“Because I Like Skittles”
Father Peter Fitzgibbons
October 9 – 10, 2021
Gospel: Mark 10:17-30
One day when I was at Fort Campbell, I went into the First Sergeant’s office to say, “good morning.” The First Sergeant said, “Good morning. Hey Sir, you know your chaplain’s assistant is graduating from air assault school. His road march is on Friday.” Oh, goodie! Thanks for reminding me. I appreciate it! I left his office, but I didn’t appreciate it. It meant that on Friday at 0-dark-30, I would be out there for graduation and the final test: a 12-mile march in full field gear through gently rolling hills similar to the Alps. The custom at Fort Campbell and the 101st is that if there is one person in your section doing push-ups or a road march, you all do it. The only saving grace is that I didn’t have to wear the field gear. Oh, there is nothing I’d rather do first thing in the morning than go on a 12-mile march at 44 years old. Thank you, First Sergeant! I probably could have gotten out of it, but I sucked it up and went anyway. I was looking forward to the relaxation and being one with Mother Nature. Um…No. I would be running with children who basically had to run all the time. Why did we do it? We sacrificed to build and reinforce the bond of trust we have with our fellow soldiers…the band of brothers. Is it pleasant? Oh, heck no! But it was the right thing to do. They are works of love. The bond with your fellow soldier is that he would die for you and you for him. Works of love don’t always have to be enjoyed. Why do we perform works of love? We do them because it pleases the beloved.
Our Lord said, “If you love Me keep my Commandments.” Nowhere did our Lord say, “if you would like to” or “if it’s convenient” or “if you aren’t too busy” or “if you’re in the mood.” He never said those things. He said, “If you love Me keep my Commandments.” The Commandments are not just draconian measures that our Lord has given us to ruin our fun. The works of love teach us how to go outside of ourselves, to renounce our fallen nature, and to do something for Him. It may manifest itself in someone or through someone else. Everything we do with love; we do for Christ. Doing works of love is not always pleasant. Do you know why some people find the works of love unpleasant? Because we are too much in love with ourselves. The works of love are always focused on the beloved and not on self. The Gift of the Magi is a short love story written by O. Henry. Love is always focused on the other, and when we find the works of love inconvenient, unpleasant, or distasteful, that is the time we grow most in love by dying to ourselves and living more for our good Lord. “Father, I had a game and couldn’t come to Mass.” Really? Saint Augustine wrote that “if there is any work involved in love, the work itself is love.” And that is true. The young man who approached our good Lord was unwilling to leave everything and follow Him. Our Lord was testing him. How much do you love Me? The young man kept the Commandments and that was wonderful; however, he did not learn the lesson from them. What is the lesson from the Ten Commandments? It is total renunciation of oneself to the Beloved. That’s the lesson. Go sell everything you have. Give to the poor. Your possessions are a representation of yourself. Give everything you have into service for our good Lord to use as He sees fit. All the fruits of your talents and labors when used to support your family are works of justice and love. So don’t feel bad about that. People say you cannot earn a lot of money from the job you’ve worked at for 30 or 40 years. You can’t enjoy it because you didn’t earn it. It’s a work of justice and moral obligation to support yourself and your family and ultimately to pay taxes. Put yourself and all your talents and abilities in God’s hands. Renounce yourself and give yourself to Him. The young man did not see that. Hopefully, he eventually got it right.
You’ve heard the phrase “follow the science.” Who says that? People who want you to follow their version of “science.” You know what the science is for people recovering from any addiction? No matter how much medicine is involved, make sure they come back from Opioids, Meth, or booze, and that they don’t die from detox. That’s a big drawback. In all the twelve-step programs, what’s the key to renewal and freedom from addictions and obsessions? It begins with Step 1 which is perhaps the most important step – admitting that we are powerless. The final step is to have a spiritual awakening. There is a Seventh Step prayer…I’ll let you look that up too. It’s a prayer of total renunciation. In all the groups that started these types of programs what was the first prayer? It wasn’t the “Our Father” but the “Peace Prayer” by Saint Francis. “Lord make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love.” That’s a renunciation of self. Take me and use me as you will with all my talents especially where it is most helpful for people who know my faults. It’s through your faults that shows people what God has done for you and the mercy he has shown to us all. We do works of love not for ourselves because it pleases us…that’s selfishness. The Commandments aren’t legal checkmarks you have to do like driving the speed limit when the police are around. The Commandments are works of love. They teach us renunciation of self. They are only burdensome when we want what we want when we want it, or we find them to be inconvenient because we love ourselves more. They are not always convenient. They are not always pleasant. I’m sure changing diapers is not always pleasant. I’ve been in hospitals. Believe me, there are far worse smells in a hospital than in a diaper. Trust me on this one. Sometimes I leave patients’ rooms and have Skittles. Know why I have Skittles? Because I like Skittles.
We all have fallen natures. Just this morning I was here, long before you, saying my prayers. And I really wanted some coffee. I mean I REALLY wanted coffee. The coffee had already been brewed. But what was more important… my cup of coffee or my prayers? You know the answer, but darn it, I wanted some coffee. Today, the good side of my nature won, but it’s always a fight. So, when difficulties come, always remember Who the works of love are for.
Father’s Afterthoughts:
· I want to thank the Daughters of Mary for the marvelous meal they provided after the funeral Mass for Elaine Gibbs. The funeral luncheons they do is something to die for.
· When I was in the Army, I always loved those eight mile runs in the rain. It was so refreshing and cleansing. Thank you, sir. Could you make this suck any more?
How will you apply this message to your life?
You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to https://annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com/ and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” and then “Sermon Notes.” Sermon notes can also be found on the church Facebook page by searching for “Facebook Our Lady of the Annunciation Albemarle”