Category: Sermon Notes

Transripts of weekly sermons

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Sermon Notes – Junk in…Junk Out

“Junk In…Junk Out”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

September 2nd & 3rd, 2018

Scripture: Mark 7: 1-8, 14-15, 21-23

1 Now when the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him, 2 they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands. 3 (For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews, do not eat without carefully washing their hands,* keeping the tradition of the elders. 4 And on coming from the marketplace they do not eat without purifying themselves. And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed, the purification of cups and jugs and kettles [and beds].) 5 So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him, “Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders* but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?” 6 He responded, “Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; 7 In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts.’8 You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.” 14 He summoned the crowd again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand. 15 Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.” 21 From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. 23 All these evils come from within and they defile.”

Physicians sometimes take on the roles of our mothers by advising us of what we should and shouldn’t eat to nourish our physical bodies. We all know that limiting junk food is essential for good health. Kosher food is that which meets Jewish dietary regulations and has been deemed pure and clean. We are not required to eat Kosher foods, which is great news, because bacon didn’t make the list of clean food in those dietary regulations.

People are also spiritual beings with souls that need nourishment too. As with our physical bodies, we must be careful about what we let inside….of what we feed our souls. Consuming too much of the junk media popular today ; i.e., ungodly movies, music, books, and TV, can be detrimental to our hearts and souls by exposing us to temptation.

People commit sin which originates from the heart….it is internal, not external. Sin disfigures our soul and distorts our senses. It is essential that we maintain vigilance in protecting our hearts from the temptation of satan which comes in the form of a person, place, or thing. Nobody really knows how powerful their resistance is to sin. Because we are battling demonic powers, it is extremely risky to have an inflated sense of ego and to think that “I can handle it”. When we are tired, we are particularly vulnerable. The longer we entertain the idea of sinning, the more likely we are to succumb to it. Once temptation has taken root inside, it is almost impossible to dislodge. We cannot blame our sinfulness on someone or something else. Have you ever said: If you weren’t (fill in the blank), I wouldn’t be (fill in the blank)? Instead, we need to ask ourselves, “How can I change?”

Note to Parents & Grandparents: Be sure to use SPE (Spiritual Protective Equipment) which includes prayer & penance so that you limit your children’s exposure to sin and prevent its spread.

How will you apply this message to your life? As much as possible, will you limit the amount of junk food you eat in order to be healthier? Will you limit your consumption of junk (ungodly) media in order to protect your heart and soul? Will you use SPE to prevent the spread of infectious sin?

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Sermon Notes – Feed My Sheep

“Feed My Sheep”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

October 20 – 21, 2018

Scripture: Mark 10: 35-45

35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” 36 He replied, “What do you wish [me] to do for you? 37 They answered him, “Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left. 38 Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized? 39 They said to him, “We can.” Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink, you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; 40 but to sit at my right or at my left is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared. 41 When the ten heard this, they became indignant at James and John. 42 Jesus summoned them and said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. 43 But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; 44 whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. 45 For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Servant leadership is a philosophy in which the main goal of the leader is not the acquisition of wealth and power; instead, it is to serve others. Christ is all powerful, but He leads His Church with great love by serving us and putting our welfare first and foremost as He did when He died on the cross so that we may have eternal life.

Christ asked Peter three times if he loved Him and three times He told Peter to feed His sheep. What does that mean? It means we are to love others as we love Him, to treat others as we would treat Him, and to serve others, because we see the face of Christ in them. Often, this requires great humility…and holiness. But, you cannot give what you do not have.

The Sisters of St. Theresa’s Missionaries of Charity radiate with joy, and people long to be near them…to have what they have. The Sisters serve the poorest of the poor and the most vile among us. How are they able to do this and maintain a joyous spirit? They get the power from Christ, and that same power is available to us if we seek it. ‘Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.’ (Mark 7:7)

Leprosy is a disease that causes the flesh to rot…it’s smelly and it’s contagious. Saint Francis of Assisi had a fear and loathing of lepers before God led him to serve those afflicted with this horrible disease. After that, Francis expanded his ministry to help lepers by feeding them and caring for their wounds. Through God’s grace, Francis became their friend and served them with humility.

No matter our status, position, or wealth, we are called to serve others….even those who smell, who are rude, who are obnoxious, who are mentally ill…because they are the face of Christ. Like Saint Francis, we can kiss and care for their wounds. We can offer them comfort and compassion. We can lead them to Christ. In return, they teach us to love…they lift us up. We will receive far more from them than we could ever give them. Most likely, they will never say thank you or send us thank you cards. Christ didn’t get them and think of how many He helped. Were they at the foot of the cross? Sadly, no.

How will you apply this message to your life? Will you feed His sheep? Will you look for the face of Christ in others and bring people to Him?

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Sermon Notes – Take Up Your Cross

“Take Up Your Cross”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

September 8 – 9, 2018

Scripture: Mark 7: 31-37

31 Again he left the district of Tyre and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, into the district of the Decapolis. 32 And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him. 33 He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; 34 then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, “Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”) 35 And [immediately] the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly. 36 He ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more he ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it. 37 They were exceedingly astonished and they said, “He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and [the] mute speak.”

God is thankful for our used kitty litter and in return gives us the greatest gift of all…Himself. So, get rid of your spiritual kitty litter!

A man at the VA Hospital who was grieving over the loss of his wife told the hospital staff that he needed to speak to a priest who was a combat veteran. When I spoke to the man, who was a former medic in Vietnam, he told me about the many things he does for the Church and that he was in constant prayer. I told him that hyperreligiosity is a sign of mental illness. This immediately changed the direction of our conversation. I asked the man if he knew how many soldiers he had saved in Vietnam, and he had no idea. But, when I asked him how many he had lost, he knew them all by name. It was a burden that he carried with him….his cross. This man’s wife had died two years earlier. She was the one had who helped him deal with the stress, and when she was gone, he was lost. I advised him to go help his fellow veterans at his parish, and that they would, in turn, help him carry his cross.

Our crosses are a gift. God takes our sins and transforms them into good. For example, God used two alcoholics, a doctor and a stockbroker, to start Alcoholics Anonymous. The idea behind AA is that alcoholics keep their sobriety by helping other alcoholics keep theirs. It is the same for us. If we want help with our crosses, we must help others with theirs through our prayers and labor. Doing so helps us see our own crosses with fresh eyes.

Diet and exercise must be used together. We must eat the right food and get adequate exercise to remain healthy. One does not work without the other…it takes both. Likewise, prayer must be coupled with labor. For example, if we see people who are hungry, we can, and should, pray for them. But, wouldn’t it be much better to pray for people AND give them food so they are not hungry?

As we pray and receive the sacraments, we gain sustenance and our energy is restored so that we can continue working to help others. This is our no et labora (prayer and work). Nobody says their crosses are too light, but it takes so little to help others bear theirs. The greatest love we can offer is the gift of ourselves. A smile, helping someone carry their groceries, or visiting someone who is sick can make all the difference and lighten the weight of their cross.

How will you apply this message to your life? Will you take up your cross and help others with theirs?

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Sermon Notes – The Face of Christ

“The Face of Christ”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

September 22 – 23, 2018

God created all of mankind in His image, and He loves every single one us including those who are poor, rich, weak, strong; homely, beautiful, Christian and non-Christian. Because we were created in His image, how can we not see the face of Christ in everyone we meet? How can we claim to love God if we do not love those whom He loves?

John 4:20-21

20 If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.

21 This is the commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

Loving those who love us or who appreciate our work is easy. Loving everyone else can be difficult, since the face of Christ is also there in those who are hateful, violent, greedy, arrogant, and bitter. In Matthew 25:45-46, Christ said to the apostles: “In truth I tell you, in so far as you neglected to do this to one of the least of these, you neglected to do it to me. And they will go away to eternal punishment, and the upright to eternal life.’

The ability to show this kind of love requires a conversion of the heart and a strong faith. Saint Therese of Lisieux had such a conversion of the heart. Every day, she showered love on those she was not fond of and endured suffering without complaint. These daily sacrifices were her gifts to God and inspired many Catholics to lead holy lives by making their own sacrifices for Him.

You may not be thanked for sharing God’s love…you may even be rebuffed, scorned or cursed. You may never see the results of your love, or receive public accolades, but that’s not what is important. By helping others, by showing your love, you are doing His Will. You, in return, will receive much more than you could ever possibly give in the form of inner peace and joy.

How will you apply this message to your life? Will you endeavor to see the face of Christ in everyone you meet? Will you treat people as you would Christ by showering them with love even though you may not be fond of some? Do you need a conversion of the heart and a strengthening of your faith?

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Sermon Notes – Pray for Them

“Pray for Them”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

August 18 – 19, 2018

It is with a heart full of sadness that I stand before you to talk about the unspeakable crimes of child abuse that occurred over the past 70 years and that were recently discovered in Pennsylvania. The heart of Jesus is breaking, because the stench of satan has entered His Church, and the damage done is untold. As a hospital chaplain, I have seen a lot of “yuck,” but these crimes are sickening on a whole new level and like nothing else.

Please pray for those who are victims. Also, pray for the bishops who are culpably ignorant, complacent, and moral weaklings. Excessive ambition led to their failure to protect the most innocent among their parishioners. There’s an old saying that applies here: You gain esteem by doing esteemable acts.

I recently met an older priest for breakfast. He served at West Point during the Vietnam War and buried many of his cadets. He felt compelled to join the military and later served in Vietnam. Why? It was the right thing to do and it is a fine example of an esteemable act.

In contrast, there are overly ambitious bishops scrambling right now to cover their asses. They have lost sight of their true calling.

Bishops:

• Have you been to hospice to comfort the dying?

• Have you had to tell a family that their loved one has died?

• Have you visited the sick and cared for their souls?

I think we know the answers to these questions; and that is why the most honored title in the Catholic Church is “Father.” You see Christ in us as we serve His Church.

In 1977, when I entered the seminary in Boston and studied for the diocese, it was at St. John’s and not at St. Mary’s which was known as the “Pink Parish.” St. Mary’s was also known for its granola or fruits and flakes even though every seminarian had to take and pass a psychiatric exam.

Some priests are innocent of the charges, and some cannot defend themselves because they have died. Those who are guilty of these horrific crimes should never see the light of day even though the Statute of Limitations has passed.

In reparation, let us pray for the victims. We also need to pray for the Bishops who failed to do the right thing. Finally, we should pray for those guilty of abusing the most innocent among us.

What we cannot do is to let this shake our faith. Remember, the only face of Christ your neighbor may ever see is in you.

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Sermon Notes – We Are Not Orphans

“We Are Not Orphans”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

May 23 – 24, 2020

Scripture: Matthew 28: 16-20

Today, we celebrate the Feast of the Solemnity of the Church and the Ascension of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Our Lord used the body and human nature that He took from the Blessed Virgin Mary to teach, console, heal, suffer and redeem us. He had two natures in one… a divine nature and a human nature. Two “Whats” and one “Who.” His body was united and assumed into His divine nature. He took the body He redeemed us with to heaven. That’s your theology lesson for the day. What does the body that He suffered and died with actually do in heaven? He uses it to intercede for us. How does He do that? He shows the Father His sacred wounds. So the body with all the marks of love on it…the five sacred wounds…the marks of divine love….was offered to the Father on our behalf…His way of pleading for us. We should take great comfort in that…not assumption, but comfort. Always pray for intercession. Remember, the sixth word from the cross: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” That is our only excuse for sin.

He said “I shall come back and take you with Me.” Indeed, He teaches us exactly how to gain salvation. He shows us the way by leading and asking us to follow Him. “Take up your cross and follow Me.” We follow Him to the cross…carrying whatever crosses we have and those that await us. From that cross, we will die, rise, and be with Him. I will come back to take you with Me whether from this world or at the end of time. He will come back to take us with Him…those who love Him. That’s good news…we get to be with the One we should love above all things. We get to go to heaven, and He has shown us the way there. We know that Heaven is a place, because the body cannot exist without a place. But, what is Heaven? Theology 101: It is the presence of God. So, we will dwell with Him. Remember the transfiguration? We will have a human body once it is perfected after we die. Our body, when resurrected, on the last day will be like His.

A good leader goes out before everyone else and shows them the precise way. One thing I was praised for in my Officer Basic Course was my willingness to help other officer candidates. I was pretty fast back then and a lot younger too. After I finished my run, I would go back to help others finish the course. If you didn’t pass, you failed the course, and you didn’t receive a commission. So, you helped anyone who was struggling by picking them up and dragging them across the finish line if necessary. Our Lord does that. After all, we are not orphans. As Pope Leo the Great said, we see His physical presence in the teachings of the Church. He is still teaching us the way to salvation. We see Him in the most Blessed Sacrament. He is present in all seven of the Sacraments. He is present and active among us. We will get more in to that next week when we talk about Pentecost.

We hear His voice how? We hear His voice in the teachings of the Church that tell us about the divine truth….the revelation of His great love and mercy. He is still here; we can see Him, and we can feel Him. If we look, we can see Him right now. I bet Mass won’t be over long before an ambulance flies down the highway. Who is treating that person on the way to the hospital? My brother did it for a living. God used my brother’s human nature to provide healing and to keep that person alive long enough to get to the hospital and the doctors. That is God’s healing power. The nurses in Hospice when they were able to…not anymore…hold a man’s hand as he is dying because his wife isn’t there anymore and the memories come back. Now they have to wear PPE and latex gloves. Nothing like the feeling of latex on the hand.

The love of God’s presence is with you. He is in heaven, but He is also everywhere else. He said, “I am with you always until the end of time.” And that’s true. He is always there. The apostles had trouble seeing Him even after three years of observing miracles…and right up until the end those who had doubts bowed in homage. We, too, have trouble seeing Him, although some days are better than others. That’s why He said “blessed are those who do not see and yet believe.”

How will you apply this message to your life? Can you see Him? Hear Him? No? Perhaps you need to visit the Sacraments.

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Sermon Notes – You’ve Got Talent

“You’ve Got Talent”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

May 27 – 28, 2020

Scripture: John 20: 19-23

Do I have talent? No. I got the good looks, and my twin brother got all of the talent. He could do everything. We are sort of unequal in talent. Someone asked me, “Do you like mincemeat pie?” It’s from New England and one of my favorites. In the old days, it was made of meat; now it’s made with fruit. They said, “You can make it, Father. You take a jar of mincemeat and a pie crust.” I tried, and it did not turn out so well. Cooking is not one of my talents. Singing is not one of my talents. Language is not one of my talents. I can speak a number of languages all at the same time!

God has given people different talents, some more, some less. It seems unfair. I mean, how could all these good looks have no talent! Come on! However, it seems that God’s little talent fairy gives everybody different talents, and it doesn’t seem right. Maybe. But, not really. We all have one purpose, and that is to build up the Kingdom of God. There is one talent He gave to us equally…we all have equal shares in this talent. It’s language. Now, you may be thinking, “Father, we’ve been here for 15 years for the Spanish Mass…you do not have a talent for language.” Well, maybe not for the languages we can hear. This is a language that can reach all men. If I speak Spanish, I won’t reach much of the world. If I speak French, I won’t reach much of the world. If I speak Latin, I’ll reach even less of the world. I am not fluent in other languages, except one. And that’s the language of the mighty Will of God. With that language, you can reach everyone, because it reaches people without them hearing.

One day while I was making my rounds at Hospice in the Veterans Administration Hospital, paramedics brought in a new patient, and they put him in Room 3. The nurses were busy with other patients, so I went to that room and helped the paramedics get the patient in to bed. Afterward, I washed my hands, because I had touched him…and this was before Covid too. One of the paramedics, who had not greeted me during this time, walked over to me and said “Thank you, Father.” This is how you reach people with your faith. Remember what Saint Francis said, “Teach the gospel continually; use words if necessary.” This is the universal language we have been given.

Beginning at Baptism, we were given the virtue of faith which was infused in us. Faith, hope, and charity… three infused divine virtues…were given first at Baptism, Confirmation, Penance, Holy Communion, and the other Sacraments. We have that gift…we have that ability…to teach others about Christ. This is how we evangelize. Not my becoming whatever or learning every language under creation. That’s not going to happen. I’m too old for that. I’m old enough now to eat dessert first, because I can’t trust anything else. Teach people the language of love. I don’t know if you will appreciate this, but even during my work in Hospice, I can teach the language of love. Impressing medical people is really hard. I’m not there often and for only a few hours a week. However, I have been asked to sign every death notification before the official record is closed. That was a “thank you”, from the medical staff, because somehow they were impressed with my work. But, it wasn’t my work, it was God’s work…I was just the village idiot doing what God told me to do. This is how we can reach out and touch people.

The human nature our Good Lord took from the Blessed Mother is the one that He suffered and redeemed us with, cried over our sins with, healed us with, and consoled us with. Now, it is in heaven with the Blessed Mother. But, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, which He gives us in the Holy Sacraments, He takes our human natures and makes Himself present. So, when you console somebody, you are Christ consoling them. You are Christ helping them. You are Christ healing them. Help others without being asked. When your neighbor has problems, help them. Why? Because it’s the right thing to do. People see the love of Christ in that. The acts of love and the sufferings of love are the universal language that can lead to Salvation. For example, if someone is sick, take over a casserole or nachos, and leave it on the porch. Contactless delivery. Why? Because it’s the right thing to do. Did anyone see you do it? No. But, you may get extra credit. Still, it’s the right thing to do. You are showing God’s love. Will they ever know it was you? Maybe…maybe not, unless you left your name on the plate so they could return it. This is how we evangelize. This is how we teach. God is using your human nature. It’s true. Jesus said it. When you help others, Christ is using your human nature. He said it in the Book of Acts. When Paul was persecuting the Church, Christ came down in a vision and said, “Saul, Saul why are you persecuting Me?” He didn’t say, “Why are you persecuting My church.” You cannot separate Christ from the Church. When you are separated from your body, you are usually dead. I didn’t go to medical school, but I’m pretty sure that’s what happens. When you do that, you are doing God’s work. What you “did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.”

You want to be great evangelizers? Wonderful. You have that gift in you. You don’t need to go to a special course, you don’t need to pay money for a program, or go to Charlotte…please stay out of Charlotte. You don’t need to pay any money. You don’t need to buy books. You don’t need to do a lot of things that “they” tell you to do. What you do need to do is grow in God’s love, and then you cannot help but to bring that love to other people.

How will you apply this message to your life? Use your talent to help people so that they can see the love of God.

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Sermon Notes – A Change of Heart

“We Need a Change of Heart”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

June 6-7, 2020

Scripture: John 3: 16-18

It is said that tough times do not make character, but reveals it. And that’s true. We are all going through the pandemic. These are tough times. But, is not going to a high school or college graduation going to scar someone for life? Well, I think sometimes deprivation is a good thing. You should be thankful for deprivation. “Father….you are stranger than normal. What do you mean?” Well, I’m glad you asked. You aren’t getting the same graduation that I got or that my brother got. We got a draft card. We got a letter from the President offering us a federal job. Then we got an opportunity to travel and meet new, exciting people and kill them. So, just think about that. Myrtle Beach is a lot nicer than Fort Bragg, Paris Island, South East Asia, or any other hole the government could send you to. The other night I was talking to a veteran who reminded me of a gentlemen I knew. It was 76 years ago that he got an all-expense paid trip to Normandy in Great Britain. He said, “You know, Father, when I got off the landing craft, the water was still red, and I had to step over the bodies to get to my unit.” We forget. The average age of the soldiers who stormed Normandy was 19. There were bomber pilots who were 20 years old. Don’t get me wrong. I feel bad for those who will miss out on their graduation ceremony, but this isn’t the worst thing that will happen to them in life. It’s time to grow up. Yeah, times are tough, but we’ve been in a lot tougher situations. Put it in to perspective. This is not the worst thing that will happen to them. If it is, they’ve had a very blessed life. Yeah, mourn a little bit, but then come down from the cross…we need the wood.

Now, all of us have probably said at one time or another “They made me mad” or “If they hadn’t done that I wouldn’t be upset and I would not have done this.“ “You made me do that.” No. We think that’s a fair explanation for our poor conduct. Right? That’s true. However, Saint Dorotheus reminds us gently that person only brought out what was already inside us. That anger. That evil. The malevolence was already present. The other person only revealed it. And, if it hadn’t been that person it would have been someone or something else like soup boiling over on the stove – or whatever – it would have come out. As Jesus said, evil comes from inside us…not from outside. Evil is not a “what”. It’s a “who.” Evil is possession of the soul by something that was never meant to be there. Nobody can say, “They made me do it.” That’s not true. We are living through a terrible time of violence, but, where does it come from? It comes from the demonic. Violence is evil and is from satan. It isn’t from poverty, a lack of goods, or anything else. Otherwise we’d all be felons.

We have to change the heart. That’s what our Lord taught. Otherwise, we are doing nothing but rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. Evil exists in an evil soul. Buying a new computer or stealing one…”Oh, we’re all better now. We are just fine.” No, they are not going to be fine. You would think that in prison where I go sometimes… but they let me out, I’m only a temporary visitor to the state’s gated community…that would be the perfect place for them. Why? They have everything they need. They have free medical care up to the point of transplants. They have television, a weight room, and three hots which aren’t so hot. But, all of their needs are met. Free clothes. Everything is free. Yet…it’s not so nice in there. There is a lot of violence…but, they have everything they want…all their needs are supplied. Again, we are rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. It’s a struggle of the heart…a struggle of the soul.

None of us grew up with a silver spoon in our mouths. I was telling some people last night that my mother dropped out of high school at age 16 to become a live-in maid. Her family was poor. My father helped his uncle deliver milk. He taught me a great lesson in humility. He said, “I did what the horse told me to do.” The horse knew what he was doing. Just follow the horse…the horse made the stops and knew when it was time to go home. Listen to what the horse has to say. But, it’s malevolent people…it’s violence. Remember what Jesus said to Saint Dorotheus… the first sign of evil is violence. That’s why I love watching police shows. A 160 pound guy thinks he is going to take on five heavily armed officers. Really? That’s not going to be a good outcome for you. Evil tries to ensnare you with the three temptations of Christ from the cross. The first is to try to scare you. For example, they are saying, “this is systemic racism.” In Philosophy 101, you learn on the first day that this phrase is a word salad. It has absolutely no meaning. For something to be evil, it can be objective evil but not culpable. For culpable evil, it has to be performed by a moral agent. What is a moral agent? It’s a person. How many types of persons are there? Three. Divine, angelic, and human. To be culpable evil, you must have knowledge and full consent of the will. So, systemic racism does not pass the philosophy test.

Our Lord said you will know them by their fruits. We are supposed to have a Justice and Peace committee in the Parish. There is one in the Diocese. Justice and peace. No justice, no peace. That’s not true either. What kind of justice is in Heaven? The Honor Code? The Muslin Code? Every Friday at noon, hands, heads, and whatever get chopped off. What kind of justice is that? Did our Lord preach that? That didn’t come about until around 40-50 years ago. Nowhere does Jesus Christ say to be just. He said to be holy, and all things will be given to you, and you will have a peace that nobody can take from you. He didn’t say get more stuff and you will have peace that no one can take from you. He said to be holy. I studied the writings of the Church Fathers for a couple years…I really did. I may not remember much, but I know this…they never mention justice…none of them. The writings of the scholastics like Saint Thomas Acquinas are used as a standard at seminary. Nowhere in the angelic doctrine or any other doctrine of the Church does it say justice equals peace. In none of the writings by the Doctors of the Church like Saints Therese de Lisieux and Teresa of Avila, do they ever say that justice equals peace. They didn’t say it. And, my final proof that this is all evil and satanic is based on the demographics of those in military service. Of the 22 veterans who kill themselves every day, at least four of those veterans are black. I haven’t seen anyone take a knee for them.

How will you apply this message to your life? Do you need a change of heart?

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Sermon Notes – The Mystery of Our Faith

“The Mystery of Our Faith”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

June 13-14, 2020

Scripture: John 6: 51-58

On Saturday afternoon, I was on my way to make a house call to an 88 year-old man who has cancer. So, I’m driving out in the country, and I see a hearse coming the other way. Hmmm…maybe I should have called first. He is fine.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Every priest and bishop in the world has heard, “Father, the Church has too many rules; why can’t it get rid of some of them?” You know, that’s a fair question, and it could be true; however, it comes to mind that Jesus gave us a few rules too and so did the apostles. We are just following what they taught. “But, why do we have to follow all these rules?” First of all, if you don’t, I’ll break your knee caps…that’s from the Italian School of Instruction. Boom! What are rules? Rules are the teachings of the Church. What is the purpose of these rules? They are designed to focus our attention on the core of our faith…that Christ is physically present in the Most Blessed Sacrament and that He offers Himself to us…the most precious body and blood at Holy Communion. The mystery of transubstantiation is the same one as in the Upper Room. We are fed by the hand of the bishop or priest the same Holy Communion, body, blood, soul, and divinity, as the apostles. There is no difference. The sacrifice that He offers us from the cross before the Father is given everyday by every priest throughout the world. This is the central mystery of our faith.

You see references to John 3:16 a lot around the county. If they read further in the gospel, they would know that our Lord said, “unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. …” (John 6:53). “Well, they meant something else.” But, that’s not what the original version says. It uses the word “masticate” which means we must chew and take it inside ourselves. That’s the meaning of the original Greek word. That’s what we do, and that is the mystery of our faith. When the apostles received Holy Communion, did they taste the flesh and blood? No, and neither do we. I don’t taste the drugs when I take my meds. Do you? All these rules are there to guide us and remind us of the central mystery of our faith. They help us focus on the truth.

The rules the Church teaches were not made up out of thin air. Rules about showing respect when you enter the church include genuflecting, no eating or drinking one hour before Mass, no gum chewing, this is not a cafeteria, no cell phone use, and being quiet in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. You’ve heard me say “Shhhh” a few times. What is the purpose of showing respect? It points to the central mystery of our faith. The most precious body, blood, soul, and divinity is here in the Real Presence of our dear Lord. Every rule we have focuses on that central mystery of our faith. The sacrifice of our Lord comes down to us, is given to us and is present for us in the most Blessed Sacrament. This is the central mystery of our faith. Everything in the Church points to that. “Well, Father, why can’t other people, non-Catholics and those not practicing the faith, receive Holy Communion…It’s the most loving thing to do.” Saint Paul says we aren’t supposed to do that. Now, if you think you are greater than Saint Paul, be my guest. However, I’m going with what Saint Paul said.

We follow and profess the Real Presence and have since the beginning. This is the true body and blood of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Unless you eat and drink from it, you may not have eternal life. We have believed this from the beginning. Christ Himself, the apostles, and the Doctors of the Church down through time have remained unchanged. This is our faith. You know, I took four vows: Poverty, Chastity, Obedience, and a vow to protect the Blessed Sacrament with my life. This is why I don’t let lay people give communion. “I’m a Eucharistic Minister…I want to take communion home to my wife.” Uh, no. I’m going to hurt your feelings real quick. No. Are you a priest? “No.” Then, too bad. We practice what we believe. All of our so called “rules” point to the one central mystery. Do you think I like going “Shhh” to people? Well, yeah, I do, but besides that….I’m trying to do better…but besides that…Everything we do here points to our Good Lord. The beauty of our church, the beauty of the vestments, and the beauty of the sacramentals all point to what we believe. This is the central mystery of our faith. So, all of those rules that you see being taught…I know, like you, I don’t like to be taught, because I think I know everything…they all point to the central mystery of our faith. The mystery of our faith is what? Well, I’ll give you credit, because the question is unfair. You get extra credit if you realized that. The mystery of our faith is a “Who.” It is Jesus Christ, and it is He who has given us the divine nature and appearance of the most precious body and blood for centuries. People say they want to receive Holy Communion like it’s an “it.” Holy Communion is not an it. Holy Communion is a “Who.”

How will you apply this message to your life? Do you follow the rules of the Church?

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Sermon Notes – What is Your Price?

“What is Your Price?”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

June 20-21, 2020

Scripture: Matthew 10:26-33

You may have heard the following advice: “to graduate, you have to cooperate” or “to get along, you have to go along.” And, that is true in a lot of situations. It is great guidance for life, because often we get into discussions that end up in arguments, especially on social media. By the way, addiction to social media is a disease. People get into huge fights over nothing. It’s what I like to call pole vaulting over mouse droppings. They get into arguments over the strangest stuff, and that’s sad. Patriots! Green Bay! Panthers! Who the heck cares…they’re all millionaires! Are they going to share their millions with me? No. Were they in Iraq with me? No. So, I don’t care! I really don’t care! “This is so-and-so.” Whoopee! When I call 911, is so-and-so going to come out and save my keester? No. Are they going to ride with me in the “meat wagon” and keep me alive so that the doctors at the hospital can save me? No. Well then, call me, and we’ll do lunch. People get into fights over the stupidest things, and they won’t back down. So, the fight escalates and escalates. There is no need for that. But, we keep going back, because we want to get along, and that’s good, because we need each other…we were made for each other.

People sometimes ask, “What do you think about our president?” I don’t discuss politics. “Well, what do you think about this?” I don’t discuss that either. They are looking for a fight, not for a discussion. You know, I just let it go. I’m an expert on one thing, and I’ll talk about that, but I won’t talk about anything else in which I’m not an expert. I’m an expert at being a former soldier; I’ve got that part nailed down really well. Once a month, Uncle Sam sends me a check, because he tried hard to kill me. He tried really hard, so he gave me a pension. I mean, he tried, really, really hard to kill me…but I made it out alive…ha-ha. It wasn’t personal…just business. Anyway, we want to get along, because we are afraid we won’t be included, and we all want to be included. We are afraid of being cut-off…of being isolated. That is so sad. Now, it is true there are some things in which we can compromise. We can compromise on a lot of things like sports, the best restaurants, or the kind of guacamole you like…whatever. We can compromise on a lot of things, but the one thing we cannot compromise on is the Faith, because there is no part of the Faith that is not Christ.

We have all heard, many times, people say, “I’m a Catholic but…” That sentence is so wrong. Grammatically, as the sisters taught us, it is correct. What is incorrect is the noun and the conjunction. Catholic means universal, and the word “but” is a qualifier. You cannot qualify a universal with a particular. Either it is or it isn’t. We learned that in Philosophy 101 on the first day of class. “I’m a Catholic, but I don’t go to Mass.” Well, I’m a Marine, but I didn’t go to Paris Island…does that qualify me too? “I’m a Catholic, but I don’t believe in this.” Then you are not Catholic. Catholicism is not a smorgasbord that you can pick and choose from. Now, you can debate whether the Mass should be in English or Latin…I prefer Latin. That’s a fair debate. However, the rest of it is not up for debate, since everything after that crosses the line. Because, if you are wanting to go along to get along, you are selling our Lord out for something. Judas sold Jesus out for 30 pieces of silver. So, what is your price? How much did you sell Jesus out for? “I am a Catholic, but…”

People say, “I used to be Catholic.” Well, I still am…what’s your problem? I don’t say, “Oh, that’s nice…at least you go to church somewhere. Now let me see, which church? Oh yeah, they all commit abortion…aren’t you special!” I have to throw the Barbara Streisand flag on that one. Are you kidding me? It’s abortion! It’s murder of an innocent life! We hung Nazis for that. There are YouTube videos and movies about it. We hung them or we shot them, either or. There were trials of doctors in Nuremberg who took a long fall on a short rope. So, what are you going to get for selling out Christ? “Well, I’m going to try to save my relationship.” Dude, if you’re selling out our Lord over a relationship, that’s not a relationship. Alright? Forget it. Pack it in. Get over it, go cry in your beer, and start over somewhere else. When you qualify your faith, how much are you willing to sell our Lord out for? Just what are you afraid of? As they say in counselling, fear is false expectations approaching reality. Fear paralyzes us; however, most of what we fear will never happen. If we act out of fear, we will lose everything. We will lose our good Lord. The most common phrase in scripture is “do not be afraid.” Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life.” So, don’t be afraid. The only thing we need to fear is losing our salvation. Proclaim the truth. How would you feel if someone said, “I do not know you”? Do not be afraid. When we proclaim God’s truth, we are planting seeds wisely even though sometimes we would like to use a sledgehammer.

I’ll tell you one story before we get on with Mass. Many years ago, I belonged to an organization called the Downtown Albemarle Ministerial Association (DAMA). Pastors who were members would meet and discuss stuff. One day, there was a discussion about abortion. Uh-uh…I don’t play. This one Methodist minister, who is no longer here, got so angry that he almost came over the table yelling at me. I can guarantee you that it would not have been a healthy move for him. I was in much better shape back then. “It’s all about abortion for you Catholics!” I really wanted to go charismatic and lay hands on him. Instead, I looked at him and said, Reverend, (dripping with sarcasm of course), on which moral hill are you willing to die? No other church has a higher moral code than the Catholic Church. If you are willing to sacrifice a baby in the womb, there is no moral equivalent to that. Everything else is okay. Just say you love Jesus, and everything will be alright. But, if you look in scripture, especially in Matthew 25 and John 6, you will find that the final exam is much more than that.”

We do things that are contrary to Church law, because we are afraid that we won’t fit in. This results in politics, even in the Church. Many suck up to those in power. There are cliques in the Church Priesthood worse than those in a girls’ school, and these are grown men! They are grown men. But, it is fear. We will sell out Christ for a job or a relationship. “Oh, I can’t live without him!” Really? You are trading Christ for someone or something else. “They may unfriend me on Facebook.” Really? Boy, I’m so sorry. I almost teared up. You don’t need friends like that. If they are asking you to compromise yourself, you don’t need them. If they ask you to deny Christ, to deny your faith or any part of your faith which is the whole faith, you are better off without them.

How will you apply this message to your life? Are you going along to get along? If so, has it caused you to compromise your faith? What was the price for selling out Christ?