Category: Sermon Notes

Transripts of weekly sermons

Posted on

Sermon Notes – August 21, 2022 – “It Depends”

“It Depends”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

 August 20 – 21, 2022

Gospel:  Luke 13:22-30


22 Through towns and villages He went teaching, making His way to Jerusalem.  23 Someone said to Him, ‘Sir, will there be only a few saved?’ He said to them, 24 ‘Try your hardest to enter by the narrow door, because, I tell you, many will try to enter and will not succeed.  25 ‘Once the master of the house has got up and locked the door, you may find yourself standing outside knocking on the door, saying, “Lord, open to us,” but He will answer, “I do not know where you come from.”  26 Then you will start saying, “We once ate and drank in your company; you taught in our streets,” 27 but He will reply, “I do not know where you come from; away from Me, all evil doers!” 28 ‘Then there will be weeping and grinding of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God, and yourselves thrown out.  29 And people from east and west, from north and south, will come and sit down at the feast in the Kingdom of God.  30 ‘Look, there are those now last who will be first, and those now first who will be last.’ 

Let me ask you a theological question.  Is it hard to enter the Kingdom of God?  The best answer is “it depends.”  And I don’t mean old people’s garments.  It depends on the condition of your soul.  The condition of your soul depends on who you love more.  Do you love God or do you love you?  There is a saying in counseling: “I’m not much but I’m all I think about.”  God will ask, “Do you love me?”  It’s a requirement to get into Heaven.  And it’s not the emotional, frothy “Oh I love you!” kind of love.  There are people in the “Nut Hut” who do that, and they aren’t quite well.  To love God is to do the works of God.  What are the works of God?  They are works of love.  Our Lord said, “If you love me keep My Commandments.”  That is His commandment.  It is also the commandment of the Church as Paul found out in the Book of Acts.  You cannot separate the two.  Some ecclesiastical jailhouse lawyers might say, “Well, I love Christ but not the Church.”  You cannot do that.  It’s contrary to scripture from the very earliest time in 34 ad.  Christ died in 33 ad. 

So, how do we see the Commandments?  Our Lord said, “If you love Me keep My Commandments.  My Commandments are not burdensome.”  It’s how much you love.  If you love, there is no act that is burdensome.   Saint Augustine said, “There is no labor involved in works of love and if so, even the labor itself is love.”   Love becomes burdensome when we focus on ourselves.  We want what we want when we want it.  Spiritually, we call that “king baby.”  “I want what I want and if I don’t get it, I won’t come to church.”  Shut up.  God help us. 

Every time our Lord asked the apostles a question, guess what happened.  They got it wrong.  How can we love?  It’s not hard.  I saw it as a soldier all the time.  If some schmuck got hurt for whatever reason, other soldiers would go over and help the injured soldier.  They didn’t expect thanks for carrying the soldier’s stuff.  They didn’t even ask…they just did.  They helped take care of business.  At Christmas time, young soldiers who got married and had three or four kids right away needed money for gifts for their kids.  We had various funds that could help, but my sergeant-major said, “No.  We take care of our own.  We don’t go to strangers.”   So, everybody donated money, and we made sure that all those children had a good Christmas.  There was this one child who had leukemia and was being treated at an Air Force base.  His father wanted to see him, but it was expensive to travel.  So, the colonel came up with a “training mission.”  They put the father on a bird and flew him out to the Air Force base.  They left to do something else, flew back, sat there for a while, and eventually picked the father up.  After that, they flew back home.  I once met a Vietnam Veteran who extended for second year in Vietnam.  I said, “Dude! Why did you extend for another year?”  He said so that his younger brother who had just been drafted wouldn’t have to go. That’s what we do.  That’s exactly what we do. Those are acts of love.  Were they all Catholic who did that?   No, and I know that for sure.  I was with them for three years and knew all of the Catholics.  Did they all go to church?  I don’t think so.  Will they get into the Kingdom of Heaven?  They’ve got a shot because they loved and thought of others before themselves.   They responded to God’s calling even when it wasn’t convenient.  I hear this from some of the Spanish: “I will come to Mass if I don’t have something else to do that day.”  Really?  We have Mass on Saturday night and twice on Sunday.  Really?  Our Lord invited you to Supper.  You want to spend eternity with Him but you can’t find the time to come to church.

It’s all in how you love. Heaven is not hard to get into, but it’s harder than you think because it requires action on your part.  And that action is to die unto self, to live for others, and to love others.  That’s the hard part.  We have to die to selfish love to be able to live a total and Christ-like life.   

Father’s Afterthoughts. . .
Something else seminary didn’t prepare me for, and one for which I’m going to kill the nurses in Hospice.  They told me that we had a new admission, and he was Catholic.  I said Okay.  I’ll give him Last Rites.  So, I went into his room.  He was a Vietnam Vet with Agent Orange poisoning and was pretty far along in his journey.  Usually when a veteran is far along in their journey, the nurses put on the Care Channel on television.  It’s nice soothing music, nature scenes, waterfalls, and things like that.  It was tough for me to give him the Last Rites.  As I was saying the prayers to absolve him, you know what they had on television?  “Animal House.”  Really!

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.”  Cell phone: click on “Blog” then “Menu” and then “Categories”

Posted on

Sermon Notes – August 14, 2022 – History is Not Destiny

“History is Not Destiny”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

 August 13 – 14, 2022

Gospel:  Luke 12:49-53

Jesus said to his disciples:

49 “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!  50 There is a baptism with which I must be baptized, and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!  51 Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.  52 From now on a household of five will be divided, three against two and two against three; 53 a father will be divided against his son and a son against his father, a mother against her daughter and a daughter against her mother, a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.”

That last sentence in the Gospel made me think of the movie, “The Quiet Man.”  There were two women in one house, and one was a red head.  Not good thing.  There can be only one dominate mare and that’s it.  Go to any pasture, and if there is more than one mare, they will settle the score and determine who is boss. 

When a person tries to grow in holiness, a lot of things will happen.  They will begin to change by taking up their cross every day and participating in the Sacraments frequently.   As we strive for holiness, we will make progress if we never give up our cross.  We may fall a lot, but we never stop trying to practice our faith.  We are not perfect and won’t be until after we die and are in Heaven.  The good part about that and the bad part about that is you probably won’t notice.  You will probably notice that you are doing all this stuff and don’t feel any better and things aren’t going any better.  “So, what’s the point?  Am I really making progress?”  It can be very disheartening. 

I’ll tell you how you will know when you are making progress because you won’t notice it yourself.  Two will happen to you.   As you grow in holiness, you realize that you have a lot more room in which to grow.  You won’t become inflated; in fact, you will become more humble.  “Whoa!  I’ve got a lot more work to do.  This is God’s gift and not my doing.”   Also, you will have someone notice the change in you.  “Wow.  What’s the change in you?  I don’t know what it is, but it’s a nice change.”  Some may notice and not say anything.  Others, who do not accept His word, will hang around to make your life miserable and crucify you.   They will bring up all this nasty stuff.  “You know you had a booze problem.”  They may call you a jerk.  “You darn Catholic! You used to blah blah blah!”  Really?  That’s the past, and I am more than my past.  History is not destiny.  They will do this because the person who is trying to grow in holiness is bringing the light of Christ that is within them to others.  You are not consciously “witnessing” or evangelizing, but because of Who is in your soul, you are bringing Him to others.  Our Lord has forgiven and forgotten all our sins.  And we are grateful for God’s gift to us. 

This is the division that Christ comes for.  We try to practice our faith.  We let His light shine through our conduct and how we treat others.  Some do not wish to grow in the light.  I remember walking into the Iredell hospital and this woman approached me. She asked me if I was a Catholic priest.  I said, “Yes.”  And then she let loose on all these nasty words.  I said, “Mom, stop!  What is wrong with you?”   I’ve been cursed out many times, and I probably deserved it many more times when I wasn’t.  But it wasn’t me who offended them.  It was what I represented.  When people do that, it hurts, because we always like to be commended and encouraged.   So, when they do that, and they will, be glad because they are affirming your growth in holiness.  They see someone inside you that they have rejected.  So, keep that lamp burning brightly and eventually they may see that light and place that light into their own souls. 

In 12 stop programs, people admit to being alcoholics, drug addicts or whatever.  Therapeutically that is true.  Spiritually, it is not.  Spiritually, I am a person with that cross.   But we are not our crosses.  Our crosses are God’s gift to us to keep us humble.  Many times, those who have been given great gifts have great crosses to keep them humble.  For those who are striving in holiness, fair warning. . .some people won’t approve.  I will give you a personal example.  My Aunt Teresa died, and so I was at the wake in Massachusetts at what was a French funeral home but is now owned by an Irishman. . .we are taking over.  My cousin came up to me and said, “You still believe all that stuff?”  Sweetheart…check the collar.  I get clergy rates at the airlines.  Your mother went to Mass every day.  What’s wrong with you?  So do not be disheartened.  Know that they treated our Lord the same way.  Remember the reproaches of our Lord on Good Friday:  “My people, what have I done to you?  How have I offended you?  Answer Me!” 

So, we try to grow in holiness.  We may become the temptations of others who do not appreciate our growing closer to the Lord so that we can love better and love them better.  One side effect is knowing our salvation.  Another is passing that love and openness onto others.  So don’t be despondent.  Instead, we pray for them.  And we take their sufferings upon ourselves.  This is the division which comes from those who refuse His 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.”  Cell phone: click on “Blog” then “Menu” and then “Categories”

Posted on

Sermon Notes – August 7, 2022 – “None of Us Are Getting Out of Here Alive”

“None of Us Are Getting Out of Here Alive”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

 August 6 – 7, 2022

Gospel:  Luke 12:32-48

32 ‘There is no need to be afraid, little flock, for it has pleased your Father to give you the kingdom.  33 ‘Sell your possessions and give to those in need. Get yourselves purses that do not wear out, treasure that will not fail you, in heaven where no thief can reach it and no moth destroy it.  34 For wherever your treasure is, that is where your heart will be too.  35 ‘See that you have your belts done up and your lamps lit.  36 Be like people waiting for their master to return from the wedding feast, ready to open the door as soon as he comes and knocks.  37 Blessed those servants whom the Master finds awake when he comes. In truth I tell you, he will do up his belt, sit them down at table and wait on them.  38 It may be in the second watch that He comes, or in the third, but blessed are those servants if He finds them ready.  39 You may be quite sure of this, that if the householder had known at what time the burglar would come, he would not have let anyone break through the wall of his house.  40 You too must stand ready, because the Son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect.’  41 Peter said, ‘Lord, do you mean this parable for us, or for everyone?’  42 The Lord replied, ‘Who, then, is the wise and trustworthy steward whom the master will place over his household to give them at the proper time their allowance of food?  43 Blessed that servant if his master’s arrival finds him doing exactly that.  44 I tell you truly, he will put him in charge of everything that he owns.  45 But if the servant says to himself, “My master is taking his time coming,” and sets about beating the menservants and the servant-girls, and eating and drinking and getting drunk,  46 his master will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not know. The master will cut him off and send him to the same fate as the unfaithful.  47 ‘The servant who knows what his master wants, but has got nothing ready and done nothing in accord with those wishes, will be given a great many strokes of the lash.  48 The one who did not know, but has acted in such a way that he deserves a beating, will be given fewer strokes. When someone is given a great deal, a great deal will be demanded of that person; when someone is entrusted with a great deal, of that person even more will be expected.

Now, I have some good news for you.  Do you want some good news?  You are all going to die.  How do you like my bedside manner?  I was battle-trained in the Army.  It may not be today, but we are all going to die because that is the only way we can get to Heaven.  You are here at Mass preparing for your death.  Our Good Lord is the object of our love, and we wish to possess Him.  You are here so that you can possess Him and be possessed by Him in Holy Communion.  We want to be possessed by Him eternally in Heaven.  But, unfortunately for us, after the sins of our first parents and the sins we have committed after our Baptism, we have to die in order to be with our Lord forever.  We love the destination, but we are not too happy about the trip details. 

I’ve seen a lot of things I don’t want to die from, but it’s not our choice.  “Can’t we be like the Blessed Mother and be whisked up to Heaven?”  No.  We all have to suffer.  We all follow the way of the Cross, and at some point in our life, we don’t know the day…it could be 40 or 50 years from now, we will ascend the Cross.  Which Cross we ascend is up to us.  It could be the Cross on Christ’s left or the Cross on His right.  I would suggest the Cross on His right because that is the one the Good Thief was on when Christ told him, “Today you will be with Me in Paradise.”  The other one not so much. 

Our Lord will come for us.  You may be thinking, “But He is coming in judgement.”  Judgement is not that bad. First of all, let me explain something about Jewish weddings.  Jewish weddings occur after sundown. So, our Lord comes in the middle of the night.  You never know.  You may be tired, and you may be dozing.  We don’t know the time when our Lord will come.  And for those who look forward to His coming, it’s a great thing.  Don’t you look forward to your family, not my family, but your family and friends coming to visit?  You look out the window, and you look at your watch.  Or, if you are a ghoul, you have a tracker on your phone.  Why?  Because you want them there.  You want your love to be complete with your loved ones.  We look forward to our love finally being rewarded and possessing the object of our love. 

So, our Lord’s coming is not a threat.  It is a motivator and an encouragement for us to take up our cross each day and follow Him.   “Wake up!  I am coming for you, and I don’t want to be separated from you.  Please do not separate yourself from Me.”   Our Lord does not threaten.  How we condition our souls is how we respond.  “He’s coming to judge me!”  What’s wrong with you?   What have you done?  “Oh, He’s coming!  I’m going to get it!”  He’s going to look at that permanent record of yours.  He is coming because He wants us.  That’s why He made us.  Why did He make us?  To know Him, serve Him, and love Him in this life and to share eternity with Him.  The only one who can thwart that plan is us. 

Never get discouraged.  That is one of the greatest temptations we suffer.   We pray, we work hard, we come to Mass, we set a good example, and we become discouraged when we don’t see a difference in ourselves and others.  Actually, there is a big difference – we just can’t see it.  The devil says, “You know, you need to stop that garbage. . . you are making yourself sick.  Go out and have a good time.  Get a double order of bacon and live it up.”  That is the sin of discouragement.  “I keep falling with my cross!”  Do you keep getting up?  “Yes.”  That’s what you are supposed to do.  The only time you don’t need to carry your cross is when you are dead.  So, don’t be discouraged.  Our lord is coming.  He is coming at the end of time which we don’t know when that will be.  More likely, it will be at the time of our passing from this world to the next.  You are all here, so I’m sure you are looking forward to that moment.  But if you are like me, you are trying to negotiate the details.  “You know, Lord, if you could, I’d like to die this way…just asking.”

I visited with one gentleman who I would be surprised if he is still alive.  I said, “Mr. H., I have other rounds to make, but I’ll be back next Thursday.  Will I see you?”  He said, “No, I don’t think so.”  I said, “When you see Jesus, would you put in a good word for me?”  He said he would.  He knew he was going to pass, and he was ready to go.  Not all of us will have that opportunity – I hope we all do.   And in the words of Saint John Henry Newman, “to have the holy oil sign and seal us and absolving words said over us.”  This is encouragement.  Do not give in to the temptations of the devil.  Do not be discouraged by your labors, sacrifices, crosses, or seemingly lack of advancement on the way to sanctity.  As long as you don’t quit, you are always advancing.  And do not lose heart.  His plan for us is happiness.  At some point, and we don’t know when that point will be, the Lord will come and say, “You have graduated.  Come into the Kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world.”  So be encouraged.  Our Lord is coming. 

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.”  Cell phone: click on “Blog” then “Menu” and then “Categories”

Posted on

Sermon Notes – July 31, 2022 – “Make Room!”

“Make Room!”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

 July 30 -31, 2022

Gospel: Luke 12:13-21

13 A man in the crowd said to Him, ‘Master, tell my brother to give me a share of our inheritance.’  14 He said to him, ‘My friend, who appointed Me your judge, or the arbitrator of your claims?’  15 Then He said to them, ‘Watch, and be on your guard against avarice of any kind, for life does not consist in possessions, even when someone has more than he needs.’ 16 Then He told them a parable, ‘There was once a rich man who, having had a good harvest from his land, 17 thought to himself, “What am I to do? I have not enough room to store my crops.”  18 Then he said, “This is what I will do: I will pull down my barns and build bigger ones, and store all my grain and my goods in them, 19 and I will say to my soul: My soul, you have plenty of good things laid by for many years to come; take things easy, eat, drink, have a good time.”  20 But God said to him, “Fool! This very night the demand will be made for your soul; and this hoard of yours, whose will it be then?”  21 So it is when someone stores up treasure for himself instead of becoming rich in the sight of God.’

In the last verses of the 12th chapter of Saint Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, the saint earnestly desires higher gifts.  He wrote:

“First, I seek the higher gifts and I will show you a more excellent way.  If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” 

And that’s true.  Saint Paul continues with the theme of love in the 13th chapter.  Love is the one thing we should desire above all else.   God is love itself.  He wants to make us wealthy in His love, and He teaches us how to grow in that love.  The one thing we can be truly rich in is to always possess Him and to be possessed by Him. 

The more you experience the love of God, the more you want.  With God you can never get enough.  We are inspired and motivated to make more room for Him in our souls through our works, prayer, and self-sacrifice to possess Him and be possessed by Him.  Doing so will enlarge and beautify our souls for a proper dwelling place for Him.  And when we have that possession, we have an ever-increasing wealth.  Then all the other things we have will assume their proper role. 

But it’s never enough.  It’s like being in an Irish family. . .there’s always room for one more.  There is always room for more love. 

Did you know that you can go to Mass more than once a week?  You can receive Holy Communion up to three times a day. . .did you know that?  You can go to Confession once a day. . .twice, if you’ve done something really bad.  If you want to drive over to the Catholic church in Concord so you don’t have to see me, that’s okay – I get it, as long as you go.  There is no limit on God’s desire to be a part of your soul.  And when we are possessed by Him what happens?  We are transformed, and all the things we have find their proper place. 

Sometimes, every now and again, we realize how truly rich we are.  “Well, Father, I’m not really rich. Have you seen my bank statement?”   I’m not talking about that.  “Father, I don’t live in a nice house.”  I’m not talking about that.  “Father, I don’t have a nice car.”  I’m not talking about that either.  Look at all the sufferings you have.  Look at how rich you are.   Even with the worse things in your life, you are chosen.  You have much to offer God for the sanctification of souls.  You are truly rich, because it is in that pain and suffering we have all endured or are enduring that we share in the suffering of Christ for the redemption of the world.

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.”  Cell phone: click on “Blog” then “Menu” and then “Categories”

Posted on

Sermon Notes – July 23-24, 2022 – “Love You More!”

July 23 – 24, 2022

“Love You More!”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

 Gospel: Luke 11:1-13

1 Now it happened that He was in a certain place praying, and when He had finished, one of His disciples said, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.’ 2 He said to them, ‘When you pray, this is what to say: Father, may your name be held holy, your kingdom come; 3 give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, 4 for we ourselves forgive each one who is in debt to us. And do not put us to the test.’ 5 He also said to them, ‘Suppose one of you has a friend and goes to him in the middle of the night to say, “My friend, lend me three loaves, 6 because a friend of mine on his travels has just arrived at my house and I have nothing to offer him;” 7 and the man answers from inside the house, “Do not bother me. The door is bolted now, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up to give it to you.” 8 I tell you, if the man does not get up and give it to him for friendship’s sake, persistence will make him get up and give his friend all he wants.  9 ‘So I say to you: Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.  10 For everyone who asks receives; everyone who searches finds; everyone who knocks will have the door opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asked for a fish, would hand him a snake? 12 Or if he asked for an egg, hand him a scorpion?  13 If you then, evil as you are, know how to give your children what is good, how much more will the Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!’

Why must God give us good things?  Because, as Saint John tells us, God is love.  What is God’s nature?  His nature is love itself.  Love seeks to diffuse itself by spreading that love.  So, to not give us good things would be a denial of His very nature.  He gives us good things whether we deserve them or not because He loves us.  The first question in the Catechism is “Why did God make us?”  Because He loves us.  God gives us good things not because we pray the “right” way, or because we tithe to the Church, or because we do this, that, and the other thing.  That would be like a business deal. . .you give me this, and I’ll give you that.  He offers these gifts to us, both temporal and spiritual, to show His love for us and to draw us ever closer.  Or, if we have wandered away, to call us back and to remind those souls, including ours, that He wants us to be with Him.   

We are called to pray.  Most of us have prayed for things very hard and valiantly.   We’ve used the right words and claimed the things we have prayed for in the name of Jesus.  We have asked for the intercession of Saint Jude who is the patron saint of the impossible and the intercession of other saints who are patrons of particular causes.  But we have been disappointed because sometimes those answers have not come, and we have not gotten what we wanted.  That doesn’t mean that God has stopped loving us.  It means that He has other plans for us and that, in itself, is a gift of love.  We are called to have trust in the Lord.  Trust Him even though the answer to our immediate need, want, desire, plea, threat, is “No.”   He has something far better in mind for you or that person you have been praying for.  You must trust Him. 

Now I have been 38 years a priest, and I am not yet a monsignor.  Wait a moment while I tear up.  Sorry; I got a little misty-eyed there.  But I have been the pastor for the past 18 years of the greatest parish in the diocese.  I don’t tell anyone that because they might boot my butt out of here.  But I’ll take that trade all day long.  You have to remember that God loves us and sees more than we can see for ourselves.   Sometimes what we want is not good for us as anyone who has children knows.  The crosses He allows us to carry, He gives us for the sake of others.  God constantly offers us these gifts to keep us encouraged, to remind us of His love for us, and to draw us ever closer to Him. 

God gives us all these gifts because He loves us.  Sometimes that love is hard to see because of the gift wrapping.  Some of His gifts we never see.  We never see all the temporal and spiritual evils He protects us from.  Remember that when you thank Him at the end of the day.  So, pray.  And as Saint Augustine once said, “Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.”   God will give you the most wondrous gifts along with all the other gifts including the good stuff like apple pie and the bad stuff like Covid.  But whatever the gifts may be, they all point to His love for us.  He is love itself, and He wants us to love Him back more and more in this life. . . all of us, both good and bad.  He wants to turn them back to Him too.  He takes no delight in the death of a sinner.  That’s not why He sent His Son.  He wants to draw us ever closer to Him in this life so that we may have life with Him united in perfect love in Heaven.

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.”  Cell phone: click on “Blog” then “Menu” and then “Categories”

Posted on

Sermon Notes – July 10, 2022 – “There are Heroes and Saints in Our Midst”

“There are Heroes and Saints in Our Midst”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

 July 9 – 10, 2022

Gospel: Luke 10:25-37 

You’ve heard me say that if you study scripture, you need to study with a rabbi or take some Jewish courses, because you need to read scripture in the proper context.  I took two courses with a rabbi, and it was fascinating.  In today’s gospel, the priest and the Levite were clergy, and they did not take care of someone who laid hurt on the side of the road.  You know what?  They didn’t have to.  According to the law at the time, if a hurt person was on your side of the road, you had to take care of them.   However, if the hurt person was on the other side of the road, the law said that you didn’t have to help them.  So, the priest and the Levite were justified in not caring for the hurt person according to the law.   But Jesus said, “My love goes beyond the law.”  People say, “Father, I’m a good Catholic…I go to Mass every Sunday.”  Being a good Catholic goes beyond not robbing banks and not committing murder.  Okay?

We tend to see people without really seeing them.  We see them as they are now and not in the way they were.  By the way, I watch all of you.  That’s why I was a good Battalion Chaplain.  I got to know my troops, and I could look at their faces and tell if something was wrong.  Our small parish is about the size of a battalion.  At church, people tend to sit in the same seat.  And if someone happens to sit in your seat, you stand there and stare at them.  “Hey! I always sit there, and I am not moving!”  It happens all the time.  So, when you are not here, I know it.  You can’t pull a fast one on the old man. 

Over the past few Saturdays, I have noticed that someone was not here.  He was a little guy who you wouldn’t give a second look at on the street.  His name was Ray Mikol, and I always called him by his first name.  Know what his first name was?  Sergeant Major.  He earned that.  He was in the Knights of Columbus.  He spent 29 years in Uncle Sam’s Army.  Ray suffered from a heart attack and went on to his rest.  Ray was an overachiever.  He earned the award that nobody wants to get – the Purple Heart.   They usually give that one to dead people.  He got the Bronze Star for valor.  He did a couple of tours in Vietnam.  He had all these good conduct medals and a Paratrooper Badge.  That’s like a Marine getting a Good Conduct medal.  It just doesn’t happen!  A paratrooper with a Good Conduct medal flies in the face of everything I know about paratroopers.  But think of all the sacrifices he made.  He loved God, and he loved his family.   He did the right thing and sacrificed for them.  And I am sure there are a lot of soldiers who have families and grandchildren because of him and his teaching by example.   That just goes to show you there are heroes and saints in our midst. 

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.”  Cell phone: click on “Blog” then “Menu” and then “Categories”

Posted on

Sermon Notes – July 3, 2022 – “Do Whatever He Tells You”

“Do Whatever He Tells You”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

 July 2 – 3, 2022

Gospel: Luke 10:1-12, 17-20

I was talking to a gentleman in the Hospice unit, and he said he had a question for me.   Are you Catholic?  I said, “Yes.”   I want to ask you about prayer.  Isn’t praying to Mary and the Saints a prayer that belongs only to God?  I said, “Yes it does, but look at the definition of ‘pray.’”  Now I’ve had the benefit of a Catholic education in English – not diction – English.  Pray means “to ask.”   Pray can mean “worship” and “adoration,” but it can also mean “to ask.”  So, we ask the Blessed Mother for her intercession.  Who got the first miracle?  Mary.  Then who better than God’s mother to ask?   I told the man that it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.  I know a lady. . . I can get things done.  He said that made a lot of sense and he was happy with my answer.  I almost said, “When you see Mary, put a good word in for me.”  But I left that thought for later. 

In the Gospel of John, there is a recounting of the wedding in Cana of Galilee.  Mary gave advice for us all which will make our lives a lot easier and our faith more fruitful.  What did she say?  “Do whatever He tells you.”   Now the disciples and apostles were jubilant when they returned from the wedding.  Who knew that Jesus, being the son of God, would tell them what to do and it would all work out?   If you go through the Gospels, you see that every time a miracle happened the apostles were surprised.  You think they would have gotten used to it!  During the three years they were with Him, He raised at least three people from the dead.  They saw Jesus as God.  He fed the 5,000.  When a storm arose which frightened the apostles, He stilled the waters.  And they were still surprised when He performed a miracle?  Did the apostles have short term memory problems? 

We are called to do what we are told because of the One who told us.  Do what you are told, and you will be surprised.  Do what you are told, and God will get results.   We are here to fallow spiritual orders.  Will it all work out?  Yes.  Will we see it?  Maybe not.  We don’t always see the results of our hard labors, sufferings, and prayers.  But God sees out of time.  Jesus said, “One sows and another reaps.”   If we do what He tells us to do, we will get what He has promised.  Act like He acted.  Become like Him.  Follow in His footsteps.   

Going back to my wonderful sermon last week, we shouldn’t try to change Jesus’ words as if He doesn’t understand what’s going on in the 21st century.   “Do You know what’s going on here?”   “You obviously aren’t getting newspapers, watching CNN, or on Facebook.”    “Come on!  You gotta change this stuff.  People are upset!”  They are always upset.  When they crucified the Savior, you think they were upset?  Yeah!  Just do what you are told.  And the great thing is, like in the military and in married life, we don’t have to like it, nor do we have to understand it.  Who has been known to whine to God?   There is a heresy and a popular one that people have spent quite a lot of money on.  It’s the catchphrase, “What would Jesus do?”  How the heck would you know?  It’s a heresy to make yourself equal to God.   Just do as you are told.  Don’t worry about it.  God is up all night, so there’s nothing to worry about.  He’s got it.  

The hardest thing to do is the submission of self.  I took three vows:  poverty, chastity, and obedience.  Which of those is the most difficult?  Obedience is the most difficult because some of us are educated beyond our abilities and always have in the back of our minds, “Yeah, but… You don’t know anything, you with the pointy hat and stick.”  We think we know the solutions.  We think we know what must be done.  But that’s not always true.  We think we know what’s good for people.  That, too, is not always true.   We judge people even though we don’t know the crosses they carry.  When my brother passed away, he was buried in his fireman’s uniform, and he had all these badges.  My sister-in-law never knew what they were.  So, I asked the fire captain what they meant.  He said that they were for a couple of lives he saved and for this and that.  He did all this stuff, and no one ever knew.  I saw a picture of my sister-in-law’s brother in his Army green uniform, and he had all these medals and ribbons.  Not bad!   I asked my sister-in-law if her brother had ever told her what they meant.  She said “no.”  I didn’t expect him to since he was a Vietnam veteran and a retired colonel.   So, I said, “You see that one there?  That’s the Distinguished Flying Cross, downgraded from the Medal of Honor.  You need to ask him about that one.”   I knew he probably would not tell her the truth, but the family needed to know this stuff.  Later on, I asked my sister-ion-law if he had told her about his medals, and she said “yes.”   I wondered if he told her the truth, because he had done some work on the dark side, and some of that information is classified.  But he told me. 

You never know the crosses people are carrying, so we don’t make judgements about them.  We just do what Jesus asks us to do.  That’s all.  In the Book of Acts, the apostles were thrown into prison, and prisons back then were a little rougher than those we have now, but what did they do?  They rejoiced because they were found worthy to suffer for His name.  They did what God wanted them to do, and that’s what He wants us to do.  When we stand before Him, He will ask, “Did you do what I asked you to do?”

How will you apply this message to your life?

Father’s Reflections. . .

  • This morning during my meditation, I remembered something from 31 years ago.  That’s not bad…at least I’m not in the Alzheimer’s unit yet.  But I remember this. . .Our unit moved back from Iraq and redeployed to Fort Bragg where I ran into General Schwarzkopf’s chaplain.  General Schwarzkopf was Commander of the Armed Forces in Iraq during Desert Shield and Desert Storm. The chaplain and I were chatting, and he told me something that General Schwarzkopf had said to him right before Desert Storm.  The General was going into a meeting with his subordinate commanders or what we would call combatant commanders.  The General said, “Chaplain will you pray for me?  Tonight, I am about to send many young men and women to their deaths.”  That night he gave the order, and we went into Iraq.
  • I was doing my rounds in the Hospice unit and I saw the Hospice nurses, all female, and they were having lunch of fruit, salad, and other healthy stuff.  I went back to the office and saw Chaplain Metcalf who I’ve known for 33 years since my days in the Army.  He was also having lunch except he was eating the Sausage Lover’s pizza and drinking a big glass of Cheerwine.  He said, “Don’t tell my wife about the Cheerwine.”  And you wonder why women live longer!  

Read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” then “Sermon Notes.”  Cell phone: click on “Blog” then “Menu” and then “Categories”

Posted on

Sermon Notes – June 26, 2022 – “Stop Rearranging the Deck Chairs on the Titanic”

“Stop Rearranging the Deck Chairs on the Titanic”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

Gospel: Luke 9:51-62

Church has always been an instrument of change.  We like change.  And we want change.  But the trouble is that people keep changing the wrong things.  For the past 60 years, we have changed everything.  We have gutted the churches.  We have changed the architecture and the decorations.  We have changed the language.  We’ve changed this and we’ve changed that.  And you know what?  It hasn’t worked out so well.  It is like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.  They always seem to want to change the doctrine.  “Change this and I will be your follower.”  The Church wants to change.  But the Church is Christ as the Book of Acts tells us.   So, you cannot say, “I love God but not the Church.”  You cannot separate the two.  He wants us to change. 

What did our Lord say?   “If you wish to be My follower, deny your very self.  Take up your cross every day and follow Me.”  Deny your very self.  Renounce your whole self.  Unfortunately, we may hear at the end of the day, “God made me this way!”   Well, yes and no.  God has a directive will and a permissive will.  His directive will is what keeps the planets in orbit and maintains the Law of Physics and Aerodynamics.  If lift is not greater than drag, there will not be a happy outcome.  God also has a permissive will which allows people to have free will.   So, if you say, “God made me this way,” keep in mind that our first parents played a role when they committed the original sin.  They are the ones who screwed up the system.  We were never meant to live like this.  Granted, Oakboro is a paradise, but I have heard that Eden in the presence of God is just a little bit better than Oakboro and Aquadale too.  

But we don’t have to be like this.  God took our fallen human natures and made it a means for our salvation.  He gave us all our crosses.  You can see one of mine.  I am good looking, but my family has no money.  It’s terrible!  I have struggled with that all my life.  God gave us our crosses so that we will come to Him in love, for redemption, and as a means of salvation for others.  “God made me this way, so I want an excuse for doing whatever I want to do.”   They want what they want when they want it.  So that means we should give every diabetic chocolate cake every day?   It’s like giving alcohol to an alcoholic.  “Oh, I have alcoholism – it runs in the family – it’s genetic.”  Okay, Doctor House.  Thank you for the medical school lesson.  But that doesn’t give you permission to keep pouring drinks down your throat, does it?  You cannot blame God for that.  “God made me this way!”  He allowed it but what will you do with it?  Will you come to Him for peace? 

In the Gospel, people gave conditions to our Good Lord.  “I’ll follow You if You change certain things.”  Throughout the Gospel, people left Him.  They didn’t want marriage, sacrifice, or the Holy Eucharist.  “Nope.  I’m out of here.  If you change it, I’ll come back.”  Our Lord didn’t say, “Just kidding!  Come on back.  I’ll change.”  Salvation is not a democracy.  You don’t get to choose.   In the Catholic Church, some people believe they can pick one belief from Column A, one from Column B, and another from Column C.   Nope.   We must renounce our very self.  Put everything, even our crosses, at His disposal to use for a means of salvation.   People will witness the saving power of God in allowing the crosses that we have and show them how He has worked with us in forgiving our sins. 

I was thinking about my brother priests some of whom say, “Oh, I could do the job you do at the VA.”   In some small sense they could, but in other ways they couldn’t.  I had this one man come in who wanted to talk to a priest who was a veteran.  So, he comes in and he has all these graduate level books on prayer and spirituality.  I was impressed.  He said that he belonged to this prayer group and that prayer group and was doing this and that.  He wanted to know what else I would suggest he do.  I said, “They tell me your wife just died.  Did you love her?”  Yes.  “Do you miss her?”  Yes.  “What branch of service were you in?”  Army.  “So was I.  Were you in Vietnam?”   Yes, I was in Vietnam.   “What did you do – what was your MOS (Military Occupation Specialty)?”  I was a medic.   So, I said “Doc, how many soldiers did you save?”  I don’t know.  “I believe that – I really do.  How many did you lose?”  And he knew every one of those he lost and saw their faces every day.   This man was really suffering.  His wife had died, and she was the one who had helped him keep it together after Vietnam.  She had been his crutch and now that it was taken away from him, he had to face what happened in Vietnam as well as the loss of his wife.  No other priest in the diocese could talk to this man unless they had been where I had.  So, God has used my little trips overseas and all the fun I had while there so that I can talk to soldiers. 

God can use whatever crosses you have.  Renounce your very self to help others.  I don’t like my crosses all the time.  I really don’t.  I can be a little whiner at any time.  But that’s a wonderful thing because it makes me small, and I have to rely on God’s grace.  And in the words of Saint Therese of Liseux, “When I am small, I am safe.”  

How will you apply this message to your life?___________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to https://annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com/ and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” and then “Sermon Notes.”  From a cell phone, click on “Blog” then “Menu” and then “Categories” (located at the end of page).  There is also a search box if you are looking for a specific topic

Posted on

Sermon Notes – June 19, 2022 – “Mom’s Apple Pie is Best!”

“Mom’s Apple Pie is Best!”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

 June 18 – 19, 2022

Gospel: Luke 9:11b-17

Today Holy Mother Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ or the Feast of Corpus Christi.   In the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, our Lord and God, Jesus Christ, is made physically present under the veil of bread and wine.  We call that transubstantiation.  “Wow, that’s a big word!”  It’s six syllables.  I know; I learned Catholic school English.  “But it’s tough to remember.”  Well, first and second graders learn it, so how tough can it be?  “It’s hard to understand.”  No, it’s not.  You’ve all had experience with it.  “What do you mean, Father?”  For example, my mother’s apple pie was the best.  Nobody could make the same apple pie as my mother.  Granted, they all had apples, bread, dough, and whatever else goes into an apple pie.  I’m not a culinary kind of guy…I’m a real man.  They used the same ingredients, but it was different.  Now it should have tasted like the pies you can get at Harris Teeter because, as chemistry tells us, it has the same ingredients.  But it is different.  Why was that?  Because my mother’s love transformed those ordinary elements into something wonderful and unique.  You will never have that again this side of Heaven.  And gentlemen, please do not go to your spouse and say that your mother’s pie was better.  It’s different – you don’t have to say it’s better, otherwise you will get so badly hurt that you will need to seek medical treatment.  Just an offering of some marriage counseling.  But this is what happens here.  We experience it all the time.  Christ changes the essence of ordinary elements into His love which Himself.   If our mothers can do it with their apple pies, why can’t Christ do it? 

The priest takes the place of Christ and makes present the Sacrifice which is before the Father in Heaven.  We become one with the Sacrifice in the Offertory when the priest takes your human natures and makes them one with Christ on the altar.  Christ received His human nature from the Blessed Mother, and He suffered, died, and was redeemed with it.  From the Cross, He took the human natures of Saint John, Mary Magdalene, and Mary of Clopas.   He took their human natures and united their suffering with Himself.  He takes your human nature and unites it with His suffering always before God and present in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.  This is our faith.  The central doctrine is that God is with us.  God is physically here and not in the ethereal sense.  That’s why the Blessed Sacrament is kept in the middle of the church.  The Blessed Sacrament is central to everything, and everything points to it.  We are surrounded by the best way to have a foretaste of Heaven. 

Over the years, you have made this church something really beautiful.  People who come and visit here always remark about how beautiful it is, and that’s because of your love.  Your love for God is expressed in the beauty that is present in testimony of what is here – not what is here – but Who is here.  You make a profession of faith every time you receive Holy Communion.  Like the apostles at the Last Supper in the Upper Room, you receive from the hands of the priest, who is acting in the person of Christ, Christ Himself.  When you are given Holy Communion, I say “Body of Christ.”  This gift is so sublime that Paul said there are rules about it.  These are not exclusionary rules.  Our Lord had rules about it… this greatest act of love.  In order to receive this gift, we must show our greatest act of love by a total renunciation of ourselves and sin. 

This is our faith, and we are transformed by it.  I had a quinceañera which is a Mexican event for 15-year-old girls.  The girls wear dresses similar to those in “Gone with The Wind,” and I always ask them, “How do you sit down?”   Of course, that’s a mystery I’m not meant to understand on this side of Heaven.   I tell these girls to be holy and they will have a joy that no one can take from them.  Always be united with our Lord in the Sacraments of Holy Communion and Confession as Saint John Paul II said.  Those are the Sacraments of the Most Precious Body and Blood.  Then you will have a joy that nobody can take.  We can lose that joy only through sin.  So, we are the makers of our own misery.  You will be transformed.  When you leave here you become your own ciborium which is the covered chalice that contains the Blessed Sacrament.  You bring God to other people from within yourself.  When Saint Therese of Lisieux was too young to receive Holy Communion, after her mother received Communion and returned to the pew, Saint Therese would put her head in her mother’s lap because Jesus was there.  You can bring that love.  It’s a personal choice, but do what you can

This is our Faith…our wondrous Faith.  If you are in a state of grace, you can receive Communion every time you go to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.  What a wonderful gift.  The Lord remembers every gift.  How can we surprise our Lord when we receive His gift?   By saying “thank you.”  Remember the lepers He cured and how many of them thanked Him?

How will you apply this message to your life? __________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

Father’s Reflections. . .

It’s Fathers’ Day, and during my morning meditation it occurred to me that the greatest lessons my father taught me were never spoken. 

You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to https://annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com/ and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” and then “Sermon Notes.”  From a cell phone, click on “Blog” then “Menu” and then “Categories” (located at the end of page).  There is also a search box if you are looking for a specific topic.

Posted on

Sermon Notes – June 12, 2022 – “All Are Welcome”

“All Are Welcome”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

 June 11 – 12, 2022

Gospel: John 16:12-15

While I was up north on vacation, I did some touring and saw a lot of churches.  Rhode Island is a small state with only about 1,000 square miles in land mass.  Stanly County has 404, so Rhode Island is just a little larger than our parish.  So is Massachusetts.  It’s funny that even in little West Warwick there are two off-brand Catholic Churches.  “We are Catholic, but we are not part of the diocese in Providence.”  Well, that means you are not Catholic.  You are catholic with a small “c” and not a big “C.”   All the churches I saw had signs out front that said, “All people are welcome.”   We don’t have a sign like that here.  Have I ever thrown anyone out?  No.  Would I?   No… well maybe Doc, but that’s another matter.  So, these churches have signs welcoming everyone, and it reminds me of Genesis when God asked Adam and Eve: “Who told you that you were naked?”   Who told you that you were not welcome? 

Christ calls everybody without condition to Himself.  He came so that we might all share in His love and the fruits of His sacrifice so that we might live in Heaven with Him.  That’s why He created us…to love and serve Him in this world and to reign with Him in the next.  Remember your Catechism.  Our Good Lord called everyone to Himself, however, apparently there are qualifications . . . a response to that call of love.  That’s why I have never thrown anybody out.  Remember Tommy Morton who was a Baptist for 55 years?  Like Saint Dismas, he stole Heaven at the end.  I loved that guy.  Everyone is welcome here, but only practicing Catholics can receive Communion. 

When our Good Lord called everyone to Him, He said, “Come and follow Me.”  He calls all of us to receive the gift of redemption.   Now, according to Scripture, there are requirements which are really acts of love.  People say, “Well Christ wants everyone to partake of His love regardless of their state.”   No.  That’s not what Scripture says.  Scripture says, “unless you deny your very self and take up your cross and follow Me, you will not be My disciple.”  In order to receive the gift of His love which transforms us from our old sinful ways, we have to surrender ourselves to Him.  Remember the rich young man?  He said that he had to go bury his mother and father, and he walked away from Christ.  Did Christ go running after him to say He was only kidding?  No.  Three times He was left with only His apostles.  Everyone else left Him when He spoke about the Doctrine of the Eucharist – eat My flesh and drink My blood as food; the doctrine of marriage – it is between a man and a woman for life; and the doctrine of suffering – He would have to go to Jerusalem and suffer and die.  There are many others, but the mind will hear only what the seat can endure.  The Holy Father said that a sermon should only go for eight minutes. 

God wants a total response to our love.  When I was ordained, I was given the power to absolve sins.  I have the power of binding and loosening.  What can I bind and what can I not let go?  People who are not sorry for their sins and who haven’t resolved to make amends for their wrongs.  We all have the resolve to change.  We all fall but we get up again.  If you say, “I am living with whoever, wherever, and doing whatever, and you have to love me the same as everyone else,” Christ will say, “No.”   “But how could you excommunicate anybody?”  Paul said we should.  Those who eat and drink the Body and Blood of Christ are worthy and guilty of His death. 

So, our Good Lord calls everyone to His side.  Everyone is welcome here.  I don’t think any of the ushers have ever asked anybody for their Baptismal Certificate.  I don’t think we say, “Well if you don’t have a proper Baptismal Certificate, you’re not going to Heaven.”  I have never said that.  I am just hoping to get there myself.  If I eat bacon, I might get there a lot sooner than I planned.  Just putting that out there.  God asks us to renounce our very self.  In the Parable of the Wedding Feast, there’s a man there without a wedding garment and he got thrown out.  He would not change in order to come to the feast.  Christ calls us to change from our sinful selves and to open our hearts without reservation so that we may conform to the great things in life.  It’s always a work in progress.  But if we fall down, we get back up and keep trying. 

Everyone is welcome.  However, God wants more than your physical presence.  It’s a good start, but He wants us to open our souls and renounce our sins.  He cannot force us because love is a free-will act.  Open your hearts so that you can be transformed.  It’s not a matter of attendance, of making people feel good, or singing “Kumbaya” together.  It’s a matter of salvation…of changing and healing souls. 

All are welcome.  We don’t need to put up a sign out front for that.  I’ll tell you one more story about Bishop Waters, the Bishop of North Carolina.  In the early 60’s, there was only one diocese in the state.  Someone asked the Bishop, “Hey Bishop, how many black Catholics do you have?”  He said, “I don’t know.  We only have Catholics in our church.”  We have no distinction.  When people say to me, “Father, I’m not Catholic,” I say, “First of all, I didn’t ask, and 2) We are all children of God.”  Everyone has a right to be here.  This is our Father’s house and not a club.  But our Good Lord wants more than our physical attendance. He calls all of us to come, but not all will accept His love the way God wants to give it.  And that’s a real tragedy.

How will you apply this message to your life? __________________________________

Father’s Reflections . . .
We all go through trials and temptations.  As of late, I have been very troubled with a very grievous and troublesome temptation.  I have two fairies on each shoulder whispering in my ears  “Bacon is good for you.”   And everywhere I go there is a Hardees “Baconator” sign.  Really?  Well, that’s just food pornography….I don’t care who you are!

You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to https://annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com/ and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” and then “Sermon Notes.”  From a cell phone, click on “Blog” then “Menu” and then “Categories” (located at the end of page).  There is also a search box if you are looking for a specific topic.