Category: Sermon Notes

Transripts of weekly sermons

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Sermon Notes – April 7, 2024 – “You Must Be Willing to Try”

“You Must Be Willing to Try”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

April 6 – 7, 2024

Gospel: John 20: 19-31

When we go to Confession we are praying scripturally.  Now, this doesn’t happen very often, but I pray it happens to you because it will comfort and strengthen your faith.  We kneel and say, “Bless me Father for I have sinned.”  Our image of each other through the grate in the confessional is a bit hazy on purpose because I’m not supposed to recognize anyone.  In the hazy light, you may think that Father is growing a beard and has hair.  He has a certain glow about him, and he looks healthy because he doesn’t have that pale look he usually has.  Is that the father we know?”  Yes and no.  It’s my human body but you’ve been given the eyes of angels because you see Christ on the other side of that partition.  It is Christ who forgives sins.  It is Christ who hears your confession.  In His hand, He holds the chalice that is filled with His Precious Blood from His sacred wounds.  When He gives you absolution, He dips His hand into the chalice and anoints your soul with His Precious Blood for the remission of your sins.  As the Pentecostals say, “You’ve been washed in the blood.”  All your sins are forgiven and forgotten.  Your soul is infused with sanctifying and actual grace.  It is Christ who forgives your sins.  He uses my human nature just as our Good Lord heals you through the actions of good physicians and nurses.  This is one of the gifts He gives us and the fruits for which He sacrificed Himself so that we may have eternal life and forgiveness of our sins. 

I went to confession two weeks ago.  I do not ask you to do what I will not do myself.  Belief is proved by action.  Sometimes it is frightening to go to confession.   It can also be frightening to go to the doctor.  “Oh, my goodness!”   Going to the dentist can also be a really pleasant experience.  But why do we get nervous?  The doctors are going to do the best they can for you, reassure you, and make your life more pleasant.  That’s what I try to do on my hospital rounds.  It usually happens with drug addicts and alcoholics in the Emergency Room.  They are all nervous and upset.  I remember one man who served in Afghanistan as an Army first sergeant, and he was crying his eyes out.  He said, “You are going to throw me out of here!”  I said, “We don’t shoot our wounded.”  After that, I usually take out my business card and write my cell phone number on the back.   I tell them, “If you have a problem while you’re here, call me.  I know people.  If you have a problem, I’ll get it taken care of.”  In my 13 years at the VA Hospital, I’ve never had anyone call me. 

I always like it when people say, “We have scriptural beliefs.”  Really.  “We are a bible believing church!”  Really.  Scripture says that “Jesus did many other signs in the presence of [his] disciples that are not written” (John 2:30).  Not everything was written down.  After three years of ministry, if that’s all He did, He didn’t do much.  But the Word stayed with the Apostles which is called “tradition” and they taught it.  If you believe in Scripture, then go to Confession because He gave the power to the Apostles, bishops, and priests to absolve sin (John 20:21-23).  It says that in the black part of scripture not the white part. 

But we are all scared to go to Confession.  Why, I don’t know.  Actually, I do know.  It’s our pride.  Because you think that you are going to tell Christ, which is me acting in His person, something I haven’t heard before.  Very unlikely.  Moral Theology is a class we took before the Penance course at seminary, and it consisted of two very thick textbooks.  I’ve had people say, “Oh, I’ve committed every sin in the book!”  Okay, let’s see.  So, you married your first cousin and had relations with her?  “No, Father!  Okay, that’s one chapter from the textbook gone.  Did you fool around with animals?  “No!”  Okay, that’s another chapter gone.  The textbooks are getting thinner and thinner as we talk.   My point is that you are not going to surprise me.  It’s like when I go into hospital rooms and patients pull their bed sheets up around their chins.  I wish they all did that, but I tell them that I’ve seen more body parts than they will ever have. Occasionally, I have to say that to the Spanish because some of them wear very low-cut dresses.  Cover up!  I’ve seen more than that in the hospital. 

We have to say what we are sorry for as best as we can.  I cannot prescribe something for that which I don’t know about.  Doctors would never prescribe anyone pain medicine who said, “Oh, I have a terrible headache!  I need some oxycontin.”  The doctor is not going to say, “No problem, and I’ll make the prescription refillable too.”  Nope.  That would never happen.  If they did that, they would be over at FU (Felon University), and I’d be visiting them there.  In fact, I met a PA (physician’s assistant) at FU who was there for doing that same kind of funny stuff.  The physician may want to take a little peek because the problem could be sinuses, or it could be a brain tumor.  It’s the same with spiritual life.  The medicine I prescribe for your soul will depend on what I know.  The one thing priests cannot forgive is people who live in an objective state of sin.  For example, they have a bad marriage, or they are in a relationship that they are unwilling to leave or even try.   If you are unwilling to try, I cannot help you.  “Hey, I’ll give you cancer treatments if you’ll stop smoking.”  “But I don’t want to stop smoking.”   My older brother did that.  He had Hepatitis C, and the doctor said that he could cure it if he stopped drinking.   My brother said, “Nope,” and he did not have a good outcome.  We are all sinners, but you have to be willing to try. 

I do this all the time at the VA Hospital for patients who are getting a celestial discharge.  I don’t ask if I can give them Last Rites.  Instead, I say, “I’m going to give you Last Rites, okay?”  They usually say, “Yes.  Thank you, Father.”  Then I will ask, “When was the last time you went to Confession?”  I never ask if they would like to go to Confession.   When I ask them about the last time they went to Confession, I say it in a command-like tone, and that snaps them right back to their military days and they tell me.  Then I ask, “What are your sins?”  Of course, half of them can’t remember because they are usually sedated.  So, I say, “Key question: Are you sorry for all of your sins, those you remember and those you don’t?”   “Yes.”  Right answer, and I absolve them of their sins. 

There are two types of sorrow – perfect and imperfect contrition.  Perfect sorrow or contrition is when you are sorry for hurting the one you love.  You are sorry for offending them because you love them, and they are worthy of all your love as God Almighty is.  Imperfect contrition is when you are sorry because you got caught.  Ask a police officer how many people cry right before they get a ticket.  “I didn’t know!”   Well, here is a ticket as a reminder.  Imperfect contrition is sufficient. 

Remember, just because you don’t see Christ while in the confessional as I act in His person, doesn’t mean He’s not there.  Likewise, just because you don’t see law enforcement officers on Highway 52 while driving to Salisbury doesn’t mean they aren’t there.

How will you apply this message to your life?  ________________________________________

You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to AnnunciationCatholicAlbemarle.com, clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” and then “Sermon Notes.”  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 – March 31, 2024 – “He is Risen”

“He is Risen”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

March 30 – 31, 2024

Gospel: John 20:1-9


People say, “Women have no power in the Church.”  No, but women have more courage.  Look at the Gospels and the courage of women.  Can you imagine how the women who went to the tomb felt?  That is the transforming power of faith.  Now, I know we have law enforcement here.  We also have medical people, the fire department, and combat veterans.  They can tell you what would happen to a dead body after three days in the Palestinian heat especially one with open wounds.  You aren’t going to want to be near it.  Whew!  There is no amount of Vicks Vapor Rub or Febreze that will cover up that stench.  But their love for Christ triumphed over their natural reluctance to do what we would say is disgusting.  Their love for the Lord gave them the courage to overcome their reluctance to go to the tomb and anoint the Body of Jesus.   I’m sure they knew exactly what they were getting into.  During that time, life was a lot more brutal and harsher than it is today.  We live a much cleaner life.   That’s what faith does.  Faith can transform our fear into love.  The women were going to the tomb to do a proper work of mercy for our Lord.  They didn’t have to, but they did.   And because of their love, these women were the first to behold the empty tomb and the resurrection.  Afterward, they brought Peter and John to the tomb, and Peter went inside. 

I’m old enough now to hide my own Easter eggs.  As time passes by, you realize that your celestial discharge is approaching.  We have a natural fear of death.  We were never supposed to die.  Our first parents are responsible for that; however, we have helped with the sins we have committed after baptism.   Sin brings fear, and sins committed after baptism increase that fear.  But the love of God can transform that fear and turn it into a longing, not to leave our loved ones behind, but to go be with the Beloved.   God wants us to be with Him, and He offers His love to transform our fear into love.  In the Gospel of Saint John, Jesus said, “I am going now to prepare a place for you, and after I have gone and prepared you a place, I shall return to take you to myself, so that you may be with me where I am” (John 14:2-3).  We will go to join our good Lord, all those who wait for us, and all the saints who prayed for us. 

I had an interesting episode of God’s Mercy last Thursday while doing my rounds at the hospital.  We have a new hospice chaplain, and when I saw him, I wanted to say, “I was here before you came, and I’ll be here after you leave.  You’re the sixth hospice chaplain I’ve seen come through here.”  I’ve been at the VA hospital for quite a while.   But he’s a great guy, and he told me there was someone for me to see in the hospice unit.  I said, “Okay.”  So, I went in to talk to the patient.  He was in very bad shape and did not make it to the weekend.  He had been in Vietnam.  He had been Baptist, became a Catholic, became a priest, left the priesthood, was laicized, and got married.  I’m not sure where the lady was, and I didn’t bother to ask.  But he made his peace with God.  Father Elkhart from Sacred Heart came over and heard his confession.  I talked with him for a while, or as much as I could because he was in such discomfort.  I gave him the Apostolic Pardon because I take care of my own.  He was a soldier, and I was a soldier.  That is God’s mercy.  He wants us to be at peace. 

The resurrection is true, and its power is still alive and active.  Our Lord offers us His life.  If the resurrection wasn’t true, then all of this would be worthless.   He gives us the gifts to change what we have caused by sinning.   Even sin cannot compete with God’s plans.  All He asks for is our cooperation to draw ever closer to the Sacred Heart of His Son so that we can be transformed.  Those fears we have, and we all have fears, of leaving this life and going to God will be changed.  The transforming power of God’s love elevates us above and beyond our natural fears and limitations. The resurrection is true.  His power is still active.   Christ is risen.

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 – March 24, 2024 – “The Sound and Smell of Love”

“The Sound and Smell of Love”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

March 23 – 24, 2024

Gospel: Mark 14:1 – 15:47

We have a young man in our parish who is in his fourth week at Paris Island, and you know, I may be enjoying it a bit too much!  “Oh, Father, it’s so hard there!”  No, not really.  It’s unpleasant, but it’s not that hard.  Your worst day at Paris Island is infinitely better than your best day in Vietnam, Iraq, or Afghanistan.  It’s not that bad.  You won’t get hurt unless you do something extremely stupid.  However, never underestimate the power of people to be stupid.  We can become, what one writer says, overly sensitive, which is a grave character defect.  We are sensitive about some things but not sensitive about others.  I get these emails at the Veterans Hospital (VA) about proper pronoun usage.  “Oh!  You called me by the wrong pronoun!”   Well, I thought ‘jerk’ fit you pretty well.  Do you know what I’ve been called in my life?  In the military anything soldiers said that was prefaced with ‘sir’ and that ended with ‘sir’ was appropriate, and I would take it.  “Sir, you are a bleeping idiot, Sir.”  Understood.  Very good.  Carry on. 

“Oh, oh, the opera of anxiety!”  Really?  All that drama with the psychiatric condition you have.   Really?   We are highly sensitive about the wrong things.   Today you heard a short recitation of the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ.   For the Roman soldiers, this was just another day at the office.  They did this all the time.  They were trained professionals, just ask Saint John.  There was nothing special about Jesus’ death except that the Roman soldiers recognized it at the end.  Until then, Jesus was just another schmuck who had been sentenced to death, and they were just doing their job.  They did three that day; it wasn’t a big deal.  But we are here, and we are sensitive to His Passion. 

Now, I’m old, and I’m lucky to be so because a lot of people have wanted to kill me during my life and not just my family.   Go to YouTube and watch “Jesus Christ Superstar.”  One part of the story is about Pilot counting the lashes that were inflicted on our Lord during the scourging at the pillar.   One thing about lashing – when you are hit with a belt, it stings.  However, the Romans used a flagellum that had nail spikes attached to each cord which would dig into and rip away the flesh.  As a result, the wounds would not coagulate with the blood, so the bleeding would continue.  Eventually, you would die of suffocation because you lacked the strength to hold yourself upright.  That was one of the things the Romans inflicted upon people, and it was not a fun way to go.  That is suffering.  It’s not when someone hurts our feelings, “Oh, my goodness!  I’m so hurt!  They didn’t call me by my proper pronoun!”  Grow up!   You have no idea about hurt and about pain.  If you read the Passion, and I especially like ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’, you get an idea of what happened and begin to understand the pain that Christ endured.  After our Lord’s Passion, we cannot say, “My sin only hurts me.  I don’t hurt anyone else, just me.”  Uh no.  “I have no sin.”  Then you don’t need to come to church.  Don’t anybody start running for the doors! 

Love has a sound.  Think about the Passion and meditate on it.  The sound of love is the drip, drip, drip of blood that flowed from the sacred wounds of our Lord on the Cross and onto the ground.   That is the sound of love being poured out for us.  Mary was the first one to be washed in the blood.  Love also has a smell.  It is the smell of blood.  At our Lord’s Passion, they smelled, they heard, and they saw divine love.  This is the price of sin that we try to minimize so much.  Not only the white lies – the color coded sins which I never studied – but any sin.  This is how much God loves us. 

Look at the Passion, and you will see the price of love.  All that misery translates into what we need . . . His love for us, and the love to restore us to God’s friendship.  Do you have any idea of the agony He endured?  The Romans were pretty good at their jobs and intentionally prolonged death.  Think about the agony our good Lord endured when He didn’t have to, but He did so out of love for us.  Look at the Crucifix and that is how much God loves us.  It’s what our sins have caused.  That’s the price of sin that our Lord paid for us because we could not.  Think about how much we have taken for granted the depth of our sins and the magnitude of His love. 

How will you apply this message to your life?_________________________________________

You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” 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 – March 17, 2024 – “We Want What We Want When We Want It”

“We Want What We Want When We Want It”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

March 16 – 17, 2024

Gospel: John  12:20-33

Our Good Lord said, “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit” (John 12:24).  He calls us to be grains of wheat.  But why must we die?  I’m glad you are interested, otherwise the sermon would be over.  It’s so that we may bring forth life.  The means to do it is really easy; it’s right in front of us.  Keep the Commandments.  By keeping the Commandments, we die to ourselves.  Dying to ourselves is the resignation of the will.  De-egotazation is the basis of every 12-Step group.  De-egotazation steps are the keys to recovering from whatever addictions people have.  However, it’s not just obeying the Commandments – there are more than 10, and those 10 have a lot of other things in them.   

There are two ways in which to obey the Commandments.  One way is objectively by obeying the law.  For example, if you are driving to Misenheimer you will go through Richfield.  Near the VFW, there is usually a highway patrol officer or deputy sheriff sitting there.   So, you reduce your speed, and once the coast is clear, you kick your speed back up to 65.  But when you get to the university, you slow back down in case a Misenheimer police officer is hiding behind the bushes.  Once you are on the other side of the university, you floor it again to Salisbury.  When you don’t want to get into trouble or get caught, that is objective obedience.   But that is only the beginning of de-egotazation. 

People say, “We are studying scripture.  What do you think this means?”  Every time our Lord asked the Apostles a question, they always got it wrong.  Peter got it right once, but Jesus said, “My heavenly Father revealed it to you” (Matthew 16:13-19).  So, we cannot say we know what ‘this’ means.  Jesus said only male and female were created and for that reason, a man and a woman shall leave their families and the two shall be as one.   During the first week in Latin class, we learned the words male and female.  It’s really easy!  Yet now, in principle, people say, “Well, I think that means this, and we can change it.”  No!  He said it.  That’s like telling Christ, “You were wrong.”  How is that for ego?  “You were wrong.”   Really? 

The second part of obedience is when you truly die to self.  Spiritual growth really takes over with interior ascent.  This is not just the objective obedience of simply following the law but the interior ascent.  “I do it because of my love of the Lord.  I resign my will to Him.”  That is the hardest part of all.  Soon, I will have been a priest for 40 years, and because I can take tests, I’ve got some letters after my name and some titles before it.  I’m a really big guy.  Sometimes the bishop will say, “I want this done.”  Are you kidding me?  Granted, his Excellency has more information than I do.  But sometimes I think, “Is he telling me how to do my job?”   That is the ego speaking.  It’s like pastors who don’t take suggestions or even listen to people.    Look at the history of this place, and you realize that previous pastors never took any advice from anybody.  That’s why we have had to fix everything in the past few years – because they built it wrong.  They wouldn’t listen. 

Subjective obedience is the most difficult because it’s when we truly die to self.  The first one, the objective part, is tough enough.  I can handle driving 65 in a 55 . . . I really can.  However, in North Carolina, law enforcement can give you a ticket for driving 56 in a 55.  I don’t think a judge would hear it, but according to the law, there is no grey area.  It’s the ego – not just the objective ego but also the subjective.  And that is the hardest part of dying to oneself.  The objective is hard enough, but the subjective is worse.   That’s where real spiritual growth exists. 

We bristle at rules.  “Oh, the Church has too many rules!”  Well, flying has a lot of rules too.  I suggest you follow them, otherwise we will be coming by with a squeegee to clean up your body parts.  There are a lot of rules in a lot of things.  Pharmacology has a lot of rules.  Trying it on your own usually doesn’t work out well.  Rules are there to keep us from doing stupid stuff.  They are there to warn us that something will hurt really bad, and we won’t be able to fix it on this Earth.  Rules are there to keep us safe and to point us in the right direction.  But we don’t like the rules because of our egos.  I want what I want when I want it!  Our daily dying to self: “Yes, Lord.  I will try to do what you ask of me not only because it’s for my own good, but it will also enable me to love You even more.” 


How will you apply this message to your life?_________________________________________

You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” 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 – March 3, 2024 – “The Mass is Not a Celebration”

“The Mass is Not a Celebration”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

March 2 – 3, 2024

Gospel: John 2: 13-25

13 When the time of the Jewish Passover was near Jesus went up to Jerusalem, 14 and in the Temple He found people selling cattle and sheep and doves, and the money changers sitting there. 15 Making a whip out of cord, He drove them all out of the Temple, sheep and cattle as well, scattered the money changers’ coins, knocked their tables over 16 and said to the dove sellers, ‘Take all this out of here and stop using My Father’s house as a market.’ 17 Then His disciples remembered the words of scripture: I am eaten up with zeal for Your house. 8 The Jews intervened and said, ‘What sign can You show us that You should act like this?’ 19 Jesus answered, ‘Destroy this Temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ 20 The Jews replied, ‘It has taken forty-six years to build this Temple: are you going to raise it up again in three days?’ 21 But He was speaking of the Temple that was His Body, 22 and when Jesus rose from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this, and they believed the scripture and what He had said. 23 During His stay in Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover many believed in His name when they saw the signs that He did, 24 but Jesus knew all people and did not trust Himself to them; 25 He never needed evidence about anyone; He could tell what someone had within.

One of today’s readings is from the Old Testament, and I was reminded of this one gentleman I was helping prepare for death.  We were going through the General Confession and when we got to the Fifth Commandment, I asked him, “Have you ever killed anybody?”  He said, “That didn’t need killing?”  Okay!  He’s got a point.  I forgot that he had worked in Special Operations.   The correct translation of the Fifth Commandment is that “You shall not take a life unjustly.”  You have the right to protect yourself and others if someone is about to be killed.  In fact, you have a moral obligation to protect yourself and others.   “But He said, ‘Do not kill.”  No, no, no.  He said, “Do not take a life unjustly.” 

Today’s Gospel says that there were sheep and oxen in the church.  I’m thinking that Abigail who cleans the church is lucky we don’t have sheep and oxen.   She’s got enough to deal with already.  You would be shocked at the stuff people leave in the pews like fingernail clippings, dirty Kleenexes, and the worst of all – sparkles from dresses.   Sometimes she has to wear a hazmat suit to clean the church.  This church is just as precious as the temple.  Where you are sitting, like God told Moses, is a holy temple because it contains the very presence of our Lord – Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity – in the Most Blessed Sacrament.  Here we have presented the Holy Sacrifice of Christ which is always before the Father in Heaven pleading on our behalf.  His holy sacrifice is made present during the Mass.  That is why we ask for reverence and silence.   I’ve been trained by professionals in hurting people’s feelings.  Because of how sacred this is, if someone walks away with the Eucharist, I will stop them and embarrass them if I have to.  I vowed to protect the Blessed Sacrament with my life.  It’s one of those vows we take that most people don’t know about.  That’s how holy this is.  

When I was a young priest, people wanted to celebrate Catholic Schools Week during the Mass to which I said, “On its face, that’s blasphemous and at its worst heretical.”  We don’t celebrate anything at the Mass.  “Woohoo!  We’re celebrating somebody’s life!”   It’s not a party followed by dinner, and with my family, the police would show up after that.  The Mass is the prayer of Christ.  During Catholic School Week they would bring up books and basketballs.  No – no – no.  Did you see that at the foot of the Cross?  No.  Did you see that at the Last Supper?  No.  So, they are not a part of it. 

Nobody but the servers and I should be inside the altar area.  None of the junk from Hobby Lobby should be inside the altar area.  This is a sacred spot, and nobody but the sacristans and the priest are supposed to be here.  Nobody but the sacristans and the priest are supposed to touch the Sacred Vessel.  That’s how sacred this is.  The Mass is not a high school play where everyone runs around doing stuff.  That is foreign to our tradition.   In documents on the liturgy, someone said, “The faithful could participate in the Mass where each fulfills their proper role.”   That is correct to a point.  Your proper role is to offer yourself to the priest who functions In persona Christi (in the person of Christ) and to be emulated on the altar in the sacrifice.  It is not your role to run up and down the aisles doing stuff.  No.  Nada.  I have had Mass in a lot of different places, and we didn’t have all that.  Know what?  It worked just as well. 

Some of the Masses have been interesting.  I was doing a Mass at the hospital and one of the vets who was under-medicated said, “I’m a saint.”  Not yet, but soon!  Another vet said, “My wife died.  I’m going to be a priest.”  Alright.  I’ll write a letter for you.  You have to be flexible when you are offering Mass in hospitals and nursing homes.  Active participation doesn’t call for physical participation.  Active participation is interior participation . . . it’s the sacrifice.  When I say Mass at nursing homes, most of the people are snoring.  Are they actively participating?  Yes, interiorly.   Maybe not exteriorly.  Active participation is interior devotion. 

Saint Pierre-Julien Eymard wrote a wonderful series of books on the Eucharist.  His books were filled with such beautiful meditations on the Eucharist and our Lord’s presence at the Mass.  Saint Eymard wrote about there being four elements of the Mass; however, I remember five elements:  adoration, worship, petition, expiation, and thanksgiving.  Those are the elements of the Mass, and that is what we do here.  Adoration before God, worship, expiation, sacrifices offered for forgiveness of our sins, petition – asking for forgiveness of our sins, and thanksgiving which is probably the most overlooked one.  The Mass is not our prayer; it is the prayer of Christ.  Each of us, according to our vocation, can be made part of that sacrifice.  I, as the priest, become In persona Christi (in the person of Christ) and offer the sacrifice.  You, as the people of God, become part of the sacrifice just like the Blessed Mother, Mary of Clopas, Mary Magdalene, and John the Apostle.

This is why we don’t change things like having eulogies at funerals.  There are no eulogies in the Mass.  None at all.  Ah-Ah-Ah.  Not allowed.  The Mass is a prayer of Christ.  This place is sacred.  When you go to the cemetery in Salisbury near the hospital, it’s all on camera.  So, if you start doing something stupid, you are going to meet a couple of big guys with a gun and a badge.  They are not going to be amused because that place is sacred.  The bodies of heroes and heroines are buried there, and they are not amused with people acting stupid.  So, if we can be so particular about behavior in a cemetery, how about during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass?  People are in the very presence of God Himself in the Most Blessed Sacrament.  This is our faith.  That’s why you are all here, and it’s why so many others come to Mass and behave with such devotion.  It’s inspiring to me.  This is God’s house, and we are all His children.  We have a lot of non-Catholics here, and they are God’s children.  They belong here.  This is God’s house, and you are all His children. 

How will you apply this message to your life? ________________________________________

You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” 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 – February 25, 2024 – “A Glimpse of Heaven”

“A Glimpse of Heaven”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

February 24 – 25, 2024

Gospel: Mark 9:2-10


2) After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And He was transfigured before them, 3) and His clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them. 4) Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus. 5) Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”  6) He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified.  7) Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; then from the cloud came a voice, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to Him.”  8) Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them.  9) As they were coming down from the mountain, He charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone, except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead.    10) So, they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what rising from the dead meant.

We learn what Heaven is like by the transfigurations in the Gospel.  I could preach for hours on that subject.  Would you like me to preach for hours?  Before you respond, the pious answer is “Yes, Father.”   But I know what you are really thinking: “Come on old man.  I’m starving here!”  So, what is Heaven like?  Heaven is being in the presence of Jesus.  It’s not a place.  It’s a Who.  It is the presence of God.  Moses and Elijah were in the presence of God.  They talked about what would happen in the future, so they had knowledge of the future.  Remember that in Heaven everything is in the present.  God is always in the present because He is not subject to His own creation of time, the past, or the future.   Everything is present to God at once.  All time is present.   

How did the Apostles know they were talking to Moses and Elijah?  There was no Facebook back then.  There were no cameras or photographs.  So, like Moses and Elijah, their minds had been enlightened by a gift from God.  They knew Moses and Elijah.  They knew they were talking to Jesus.  So, what does that tell us about death?   It tells us there is forgiveness after death.  What did God say to Moses after he struck the rock three times?  “Because you did not believe in me. . . therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them” (Num. 20:6-13).   Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land, but where was he that day?  He was in the Promised Land.  So, there is forgiveness after death. 

Purgatory is the full expression of God’s love and mercy.  The Apostles wanted this joy to continue; however, Heaven is later and not here on Earth no matter what any bishop or Church deacon tells you.  “If we have just one more collection or one more ministry, we’ll have Heaven on Earth, and everybody will be happy.”  No.  We will never have Heaven on Earth.  That’s akin to a government official saying, “If we pass these great budgets and everything else, we’ll be all set, and everybody will be happy.”  Ahh, no.  You won’t have Heaven on Earth.  Heaven comes later.  If we are holy, we will have as much happiness as possible in this life.  However, full happiness does not come until we are with our Savior forever. 

Holiness has its own crosses.  Bishop Sheen had a television show.  He was a handsome man, eloquent, learned, and gave a great presentation.   Do you know what his daily diet consisted of?  Boiled chicken, graham crackers, and milk.  His stomach was that bad, but nobody knew.  Saint Theresa of Calcutta experienced “interior darkness,” but she was joyous.  Never mind all the crosses Saint John Paul II had as the Holy Father, but he was also shot.  Doctors say that the blood transfusions he received caused his Parkinson’s disease.  However, he suffered joyously for the salvation of souls.  One story about the Holy Father . . . he was a huge lover of classical music.  So, they had a world-renowned orchestra come in with some of the best maestros in the world.  After they finished playing one of his favorite pieces, the maestro turned around to look at the Holy Father and hoped that he liked it.  “Please like it!”  His Holiness was shaking and drooling because of his Parkinsons, but he gave the maestro a thumbs-up. 

Ten days before the Passion, God gave Peter, James, and John the great gift of consolation to prepare them for the scandal of the Cross.   God has given us consolation many, many times to help us endure our sufferings.  Consolations are a glimpse of Heaven.  Some consolations He gives us before we have great trials and some after.  And some just because God likes to give them to us because He loves us.  During that time when we are experiencing great trials and suffering, we don’t experience the consolation of Christ.  That’s hogwash.  “Oh!  I’m struggling!  My goodness!”  Grow up!  Just because we don’t feel the consolation of God and His presence, doesn’t mean He isn’t with us.  You cannot prove a positive with a negative. 

This is our opportunity to respond to His great gifts with acts of faith, hope, and love knowing that He is always with us.  Our guardian angel is always with us.  Mine is tired.  Just because we don’t feel consolation doesn’t mean anything.  This, indeed, might be a chance for us to console God.  How many of us have sinned so grievously against Him and don’t care?  We do not enjoy the times between consolations.  I would love to have them all the time.  But that’s not reality, and it’s the danger of a lot of spiritual programs.  “Pray this way while holding your mouth just right and standing on one foot, and you will receive consolation every time you pray.”  But that’s not true at all.  Look at Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.  God is never, ever away from us.  Between consolations, we make our act of faith that God is with us; our act of hope that He will bring us safely through our trials; and our act of love by turning our trials into acts of love for others.

How will you apply this message to your life?_____________________________________

You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” 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 – February 18, 2024 – “Someday Tomorrow Will Begin Without Us”

“Someday Tomorrow Will Begin Without Us”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

February 17 – 18, 2024

Gospel: Mark 1:12-15

Occasionally and according to my physician’s wishes, I have to go to the local pharmacy to get prescriptions filled.  They always ask for my date of birth.  I say, “It’s 7-11-53, and yes, I’m on the waiting list for Hartsell’s Funeral Home.”  They all laugh.  But it’s true.  Now I’m not much, but my two brothers were geniuses, and both had Mensa cards to prove it.  The cards each cost $500.  You paid $500 for a card?  I’m smarter than them . . . I’m going to save 500 bucks!   But I can read a calendar, and I watch the pages turn.  I know my time with you on this Earth is limited.  So, I try to use the time that God has given me to improve what teachers used to call my permanent record.   Remember that?  “This is going on your permanent record!”  Where the heck is this so-called permanent record?   But God sees all.  The Season of Lent is the time for us to work on our permanent records because we don’t know when our time will come.  Many people who have been given a terminal diagnosis outlive the prognosis.   Some live way beyond it and others even get discharged from hospice – not a celestial discharge – they go home.   So, we don’t know.  But someday, tomorrow will begin without us.   I am very fortunate to have made it this far because I traveled with a rough crowd.  I didn’t know any better – yes, I did. 

On the day that begins without me, I will see my Savior come to take my soul from this world to Himself.   So, I would like for my soul to be as beautiful as it was when He first gave it to me.  To that point, especially during this Season of Lent, I try to refresh my soul and make it beautiful again and unmarred by my sins and the sins of others.  I do that with prayer, almsgiving, penance, practicing the Sacraments, and confession.  I went 10 days ago.  I don’t ask you to do something that I haven’t done.  His coming for us should make us happy.  You all love God because you are here.  I’ve been here long enough to know the magnitude of your love and generosity to God and His people.   All the improvements to the church happened because of you.  That’s all you.  Grow in that love so you will not be afraid when God comes to take you home.   

I was over at the criminal university (prison) the other day, and I talked about almsgiving to my felons.  Of course, they don’t have wallets because they have no money, and they are limited as to what they can do outside.  They are monitored and rightly so.   So, they looked at me like I was stupid and said, “What can we do?”  There is plenty you can sacrifice.  Just think about what you are going to eat tonight.  Square fish.  They call it sewer bass and sewer trout.  I swear I can smell it from the parking lot.  I thought the gas chamber was bad, but that’s just not fair!  Some of the ladies who work there said, “Yeah, we can tell when any of the women are pregnant because they smell that and go bleagh!”   Breakfast is at 4:00 or 5:00 in the morning.  “But I like to sleep in.”  Not anymore.  The State does have a sense of humor.  You can offer that up and all the other irritations you endure.  You know, some folks in this institution are not as nice as you.   Offer it up as almsgiving because that is what you have.  Give what you have. 

Tax season is coming soon, and we must tell the Federal Government how much we made which could be true or maybe not depending on whether an Italian did your taxes.  Some of us were blessed with great finances and have been very good to the church and charities.  This is not an appeal for money.  I don’t do that.  That is why there’s no collection on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.  There are no second collections, period.   I know that not everyone is well off and has obligations.  I know very well, especially in my own life and I’m no different than you – well, you are better looking, I’ll give you that – but I know that we all have crosses.  Many crosses.  Heavy crosses.  And they hurt.  They frustrate. They irritate.  But they can all be used for good not only to mortify our souls to keep us humble but also to be offered for someone else.  Saint Paul said, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh, I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of His body, that is, the church” (Col 1:24).

You can go in and pay someone’s court fines.  The court doesn’t care as long as you have the cash.  Likewise, you can pay for other people’s sins by your own sufferings.  You can pay for the sins of your family, friends, souls in Purgatory, and especially for those who do not like you.  They may not have anyone to pray for them.  This is how wonderfully rich we all are.   This is the almsgiving that we can all give, that we are rich in and that we can give up for others.  We are all rich.  All that suffering that we bear can be offered up for others.  Use those riches God has given us wisely while we have time for an interior beauty treatment.  Scripture tells us that giving alms covers a multitude of sins.  By giving alms, we refresh the soul and make it beautiful.  Through penance, confession, prayer, the Sacraments, and almsgiving we can begin to restore our soul to its original beauty when Christ gave it to us.  This is so that when Christ comes for us whether it is tomorrow or many years from now, and I hope it is many years from now, we can run to Him with our arms around Him and His around us and be in paradise forever. 

Father’s Reflections . . . To the child in the audience who wants her mother – I felt the same way when I received my draft notice.  Mom!! 

I may have gotten a compliment the other day.  One of the nurse practitioners at Hospice said, “Father, you should have gone to medical school.”   Thank you!  That was very nice.  As I walked away a thought occurred to me.  Did she mean as a student or a cadaver?  Either way, I get to take the Gross Anatomy class, and it really is gross.

How will you apply this message to your life?______________________________________

You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” 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 – February 11, 2024 – “Forget as God Forgets”

“Forget as God Forgets”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

February 10 – 11, 2024

Gospel: Mark 1:40-45

Today’s reading is from the Old Testament in the book of Leviticus, and it’s about leprosy.  Anyone who had leprosy was required to shout, “Unclean, unclean!”  This reminded me of the pandemic a couple of years ago when people got hyped up if someone contracted the disease, “Covid, Covid!”  It is not terminal.   

I’m going to give you some philosophical continuing credit.  What is a primary virtue?  The primary virtue is justice.  Why justice?  Because justice is the virtue that orders all the other virtues to their necessary and proper end which is Almighty God.  So, when we are talking about the budget and how we have billions and billions of dollars to allocate, we are talking about real money.  “We’ll allocate this much here and this much there.”  Now think about justice.  I, Stump, and many others in the parish are combat veterans.  We don’t get free medical care, and I even retired from the Army.  Un-uh Un-uh Un-uh.   If I tried to get a benefit, I’d have to prove it was connected to my Army service.  It’s easier to go before the Supreme Court than it is to get the VA to recognize a disability due to military service.  So, we don’t give justice to our military service members, but we are giving away billions and billions of dollars to people who enter the United States illegally.   But those of us who are citizens not so much.

One thing in the spiritual life that most of us don’t think about is that we are called to be like God in all things.  That sounds reasonable, doesn’t it?  But that would be tough because God is perfection of all attributes and virtues.  That would be kind of difficult for us to attain.  But we try.  There is one aspect of our lives which is very important for us to concentrate on and that is our memory.  Now I don’t mean you have to remember every password on every device you own.  The memory of a spiritual person needs to be both good and bad.  “Okay Father, explain that.”  I’m glad you asked.  Your memory has to be bad like God’s memory is bad.  “How is God’s memory bad?”  Well, He says in the Old Testament, “I will put your sins behind you.  Your sins are remembered no more” (Ezekiel 18:22).  So, God forgives and forgets.  We are called to forget our sins that have been forgiven and to let them go.  And, to not remember the sins that others may or may not have committed against us just like God does. 

We also need a perfect memory so that we can remember the love and mercy God has shown us by forgiving our sins, giving us the gift of His very Self in the Sacraments, and the promise of eternal life.  We are called to show that same mercy and love to His people.  A perfect memory manifests itself in the Prayers of Thanksgiving.  Be grateful for what you have.  My theme for Lent this year is, “Someday, tomorrow will begin without us.”   The other morning, I was hearing first confessions from children at Saint Luke’s.  They are so young, so I don’t make them spend a lot of time in the confessional.  A lot of them said that they had hurt their parents, brothers, and sisters.  I told them, “Remember, your time with them is so small.  Cherish the time you have with them, because you will miss that time when they are gone.  They may be difficult at times, and if you had a brother like mine, you would understand that.  If you had a brother like me, you would also understand.  But cherish them as God cherishes us.”

God promises to be with us as long as we don’t throw Him out of our souls through mortal sins or repeated venial sins.  We have our Lord’s protection, and we get pretty upset if something happens to us that we didn’t expect, and it ruins our plans.   Saint Teresa of Avila said to our Lord, “If this is how You treat Your friends, no wonder why You have so few of them!”  But we will never know how much evil God has protected us from for ourselves, our families, and our loved ones.  We will never know until we see Him face-to-face when all things will be made present and known.  We do not know but God does.  Just think of the things you have been protected from, and you haven’t died yet, have you?   A lot of my classmates did not reach my age nor did my twin brother.   I always thought I’d be the first to go because I’ve been to some bad places.  To my own credit, it seemed like a good idea at the time.  We do not know the threats God has protected us from, how much love He has given us, and the gifts He has given us as a result of our prayers.  Perhaps they were not the ones we asked for but were better ones.  This is how we must work on our memory.  The most important part of a bad memory is forgetting oneself for the love of God.  We must forget ourselves.  Our Lord said, “Leave everything behind and come follow Me.”  The most important thing in spiritual life is memory.

How will you apply this message to your life __________________________________________

You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” 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 – February 4, 2024 – “Stop Rearranging the Deck Chairs on the Titanic!”

“Stop Rearranging the Deck Chairs on the Titanic!”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

February 3 – 4, 2024


Gospel: Mark 1:29-39

Today, I want to talk about “change.”  When I’m making my rounds at the VA hospital, I see veterans who have a problem with the bottle.  They are hooked to a banana bag which means they are being weaned off alcohol.  I ask them how they’re doing, they usually say “Good.”  Uh-Huh . . . you look it.  Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired?  “Yes sir.”  Okay, do you want to be happy?  “Yes sir.”  Well, there’s only one thing you have to change.  “What’s that sir?”   Everything.  “Oh.”  And that’s true.  “Well, maybe things would be better if I moved.”  No, because wherever you live, you’ll be there.  Things are not going to be better unless you change. 

That’s what our Lord asks of us.   “Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired?  Do you want to experience the fullness of My love and joy in this world instead?”  Yeah!  I’m in.  “Then leave everything behind, forsake everything, and come follow Me.”  Now that’s hyperbole and doesn’t mean leaving your parents on their deathbed.   It means a full renunciation of the will and following Him.   We might think that some of the things our Lord asks us to do are stupid.  So being the bright people we think we are, we always try to renegotiate the contract.   “What do you mean I can be married only once?”  That’s what Christ said.  “Marriage is between a male and a female.  I wrote that down for you a long time ago.  Apparently, you skipped school that day.  You need to learn it.”  “What do you mean I have to eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Eucharist?”  “Yes, that’s what I said.”  “What do you mean I have to go to Confession?”  “That’s what I said.  The Apostles were given the power to forgive sins, and they can only forgive what they hear.”  “What do you mean I have to suffer?  Come down from the Cross, and we will believe You.  We don’t want any suffering.”  No, no, no.  We are always trying to renegotiate the deal.   Renounce yourself instead of trying to change everything.  “I’ve given you the means to change through the Sacraments.  I’ve given you my teachings to watch over and to reassure you that I am with you always.” 

When I had my physical last week, I sensed the presence of my guardian angel.  Know how that happened?  When I got on the scale [groan], I could see with my peripheral vision that his foot was on the scale.  Got a sense of humor that one!  Nothing personal; it’s just business with him.  So, we have to change, and it’s a long, prolonged process.  But He offers His grace through the Sacraments, prayer, and mortification so that we can change ourselves and not be disheartened by our failures.   In addition to giving us the power to change, the Sacraments also give us the power to bear the weight of the cross and to bear the damage done by our sins and the sins of others that have caused disillusionment and sadness.  He gives us that power that we may have the fullness of joy. 

There has been a lot of change in the Church.  However, we always try to change the wrong things.  If you’ve been around the Church as long as I have, you remember when the Mass was changed from Latin to English.   Instead of the Mass being said in one language, we have it in five or six languages every Sunday.  Well, that’s not working out.  We moved the confessionals to reconciliation rooms.  That also didn’t work out well.  It’s like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.  We’ll change things and make them better.  Remember the guitar Masses?  They were great, huh?   It was terrible music!   My goodness, I’m not Father Hippie!

We change the wrong things.  Do not change the Sacraments.  Instead, let the Sacraments change us.  Christ calls us to change, but He doesn’t need to.  When we begin the process of changing, is it always joyful?  No.  However, it is a progression in love.  Lasting joy will only come when we are in Heaven.  But He gives us joy and the power to change.  He also gives us the power to pick up our cross every day and to follow Him.  Change is not as frightening as you think.  The devil tries to scare us: “Oh, my goodness!  Change is terrible! You’re going to hate it!”  That’s just him trying to frighten us.  People who have addictions are afraid of change because misery is all they have known, but when they change and leave the misery behind, they praise God. 

When we begin to change, we want immediate results like turning on a light switch.  It’s like me when I got out of bed this morning and just stared at the coffee pot.  I was tempted to put my mouth under the coffee filter and drink it that way.  It would save me from having to wash a coffee cup.   Change is a slow process.   Doctors tell their patients that they didn’t get sick overnight, so they aren’t going to get better overnight.  But don’t be afraid of the process.  It always works.

Father’s Reflections . . . I worked at the VA hospital on Friday for a few hours, and it was very interesting.  Two veterans received their celestial discharge which I had expected.  Then we had another veteran who was there for rehab, and he also received his discharge . . . into the custody of the VA police.   He was arrested on three felony charges.   Bye-Bye!  After that, I looked at the roster and saw a good Catholic name.  So, I went to see him in the Memory Loss Unit.  As I was talking to him, he said he was 98 years old.  I asked him where he was from, and he said New Jersey.  I was pretty sure he was Italian because his name ended with an “i”.   Now I wasn’t racial profiling, but it was a good guess.  I asked him, “You know a guy?”  And he said, “Yeah, I know a guy.”  I know a guy too! 

I try to swing by the Emergency Room while I’m at the VA.  Sometimes I see people there whose faces are black and blue.  So, I’ll start talking to them and ask, “Didn’t the military teach you how to fight?  Which branch were you in?”  If they say the Navy or Air Force, I’ll say, “Well, that explains it!”  Sissy boys.  I swear, I have way too much fun there! 

How will you apply this message to your life?________________________________________

You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” 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 – January 28, 2024 – Don’t Send a Boy to Do a Man’s Job

“Don’t Send a Boy to Do a Man’s Job”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

January 27 – 28, 2024

Gospel: Mark 1:21-28

As a priest, I have been asked to bless many things.  I have blessed homes, boats, and cars.  I have blessed women before childbirth and after childbirth.  There is a whole list of things that priests can bless.  And that’s a good thing.  Sometimes people tell me, “Father, I need an exorcism of my house.”  So, I go bless the house after which I tell them to get rid of the Buddhist statues, and if they hear anything else, let me know.  Also, if you start spitting up pea soup and your head starts spinning around, call me.  Occasionally nurses will ask me to bless hospital rooms, and I always ask why.  The reasons can be interesting.  “Well, the call light has been going off a lot recently.”  So, that means somebody needs a nurse.  I realize our veterans can be real pains in the butt sometimes but come on!  “But Father, there’s no patient in that room, and some weird stuff has been happening.”  So I go into the room, bless it, say a prayer, and sprinkle holy water.  A couple of weeks later, I asked the nurses if they were having any more problems in that room.  They said, “Oh, no problems at all.  Thank you, Father, for what you did.”  No problem.  I was happy to do it.    One of the nurses had a sheepish look on her face and said, “Father, we asked a Protestant chaplain to bless that room.  He went into the room and said some prayers, but it didn’t work.”   I said, “Don’t send a boy to do a man’s job.” 

The Church has power over satan through the grace of Jesus Christ.  He gave bishops and priests the power over satan to expel demons.  It’s called the Rite of Exorcism which is not as uncommon as you might think.  I cannot confirm or deny that I’ve done any of that.  If I told you, I would have to kill you.  Remember the movie “The Exorcist” where the girl spits up pea soup and her head spins around?  I met that exorcist, and it’s all true.   Satan is very real and can take possession of people.  If you have to go somewhere that is sketchy and you are concerned, arm yourself with prayer.  When I visit very sick people, I go in with gloves and a mask like Darth Vader.  “I am your father, Luke.”   It’s not as if after the first century satan said, “Okay I’m done.”  He is just as active now as he was then.  But so is Christ.  And that’s the good news.  Stay away from things like Ouija Boards, horoscopes, and all that stuff.   “But I want to see what my future is.”   Well, your long-term future is at Hartsell’s Funeral Home.  What happens to your soul after that is up to you. 

People aren’t bad because they don’t have stuff.  My parents and grandparents were poor, and they weren’t felons.  They didn’t steal, and they didn’t hurt anybody.  People choose to be evil.  Those people who are certifiable and do not have the free will choice to be evil or not should be locked up in a nice state institution where they can’t hurt themselves or anyone else.   People choose to be evil.  They choose satan who promises temporary happiness but never delivers it.   Saint Peter said, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith” (1 Peter 5:8-9).   So, unless Peter is a liar, satan is very active and looking for people.  Satan can appear under a nice cloud resembling something good like New Age Spirituality.  I read this in an article, “Father was so busy he barely had time to light the prayer candle and go to prayer.”   Really?  Father needs to get his head out of his “bleep.”  Jesus is here in the church in the Most Blessed Sacrament.   Hey Father, throw the candle out and see the Lord.  “I’ve got my prayer shawl.  I’m so spiritual.”  No, you’re not.   None of that adds to spiritual development.   Stay away from New Age stuff and anything else that appears to be evil because it is a portal for satan.  Jesus laid out very specific ways in which to return His love. 

I love shows about ghost hunting because they always ask the wrong questions.  I know a psychic back home who does this.  She once went into this house that was built before the Revolutionary War.  She went into a room that was very cold.  The homeowner asked her why it was so cold in the room, and she said, “That’s when you know ghosts are here.  They don’t know they are dead.”   Then they heard a voice say, “I’m dead?”  Nobody got the word to you, huh?   On some of the shows when they are cleansing the house of spirits, they put burnt sage all over the house.  So, the devil is powerless over burnt plant matter?  I don’t think so, otherwise he would stay out of everyone’s kitchen because something is always getting burned there.  “My house had a bad feeling about it, so I took some sage, burned it, and spread it around.”  Really?  Why didn’t you light up a toke too?  What the heck!  You might as well have some fun while you’re at it.  Burning sage to exorcise a house is sinful because it denies the power of Christ.   Instead, ask a priest to come bless the house.  Christ did not give His power to a plant; He gave it to His Church.   

Satan can come in by all sorts of less obvious means such as our entertainment, what we hear, what we see, and what we wear.  Hey, sweetheart, cover-up.  I’ve been a hospital chaplain for 40 years.  I’ve seen more body parts than you’ll ever have.  Okay?  It’s not a thrill.   The latest craze is Stanley tumblers.  You’ve got to get a certain drink cup because that’s cool.  Is your ego so fragile that your whole life will be much better because you have one particular cup?  Really?  I know a doctor who will give you some help.  I’ve got a summer camp you can go to that will give you some help, and they will even pay you to go.   You probably wouldn’t like it, but it would be good for you.  But think about that kind of thinking.  “I’m better if I have this or I have that.”   Really?  You are trying to fill an infinite hole with finite objects.  The hole in our soul can only be filled up with Christ.  

Remember, our Lord’s plan for us is peace and not affliction.  He loves you so much that He sent His only Son.  He loves you so much that He allows this sinful priest to act in the person of Christ so that you might have life and have it to the fullest; so that you may receive the Most Precious Body and Blood in Holy Communion; and so that your soul can be washed clean by His Most Precious Blood in the Sacrament of Penance.   Even if a priest who, God forbid, is in a state of mortal sin, the Sacrament is still efficacious.  Even if a priest has been chucked out of the priesthood, what we call defrocked, he is still able to give Last Rites if someone is in danger of death.  So much is God’s great love for us.  Hopefully, my time for getting Last Rites is a bit further down the road.   

Satan tempts us just as he did Adam and Eve.  We have the power over ourselves and our world.  “But if I had just one more thing, I would be perfect.”  That’s true.  You need one more thing to be perfect and that is Jesus.  Satan is always active in the world.  “Oh, women who have abortions have psychological problems.”  Really?  One of the doctors I served with was a combat infantryman, a Ranger, and a West Point graduate . . . a pretty hard-core guy and not exactly milk toast.  He said, “A baby is not a tumor.  A baby is not Pancreatic Cancer.  A baby is life.”   So, be very careful.  Stay sober and alert because the devil is roaming the world seeking the ruin of souls. 

How will you apply this message to your life?_________________________

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