Category: Sermon Notes

Transripts of weekly sermons

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Sermon Notes – February 20, 2022 – “Without Judgement, There is No Mercy”

“Without Judgement, There is No Mercy”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

 February 19 – 20, 2022

Gospel:  Luke 6:27-38

I was tidying up some stuff as I’m prone to do from time to time, and I found some military/Army papers.  Oh, this could be important, but not likely since it’s going on nine years since I retired.   I don’t think they miss me, and I don’t miss them either.  They tried to kill me.  It wasn’t personal…just business.  So, I looked at the document and it was orders for REFRAD or Release From Active Duty.  I read through the document, and it was a stroll down memory lane.  For my education, “high school or the equivalent” was listed.  Well, that’s pretty close.  I told you I was the village idiot, and the military knew.  Except that I could not have been an officer without a college education, and I could not have been a chaplain without a master’s degree.  Welcome to the Army.  Anyway, I thought it was hilarious.  I’m not the brightest bulb in the circuit, but I did study and pass tests because I have initials after my name.  

Some days I went to class, and I remember a discussion about sin.  By the way, the Church is still against sin.  A lot of people use as an excuse for having no morality that we cannot be judgmental.  I have heard people in Confession say, “Bless me Father for I have sinned.”   Okay.  “I have judgmentalism.”   So, I have a degree in Philosophy.  I have a degree in Divinity.  I have a minor in Military Science and one in Western Civilization.  But I have no idea what you are talking about.  I have absolutely no clue.  There is no such thing.  If you look in the two books on Moral Theology, it’s not there.  There is the sin of rash judgement but not judgmentalism.  We are called to judge.  In my house I have to judge a lot.  I open the refrigerator and if I see bushy green stuff, I have to make a judgement.  Is that stuff supposed to be green?  It’s always a question in my mind.  So, we make judgements all the time because we are supposed to.  Physicians and healthcare workers make judgements.  Our Lord said you will know them by their fruits.  You are supposed to judge actions.  Actions are objectively evil or good.  Very few actions by a moral agent are neutral.  We are all moral agents.  So, all of our actions are good or evil.  They can be objectively wrong.  This one bozo passed a State Trooper going 55 mph in a 35 mph zone.  Hey dude, you are about to meet a new friend!  He was wrong, and he was stupid.  But we are not to judge beyond God’s mercy. 

We are all called to make judgements.  Sometimes in my former line of work, before I was here with you folks, I had to make instantaneous judgements.  Otherwise, I would have lost my breathing privileges.  In some fields, it’s the same.  We are called to make judgements.  We cannot judge anyone beyond God’s mercy.  We don’t know the crosses they carry.  We judge and treat them according to their actions.  That’s the moral law. 

I’m trying to get away from here for a little while because my cousin has cancer.  We are hoping for a miracle although it doesn’t look promising.  But, what the heck.  Never asked, never granted.  My cousin is a very gifted woman.  She’s an artist.  She can sing.  She’s a nurse.  She’s a beautiful woman.  All women are beautiful, and my cousin is exceptionally so.  My family has good looks and no money.  Damn.  Her father – my godfather – had his problems.  He was a gambling addict and an alcoholic.  He was a great engineer and absolutely brilliant.   Some of that is genetic.  Although 30+ missions as a waist gunner in a B-17 over Nazi Germany during WW II probably didn’t help much.  My cousin grew up in a home like that.  Her father tried.  I can tell you that he struggled with his crosses because when he was near death, he asked me to hear his confession.  That was faith.  People who judged him would say that he was a worthless drunk and everything else.  No.  God did not forget him, and he did not forget God.  It’s just that his crosses were so heavy that he fell a lot.  Other so-called Christian religions believe they know who is in Heaven and who isn’t.  That’s not true.  We don’t know.  We just work like heck and hope we get there. 

We have to practice judgementalism on ourselves.  We judge ourselves guilty of sin.  Why don’t people go to confession?  Some say, “Well, I don’t really have any sins.”  Then you shouldn’t come to Communion.  Huh?  Communion is not a door prize for just showing up.  Who do you receive in Holy Communion?  You receive the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Who is Jesus Christ?  He is our Savior.  Okay.  Two for two.  What does He save us from?  Sin.   So, if you have no sin, you do not need Jesus.  Let me know if you do.   We judge ourselves guilty in order to receive Him.  We cannot judge who is in Heaven.  Remember, the good thief stole Heaven at the last minute.   A man who thought he was smarter than the average bear was playing games with Bishop Sheen.  He wanted to know if Jonah was really swallowed by the whale.   Bishop Sheen said “I don’t know.  When I get to Heaven, I’ll ask him.”  The man said, “What if he’s not in Heaven?”  Bishop Sheen said, “Then you ask him.”  Do you know what the three biggest surprises in Heaven will be?  Who is in Heaven.  Who is not in Heaven.   And, that we are there.

How will you apply this message to your life? 

You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to http://AnnunciationCatholicAlbemarle.com/ and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” and then “Sermon Notes.”   Sermon notes can also be found on the church Facebook page by searching for “Facebook Our Lady of the Annunciation Albemarle”

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Sermon Notes – February 6, 2022 – “You Talking to Me?”

Sermon Notes

 “You Talking to Me?”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

 February 5 – 6, 2022

Gospel:  Luke 5:1-11

You may recognize this passage in the Gospel of Luke as one of the greatest examples of sarcasm in scripture.  “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.”   When Christ tells them to cast out into deeper water for a catch, Peter was probably thinking that this is a holy man and we might get some good karma if we do it.  Even so, Peter was dripping with sarcasm when he said, “Yes, Master at Your command” and put out the nets.   But think about it.  Here is a carpenter telling a professional fisherman how to fish.  Really?  Are you kidding me?  That’s like me telling Bob how to fix things.  He doesn’t even let me use power tools.  That would be like me telling Phyllis how to practice medicine. 

You could tell who was a fisherman by their complexions and hands, etc.  Jesus was a carpenter.  He didn’t speak with the same accent because he was from Nazareth.  It’s like being in the South; you know who is a Yankee and who isn’t.  Remember the show “Cheers”?  I could tell what part of Boston they were from just by the accent.  People from different parts of Boston have their own accents.  I know because I lived in Boston.  So, Christ wasn’t from Galilee, and He didn’t look like a fisherman.  His face wasn’t sunburned and He had the hands of a carpenter.  But, Peter being the nice guy that he was said “Alright, I’ll do it Lord.”  I’m sure he wasn’t having happy thoughts about this Jesus character.  But Peter did as the Lord said and put out into deeper water.  After catching so much fish that his boat almost sank, Peter came back and fell at the Lord’s knees and said, ““Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.”  In Hebrew, the word “Lord” is meant to refer only to the Almighty.  You don’t get that from scripture unless you are taught it.  You read it and move on.  But it is a word used only when referring to God.  We see the amazing change in Peter when he recognized Jesus as Lord.

The takeaway from today’s gospel is that if you do what our Lord asks you to do, you’ll get what He promises far and beyond all our needs, hopes, and expectations.  Even if it may seem stupid to us, look at the benefits it produces.  Peter and the other fisherman had to work for it.  They were hauling in nets full of fish.  That’s not easy…it’s pure bull work.  First, you have to work for it, but you also have to be obedient.  We also have to be obedient and work for His promises of rewards beyond all measure.  Not that we will receive a bunch of fish … I hate fish.   That’s why God made Ketchup and Ranch dressing.  I may not like it, but I have to eat it.  Twice a week, I do great penance by eating fish.   What’s the greatest reward beyond all Earthly expectations?  If we do what our Lord asks us to do, what do we get?  We get Him forever. 

Too often because of our pride and our hubris, we think we’ve had a visit from the good idea fairy.  The good idea fairy says, “Oh, no, no.  We have good ideas. This is great!”   This is not just a modern distraction, it goes back to when Saint Paul went to Athens.  He tried something totally different and he got two converts.  After that, he decided to preach only about Christ crucified.  And then what happened?  He began to evangelize the Gentiles.  He did what His good Lord asked him to do.  And that’s what we should do.  This is how we attract people to Him.  For them to see us get up with our cross to follow Him and do what He asks.  We give to those who we don’t think deserve it.  We give to those people who hate us.  We pray for those who persecute us.  We do what He tells us to do and we get what He promised although maybe not as immediately as the apostles.

I have proven that 90% of being successful is just showing up.  Ask any of my brother priests and they will tell you in all honesty, even the Bishop will in a candid moment, that I’m not the sharpest knife in the priestly drawer.  I’m not that bright.  I’m not that learned.  I’m not that talented.  But I show up.  One day I was in the field and one of the gunship pilots came up to me.  He’s not a Catholic and I really doubt that he’s a church-going guy.  I was going around saying hello to everybody, checking on all my soldiers, and touring my parish when this pilot came up to me and said, “Chaplain, when we go to war, will you come with us?”   I said, “Yes. Where you, go I go.”   All those days in the field in the rain, snow, and cold…gosh, I miss those days!  Someday I knew I was going laugh about all of it but not that day. 

When I was a very young priest, I was Catholic chaplain for Charlotte Memorial, Presbyterian,  and Novant.  Scott Lindsey was the chaplain at Presbyterian and his secretary told him that they had an emergency call needing a priest.  She asked Scott if she should find out the name of the pastor.  Scott said, “No. Call Father Fitzgibbons. He always comes.”   It’s just showing up.  That’s the best tool for evangelization…trying to live a holy life.  Do what Christ asks us to do, and we will get the reward He promises us.  Too often we settle for smaller rewards.  The reward He promises and the one we should all be working for is Himself.  You are because you are here.  This is just a reminder because we are easily distracted – look, squirrel!!.  

Do what He tells you to do.  You are just like the disciples when He sent them out two-by-two to go prepare the wedding room.  They came back and said, “Lord, even the demons suffer for your name.  He said, “Yeah, I told you they would.”

How will you apply this message to your life? 

You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to http://AnnunciationCatholicAlbemarle.com/ and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” and then “Sermon Notes.”   Sermon notes can also be found on the church Facebook page by searching for “Facebook Our Lady of the Annunciation Albemarle”

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Sermon Notes – January 30 –  “Some are Educated beyond Their Abilities”

“Some are Educated beyond Their Abilities”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

 January 29 – 30, 2022

Gospel: Luke 4:21-30

Jesus knew talented people who did not believe in Him and who wanted to kill Him.  But He couldn’t be killed outside of Jerusalem.  He had to die there. 

A lot of people are educated beyond their abilities.  When do you know that you are educated and have knowledge or are wise?  Is it the letters after your name?  I have letters after my name.  That doesn’t mean I’m bright.  What it means is that I can pass tests.   When you are truly educated, you will also know humility.  That’s because the more you learn, the more you realize that you don’t know everything. 

Those who are truly educated are the ones you find around Christ.  Think about the nativity scene.  Who do you find around Jesus?  You find three kinds of people.  The pure and the innocent – the Blessed Mother and Saint Joseph; the very wise – the Wise Men; and the ignorant – the shepherds.   The Wise Men knew they didn’t know everything, but they were humble and listened and were willing to be told to follow the Divine.  The shepherds were ignorant and knew that they did not know anything.  People did not know Jesus, and they did not want to. 

Humility is the fruit of true knowledge.  We know our Lord in humility.  We know that He is love itself.  And when we know Him and love Him, we will keep His commandments.

How will you apply this message to your life? 

You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to http://AnnunciationCatholicAlbemarle.com/ and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” and then “Sermon Notes.”   Sermon notes can also be found on the church Facebook page by searching for “Facebook Our Lady of the Annunciation Albemarle” 

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Sermon Notes: January 1-2, 2021 – “Even Superman Gets Sick”

 “Even Superman Gets Sick”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

 January 1 – 2, 2021

Gospel:  Matthew 2:1-12

As you may already know, the word “epiphany” means a manifestation or revelation.  There have been other epiphanies which are a revelation of who God is.  By our own reason, we can come to the knowledge of God through natural law and reason, but that only gets us so far.  God has to reveal Himself as He did in Genesis so that we can come to love Him.  We cannot gain knowledge of Him without His help. He made prudent use of the Wise Men to reveal Who His son was. 

Remember who Jesus is…the second person in the Blessed Trinity.  He was one “Who” but He was also two “What’s.”  He was one person which is the “Who,” and two “What’s” which are His two natures, human and divine.  We only have a human nature.  That’s all we have; it doesn’t get any better than that.  Jesus had both a human and divine nature.  His human nature He took from the Blessed Mother and is the one He suffered with and that was assumed and lost in His divine nature.  This is shown in the Mass.  I put one drop of water in the chalice of wine, not more and not less.  If I don’t put just one drop of water into the chalice, the Mass is invalid because that is a symbol of Christ’s humanity being assumed and lost in His divinity.  Our eventual goal is to know who He is…King of the Universe.  The Jews worshiped God and offered incense in the Temple.  We use frankincense which symbolizes God.  Read the Old Testament.  Read Revelation in the New Testament.  Incense is the prayers of God’s holy people.  That’s why we use it in church.  It is scriptural prayer. He was presented with myrrh because He was God.  Myrrh was used in burials and represented His coming into the world to die so that we may have an opportunity to get to Heaven.  So, this is a Christological feast. 

Our good Lord reveals Himself so that you can know His Son.  The Wise Men revealed our response to His great love.  They came from a far distance.  We don’t know how far they came or from where.  It could have been from Aquadale, but it was a long distance.  Travel back then was very dangerous.  When the Wise Men came, they left everything to find Jesus.  They risked everything to find Him.  They came to worship and knelt in His presence.  The Wise Men were in the presence of the King, and they knelt in a posture of prayer.  This is our response, whether convenient or inconvenient, to come see God’s great presence.  The Wise Men were no more blessed than we are.   We have God made present.  Yes, the Wise Men saw God in the guise of a child.  We see God in the Blessed Sacrament in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.  But we see the same God.  How do I love Thee, God? 

Father’s Afterthoughts:
I am still very, very tired, and the nurses tell me this could last for a while.  One of the symptoms of my illness has been insomnia.  I have been blessed to have so many wonderful people in my parish and also family and friends.  They have all been concerned and called to ask how I’m doing.  And I may not have handled that very well.  I had a beautiful chance for long-suffering patience, and I think I blew it most of the time.  Well, think about it.  A couple of people would call and ask how I’m doing and then want to chat.  Shut up!  My cousin called and asked, “How are you doing?”  I told her I was resting at which point she wanted to chat.  Shut-up!  I’m sick!  I do this for a living, trust me.  You don’t stay long; it’s not a discussion.  Eventually, one of my cousins by-passed me and asked Lori how I was doing.  One of my chaplain friends at the hospital who I’ve known for 33 years and served with overseas was asked by the nurses if he had called me.  He told them he texted me every few days.  He’s sick.  He’s a soldier – just leave him alone.  They occasionally walk by the house and if there’s no smell, they know he’s okay.  So, if I have been short with anyone and been in anything but perfect character, I do apologize and ask for your forgiveness.  Illness is not an excuse, nor does it develop character.  It reveals it.  So, please forgive me.

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.”   Sermon notes can also be found on the church Facebook page by searching for “Facebook Our Lady of the Annunciation Albemarle”

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Sermon Notes – December 24, 2021 – The Wonder and Awe of Christmas

“The Wonder and Awe of Christmas”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

December 24, 2021

Gospel:   Luke 1:67-79.

I think of some of the Christmases I have had, and I’ve had some pretty interesting ones, like the one when I would got into a vehicle with no seat belts and a loaded weapon with a round in the chamber.  Because I have been sick, this Christmas hasn’t been a fairly pleasant one, but all in all, not bad. 

We all think about Christmas and how beautiful it is.  The elves have done so much work to make it so.  My brother priests send me pictures of their churches.  I do not send them a picture of ours, because I don’t want to hurt their tiny little feelings.  Sissy boys!  When I was a child, Christmas time was so beautiful.  We helped serve at the Mass and were seated by the Red Cassocks.  It was a step up from the regular action and was the closest I ever got to being Monsignor.  Do you ever wish you had the time to reflect on the wonder of Christmas through the eyes of a child?  To see again the wonder of God?  What happened to that wonder?  No matter the age in your reflections, you would have missed so much.  That was just the beginning.  Part of God’s revelation is that He draws you closer to Him to become part of His sacrifice, to receive His life thru the Sacraments, and to receive more knowledge and deeper love. 

Your wedding day is not the same as your 50th anniversary.  The 50th anniversary is supposed to be better.  Different yes, but deeper.  Change is not always bad.  Change can be very good.  Heraclitus, a 5th Century Greek philosopher said, “you cannot step into the same river twice.”  And that’s true.  You never do because there have been changes.  We are called to change and to grow in love so that the Christmases we are called to now are felt deeper and are even more wonderful.  There’s a way to do it but I’m all preached out and running out of energy.  [Father Fitz is recovering from COVID-19.]  But to have a deeper wonder and awe of a child.  Scripture says, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”  (Matthew 18:3).   We are supposed to be true to that wonder and awe in the simplicity of love, to the resignation of ourselves to the Savior, and to be lost in that great gift of love…to be grateful and to experience it. 

Each day we have the opportunity to grow in that love, and one day it will come to its fulfillment in the Kingdom of Heaven.  Do not sell yourself short by wanting to go back to your childhood.  Don’t.  You will miss so much.   If there have been intervening problems during the years from then and until now, that can all be fixed and done away with.  God can restore the beauty and majesty of life.  He has come to give the gift of Himself as promised by the Profits.  The gift is His death and resurrection.  Once we receive the fullness of it, we will finally enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

How will you apply this message to your life? 

You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to AnnunciationCatholicAlbemarle.com/, clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” and then “Sermon Notes.”  They can also be found on Facebook by searching for “Our Lady of the Annunciation Albemarle”

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Sermon Notes – November 21, 2021 – A White Fence Must be Maintained

A White Fence Must be Maintained

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

November 20 – 21, 2021

Gospel:   John 18:33-37 

I think it is time for a Catechetical lesson.  From time to time, we need to review best practices because even a white fence must be maintained otherwise it turns black.  During the Mass last night, there were two accidents that upset me greatly.  Two people dropped the Host.   In the United States, there are two ways to receive Holy Communion if you are in a State of Grace.  One way is on the hand.  If you choose to receive on the hand, one hand is held beneath the other.  You take the Host from your free hand and put it into your mouth.  Now, it is my right to refuse to give you Communion.  I’ve seen all sorts of things… like stamps from the bar where someone was the night before.  Yeah, I had a life too before I became a priest.  Also, I served with paratroopers at Fort Bragg.  But giving you Communion on the hand would be sacrilegious.  The normative way of receiving Holy Communion in the Universal Church is on the tongue.  You may kneel at the altar rail if you choose, or you may stick out your tongue and say “Amen” after I say, “Body of Christ.”  I don’t take your sticking out your tongue at me personally.  But please don’t pretend you’re an iguana.  I will give it to you.  Extend your tongue and leave it there.  And don’t lick my hand, okay?  I expect that from Tilley and Marley and all the other puppies who love me.  I’ve been doing this a very long time – for 38 years – so I’ve got it.  I’m a professional.  Please don’t try to help me.  Also, don’t open your mouth, stick out your tongue, and smile at me.  Please remember “Who” you are receiving.  Jesus is a “Who.”   He is not a “what.”  That’s blasphemy.  You are receiving God Himself.  Oh, and my arm is only so long, so when you come up to receive Communion, don’t stand back at the pew.  What am I supposed to do, launch it at you?  Get up here!  I tested negative twice last Friday, so I’m safe, alright?  Just come up and after I say, “Body of Christ” and you say “Amen,” put the Host in your mouth.  I must see you put it in your mouth.  If you walk away and I don’t see you put it in your mouth, I will hurt your feelings. . . dramatically.  In my best military manner, I will hurt your feelings because I have vowed to protect the Blessed Sacrament with my life.  So, do not try to walk away without putting it in your mouth.  Remember the sacredness of what is happening during the Mass and with Holy Communion. 

Today is the Solemnity of Christ the King.   We acknowledge Christ as King.  What does that mean?  We come here and sing songs from the hymnals?  No.  He’s the king of what?  Why is He a king?  Who is the king in your heart and soul?   It’s the ones you love.  They have priority.  Everything you do in this life is for the sake of the ones you love. . .your spouse, your children, and your grandchildren.  Everything is focused on them within Christ.  That’s how you learn to love.  Because we love Him, we do the things that help us love Him more.  He is the sole source of our life and our joy.  You say that Christ is coming back to judge us.  Uh-Oh.  It’s like a teenage party and Mom is coming.  Quick!  Time to clean the house.  Too late now!  By the way, it’s never too late to say “I’m sorry” to God.  If we love God, we look forward to that moment. 

We were never meant to die.  That’s why it takes bodies so long to die.  We have a man in Hospice at the VA hospital who has ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease.  He’s a textbook case.  The nurses and doctors are amazed at how slowly he is dying, and it’s so painful to watch.  Our bodies were never meant to die.  That’s why we fear it.  But we are all going to see Jesus one way or another.  When we go to our Lord, we prove our love by the works of love we’ve done.  What are works of love?  Saint Augustine said that the work itself is love. We keep His Commandments.  “Oh, Father.  That’s so old-fashioned and very judgmental.”  Well, Jesus is judgmental.  Remember, there is a final exam during which He judges us.  What are the works of love?   Well, what does it say in Scripture?  “If you love Me, keep My Commandments.”  So, the Commandments are not just punishing acts.  “We are over the Commandments.  We are full of love and joy!’  No, no, no.  Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My Commandments.”   By the way, there are more than ten.  If you read the Book, just the black part, don’t read the white, you will be more content.  This is how we prove that we love Jesus.  He is the source and summit of our love.  We try to keep His Commandments.  Are we perfect?  No.  But that doesn’t mean we stop trying.  This is how we prove the primary love in our heart and Who we love above all.  “We need just laws.”  No, we have more laws than we know what to do with.  We need just people.  We need holy people.  We don’t need more laws.  We need holier people.  Have you noticed that the SWAT team has never raided Belmont Abbey?   And I don’t see Mother Angelica’s sisters being raided by the Feds.  Just saying.  Want to save money on police?  Want to take money out of prisons?  Become holier.  That’s how God will judge us.  The throne in our soul was created for our Lord to reside.  At the time of our passing, God will look to see if His Son is there.  He will look into our souls to see if love and peace reside there. 

How will you apply this message to your life? 

You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com/, clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” and then “Sermon Notes.”  They can also be found on Facebook by searching for “Our Lady of the Annunciation Albemarle”

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Sermon Notes – November 7, 2021 – “The Circle of Love Continues”

 “The Cycle of Love Continues”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

 November 6 – 7, 2021

Gospel:  Mark 12:38-44

The month of November can be classified as a study in Ecclesiology or Who the Church is.  You can read about bishops referring to the Church as a “what.”  But it’s a “Who.”  “Father, why do you say that?  How can you contradict a bishop?”  I like contradicting bishops. . . it’s a hobby.  When Paul was going around beating people up, Jesus said “Saul, why do you persecute Me?”  He didn’t say, “Why are you persecuting My institution.”  No.  He said, “Why do you persecute Me.”  The Church is a “Who.” It’s the body of Christ.  There are aspects of a “what” but it’s a “Who.”  

What brought the Church in to being?  I’ll give you the answer by asking my second question. What brought you in to being?  It wasn’t a “what” – it was a “Who.”  God’s love.  The first question in the Catechism is “Why did God make you?”  Because He loved you.  You were created out of love.  You have always been in the mind of God for all eternity.  We existed in the mind of God before we existed in the bodies of our mothers.  God created us out of love and sustains us out of love.  He calls us into His presence out of love.  He calls us into His church out of love. This is His gift of love so that we can become one with the Body of Christ. . . His Bride.  So, the Church is not a “what.”  It’s a “Who.”  It is the Bride of Christ. 

Some people try to change the Church.  If it’s an institution you can change it, but if it’s a “Who,” you can’t.  The Church is a “Who.”  That “Who” was formed out of love, sustained and created out of love, and exists only because of love.  It’s a love of all people in the world and not just those here in Albemarle even though we love it here . . . it’s the best parish in the diocese.  Don’t tell them that – they will get really upset.  I almost get into fights with other priests when they tell me how great their parish is.  Really?  The whole Church is united by baptism.  As Bishop Waters said, there are no hyphenated Catholics. We are united in love, and we come to express our love and our prayers for those who have gone before us.  As we pass from this world, those left behind will pray for us, and the cycle of love will continue.  

Our love of others gave us what we have.  We didn’t build or pay for this church.  The Church of the Annunciation in New York gave the money to build it.   So, Yankees built this church.  We are enjoying their gifts of love and the gifts of love by those in this parish who have gone on before us.  The saints who have gone on before us pray for us.  They give us that gift of love.  They intercede for us to the Father so that we can attain what they have.  Love is not fulfilled unless it is complete.  No mother is happy unless she has her family around her.  The saints want their spiritual family, the whole body of the Church, to be with them in Heaven.  They always pray for us.  We as the Church Militant, the Church working for our salvation, pick up our crosses each day and follow the good Lord. We pray for those who can’t. . .those who have gone before us and who are cleaning their baptismal robes so that they may come and dwell in the place of the Perfect. This is mentioned at every Mass.  When we pass away, the Church will pray for us, maybe not by name, but they will always pray for us.  You were given the gift of love not by your prayers but by this prayer.  Because the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is what?  You got me on that one.  It’s not a “what.”   It’s a “Who.”   

In some churches, they announce that “the liturgy will be celebrated…”  That’s a Greek word meaning a public act. Big deal.  They think they are really hip.  The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is Christ offering Himself to the Father. And Christ, in that offering, is made present on the altar.  He asks not for our participation.  This is where the catechetics of the Mass have gotten really weird over the years.  The terms we use when referring to the Mass are often blasphemous.  “We go to church.”  Yeah.  You walk in and walk back out.  Big deal.  “I attend church.” Well, I attend a play.  “I actively participate.”  You know, I have a degree in Philosophy, believe it or not, and I have paperwork to prove it.  But I have no idea what that phrase means.  It was made up in the last forty years, and it means absolutely nothing.  So, when I say Mass in hospitals and nursing homes for people who are barely conscious and heavily medicated, they aren’t actively participating?  During my 13-minute Mass in the field, when the natives were restless, we didn’t sing, but we prayed a lot.  Are you kidding me?  They were trying to kill Blanch and John’s little boy.  You do not actively participate.  You do not go to Mass.  You do not attend Mass.  Take what I’m about to tell you and commit it to memory.  You are called, when you come here, to become part of Christ’s sacrifice. Whether we sing or not and whether we take up a collection or not has nothing to do with it.  You are called to become part of the sacrifice of Christ.  The Romans participated in the crucifixion, but they didn’t actually suffer with Christ, did they?   You take the place of the Blessed Mother whose human nature Christ took and suffered with on the Cross and redeemed us with.  You take the place of Saint John the Apostle, the Beloved, who suffered with Christ out of love.  You take the place of Mary Cleophas.  You are suffering with Christ.  You unite your sufferings and human nature with the suffering of Christ.  In the offertory, the priest, acting in the person of Christ, takes your human natures and makes them one with Christ in that animation of love on the altar that is always present to the Following.  You become part of Christ’s sacrifice.  That is why this place is so special.  Not only is there the Real Presence of our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament, but you are also standing at the foot of the Cross.  And very shortly you will become part of Christ’s sacrifice. At Mass, you will receive the grace of offering yourself.  You may offer that grace to one of your departed brethren.  The grace of receiving Holy Communion is another one.  Even if you are not able to receive the Most Precious Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, you can offer that sense of deprivation to someone else. 

This month, we pray for those who have gone before us.  The Church always prays for the departed. . . always.  The Protestants, with their so-called reformation say, “We don’t pray for the dead.”  Yeah, well we do.  It’s a part of the Church.  The Catacombs are filled with inscribed prayers in Latin.   What do they say?  “Pray for me.”  Since the earliest days of the Church, for over 2,000 years, we have prayed for them.  This is what we do.  When our loved ones are all in Heaven, with mine it may take a little work, but when they are all in Heaven, then our prayers go to someone else who needs them.  Remember that old Italian saying: “I remember your name.”  The saints all know who to pray for because when they get to Heaven, they are enlightened by the transfiguration.  They know who helped them, and they will mention you by name to the ear of Christ.

Father’s Afterthoughts:

Veterans Day is this week.  There are a lot of people who served, but just because they served doesn’t make them heroes.  In my day, people served because they didn’t want to go to jail or to go to Canada and learn to speak French.  I wouldn’t want to share a foxhole with them.  They might get me killed.  But there are a lot of unknown heroes.  I hear a lot of stories from veterans at the VA Hospital, and I’m going to tell you about two heroes.  One of the vets asked me if I served in Vietnam, and I told him “No.”   This vet told me that his older brother volunteered for Vietnam so he wouldn’t have to go.  His brother was a hero.  Another veteran, who is 99 years old and in Hospice, has all his faculties. . . he just can’t see very well.  This veteran was in the Armored Division during World War II and had a job nobody wanted. . . Radio Telephone Operator or RTO.   They were the ones the enemy was told to take out first.  Your lifespan as an RTO wasn’t that great.  To make matters worse, you carried a big antenna which let everybody know exactly where you were.  Thank you!  The good side of being the RTO is that he got to ride in a half-track and didn’t have to walk all the way to Berlin.  His unit liberated Dachau; the first concentration camp established in Germany.  Those are the veterans you should pray for and honor.

How will you apply this message to your life? 


You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com/, clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” and then “Sermon Notes.”  They can also be found on Facebook by searching for “Our Lady of the Annunciation Albemarle”

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Sermon Notes – October 31, 2021 – Follow Directions!

 “Follow Directions!”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

 October 30 – 31, 2021

Gospel: Mark 12:28-34 

One thing about theology, it is a precise science.  Our Lord was precise.  He gave our first parents instructions in a 12-word declarative sentence:  “You shall not eat from the Tree of Good and Evil.”  They screwed it up, and here we are.  Really?  It was twelve words in a declarative sentence about how to maintain the original state of grace.  Our Lord reiterates what His Father revealed in the Old Testament about how we should love God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind.  He also said, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”   But the devil clouds our minds, especially of those who are educated way beyond their abilities. “What does that mean?”  “How can we do this?”  “We better check the nuances of that.”  “Well, that was 2000 years ago, and now this word means something else.”  No.  It really means what it says.  “It means this now because we are all enlightened.”  No, that’s just a temptation of the devil.  We want to be like God and make up our own rules.  When you get to Judgement, let me know how that goes for you.  

Our Lord did not say, “Work it out for yourselves, and whatever you come up with is good.” No.  He was very precise in how He told us to do it because He knew we would mess up.  Follow the Commandments.  By the way, a person’s conscience does not triumph over Divine Mandate or Church teachings.  “My conscience told me it was okay to do this.”  If you go down the street about a half mile and take a left at the courthouse, behind it is a big building full of people whose conscience told them it was okay to do whatever they did.  Also, if you drive down Airport Road to Felon University, there’s a whole bunch of people there who will say, “God told me it was okay to put a bullet in that guy’s head.”  No.  Conscience does not trump Divine Revelation.  The apostles had been in the presence of God for years and saw all those miracles, but every time He asked them a question, they got it wrong. 

Our Lord was precise.  Let’s say that you are traveling, and you think the Mass is at 8:30 at Our Lady of Perpetual Agony down the street.  You get ready and go, but they moved the Mass to 7:30.  Are you guilty of missing Mass on Sunday?  No, because you tried. Are you guilty of missing Mass if you got your days mixed up and thought November 2nd was a Holy Day when it was actually on November 1st?  No, you’re not.  But, when you give the Church the big humph, well then you have a problem.  God tells us exactly how to love.  He knew we would mess it up because of our fallen nature.  We are supposed to try to return to the original state of grace by living a life of holiness, and we can by doing what He told us to do.  

 “What would Jesus do?”  Jesus told us precisely what to do.  If we do what He said to do, we will get what He has promised.  Two weeks ago, I went to see my cardiologist.  It was a great appointment because he never put on a glove.  One glove is bad enough, but when they double-glove, be very afraid. . .it might get mildly invasive.  “Now this is going to hurt a bit.”  No it’s not.  It’s going to hurt a heck of a lot!  It’s not a thrill for anybody on the other side of the glove either…trust me on this one.  I saw a doctor give a patient a rabies shot in the finger. Wherever you are bitten, that’s where you get the shot now. This guy was a Vietnam Vet, and he was no sissy boy.  The doctor said, “Now this is going to hurt.” The guy was sitting in a chair, and he grabbed both chair arms while nurses held him down by his shoulders.  After the shot, he decided to relax a while on a gurney. Afterward, I was talking to the doctor, and he said, “Oh, it’s going hurt worse tomorrow.”  Who are you, Joseph Mengela?  Anyway, my cardiologist said that my blood work is fine.  I’m normal – at least my blood is.  I’ve been keeping records from when I started this heart regime two years ago after my brother’s death.  There is improvement because I did what I was told to do.  Did I always like it?  I’ll let you be the judge.  When I go out to breakfast with the staff, they have French toast and bacon while I have fake eggs and dry wheat toast. What do you think?  To make matters worse, they go on and on about how good their food is.  Stuff it!  I’m not brave enough to tell them, but that’s what I’m thinking. Still, I did what my doctor told me to do, and I have scientific evidence that my health has improved.  However, it just means I’m going to die of something else. 

Our Lord showed us exactly what we should do.  Love your enemies and pray for them. Sometimes, the most loving thing to do is not the thing we want to do.  We all have someone who irks us and who we just cannot stand.  I am not immune even as a priest.  Am I supposed to forgive them?  Yes, even though sometimes I’d like to go charismatic and lay hands on them. Forgiveness is an act of intellectual love. . . an act of faith.  What are we supposed to do?  We are supposed to pray for them.  Pray for good for them. . .and not to have an aneurism.  Pray for their conversion.  Pray that God will lay hands on them and not from the Joe Cutrone School of Counselling. 

Our Lord left us precise ways to show our love for Him and precise ways to show that love in action. What did our Lord tell us about forgiveness?  He gave us an example of what that love is in the parable of the prodigal son.  In the parable, the father didn’t wait for his son to grovel.  He ran out to meet his son, put his arms around him, and kissed him on the cheek.  He even had a celebration for him.  Likewise, our Lord went out after sinners.  He went to sick people like the blind man and healed them.  He didn’t ask if they wanted to be healed; He healed them anyway.  We are supposed to do that for those who hate us, for those who don’t love us, and for those who are unkind to us.  He told us to love one another, and this is how we are to demonstrate our love.  He showed us exactly what to do even to the point of the Cross.

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.”   Sermon notes can also be found on the church Facebook page by searching for “Facebook Our Lady of the Annunciation Albemarle”

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Sermon Notes – October 24, 2021 – “There’s Nothing to Fear but Fear Itself”

 “There’s Nothing to Fear but Fear Itself”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

October 23 – 24, 2021

Gospel:  Mark 10:46-52

I was having my car washed the other day because I’m lazy and old.  I always go to the same place, and while I was at the carwash, I saw one of the workers who I’ve met a few times.  The man said, “Hmmm…you served in the Army?”  Yes.  “You were in the 101st Airborne?”  Yes, for about three years. . . He must have seen the 101st sticker on my car.  The man said, “I saw a movie about them when they were in Vietnam.  I couldn’t do what they did.”  Well, they weren’t Superman; they were just boys from the neighborhood.  However, we had been convinced that we were Superman, and we certainly acted like it with a big red “S” on our chest and thinking we could do anything.  I wanted to ask the man at the carwash who had told him that he couldn’t do it.  I mean, I’m not Schwarzenegger, and I made it.  So, who told you that you couldn’t do it? 

It was the same thing that told our first parents they were naked.  God asked Adam and Eve, “Who told you that you were naked?”   Why did God create us?  What’s the first question in the old Catechism?  By the way, the Catechism is the best teaching tool we have in the Church.  God made us because He loves us and so that we can be with Him forever.  He is always calling us to everlasting life.  The Gospel tells us, “Go to Him.  He is calling you.”  Our Lord calls us to Him. Bartimaeus did not take time to think about his fears, and even though he was blind, he went to Jesus.  Which is interesting because it doesn’t say that somebody helped him…he just ran to Jesus.  Ask a blind man to go somewhere without help.  But he did.  It is possible.  So, don’t say, “I can’t do it.” 

Our Lord calls us to holiness.  And what is holiness?  It’s a return to our original state.  The original state of man and the state we are called to is not sin.  The original state of man and the one that Jesus wants to transform us to is the state of Adam and Eve before the fall.  It was the state of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  They were truly human.  It is sin that makes us less than human.  Sin was never supposed to be in our souls. 

The saints prove it is possible to return to holiness. . .to strive for holiness and to achieve the greatest amount of holiness we can in this life and perfection in the next.  The saints prove it is possible, and they were just like us.  They weren’t supermen or superwomen.  They were just like us, but they took advantage of the graces that God offers.  God calls us, no matter our state or vocation, to offer us the grace we need to return to holiness.  He doesn’t ask us to do the impossible. He offers us the necessary grace to do it, but we must reach out and take that grace and cooperate with it. 

Each time we come to Mass and receive Holy Communion or go to Confession, we grow in faith, hope, and charity which are what we call the Theological or infused virtues.  We do not get them by prayer or works.  They are infused in us through worthy reception of the Sacraments and are activated by works and prayer.  Go to Mass.  Go to Confession.  Acquired virtues you get by doing works.  Acquired and Theological virtues give us the power to turn away from sin and live for God.  Use the virtues you have.  An example is the virtue of music that Frankie has by reading that coded musical language that nobody understands.  She has the gift of being able to play the organ and piano so well, but if she stops playing, she will lose the gift.  We must exercise our gifts…we have to use them.  When you do, don’t be afraid by the lack of results or reception. We are doing it for God Himself.  Do not fear.  He is calling you.  Run to Him.

We take counsel of our fears, and we should never do that because fear is always a lie.  The worse thing I ever lived through never happened.  We are afraid we might lose something, that it will be too hard, that we can’t do it, or that we won’t have any fun.  Anybody can do brain surgery if you are willing to go to medical school.  Take it one step at a time.  You won’t be asked to do brain surgery on the first day.  You’ll have to wait six or seven years before you can.  Do not be afraid. The Master is calling you.  He is calling us to share in the blessings and joys of heaven. “Does He know all my faults?”  Yeah, I’m pretty sure He does.  “Does He know I’m not perfect?”  Yeah, I’m pretty sure He knows that too.  He wants to help make you perfect.  We become perfect in heaven.  We progress each day taking up our cross and following Him. . . Each day by bearing our sufferings. . .Each day by asking for the grace we need to carry our cross. 

Remember the spiritual lie: “Oh I’m good…my relationship is good.”   Did you know that’s the worse spot to be in?  You have too much confidence in yourself, and that’s when you should be very afraid.  Self-satisfaction is saying, “I’m fine just the way I am.”  The good Lord will say, “Fine.” Come back when you’re not.”  Grow ever closer to Him.  We have nothing to fear.  Get up and go to Him.  In our fallen state, just like Bartimaeus, we will be restored to the way we are supposed to be.  So, in the words of Gospel, “You have nothing to fear from Him.  Get up.  He is calling you.” 

Father’s Afterthoughts:
I don’t recommend anyone imitating my style.  It is particular.  I give some people nicknames like “Face” that just come to me.  I really should up my meds.  On Friday I was up at the VA.  I knocked on a patient’s door and called out to him.  The patient, Tommy, had been asleep and grumbled as he was trying to wake up.  So, in my most commanding voice, I said “On your feet soldier!!”  That got Tommy’s mind right.  It snapped him right back to the old days.  With other patients, you can’t do that, but with Tommy I can.  You know Congress made me an officer and a gentleman?  Never, ever trust those people!  

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.”   Sermon notes can also be found on the church Facebook page by searching for “Facebook Our Lady of the Annunciation Albemarle”

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Sermon Notes – October 10 – “Because I Like Skittles”

“Because I Like Skittles”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

 October 9 – 10, 2021

Gospel:  Mark 10:17-30

One day when I was at Fort Campbell, I went into the First Sergeant’s office to say, “good morning.”   The First Sergeant said, “Good morning.  Hey Sir, you know your chaplain’s assistant is graduating from air assault school.  His road march is on Friday.”   Oh, goodie!  Thanks for reminding me.  I appreciate it!   I left his office, but I didn’t appreciate it.  It meant that on Friday at 0-dark-30, I would be out there for graduation and the final test:  a 12-mile march in full field gear through gently rolling hills similar to the Alps.  The custom at Fort Campbell and the 101st is that if there is one person in your section doing push-ups or a road march, you all do it.  The only saving grace is that I didn’t have to wear the field gear.  Oh, there is nothing I’d rather do first thing in the morning than go on a 12-mile march at 44 years old.  Thank you, First Sergeant!  I probably could have gotten out of it, but I sucked it up and went anyway.  I was looking forward to the relaxation and being one with Mother Nature.   Um…No.   I would be running with children who basically had to run all the time.  Why did we do it?  We sacrificed to build and reinforce the bond of trust we have with our fellow soldiers…the band of brothers.  Is it pleasant?  Oh, heck no!  But it was the right thing to do.  They are works of love.  The bond with your fellow soldier is that he would die for you and you for him.  Works of love don’t always have to be enjoyed.  Why do we perform works of love?  We do them because it pleases the beloved. 

Our Lord said, “If you love Me keep my Commandments.”  Nowhere did our Lord say, “if you would like to” or “if it’s convenient” or “if you aren’t too busy” or “if you’re in the mood.”  He never said those things.  He said, “If you love Me keep my Commandments.”  The Commandments are not just draconian measures that our Lord has given us to ruin our fun.  The works of love teach us how to go outside of ourselves, to renounce our fallen nature, and to do something for Him.  It may manifest itself in someone or through someone else.  Everything we do with love; we do for Christ.  Doing works of love is not always pleasant.  Do you know why some people find the works of love unpleasant?  Because we are too much in love with ourselves.  The works of love are always focused on the beloved and not on self.   The Gift of the Magi is a short love story written by O. Henry.   Love is always focused on the other, and when we find the works of love inconvenient, unpleasant, or distasteful, that is the time we grow most in love by dying to ourselves and living more for our good Lord.  “Father, I had a game and couldn’t come to Mass.”  Really?  Saint Augustine wrote that “if there is any work involved in love, the work itself is love.”  And that is true.  The young man who approached our good Lord was unwilling to leave everything and follow Him.  Our Lord was testing him.  How much do you love Me?  The young man kept the Commandments and that was wonderful; however, he did not learn the lesson from them.  What is the lesson from the Ten Commandments?   It is total renunciation of oneself to the Beloved.   That’s the lesson.  Go sell everything you have.  Give to the poor.  Your possessions are a representation of yourself.  Give everything you have into service for our good Lord to use as He sees fit.  All the fruits of your talents and labors when used to support your family are works of justice and love.  So don’t feel bad about that.   People say you cannot earn a lot of money from the job you’ve worked at for 30 or 40 years.  You can’t enjoy it because you didn’t earn it.  It’s a work of justice and moral obligation to support yourself and your family and ultimately to pay taxes.  Put yourself and all your talents and abilities in God’s hands.  Renounce yourself and give yourself to Him.  The young man did not see that.  Hopefully, he eventually got it right. 

You’ve heard the phrase “follow the science.”  Who says that?  People who want you to follow their version of “science.”  You know what the science is for people recovering from any addiction?  No matter how much medicine is involved, make sure they come back from Opioids, Meth, or booze, and that they don’t die from detox.  That’s a big drawback.  In all the twelve-step programs, what’s the key to renewal and freedom from addictions and obsessions?  It begins with Step 1 which is perhaps the most important step – admitting that we are powerless.  The final step is to have a spiritual awakening.  There is a Seventh Step prayer…I’ll let you look that up too.  It’s a prayer of total renunciation.  In all the groups that started these types of programs what was the first prayer?  It wasn’t the “Our Father” but the “Peace Prayer” by Saint Francis.  “Lord make me an instrument of Your peace.  Where there is hatred, let me sow love.” That’s a renunciation of self.  Take me and use me as you will with all my talents especially where it is most helpful for people who know my faults.  It’s through your faults that shows people what God has done for you and the mercy he has shown to us all.  We do works of love not for ourselves because it pleases us…that’s selfishness.   The Commandments aren’t legal checkmarks you have to do like driving the speed limit when the police are around.  The Commandments are works of love.  They teach us renunciation of self. They are only burdensome when we want what we want when we want it, or we find them to be inconvenient because we love ourselves more.  They are not always convenient.  They are not always pleasant.  I’m sure changing diapers is not always pleasant.  I’ve been in hospitals.  Believe me, there are far worse smells in a hospital than in a diaper.  Trust me on this one.   Sometimes I leave patients’ rooms and have Skittles.  Know why I have Skittles?  Because I like Skittles. 

We all have fallen natures.  Just this morning I was here, long before you, saying my prayers.  And I really wanted some coffee.  I mean I REALLY wanted coffee.  The coffee had already been brewed.  But what was more important… my cup of coffee or my prayers?   You know the answer, but darn it, I wanted some coffee.  Today, the good side of my nature won, but it’s always a fight.  So, when difficulties come, always remember Who the works of love are for.

Father’s Afterthoughts:

·       I want to thank the Daughters of Mary for the marvelous meal they provided after the funeral Mass  for Elaine Gibbs.  The funeral luncheons they do is something to die for.  

·         When I was in the Army, I always loved those eight mile runs in the rain.  It was so refreshing and cleansing.  Thank you, sir.  Could you make this suck any more?

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.”   Sermon notes can also be found on the church Facebook page by searching for “Facebook Our Lady of the Annunciation Albemarle”