Category: Sermon Notes

Transripts of weekly sermons

Posted on

Sermon Notes – An Act of Love

“Penance – An Act of Love“

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

November 26-27, 2020

Scripture: Mark 13: 33-37

Advent is called the Penitential Season. During the Penitential Season, the church is decorated in violet…not blue; blue is not a liturgical color. Violet symbolizes penance. It’s also why the vestments I wear during the Penitential Season are violet. During this season, we are supposed to do works of penance to prepare for the coming of our Savior. Saint Paul came to mind while I was meditating on what to say to you tonight. In his letters, Saint Paul reminds us that athletes deny themselves so many things in order to wear a passing crown of olive leafs. But, we can have a much greater prize in heaven if we deny ourselves for the sake of the eternal crown. Now, this crown is not a “what” but a “Who.” We don’t seek a “what” as in a halo; instead, we seek a “Who.” We seek Jesus, so that we can be in the presence of God. This is what we should strive for.

A lot of people think that penance is a bad word. “Oh, my goodness! I have to give up bacon!” I’ve done that, so I don’t want to hear you whine. So, what is penance? It’s an offering of love. “Oh, penance is a bad word.” No, penance is a good word. We choose or deny ourselves of something for a greater good. For example, sometimes fathers and mothers will deny themselves so that they can give their kids an extra treat. “I won’t buy lunch and save the money for something for the kids.” We may do more charity, we may pray more, or we may offer up our sufferings so that we can strip ourselves of things. We do this so that we may have a more perfect union in this life, and therefore in the life to come, to be with our good Lord. And, when the time of our death comes, He will see us and give Himself totally and unreservedly to us.

Sometimes, and act of penance is a small thing, but it may feel like a really BIG thing. Perhaps, we deny ourselves some bacon. I get a little teary at the thought. If I’m at a Spanish or Mexican restaurant and someone walks by with a plate of nachos, tears start running down my face. Come on! I can’t have nachos either. But, to offer that denial of self, to move away from selfishness and self-centeredness is a gift of love given so that I may love Him better. That’s what works of penance are. They are gifts of love. It’s the stripping ourselves of self-love so we may love God more.

Christ came to this world and He gives Himself totally in the Sacraments. We should strive to make ourselves more perfect for Him. We should strive each day, not just during Advent, but each day, to do even little things for Him. Mother Teresa said, “If you can’t do great things, do little things with great love.” We do works of love so that we can love Him better and without reservation. He gives Himself totally to us, a perfect example of love, so that we, by constant practice, can give ourselves more totally to Him and make our love a more perfect imitation of Him. And, by loving Him more, we can love each other better.

How will you apply this message to your life? Will you do works of love to prepare for the coming of our Savior?

Posted on

Sermon Notes – The Three Visits

“The Three Visits“

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

December 5-6, 2020

Scripture: Mark 1: 1-8

I was doing my rounds at the VA Hospital, and I saw this one veteran…a 90 year old nurse. So, I went over and gave her a COVID kiss on the top of her head through my mask. She looked up at me and said, “Why aren’t you married.” I said, “Because I couldn’t find a woman drunk enough.” Don’t ever do what I do in hospitals. I’m lucky I haven’t been escorted out with police bracelets.

Saint Bernard’s writings tell us about the three visits by Christ to the world. The first visit occurs at Christmas, and the third one happens at the end of world or at our own death. The second visit is intermediate. It occurs when He comes and He knocks on the door to our souls asking for entrance. He will come with His Father into our souls; to dine with Him and He with us. That second visit is important, because it happens through the Sacraments. It is also how we discover the beauty and the mystery of Christ’s original coming to the world at Christmas through the Incarnation. Our devotion to and great frequency of participating in the Sacraments, especially Holy Communion, helps ensure our salvation. It also increases our understanding of that beautiful mystery, so that we will not fear Christ’s third visit. In fact, we will look forward to it.

How will you apply this message to your life? Will you participate in the Sacraments to help ensure your salvation?

Father’s Afterthoughts: You know what grasshoppers taste like? Chicken. Everything tastes like chicken, except Monkey. Monkey tastes like… monkey.

Posted on

Sermon Notes – You Can’t Step on the Same River Twice

“You Can Never Step on the Same River Twice“

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

December 12-13, 2020

Scripture: John 1: 6-8, 19-28

I met an interesting person at the hospital the other day. I started talking to him and realized I had actually met him ten years earlier. He is in his 90’s and was a WW II veteran. There are so few of them still alive. He was a glider trooper and was involved in a glider attack in Normandy. Those guys couldn’t buy life insurance. If you were not blasted out of the sky or crashed on landing, you had to face the best soldiers the German army had at the time. This guy was tough…a great guy and an interesting fellow. He was so happy that I remembered him. He is in declining health, so please pray that he has an easy passing…he did a lot for our country.

So, let me ask you a question: What time is midnight mass? 5 pm. We don’t want to get picked up by the Albemarle police department. But, don’t worry … the police have real crime to worry about. It’s not that slow in Albemarle. We aren’t New York City, but we aren’t that slow, and we don’t need the money that badly.

You may remember from your philosophy classes, a man named Heraclitus who was an ancient Greek philosopher. Heraclitus said, among many things, that you can never step on the same river twice. And, that’s true. Life is always in flux. Things are always changing. Who could have anticipated this Christmas – this season – how different it is. We didn’t want this and no one expected it. This Christmas will be different from all the Christmases we’ve had and probably all the Christmases we will have. We are accustomed to getting the flu, but something like this? It’s very unusual and nothing we could ever have anticipated. I’ve spent a few Christmases in places that I never anticipated, and they were interesting to say the least. Now, just because something changes doesn’t mean it’s not good. Good can be wrought from anything, no matter the situation.

We are thrust into situations because God allows them to happen. Remember, God has both a direct will and a permissive will. It is by His permissive will that He allows us to have free will. During this time of great stress and anxiety, make sure you are home by the 10:00 curfew. You may say, “Everybody is under a lot of stress.” Most stress is self-imposed. Sometimes we get ourselves wound up over absolutely nothing. People tell me, “Oh, this is horrible!” Relax. You aren’t taking incoming. It isn’t that bad. You know my definition of a crisis: 1) there’s a huge number of people dying around you…they’re not; 2) there’s no money for checks, especially mine…there is, at least right now; and 3) we are taking incoming fire…we’re not. So, relax. God still loves us. Let it go.

I’ll give you a prescription on how you can make this situation we are in feel better. I did not write this prescription; I just happen to remember it. It was written several hundred years ago by a little guy who is often pictured with birds hanging around him, but that’s not really true. Saint Francis of Assisi wrote the prescription for our tensions and struggles. We all want to be comforted, and we all want peace. Saint Francis said, “Lord make me an instrument of your peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love.” I’ll let you read the rest of the prayer for yourself. If you want help during this stressful time, take the prescription that Saint Francis wrote and put it into action.

The cure to stress and anxiety is to be immersed in love. How do we immerse ourselves in love? Well, first, we have to ask, “What is love?” Jesus told us that love is an action. “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” So, if you want to help yourself during this time of great stress, anxiety, and discomfort that we all feel, partly because we can’t do what we want when we want, look up Saint Francis’ prayer. It will provide you with the blueprint of how you can feel better.

How will you apply this message to your life? Will you immerse yourself in love? Will you put your love into action by keeping His Commandments?

Posted on

Sermon Notes – Best Christmas Present Ever

“The Best Christmas Present Ever“

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

December 19-20, 2020

Scripture: Luke 1: 26-28

In the town I grew up in, my brother’s house got a foot of snow. Darn! I really miss that! It has its own charm…that’s true, even on those cold and windy days. I remember a story that a friend of mine, Don, told me. Don, who has passed on now, was a historian in the city of Warwick. He was in his early 70’s when another friend of mine, Sara…who has also passed on, called him and asked for a ride to the hospital so that she could receive wound care. He said “Sure. I’d be happy to take you.” Both Don and Sara were great people. Sara was an exceptional woman….as all women are. She survived cancer, overcame alcoholism, and suffered from scoliosis or curvature of the spine. She had six operations along with radiation treatments and was in constant pain. She walked hunched over. Sara was on a steady diet of Vicodin and couldn’t drive herself. So, Don said he would drive her to the hospital.

They were in the car, and it was a really cold, grey November/December day. The sky was very grey, the wind was blowing, and the leaves were flying all over the place. Don was thinking, “This really bleeps!” But, Sara said, “Look Don! Look at how pretty the leaves are when they are dancing!” Although Don was miserable, he thought, “She is right…look how beautiful this is.” Don’s eyes were restored in that single moment.

Sara saw God’s love in His creation…even on what we would call a bleak New England day. He was able to see the vision of God’s love present. That vision of God’s love present and awe can be restored to us at any time. That wonder and joy can be ours…we never have to lose it…no matter our age or our condition, especially now as we approach the peace of Christmas. We can have that joy all of our days…a joy which is given by our good Lord. We can see His wonder and awe as we prepare for the celebration of the incarnation at Christmas. And, we can see the fullness of His love which was displayed on the Cross 33 short years later. We can see the wonder and awe of His love in each Mass, the Sacraments, and the feasts. It’s not that it is not there, we just don’t see it. But, it’s always there. Is it a struggle to see it sometimes? Sure it is. But it’s there, and our eyes can be opened to see God’s love. How beautiful and wonderful it is. Maybe, that’s a Christmas present you should pray for yourself and for your family this Christmas.

How will you apply this message to your life? Can you see the wonder and awe of God’s present love around you? If not, will you pray that your vision is renewed so that you can see the beauty and wonderment of His love?

Father’s Afterthoughts….I have to pass on some very important information. I cannot tell you how I learned it, because that would compromise sources and methods. But, I have been informed from a very reliable source that Santa and the reindeer are immune from COVID. So, everything is all set for Christmas.

Posted on

Sermon Notes – Make Room for Peace

“Make Room for Peace“

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

December 24-25, 2020

Scripture: John 1:1-18

I had dinner with a bunch of priests on Tuesday night. It was a nice dinner, because 1) I didn’t get arrested; and 2) it was a free dinner. We talked about a number of things…basically a whine session…about people not coming to church and things like that. One of the priests, a great guy, said “Jesus told us to feed the sheep…not count them.” And, that’s true.

So, we have the Special Forces of the Catholic faith here with us tonight. You braved this terrible COVID epidemic to be here. You have come out to be a part of Christ’s act of love. Today, we celebrate the anniversary of our Lord’s coming to earth in human form with the human nature He took from the Blessed Mother. Today, we don’t have to look up to heaven, we can look down at Jesus in the manger or over there in the Most Blessed Sacrament. Now, heaven is on earth until the end of the world, because our Lord resides there in the Most Blessed Sacrament. Remember when I told you about the Mass not being an inanimate object like that candlestick over there? The Mass is not a stage-play. It is not a what. It is a “Who.” It is a sacrifice of Christ offered by Christ to the Father.

Scripture says there was peace when Jesus was born. Know why? Because anyone who put their head up, the Romans chopped it off. The Romans did not take kindly to disagreements, and they did not invite dialogue. Don’t like Rome? Whack! Peace was restored, and they had legions of armies to enforce it. Peace is not a what. It’s not a thing, and it’s not a prize. It is a person. Jesus is our peace. He told us in the Gospel, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you.” The Lord is with us always. What is He offering? Himself. He is our peace. Peace is not found by changing the personal pronouns referring to people. It is not found in tearing down statues or renaming schools. Peace is not found in giving away stuff. It is not an agreement where everyone gets together in Geneva and signs something. Peace is not found in calling evil, good and good, evil.

True peace comes from having Christ in our soul. The price of peace is losing our sinfulness, our selfishness, our bond to self, and our love of sin. The greater we grow away from ourselves, the greater Christ can come into our souls. Physics tells us that two objects cannot occupy the same space at the same time. So, the more peace we want, the more sin and selfishness we must rid ourselves of. Christ offers as much of Himself as we want. He is our peace….a true peace that no one can take from us. What is the cost? The cost is the one thing none of us want – all the evil and garbage in our souls.

Sin is what drives Christ out of our hearts. I feel really bad for the police, because for the past several nights, they have been very, very busy. These days, all people want to do is fight. That’s all sin. The police don’t want to enter into fights…they want to go home to their families. People are not fighting because they don’t have an iPhone 5…or whatever number it is up to now. They are fighting because they don’t know Christ who is our peace. We will have peace on earth only when we have peace in our souls.

How will you apply this message to your life? Will you make more room for Christ by ridding yourself of sinfulness and selfishness?

Father’s Afterthoughts….• In the last sentence of today’s Gospel, it says Joseph didn’t have relations with Mary before she gave birth to a son. Now, you may be thinking, “Well, that means Mary could have had other children.” As lawyers would say, “That assumes facts not in evidence.” The Gospels tell us only what we need to know. Did you ever notice that the Scripture never talks about dinosaurs? They existed, but they were not essential to the message of salvation. Scripture only tells us what we need to know. So, non-Catholics cannot say that Mary and Joseph had other children. It’s just not true.• Yesterday, I received a rather odd message from my sister-in-law. She said that my brother sold something on E-Bay. My brother has been dead for 18 months. I’m thinking, “Where do they send the check?” Fair question! Welcome to my family. And, you think yours is strange.

Posted on

Sermon Notes – We Ask for Gifts That Are Too Small

“We Ask For Gifts That Are Too Small“

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

January 9-10, 2021

Gospel:  Matthew 1: 7-11

During the Christmas season, our good Lord shows us remarkable signs of His love.  He reveals His essence at Christmas in what we call the Economy of Salvation and how He brought about our salvation.  It shows He is love and that love is humble.  He shows us that humility is a part of love.  He became what He was not.  He was God and became man so that He could pass on to us the fruits of His love through the Sacraments.  The creator now became subject to His creatures.  In the Gospel according to St. Matthew, at the baptism of our Lord, Jesus had to tell John “You must do this,” because John didn’t want to baptize Him.  Such is His great humility.  This is how He will affect our salvation…with great humility and subject to His creatures.  The ultimate revelation of the depth of His love was at the crucifixion.  He gave Himself to us out of love.

I hear people in the church say that they want power.  I say, that’s kind of a short-term goal.  You have power over God.  “What do you mean?”  Well, you know, God is subject to you.  Out of His great love, He hears your prayers and answers them.  You can read in the scriptures that He did not refuse anyone a miracle.  He didn’t ask, “Do you know who you are talking to right now?”   He didn’t ask, “Are you tithing?”  “Are you supporting the Priest Retirement Fund?”  He didn’t ask if you are supporting the Diocese.  He didn’t ask if you have sinned.  He didn’t ask if you blah blah blah.  He didn’t ask any of that.  He doesn’t ask if you are worthy of His gift.  When we present ourselves for Holy Communion, He gives of Himself freely.  He gives the gift because He loves us.  He answers all of our prayers.  You may say, “Well, Father you have been a priest for a long time, and you are still not a Monsignor.”  Yeah, I’ve been praying for that for quite a while.  I don’t think it’s going to happen.  Maybe, it’s my personality…I don’t know.  But, we ask for gifts that are too small and for things that might harm us.  God wants to give us the greatest gift which is the gift of Himself.  He wants to give us what our hearts desire.  He wants to fill our hearts with joy…a joy that nobody can take from us. 

We had a case in the parish a few weeks ago.  A woman from the parish had been praying for quite a while for her nephew who was dying.  She called and asked me if I would go and give him Last Rites.  He was Catholic, but it didn’t seem to take for a long time.  So, I called his wife and then went over to their house.  His wife wasn’t Catholic, so the Last Rites confused her a bit.  Right after I had finished giving him the Last Rites, I noticed a change in his breathing.  I told his wife that they needed some time alone, and I left.  He was dead a few minutes later.  God answered the prayers of that woman.  I’m not always around, but I happened to be in town that day.  This happens so many times.  I walk in and the family asks if I will give the Last Rites and when I finish, boom, they are gone. 

We ask for things in our prayers that are too small. We have power over God.  “Well, Father, you have power over God.  You make Christ present on the altar during Mass, in the Tabernacle, and in the Sacraments.”  Yes, I do, but it is you who can say yes or no if He enters your soul.  No matter how many times you come for Holy Communion, properly disposed I certainly hope, you can receive God Himself into your souls.  When we come to the Sacrament of Penance, He enters our souls and washes away our sins with His precious blood.  You can receive God by calling Him through your prayers and inviting Him into your soul.

You have this immense power of love over God, because He loves you.  He humbles Himself at Christmas and each day at the altar.  He humbled Himself to John the Baptist, and He humbles Himself to us each day in our prayers.  He loves you so much that He wants to give you the best gift of all which is the gift of Himself.  You have great power.  You have the power to draw God down into your soul.  Realize your power and use it.

***

How will you apply this message to your life?  Will you use the power of God’s love for you and draw Him into your soul?

You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to https://annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com/ and clicking on “Blog.”

Posted on

Sermon Notes – Why Did He Do It?

“Why Did He Do It?”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

January 2-3, 2021

Gospel: Matthew 2: 1-12

“ Why Did He Do It? During the Christmas season, our good Lord continues to offer His love to us. His love is unending. Through all the miracles in the Old Testament, He reveals His love to prepare us for the promise of our Redeemer. On Christmas, we mark the anniversary of our Redeemer coming to us in the flesh. The Feast of the Epiphany is His manifestation to the world. Did He have to do it? Of course not. But, He did it out of love. He continues to show what that love means. Love is a universal. We love all members of our family. We may not like them all, let’s be fair, especially members of my family – but I love them all – they are all family…and spare body parts.

Our Lord wants everybody to come and share in His love. His love is not just for some, but for the entire world. All people are created in His image and likeness. God doesn’t like me best because I say Mass in Latin. God doesn’t like me best because I say Mass in English. And, God certainly doesn’t like me best because I say Mass in Spanglish. God loves everybody, and He wants everyone to have salvation.

One of the things He reveals to us is who He is, and the revelation of who He is continues. Christ was a priest, prophet, and king, so the gifts the Magi presented to Him reflected God. They gave the Savior gold because He was king. Does a king need gold? No. But, the Magi acknowledged Him as God…as a king. They gave Him frankincense which was used in worship. You can read about the altar of incense in the Old Testament. The Psalms also talk about incense. The use of incense is scriptural worship. Incense is found in the book of Revelation and is a symbol of our prayers going up to God. So, the use of incense is scriptural worship, although some use a military grade of incense….it’s a little too much and can make it look as though there is a London fog in the church. Some is good…more is not better. But, it is scriptural worship. The reason Jesus came in to the world was revealed with the gift of myrrh which is basically an embalming ointment. The fullness of His love was revealed on the Cross.

There is so much to meditate on, and it all has to do with God’s love for us. That love reaches its consummation on Cavalry. His love is revealed to us each day in the Mass. We experience it every time we receive Holy Communion. Every time you receive the Sacrament of Penance, you experience the revelation of His love. This is why our good Lord came in to the world…to show us the fullness of His love.***How will you apply this message to your life? ***

Father’s Afterthoughts….I received a message from the VA the other day. I was in my office reading over the notes they send to the staff. I have 1a priority to get the COVID vaccine which reminds me that I also had 1a priority in the draft. Lucky me! Look at where that got me. Mom & Dad, they are trying to perforate your little boy!

You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by clicking on “Categories” and then “Sermon Notes.”