Category: Sermon Notes

“Listen to Your Mother”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

January 19 – 20, 2019

Scripture: John 2: 1-11

1) On the third day there was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2) Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. 3) When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4) [And] Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.” 5) His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6) Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings, each holding twenty to thirty gallons. 7) Jesus told them, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim. 8) Then he told them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter. So they took it. 9) And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine, without knowing where it came from (although the servers who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom 10) and said to him, “Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now.” 11) Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs* in Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him.

Jesus performed His first miracle at the wedding in Cana where He, Mary, and the apostles were among the guests. When Mary noticed that the wine was running low, she interceded by approaching Jesus and saying “They have no wine.” The proper translation of His response is; “Woman, what is thee to me?”

Now, this statement may sound as if Jesus was rebuking His mother, but, in His native language, He was not being disrespectful. Today, many mothers would respond to that statement with “You talking to me??” However, Mary, with perfect faith, told the servants to “Do whatever He tells you.” These are the last words of Mary recorded in the Bible, and is the greatest spiritual advice ever given.

In response to Mary’s intercession, Jesus performed His first miracle by turning six stone jars each containing 20-30 gallons of water into wine. That is more than 120 gallons of wine, and this wasn’t just any wine…it was the best that could be had. That is what happens when we ask for Mary’s intercession…Christ gives over and beyond what we ask for in our prayers, and He doesn’t ask if we deserve it.

People often ask me to remember them in my prayers, and I’m happy to do it. In fact, I take all of your prayers with me to the altar. The cross on the back of my chasuble (outer garment) symbolizes the yoke of Christ, and the cross on the front symbolizes yours. But, just think how much better it would be to have Mary intercede for you and take your prayers directly to Him. After all, she is His beloved mother and has direct communication with Him. When it comes to our own mothers, we aren’t so different. For example, I once knew a man back in Rhode Island who was my mother’s friend; however, he was not mine. But, when this man asked me for a favor, I was much more inclined to help him after my mother interceded on his behalf and encouraged me to do so.

Mary is the mother of us all. She knows our needs before we do and, although she doesn’t take them away, she makes our crosses sweeter and easier to bear. So, to grow spiritually, we need to become a child of Mary. No one has run so far from Christ or fallen so low that Mary is unwilling or unable to hear them. Remember…You cannot outrun God. He is an Olympic runner. He pursues us and will be waiting for us at the finish line. Always.

Our mothers give us the advice of our lives. Dr. Mom….we go to her when we are sick, sad, afraid, needy, and thankful. We ask for her help, and she gives us the advice of our lives…Say please, thank you, apologize, wash your hands, wear a coat, etc. If we are sick, we may need to make an appointment with our doctor. Either way, we must take the medication prescribed by the doctor even if it tastes bad and follow our mother’s advice even if we don’t like it. For example: Want to stop drinking? Stay away from bars and from people who drink in bars. Want to be more holy? Stay away from pornography and people who are unholy. Want to grow closer to God? Do whatever He tells you.

St. Bernard’s Memorare (Remembrance) Prayer:

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, and sought thy intercession, was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of Virgins, my Mother, to thee I come, before thee I stand sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate! Despise not my petitions, but, in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen

How will you apply this message to your life? Will you take Mary’s advice and “Do whatever He tells you?” Will you ask her to intercede on your behalf by taking your prayers directly to God?

“He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

December 29 – 30, 2018

Scripture: Luke 2: 41-52

41) Each year his parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, 42) and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom. 43) After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. 44) Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, 45) but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. 46) After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, 47) and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers. 48) When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” 49) And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 50) But they did not understand what he said to them. 51) He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart. 52) And Jesus advanced [in] wisdom and age and favor before God and man.

I grew up in a parish in Warwick, Rhode Island. At most, there were 600 families, including survivors of the Great Depression and World War II, however, this small parish produced five priests. Jesus said, “You will know them by their fruits… every good tree bears good fruit; but the bad tree bears bad fruit” (Matthew 7:15-17). The parish members in my boyhood church were happy and had a common mission…to be holy. Through the gift of faith, we can all be holy. However, to be holy, you must be willing to give up the high cost of low living. Is it hard? Yes. Is it as hard as the devil tells us it is? No. Do people fall short? Yes.

My family is no different than yours. Some of my cousins do not go to church, even though their families made sacrifices to send them to Catholic school. So, what can we do? As a family and as a church, we can pray and sacrifice for them. For example, in the military, if fellow soldiers are struggling with their 60 lb. backpacks during a 12 mile nature walk, we don’t ask if we can help….we take their burdens onto our own backs and go. If someone falls, we pick them up and carry them. In the same way, we can help each other, and all of God’s children, by shouldering their crosses, just as Christ did for us.

How will you apply this message to your life? Will you strive to be holy? Will you help others who are struggling by shouldering their crosses?

“Is There Room at the Inn?”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

December 22 – 23, 2018

Scripture: Luke 1: 39-45

39 During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, 40 where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, 42 cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43 And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord* should come to me? 44 For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.

The New Testament is the beginning of our salvation. It was provided by Mary who is the Ark of the Covenant, and recorded by Luke. He took it all down. Mary was filled with love and was the epitome of obedience. Even though she didn’t understand when the angel Gabriel told her that she would bear a son, she said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:26-38). She didn’t ask for proof, and she didn’t make excuses. She simply obeyed.

When the angel, Gabriel, told Zecharia that he and his wife, Elizabeth, would have a son, he did not believe. Instead, Zecharia said, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.”(Luke 1:18). As a result, he was struck mute until the birth of his son, John. When Mary was told that her relative, Elizabeth, had conceived a son, unlike Zecharia, she believed and immediately went to visit Elizabeth. Love is in immediate action. Once we say yes to Jesus, we can bring Him to others.

We study translated and retranslated scripture. Many of the expressions are those not used in our culture, so you have to read scripture in the context and period in which it was written. Once at Fort Bragg, I was sitting next to a friend of mine, a Rabbi, during mandatory chaplain training being taught by a minister. The topic was the Old Testament. I noticed that my friend was getting very red in the face…he was quite angry about the misinformation being provided. The Rabbi corrected the minister, and justified his explanation by saying that his peeps, the Jews, actually wrote the Old Testament.

Nobody wants to play the role of innkeeper in reenactments of the Christmas story. But, they didn’t know Joseph, Mary, or Jesus. There is a picture of Christ knocking on the door of a house; however, the picture is wrong, because the doorknob is on the wrong side. Only we can let Jesus in. In a way, we are our own innkeeper, and the doorknob is inside us. How do we let Him in? By going to confession and by taking Holy Communion.

How will you apply this message to your life? He is knocking….will you let Him in?

“Rejoice in the Lord Always!”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

December 15 – 16, 2018

Scripture: Luke 3: 10-18

10) And the crowds asked him, “What then should we do? 11) He said to them in reply, “Whoever has two tunics should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise. 12) Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?” 13) He answered them, “Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.” 14) Soldiers also asked him, “And what is it that we should do?” He told them, “Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages.” 15) Now the people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Messiah. 16) John answered them all, saying,l “I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. He will baptize you with the holy Spirit and fire. 17) His winnowing fan* is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” 18) Exhorting them in many other ways, he preached good news to the people.

Many of us take daily medications for high blood pressure or cholesterol that enable us to have better health and, therefore, live better lives. We don’t often feel reactions like: “Yippee! I’m doing great!” or “I feel like doing the happy dance!” No. It’s more of a quiet, slow, and steady process to better health. The same is true with our spiritual health. Rarely, do we have feelings of joy and ecstasy…that kind of happiness won’t happen until we meet Him.

I recently visited an 87 year old man who was in Hospice. I spoke with the family and asked if I could say the “Prayers for the Dying.” They agreed, and although they are not Catholic, they loved it. This man was dying a terrible and painful death, but his dead uncle visited him to reassure him that it’s not that bad and that he wouldn’t feel any pain. Often, I tell those who are dying to go and meet their Savior and to meet Him joyfully.

We have three opportunities to meet God up close and personal:

• Sacraments

• Our deaths

• At the end of the world when He returns

Rejoice that we have the opportunity each day to be renewed by Him. How wonderful it is that we have this great gift! At Mass, we receive Him into our souls and become one with Him. We are united with Him, and He is united with us. And, we can do this every day; two times a day. Christ is there waiting for us in the Tabernacle. Saint Therese of Lisieux wept after she received her first Holy Communion…not because her mother was dead and missed the event, but because Jesus had kissed her heart, and she knew that God was there.

Let us rejoice for this is only a foretaste of heaven. The Lord tells us that our time of waiting is almost over, and that He will come for us, and no longer will we need to participate in Mass to see Him. Rejoice that Christ is coming… either at our deaths or at the end of the world. When He comes, we will be in His presence forever.

We will be judged, and everything will be made present before our eyes. Does God send people to hell? No. We send ourselves to hell.

How will you apply this message to your life? Will you seek every opportunity, through the sacraments, to get up close and personal with God?