He didn’t say, “Paul, why are you persecuting the people who tithe and who helped build the buildings.”   He said, “Why are you persecuting Me?”   The Church is Christ.   Therefore, the Manger is the “Little Church.”   By the way, according to Scripture, the family lived in a house. They were not poor – they had a house.  The Manger scene is visible scripture and visible theology.  Because Christ is present, it is Christology (the study of Who Christ is).   Because the Manger is the Little Church, it is also Ecclesiology (the study of what the Church is).  It teaches us about the Church. 

More is revealed through the gifts given by the Magi (the wise men and kings from the East).  They gave Him gold because He is king.  They gave Him frankincense because He is God.  Remember the Jews used incense at the altar in the temple.  In Revelation, incense is present before the throne of God.  So, using incense is scriptural.  I use it sparingly and not like in a military gas chamber.  But if you have a cold, get near the incense and it will clear you right up.  Incense portrays that our Lord is visibly present.  And finally, the Magi gave our Lord myrrh, a burial spice, because of why He came. 

Who do you find around Jesus?  They were all gathered around and looking at Jesus.  They weren’t talking about the latest political scandals.  They prostrated themselves…they didn’t stand and pray… they prostrated themselves as you do before God.  Their faces were in the dirt.  But who was there?  You find the pure – the Blessed Mother and Saint Joseph who are pure of heart.  You find the simple – the shepherds who knew they were ignorant and knew nothing.  They were humble and followed God’s directions like Saint Joseph did.  And you find the wise men who were astrologers and kings from the East.  They were truly educated.  What is the best fruit of an education?  Is it having a bunch of initials after your name?  Is it having a Mensa card in your wallet?  The best fruit of an education is realizing that you don’t know everything.  Even with everything you have learned in the past, there is so much more to learn.   You have just scratched the surface.  The more you learn the more you realize how ignorant you are.   The wise men realized how ignorant they were, and that’s why they came.  They came to be in the presence of Christ.  And that is who you will always find around Christ – the holy, the simple, and the wise.

The Manger is the Church, and it is a beautiful thing to have in your home. Everything is right there in the Manger and very teachable.  So, as you put the Manger scene away for the next 48 weeks or so, remember that you have a beautiful library stashed away.   It is a beautiful meditation on what our Faith is.

How will you apply this message to your life? ________________________________________

You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” then “Sermon Notes.”  On a cell phone: click on “Blog” then “Menu” and then “Categories.”  Sermon Notes are also available on the church Facebook page at facebook.com/ola.catholic.church.  Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”

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Sermon Notes – January 1, 2023 – “Take Care of My Mother, I Remember Your Name”

“Take Care of My Mother, I Remember Your Name”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

January 1, 2023

Gospel:  Luke 2:16-21

16 So they hurried away and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger.  17 When they saw the child they repeated what they had been told about him, 18 and everyone who heard it was astonished at what the shepherds said to them. 19 As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart.  20 And the shepherds went back glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as they had been told.  21 When the eighth day came and the child was to be circumcised, they gave him the name Jesus, the name the angel had given him before his conception.

In a few moments we will recite the Nicene Creed which is one of the statements of belief in the Church.  We have many creeds including the Apostles Creed and the Athanasian Creed.   The Nicene Creed was formulated by the Council Fathers, the Bishops, under the leadership of the Pope at the Council of Nicea in the fourth century.  The Nicene Creed was a response to heresy by a priest named Arius who challenged our beliefs.  Arius thought he was brighter than the average bear and that he had knowledge that nobody else had.  So, he, in his exalted wisdom, sought to redefine who Christ is.  He denied the true nature of Christ.  This caused a bloody revolt within the empire.  The Church went through great strife., and there was martyrdom all over the world.  It was terrible.  But that is what evil does.  So, the bishops of the Church gathered in council along with the Holy Father and made a declaration about who Christ is and where He came from.   

Remember, Christ is a person.  He is a “Who.”  He is not an “it” or a “what.”   And that is affirmed in the Nicene Creed.  In philosophy, you learn that a person is a “Who.”  Inside that “who” is a “what” which is their nature.  We have a human nature…some of us just barely.  Animals have an animal nature.  Christ is a “Who” with two “what’s”.   He has a divine nature which is Himself, and He had the human nature He took from the Blessed Mother.   If you watch closely during the Mass, you see that I put one drop of water into the chalice of wine.  The amount of wine and water in the chalice cannot be equal parts.  The drop of water is not to cut the effect of the wine.   It is to symbolize the human nature assumed and lost within the divinity.  And unless I put that drop of water into the chalice of wine, the Mass is invalid because no Precious Blood has been consecrated.  The mixture of wine and water in the chalice must be very precise because it is expressing the theological and ontological real meaning of who Christ is. 

The Blessed Mother is fittingly called the mother of God so that each year God is made visible.  Why is she called the mother of God?  Because that is what scripture said.  The Council Fathers declared that Mary, the Blessed Mother, was the mother of God.  To some, this was a novel idea, but it really wasn’t because members of the Council knew scripture.  And scripture said that Mary was the mother of God.  Mary had just conceived when she went to visit Elizabeth, her kinswoman.  And when Elizabeth said, “Who am I that the mother of our Lord should come unto me,” she was saying that Mary is the mother of God.   Remember, when you read scripture, you have to read it as a First Century Jew coming from a Jewish culture.  “Oh, I studied under so-and-so.”  Do you know how to study the Old Testament?  Study it under a rabbi.  I did.  Then you discover what things really mean.  “Oh, that’s what that means.”  Bingo!  You have to consider the culture. 

First Century Jews would never use our word for “God.”  Even now, the Orthodox leave letters out and use hyphens.  They don’t use the word “God.”   When Mary greeted Elizabeth, the baby, John, leapt in her womb.  Again, you have to read scripture in the original language.  John didn’t “leap in the womb.”  The original word was “danced.”  It’s the same word that David used to describe what King David did before the Arc of the Covenant as the Arc was coming into Jerusalem.   John the Baptist danced before the Arc of the New Covenant.  Mary is referred to as the mother of our Lord throughout scripture.   Mariology is a subset of Christology because if you study Christ, you have to study Mary.  This is why, as Catholics, we have a great devotion to our Lady.  “Oh, but we don’t want to neglect Christ.”  I’m the wrong ethnicity, I’m French Canadian, but there’s a great Italian phrase that I love to repeat, “Hey Father, you take care of my mother, I remember your name.”

In praising the mother of God, aren’t you also praising Him who is the source and author of all virtue?   However, it was not enough for Mary to be the mother of Christ.  She also had a secondary vocation.  Read the scriptures.  When some people read them, they become like jailhouse lawyers …they read stuff and say, “Oh yeah!  It says this.”   Well, not quite.  Mary is also our mother.   At the wedding in Cana at Galilee, she said, “Son, they have no more wine.”   Any man knows that when a woman says that it’s an implied task and you better get to work and fix it.  She stated the problem and now it’s your problem.  Fix it.  Yes, Mom.  Yes, Dear.  What did Christ say?   The English translation is not a good one.  He didn’t call her “mother.”  He said, “Woman what are thee to me?”   This sounds very harsh.  Say that to your mother and let me know how it works for you.   Not well I bet.   Even saying that to Bea Morton would result in a less than optimal outcome.  There would be a lot of tears and crying on your part.   But that was the beginning of Mary’s second vocation as our Lord began His ministry which was fulfilled three years later at the foot of the Cross.   “Son, behold your mother. Woman, behold your son.”   He said “woman” and not “mother.”  She was to be the spiritual mother of all men.    Christ works through her.  Christ works through her to become present in this world.  He works through her to open the gates of Heaven and help us with our salvation.   Remember the words of Saint Bernard:

Remember, Oh gracious Sweet Virgin Mary, never has it been heard that you left unaided anyone who ran to you for protection, implored your help or sought for your intercessions.  With this inspired confidence I fly to you my mother, Oh Sweet virgin of virgins, I come to you and before you I stand sinful and sorrowful.  Oh Mother of The Word Incarnate, do not despise my petitions but listen, hear and answer them with your utmost love. Amen

Now is that a great prayer?  Darn right.  I say it every morning.  Does it always work?  Um, yes.  However, I’m not a monsignor.  The forecast looks really bleak on that front.  But my prayers are never denied.  I always receive strength, consolation, and affirmation.  It always comes because Mom knows best.  We use that phrase in our physical life how much more so is it true in our spiritual life?  We know the mother of God.  As Teresa Cuthrone might say, “Hey, I know a girl.”

When we pray the Rosary, we pray scripture.   There is nothing contrary or adverse to Christ in that.    Otherwise, she would have dropped out of scripture like Joseph.   She is our mother too and wants to take care of us.  She wants us to be with her Son.  So always ask for help.  Nobody has been sent to hell for asking for intercession.

Father’s Reflections… I had an appointment with my cardiologist on Wednesday.  He said I was fine.   Okay.  But because I’m a cautious man, I kept the receipt. 

How will you apply this message to your life? _________________________________________


You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” then “Sermon Notes.”  On a cell phone: click on “Blog” then “Menu” and then “Categories”

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Sermon Notes – December 25, 2022 – “You Can Become Young Again”

“You Can Become Young Again”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

 December 24-25, 2022


Gospel:  John 1:1-18

1 In the beginning was the Word: the Word was with God and the Word was God.  2 He was with God in the beginning.  3 Through him all things came into being, not one thing came into being except through him.  4 What has come into being in him was life, life that was the light of men;  5 and light shines in darkness, and darkness could not overpower it.  6 A man came, sent by God. His name was John.  7 He came as a witness, to bear witness to the light, so that everyone might believe through him.  8 He was not the light, he was to bear witness to the light.  9 The Word was the real light that gives light to everyone; he was coming into the world.  10 He was in the world that had come into being through him, and the world did not recognise him.  11 He came to his own and his own people did not accept him.  12 But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believed in his name 13 who were born not from human stock or human desire or human will but from God himself.  14 The Word became flesh, he lived among us, and we saw his glory, the glory that he has from the Father as only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.  15 John witnesses to him. He proclaims: ‘This is the one of whom I said: He who comes after me has passed ahead of me because he existed before me.’  16 Indeed, from his fullness we have, all of us, received — one gift replacing another,  17 for the Law was given through Moses, grace and truth have come through Jesus Christ.  18 No one has ever seen God; it is the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.

There are so many things I could say about Christmas.  I could keep you here for hours, and even though we have padded seats, the mind will only hear what the seat can endure.  But there are two things I want to mention about Christmas.  One is to be grateful.  There are times when we are not grateful.  There are things we thought would work out but didn’t.  People we love are no longer here.  But be thankful for the time that you had with them.  I am thankful I had the family that I had.  And that’s as much as my attorney will allow me to say about them.  But I am grateful for them.   The second thing I want to say about Christmas is that we get so much from God which shows His love for us.  Always say thank you.   So few do.  We get busy and distracted at Christmas time with shopping, travel, the weather, and this and that. We listen to the news, and everything is in crisis.  Even so, we need to take time to say the Prayer of Thanksgiving which is the last part of the Mass.

I was meditating before church, and I thought of two things that I am very, very grateful for.  The first thing is one that not all pastors can say.  I am grateful that I am in the greatest parish in the diocese.  I have been blessed to be here for 18½ years, and I hope to stay here until they finally put me into the old priest home.  I have been with the best parish and the best people in the diocese.  And although I say that to the Bishop, I don’t say it to other priests because they would want my parish.  Also, you’ve heard the song, “I’ll be Home for Christmas.”  One of the greatest Christmas presents I ever got was in January one year.  I was in an airplane, and the captain came over the intercom and said, “We have now entered American airspace. Welcome home.”    But the greatest gift of all is what lies in the manger and what lies reposed in the Tabernacle.  Don’t ask, “What is love?”   Love is not a “what.”  Love is a “Who.”   Love is a person.  Instead of looking up and asking where love is, today the world can look down at it.  God, Himself, became what He was not.  He took upon Himself a human nature.  Why?  Because He loves us.   As we say in theology, God is love.  He loved us so much that He came down to take our human nature upon Himself.  Through all the years of acts of love, the greatest of them is not His incarnation but His crucifixion, death, and resurrection so that we can share in His love for all eternity.  So, we don’t have to ask “what” is love.  Love is a “Who.”  

People often say, “I like church at Christmas because it smells nice with the incense.”   I went to college in the 1970’s, and I know we have a police officer in the crowd, but we don’t have any of that wacky stuff here.  It’s still illegal here in North Carolina.  But when I was in college there were a lot of different odors going around.  Entering the dormitories sometimes made you wonder if you were in a monastery.  But how wonderful Christmas can be with the beautiful vestments and decorations.  However, it’s deeper than that.  We have to look at Christmas with the wonder and awe of a child.  Do you know why?   Because the eyes of a child are not tainted by sin.   Yes, they are tainted because of original sin, but they have few sins and probably no mortal sins.  But as we grow up, we become jaded by life’s circumstances. . .by what we have done and what has been done to us.   And we become hardened and calloused.  But that can all be taken away when we come to the manger.  This is a wonderful meditation and many books have been written about it.  When non-Catholics see a manger scene, they wonder if it was put there by a Catholic.  The manger is a way for us to meditate on the beautiful mystery of the incarnation. 

So, how can we see with the eyes of a child?   I have the best ophthalmologist in the business, and he cannot fix my eyes.   But God can through prayer and the Sacraments.  Slowly but surely my eyes will regain the innocence that was lost by my own sin and that of others.   With all the world scattered around us, no wonder we believe the worst in people.  But the eyes of a child still behold the wonder of Christmas.  It’s like married love.  I have done wedding anniversaries for people who were 60 years married.   “Til death do us part” is not a death sentence that the State gives you.  It’s not a waiting game until you are free.   You should be more in love after 60 years than you were on your wedding day if you follow the holy way of life.  Is it different?  Yes.  The man probably cannot open cans and jars anymore.  He cannot bend steel with his bare hands.   He is no longer faster than a speeding bullet or able to leap tall buildings at a single bound.  Those days are gone.  But the love has changed and is deeper and more profound than on your wedding day. Sixty years of prayer, sacrifice, and the Sacraments enriches it and makes it deeper and more profound because you are growing in Christ and to each other.  The same is true with faith.  The process of a husband and wife becoming closer is the same process in which we grow closer to God.    That love for one another is based on love of God and through God.  It is the love for our Lord.  Our love for the Lord at the Mass in the Tabernacle can become so much more profound that we can become young again.  No, I’m not getting my hair back, and I won’t be running 5-minute miles.  But we can become young again, beautiful, and handsome.  That happens in the heart.  We are transformed by the love of Christ.  He shows us how to love Him by loving us.   

Our gift of love is much deeper.  It is more profound and more childlike.  This is God’s Christmas gift to you.  What is His gift?  Remember the first part of the sermon?  It’s not a “what”.  It’s a “Who.”   God offers us the gift of Himself which is pure love.

How will you apply this message to your life? _____________________________

You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” then “Sermon Notes.”  On a cell phone: click on “Blog” then “Menu” and then “Categories”

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

“The Silent Saint”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

 December 17 – 18, 2022

Gospel:  Matthew 1:18-24

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

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

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

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

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

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

How will you apply this message to your life? _________________________________________


You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” then “Sermon Notes.”  On a cell phone: click on “Blog” then “Menu” and then “Categories”

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

“Name It. Say It. Claim It.”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

 December 10 – 11, 2022

Gospel:  Matthew 11:2-11

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


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

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

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

Father’s Reflections:

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

How will you apply this message to your life? _________________________________________

You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” then “Sermon Notes.”  On a cell phone: click on “Blog” then “Menu” and then “Categories”

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Sermon Notes – November 27, 2022 – We Do Not Know the Day or Hour

“We Do Not Know the Day or Hour”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

 November 26-27, 2022

Gospel:  Matthew 24:37-44

37 ‘As it was in Noah’s day, so will it be when the Son of man comes.  38 For in those days before the Flood people were eating, drinking, taking wives, taking husbands, right up to the day Noah went into the ark, 39 and they suspected nothing till the Flood came and swept them all away. This is what it will be like when the Son of man comes.  40 Then of two men in the fields, one is taken, one left; 41 of two women grinding at the mill, one is taken, one left.  42 ‘So stay awake, because you do not know the day when your Master is coming.  43 You may be quite sure of this, that if the householder had known at what time of the night the burglar would come, he would have stayed awake and would not have allowed anyone to break through the wall of his house. 44 Therefore, you too must stand ready because the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect.


In the Gospel, they talk about “eschaton” which means the last days before God comes and judges the world.  We look forward to and honor His first coming on December 25th.   And we look forward to His last coming.  Will we be alive at the eschaton?  No one knows the day or the time.   But He comes in between those two periods which we are now in.   He comes in a lot of ways.  He’s already here in the Blessed Sacrament.  He comes again and again offering Himself to us in the Sacraments. 

Whether Mass is in Latin, Spanish, or English, people say, “I get nothing from Mass.”  That’s pure blasphemy and heresy because the Sacraments are God’s gift of Himself to us.  “I get nothing from God and His gift of Sacrifice.”  Really?  Then you don’t need to be here.  Come back when you are ready.  This is how God gives Himself to us.  He offers Himself again and again especially in the Sacraments of Confession and Holy Communion.  God makes Himself present in our soul.  And He comes to prepare us for what?   His second coming at the end of the world.  Smart money says He will come at our own personal death.  We do not know the date or time.  For instance, my cousin outlived her prognosis.  We also do not know how.  His presence and attempted coming into our souls – we are the ones who control His arrival or not – prepare us for that time when we will meet Him face-to-face.  So, take His advice: “Keep watch, for you do not know the day or the hour.”   

Now, I’m not much, as you all well know, but I can read a calendar.  The average life span of a male is about 73 or 74 years.  In July, I will be 70.  If I move again, it will be to a house right next to Atrium.  I don’t know when the time will come but prepare to meet our Lord and be ready to greet Him when He comes.  He comes to us a lot in ordinary ways and at ordinary times.  I told you the story about finding the quarter, and that was fun.  I even found a dime last night.  Hey, my cousin is generous!   She was a VA psych nurse, so she really knows how to handle me. 

Our God tells us, even in the midst of our afflictions and crosses, if you look for the signs, He will tell us that He is with us.  You will find all these little signs but sometimes we get too busy to notice. My cousin had stopped the chemotherapy.  She was sitting on the deck in East Nowhere, Massachusetts – there is such a place as East Nowhere, and she lived there.  Out of nothing, a distinguished voice – not a soft one but a real one – said “I love you.”  Just to let her know that during her final time on the cross, she was loved.   She was prepared to go and joyfully meet her Savior.  So, our good Lord is coming, and that’s the good news.  And what does that give us?  It gives us time.  Time to put on the wedding garment as Scripture tells us. Time to take advantage of His presence and His comings so that we may be ready to go joyfully to meet Him when the time comes.  So be prepared.  We get distracted by many things…Black Friday sales and all that stuff.  But our good Lord is coming back, and that is the good news.

Father’s Reflections. . .

Please keep Theresa Cutrone in your prayers.  She fell and banged her head.  I happened to be there when the rescue squad came.  One of the medics asked Theresa what had happened, and she said, “My husband pushed me.”  The medic said that he could call the law.  And I said, “You’ll need to call Ghostbusters. . .I buried her husband two years ago.”    It’s never dull in my world. 

On a personal note, I want to thank you for your prayers for my cousin.  Kathy passed away on Friday morning.  She was diagnosed a year ago with Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer which is not a fun way to go.   I also want to thank her medical team.  They bought her a lot of time she would not have had.  I appreciate them and your prayers. 

On Friday night I was driving to a restaurant to eat fish…I hate fish, but I have to eat it.     I looked up at the sky and saw a beautiful sunset.   I said, “Kathy you are in Heaven now.  Please pray for me.”  As I was getting out of the car at Blue Bay, I looked down at the ground and there was a quarter.   Wow. . .that was quick!  And then, I had an evil thought.  My cheap brother only sent me a penny when he passed.  But in his defense maybe God bumped it up to adjust for inflation. 

How will you apply this message to your life? _____________________________

You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” then “Sermon Notes.”  On a cell phone: click on “Blog” then “Menu” and then “Categories”