“We Must Give Up Everything to Receive Everything”
Father Peter Fitzgibbons
September 28 – 29, 2024
Gospel: Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48
38 John said to him, ‘Master, we saw someone who is not one of us driving out devils in Your name, and because he was not one of us we tried to stop him.’
39 But Jesus said, ‘You must not stop him; no one who works a miracle in My name could soon afterwards speak evil of Me.
40 Anyone who is not against us is for us.
41 ‘If anyone gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, then in truth I tell you, he will most certainly not lose his reward.
42 ‘But anyone who is the downfall of one of these little ones who have faith, would be better thrown into the sea with a great millstone hung round his neck.
43 And if your hand should be your downfall, cut it off; it is better for you to enter into life crippled, than to have two hands and go to hell, into the fire that can never be put out.
45 And if your foot should be your downfall, cut it off; it is better for you enter into life lame, than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.
47 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna,
48 where ‘their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’p
We have a doctor in the parish who operated on me. I kept the receipt, just in case. He had trouble with the hospital because of the surgeries he would not perform. They wanted him to do gastric bypass surgery on patients, and he said, “No.” The hospital was not pleased because there was a lot of money in it. “What do you mean by ‘No?’” He said, “Because I would be operating on the wrong organ. There is nothing wrong with the patients’ stomachs – the malady is in their brains.” Doctors are allowed to operate on an organ only if it is diseased or broken. That is the only time they can do surgery on patients. Here is a bit of medical trivia – your skin is the largest organ you have. Doctors cannot whack things off people just because they have body dysmorphia and do not like the way they look. That goes against the Fifth Commandment.
The problem is not the organ – it is just fine and doing everything it is supposed to. The problem is in the brain, and whacking things off people does not change the brain. You must change the brain. Our good Lord said if you do something wrong, cut off your hand, cut off your foot, or poke your eye out. But He was using hyperbole like He was when Scripture says He fed 5,000 men, not counting women and children. Can you count to 5,000? Our Lord was using hyperbole, which you will find in the preface of every 12-step program: “If you have decided you want what we have and are willing to go to any length to get it — then you are ready to take certain steps.” Any length. But that does not include body mutilation. It means sacrificing people, places, and things – everything for health. The most challenging thing to sacrifice is self. That is what our Lord asks of us: to be willing to sacrifice everything for Him. Whatever we think reality is, that is not what it truly is. We must give up everything to receive everything. We cannot allow any person, place, or thing to stand in the way of possessing love and being possessed by love itself.
Father’s Reflections . . .
People have asked, “Father, how was your vacation?” It was great until it ended. My flight was changed three times and then finally canceled. The next day, I had to get up at o’dark-thirty and drive to the airport. You know, there is no more beautiful sight in the morning darkness than seeing a bright light shining ahead of you, and that light screams, “Duncan Donuts!” There is a God. I finally got back around noon and was on the go until last night. So, if you want a favor, today is not the day to ask for one. Although my vacation was not what I planned, it was a lot of fun. As the military says, no order of battle survives the first gunshot. I went up to see the Godmother, and she is sinking. I also saw my cousin. Now, I do not know what I did to her, but as I was leaving her house, she said, “Oh, you must try this drink. I love it! It is so wonderful and very good for your health!” Okay, I would love to. I got into the car and began the 45-minute drive back to my sister-in-law’s house in Rhode Island. I thought I would try the drink since my cousin had recommended it. I took a swallow, and you know, I almost spit it out, but I was too cheap and did not want to pay the cleaning fee for the car. Blech! When I got back to my sister-in-law’s house, I read the ingredients, and it was full of celery, parsley, and cucumbers. Yuck! My cousin tried to put the whack on me! Who am I, Fredo?
How will you apply this message to your life? _________________________________
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