Category: Sermon Notes

Transripts of weekly sermons

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Sermon Notes – May 14, 2023 – Grace Builds Upon Grace

Grace Builds Upon Grace

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

May 13 – 14, 2023

Gospel: John 14:15-21

In Latin, the word “Sacrament” means “mystery.”  So, why does God give us the Sacraments?  Through the Sacraments, He gives us the fruits of His suffering, death, and resurrection for the life of our souls.  The Sacraments (Baptism, Marriage, Holy Orders, Last Rites, Confirmation, Holy Communion, and Confession) are given at various times.  In Eastern Rite churches, Confirmation is called chrismation and is given at birth along with baptism.  I prefer it that way.  It’s like giving children all their shots early so they don’t get sick.   

The Sacrament of Confirmation is a strengthening Sacrament and helps you fight temptations if you use it.  To use it, you must practice your faith. . . . Mass on Sundays, Confession at least once a year, and prayer.  Now, I am a man of no talent while my brother had many talents.  I enjoy people who have talents, and I wish I had them.  Frankie has a wonderful talent.  She reads a foreign language called music.  That is totally foreign to me.  I took some music appreciation courses in college because they were easy A’s.  To get as good as Frankie is, she had to practice constantly; otherwise, she would lose her talent.  It’s just like your muscles; if you don’t use them, they atrophy.  It’s the same for the grace God offers us for our souls.  God gives you the gift of Himself to help you in this world and to keep you holy.  By staying holy, you evangelize.  For example, when you say to people, “I don’t do that” and they say “Why not?  Everybody else does it.”  And you say, “Because it’s not right.  It’s not Christ-like.”  That’s evangelization.  That’s someone who has a Christian backbone and stands up to what’s not right.   God gives you this grace which is fortified by prayer.  You never lose it.  If you commit a grave sin, it becomes dormant because sin drives God out of your soul.   But He is always willing to come back.  That’s the beauty of God’s love.  He never writes any of us off.  At the VA, I don’t ask patients if they want Last Rites because they are going to get it whether they want it or not.  I’m not going to ask.  They will have Last Rites because it’s a sign of God’s love.

God gives Himself to us so that we may have eternal life.   When we receive the Sacraments for the first time like Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, and Marriage, it’s so exciting.  However, after the first or second time, Confession kind of feels mundane or ordinary.  But it’s not ordinary.  Just because it’s not like the first time doesn’t mean it’s not as good or that you aren’t doing it right.  In fact, it’s just the opposite.  It means you are doing it right, because one grace from the Sacraments builds upon another and strengthens your will.  Grace builds upon grace. 

When you cooperate with the grace from the Sacraments, you grow in God’s love.  A word of caution- when we draw closer to God, it catches the devil’s attention, and he will really come after us.  Now, do you always feel yourself growing closer to God?  No.  For example, many of us are on blood pressure medicine.  You really don’t feel it working, but it’s easy to find out by using a sphygmomanometer.  Thunk!   Just because you don’t feel it, doesn’t mean it’s not working.  That’s a temptation of the devil.   What that lack of sensory excitement means is that your love for God is becoming deeper and more ingrained.  You know what the happiest day of a married couple should be?  The day that one leaves to see Jesus.  Not because you want to see Jesus – although that’s a good idea – and not because you are rid of them – till death do us part is not a hope and prayer.  It’s because that love should have kept on building over all the years and becoming deeper.  It is deeper because the love you have as a 40-year-old is not the same as when you were first married in your 20’s.  It is deeper.  Hopefully, you’ve changed by growing in holiness.  Saying the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is a lot different for me than it was 38 years ago when I was a young priest.  I’ve said Mass in some unusual places.  I got to say Mass at the cathedral with the bishop.  Woo-hoo!   But each Mass was deeper than the earlier ones.  So, you mustn’t give into the devil’s temptation by saying, “Oh, I’m not getting anything out of the Sacraments.”   Of course, you are.  You may not feel it, but you are.  Otherwise, you are denying His power.  In the Gospel, Christ said, “And I will put my spirit within you.…” (Ezekiel 36:27).  How does His spirit come within you?   It comes through the Sacraments.  So, if you say you’re getting nothing from the Sacraments, you are denying the Gospel.  If you say, “I get nothing out of the Mass,” that’s okay – you aren’t supposed to.  You come to give of yourself.  You give yourself into my hands, and I, acting in the person of Christ, emulate with you Christ’s sacrifice on the altar as an offering to the Father.  You are united to His suffering, and I give you back your life in Holy Communion. 

I want to thank all the teachers who helped with Faith Formation this year.  It was a wonderful year.  It’s hard to do because we live in a very un-Christian society.  I appreciate the sacrifice; I really do.  Never think that your sacrifice goes unnoticed.  You will be repaid for anything you do for the love of God.   But you’ll never know when.  He will reward you for any small act of love you do for Him.  Give of yourself totally in the Mass.  Everybody has problems and they bring them here.  Make an intellectual prayer:  “I offer myself totally to you.”  And with that offering, you become part of Christ’s sacrifice.   From that offering, you give back to yourself.  More than that, He gives Himself to you.  

Father’s Reflections . . . Yesterday was kind of fun.  People were all dressed up for Confirmation although that’s not a requirement.  They really looked good.  Even Tom Adams looked like he was ready for Hartsell’s Funeral Home.  Last night, we had 14 Confirmations and one First Communion.  It was an interesting day.   I administered five of the seven Sacraments.  If I had performed a marriage ceremony, it would have been six Sacraments.  The remaining sacrament is Holy Orders which only a bishop can administer.   Finally, I am sad to announce that Ms. Dottie is retiring after almost 50 years of teaching Faith Formation.  We’ll leave the light on just in case she changes her mind.  She will be missed. 

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” then “Menu” and then “Categories.”  Sermon Notes are also available on the church Facebook page at facebook.com/ola.catholic.church.  Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”

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Sermon Notes – May 7, 2023 – Lack of Knowledge is Not the Problem


Lack of Knowledge is Not the Problem

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

May 6 – 7, 2023

Gospel: John  14:1-12

Saint Thomas said, “Lord, we do not know where you are going; How can we know the way?”  Jesus told them the way . . . “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”   And throughout His ministry, He spelled out exactly what we need to do to get to Heaven.  A lack of knowledge is not our problem; otherwise I could give you some books, Liz could give you a quiz, and you’d be done and on your way to Heaven.    If a lack of knowledge was the problem, every bishop, every priest, and every cardinal would be a saint.  They all have those initials after their names.  I have initials after my name, but all that proves is that I can take tests.  Taking the knowledge and applying it is the key.  “We want to do it, but we lack the will.”   No.  It’s not a lack of will.  We want to decide for God what is best for us.  We don’t want to be told, and we don’t want to follow.  It’s also not that we lack the strength to do His Will, because God has given us the means to do His Will by prayer and the Sacraments.    He offers to share His divine life which gives us the power to do what must be done.   We return His love by renouncing ourselves and doing what He asks of us.  To be a follower of Christ, we must renounce our very selves and take up our cross.  “Who said?”   I’m just reading the black part from Scripture.  We must renounce our will and do what Christ has asked us to do.  He doesn’t ask us to make judgement calls on what is right or wrong.  He said, “Do what I ask you to do.”  And He was very plain about it.  He is very precise in His directions about what to do and what not to do. 

What is the biggest impediment to following His Will?  Two words . . .  our will.  “Unless you leave your father and mother you cannot be my disciple.”  Now, He was using hyperbole.  The Fourth Commandment is to take care of your parents when they cannot care for themselves.  “Sell everything you have, give it to the poor, and follow me.”   Nope.  Not doing that.  “You can have only one wife until death takes care of her or you.”  Can’t do that either.  The biggest impediment is our will.  But we have to give up our will in order to do His.  Jesus said, “I have come to do the Will of My Father,” and He showed us an example to the point of His suffering and death.  

The most difficult vow a priest takes is obedience.  When I was home, even then I got phone calls because everything is an emergency that only I can handle.  Some day I will take the big “dirt nap” and someone else will have to fill in while someone fills me in up North.  Anyway, the call was from the Chancellor who wanted to know when I was going to schedule vicariate meetings because I’m the vicar and apparently a monsignor too.  I heard that the visiting priest gave me a promotion.  That was awfully nice of him.  I feel really good about myself now!   So, the Chancellor said that Monsignor Winslow wanted me to schedule the meetings.  The Chancellor knew I was away.  I’m on vacation; leave me alone! 
I told the Chancellor that I really couldn’t do it because I was on vacation.  Well, he wouldn’t let it go, and I really wanted to tell him some things that would not have been politically beneficial to me and disobedient.  I knew better.  I would have been out of here in a second.  I’ve got a good gig going here, so I said, “Yes, Monsignor.  I will do it.”   And that’s the hardest part.  It wasn’t the task itself; that was just a phone call and a few notes.  No problem.  It’s the renunciation of the will . . . to imitate Christ and do the Will of the Father. 

There are two parts of the will:  1) objective by following a command by those we owe obedience to and 2) subjective ascent.  Subjective ascent is the hardest of them all.  If you say, “Yes Monsignor.  Yes Monsignor” but in your mind you are thinking, “Take that, Monsignor.”   Don’t let that bad voice come out, otherwise it might not be pleasant.  That’s the hardest part of turning your will over to God.  When Adam and Eve walked with God and talked with God as the old hymn goes, they had one thing to do, and they screwed it up.  And here we are.  It is hard to restrain our will both exteriorly by objective obedience and interiorly by interior sin.  And that’s what we have to work on.  That’s why we pray and do Penance.  “But, I’m not getting anything out of prayer.”  You’re not getting anything out of prayer?  “No.”  Great, you’re not supposed to.  Prayer is a gift for the other.  “I don’t like going to hospitals.  There are sick people there.”   Yeah, I know.  But what the heck, you’re an outpatient and you get to leave.  It’s not about you.  I’d like it to be all about me.  But it’s not. 

You know the way to salvation.  Christ said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”   We imitate Christ which is obedience to the Father by obeying the Father’s Will.  We obey His Will by keeping His Commandments.  Exteriorly, it is very difficult.  Interiorly is the most difficult and that’s what we work on daily, even hourly and minute by minute.  Renunciation of our will is the key to salvation.  It’s not the lack of knowledge.

Father’s Reflections . . .

Yes, I’m back from vacation.  It was an interesting flight.  I overheard a member of the flight crew talking about her plans to kick her boyfriend to the curb.  An in-flight show . . . I like it!   I’ll give you three stories about my vacation.  On the advice of counsel, I can only tell you three.  While on vacation, I did some metal detecting.  I froze my behind out there, but I did find a small key.  I was having fun even though I felt like a frozen popsicle when I got back to the car.  I’ve lost my New England blood.  The other two stories really made me feel my age.  My cousin’s brother gave her $60 to buy lunch for her, my aunt, and me.  We only spent $30.  I must be losing it!   The third story left me shocked and stunned.  I graduated from Providence College in 1975.  The daughter of one of my classmates prepared dinner for a group of us.  We used to call ourselves “The Table.”   I took one look at my former classmates and said, “My God!  I didn’t bring my oils, so I can’t give you all Last Rites!  You guys are old!”  

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” then “Menu” and then “Categories.”  Sermon Notes are also available on the church Facebook page at facebook.com/ola.catholic.church.  Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”

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Sermon Notes – April 23, 2023 – Either It is What It is or It Isn’t

Either It is What It is or It Isn’t

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

April 22 – 23, 2023

Gospel:  Luke 24:13-35


In the Gospel, there are many points.  So, start with the minor ones and then go on to the big ones.  Jesus taught us how to study Scripture.   He also taught us what we must do before Mass.  What must we do before Mass?  A famous word from one of the great spiritual directors is “Shut-Up!”  That’s because every time the apostles talked about the Bible, they got it wrong.  Every time our Lord asked them a question, they got it wrong.  The apostles were discussing Scripture one day while in Jerusalem and when our Lord showed up, He asked them, “What are you doing?”  They said, “Talking about Scripture.”  What did He tell them?  “You got it wrong!”  Then, for the better part of two hours, He taught them Scripture, because He is Scripture.  And in the presence of God, they listened.  He explained to them the meaning of the Bible.  Scripture study is not people sitting around a table and asking, “What do you think this is?”   It’s not that.  The Church teaches what Scripture is . . . not what we’d like it to be.  It’s a lot more complicated than just reading a book and saying, “Oh yeah.  I can do that.”  You have to listen to the experts. 

What resulted from the apostles’ time with Jesus?   During the Breaking of Bread (the Mass), their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him.  This is our faith.   Jesus is physically present on the altar and at the altar during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.  What happens when we see our Lord in the Breaking of Bread during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass?  The same as what happened to two of Jesus’ disciples as they were going to Emmaus which was near Jerusalem.   They were tired, but in the middle of the night they walked seven miles, most of it uphill.   Now most people are afraid to go outside at night even though we have great law enforcement.   Back then, there was no 911.   And the Roman soldiers didn’t patrol at night.  So, you were on your own . . . good luck!    But the disciples were no longer tired.  Instead, they were filled with joy and couldn’t wait to tell people, “We have seen the Lord.  We recognized Him in the Breaking of Bread.”  

This is what we preach for conversion.  Transubstantiation and the Real Presence of our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament.  This is our Faith.  This is what we preach.  This is what brings people to church.   And this is how we get converts to the Faith.   A good friend of mine, a Catholic priest, took Philosophy 101.  He said that during the first week of class they learned that “a thing is what it is or it isn’t.”   There is no in-between.  Would you want to eat a slightly poisonous salad?  Would you want to get slightly sick on Listeria?   No.  Either the food is good or it’s not.  Either it is or it isn’t.  A wrench is a wrench or it’s not.  You can’t use a pencil as a wrench.  It won’t work.  So, either you believe what Scripture says or you don’t.   
Christ is present in the Eucharist.  His true Real Presence is what draws people to the Faith.  We recognize Him with the eyes of faith and intellect.  Sometimes it affects the whole body . . . sometimes not.   But we recognize Him.  In church, everything is pointed to the Real Presence.  That’s why we kneel, stand, and genuflect.  Some people rather blasphemously call it Catholic aerobics – up and down, up and down.   By the way, do you know why we stand for the Gospel?   We stand out of respect for the Word of God because the Gospel contains the actual words of Christ.  So, we stand out of respect for His words, and we pray with our hearts.  This is what we proclaim.  This is what we profess.  And this is what we teach.  Paul came to that conclusion.  Paul taught people, and he admonished them that “Whoever eats and drinks the body of Christ unworthily is guilty of His death.”   If it’s just a symbol or just a community builder as some blasphemous people say, how can we be convicted of His death?  How can we be like Judas and be guilty of His death?   If His Body and Blood is just a symbol, then what’s the big deal?   

So, this is what we believe.  This is what we profess.  And this is what we tell people.   This is the good news.  What happened to the apostles and what happened to the two disciples enroute to Emmaus, is the same joy and the same Presence we have before 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” then “Menu” and then “Categories.”  Sermon Notes are also available on the church Facebook page at facebook.com/ola.catholic.church.  Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”

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Sermon Notes – April 16, 2023 – He Wants Your Garbage


He Wants Your Garbage

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

April 15 – 16, 2023

Gospel:  John 20:19-31

If you read the Acts of the Apostles, you learn that the Church is to evangelize by using prayers, the Mass, and the Breaking of the Bread.  Further along in the Gospels, Saint Paul said, “We preach Christ crucified” (1 Corinthians 1:23).   We don’t need to reinvent the wheel, which is what we always seem to do because we think we have a better way.  But it never quite works out, does it.  And it is painful and expensive on your part.  I had confirmation of this on Friday while I was having breakfast at a restaurant.  This man came up to me and said, “Excuse me.  I have to apologize because I didn’t know how to properly address you, so I asked someone, and they said to call you ‘Father’.”   Well, thank you!  That man was a Marine who was awarded two purple hearts in Vietnam because he was wounded in combat.   I was really impressed.  But the compliment wasn’t to me . . . it was to my Boss.  So, we must be doing something right here.   

We also want to pass all sorts of laws about inanimate objects.  Really?   How did that work out during Prohibition?  Not too well.  The problem is not an inanimate object; it’s a person.  Do you know what the most common murder weapon is?  A knife.  So, unless you want to gnaw on your food instead of using a knife, don’t ask for more laws. You have to change the person and not the inanimate object.  That’s why we must pass along the Faith.  

Now because it is Divine Mercy Sunday, I will ask you a question and it may frighten you.  What does our Lord want most from you when you come to church?   Don’t reach for your wallets.  Churches always say, “We need your time, talent, and treasure.”  When you hear that, it’s fertilizer and I’m being really, really nice.  He can do without all of that because He is God.  You know what Christ wants?  He wants the worst you have . . . He wants your sins.   He didn’t come down from the Cross and say, “I want your time, talent, and treasure.”  But He cannot forgive our sins unless we say, “God, I’m sorry.  This is what I have done.”  He will ask you to tell a priest who, according to the Gospels, acts in persona Christi.    God is all-powerful, but the one thing that He will not do is take your sins from you until you give them to Him.  He will not violate your free will. 

God gave the power to priests and bishops to celebrate the Mass and the Sacrifice of Christ which produces the Sacraments.  The apostles were told, “I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven” (Matthew 16:19).   But how do we know the difference?  It’s a good question.  Well, what are the three conditions for repentance?  Contrition, amendment, and the avoidance of sin.  Sin will find you.  So, if you don’t want to drink, don’t go into a bar.  There is always someone who will hand you a beer.   You cannot prevent everything but that’s the purpose of amendment.  If you are shacking up, you can’t be forgiven unless you say, “Hey, I’m moving out.”   Otherwise, you are just wanting permission.  But our Lord won’t take your sins unless you agree with Him. 

Now, the morals course I took consisted of two volumes of textbooks which we were tested on.  I also go to FU (Felon University) for refresher courses.   So, if you have committed a sin I haven’t heard during all my years of hearing confessions, I will name it after you.   You will be famous!  You’ll become an “influencer,” get on You-Tube, and make some bucks.  But you’re not that original . . . none of us are.  That’s the guilt, shame, fear, and remorse that sin does to us.  But once we get rid of all that garbage we hold so dear, God will give us His Most Precious Blood that flowed from His pierced side on the Cross and which fills the chalice at every Mass so that we may have peace in our souls.  During the Sacrament of Penance, the priest anoints our soul with His Most Precious Blood for the forgiveness of sin.  Our Lord came to reconcile us to Him so that we may have life and have it to the fullest.  He didn’t come to so that He could use our time, talent, treasure and all that propaganda doodoo.  He wants your sins. 

Take advantage of God’s love.  Give Him the worst that you’ve got . . . give Him your sins.  I cannot force you although I’d like to, but I can’t.  The greatest experience of God’s love is His mercy.  God is always offering us His great gift of love.  So, take advantage of it.  We make our lives a lot harder than they need to be, which makes the lives of those around us a lot harder than they should be.

Father’s Reflections . . .

An interesting thing happened to me yesterday.  I did a baptism and the mother and godmother asked, “Father, do you remember us?”   Um, would it hurt your feelings if I said ‘no’?   Nothing personal.  They said, “You baptized both of us.”   Oh God.  I’m getting old.  I baptized the parents and now I’m baptizing the kids.  I’ve been here a long, long time.  With therapy, you’ll get over it.  People ask, “Father, when you retire, will you move back north to be with your family?”  My family is in the cemetery, but I’ll be there soon enough.


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” then “Menu” and then “Categories.”  Sermon Notes are also available on the church Facebook page at facebook.com/ola.catholic.church.  Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”

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Sermon Notes – April 9, 2023 – The Ultimate Victim of Cancel Culture was Christ

Sermon Notes

The Ultimate Victim of Cancel Culture was Christ

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

April 8 – 9, 2023

Gospel:  John 20:1-9

Saturday night was a very special night in the Church.  You should have come for two reasons:   1) there was more room, and 2) the sermon was shorter.  Last night I baptized a young lady into the Faith, received another young lady into the Faith, and confirmed eight others into the Church.  It was also a wonderful night because we were waiting for our Lord to rise so that He could give us life.  We honored and made our act of faith that the Lord has been raised from the dead and is living among us.  And He is. 

Did you know that our Lord was the ultimate victim of Cancel Culture?  Cancel Culture is not new. . . . it has simply had different manifestations throughout the centuries.   Mental illness appears and wants the world to conform to it.  “If you were only better, I wouldn’t be so bad.” So, what did the ultimate Cancel Culture do?  Man tried to kill God.  Imagine the hutzpah of man to say, “Hey, I’m going to cancel God.”  Really?  You’re feeling your Wheaties today aren’t you!  But that’s what they did.  They crucified Him and stuck Him in a tomb in Palestine for three days.  Now, after three days in a tomb in Palestine, you are really, really dead.   But He rose.   In Matthew 28:11, the chief priests told the Roman guards to tell people that Jesus’ disciples had stolen His body while they slept.  Nobody steals anything from the Romans, and they weren’t afraid of anybody.  However, they tried to make people believe that Jesus never rose from the dead and that His body had been stolen.  But look at what happened.  Throughout the centuries, they have essentially proved, by their attacks, that Christ is alive and well.  They tried to kill Him, but they failed.  Christ is alive. 

You may know that my last name, “Fitzgibbons,” is from an Irish extraction.  My people went over to Ireland as “Gibbons.”   They went to Ireland, took over the place, and became “Fitzgibbons’.”  We liked what we saw and made them an offer they couldn’t refuse.  Maybe there’s some Italian in my background after all.  I don’t know.  The original spelling was with a capital “G” and no “S.”   Immigration and Naturalization did that when my great-grandfather came to the United States.  So, I have some Irish heritage that has been passed on through the families.  Now they say that the Irish have leprechauns.  I’ll let you in on a secret . . .they don’t exist except on the back of cereal boxes.  Do I get upset about leprechauns?  No.  Why?  Because they don’t exist.  Nobody gets upset about things that don’t exist. 

So why do people who say they don’t believe in Christ have such hatred for the Catholic Church?  If Jesus wasn’t raised from the dead and He’s not alive and active in the Church, why do they bother?  Why all this venom?  One reason is that those who attack the Church have a bad conscience.   In Canada, there have been 252 attacks on the Church just this year.  How many have there been in the United States?  If Christ wasn’t alive and active, why are they attacking the Church?  Why are they trying to change our ministry?  Last weekend they threw the Catholic chaplains out of Walter Reed Hospital.  They have also tried to change my ministry at the VA Hospital.  I am supposed to call people by certain pronouns.   Well, that ain’t happening.  Do you know who you are talking to here?  My name is “Father” which is a legal and proper name.  But they won’t call me that.  Then you may call me “Major.”   Do I call them by their preferred pronouns?  No.  I won’t underwrite psychological problems.  I want to help them, not cosign their crap.    Evil is making its case for the existence of Christ and His power, which is still active in this world, by attacking the Church.  Christ is still alive, and they are proving it by their actions.  Christ is still alive and active.  He is risen.  He gives us hope that at the end of our days we will live with Him if we do what He asks of us.  If we follow simple directions, if we do what He did, we will get what He got, and we will also rise with Him. 

That is why they are always attacking us.  By their actions, they are saying that Christ truly exists and is active in the world.  The tomb could not hold Him.  And the centuries could not diminish His power.  He is always active and making His presence and love known.   Christ is alive.  He is alive in the tabernacle.  That’s why people try to break into the tabernacle.  Christ is alive.  Why do they try to attack priests?   Because priests hold Mass and the Sacraments.  Christ is alive; otherwise, you wouldn’t be here.  I cannot come to your homes and order you to come to Mass.  “I don’t want to go.”   I’ve got some guys in the car . . . would you like me to call them in?   I cannot make any of you come to Mass.  You come because you love Christ.  There’s no coffee and doughnuts today, so you really are here because you love Him.  He is alive.  The world proves it.  Open up any newspaper and you will find many, many articles all testifying to the truth.  Because they fight against the truth, it doesn’t exist?   If Christ doesn’t exist, then why do they bother?   Sometimes what we see and hear can be very hurtful but smile and rejoice.  They too are proclaiming that our Lord is alive and active among us.  The tomb could not hold Him.  Sin could not defeat Him.  It could not defeat Him 2,000 years ago and it still can’t today.  Do not believe the Cancel Culture.  You see with your eyes that everything that happens in the Church is a testimony to the truth that Christ is alive and active.  From the Cross He said, “I thirst.” What does He thirst for?  He thirsts for our love.

How will you apply this message to your life?  _______________________________

You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” then “Sermon Notes.”  On a cell phone: click on “Blog” then “Menu” and then “Categories.”  Sermon Notes are also available on the church Facebook page at facebook.com/ola.catholic.church.  Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”

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Sermon Notes – April 2, 2023 – The Smell of Love

The Smell of Love

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

April 1 – 2, 2023

Gospel:  Matthew 27:11-54

Remember I told you last week that sin has a smell?  Conversely, and more importantly, virtue has a smell.  My old organization and the people I hung around with were smelly.  It was nothing personal, but because of the situations we found ourselves in, that’s just how paratroopers were.  We were away from soap and water unless it rained, and we got a shower from Mother Nature.  So, paratroopers were a little more aromatic which most people found disgusting and would rather not be around.  “Oh, my goodness!”   It’s like Hospice . . . you get used to it.  You know what that smell was?  It was courage. 

Love also has a smell.  What does love smell like?  If you meditate on the Gospels and the Passion of our Lord, love smells like blood.  It also has a sound.  It’s the sound of blood dripping from the Cross.  Love has a smell, and it has a sound.  You seek divine love today.  In the consecration, the chalice is changed and holds the Precious Blood of Christ.  It’s the same Blood that dripped and sanctified the Way of the Cross.  It’s the same Blood that sanctified the Blessed Mother who was the first to be washed in His Blood at the foot of the Cross.   And it’s the same Blood that fills the chalice.  Christ, Himself, takes the chalice into the Confessional and anoints the soul and gives us absolution.  We are washed in the Blood of Christ . . . the same Blood that was poured out for us at Calgary.  Blood is the virtue of Divine Love.  And it has a sight, a sound, and a smell.  

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” then “Menu” and then “Categories.”  Sermon Notes are also available on the church Facebook page at facebook.com/ola.catholic.church.  Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”

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Sermon Notes – March 26, 2023 – Sin Stinks!

Sin Stinks!

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

March 25 – 26, 2023

Gospel: John 11:1-45

The first Sacrament course we study in seminary is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Now, for all you Catholic lawyers, the Mass is not a Sacrament, but Holy Communion is. The Mass produces the Sacraments. And only he who celebrates the Mass can give the Sacrament. That’s why only bishops and priests can give the Sacrament. Deacons, by exception – and it should be rare, can baptize and witness a wedding. So, the Mass is studied first in seminary. From the Mass, the Sacrifice of Christ produces the Waters of Life and the fruits of Christ’s redemption that come to us through the Church. Along with the Mass, we studied Confession, Anointing of the Sick, and Last Rites. They go together because each deal with the remission of sin. They are called the Sacraments of the Dead. That’s weird, isn’t it? These Sacraments are not administered to dead people. They are called Sacraments of the Dead because they are given to souls that are dead to sin and brought back to life. There are conditions to giving the Last Rites. It must be given within two hours of death when there is no putrefaction and rigor mortis . . . “stiff or stink” as we used to say. Before that, if someone is clinically dead, which happens a lot, I will go in and silently say, “If you are living then I anoint you.” The Sacraments are meant for the living.

Now, I love to read about almost anything. Do I understand it all? Oh heck no. I read medical journals. Yeah, how much do I get from that? Not much. I realized that I don’t know much, so I just love to read. I’m in awe and stunned about how much other people know and how good they are at their jobs and everything else. My brain has been full for years, so I don’t know how they do it. One thing I read recently was really encouraging. Soon there will be dogs trained to detect cancer. That’s great! I’ll go to the doctor’s office and get puppy love! It probably won’t work that way, but I hope it will. Dogs can detect anything. They are used at the airports. Dogs can sniff out money and drugs. All those things have a unique smell. Even sin has a smell. Did you know that? Ask any nurse about people who come into the emergency room. “Oh yeah. He was drinking well above his weight class.” People come in a day or two later, and they still smell like alcohol. People who have smoked marijuana smell like smoke and Fritos. People who have smoked crack smell like burnt cork. Sin has a smell. Some of the great saints could detect sin. “I smell sin. If there’s a sinner here, I’m going to find them.”

Our Lord had been dead for days so there was certainly a stench. If you really want to find out what a dead body is like after four days in Palestine, an oven, go to talk to a nurse, EMT, fireman, or police officer. Fair warning: don’t have breakfast before you do. It’s not like television. There are all sorts of bodily changes that happen, and they are not pretty. Even then, sin has a stench. It has a certain odor. We know that from our own experience. Law enforcement officers pull drunks over, and when they roll down the window the car smells like a brewery. “Oh, I’m fine officer!” Sin has a smell as do certain diseases. There is a smell to a dying soul. . . a soul that is dead because of sin.

Our Lord went out searching for dying souls so that He could bring them back to life. He waited three days before going to see Lazarus. He already knew what He was going to do, but He wanted to make His power manifest so that people couldn’t say, “Oh, Lazarus was just sleeping” or “He was in a coma.” Our Lord waited for three days so that Lazarus was really, really, truly dead, and He brought him immediately back to life. He does the same with sin. He restores us immediately to His friendship. Through His Most Precious Blood which He shed on the Cross and offers to us in Holy Communion and the Sacrament of Penance, He wipes away all the decay on our soul and restores the divine image. Restoration is immediate. The Sacrament of Penance takes a dead soul and brings it back to life by restoring God’s friendship. Sin is totally washed away, and faith, hope, and charity, three theological virtues, are infused into the soul. Like Lazarus, we come back to life. No matter how awful the sin, the Lord washes our sins away. So great is His love for us.

When I was a young priest at Saint Gabriel’s in Charlotte, a man served us breakfast every day. He had a German accent, and one day I saw a tattoo on his arm. He was a member of the SS or the Schutzstaffel. They were bad boys, and he was lucky that he wasn’t shot on sight. But he changed his life and died with the grace of God. Sin makes us feel guilt, shame, fear, and remorse. “I could never be worthy of God’s love.” That’s what He came for. “Father, I’ve done everything in the book.” I doubt that . . . I’ve known some pretty strange people. “Father, what goes on in Confession?” It’s like being stoned to death with popcorn. However, every sin is bad. The difference between a mortal sin and a venial sin is the difference between slapping your wife and punching her.

Everything can be restored immediately as if untouched when we receive the Sacrament of Penance. The Most Precious Body and Blood of our Lord anoints a soul. People have all sorts of excuses they use to stay away from Church. Guilt, shame, and remorse keep them away, and that’s a direct result of sin. Either we are living tabernacles, or we are not. If we are bringing the presence of Christ to others by God dwelling in our souls, we are a living tabernacle that we bring to people or we are worse than Covid-spreaders who bring the stain of sin to them. All of us can be called back to life. The resurrection of Lazarus from the dead continues every day in the Church.

Whenever someone goes to Confession, someone who was dead comes back to life. When we go to Confession, we are saying, “God, I love you. I messed up, and I turned my back on you. But now I’m here.” And our Lord says, “Hooray! Even though you have sinned, I will restore your life and My friendship.” That’s why our Lord came so that we may regain our life by the forgiveness of our sins which is how we know His love. On a practical level, don’t ever be afraid of proclaiming God’s forgiveness. This is the only thing we can teach people. We may not have an alphabet of letters past our name like DMin, PhD, MDiv, JD, MD, etc. A lot of people do, but I wouldn’t want to be in a spiritual foxhole with them. The greatest lesson we can teach people is to tell them what God has done for us. “I know the love of God by the forgiveness of my sins and the reception of His Most Precious Body and Blood.” Tell them about the comfort you get by coming before the presence of God in the Most Blessed Sacrament. That is what we preach. Go out and preach that. No matter what addiction you have, and no matter what crosses you bear, this is the message of hope that translates all the way through to the heart. It doesn’t matter how far you have fallen. God loves you and wants you back in His arms.

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” then “Menu” and then “Categories.” Sermon Notes are also available on the church Facebook page at facebook.com/ola.catholic.church. Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”

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Sermon Notes – March 12, 2023 – God’s Love is Not Graded on a Curve

God’s Love is Not Graded on a Curve

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

March 11 – 12, 2023

Gospel:   John 4:5-42

Jesus was traveling in Samaria when He encountered the Samaritan woman.  Now, Jews did not travel to Samaria just like people here do not travel to Aquadale.  Jews just didn’t go to Samaria.  It was unclean.  The Jews hated the Samaritans and called them “dogs” which was an egregious insult.   Jesus went out in the middle of the day, and in the Middle East, nobody goes out past noon.  Do you know why?  It’s a little hot.   Even on a winter day, it is warm.  Trust me.  But 1you know who does go outside past noon?  The American army.  Soldiers go out with 60 to 80 pounds of equipment strapped to them.  It’s very slimming.  The pounds just melt away.  Jesus, the Good Shepherd, went outside during the hottest part of the day to seek and save what was lost.   Why was the woman drawing water at the well during the heat of the day?   Yes, they didn’t have fresh plumbing back then. . . I understand that.  But why was she alone?  American women travel by themselves all the time, and they don’t have to travel in groups.  The woman at the well was alone because the other women wanted nothing to do with her.  She was a fallen woman and not of good moral character.  That’s why she was alone.  Jesus, being God, knew that of course.  But He came out to seek and save her soul.  He wanted to bring her home to His heart.  So, He gently tried to awaken her faith, and talked to her about the living water He would give; the water that would truly quench her thirst.  At first, she did what so many do . . . she used intellectual arguments and blamed everything on someone else.  When you get caught speeding and the officer pulls you over, what do you say?  “They were doing it too!”   And the officer says, “I’ll get them later.  I’m only concerned about what you have done.”   

Our Lord’s love is individual and not graded on a curve.  “They are worse than I am!”   But I’m talking to you!   Jesus wants our souls, and He was concerned about the fallen woman’s relationship with God.  People try to argue about hypotheticals, and they always have something to denounce.  “The Church does this and that.” “This is bad and that is bad.”  “You Jews say this.”  “You Jews say that.”   “You priests are perverts.”   Uh, no.  But thank you for the slander.  I appreciate it because I know what you are doing.  They always use something to deflect.   They try to find excuses for their own bad behavior.  Jesus told the woman the sins she had committed.  Did He get mad with her?  Did He scream at her?  No.  Jesus doesn’t get angry at us for our sins.  He wants to take them away.  When we sin, tears run down His face because we have turned our backs on His love.  Did He yell at her, “You’re going to hell?”  He never says that to anyone.  But if we are in hell, we are self-made men. 

Jesus had a breakthrough with the Samaritan woman.  She had finally had enough of sinning.   He awakened her faith while He suffered in His human nature.  Even though He was hot and thirsty, He sacrificed His human nature for the salvation of a soul.  That’s how much He loves us.  That’s what our Good Lord does.  He comes after us constantly.  He never gives up.  I’ve suggested this before, and I’ll suggest it again . . . read the poem, “Hound of Heaven.”  No matter how bad you think it is that you’ve done, our Lord wants you back.  You know the kind of people I used to work with?  This is not even close.  The fallen woman was not one of His people.  But everyone is made in God’s image and likeness.  As I said last week, innocence can be regained.  He comes to all of us, if we let Him, to help us with our struggles and to draw us closer to Him . . . no matter what we’ve done . . . even if it is just to help with bearing our ordinary daily crosses.  Although some people’s daily crosses are extraordinary, they are daily crosses. 

I will tell you a story about a man who I miss.  I never got to say goodbye to him because he died very quickly.  He was admitted to the hospital and even though he wasn’t Catholic, he wanted to talk to a priest.  So, I visited him, and we talked.  He said, “Father, I’m not Catholic but a priest saved my life.”   He told me that as a young man he was physically, sexually, and mentally abused.  And like so many men of a certain age, he got a job offer from U.S. Government and the opportunity to travel.  He was volunteered or voluntold, and he was sent to Vietnam for a year.  While there, he saw the atrocities on innocent civilians that the North Vietnamese army committed.  Because he thought it was time for some payback, he volunteered for a second tour in a Special Operations unit.  And he gave the North Vietnamese a lot of payback.  He did a lot of nasty things.  When he came home, he had PTSD and drank like a fool.  He spent a lot of time and effort in hospitals.  A priest came and helped him.  That’s why he wanted to talk to me.  So, he got out of the hospital and got off the bottle.   After many years, he was free from his crosses.  He and his wife helped abused children.  And that’s what he did for the rest of his life.  When I met him, he was in the hospital, with ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease.  On the last day I saw him alive, he was in the hallway in his new electric wheelchair equipped with head brace controls so that he could control them with his mouth.  I said, “Cool wheels!  When I come back next week, we are going to pimp this bad boy out!  We’re going to paint flames on it and maybe hang some dice.”   I never saw him again.  He finally passed which was merciful because of the ALS.  He didn’t have to ride that bus all the way to the end.  This is the transforming power of God’s grace.  I don’t think any of you could be as bad as that guy was.  Is that man in Heaven?  I’m pretty darn sure he is.  God never stops working, and He never gave up on him.  It took a long while, but our Lord picked him up and changed him.   Our Lord comes to seek and save what is lost.  Was the Samaritan woman’s case unusual?  Yes . . . and no.

Father’s Reflections. . . .

I hold Mass at the local felon university (FU) or Albemarle Corrections Institute which is always interesting.  Although they will disagree, I’m going to remind the prisoners that there are blessings even while in prison.     1) Your life expectancy has increased now that you aren’t doing what got you here.  They got you off the drugs and alcohol you were consuming.  2) You are protected from your “friends” who may have eventually  killed you or helped you die.  3) You get a well-balanced diet and a square meal, especially the fish or sewer bass.  4) You are eligible for vocational training unless you leave prison in a box.  5) You get medical and dental care.  6)  You get psychological care.  7)  While in prison, you have the time to reflect on the harm you have done and have the time to do penance.  A lot of good things can come from being a guest of the state or a state employee living in a gated community.  Just like the Good Thief from the cross, “I’m getting only what I deserve.”  So, I’ll bring this up to the prisoners the next time I’m there.  Luckily, I have a corrections officer with me.  But there really are blessings in that place.  I miss the old days when some of the prisoners worked with dogs to rehabilitate them for adoption on the outside.  The prisoners grew to love these dogs and working with them was great therapy.  But it was heartbreaking for the prisoners when they had to give up the dogs.   

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” then “Menu” and then “Categories.”  Sermon Notes are also available on the church Facebook page at facebook.com/ola.catholic.church.  Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”

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Sermon Notes – March 5, 2023 – Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places?

Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places?

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

March 4 – 5, 2023

Gospel: Matthew 17:1-9

The last part of the Gospel says that the devil went away. In another part of the Gospel, it says that the devil will wait for another occasion. And that’s true. When we resist his temptations, he goes away and waits for another opportunity. The devil did it to our Lord, and he will do it to us. However, with the Lord, we can be victorious over our sins. But the devil is cunning, powerful, and patient. He will wait for another opportunity, and it will come. The prime opportunity for the devil’s temptations is when we are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired. During those times, we tend to make poor decisions. Our will is already weakened by original and repeated sin. So, he just waits for us. He also waits for pride. “Hey, I’m not like those little people. I’m very, very good. I don’t do that anymore.” Really?

We have to be careful during those times when we are most vulnerable. When we are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired, our will and our body are weakened. You can set that to a country music song by Johnny Lee: “Looking for Love in all the Wrong Places” which includes people, places, and things. “Oh, Father, computers and phones are great!” Yeah. They are a source of temptation for me. You should hear the words I say in my office about my computer. I have a backup phone which I also had words with this morning. I have no idea how to use it. Basically, I have a phone anchor.

Do you know where the biggest potential for sin is located? It sits on our shoulders. You can avoid certain things, but everything is inside our brains. We tend to forget what we’ve been taught in school but can remember every bad joke we’ve heard and every bad picture we’ve seen. It’s all in our brains. What goes in stays forever like all those electronic messages we send. They exist forever. You may wipe them off your phone, but they are out there.

We have to remember how weak we are. The devil plays on our pride just as he played on the pride of Adam and Eve. We feel very good about ourselves when we can drive all day without using any Italian hand gestures to people or commenting on someone’s ancestry who is driving erratically on the highway. “I didn’t flip that idiot off even though he needed it.” “I’ve done really good. I’ve avoided this and I’ve avoided that.” When I was a young soldier, I saw a World War II Army training film. The film was about broken shoelaces. It’s not the big things that will get you killed. . . it’s the small things. We do okay with major calamities but it’s the small things that trip us up. It’s our broken weakness. “Oh, I’m too old to commit that sin.” There are other sins. Trust me. There are a lot of sins out there, and you’d be surprised about the sins and depravity of old people. As Saint Peter recorded in his epistle on admonition, “Keep sober and alert, because your enemy the devil is on the prowl like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” (Peter 5:8).

Our will and intellect have been weakened by original sin and sins committed since our baptism. However, the innocence we have lost can be regained, and that’s what we try to do every day and especially during this Lenten season. We can regain our innocence by fasting, abstinence, almsgiving, and prayer. What does almsgiving do? It covers a multitude of sins. Saint James said, “anyone who can bring back a sinner from his erring ways will be saving his soul from death and covering over many a sin” (James 5:20). Those are the things we are called to do. That’s how we grow in virtue and regain what we have lost through sin. Will our intellect be perfect again? No, not until Heaven. But we have to be vigilant about temptation because the devil is always out there and waiting. While you are pious by being here in church, he’s outside doing pushups and chin-ups. He’s waiting for us. Right now, he may be wondering when Father is going to shut up. And I agree with that. Sometimes I go on longer than usual.

Always be vigilant. And do not ever, ever think, “Oh my God! We are so unpowerful.” when we have the greatest Power in the world ready to help us. Remember, in the face of temptation, the first thing we should do is run away from it. Don’t walk into a mine field if you don’t have to. The second thing to do is retrace your steps and get the heck out of there. And the final and most important step is to pray.

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” then “Menu” and then “Categories.” Sermon Notes are also available on the church Facebook page at facebook.com/ola.catholic.church. Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”

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Sermon Notes – February 26, 2023 – “Writing Checks Does Not Change Hearts”

“Writing Checks Does Not Change Hearts”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

February 25 – 26, 2023

Gospel:   Matthew 4:1-11

Remember when reading scripture, you must consider the culture.  Forty days and forty nights in Hebrew means a long time.  They used hyperbole.   Just last week a minister took Jesus at His word literally, and he fasted for forty days and forty nights.  He didn’t even come close to forty days before he died.   “Jesus will save me from having no food and no water.”   Not from being stupid He won’t.   Jesus prepared Himself for His public ministry by going a long time without food or water.   Forty days may not be accurate, but then again, He is God.  So, there is that to consider.  

The temptations of Christ all lead, in their own way, to what He came here to do . . . to suffer, die, and open the gates of Heaven for us if we imitate Him.  If we want to be with Him, we have to imitate Him.  The temptations of Christ are the same temptations we will face.   He endured everything as we do because He was true man but without sin.  We will have those same temptations.   “People are bad because they don’t have stuff.”   That’s not true.  How about that murderer in South Carolina.  He was a rich man and brilliant.  You can’t get through law school on your looks.   He had money, so what happened to him?  How many millionaires wind up in prison?  A lot.  If you do something stupid and get caught, that’s what happens.  “People need a computer.”   Not so much a computer anymore because that’s old school.  They need an iPhone, iPad, or whatever.  But it’s not a lack of stuff that makes us sinful.  It’s willfully turning our backs on Christ.   Is everyone at Felon University (a prison) there because they didn’t have access to an Android cell phone?  No.  They are there because they chose to be evil.  Being poor doesn’t cause you to be bad.  Not having the latest Android phone won’t cause you to rob a bank or inhale cocaine.  Those are self-inflicted wounds.   You are choosing something instead of Someone.  Our faith is centered around a Person and in a Person – Jesus Christ. 

Almsgiving covers a multitude of sins but after the almsgiving you must have Jesus.  You cannot make people better by simply writing checks.  Look at the Church which has become Church, Inc.  Recently, I received a nice brochure from the Office of Planned Giving.   It said, “Father, talk to your people.  Encourage them when they die to leave their estates to the Church and the Foundation of the Diocese in Charlotte.  Are you kidding me?   All this money we send them is for the magnificent buildings and tons of staff they have.  “Oh, we all work for the poor.”   Ah, have you been to Albemarle?  We are poor.   “Can you leave us some money for the DSA, priest retirement, and administrative expenses?”   Really?  I’d be better off working with Tony Soprano.  At least there I’d get some protection if I paid Tony 10%. 

The second temptation of Christ was to throw Himself down and have the angels support Him.  Religion is not a show.   “Give them a show and they will come.”   Remember Herod?   Jesus came to him and said, “Herod, what. . . no show?  Nothing?”  We want a show even at Mass.  “We come to Mass, and it’s the same boring stuff.”  How you can call Christ boring is beyond me and is kind of blasphemous. I was about to have Mass in Statesville when somebody came up to me and said, “Father, we can’t start Mass.  We don’t have a reader.”  It will be alright; I’ve been doing this a long time.  “But we need someone.”   I’ve got this.  It’s not a big problem.  “Father, we have no music.”   That’s alright . . .they didn’t have a band at the Last Supper either.   And I’m pretty sure there also wasn’t one at Calvary.  You’ve got me and the elements.  That’s all we need.  If you go to other churches, they sing six verses of songs.  I believe that’s sinful because Church Law says that music should not interfere with the progress of the Mass.  I offer Mass at Felon University (the prison), hospitals, and nursing homes and there is no music, and nobody sings.   Although at the hospital I get some pretty odd reactions.   I was saying Mass one day and this one guy said, “Father, so-and-so said I could be a priest.”   Another said, “I’m a saint.”  Well, not yet but you are headed toward it.  The first step to sainthood is death.  When I say Mass in nursing homes, they fall asleep . . . just like you.   So, I’m used to it.

We all want a show.   Instead of focusing on the Blessed Sacrament, we focus on the process and who does what.  Some of the guidance I’ve received is silly.   “People must take their proper role at the Mass.”  Well, we have people, and we have Christ.  Perfect.  That’s all we need.  There is nothing else.  We cannot give greater meaning to Christ.  Whether it is holding your hands up during the Our Father (a priestly gesture and should not be done) or joining hands, it is all made up stuff.    It doesn’t make anything more meaningful.  You cannot put more meaning into Christ.  We can only receive Him with greater love through the Sacraments, prayer, and mortification.  The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is not a show – it’s an act of love.            

We need to talk to everyone and be part of the political system.”  No, you don’t.   Everything can become political fodder.  For example, I’m curious about why the Vatican has a representative at the United Nations, and I’d like to ask a few questions.  “Excuse me.  How much does that cost?  Who pays for that?”   If you are so concerned for the poor, knock it off.  I don’t know if you have heard about it, but these days we have something called email.  So, I think we can get the message out.  We don’t need someone physically present in a dress to talk to people who don’t care for them.  How many converts are you getting there, Bishop?  Are you getting as many as Saint Theresa by tending to lepers in their disgusting condition?  They don’t smell like they do on television.  Ask any nurse.  There’s not enough Lysol to cover that smell. 

“We are called to be holy.  By being holy, we can change things.  We don’t change people by creating more laws.  We have more laws than we know what to do with.  It’s not that we have bad laws.  We have laws we cannot enforce.  I love reading the sheriff’s blog in the newspaper.  “Felon caught with a gun.”  Don’t you think they know they’re not supposed to have a gun?   I don’t think they bought it legally at Walmart.  Shocking!   Don’t you think they know that possession with intent and a laundry list of other crimes is bad?  “Oh!  I didn’t know selling heroin was bad.”   Public schools!   We don’t change laws – we change hearts.  We change hearts by Christ and not by someone with a badge and a gun.   

It’s not about a show.  It’s not about political power.  It’s about the power of Christ.  You do not change society by changing laws.  We have more laws than we can possibly enforce and too many for lawyers to remember.  But we can change society by first changing our hearts and then changing the hearts of others.  True power in this world is not gained by holding a political office.  It comes by having Christ in our souls and being holy.  Then we can change things because we are changed.  We bring that agent of change which is Christ to others.  When our own hearts are changed, then we can influence others.   We change hearts that way and not by changing laws.  It can be very difficult when we try to do the right thing, and sometimes people won’t appreciate us.  That’s okay.  They didn’t appreciate Christ either.  But you are “worthy to suffer for the name.”   And just as they tempted Christ, they will tempt us.  When you are tempted, say, “Hey, I must be doing okay because I’m being tempted like Christ was.  Jesus came to change hearts.  He did not create one piece of legislation.  He did not call for conferences or senates.  He called us to holiness and communion with Him.  To walk with Him, to be one with Him and, especially during this season of Lent, to be one with Him on the Cross. 

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” then “Menu” and then “Categories.”  Sermon Notes are also available on the church Facebook page at facebook.com/ola.catholic.church.  Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”