Category: Sermon Notes

Transripts of weekly sermons

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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 20, 2023 – “We Have No Idea”

“We Have No Idea”

 Father Peter Fitzgibbons

 August 19 – 20, 2023

Gospel:  Matthew 15:21-28

I was visiting a soldier in the ER the other day.  I introduced myself as Chaplain Fitzgibbons and one of the chaplains at the VA Medical Center.  We were talking and getting along really well.  The soldier asked, “What religion are you?”  I told him I am a Roman Catholic and the Catholic priest for the Medical Center.  “Oh.”   Then we talked about the military branches we served in.  A little later, he asked me again, “What religion are you?”   “I’m a Roman Catholic.”  He was in pain and perhaps not the sharpest knife in the drawer.  His wife spoke up and said, “Well, we are Christian.”   Apparently, since I am not their brand of acceptable Christianity, I will not be going to Heaven when the Rapture takes place.  Okay.  Now, if they had not been civilians, I would have gone back to my old days in the military and put them both into a leaning rest because I was tired of looking at their faces.  I would have made it a one-way conversation.  Believe it or not, I do not care to be insulted.   Anyway, I said, “Well, don’t you think our good Lord considers the Crosses other people carry that we don’t see?  Don’t you think He takes that into account at Judgement?”   They said, “No.  You must be a member of this one particular sect.”   Okay. 

We just got a new admission to Hospice.  He is 56 years old, and he had a brain tumor that was removed.  Unfortunately, it has spread everywhere, and he is now in his end-days.  I don’t think I will see him again in this life.   This man was a police officer for 20 years, but when he couldn’t take it anymore, he retired.  Tom Adams will tell you that people can be devious and lie.  Think about all the sorrow and distress that man had to absorb within himself.  I was talking to his sister who is his caretaker.  After he left law enforcement, he moved to Florida to take care of his aging mother who is still alive.  So, this guy had a lot of things going on.  His sister told me that he had never been baptized.  Later, I motioned for his sister to come over to the doorway so that nobody could hear us.  I said, “When the doctor comes by and adjusts his pain meds, he will be bombed and won’t feel any pain as he leaves us.  I will be happy to baptize him then.”  God understands. 

We had this one lady who had Lewy Body Dementia.  Is she in Heaven?  I think she has a pretty good shot at it . . .  probably a lot better chance than me.  She was an Army nurse for 30 years in a field hospital in Vietnam.  Not fun!   She was also physically and sexually abused by her husband who mercifully died.  I met him once, and he seemed like a super nice guy.  However, I got the back story from the nurses and, apparently, he was not a nice guy.  But we were fortunate that we had a nurse who was trained and could help her deal with some of what she had endured.

So, we have no idea of who goes where.  We are called to respond to people of different faiths.  Our Lord calls us higher to the Catholic Church.   But we have no idea of the Crosses that other people carry.  Our Crosses are not comparative.  God wants us all to enter Heaven.  Did He go to this woman in the Gospel and say, “You are Samaritan and a dog.”  “Dog” was not a good term back then.  “Do you tithe?”  “Did you give to the DSA?”   DSA is the priest retirement collection.  He asked her none of those questions.  Instead, He gave the woman the gift of faith and love for Him.  God is looking for an excuse to give us the gifts of His love.   He gives them to us all the time and more often if we ask for them.  Sometimes His gifts are not the ones we want.  We cannot see the beauty in them, especially the gift of our Crosses.  They are beautiful things and are what will get us into Heaven.  Sometimes we really don’t appreciate the beauty of our Crosses, but God gives us these gifts because of His love.  Some of these gifts are meant to keep us humble so that we don’t wander off the reservation.  So, we do not judge.  God loves us all.  He asks us all to come up higher and that is a struggle for each and every one of us.  Some days are more difficult than others. 

But we do not judge who gets into Heaven and who doesn’t.  We don’t know.  Only God sees everything.   People in these minor sects say, “Well if you don’t know Jesus Christ, you are not going to Heaven.”  That staggers the imagination.  So let me understand this.  Is God all loving?  Scripture says He is.  He created the world out of love and sustains it out of love.  So, He created the people in Mongolia who have no idea who Jesus Christ is or what a DSA is.  Did God create them out of love just to send them to Hell?   God does not do that.  He wants us all to come to Him.  And remember, we have no idea what Crosses other people are carrying. 

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 – August 6, 2023 – Busy is Not Your Friend

Busy is Not Your Friend

 Father Peter Fitzgibbons

August 5 – 6, 2023

Gospel:  Matthew 17:1-9

In today’s Gospel, the transfiguration happened about 10 days before our Lord’s Passion.   The Lord gave Peter, James, and John this great gift to show them His power so that they would be strengthened and fortified for the scandal of the Cross . . . the Passion.  He showed them who He was. . .  true God and true Man.  Our Lord lowered the veil of His humanity to show them His divinity.   His face became like the sun.  The three apostles had a foretaste of Heaven.  They saw Moses and Elijah there.  And it begs the question . . . How did they know it was Moses and Elijah?   This happened thousands of years before Facebook, and there were no pictures.  So, how the heck did they know?   Their minds were enlightened in the presence of God.  Moses, Elijah, and others were discussing with our Lord events that were still to come so we will have knowledge of the future.  Remember, Heaven is outside of time.  There is no time in Heaven.  Everything is in the present at once because God is.  They heard the voice of God the Father call out, a theophany or the manifestation of God.  “This is My beloved Son. Listen to Him.”   Peter offered to build three shelters – one for Moses, one for Elijah, and one for the Lord.  Peter said he wanted that moment to go on forever, but it didn’t.    Do you know what is interesting?  If you go back to the Old Testament, Moses disobeyed God when he struck the rock two times.  And the Lord said, “You are not entering the Promised Land.”   And where was Moses that day?  He was in the Promised Land which means there is forgiveness after death.  So, Moses made it to the Promised Land. 

The great spiritual consolations our God gives us are never lasting even though we want them to be.  They only last in Heaven.   Now this is a grave thing about the spiritual life or spiritual direction.  I was thinking about laypeople who say, “I’m a Spiritual Director.”  Uh-huh.  I’m Doctor House because I have watched every show.  That qualifies me, right?  If you say this prayer and do this, you will always be happy.  Really?  Check with a qualified medical professional about adjusting your meds.   We are never always happy.  Remember in the Book of Acts, the apostles were thrown into prison.  Prisons back then were very different.  One, they didn’t have cameras; and two, guess what happened to them . . . they got what we call “an attitude adjustment.”   They had the living you know what beat out of them.  But they rejoiced because they were found worthy to suffer for the Lord.   Our Lord said, “You will suffer for Me.”  He prophesied that we would have many trials and tribulations.  Look at Saint Paul’s letter to the Corinthians.   He was shipwrecked three times, stoned, and scourged.  “Hey God, if this is the way you treat your friends, it’s no wonder you have so few!”   He did not have an easy time of it, but he kept going. 

There is a great temptation when our time to suffer comes and everything seems to go bad.  We don’t feel our prayers, we aren’t being listened to, and it’s the same darn thing day after day.  So, the spiritual life is not always marvelous.  It is more like “Oh, if only I could see God.”   How many of the apostles were in the Garden of Gethsemane?   Only one was at the foot of the Cross.  Yet, in three years they saw all the miracles – at least three risen from the dead.   Think about all the miracles our Lord did.  “Oh, if I had just one big spiritual moment, I’d never doubt again.”  That’s not true.  We are no better than the apostles.  Our good Lord’s consolations to us, His appearances to us, and His gifts to us come not when we want them, but when our Lord decides we need them or as a free act of love to let us know He is always there.  But we tend to forget.  We get wrapped up in our daily lives and events, and the crushing work of staring at the coffee pot and microwave willing them to work faster.    Sometimes, we are so busy that we overlook the obvious.  “I didn’t see the police officer sitting there.”   It’s a big black car marked “State Police.”  How could you miss it?   We have tunnel vision while driving.  Father Adrian van Kaam reminds us in his book that many times we are too busy and tend to overlook our Lord’s consolations.  Our Lord reminds us of His presence and His care in the ordinary, mundane, and trivial events in our lives.  That’s why it’s so important at the end of the day to do an examination of conscience.  Take some time to look back over the day, not to see what you did right or wrong, but to see what our Lord is trying to say.   “Hi.  I love you!  It’s Me.  I’m here.”  We overlook it all. 

A couple of years ago, I was going out to visit someone in the hospital.  As I was walking upstairs, a nurse was coming down them.  She asked, “Are you a priest?”   Yeah.   “I was just going to call you.”  Well, I saved you a dime.  “There is someone upstairs in ICU who is dying.”   I told the family that it was just by chance that I was in town and that I was in the stairwell when I met the nurse.  God loves this person who was passing so much that I just happened to be there to give them Last Rites.  It’s tiny little things like that which show how much God loves us, but we are so busy that we overlook them. 

God gives those moments to us because He knows how fragile we are.  The apostles were always filled with fear, and we are no different.  God always gives us reminders of His love.  Not huge ones because that would scare the you know what out of us, but tiny, little reminders and consolations that we often overlook.  Consoling moments sometimes just show up when we least expect them. God speaks to us about the most ordinary things.  Thank Him for them.  He is aware of our strengths, our pain, and our fear.  He has not left us. 

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.”