God Assigns Each of Us a Guardian Angel
“Throughout the Scriptures we read about God assigning angels to help people make journeys.
In Exodus God said to Moses, “Behold, I am sending you an angel to go ahead of you, to guard you along the way, and to bring you to the place I have prepared.”
God assigns each of us a Guardian Angel for many reasons including so that we will never be alone in our journey through life.
This leads me to one of the most powerful prayers I have ever heard of and experienced. I was preparing for a very difficult meeting one day and my grandmother said to me, “If you want good to come from this meeting, ask your guardian angel to speak to his guardian angel, to open his heart, and prepare the way for your conversation.”
It works. I cannot explain it. But it works. So, next time you have a difficult conversation ahead of you, pray asking your guardian angel to speak with the other person’s guardian angel. You will be amazed…”
Holy Moments
//Terry Hershey//
Rest . . . Busy is Not Your Friend
//Heart Light Inspirations//
Between a Rock and a Hard Place
//The God Article//
Be the Light
//Lissa’s Drops of Encouragement//
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.”
Saint of the Day – August 22 – The Queenship of Mary
The Story of the Queenship of Mary
Pope Pius XII established this feast in 1954. But the Blessed Virgin Mary’s queenship has roots in Scripture. At the Annunciation, Gabriel announced that Mary’s Son would receive the throne of David and rule forever. At the Visitation, Elizabeth calls Mary “mother of my Lord.” As in all the mysteries of Mary’s life, she is closely associated with Jesus: Her queenship is a share in Jesus’ kingship. We can also recall that in the Old Testament the mother of the king has great influence in court.
In the fourth century Saint Ephrem called Mary “Lady” and “Queen.” Later Church fathers and doctors continued to use the title. Hymns of the 11th to 13th centuries address Mary as queen: “Hail, Holy Queen,” “Hail, Queen of Heaven,” “Queen of Heaven.” The Dominican rosary and the Franciscan crown as well as numerous invocations in Mary’s litany celebrate her queenship.
The feast is a logical follow-up to the Assumption, and is now celebrated on the octave day of that feast. In his 1954 encyclical To the Queen of Heaven, Pius XII points out that Mary deserves the title because she is Mother of God, because she is closely associated as the New Eve with Jesus’ redemptive work, because of her preeminent perfection, and because of her intercessory power.
Reflection
As Saint Paul suggests in Romans 8:28–30, God has predestined human beings from all eternity to share the image of his Son. All the more was Mary predestined to be the mother of Jesus. As Jesus was to be king of all creation, Mary, in dependence on Jesus, was to be queen.
All other titles to queenship derive from this eternal intention of God. As Jesus exercised his kingship on earth by serving his Father and his fellow human beings, so did Mary exercise her queenship. As the glorified Jesus remains with us as our king till the end of time (Matthew 28:20), so does Mary, who was assumed into heaven and crowned queen of heaven and earth.
Saint of the Day – August 21 – Saint Pius X
Saint Pius X’s Story (June 2, 1835 – August 20, 1914)
Pope Pius X is perhaps best remembered for his encouragement of the frequent reception of Holy Communion, especially by children.
The second of 10 children in a poor Italian family, Joseph Sarto became Pius X at age 68. He was one of the 20th century’s greatest popes.
Ever mindful of his humble origin, Pope Pius stated, “I was born poor, I lived poor, I will die poor.” He was embarrassed by some of the pomp of the papal court. “Look how they have dressed me up,” he said in tears to an old friend. To another, “It is a penance to be forced to accept all these practices. They lead me around surrounded by soldiers like Jesus when he was seized in Gethsemani.”
Interested in politics, Pope Pius encouraged Italian Catholics to become more politically involved. One of his first papal acts was to end the supposed right of governments to interfere by veto in papal elections—a practice that reduced the freedom of the 1903 conclave which had elected him.
In 1905, when France renounced its agreement with the Holy See and threatened confiscation of Church property if governmental control of Church affairs were not granted, Pius X courageously rejected the demand.
While he did not author a famous social encyclical as his predecessor had done, he denounced the ill treatment of indigenous peoples on the plantations of Peru, sent a relief commission to Messina after an earthquake, and sheltered refugees at his own expense.
On the 11th anniversary of his election as pope, Europe was plunged into World War I. Pius had foreseen it, but it killed him. “This is the last affliction the Lord will visit on me. I would gladly give my life to save my poor children from this ghastly scourge.” He died a few weeks after the war began, and was canonized in 1954.
Reflection
His humble background was no obstacle in relating to a personal God and to people whom he loved genuinely. Pius X gained his strength, his gentleness and warmth for people from the source of all gifts, the Spirit of Jesus. In contrast, we often feel embarrassed by our backgrounds. Shame makes us prefer to remain aloof from people whom we perceive as superior. If we are in a superior position, on the other hand, we often ignore simpler people. Yet we, too, have to help “restore all things in Christ,” especially the wounded people of God.
Daily Reflection – From Impossible to the Possible
