Category: Sermon Notes

Transripts of weekly sermons

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Sermon Notes – “We Must Give Up Everything to Receive Everything” – September 29, 2024

“We Must Give Up Everything to Receive Everything”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

September 28 – 29, 2024

Gospel:   Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48

 38 John said to him, ‘Master, we saw someone who is not one of us driving out devils in Your name, and because he was not one of us we tried to stop him.’

39 But Jesus said, ‘You must not stop him; no one who works a miracle in My name could soon afterwards speak evil of Me.

40 Anyone who is not against us is for us. 

41 ‘If anyone gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, then in truth I tell you, he will most certainly not lose his reward. 

42 ‘But anyone who is the downfall of one of these little ones who have faith, would be better thrown into the sea with a great millstone hung round his neck. 

43 And if your hand should be your downfall, cut it off; it is better for you to enter into life crippled, than to have two hands and go to hell, into the fire that can never be put out. 

45 And if your foot should be your downfall, cut it off; it is better for you enter into life lame, than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. 

47  And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna,

48 where ‘their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’p


We have a doctor in the parish who operated on me. I kept the receipt, just in case. He had trouble with the hospital because of the surgeries he would not perform. They wanted him to do gastric bypass surgery on patients, and he said, “No.”  The hospital was not pleased because there was a lot of money in it. “What do you mean by ‘No?’”  He said, “Because I would be operating on the wrong organ. There is nothing wrong with the patients’ stomachs – the malady is in their brains.”  Doctors are allowed to operate on an organ only if it is diseased or broken. That is the only time they can do surgery on patients. Here is a bit of medical trivia – your skin is the largest organ you have. Doctors cannot whack things off people just because they have body dysmorphia and do not like the way they look. That goes against the Fifth Commandment.

The problem is not the organ – it is just fine and doing everything it is supposed to. The problem is in the brain, and whacking things off people does not change the brain. You must change the brain. Our good Lord said if you do something wrong, cut off your hand, cut off your foot, or poke your eye out. But He was using hyperbole like He was when Scripture says He fed 5,000 men, not counting women and children. Can you count to 5,000? Our Lord was using hyperbole, which you will find in the preface of every 12-step program: “If you have decided you want what we have and are willing to go to any length to get it — then you are ready to take certain steps.”  Any length. But that does not include body mutilation. It means sacrificing people, places, and things –   everything for health. The most challenging thing to sacrifice is self. That is what our Lord asks of us: to be willing to sacrifice everything for Him. Whatever we think reality is, that is not what it truly is. We must give up everything to receive everything. We cannot allow any person, place, or thing to stand in the way of possessing love and being possessed by love itself.

Father’s Reflections . . .

People have asked, “Father, how was your vacation?”  It was great until it ended. My flight was changed three times and then finally canceled. The next day, I had to get up at o’dark-thirty and drive to the airport. You know, there is no more beautiful sight in the morning darkness than seeing a bright light shining ahead of you, and that light screams, “Duncan Donuts!”  There is a God. I finally got back around noon and was on the go until last night. So, if you want a favor, today is not the day to ask for one. Although my vacation was not what I planned, it was a lot of fun. As the military says, no order of battle survives the first gunshot. I went up to see the Godmother, and she is sinking. I also saw my cousin.  Now, I do not know what I did to her, but as I was leaving her house, she said, “Oh, you must try this drink. I love it! It is so wonderful and very good for your health!”  Okay, I would love to. I got into the car and began the 45-minute drive back to my sister-in-law’s house in Rhode Island. I thought I would try the drink since my cousin had recommended it. I took a swallow, and you know, I almost spit it out, but I was too cheap and did not want to pay the cleaning fee for the car. Blech! When I got back to my sister-in-law’s house, I read the ingredients, and it was full of celery, parsley, and cucumbers. Yuck! My cousin tried to put the whack on me! Who am I, Fredo?

How will you apply this message to your life? _________________________________ 

You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to AnnunciationCatholicAlbemarle.com, clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” and then “Sermon Notes.”  On a cell phone: click on “Blog” and then “Menu.”  Scroll to the bottom and click on “Categories.”  Sermon Notes are also available on the Church’s Facebook page at OLA.Catholic.Church.  Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”

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Sermon Notes – September 15, 2024 – “Stop Pole-Vaulting Over Mouse Turds”

“Stop Pole-Vaulting Over Mouse Turds”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

September 14 – 15, 2024

Gospel:   Mark 8:27-35

If you read the gospels, and I hope you do, just the black part – not the white part – you may think, “Gee, it seems awfully hard to be a follower of Christ.”  Remember what Christ told the rich young man?  He said, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to [the] poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven. Then come, follow Me” (Matthew 19:21).   Well, the young man didn’t.  Our Lord said, “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink His blood, you have no life in you” (John 6:53).   What happened?  His disciples left Him.  God created male and female, i.e., original equipment.  Regarding marriage, Jesus said, “They are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, no human being must separate” (Matthew 19:6).  Jesus told the disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23).  That means to imitate Him which doesn’t seem pleasant now does it?  “Oh, it’s so hard!”  I always like it when people want to talk about stuff.  They say, “Can we talk about this?”  When people want to talk about their sinful ways, they are trying to negotiate your surrender. They want you to take their side and co-sign their garbage.  They are not seeking clarification; they are seeking change.   

 What is the purpose of instruction?  To instruct – not negotiate.  Christ did not negotiate because He had the truth.  “But the truth is so hard!”  Do you know why it’s hard to follow the truth?  Because of a lack of love.  Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My Commandments.  They are not burdensome” (John 5:3).   We do it out of love.  Love finds no burden.  If someone asks you to go one mile, go two miles with them.  If someone asks for your coat, let them have your shirt as well.  If someone hits you on the right cheek, offer them the left cheek too (Matthew 5:39-41).  That’s not exactly pleasant.  If someone hits me, I may lay them out.  It’s a muscle memory from when I played hockey.

Love never asks how little it can do.  “Hey, Father, what’s the least I can do to get into Heaven?”  “Does God grade on a curve?”  Love never asks that.  Love says, “Is that all I can do?  Can I do more?”  Sometimes, an act of love is a little difficult because no matter how far we have advanced in our spiritual lives, we are all prone to “king baby” syndrome.  “I want what I want when I want it!”  It’s easier dealing with a terrorist.  Love never set limits and always seeks to do more.  Now, remember this, it is very important to spiritual health: Love is not an emotion, nor is forgiveness.  Love is an act of the Will.   Our emotions are disoriented because of the effects of original sin, the sins we have committed after Baptism, and those sins committed against us by others.   But Jesus commands it, so it can be done. 

An act of Love is to do something for the sake of another, whether you understand it or not.  Sometimes, it is most unpleasant, even egregious, and we don’t want to do it.  I do a lot of work in health care, and sometimes the work is a little less appealing to my senses, but I do it anyway.   I was in Hospice, and one of the nurses asked if I could help her clean out a patient’s trachea tube.  I wouldn’t recommend it to most people because it’s not the most appealing smell.  But I’m a ghoul, so I said, “Sure!”  It’s not about me – it’s about that poor schmuck who wants to breathe.  It’s not about us, and it’s not about emotions.  When I was a young priest, I went on a Hospice call for an older woman who had lung cancer.  She was staying at her son’s house.  Her son had served in WWII and earned a Purple Heart.   He had to do a lot of bad stuff.  I went in to see his mother and gave her the Sacraments.  But her son wouldn’t go into the room and just stood by the door.  His wife went into the room and had to give her husband’s mother a morphine suppository for pain.  Do you know what she did after that?  She went into the bathroom and vomited.  That was love, and it’s the kind of love we are supposed to be examples of.  Parents, think about the times you took care of your children when they were sick.  Sometimes, it wasn’t exactly pleasant to the senses, but you did it because you loved them. 

Now I may find things a little less pleasant to my senses, but I do it anyway because it is not about me.  I have to see Christ in the person in that situation.  “My God!  I’m so tired. I can’t say all my prayers.”  Shut up and say your prayers.  They are not that long.  You are pole-vaulting over mouse droppings.  “Oh!  These things God asks me to do are so hard!”  No, they aren’t.  God asks us to do little acts of love by a denial of self, which is what love is.  Love does not think of self.  That’s how we do what Christ asks us to do.  Yes, sometimes it will be unpleasant.  But the unpleasantness itself is another gift to our Lord.   Love enables us to do things that might be repulsive.  Remember the television series, “The Band of Brothers”?  What bound them together?  Love.  There is no price too high to pay for a brother.  Cost is not important.  It is just a measure of how much we love.

How will you apply this message to your life?___________________________________ 

You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to AnnunciationCatholicAlbemarle.com, clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” and then “Sermon Notes.”  On a cell phone: click on “Blog” and then “Menu.”  Scroll to the bottom and click on “Categories.”  Sermon Notes are also available on the Church’s Facebook page at OLA.Catholic.Church.  Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”

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Sermon Notes – September 8, 2024 – “The Wonder of His Love”

“The Wonder of His Love”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

September 7 – 8, 2024

Gospel:  Mark 7:31-37

31 Returning from the territory of Tyre, He went by way of Sidon towards the Lake of Galilee, right through the Decapolis territory.

32 And they brought Him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they asked Him to lay His hand on him.

33 He took him aside to be by themselves, away from the crowd, put His fingers into the man’s ears and touched his tongue with spittle.

34 Then looking up to Heaven He sighed; and He said to him, ‘Ephphatha,’ that is, ‘Be opened.’

35 And his ears were opened, and at once the impediment of his tongue was loosened and he spoke clearly.

36 And Jesus ordered them to tell no one about it, but the more He insisted, the more widely they proclaimed it.

37 Their admiration was unbounded, and they said, ‘Everything He does is good, He makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak.’

I was at the VA hospital in Salisbury, and when I visited the Memory Loss Unit, I heard that this one patient had a very distinctive accent.  So went into his room and said, “Hey!  You from New York?”  He said, “Yeah!”  I said, “You know a guy?”  “Yeah!”  I said, “I know a guy.  We may know the same guy!”  He laughed and then went back into his confusion, which is how it is with people with memory loss.  Sometimes, you can say the magic word and bring them out of their confusion for a moment.   I visited a lady in a local nursing home who was also in a memory loss unit.  She was staring at the wall, and my gosh, she was very proficient in medical/military language, which I cannot repeat here.  I was very impressed, but I yelled, “Mom!  Stop!”   And just saying that magical word got through to her.    I saw another patient who was in bed, and one of the staff was feeding him.   So, I went in and was talking to them, and I asked the nurse, “You know, while you are taking care of him, do you ever think that when you are looking down at him, you are seeing the face of God smiling back at you?” 

In the Gospel today, Jesus performs miracles.  There are two kinds of miracles – extraordinary and ordinary.   Jesus sighed and groaned, and that groan was for all eternity from the beginning of time to the end times.  He took all the pains of our illness upon Him like He did on the Cross.  We were never meant to die or be sick.  Our illness is a result of Original Sin and the sins we committed after our baptism.   Our Lord Jesus took them upon Himself.  Did He know pain?  Yes.  Think of the pain He endured on the Cross.  Throughout Scripture, our Lord performed extraordinary miracles, such as raising the dead to life.  There were also what are called ordinary miracles.   Do you know what they are?  You can find them at Atrium Hospital – they are the geniuses in white coats whose job it is to make us well.  You can find them in psychologist offices, in 12-step meetings, and in families where love is restored and relationships healed.  

Ordinary miracles happen all the time.  God is still active.  One thing about all those miracles, the physical and spiritual acts of love God does for us, what is the reaction of all those He cured?   Well, one person came back and said, “Thank you.”   Our Lord said, “Do not tell anyone.”   What did they do?   They told people because they had joy.  The more our Lord told them not to tell anyone, the more they proclaimed what He had done for them.  That comes from the joy of receiving the gift of God’s great love.  That is the key to evangelization.  The key to evangelization is telling people about the good things the Lord has done for us.  And they are innumerable when you think about it.  Just in my short, uneventful life, I’ve been saved from an accident when a car ran over me.  Oops!  I guess I wasn’t meant to be a stunt double.  He kept me safe during my exotic travels, including trips to Oakboro, when things got a little harried.  He helped me during my illnesses.  And those are just the things I am aware of; I am not aware of those things He preserved me from.   I will only know that when I see Him in Heaven – at least on Judgement Day; hopefully, I will get to Heaven.   

There are so many gifts our Lord has given us to tell people about.  As for me: 1) My parents had me baptized, which took away Original Sin; 2) I went to Confession, and my sins were forgiven; 3) I received the Most Precious Body and Blood of our Lord at Holy Communion; 4) I received the Holy Spirit at Confirmation; and 5) I received Holy Ordination.  There is so much to tell people about the love of God.   God forgives my sins, and He gives me His Most Precious Body and dwells in my soul. Those are the great joys you can tell people about.  Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit which is the key to evangelization. 

We should always be joyous about God’s gifts.   Some of His greatest gifts to us are ones we hate.  Do you know why?  Because we see them as crosses.  But He gives us those gifts to keep us humble.  I know many people who are very gifted and who have heavy crosses so that they remain humble.  God is the source of all gifts.  Those gifts are given to take care of the obligation for justice and to build up the Body of Christ.  So whatever cross you have and whatever crosses I have – you have to buy the book because I’m not giving that away for free – they are gifts.  They are opportunities for us to stay humble – I’m not doing a great job at that.  But they are also opportunities for us to do penance for our sins.  Sometimes we don’t realize the great gifts He has given us.  This is how we evangelize – spreading the good news about our Lord’s love.  We evangelize by telling people about the wonders of what He has done for us.

How will you apply this message to your life?_____________________________________          


You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to AnnunciationCatholicAlbemarle.com, clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” and then “Sermon Notes.”  On a cell phone: click on “Blog” and then “Menu.”  Scroll to the bottom and click on “Categories.”  Sermon Notes are also available on the Church’s Facebook page at OLA.Catholic.Church.  Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”

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Sermon Notes – August 25, 2024 – “This is Where Truth Resides”

“This is Where Truth Resides”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

August 24 – 25, 2024

Gospel:  John 6:60-6

60 After hearing it, many of His followers said, ‘This is intolerable language. How could anyone accept it?’

62 What if you should see the Son of man ascend to where He was before?

61 Jesus was aware that His followers were complaining about it and said, ‘Does this disturb you?

63 ‘It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh has nothing to offer. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.

64 ‘But there are some of you who do not believe.’ For Jesus knew from the outset who did not believe and who was to betray him.

65 He went on, ‘This is why I told you that no one could come to Me except by the gift of the Father.’

66 After this, many of His disciples went away and accompanied Him no more.

67 Then Jesus said to the Twelve, ‘What about you, do you want to go away too?’

68 Simon Peter answered, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the message of eternal life,

69 and we believe; we have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.’

I have dealt with many people, and I like doing so.  I can always tell which people used to be Catholic.  Do you know how I can do that?  Am I gifted?  No.  I can because they tell me.  They say, “I used to be Catholic.”  Oh really?   I’m still Catholic.  What happened to you?  Did you find a better way to Heaven?  When they tell you they are no longer Catholic, they are unhappy.  I have never met a priest who left the priesthood and was happy.  Never.  And I’ve been around for a long time.  Usually, after priests leave, they realize they made a big mistake, but it’s really tough to come back.  Bishop Curlin was really good at bringing priests back, but nowadays that ain’t happening.   

Why would anyone leave?  We have the words of spirit and life.  We have the truth.  You know the truth when you hear it because it touches your soul.  We all want to hear, “Hey Father. Pizza and bacon are really good for your heart.”  I would love to hear that, but I’m not going to, am I?  Probably not.  “Hey, Father.  Cucumbers are good for your health.”   Then I am going to die because that’s not going down this throat!   I barely do fish, and that’s a penance.  But we all want to hear that it’s okay to eat and do what we want.  “Oh, I have a kidney condition that alcohol is good for.”  Really?  Do you mean stupid?  “Smoking is good for you.”  I’ll let you know about that too.  We all want to hear those words because it gives us an excuse to do what we want which may not be what Christ wants.  We have the truth of everlasting life.  Jesus gives us that truth.  Because of our fallen nature, the sins we’ve committed after our baptism, and the sins of others committed against us, it is hard to follow that truth.   Sometimes, it is hard to see the love of God.  When our good Lord took my mother, my father, and both of my brothers from this world, I was not exactly pleased with Him, okay?  But bad things happen, so we have to trust. 

From whom do you hear, “I absolve you of all your sins.”  “Behold the lamb of God.”  You won’t hear that anywhere but here.  This is where truth resides.  The fullness of truth helps us carry our crosses and deal with all the things that try to take us away from Him, the sorrow that we all experience, the temptations, our faults and failures, the crosses that have been given to us, and the crosses we take on for others to help them.  Only here do we have peace and consolation.  We can go somewhere else, but no one finds that peace except here.  I have 71 years of experience and 40 years of that as a priest – If anyone can enlighten me, I’m always open to verifiable knowledge, but I have yet to see it or read about it.  Only here in the fullness of Christ will we find peace.  When G.K. Chesterton became Catholic, he said, “I want my sins forgiven, not explained away.”  He also said, “If you believe Protestantism, you’ll believe anything.”  Growing up, all Christians had a basic set of morals.  Now, “to whom shall we go? He has the message of eternal life.”  We are men and not angels, so we all struggle with our crosses.  We come here for our Lord’s help, healing, and strength.   

How will you apply this message to your life?  _______________________________________

You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to AnnunciationCatholicAlbemarle.com, clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” and then “Sermon Notes.”  On a cell phone: click on “Blog” and then “Menu.”  Scroll to the bottom and click on “Categories.”  Sermon Notes are also available on the Church’s Facebook page at OLA.Catholic.Church.  Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”

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Sermon Notes – August 11, 2024 – “It’s Not About Us”

“It’s Not About Us”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

August 10 – 11, 2024


Gospel:  John 6:41-51


In the church, we have stained-glass windows and the Stations of the Cross which represent the bible in pictures.   The Rosetta window above the altar displays the 15 mysteries of the Rosary which is also Scripture.  Way, way back before the Protestant’s so-called Reformation, we had these things.  Why?  One reason is because a lot of people couldn’t read.  It wasn’t their fault; they were just trying to survive.  Also, people didn’t have enough money for books because they had to be written on parchment or sheepskin.  It was very tedious work for monks to do.  When people came to church, they could see Scripture with their eyes, and as the priests were preaching, they would point out the various mysteries of the faith. 

The whole point of Scripture is to bring attention to Christ especially Christ incarnate in the Tabernacle.  This brings up something funny; in the so-called Reformation, their attention was solely on Scripture.  So, what did Protestants do?  They got rid of visible Scripture in their churches.  The stained-glass windows and Stations of the Cross were all gone.  I thought you loved Scripture.  So why did you get rid of the visible Scripture?  No one has answered that question for me yet. 

Everything we do is directed at the Tabernacle. We have proved that our Lord is in the Most Blessed Sacrament.  We have seen the evidence.  When we take our Lord away and denigrate the Blessed Sacrament, people leave in droves.  We come to Mass for a Who not a “what.”  I read a ritual book that stated, “The liturgy is the work of the people.”  No, that makes it a high school play.  The liturgy, which is the Mass, is Christ.  It’s a Who not a “what.”  You got that wrong and you flunked Theology 101.  That phrase never shows up anywhere in Church history.  I may have been sick a day or two while in seminary, but we were never taught that.  And I guarantee you that Saint Thomas Aquinas never wrote that.  Nor did Saint Louis de Montfort or Saint John Vianney.  People said, “We have to focus on the liturgy.”  So, they moved the Tabernacle to another location in the church to a place where you would be lucky to find it with a native guide.  When I got here, I started putting things back where they belonged, and people said, “Vatican 2 said this, and we have to do that.”  I said, “Okay, fine.”  I don’t want to get in trouble with anybody.  I get into enough trouble with local law, so I don’t need the Church law after me too.  Oh, did I say that out loud?  Show me where the Church decreed that.  I had a professor who was at Vatican 2.   Abbot Walter was a counselor at Vatican 2, and he claims they never said that.  Does anybody want to give out Communion?  Come on up.  No!  Does anybody want to perform surgery?  Come on up; we’ll give you a knife.  Have a good time.   No!   Everything is placed with reverence for the Eucharist.  Nobody is supposed to go beyond the altar rail except for the priest and those who have business at the altar.  And as soon as they finish, they leave.  The Tabernacle is supposed to be in a pronounced location.  When Bishop Jugis came in, God bless his soul, he had everything put back where it belonged. 

Every couple of centuries or so the Church has to do some housecleaning.  If some is good, more is better.  That’s true for hundred-dollar bills and pizza.  Everything else, not so much.  “We need more statues.”  No.  Statues are nice, but it gets so cluttered you can’t find our good Lord.  So, the Church has to do a little housecleaning and say, “That’s all very nice, very sweet, but it has to go away” so we can focus on our Lord.  All the Gospels in the past couple of weeks have been focused on the good Lord.  “I am the Bread of Life.”  The focus is always on Him and not on you, not on me, and not on the worshipping community.  By the way, I have no idea what “worshipping community” means.  Granted, I’m not the brightest bulb in the circuit.  Just as an aside, I was poking around on the internet to see what my classmates are up to, and I discovered that one of my classmates at my old diocese is now a monsignor.  Suck up!  He was Roman anyway.  When you are Roman, it’s like having graduated from West Point in the Army.   “You are all equal.”  No, you’re not.

The only thing we should focus on is our good Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament.  “I am the Bread of Life.”  It’s not about what you sing or who brings the gifts to the altar.  It’s all about Who is in the Tabernacle.  That is our faith.  Everything points to our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament and our focus should be only on Him.

How will you apply this message to your life?  ________________________________________

You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to AnnunciationCatholicAlbemarle.com, clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” and then “Sermon Notes.”  On a cell phone: click on “Blog” and then “Menu.”  Scroll to the bottom and click on “Categories.”  Sermon Notes are also available on the Church’s Facebook page at OLA.Catholic.Church.  Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”

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Sermon Notes – August 4, 2024 – “The Secret to Happiness”

“The Secret to Happiness”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

August 3 – 4, 2024

Gospel:  John 6:24-35


I’m going to tell you a secret that I do not want to take to the grave.  On my last day – my last hour – I don’t want to try to mumble something to someone who is fluffing a pillow over my face.  Do you know what the secret to happiness is?  Now this is free advice.  The secret to happiness is holiness.  It’s that simple.  It’s right there in scripture in the black part. Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light” (Matthew 11:28-30).  Follow Jesus and you will have happiness, a happiness the world cannot take when Christ lives in our souls.  Now you may say, “Father, I try to be holy.”  You all do because you are all here.   But there are other things that happen that hurt us.  We have crosses, family crosses, and all sorts of things that weigh us down and make us sad.  For example, I’m 40 years a priest and still not a monsignor!  That’s a daily cross I must bear.  Nobody knows the pain I’ve gone through, okay?   Being holy doesn’t mean we won’t have difficulties, but that doesn’t take away the joy within us.  Only we can erase the joy and peace in our souls by sinning.  Christ doesn’t leave us – we toss Him out by committing mortal sin or having unrepentant venial sin.   We need to keep the life in our souls refreshed and strong so that we can meet the troubles of life and be able to carry our cross as well as help family and friends carry theirs.

We receive the Bread of Life in Holy Communion.  We see Christ, as Saint John Paul II said, in the Sacrament of Penance.  You cannot have one without the other.  People say, “I go to Communion all the time.”  But do you go to Confession?  “No.”  Well, you have to do both.  If you want to receive Holy Communion, Saint John Paul II said, “You have to go to Confession” to receive the Precious Blood of our Lord in our souls.  In the last two centuries of the Church, in the late 1890’s, Saint Pious X changed a few rules.  People received Holy Communion only on holy days, feast days, etc.  It was misplaced piety.  Saint Pious X said, “No, wrong answer.”  Also, Holy Communion was restricted until you were in your teens.   Saint Pious again said, “No, wrong answer.”  He brought the age to receive Communion down to the age of reason and encouraged receiving frequent Communion.  How can you keep your strength up if you don’t eat?  If you go 24 hours without food, you feel a little weak.  How can you keep the strength in your soul if you don’t receive Holy Communion often?  The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that we should receive Communion often if we are properly disposed.  Properly disposed means we have no mortal sin on our soul and no unrepentant venial sins.   But it’s an objective state.  We can say, “I feel great.  I’m pretty healthy.”  It’s not that I don’t believe you, but I would believe it more if Dr. Lil or Dr. Talbert signed off on it.  It’s not about what we think.  I think I’m good-looking and strong with a big red “S” on my chest.  Objectively, I don’t.   

Receiving Communion frequently helps keep us strong in the face of temptation and renews the happiness in our souls.  I don’t mean in an emotional way like Mary Tyler Moore, “I’m so happy!”  That’s not normal.   No, I’m talking about a sense of peace and a sense of strength.  You will have Christ in your soul, and nothing can take that away from you.  No amount of temptation can take it from you.  No matter how many sins are committed against you can take it away from you.  One of the other benefits of being holy, besides going to Heaven, which is the greatest benefit, is that we become more attractive.  Now maybe I shouldn’t tell you this, but I will.  When I see other priests, they are very jealous of this parish because we have the best-looking people in the diocese.  I frequently get a thrashing for that, but I’m willing to take it for you.  But what does holiness do?  Having Christ in our souls makes us attractive to other people.  They see the beauty and goodness within us – it is not us, it is us who allow Christ to radiate in our souls. 

Remember Mother Theresa of Calcutta, who is now a saint?   Let’s face it – she did not look good.  But everyone wanted to be around her because she had Christ in her soul.  No one knew the depth of her suffering.  Bishop Fulton Sheen had movie-star looks and was very charismatic.   You would never know that all he could eat was milk, graham crackers, and boiled chicken because his stomach was so bad.  No one knew how much he suffered.  But he had Christ in him and that’s why people wanted to be around him.  Saint John Paul II had Parkinsons. When he was shot, he received a blood transfusion, and an Air Force doctor proved that Saint John Paul had received the Parkinson’s virus from the transfusion.  During his last days, as he spent his time on the cross, he wasn’t the most attractive person there ever was.  He was bloated because of the steroids he had to take.  He drooled and shook, but everybody wanted to be around him because he had Christ in him.  The Pope was a fan of classical music.  Personally, I’m more of a classic AC/DC fan.  But I remember watching this concert where a world-famous conductor and his orchestra came to play for the Pope at the Vatican. They played one of his favorite compositions, and afterward, this world-famous conductor nervously looked at the Pope to see if he had enjoyed the concert.  He was thrilled when the Holy Father gave him a thumbs up because he was playing for Christ. 

Did Saint Theresa, Bishop Sheen, and Pope John Paul enjoy their suffering?  I presume not, but they endured it for the salvation of souls.  They showed us what is possible when Christ lives in our souls. 

Father’s Reflections . . .
When the Old Testament lesson was being read, the Israelites said, “We’ve never seen this food before.”  I swear my first thought was, may God have mercy on my soul, “It tastes like chicken.”  No.  Monkey tastes like monkey.   Quail tastes like chicken.

How will you apply this message to your life?  ______________________________________

You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to AnnunciationCatholicAlbemarle.com, clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” and then “Sermon Notes.”  On a cell phone: click on “Blog” and then “Menu.”  Scroll to the bottom and click on “Categories.”  Sermon Notes are also available on the Church’s Facebook page at OLA.Catholic.Church.  Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”

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Sermon Notes – July 28, 2024 – “You Cannot Eat Your Way to Jesus”

“You Cannot Eat Your Way to Jesus”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

July 27 – 28, 2024

Gospel:  John 6:1-15


Our good Lord gave people an Introduction to the Eucharist course, but they sort of flunked it.  They realized Jesus had the power to do what He said, and He did it out of love. They flunked the course because when they saw what He could do, they wanted to make Him a bread king.  We do not have a bread king . . . We have a King of love, and He gives Himself to us.  But the people thought He would give them everything they needed, which would be the perfect social welfare system.   “If we make Him a king, everybody will get free bread, free housing, and a free computer.”  They flunked the lesson terribly.  They said He was a prophet.  They got that wrong too.  He was the Son of God.  They were asking for the wrong thing from our Lord. 

He came so that they might have life and have it to the fullest.  He came to fill the hole in the soul.  He gave them the means for salvation and peace in their souls.  But they all wanted something less than what He was.  And that happens in the Church.  “If we have a gym, people will come. If we have a youth ministry, people will come.  If we buy them pizza, they will come.”  In the Army, we had a program called “Eat Your Way to Jesus.”  They would buy pizza for these bible studies they held.  The soldiers would come, eat the pizza, and leave.  You couldn’t keep them there.  They ate the free food, and they were outta there.  “Well, if we had pools, saunas, and entertainment we could compete.”  No.  We can give them what we have which is the best . . . we give them God.  It’s not what we give them but Who we give them. 

People call or come by the church all the time to ask for money, and they come up with some incredible stories about why they need money.  We know it’s all fertilizer.  Their power is about to be shut off or they need money for a mortgage payment.  Some of them show up at night, which is why the cops recommended that I have a handgun.  So, if you need to stop by the rectory at night, call beforehand to let me know.  When I answer the door at night, I always have a gun behind my back because there are a lot of not-so-nice people around after dark.   “Oh, I was just released from the hospital, and I need money for medicine.”  Now, I’ve been a hospital chaplain for 40 years, and that doesn’t fly at all.   Sometimes they bring their babies and claim they need money for baby formula. 

We hear some amazing stories, but they always ask for much less than they could receive.  I can give them Christ the way the Apostles received Him at the Last Supper.  They can receive the Most Precious Body and Blood of Christ in Holy Communion.  With the Sacrament of Penance, I, acting in the Person of Christ, can wash away their sins with His Most Precious Blood and anoint their soul.  I can give them peace at the end of their lives with the Sacrament of Last Rites so that they can go joyfully to meet God.   You’d be surprised, but a lot of people don’t want that.

I had this patient in hospice who was new to the unit, so I looked at his chart.  He had lots of problems, and his prognosis was not great.  I went in to visit him, and we talked for about ten minutes.  I asked him if he would like to receive the Sacrament of the Sick.  I don’t call it Last Rites; otherwise, the nurses would have to clean the bed sheets again, and I don’t want to get in trouble with them.  But the patient said, “Oh no, no.  I’m getting better!”  I leaned over and said, “You know you’re in hospice, right?”   I just wanted to make sure he was aware of where he was.  He may be getting out in a couple of weeks, but probably not the way he thought.  Now, my military background tells me I must complete the mission, so I went to Plan B, which I have used many times.  I wait until the medication cart goes by and the patient gets a bunch of happy pills or shots.  Then I have a cup of coffee while I wait for them to get bombed.  After about 10 minutes, I go back into the patient’s room and ask, “Would you like to receive Last Rites now?  I’ll take that as a yes.”   Mission completed.    

We always ask for too little while God offers us so much. Every day, we can come into God’s very presence. The church is open if either Lori or I are here.  It beats watching Soap Operas or listening to Dan Bongino.  Our Lord is in the Tabernacle, and He wants to feed our souls to give us peace and rest.  He wants to give us strength to carry our crosses so that can rejoice with Him for all eternity.  God wants to give us His very self while we settle for so much less.

How will you apply this message to your life?  ________________________________________

You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to AnnunciationCatholicAlbemarle.com, clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” and then “Sermon Notes.”  On a cell phone: click on “Blog” and then “Menu.”  Scroll to the bottom and click on “Categories.”  Sermon Notes are also available on the Church’s Facebook page at OLA.Catholic.Church.  Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”

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Sermon Notes – July 21, 2024 – “The Greatest Sermon is One People Can See”

“The Greatest Sermon is One People Can See”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

July 20 – 21, 2024

Gospel:  Mark 6:30-34

Why did so many people come to hear Jesus?  Because He told them about God’s love, and He told the Apostles to go out and do the same.  They performed acts of God’s love.  People heard about the love of God, and they saw the love of God in action when He healed the sick and exorcised demons.  When people saw the love of God, they wanted it because only He could heal the hole in the soul.  That’s what attracted so many people, and that’s how we can bring people into the Church.  We don’t have to be smarter than the average bear.  Saint Paul tried that and it didn’t turn out so well.  So, he began to preach about Christ crucified which is God’s love.  After that, he began to attract a lot of people.  That is also how we should preach to others . . . by talking about the love of God.

I get these emails from the diocese: “You have to preach on stewardship and tithing.”  Have I, in 22 years, ever preached about money?  No, and I never will.   An old Monsignor once told me, “Be a good priest and you won’t have to worry about money.”  When you preach about God’s love, nowhere should there be anything about tithing or a stewardship campaign.  Instead, we should preach about the goodness and love of God.  The Apostles didn’t have a church where someone played Mitch Miller music.  No.  They talked about the love of God.  How do we do that?  The greatest expression of God’s love is His mercy, and we experience His mercy through the Sacraments.  To preach about the love of God, which is manifested in His forgiveness, we have to experience it in the Sacrament of Penance.  We also need to experience His great love in the Sacrament of Holy Communion.  God freely gives Himself to us so that we may have life and have it to the fullest.  It is God’s great love that enables us to receive that gift. 

Now I love the folks who evangelize outside the courthouse.  They are well-intentioned, and I appreciate their zeal.  But I have to wonder if they are taking their meds.  “You’re going to hell!!”  Really?  “If you don’t follow my particular brand of Christianity, you aren’t going to Heaven.”  Really?  How do you know?  If you really knew, you could pick winning lottery numbers, and I don’t see you riding around in a Bentley.  God sees what man doesn’t.  Only God sees the heart, and He judges accordingly.  So, you have no idea.  To say you do is a sin against charity and slanderous.  Never mind that our Lord said, “Judge not lest ye be judged” (Matthew 7:1).  The Curé d’Ars (the parish priest of Ars, France) was talking to a woman whose husband fell off a bridge and drowned.  The woman said, “You can see everything, Father.”  The priest said, “Yes.  God sometimes gives me that gift.”  The woman said, “My husband was a bad man.  He beat me and he was a drunk.  He drowned, so he’s in hell, isn’t he?”  The priest said, “I don’t know.  There was a long time from when he fell from the bridge and hit the water.”  That’s enough time (to express sorrow) for imperfect contrition and to save his soul.  We don’t know, so we entrust everyone to the mercy of God. 

Mother Teresa preached the Gospel by taking care of lepers.  Those people saw God’s love in action.   While I was in Cuba, I had the privilege of offering Mass to Mother Theresa’s Sisters.  Besides Mass, they spent two hours a day in prayer in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament.  That’s where they got the strength to do the kind of work that would make most people want to retch.  Have you ever smelled leprosy?  It is not pleasant.  By the way, the Sisters did not wear masks, but they bathed the lepers and helped them with their bodily functions because they couldn’t.  The Sisters showed God’s love by taking care of the very sick and dying.  There was no money exchanged; the Sisters did it out of love for God. 

We preach the love of God by our works of mercy.  The greatest sermon is one that people can see.  Saint Francis said, “Preach the Gospel at all times; use words when necessary.”

How will you apply this message to your life?  ________________________________________

You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to AnnunciationCatholicAlbemarle.com, clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” and then “Sermon Notes.”  On a cell phone: click on “Blog” and then “Menu.”  Scroll to the bottom and click on “Categories.”  Sermon Notes are also available on the Church’s Facebook page at OLA.Catholic.Church.  Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”

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Sermon Notes – July 14, 2024 – “That’s All I can Stands, I can Stands No More”

“That’s All I can Stands, I can Stands No More”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

July 13 – 14, 2024

Gospel:  Mark 6:7-13


On Thursdays, if I remember, I go to the IDT (Inter-disciplinary Team) meetings.  Doctors, nurses, psychologists, social workers, physical therapists, dieticians, and chaplains attend this meeting to discuss Hospice patients.   We were discussing this one patient who is 47 years old and who is refusing treatment.  With treatment, he could be cured, so his doctor wasn’t sure what to do.  To complicate matters, this patient is also schizophrenic.  He was trying alternative holistic medicine, such as crystals, which was not working, and he was getting progressively worse.  The staff was trying to get him to talk to the oncologist.  I asked the psychologist, “Do you think that perhaps he is afraid?”  Nobody hears anything after doctors say “cancer.”  They shut down, and the conversation is over.  Although it could be stage 1, after they hear the “C” word, they stop listening.  That is especially true if you have another condition like schizophrenia.   He was afraid and stopped taking his medicine.  He could only control what he could control.  When you are a patient in the hospital, everything is out of your control, and privacy is a joke.  That is the nature of the business. 

We have to be careful about what we say.  Paul said, “Only speak of what builds people up.”  Be good to people.  The sin of slander is akin to murder in Scripture.  In the hierarchy of sins, slander and murder are equal.  We have to be very careful about what we say because we have no idea of the fragility of people.  They could be a lot more fragile than we think they are.  Sometimes they have the “Popeye” syndrome.  Do you know what that is?   “That’s all I can stands, I can stands no more.”   Someday, when they’ve had just one thing too many happen, they go postal.   We don’t know, so say good things that will help people and not evil things.   All that evil speech comes from inside the person saying it.  Speak words of kindness and love, not evil. 

In the Gospel, our Lord sent the Apostles out without any money, food, or anything, and all I could think was, “Are You kidding me?  Lord, do You have any idea what you are asking them to do?”   People who went to college and studied the dictionary would call that counterintuitive.  No – it’s stupid!  But our Lord wouldn’t tell us to do things that are impossible.  That goes against His nature.  The Apostles did what the Lord asked them to do.  Our Lord gives us these things to do so that we can show our love for Him.  “If you love Me, you will keep my Commandments.  My Commandments are not burdensome.”  Oh, I don’t think so.  My lack of faith in eating fish is just terrible.  What a terrible cross I have!  I have to obey my doctors.  That’s the Fourth and Fifth Commandments, by the way.  “I know the commandments.”  I don’t think so . . . but keep learning.  Remember what John Wayne said, “Life is tough; it is tougher when you’re stupid.”  “The Commandments are too hard.”  Not really.  Otherwise, our Lord wouldn’t have said, “My yoke is easy and My burden light.”   It may be unpleasant, but when we start saying the Commandments are hard, how are the young supposed to remain pure?  How are the old supposed to remain pure?  Have you ever heard about the Villages?  Do some research on that.   Ask any police officer, and they will tell you there is a lot of stupid out there manifesting itself.   We have the King Baby Syndrome; “I want what I want when I want it. So, I will change the Word of God to justify what I want to do.”   Our Lord tells us what to do and gives us the means to do it.   He does not tell me to do Misfit work because I’m incompetent.  I don’t fly airplanes for a reason – because I don’t have the ability.  But God doesn’t require that of me.  God gives me the means to do what He requires of me for my vocation as He does for us all.  He offers that to us all. 

So, the hardship of keeping God’s Commandments is negligible.  “Oh!  Do you mean I have to go to Mass every Sunday?”  Well, you catch all the Panthers games, don’t you?   Oh yeah.  Keeping His Commandments is not as hard as we think because He gives us the tools to do so.  The devil on our shoulders tells us how hard it is and how much we will miss the great side of life.  No, you won’t.  You will not miss the Four Horseman:  guilt, fear, shame, and remorse. 

I see people all the time who walk in misery and sadness.  We don’t always have to like what our Lord asks us to do.  I never saw a time in which He asked for someone’s opinion about one of His Commandments.  He said to keep His Commandments.  You don’t have to like them.  Just do what you are told, and it will work out well.  It worked out for the Apostles, and it will work out for us.  We are not the newest kids on the block or the brightest bulb in the box, but our Lord told us exactly what we need to do to have the greatest amount of happiness possible in this life and eternal happiness in the next.  All we have to do is what He tells us to do and to use the means He gave us.  Our lives would be so much better.  Perfect?  No.  I always have to pay for my pizza.  So, perfect?  No.  But it would be so much more hopeful, joyful, and peaceful.   

How will you apply this message to your life?  _______________________________________

You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to AnnunciationCatholicAlbemarle.com, clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” and then “Sermon Notes.”  On a cell phone: click on “Blog” and then “Menu.”  Scroll to the bottom and click on “Categories.”  Sermon Notes are also available on the Church’s Facebook page at OLA.Catholic.Church.  Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”