Category: Sermon Notes

Transripts of weekly sermons

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Sermon Notes – September 10, 2023 – “Hey Homey, You’re in a Minefield!”

“Hey Homey, You’re in a Minefield!”

 Father Peter Fitzgibbons

 September 9 – 10, 2023

Gospel:  Matthew 18: 15-20

Because we are all baptized, we are called to carry our crosses each day on the road to Calvary.  All of us will pass from this life and see God.  Some of us will stay only for a cup of coffee while others will get to stay longer.  If we are faithful, we will have a graduation ceremony in Heaven.   There are a lot of other people also on their way to Calvary.  We are called to encourage one another on the way to salvation.  It is important that we are not too sensitive when someone says, “Father, you are a real pain in the patootie.”   I already know that, and I’ll try to be better.  Sometimes, we are blind to our own faults, and we may start wandering off the path Christ has set for us.  We are called to warn others, “Hey homey, get over here.  You are wandering off the path and into a minefield.  Don’t go there.  Bad move!”   Saint Paul said, “I make up with my body what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ.”   So, we help one another by our prayers, sufferings, and works to help them carry their crosses.  And conversely, they help us carry ours. 

Instead of the terms “admonition” and “correction,” I prefer the term “encouragement.”  You don’t know anything about the crosses people are carrying and whether their crosses are their own fault, the fault of their parents, or the fault of their siblings.   We have no idea of the life they have led.  So rather than admonishing or correcting someone, I prefer encouraging them because it goes a lot further.  Sometimes a correction or threat is just an attention-getter.  But once you have their attention, encourage them.  In religious life, we call that fraternal correction.  However, it is usually infernal correction.  Our Lord said, “Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?”   We tend to think of ourselves as superior because, well, we are us.   I like to use fraternal encouragement.  Most people know they’ve made mistakes, so you don’t need to remind them.   They need encouragement to try to do the right thing to get back on, and stay on, the path Christ has set for us.  It’s hard to take up our daily crosses.  So, we need to encourage one another.   That’s why God gives Himself to us in the Sacraments.

I remember once running a Physical Training (PT) test.  The Army has since then changed the rules, but before when someone was failing – and you don’t want anyone to fail – when nobody was looking, you would pick them up and run with them.  Their feet would barely touch the ground.  And if an official was around, we would set them down and say, “Now run.”   We were running this one PT test, and I had my assistant run back to encourage the stragglers because nobody wants to take the test again.  This one soldier said, “I can’t do it, Sir!  I can’t do it!  I’m going to be sick!”  Shut up!  You can do it.  She made it, and she made it within the timeline.  And true to her word, she was ill.  Oops!  Later, she came back to me she said, “Thank you for helping me.” 

We are called to encourage one another with our crosses on our way to salvation.  A couple of things about our crosses and encouraging others with theirs is that we all have them, and we are no more holy than anyone else.  Even if someone is at fault, and even if it approaches the level of Civil Law, you cannot make it public because doing so would be scandalous and sinful.   Bishops are very good at scandal.  They really are.  You have to give people a way back and a way to regain their good name.  It is very hard for some people in the Church to do that even though, according to Civil Law, you can have your record expunged.  We have to allow people a way back because we are men, not angels. 

A priest once told me he had been suspended.  Now, I’m not a Canon lawyer, but I’ve seen one on television.  I asked this priest if he had received a letter.  He had not.  I told him that once he received a letter, it would tell him what he had done and what he needed to do to come back.  This is a medicinal remedy and not a punishment.  We are not in the punishment business; we are in the helping people obtain salvation business.   Remember, the amount of mercy we show is the amount of mercy we will receive.

Father’s Reflections . . . Monday is the anniversary of 9/11, and it reminds me of a quote by George Orwell: “People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.”  And having worked with some of them, yes, we did.

I had an interesting phone call the other day.  Usually, the calls I get go like this: “Father, yada yada yada, blah blah blah.”   And my response is, “Oh not again!  Please, just leave me alone!”  But this call was really nice and interesting.  The person said, “Father, I’m not a member of your parish, but I have Covid, and it’s terrible.  Would you please pray for me?”  Thank you!  I love messages like that.   It was a really nice phone call which is better than the ones I usually get. And yes, I did pray for the caller.   

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 – September 3, 2023 – “A Spoonful of Sugar Helps the Medicine Go Down”

“A Spoonful of Sugar Helps the Medicine Go Down”

 Father Peter Fitzgibbons

 September 2 – 3, 2023

Gospel:  Matthew 16: 21-27

From that time on, Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.  22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.”  23 He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to Me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”  24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after Me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.  25 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.  26 What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life?  27 For the Son of Man will come with His angels in His Father’s glory, and then He will repay everyone according to his conduct.

Last Friday night I had dinner at Blue Bay, and I had a love/hate relationship with my dinner.   Guess what I had . . . fish.  Did I tell you I hate fish?  But my doctor said if I eat fish at least twice a week, I might live longer.  I guess that is so I can die of something else.  Thanks a lot, Doc!   Appreciate it!   I was thinking about a time when I liked fish.  I’d had a cardiac procedure and when I came back, one of the ladies in the parish brought me a salmon dinner.  I didn’t mind it.  Of course, I was still on medication at the time, and I felt much better!  Perhaps that’s the secret to liking fish.  But that’s just a little cross of mine. 

Whether you love Jesus or not, you will get a cross.  We both love and hate our crosses.  They are meant to help us, so embrace them.  When we carry our crosses, we are fulfilling the command of our Savior.  But we struggle with them, and that is good because it means you love God.  We also hate our crosses.  Nobody likes them.   Some crosses come and some go in accordance with the time of life.   Some we have from the beginning until the end.  And sometimes, we even get extra ones.  We all have our share, and they are heavy enough for us to carry.  We cannot refuse our crosses.  None of them.  Nor can we, like the Protestant churches, remove some of the Commandments because, you know . . .  they’re hard.   Jesus called those people satan.   They take away the redemptive nature of suffering that we are all called to endure like Christ to achieve Heaven. 

Our crosses, like all the Commandments, are not that difficult.  They are not pleasant . . . I’ll give you that.  That’s why God made French dressing.  When I get a slab of Moby Dick on my plate, out comes the French dressing.  Mary Poppins was right . . . a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.   I have tasted better stuff in the military.  That’s how much I hate fish.  By the way, monkey still tastes like monkey.  Yuck!  One of our crosses is to conform our lives to Christ.  It’s a gift.  How many of you think of their crosses as a gift?   Not many, just as I thought.   But our crosses are like a celestial choke chain so that we don’t wander too far off the reservation.   My evil twin brother, Paul, was very gifted and he had many crosses.  He had two doctorates and a file cabinet full of certifications he had earned.  Saint Teresa of Lisieux said, “Our crosses help keep us small, humble, and reliant on our Savior for there is power in His mercy.”    

Our crosses are redemptive.  As Saint Paul said, “I make up with my body what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ.”   Now a final thought . . . Our crosses are abrasive and a beauty treatment for our soul.  Because I do all sorts of reading (I’m an eclectic reader), I once read about how to remove water marks from furniture.  You take some cigar ash, mix it with water, and rub the mixture onto the water stain.  Because cigar ash is abrasive, it will remove the water stain and bring back the richness and luster of the furniture.   And that’s what our crosses do.  They are abrasive to our souls.  They remove the stain of venial sin.  They also remove the remains of the stain of mortal sin on our souls.  And what do our crosses reveal especially when we are standing before God at our Particular Judgment?  They reveal the true beauty of our soul.  What is the true beauty of our soul?  The image and likeness of God from which we were created.  He will look at us and seek the image of His Son.

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 – August 27, 2023 – “I Know a Guy”

“I Know a Guy”

 Father Peter Fitzgibbons

 August 26 – 27, 2023

Gospel:  Matthew 16:13-20

Whenever our Lord asked a question, people always got the answer wrong.   So, I didn’t feel too bad as a student.  I’m not the brightest bulb in the circuit.  He asked them, “Who do people say that I am?”  Their answers were all wrong because the voice of people is not the voice of God.   When He asked the apostles that question, what did they say?   The apostles didn’t want to tick Jesus off, so they just went along to get along.  But while all the other apostles were afraid to answer, Simon Peter said, “You are the Messiah, Son of the Living God.”   But that answer didn’t come from Peter alone.  Jesus said, “This was revealed to you by My heavenly Father.”   So, our good Lord renamed him.  “You are Peter, and upon this rock, I will build My church.”   

When you read this passage in English, it is okay.  But when you read it in the original language, it is very striking.  Peter’s name was Simon bar-Jonah or Simon son of Jonah.   Peter is a Greek word meaning “rock.”  Our Lord renamed him Peter just like in the Old Testament when He changed Abram’s name to Abraham.   Abraham became the father of holy people.  When our Lord renamed Peter, he also became the father of holy people in the new body of Christ, the Church.  “Upon you, I will build my Church.”   Now, two things are interesting about that statement.  If you read the original statement, it says “you” in the singular context and not “you” in the plural meaning all the apostles.   Only Peter was given that decision-making authority.   Upon you, personally, I will build My Church.  That’s why the apostles were ticked off.  “Hey, what are we, chopped liver?” “Peter is a bozo.  Come on!”  “Upon this rock, I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”   Peter was given the power to bind and loose.  You have to understand that power.  That power is only for disciplinary matters such as fasting and abstinence.  The Church can do that to help people grow in the spiritual life.  The Church could also allow priests to marry because that is a discipline and not dogma.  However, it cannot change divine law because that would give the creatures God created power over Him.   Jesus did not give man the power over God.

Jesus knew what He was doing.  He created male and female.  He said that a man shall leave his mother and father and cling to his wife.  I do believe Jesus understood the full meaning of His words.  “Oh!  We are in the 21st century, and we understand things much better now than Jesus did, so we are going to change things.”   Uh-Huh.  Know what that is?   It’s the heresy of modernism.  “We are in a new age, and we understand things better.”  Ummm . . . No, you don’t.   When I was ordained, I had to take an oath against modernism.  There is a document on file at the Diocese that confirms the oath I took.   Why?  Because we preach now what we preached from the beginning.  The form has changed over the years, but the truth of the Church has not.  Some people have tried to change it, and they’ve gone away one way or another.  God may have revoked their birth certificates; I don’t know but sometimes that does happen. 

Read the Church fathers.  The First Century is now.   And if you have trouble falling asleep, read the works of Saint Augustine.   The works by John Chrysostom are much easier to read.   But reading Saint Augustine will quickly bring on the Zzzz‘s.   He said he had a really wicked life before being converted, but he certainly couldn’t write about it.  My gosh!  What we preach now is what we preached from the beginning.  The Pope is guaranteed the truth as long as he preaches what was given from the beginning.  We should be proud of our history.  Unfortunately, the Church has had popes, bishops, priests, and dare I say, sisters, who were not as holy as they should have been.  “Father, say it ain’t so!”  They caused all sorts of problems in the Church throughout the ages including great scandals.  If you think we are having fun these days, read the Church history.   Now we have electronics that hype up everything.  “Oh my God!!”   Relax.  God is awake all night and is taking care of this.  You don’t trust His promise?  That the gates of hell will not prevail?  Our good Lord is in charge.  Yes, we wish we had more holy priests, bishops, and nuns.  But we are men and not angels.  We are failed human beings standing on the deposit of faith.  Should we be upset and concerned about the future of the Church?  Yes and no.  No, because God is in charge, and He’s going to take care of it.  And yes, but we pray for those who are supposed to exercise the teaching office of the Church. 

Be strong.  When you say the right thing, some people really won’t like it.   I have been cursed out before, but I took it really well . . . “Sniff- Sniff”   Really?   You know the people I hung around with?    On those occasions, I always want to say, “I know a guy.”  You wouldn’t do that up north.  You’d get really hurt, and the cops would just say, “Oh that was a terrible accident!”  In the old days, that happened.  But you pray for them.

The Church has not changed its doctrine no matter how foul the people are who have been entrusted with it.   The promises of Christ were true in the beginning, and they are true now.  Yes, it is a time of turmoil in the Church.  We get nervous, upset, and angry because we see that which has given us life, love, and hope seemingly betrayed by those in it.  The smoke of satan is in the Church.  But God is in charge.  He has not forgotten His Church – His Body.  When Paul was out there putting the whack on people, Jesus asked him, “Why are you persecuting Me?”   God knows exactly what is going on.  Is this time the worst in the Church?  No.  Would we like it to be better?  Oh, heck yeah.  But we trust in our Heavenly Father.  So have faith, have courage, and pray for those who we think are weak and failing in their vocations.   

Father’s Reflections . . .I know that the weather is interesting and that you are all warm.  I’m wearing three layers of clothing, so I know how you feel.  But use this to your advantage.  Would you rather be hot here now or a lot hotter somewhere else later? 

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 – August 13, 2023 – “Did I Stutter?”

“Did I Stutter?”

 Father Peter Fitzgibbons

August 12 – 13, 2023

Gospel:  Matthew 14:22-33


When you read about the apostles in Scripture, you see the great transformation that happened to them after Pentecost.   Before Pentecost, they always questioned our Lord.  Jesus wanted to see Lazarus who had died.   But the apostles said, “Hey Lord, he has been in the tomb for three days.  He’s way past the sell-by date.  I wouldn’t do that if I were You.”   The apostles were always questioning Him.  Questions are good, but not when you doubt the authority of the one making the request.  Jesus told them to feed the loaves and fishes to the crowd.  “Okay, but it’s not going to be enough.”   Jesus told them to go into town and preach the Gospel, heal the sick, and expel demons.”  They came back to Him surprised that it had actually worked.  They always doubted His Word.  In the Gospel, Jesus instructed Peter to walk toward Him on the water.  Peter did as he was told, but he became afraid and began to sink.  Our Lord asked Peter, “Why did you doubt?”   Basically, our Lord was saying, “Did I stutter?”   Our Lord said, “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.”   “Whoa!  What do you mean?”  It’s a declarative sentence, and He did not stutter.  Deal with it.

We think that we are smarter than the average bear and that we know more than our Lord.  We think that what He asks of us is impossible.   Even though the apostles saw all these miracles, the raising of at least three from the dead – one who was a very dead Lazarus – they still doubted the Resurrection.  Only until they were filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit did they believe that the Resurrection really happened.  Why did Peter allow fear to paralyze him?   The devil uses fear to take us away from our good Lord by saying, “Oh, His commands are impossible” which makes us think, “Oh, I cannot do that.”   Our Lord does not require us to do the impossible.  He only asks for good things which draw us closer to Him.  In the law, if something is impossible, the law does not apply, and you are not culpable.  If you can’t do it, you can’t do it.   Peter was sinking and cried out, “Lord save me.”   They weren’t miles from shore.  This wasn’t Lake Michigan.  Look at the map of Israel . . . there are no Great Lakes in Israel.  There is no Lake Erie.  So, they were not far from shore.  What happened in the Gospel?   Peter jumped into the water, and because he was only a few yards from land, he swam to shore.  Peter was a fisherman, and he could swim. 

Fear will paralyze us, and the devil uses it.  “I can’t do that.”  “The Commandments of God are too hard.”  “The Church must change them.”  “God obviously didn’t know what He was doing, else He wouldn’t ask us to follow His Commandments now in the 21st Century.”   And that’s not true.  His Commandments are not burdensome.  “If you love Me, keep My Commandments.”   That’s all the Commandments are . . . a test of His love and belief in His Word.   They may be inconvenient because we have our own agenda.  But God will never tell us to do something that is impossible or something that will hurt us.  Quite the opposite.  When we don’t fulfill His Commandments, we do self-harm because we cut ourselves off from His love slowly by venial sin or abruptly by mortal sin.   

So, keep your eyes on the Lord and what He said.  Don’t try to overthink it as some do.  “I’m going to fall.  I have sinned!”  You’ll be fine.  Do not be afraid, which is the most common phrase in scripture.  Do not be afraid.    Our Lord asks us to keep His Commandments if we love Him.  They are not burdensome.  “Oh!  I have to go to Mass on Sundays and on Holy Days!  Oh, it’s so hard!”   Oh, please.  If you had a free ticket to the Panthers game, you’d be right there in Charlotte with 70,000 other crazy people fighting traffic.  Yeah, that really sounds like fun.  I haven’t had so much fun since I was in the gas chamber.  Are you kidding me? 

Just think about what we trade for the love of our good Lord.  And what we trade for the very presence of God, Himself, in the Most Blessed Sacrament and the Second Person in the Holy Trinity Who talked to Moses as one man talks to another.  I use “man” in the Latin sense of the word meaning “mankind” – not male – the way Scripture was originally written.  What is better than that?  No admission fee . . .even better.  No trouble parking . . . even better than that.   We have to listen to our Lord, and that can be tough.  Do you know what class of people find it really hard to listen to the voice of our Lord?  Priests.   There was evidence of that 20 years ago when I arrived here and was looking around.  There was orange shag carpet in the church bathrooms.  Yeah.  I don’t think the good fathers ever listened to the women in the parish.  In their defense, they probably got a deal on it.  Fathers, you gotta listen.  You may be an expert on the Gospel, but you have to listen else you become deaf.   You always must listen for Him amidst the loud noises of our busy lives.  Do what our Lord commands.  And if we think His Commandments are burdensome, perhaps we need to love Him more and ourselves less.

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 – July 30, 2023 – The Most Important Thing

The Most Important Thing

 Father Peter Fitzgibbons

July 29 – 30, 2023

Gospel:  Matthew 13:44-52

The last time I took a vacation up north, I was listening to the radio to catch up on the local news, and there was a news item about Taylor Swift.  I have no idea who she is, but apparently, she’s a performer and a good one.   One father bought tickets for his daughter to go see Taylor Swift for $2,500.  Really?  Haven’t people heard of a thing called “radio”?  How many CDs would that buy?  I’m just saying!   People are paying $2,500, and that’s just for tickets, but they also have to pay for parking and food.  People like to go to Carolina Panthers games, paying hundreds of dollars for the privilege, and that’s usually in the “nosebleed” section.   Hmmm.  How much does it cost to come to see the Second Person in the Blessed Trinity, Christ Incarnate, present here in the Tabernacle?  Let’s do a cost/benefit analysis on that one, shall we?   God, Himself, is here in the Tabernacle – for free – but not many people show up.  You get to look at God and God gets to look at you.   And it’s better for you.   Now, if you have the money and want to spend it, that’s up to you.  Enjoy yourself . . . that’s your right.  But don’t forget Who is most important.   If you lose Christ, that is a price beyond measure.   

I had a baptism, a wedding, and a wedding preparation session yesterday . . . all in a foreign language – Spanglish.  My Saturdays are never dull.  “Don’t worry, Father – your Spanish is very good.”  Spanish is my fourth language.  Actually, it’s my fifth language – I speak Army proficiently.  So, it’s my fifth language, although I’m not very good at my first.  People think I’m bright – but I’m not.  People want to come in and decorate the church and have a big rehearsal.  And that’s wonderful.   Priests say that they would prefer ten funerals to one wedding.  Funerals are easier to manage, but they are even beginning to get out of hand with the nonnegotiable demands of families.  The decorations in the church are important, although I wish the brides would wear more modest dresses.  I’m a hospital chaplain.  I’ve seen more body parts in 40 years than you will ever have.  Believe me . . . it’s not a thrill.  The most important thing that happens at a wedding is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass . . . the presentation of our Lord’s constant sacrifice before the Father in Heaven.  His greatest act of love which will continue until the end of time for our salvation.  

The second most beautiful thing in a wedding is a man and a woman responding to the love of God.  By saying their vows, they are saying “yes” to Almighty God, and they receive a new vocation.  Their love for God makes them confident enough to say “yes” to Him and to procreate according to the Law of Nature.  Then they are taken up into the Holy Sacrifice and offered to the Father.  That’s the most beautiful thing.  Uniting themselves to God gives meaning to everything.   By focusing on all the other stuff, you are missing what is truly beautiful – the Real Presence of Christ in the Tabernacle.  That’s the most beautiful thing and the one on which we should focus. 

There is a policy book on what to do and not to do regarding decorations in the church.   I had a wedding in a Quonset hut in Korea in the Demilitarized Zone with a broken-down organ.  The American soldier’s parents were there, and they looked worried.   Yeah, if something happens, we’re all dead.  Don’t worry about it.   When I arrived in Korea, I received a briefing from the base commander who said, “Gentlemen, our orders are to die in place.”   I have gone to bed with happier thoughts.   No female soldiers were allowed where we were.  One came by accident, and when it was discovered that the soldier was female, she was gone in less than an hour.  But I remember vividly that wedding and the couple exchanging their vows in a Quonset hut built by Marines in 1953.   Yet that moment was cosmic because the couple found the Pearl of Christ in their vocation . . . the vocation of God.  Everything else in life would take its proper place and have more meaning.  Their personal wants and desires were all sacrificed for one goal . . . building up the love between them by first building up the love of God. 

This is what I tell couples during marriage preparation, and it’s what I told the couple yesterday.  Pray together every day, especially the Rosary.  Bishop Sheen said that.  They didn’t teach that in seminary.  I went to seminary during a very bad time, but I also learned from the ancient masters.  Pray the Rosary every night out loud and not the way the French do.  They really need to take some Valium and slow down.  It’s French – not “mumble.”  Let God hear it.  Words have meaning. 

We are given the pearl of Christ at Baptism, and it can be disguised as all sorts of things we encounter in the world.   He becomes a part of us in Holy Communion and in all the Sacraments to give us purpose, to give us strength, to give us hope, and to give us consolation.  This is what He offers us.  Once our focus is on Him, everything else falls into line appropriately.  When the people we encounter, whether it’s on the highway or in the supermarket, aren’t exactly nice, we tend to go haywire.  “They don’t like me!  They were so mean to me!”  First, look at what Christ puts up with.  And second, those people who were mean to you may be having problems.  “I think everyone should be nice to me because I’m a really nice guy.  Oh wait, I’m supposed to forgive the faults of others out of love for Him.”  Right.  By the way, this lesson will be repeated over and over again.  Mother Teresa and the Sisters of Charity spend a minimum of two hours a day in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament.  They get their strength through the Mass and prayer. 

The church is open every day.  God is waiting here for us.  I have plenty of room at Mass, and I am not overburdened with confessions.  I wish I were.  The pearl of Christ wants to come into your soul.

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 – July 16, 2023 – Hang Around a Barber Shop Long Enough and You’re Gonna Get a Haircut

Hang Around a Barber Shop Long Enough and You’re Gonna Get a Haircut

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

July 15 – 16, 2023

Gospel: Matthew 13:1-23

Our good Lord has given us the gift of life. With that gift of life, we are meant to serve Him in this world and reign with Him in the next. That is what the Catechism tells us. However, to reign with Him in the next life, we must take care of what we’ve been given – our souls. Our souls can become a beautiful garden of joy, peace, and tranquility. And if we take care of that garden, Christ will come dwell in it. But it is up to us to make sure that our garden is prepared for God and a place where the Word of God can get through.

Now, a garden takes a little work, because you first must prepare the soil by tilling and fertilizing it. After that, you need to get the soil ready for plants by removing all the rocks and weeds. It is not fun sometimes, especially in the North Carolina heat. As the Misfits will tell you, our gardens need constant weeding. One day everything can look great in the garden, and the next day it’s full of weeds. “Where the heck did those come from!” It is amazing how quickly Mother Nature will rebound, and those pesky weeds grow back. The bad stuff always seems to grow the quickest. It’s like good and bad habits. While good habits take longer to develop, bad habits develop quickly and, like weeds, are hard to get rid of.

We are called to tend to the garden of our souls so that when Christ comes, and we let Him in, He will find a place where He can grow into a thing of beauty which is Him. We must protect it by avoiding all provocations to sin, whether it is people, places, or things. Remember, if you hang around a barber shop long enough, you’re gonna get a haircut. Stay away from those provocations. You don’t have to go looking for satan; he will find you. We fertilize the garden of our soul with renunciation of self, prayer, penance, and mortification. Through prayer, sacrifice, and corporal and spiritual works of mercy, we prepare for God to come into and remain in our souls.

We must be ever vigilant so that when those sneaky, annoying weeds come back, we are ready for them. It is a never-ending task. No matter your vocation and no matter your age, it is a never-ending task. As Peter tells us, “The devil prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). And that’s true. So, do not tire of doing the daily activities which include prayer and mortification. A commander once told me, “Do the routine things routinely.” “But I’m not getting any benefit from it!” We are never good judges of ourselves. If you do the routine things, you will receive a benefit. You may not feel it, wherein lies the temptation. The last 60 years of spiritual “care” have people thinking more about their feelings. “I don’t feel. . .” and “I feel. . .” You all know my reaction to that – Shut up! I don’t care how you feel . . . I really don’t. I only care about what you do. Christ never asked that question in Scripture. Instead, He asked, “What do you think?” and the apostles got that wrong too. It has nothing to do with feelings and has everything to do with reality.

We must be vigilant and pay attention to our souls every day so that they remain in a state of grace. Do routine things routinely. Keep your garden nice, clean, and free of weeds. Water it with tears of penance for your sins and the sins of others. Fertilize it with acts of love. Do these things so that when our Lord comes and sows the seeds with His Word through the Sacraments, He will find a place where His love can take root and grow.

Father’s Afterthoughts . . .

As part of my continuing education, and so that I don’t forget the stuff learned in seminary, I do a lot of reading about theology, Christology, eschatology, and ecclesiology. With over 2,000 years of Church history, you can’t read or remember it all. So, I keep reading. And because of my work as a hospital chaplain, I read a lot of medical literature to keep up with what I might face in the hospital. I have been reading several articles lately, and I want to pass along what I have learned as a matter of perspective instead of waiting for the synod. The percentage of people who are afflicted with gender dysphoria or transgenderism is about 1.4% of the population. The percentage of people afflicted with same-sex attraction is about 2%. So, in total, we are talking about 4% of the population. Considered together, 40% of these people have additional psychological afflictions. That information comes straight from medical literature. None of those conditions are terminal in themselves. However, to put that into perspective, 10% of the population is afflicted with the disease of alcoholism which, if left untreated, is terminal. Untreated alcoholism is terminal not only for alcoholics, but also for the poor people who encounter them on the highway when they are driving drunk. The alcoholism death rate is astounding. I hope this provides some perspective on what is behind all the arguments.

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 Facebook page at ola.catholic.church. Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”

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Sermon Notes – July 9, 2023 – “Life is Tough. It’s Tougher When You’re Stupid”

Life is Tough – It’s Tougher When You’re Stupid

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

July 8 – 9, 2023

Gospel: Matthew 11:25-30

One of my favorite spiritual maxims that I try to follow, and I pass onto you, is that life is tough; it’s tougher when you’re stupid. And I think we can all agree on that. I really should have that translated into Latin because if I were to ever become a bishop, I’d have it placed on my Coat of Arms. Life has been tough, and we have struggled ever since our first parents ate us out of house and home in the Garden of Eden. Their sin and the sins we have committed since Baptism make life a lot tougher than it has to be because we don’t ask for spiritual help. Some famous last words are, “I’ve got this.” How are you feeling? “I’m fine!” Some people are always angry and upset. “Oh! The Church did this and did that!” When and where? “Well, it says this.” I’ve never been told that, and I think I would have gotten the message. Saying that “I’m going to do this my own way” is a sign of pride. Let me know how that works out for you. Christ said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Not you and not me. If we do as He asks, life gets better. Our Lord promises us peace and a joy that nobody can take from us, which is Him. But we have to do first things first.

In counseling there is a book used in 12-Step programs called “Drop the Rock.” The story is about a guy who is swimming out to a boat, and he starts to drown. A guy on the boat says, “You can make it, but you have to drop the rock!” The guy who is drowning says, “No. I love rock too much. I love my lifestyle. I love the pain sooo much, and I don’t want to give it up!” We don’t want to give up the high price of low living. Are you doing well? Are you happy? “No, but it’s the only thing I know!” That’s true. We are afraid of the unknown. We get used to having the pebble in our shoe, so when it’s gone, we are frightened. We are used to having the pain, and when it’s gone, we think something is wrong. That’s why when people get clean or sober, they find it frightening. They’ve never been that way before, and they have to get used to a whole new style of living.

I tell people that the greatest freedom and happiness they can have in this life is to love Christ with all your body, with all your mind, and with all your soul. Who knows – you might dry out. “Oh, I don’t know if I can survive being sober.” Okay, I’ll give you a 12-month program. Go to Confession once a month, say the rosary every day, and go to Mass on Sundays – more often is better. And, if at the end of 12 months, you are not happier, your misery will be cheerfully refunded. So far, in my 39 years of priesthood, nobody has come back to me and said, “You were wrong.” Not one. You want a challenge? Here you go.

Our Lord promises us peace and happiness. Not happiness like sunshine and rainbows – oops, we can’t use that word anymore. “Oh, we are so happy and joyous!” Are you crazy? Do you know the stuff I carry around? Do you know my crosses? My goodness! Our Lord promised us inner peace when He dwells in our souls. And all the things that happen externally cannot disturb that peace. They may upset us and make us anxious, but that peace cannot be taken away. The only way it can be removed is by our driving Christ out of our souls through sin. But if we do as He asks, we will receive what He has promised, and we can have peace in our soul.

If you read the Gospel in its original translation, it says, “My yoke is sweet. My burden light.” Do you know what “sweet” means? Each yoke is carved for a specific animal and is not interchangeable because other animals are different. The Lord prescribes a yoke for us that is specifically for us. All our crosses are individual and not comparative. “My cross is worse than yours.” “No, mine is worse than yours!” Shut Up!! No, it’s not. God knows how much we can handle with His help. Each cross is sufficient to keep us humble and reliant on our good Lord. So, your cross cannot be compared to someone else’s. I’m willing to bet that no one has ever been kept awake with the thought that they will never be made Monsignor. Nobody has ever gotten worry lines like me while wondering when the next apple pie, peach cobbler, pineapple, or Jell-O will be coming. I don’t see any worry lines on your faces. No one has been as upset as me about having to give up bacon. You ain’t seen the troubles I’ve seen! “Oh, I’ve got worse crosses than that!” Well, it’s not a comparison, but our good Lord gives us the strength to carry them.

There have been a few saints during our lifetime you would know about and who had unbelievable crosses that were revealed only after their deaths. Padre Pio, the flying monk, intercepted B-17 bombers and prevented them from bombing his monastery. He was tempted by the devil a lot, yet he was full of gentleness, comfort, and hope. Saint Teresa of Calcutta, such a sweet woman, had amazing temptations. Saint John Paul II grew up in Nazi Poland. Try growing up there and let me know how much fun it is. Yet, he was the most gentle of the Holy Fathers. Bishop Sheen, who you may remember from television, had movie star looks. He had a sense of style and looked great on camera. Know what his diet consisted of? Boiled chicken, graham crackers and milk. That’s all his stomach could take. But you never knew it. We have examples right in front of us in our parents and friends who have lived through immense tragedies and kept their faith.

Our good Lord offers to help us with all our crosses. He begs us to take that yoke upon ourselves. Don’t make life harder than necessary. We can rid ourselves of the garbage in our souls at Confession. Remember my spiritual maxim: Life is tough. It’s tougher when you’re stupid. Don’t be stupid.

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 Facebook page at ola.catholic.church. Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”

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Sermon Notes – July 2, 2023 – Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places  


Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places  

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

July 1 – 2, 2023

Gospel:  Matthew 10:37-42


When I prepare couples for marriage, I don’t ask them if they have learned how to talk to one another.  No . . . I’m not Doctor Phil.  I wanted to be Doctor House, but I’m definitely not Doctor Phil.  The whole basis of marriage, a vocation, is love of God.  Be holy and perfect and all things will be given to you.  Our Lord tells us being holy is first and foremost because you cannot give what you do not have.   When we are united with the Source of love, we can give that love to others.  All love comes from the Father because He is love itself.  And that is what I tell couples.  If you want to have a marriage that lasts and survives the rotten times, be holy.  However, good times can be rotten too, and you should be wary of them.   

I also tell couples to pray the Rosary together every night.  “Father, what if they are not Catholic?”  Well, the good news is that they are praying the Rosary.  The bad news is that it ain’t going to hurt a bit.  There is no downside.  If you pray the Rosary together, you can talk to each other about anything.  I got that from Bishop Sheen by the way.  I’m not that bright.  You need to be united to the Source of life.  “But Father, you are not married.”   I could not do that to a woman although my brother did, and he had a Mensa card.    

Each vocation is manifested in love to the Sacred Body of Christ – the Church.  In my 39 years of priesthood, I have seen so many priests and religious leave the vocation because they do not, and will not, give themselves totally to God.  “My work is my prayer.”   No, it’s not.   Those are two different words.  I know because I went to Catholic school.  They are spelled differently and mean different things.  Both can be acts of love, but you cannot give what you do not have.  So, you must return to and be united with the Source of love.  Remember, in Scripture, Christ said, “Come away and spend time with God.”   The religious and priests become disheartened, and they leave.  They go looking for love in all the wrong places.   They look for love in people, places, and things.   Some do come back, which is tough because they don’t want to admit their mistakes.  But that Love they once touched won’t give up and follows them.  The faithful are united with the source of God’s love and seek Him by immersing themselves in His love through the Sacraments.  This is where we get the strength to do what God asks of us – to do corporal and spiritual works of mercy. 

We always like it when people thank us for our good works, but most people don’t.   “Well, Father, you do good works.”  I hope so; I’m going to be judged on that.  “So, people must thank you a lot.”   No, not really.   I’ve performed a lot of funerals and weddings and did not even get a thank you note.  Doing weddings is like negotiating with terrorists.  They come in with a list of nonnegotiable demands.   This is my Church, and I appreciate your desire to have your wedding here, but we don’t do that here.  “Well, father so and so does it.”  That’s nice.  Here are the rules straight from the Church’s rulebook.   Many people don’t say “thank you.”   Although we do it for Christ, I would love to get a “thank you” especially for the staff here who work so hard.   

Our feelings get hurt when people don’t say “thank you” and appreciate the enormity of our stooping down from our greatness to help them.   However, we humbly do it for Christ, and people see Christ in our human natures.   It’s tough sometimes.  Because you are hurt, you really want to say some good old Anglo-Saxon words that shouldn’t be used in polite company.  But Christ says, “You gave a gift of love to Me, and I will repay you according to My nature.”   So do not worry about it.  Bring Me your sorrows.  Bring Me your rejections.  Bring Me your feelings of being unappreciated.   Bring them to Me and stay awhile.  You will learn how unappreciated I am for My gift of love.  I offer Myself to the world in the Blessed Sacraments and look at how few show up.  Look at how few say, “thank you.”   People haven’t finished singing my praises and they begin leaving the church.  Whoa!  Did I dismiss you?  No!  They can’t wait to leave even though there’s not much going on in Albemarle at 10:30 in the morning. 

Once I had a funeral here, and it was on a day like this.  After the funeral, we got into the car to drive to the cemetery.  We drove at a funeral pace, so we were not traveling very fast.  I had the robes on, and I was very thirsty.  But when you are in a hearse and in a funeral procession, you really can’t ask the driver to stop at a gas station so you can grab a Coke.  That would be in poor taste and really frowned upon.   I got to the church – and it was a beautiful church – if you don’t know where it is, you’ll never find it.  It’s up over a hill and back.  I got out of the hearse and began walking to the grave site.  And there was this big, old man in bib overalls coming toward me with a cup in his hand.  He said, “I thought you might like this.”   It was a cup of ice-cold water.   He is now resting with his family in the back of the church grounds.  It was such a great act of love.  How he knew that I would need it or if it was a simple act of courtesy and kindness, I don’t know.  He did not know me, and I did not know him.  As I talked to him, I realized that he was related to some of the parishioners here.  But such as that.  Always remember, when we do things for others, we are doing them for Christ. 

Father’s Reflections . . . I looked at the calendar today, and I was reminded that 21 years ago I received an interesting letter.  Know who it was from?  The AARP.  Know what made it so interesting?  They sent it to me while I was in Iraq.  So, we have geriatrics protecting our country.  Great!

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 Facebook page at ola.catholic.church.  Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”

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Sermon Notes – June 25, 2023 – The High Price of Low Living

The High Price of Low Living

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

June 24 – 25, 2023

Gospel:  Matthew 10:26-33

Years ago, my older brother, John, went to the doctor.  The doctor told my brother that she had bad news for him.   John said, “What’s that?”  The doctor told him that he had Hepatitis C.  She also told John that he could probably be cured of it, but that he would have to stop drinking.   My brother thought about it and said, “I appreciate that doctor, but I like to drink.”  This was a guy who kept a bottle of vodka in his freezer.  Now, my brother was not a stupid man.  John and my twin brother both had Mensa cards, members of the Society of Geniuses.  John had a great doctor who offered all her talents and abilities to increase the odds of his survival.  Sometimes Hepatitis C can lie dormant forever, but it can also come and take you out.  My brother decided to play the odds and to continue drinking, but he lost the gamble.  The doctor had tried to help John, but he refused God’s gift.  I was there when he died.  He died a much more painful death than he should have.  It was not a pleasant way to go. 

I’ve been reading all these articles in Catholic newspapers about our needing to be a “welcoming Church.”  I have a question.  Remember “Welcome Back Kotter” and what happened when Horshack had a question?  OOOOHHH!  OOOOHHH!  OOOOHHH!  I have a question!   When were we not a welcoming Church?   My brother’s doctor used all her expertise trying to get him to change his mind.  But he was stuck on stupid.  You cannot fix stupid; you can only medicate it.   Saying that we are “not welcoming” is an insult to the people of God.  Look at all the Catholic hospitals, schools, and orphanages that took everybody.   A lot of times when the poor inquired about their bills, there were none.   How can we not be welcoming? 

Now, I’ve been a Catholic for 69 years and 40+ weeks.  I was very young when I was baptized, so I don’t remember the exact date.   My father was an usher, and I never saw him throw anyone out of church.  I have never seen Lori body slam anybody who came into the office.  That doesn’t mean she hasn’t wanted to, but she’s never done it.  I have been here for 20 years, and I have never observed anyone not welcome in this church.  Bea’s husband, Tommy, was an usher here for 55 years, and he was not Catholic until near the end of his life.  That’s an interesting story.  Tommy attended a Baptist church for 55 years.  When he was very sick, I went to his house to see him.   We watched Russian crash videos which I highly recommend by the way.  While I was there, Tommy said, “Father, how do I become Catholic?”   Well, I can hook a brother up tomorrow – no problem.  How can we not be welcoming?   Did Stump or Navy-boy Timmy ever check your baptismal certificates or bank statements?   No.  Did you ever hear me say, “If you are not Catholic, you are going to hell”?    No.  So, I get pretty indignant when people say that we are not welcoming.  What did Christ say?   “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28-30).   “Yeah baby!”   Not so fast.  He also said, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.”   “Oh, so there are conditions?”   Yes.  You must give up the high price of low living.  “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (Mk 8:34).    Leave your father and mother; sell everything you have and give it to the poor; eat My body and drink My blood; one wife and one husband, marriage between male and female. . .  Do you think our Lord got it wrong? 

Our Lord has a lot of conditions, but they are not burdensome.  The Commandments are acts of love, and love is easy.  It is the mindset that comes from sin that tells us they are difficult.   Just like addicts we think, “You don’t care.  If you really cared for me, you’d give me my drugs or booze.”  Come up higher . . . You will feel much better when you stop doing that stupid stuff.  Aren’t you tired of hurting?   Come up higher.  Come enjoy the grace of God.  Come enjoy His peace in your soul and the full joy of not being bound by old habits and sin.   Is it always instantaneous?  No.  When people get sober, tell them it takes about two years to regain their marbles.  It takes about five years to learn how to play with them, because original sin diminishes the will and intellect.  Repeated sin does the same thing. 

We are always carrying our cross.  When we preach what Christ did, we are a welcoming Church.  We are not being hurtful or hateful.  I came to Albemarle 20 years ago, and I am responsible for the spiritual care of all people within 404 square miles.  Church law doesn’t say “all Catholic souls” – it simply says “all souls.”  By virtue of my office, I am supposed to be welcoming to all people.  So, I take the insult that we are “not welcoming” personally.  We are trying to help people.   When we carry our cross, we take his place.  The Pharisees said, “We will believe you if you come down from the cross.”   But Christ said, “Come up with me. Share My passion.  Then you will know true peace.”   

We are very welcoming of people here.  You should have been at the baptism I had yesterday.  They were Spanish, and I couldn’t pronounce their names.  Y’all know how great my Spanish skills are.  It was a lot fun and full of laughter as the Anglo struggled to speak Spanish.   When I was overseas, we had people from Bangladesh and Pakistan who wanted to come to Mass.  But they couldn’t when the Saudi Arabians were around.  The Ministry of Internal Security wouldn’t allow Catholic Mass, so they would sneak in with us, and they were all welcome.  They were afraid that the Saudi Arabians would bust in during Mass.  I told them that we had a couple hundred of heavily armed men who were not in a good mood.   I didn’t think anyone was going to bother us. 

We are all one in Christ.  We are all welcome.  Yes, Christ has certain rules, that’s true.  But by being here, we are all a testimony that those rules are not burdensome.   We welcome everybody.  Unfortunately, we have plenty of pew space.  I wish that more people were here.  I would even add another Mass if needed.   We are welcoming.  People will always be drawn to Him.  And in that welcoming, in that call from Up Higher, they will see Christ.

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 Facebook page at ola.catholic.church.  Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”

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Sermon Notes – June 18, 2023 – Stop Reinventing the Wheel


Stop Reinventing the Wheel

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

June 17 – 18, 2023

Gospel:  Matthew 9:36-10:8

Today we hear about Jesus choosing the 12 apostles.  Now, if you look at their resumes, they are a bit thin.  Even though Jesus is supposed to know everything, He chose Judas who betrayed Him.  All of the apostles were cowards as was demonstrated in the Garden of Gethsemane.  He didn’t pick too well, did He.  One of my theology professors, Father Francis Conway who is now in Heaven, would often say, “How odd of God to choose the Jews.”  And that’s true.  Why would He pick the Jews to bring salvation to the world?   On the world stage, they were not even a footnote.   Did they have an empire for 2,000 years like the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans?   Nope.  So just who were the Jews?  They were nothing.  It’s true.  Then why did He pick them?  Because if they cooperated with His grace, they could become something. 

Look at Moses . . . he killed a man.   Yet Moses saw God face-to-face like one man talking to another.  He also received the Ten Commandments and was chosen to lead the Israelites to the Promised Land.   But it’s not about what Moses was; instead, it was about what God could do with him through His grace.   It was the same with the apostles and what they could become.  Spoiler alert – you will hear next week that the apostles came back and said to the Lord, “Oh wow.  We did all these things.  We did what you told us to do, and it worked!”  Well, yeah!  Do what you are told, and you will receive what you have been promised.  It’s not who we are . . . it’s who we can become if we cooperate with God’s grace.  Look at Saul.  He persecuted followers of our Lord.  Go through Church history, and you will see that there are a lot of stories like Saul’s. 

What matters is what we can become.  It’s not the letters in front of or after your name.  Becoming “Very Reverend” made my mother very happy.  It’s just an honorary title in my position.  It doesn’t mean I’m “very reverend.”  I wish I were.  And all the letters after my name just prove I can take tests and are not a measure of how much I learned.   It doesn’t make me more wonderful or smarter than anyone else.  It doesn’t make what I have done better than what anyone else has done.   But God can use it . . . He can use the worst of someone’s past to transform the world.  Think about this:  88 years ago, our Lord used two men.   One was a drunken stockbroker and the other was a drunken physician.  Do you know what God did with those two men?  They formed Alcoholics Anonymous and all the Twelve Step programs.  How many men, women, and children have they saved.  The drunken stockbroker and physician were two of what the world would call “losers,” and look at what God did with them. 

God chose all of us, not for what we are but for what we can become.  Each of us, because of our vocation in the Body of Christ, can go where others cannot.  You cannot go where I go, and I cannot go where you go to bring God’s message and to evangelize.   God has chosen you and chosen me, depending on our place in the Body of Christ, to be His apostles, to be His disciples, and to be His evangelists.  This is not a reward.  “Oh, you are such a good person.  You did very well in your studies.  I’m so proud of you!”  We are given this grace for the good of others and not for our own well-being.  It’s not an “Atta Boy.”   God has given us all our talents and abilities – or perhaps our lack of talents and abilities.  Remember what God said to Saint Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”  Even in our suffering, we can teach people how to suffer and how to love.  Chaplain students all want to fix people.  “Oh, we are going to talk, and I’ll get them into social welfare counseling.”  Oh really?  You have a very blessed job, and you may not realize it, but you are called to attend to those suffering in Christ.   Laying in that bed is to suffer in Christ.  Granted, they may be a royal real pain in the caboose.  Not all people – sick or healthy – are nice.   I’ve been cursed out a lot.  Granted, I may have deserved some of it . . . but I’ve been cursed out a lot!  When you try to do something nice for somebody and they do not appreciate it, they let you know in a lot of different ways and in no uncertain terms.  They are suffering in Christ, and your reaction – or hopefully your lack of reaction – is evangelistic. 

God chose us to be His apostles in the new Body of Christ.  The apostles are now long in Heaven.  They were all cowards, but look at what happened to them . . .  10 of the 11 died a martyr’s death.  Although Peter was a coward, he died a martyr’s death by being crucified upside down.  Crucifixion is not a fun way to go, but upside down is even worse.  Paul had his head chopped off by the Romans.   By the way, that was considered an honor because it was an easier death.   God chose all of us but not to try to recreate the wheel – “Oh, we have this new program, and it’s great!”   Really?   Let me see if I can find that in the Bible.  Nope, not there.   I wonder why it didn’t work.  But they all need your money.   Just do what Christ told you to do.  The apostles were surprised that everything Christ told them to do worked.   We may see that some of our actions produce fruit – probably not though.  So do not be surprised by a temptation from satan.  We do what we are told to do.  Obedience to God’s commands is a work of love.  Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep my Commandments.”   So, when we have done a work of love, let that work of love bear fruit even if it is later.

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 Facebook page at ola.catholic.church.  Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”