“Different is Just Different”
Father Peter Fitzgibbons
May 9 – 10, 2026
Gospel: John 14:15-21
Today is Mother’s Day, and we honor the beautiful ladies, both those who have passed, like my mother and my grandmother, and those who are with us today. They risked their lives to give us life. One thing about women that men cannot conceive is that women have an insight into God that is impossible for men to have. Do you know what it is? I’ll tell you. We have existed for all eternity. In October 1952, God did not decide, “Oh, I think it would be a good idea to inflict Peter and Paul upon John and Blanche, these wonderful people who don’t deserve those problems. God doesn’t do that. We existed in the mind of God for all eternity. You, in a sense, are eternal like God because you have always existed in His mind. You existed in the minds of women long before you existed in their bodies. Mothers have a wonderful insight into a greater power like God.
Now, another part of maternity is spiritual maternity. Unfortunately, not all women can conceive. Some women engage in religious life, while others decide to have children who are not physically their own. That is spiritual maternity. They become Godmothers – unlike Teresa – through Baptism. They become teachers – both in faith formation and OCIA. They beget spiritual children. They go into religious life as religious sisters and beget spiritual children. We are called by our love for God to be fertile, whether it is in the physical or spiritual realm. So, women can always have spiritual children. I remember Sister Mary Agnes from sixth grade, and we all loved her. She taught at Saint Francis parish for decades. I remember her being at my first Mass. Sister Agnes was all smiles because one of her students had finally done well, and considering my class, that was quite an achievement. She was beautiful. She died a year later from ALS. She couldn’t talk, but God granted her that one of her spiritual children became a priest. So today we also celebrate our spiritual mothers.
Today, we have five children coming up to receive Holy Communion for the first time. First Communion is so great because your soul is receiving the Person it was created to receive, which is almighty God. Jesus said, “Unless you eat My flesh and drink My blood, you have no life in you” (John 6:53). Your soul has been preparing for this moment for years. We receive Jesus for the first time at Baptism. We receive Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit in Holy Communion. He is entering the soul He created to take His throne. At Holy Communion, He enters His throne and takes up residence. This is the day the soul was created for: to have Christ reign within you. It is a wonderful day. The kids are all dressed up. You can come dressed up like that next weekend, too. It shows how important the Church and receiving Communion are. Some people say, “It’s too bad that the wonder and joy of receiving Holy Communion doesn’t last.” That’s not true. “What do you mean, Father?” I’m glad you asked. I will tell you. The joy is different. I have been a priest for almost 43 years; God help you. Is this like the first Mass I gave way back then? No. It’s better. “Father, what do you mean it’s better? You were younger then.” Yes, I had more hair, I could bend steel with my bare hands, and I could run faster than a speeding locomotive. But it’s better after all those years of saying Mass because grace builds upon grace. The same thing is true in married life. The happiest day in married life is the day you say goodbye to your spouse as they go to Heaven. Because of all those years of being in love and capitalizing on God’s grace given by the Sacraments and the actual grace given to you through virtuous acts, you grew closer, even though it was different. If you are not happier on the 50th anniversary than you were on the first, then you’ve done something terribly wrong.
Your best Communion should be the last one I give you shortly before you pass, called the Viaticum. You should have been receiving that power of God all your life, prepared for by frequent reception of the Sacrament of Penance. If you stop receiving Communion, your soul atrophies. Stop eating for a while or eat the wrong food and see what happens. Your body is not happy, and it develops all sorts of nasty things because you are putting into your body what was not intended. The same thing is true with our souls. If you don’t fill it with Christ in the Sacraments, your soul becomes what it was never intended to be, a hotel for sin and a dwelling place for the evil one.
So, this is just the beginning of the untold beauty of our Lord. It’s a wonderful day, and I thank all the parents, teachers, and the good example of the people of God in this parish. This is just the beginning of a wonderful upholding of God’s presence and love in each child’s soul. If it seems that we have lost the wonder and awe, that’s okay. We tend to think that God’s love is an emotion, but that’s not true. Most of the time, we grow in God’s love through pain. I’m not happy about the pain. I do not enjoy it. But try to embrace the suck because it means we are growing away from ourselves and closer to our good Lord. Just because something is different doesn’t mean it’s not as good. In fact, in this case, it’s better. He is always preparing us for greater joys and greater divine graces. Just because it’s different doesn’t mean it’s not working. Remember that when you come up for Holy Communion. Each reception of Holy Communion prepares your soul for God’s unfolding love. One day, you will close your eyes for the final time, and I will say, “Go forth, Christian soul, from this world in the name of God the almighty Father, who created you, in the name of Jesus Christ.” Then your eyes will be open to what we receive in the soul.
Thank our good Lord for all the years He has given us His Most Precious Body and Blood, just as He did to the Apostles. We are no different. How wonderful is that? One of the most neglected aspects of prayer, especially after Mass, is thanksgiving. Not only thanksgiving for all the things God has done for us, but for all the protections God has given us from the attacks of the evil one, and thanksgiving for freely giving us the Most Precious Body and Blood of His Son in Holy Communion.
Father’s Reflections: The insurance company fussed at me because I have a handicap sign in my garage. But now that I have been diagnosed with arthritis in my big toe, I can legally have it. You don’t know the pain I endure!
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.”