“Someday Tomorrow Will Begin Without Us”
Father Peter Fitzgibbons
February 17 – 18, 2024
Gospel: Mark 1:12-15
Occasionally and according to my physician’s wishes, I have to go to the local pharmacy to get prescriptions filled. They always ask for my date of birth. I say, “It’s 7-11-53, and yes, I’m on the waiting list for Hartsell’s Funeral Home.” They all laugh. But it’s true. Now I’m not much, but my two brothers were geniuses, and both had Mensa cards to prove it. The cards each cost $500. You paid $500 for a card? I’m smarter than them . . . I’m going to save 500 bucks! But I can read a calendar, and I watch the pages turn. I know my time with you on this Earth is limited. So, I try to use the time that God has given me to improve what teachers used to call my permanent record. Remember that? “This is going on your permanent record!” Where the heck is this so-called permanent record? But God sees all. The Season of Lent is the time for us to work on our permanent records because we don’t know when our time will come. Many people who have been given a terminal diagnosis outlive the prognosis. Some live way beyond it and others even get discharged from hospice – not a celestial discharge – they go home. So, we don’t know. But someday, tomorrow will begin without us. I am very fortunate to have made it this far because I traveled with a rough crowd. I didn’t know any better – yes, I did.
On the day that begins without me, I will see my Savior come to take my soul from this world to Himself. So, I would like for my soul to be as beautiful as it was when He first gave it to me. To that point, especially during this Season of Lent, I try to refresh my soul and make it beautiful again and unmarred by my sins and the sins of others. I do that with prayer, almsgiving, penance, practicing the Sacraments, and confession. I went 10 days ago. I don’t ask you to do something that I haven’t done. His coming for us should make us happy. You all love God because you are here. I’ve been here long enough to know the magnitude of your love and generosity to God and His people. All the improvements to the church happened because of you. That’s all you. Grow in that love so you will not be afraid when God comes to take you home.
I was over at the criminal university (prison) the other day, and I talked about almsgiving to my felons. Of course, they don’t have wallets because they have no money, and they are limited as to what they can do outside. They are monitored and rightly so. So, they looked at me like I was stupid and said, “What can we do?” There is plenty you can sacrifice. Just think about what you are going to eat tonight. Square fish. They call it sewer bass and sewer trout. I swear I can smell it from the parking lot. I thought the gas chamber was bad, but that’s just not fair! Some of the ladies who work there said, “Yeah, we can tell when any of the women are pregnant because they smell that and go bleagh!” Breakfast is at 4:00 or 5:00 in the morning. “But I like to sleep in.” Not anymore. The State does have a sense of humor. You can offer that up and all the other irritations you endure. You know, some folks in this institution are not as nice as you. Offer it up as almsgiving because that is what you have. Give what you have.
Tax season is coming soon, and we must tell the Federal Government how much we made which could be true or maybe not depending on whether an Italian did your taxes. Some of us were blessed with great finances and have been very good to the church and charities. This is not an appeal for money. I don’t do that. That is why there’s no collection on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. There are no second collections, period. I know that not everyone is well off and has obligations. I know very well, especially in my own life and I’m no different than you – well, you are better looking, I’ll give you that – but I know that we all have crosses. Many crosses. Heavy crosses. And they hurt. They frustrate. They irritate. But they can all be used for good not only to mortify our souls to keep us humble but also to be offered for someone else. Saint Paul said, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh, I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of His body, that is, the church” (Col 1:24).
You can go in and pay someone’s court fines. The court doesn’t care as long as you have the cash. Likewise, you can pay for other people’s sins by your own sufferings. You can pay for the sins of your family, friends, souls in Purgatory, and especially for those who do not like you. They may not have anyone to pray for them. This is how wonderfully rich we all are. This is the almsgiving that we can all give, that we are rich in and that we can give up for others. We are all rich. All that suffering that we bear can be offered up for others. Use those riches God has given us wisely while we have time for an interior beauty treatment. Scripture tells us that giving alms covers a multitude of sins. By giving alms, we refresh the soul and make it beautiful. Through penance, confession, prayer, the Sacraments, and almsgiving we can begin to restore our soul to its original beauty when Christ gave it to us. This is so that when Christ comes for us whether it is tomorrow or many years from now, and I hope it is many years from now, we can run to Him with our arms around Him and His around us and be in paradise forever.
Father’s Reflections . . . To the child in the audience who wants her mother – I felt the same way when I received my draft notice. Mom!!
I may have gotten a compliment the other day. One of the nurse practitioners at Hospice said, “Father, you should have gone to medical school.” Thank you! That was very nice. As I walked away a thought occurred to me. Did she mean as a student or a cadaver? Either way, I get to take the Gross Anatomy class, and it really is gross.
How will you apply this message to your life?______________________________________
You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” then “Sermon Notes.” On a cell phone: click on “Blog” and then “Menu.” Scroll to the bottom and click on “Categories.” Sermon Notes are also available on the Church’s Facebook page at ola.catholic.church. Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”