“In the Quietness, God Lets Us Know He Hears Us”
Father Peter Fitzgibbons
December 14-15, 2024
Gospel: Luke 3:10-18
Today Holy Mother Church celebrates the 3rd Sunday of Advent. I hope and pray to be here for the 4th and final Sunday of Advent. At 71 years of age, I have more time behind me than I probably have ahead of me. My chaplain friends ask me if I’m ready for Christmas. Yeah. How do you get ready for Christmas? Saint John the Baptist told us how, as he prepared Israel for the coming of the Savior, he said, “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight His paths”(Luke 3: 1-6).
We pass this law and that law so that we can get everybody straightened out and decide how they will live. Our Lord did not mean that. He meant us. We are great at prescribing for other people, but not for ourselves. We must make straight the paths of the Lord in our own hearts, and He tells us exactly how to do it. If you have two coats, give one to someone who is cold. If you have more than enough food, give some to a person who is hungry. Soldiers should not bully anyone (we never do). Tax collectors should not take any more than they should. He tells us how to prepare our souls for the coming of Christ. Live a moral life. Living a moral life burns away the stain of sin and prepares our souls to be at peace when our Savior comes, whether it’s in Holy Communion, at our death, at His 2nd coming, or at the commemoration of His incarnation coming on December 25th.
There are a lot of books on prayer. “Say these prayers, and everything will be all right.” No. I had this one secretary at the VA who said, “I said this prayer, and I claimed that miracle.” Really? Do you think that God told the parents who have children in St. Jude’s that if they didn’t pray correctly, He would let their children die? No. Prayer is an act of love. Why do we do acts of love? For the sake of the Beloved, not for ourselves.
Now, He never says that by doing all these things, you will feel better. You may not. He also didn’t say that when you pray you would levitate. He said, “Pray. Stay with Me for a while.” He didn’t say you would be happy all the time and doing the happy dance. Sometimes we can be weak and terrified, so when someone gets sick on pea soup, we panic: “Oh, my God! It’s satan!” No, it’s just bad pea soup.
Living a moral life is very noble. You all are here, so I know you are trying to live moral lives. Sometimes it’s not fun, is it? For example, on doctor’s orders, I have to eat fish twice a week. It’s part of the Fourth Commandment, so I have to obey it. Do you know how I feel about the thought of eating fish? Nauseous. I hate fish but I have to eat it. It’s a work of love. I’m not saying love of self wouldn’t expand my lifespan, but I trust in Almighty God who has given physicians medical knowledge and wisdom. Doing acts of love does not always feel good. Occasionally, every now and again, once in a while, our Lord will favor us with His consolation. In the military, we call that an “atta boy.” It can be disappointing because I like being told I’m doing a great job. I have been a priest for 40 years, and I’m still not a monsignor. That’s really crushing! I’m a Very Reverend, but that’s just an honorary title. I wish that were true.
When you pray through your works of charity, you may feel like, “Hey, God. I’m doing all this stuff and getting nothing in return.” Yes, you are. You are growing away from self-love and toward your love for Him. You are preparing your soul for Christ. You are doing a great job, so do not be disappointed. That’s a great temptation of the devil. You may be disappointed because you are not getting atta-boys or atta-girls. But every now and then, God will let us know as He did Elijah in the cave. Don’t look for a huge and momentous event; that scares people. But in the quietness, God lets us know He hears us and that we are safe in the palm of His hand. Our Lord said, “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in Heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you (Matthew 5:11-12). So, when we do all these acts of love and do not get anything back from our Lord, that is when we are growing more and more in love with Him.
So, how do we prepare for Christmas? We do as we are told.
How will you apply this message to your life? ________________________________________
You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to AnnunciationCatholicAlbemarle.com, clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” and 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.