Sermon Notes – I Am With You Always

“I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

November 9-10, 2019

Scripture: Luke 20: 27-38

When I was a young priest and just out of seminary, I was assigned to a cathedral parish. I was working with Father Burke who was a good priest. One day, when I had just finished the Vigil Mass and Father Burke and I were about to leave for dinner, someone came running up to us saying “Father you must go to hospital; there is an emergency.” Father Burke looked at me and said “Jesus took care of everything before you, and He will after you leave; so relax.”

In modern times, we have television, radio, and internet, etc., and everything has become a crisis. However, as you may recall, my definition of an emergency is if we have:

• Incoming fire;

• Mass casualties; and

• No money for paychecks… especially mine

If you were to read a history of the church, you would see that, throughout history, popes and bishops have thought to make reforms to the clergy and other religious vocations. St. Paul wrote 1st Corinthians in which he addressed issues in the Church that concerned him such as gluttony and sexual immorality. There were also attempts to reform and suppress the Carmelites. So, there have always been concerns about the Church being this or that, and how bad the priests are. In fairness some things may be true, but it’s not even close to what they’re claiming. Never anything specifically, but let your minds go wild. Yes, there have been problems through the ages…we are men not angels. I am distressed and saddened by my own sins and those of other people. But, nothing can thwart His will. Christ told Peter, in person, that upon “this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” He also said “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Father’s Reflection about Veterans’ Day:

One day while I was making my rounds in the treatment area of the VA Hospital, I saw a muscular man wearing a “wife beater” shirt sitting in the waiting area. I called out to him “Marine!” He jumped to attention and when I walked up to him, he asked how I knew he was a Marine. I said “Uncle Sam’s Muscle Club” (USMC).

I met another patient at the VA who looked in pretty bad shape. I told him “You look too good to be here. What branch of the military were you in?” He said that he was a Coast Guard Corpsman and had served on-board a ship. Me: “Where did you go?” Him: “We went to New York and then to Vietnam. We took care of business and came home.” Me: “Doc…thank you.” Him: “Nobody has called me that in a very long time.”

Most of these heroes will never tell you what they did for our country. One of my uncles flew 38 combat missions over Nazi-Germany while another earned a Purple Heart and a CIB. We are all surrounded by these silent hero’s.

One of our parishioners had a family member who served in the Marine Corps during World War II. The President of the United States awarded this soldier the Bronze Star Medal for his bravery. Here is the citation: For heroic achievement while serving as Detail Chief of Battery N. Fourth Battalion, Fourteenth Marines, Fourth Marine Division, during operations against enemy Japanese forces on Saipan, Marianas Islands, from 15 to 21 June, 1944. On 21 June, when an enemy group pinned down sections of his Battery, seriously impairing its firing efficiency, Platoon Sergeant Santella quickly located the group and, when several of his men were wounded in the fray due to superior numbers of Japanese, withdrew with his patrol, leaving an injured man, who was unable to walk, in the forward area until a stretcher could be brought up. Observing that intense hostile fire prevented the stretcher-bearers from reaching the casualty, Platoon Sergeant Santella crawled to a flank position and, standing up, opened fire with an automatic weapon, continuing fire despite two shoulder wounds until the corpsmen were able to evacuate the injured Marine. His initiative, courage, and unselfish devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

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On the 11th hour of the 11th day, of the 11th month, the guns fell silent, and World War I ended. Tomorrow, our nation honors those who have served in the U.S. Military. If you see a vet; don’t just say thank you for your service; instead, thank them for their sacrifice.

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How will you apply this message to your life? Are you thankful for what veterans have done for our country? If so, will you thank them for their sacrifice?

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