1 After saying this, Jesus raised His eyes to Heaven and said: Father, the hour has come: glorify your Son so that Your Son may glorify You;
2 so that, just as You have given Him power over all humanity, He may give eternal life to all those You have entrusted to Him.
3 And eternal life is this: to know You, the only true God, and JesusChrist whom You have sent.
4 I have glorified You on earth by finishing the work that You gave me to do.
5 Now, Father, glorify Me with that glory I had with You before ever the world existed.
6 I have revealed Your name to those whom You took from the world to give Me. They were Yours, and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.
7 Now at last they have recognized that all You have given Me comes from You
8 for I have given them the teaching You gave to Me, and they have indeed accepted it and know for certain that I came from You, and have believed that it was You who sent Me.
9 It is for them that I pray. I am not praying for the world but for those You have given Me, because they belong to You.
10 All I have is Yours and all You have is Mine, and in them I am glorified.
11 I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, keep those You have given Me true to Your name, so that they may be one like Us.
Today, we observe the solemnity of the Ascension of our Lord into Heaven. Now, since all of you are brighter than the average bear, I’m going to give you a pop quiz: What was the last thing the Apostles saw of Jesus? His hands. What did Jesus bring to Heaven in His hands? The marks of the nails. The marks of our Lord’s love. The human nature He took from the Blessed Mother was assumed into a divine person. It is the human nature through which He taught, the human nature through which He healed, the human nature through which He suffered and died, and the human nature through which He rose again that has gone to Heaven. The marks of His great love for us are always before the Father pleading for us. Always. The sixth sentence He spoke from the Cross was, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. He is always pleading for us. Always.
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.”
Last week, I told you about how Jesus took His human nature from the Blessed Mother, which was assumed into His divine nature and taken to Heaven. Do you remember that? You do? Good, because otherwise my feelings would be hurt. I’m very sensitive. But that begs the question: who is going to carry out His mission? He is gone, so who is going to carry on His work? We are men, not angels. “Well, I am spiritual.” Really? Just because you read a cookbook doesn’t mean you are full. You need food. So, our Lord takes our human nature and uses it to continue His ministry on Earth. Remember what He said to Paul in the Book of Acts: “Paul, Paul, why are you persecuting Me?” He didn’t say “My church” or “a small Christian community.” He said, ‘Me.’ We are Christ’s humanity. We are His hands, His feet, and His head extending down through time to continue His mission of sanctification, redemption, and evangelization.
God is alive. His spirit is alive, and He is active in the world. Your vocation is to make God present in the world according to whatever talent He has given you and the place He has put you in the Body of Christ. He takes our human nature and uses it to proclaim His love. How do we proclaim God’s love? Is it by the babbling of tongues? No. If you start babbling in tongues, we are going to call somebody to take you to 3 North. That place has locks, and you cannot get in or out. We proclaim God’s love by visiting the sick and taking care of them. That is Christ doing that. Did Christ cure everybody? No. People still died. I feel for Lazarus. He rose from the dead, which meant he had to die again. Come on, Lord! That’s not fair.
So how do we reach all people at all times? As Saint Francis said, “Proclaim the Gospel whether convenient or inconvenient and use words if necessary.” We preach love by our actions. That is how people come to know Christ. The German and Japanese soldiers who were captured were shocked that we fed them as well as we fed our own soldiers. They were shocked that we did that. This is the language we speak, and it is also evangelization. This is Christ’s healing hands displayed down through the generations. “God is still healing?” Yes, Phyllis is sitting right there. Phyllis used the talent God gave her, studied hard, and brought comfort and healing to many people. Christ heals through the doctors and nurses. We have police officers here. God watches over us through their protective care. God teaches us through His priests. He nurtures us through our mothers and grandmothers. He protects us through our fathers and husbands.
Christ reaches down through the ages using our human nature to proclaim His love and His living presence in the world. You see it in the Mass and the Sacraments. But we proclaim it in a language that everyone can understand, whether they are from Oakboro or not. I have been here a long time – God help you – that will take time off in purgatory for you. But I know you, and you speak the universal language of love. When I was in high school, I studied two languages, French and Latin. My French teacher, Mademoiselle Martel did not like the French I learned at home, and not just the bad words. The French I learned at home was Canadian-French. My ancestors were from Canada, and my mother was a fifth-generation American and spoke French. She spoke English at home because my grandfather made it mandatory. So, I spoke Canadian-French. But I am not skilled at speaking other languages. If you want to hear me babble, come to the 12:15 Spanish Mass. They say I speak Spanish with a French accent. Sometimes, if I get lost, I switch to Latin. It is an interesting experience.
We are meant to proclaim God’s love by cooperating with the Holy Spirit and making Christ present by living holy lives. People will see the love of God in you. You don’t have to stand on a street corner screeching. Live a good, holy life, and people will see the spirit of God within you. They will ask, “What do you have and how can I get it?”
Father’s Reflections:
Memorial Day is on Monday, and it occurred to me that I could save a lot of money this weekend by buying a mattress or a car. Why? Because of Memorial Day sales. Is this a day when we honor all our veterans? No. Veterans Day is November 11th. Memorial Day began in the South during the Civil War as Decoration Day, when they honored fallen Confederate soldiers. In the North, the Grand Army of the Republic adopted the idea and began honoring its fallen soldiers. It was made into a national practice and eventually passed into law. We honor those soldiers who have died while in service to our country. There’s a movie called “Taking Chance.” Friends of mine saw it and told me, “Oh, you have to see this movie! It’s so good. We cried.” It’s about a Marine major who was working at the Pentagon, perfecting his cappuccino recipe, as we like to call it. He decided to get in the game and wanted to work on an escort detail for a fallen Marine killed in action. The movie was pretty accurate. My friends insisted I needed to see this movie, but I said, “That was part of my day job. I did that every day.” I also did the notifications. I was accompanying a colonel to make a notification. The colonel said, “I’ve never done this before. What do I say?” I told him that he wouldn’t need to say anything. We knocked on the door, and when the family saw two uniformed military officers standing there, they started screaming and slammed the door. The colonel looked at me, and I said, “That went pretty well.” On Memorial Day, we call to mind the sacrifice all those soldiers made in our wars. I have had to bury some of my own soldiers. We take care of our own. It calls to mind the loved ones they left behind. Sometimes it takes a long time for soldiers to die from the wounds they received in war. Ted Kupsick is one who comes to mind. The doctors saved his life while in the field, but his life was shortened. There was a man I used to see at the VA who had Agent Orange poisoning. Twenty years after the fact, the war killed him. I went with my cousin to put my uncle’s Purple Heart on his tombstone. It also took him a long time to die from his wounds. So, today, in the midst of going to all the sales, remember a high price was paid for that. Sometimes you just need to say, ‘thank you.’
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.”
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.”
1 Do not let your hearts be troubled. You trust in God, trust also in Me.
2 In My Father’s house there are many places to live in; otherwise I would have told you. I am going now to prepare a place for you,
3 and after I have gone and prepared you a place, I shall return to take you to Myself, so that you may be with Me where I am.
4 You know the way to the place where I am going.
5 Thomas said, ‘Lord, we do not know where You are going, so how can we know the way?’
6 Jesus said: I am the Way; I am Truth and Life. No one can come to the Father except through Me.
7 If you know Me, you will know My Father too. From this moment you know Him and have seen Him.
8 Philip said, ‘Lord, show us the Father and then we shall be satisfied.’ Jesus said to him,
9 ‘Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know Me? ‘Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father, so how can you say, “Show us the Father”?
10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? What I say to you I do not speak of My own accord: it is the Father, living in Me, who is doing His works.
11 You must believe Me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; or at least believe it on the evidence of these works.
12 In all truth I tell you, whoever believes in Me will perform the same works as I do Myself, and will perform even greater works, because I am going to the Father.
13 And whatever you ask in My name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.i
14 If you ask anything of Me in my name, I will do it.
15 If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
Today, we hear in the Gospel that our Lord is the divine real estate agent, and He has a celestial deal for us. Jesus has a home for us. He said, “In my Father’s house there are many places to live in; otherwise I would have told you. I am going now to prepare a place for you.” Indeed, God has a place for everyone in Heaven because that is why He made us. Remember the first question in the Catechism, “Why did God make us?” The most correct answer is because He loves us. A more complete answer is, “He made us to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in the next.” So, our home in Heaven has been prepared; we just need to complete the deal.
Our Lord has laid out the terms and given us directions for completing the deal. Most success in life comes from following directions. He gave our first parents one direction, and guess what happened. We’re here. Does this look like Eden to you? I mean, Oakboro is very nice, but it’s not Eden. He said, “If you love me, you will keep My Commandments.” All His Commandments are works of love. They are not punishments. They are not restrictions on our freedom. They are works of love. They are not burdensome. But we all think they are, don’t we? “Oh, my God! I have to go to Mass!” Oh, come down from the Cross. We need the wood. That is satan telling you it’s so hard. It’s not. It’s like going to the gas chamber in the military. They try to scare the crap out of you before you go in, and in two or three minutes, you are done, and it’s all over. You were scared for nothing. The worst thing we fear will never happen.
So, we do what Christ asks and complete our part of the deal. We have a place in the Heavenly Father’s house because we are His children, and He wants us there. All we have to do is follow the path He has laid down for us, and it is not that bad. He shows us the Yellow Brook Road that will lead us to what we were made for. He tells us what to do, and all we have to do is do it. It sounds very simple, doesn’t it? It really is. Is it always easy? No. When I was home, I drove by countless Dunkin’ Donuts. No wonder there are so many heart attacks up there. I can have bacon, and no one will know. But I will.
At the beginning of the passage, what does He do for us? He proclaims our love for God and encourages us to grow in His love. The second part is part of the first, and it is to do ourselves no harm. All sin will harm us. Sin does not deliver the happiness it promises. Now, Dunkin’ Donuts certainly delivers the happiness it promises. Pizza also delivers the happiness it promises. Apple pie delivers the happiness it promises. However, yielding to temptation never does, but we fall for it. “It won’t hurt this time.” But we have to keep our eyes on the prize. We never know where it ends. But we are assured of it as long as we stay on the Yellow Brook Road.
Do what God asks us to do. It is not always easy. However, the question is, who do we love more, God or ourselves? If you love Him, keep His Commandments.
Father’s Reflections:
They say there are six degrees of separation between everyone, but in Rhode Island, there is only one degree of separation, and I had to use it. My sister-in-law was having a problem getting something fixed, but I knew a guy who knew a guy, and we got it done. I haven’t lost my skills.
Weird things happen when I’m on vacation. I don’t know why, but they do. I visited my cousin Cheryl with my cousin Lisa. On the way back, Lisa was driving, so I had a chance to look at all the old homes, which I love. Lisa asked me, “Do you want to take the low road down by the river?” Sure! We went down there, and I was looking at all the beautiful homes on the river. I said, “Lisa, because we took the low road, we’ve accomplished two things today.” She said, “What’s that?” We saw some beautiful scenery, and we visited our cousin Peter. A couple of years ago, my cousin Peter died of a heart attack. His wife had him cremated, and she tossed him into the river. She must be Italian.
I think I am getting old. I was looking at my medical report, and it says I have arthritis in one of my ankles and big toes. Oh well. While I was in Rhode Island, I was thinking that the people there have gotten a lot more pleasant. They are good people, but they are not very outgoing like here. If I passed by them, they would say, “Hi, how are you doing?” or if I was driving, they would wave at me. However, that may have been their way of thanking me for driving the posted speed.
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.”
Now there is a lot I could say about today’s gospel, but I will try to keep it fairly short because the mind will hear only what the seat can endure. After His resurrection, our Lord told the Apostles how to apply the fruit of His death to the souls of the faithful. Take the Precious Blood that poured from the Cross and apply it to men’s souls. It is the same Blood that was in the chalice at the Last Supper. It is also the same Blood in the chalice at today’s Mass. “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven” (Matt. 18:18). The Apostles passed down to bishops and priests the power to forgive sins. I cannot understand why non-Catholics don’t agree with the Sacrament of Penance because it’s right there in Scripture in black and white. You cannot take one part of Scripture and say it ended with the Apostles. If you say that Confession ended with the Apostles, then everything else in Scripture did too.
What are the criteria for confessing some sins and not others? First of all, I have to hear them. It’s just like a doctor must hear what your symptoms are and examine you before s/he prescribes medication. Every Owee does not require morphine. I have to listen to your sins because I am a spiritual physician. We have something in Theology that we call the “Oreo Confession.” Have you heard of it? It’s when someone comes to confession and says: “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. It has been two months since my last confession. Father, I took some pencils from work. I said bad things to people, committed adultery, and I had a bad thought.” Whoa, whoa, whoa! Let’s go back to that little one in the middle of the Oreo Confession. What is necessary in the Sacrament of Penance is the confession of mortal sins. However, confessing venial sins is sufficient grounds for the grace of the Sacrament. But you do not have to tell me how many times you said a bad word to somebody. So, you don’t need to walk around with a clicker recording how many times you curse. No. That is all unnecessary. Our Lord, through the person of the priest or bishop, anoints your soul with the Most Precious Blood and washes away the stain of sin and infuses His very Self to heal the wounds of our sins and the sins of others.
Also necessary for the proper reception of the Sacrament is contrition and purpose of amendment. Contrition comes in two forms: perfect and imperfect. Perfect contrition is when you are sorry that you hurt the one you love and have harmed the relationship. Imperfect contrition is when you are afraid of getting punished. Ask any police officer. They see imperfect contrition every day. “I’m sorry! I didn’t know I was speeding!” Uh-huh. You aren’t sorry that you risked people’s lives; you are sorry that your insurance rate will go up. But imperfect contrition, to be afraid of God’s punishment, is sufficient to receive grace from the Sacrament.
Another thing necessary for the proper reception of the Sacrament is purpose of amendment and to avoid sin in the future. “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. I stole your watch.” Okay, I forgive you. Give me back my watch. You can’t keep it. In the case of money, “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. I stole $500 from my work three years ago.” Okay. You have to give the money back with interest. You cannot profit from sin, and you must repair the damage you’ve done. Regarding purpose of amendment, I tell alcoholics and drug addicts, “You know, if you hang around a barber shop long enough, eventually you’re going to get a haircut.” If you want to avoid drinking, don’t go into bars or ABC stores. That would be a good first step. The biggest occasion for sin is between the ears. Stay away from the people, places, and things that lead you to sin. You have to stay away from sin, or it will find you.
When I’m hearing confessions, I’m unlikely to ask questions, but I may. If, during confession, a penitent tells me that they are living with someone, I will ask, “Are you living together as brother and sister or as husband and wife?” If the penitent says, “as husband and wife,” then I tell them, “I cannot forgive you until you end the relationship because you intend to return to an objective state of sin. It would be an abuse of the Sacrament, and I cannot do that.” If the penitent is unhappy about not being absolved of their sins, I’ll say, “You are trying to manipulate our Savior. He wants to give you His very Self, and you are laying down conditions for that gift.” He wants to give you His very Self. Most people would say, “Yes! Righteous!” but you are saying, “Yeah, but.” No, that’s not going to work.
The gift of the Precious Blood washes away sins and, through the Sacrament, infuses the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity. It heals the soul of our sins and the sins committed by others. That’s what I said this week when I was at Felon University (prison). A lot of those men did not have a great start. In fact, some of them were abused as kids, emotionally, physically, and spiritually, but that is not an excuse. I told them that when you go to the Sacrament, let the Precious Blood wash away all the hurt in your soul from the sins that others have done to you. Frequent confession is helpful, especially for sins that were committed against us when we were young. If you were abused, that’s why you come to the Sacrament so that Christ’s Precious Blood can anoint your soul and start healing the damage that has been done. Perfectly? Maybe, maybe not. But it is progress because you are drawing ever closer to Christ. The sin inflicted upon your soul can receive the proper medicine. You become holy and strive for holiness. You will be able to bear the unbearable. That is the power of the Sacrament.
I had bronchitis a few months ago, a lovely condition, but I don’t recommend it. I went for an X-ray, and the technician said, “Take a deep breath and hold it.” If I could do that, I wouldn’t be here! Come on! I’m coughing my brains out and hacking up a load all over the place. So, the doctor prescribed some pills and said to take them to the end. Usually, taking one pill from the doctor will not cure our condition unless it’s Doctor Kevorkian. Why does the doctor ask you to take the medicine? Because it works. Why do I ask you to take this medicine? Because it works. What clinical trial am I basing that on? It’s the one where Jesus told me it works. So, it works. The Sacrament of Penance is a spiritual physical where the priest acting in the person of Christ applies God’s medicine which is His Most Precious Blood and anoints your soul. Does the Sacrament of Penance lead to a perfect way of life? I wish that were true. We all struggle.
Now, two weeks from today, I will be going on vacation, and a visiting priest will be here. So, it would be a great time to go to Confession. Some of you don’t like coming to me because you know me, and some people get embarrassed. I’ve been here a long time. You will probably never see the visiting priest again in this life. So go and dump all the poop on him. You will feel great, and when he leaves town, he will take all the garbage with him. Perfect.
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.”
It’s wonderful to see so many people here. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the church this full. Holy Mother Church asks priests to mention that when it is time for Holy Communion, only practicing Catholics may receive the Blessed Sacrament. As one great Italian theologian said, “It’s nothing personal. It’s just business.”
Do you know why we tend to believe lies? They tell us what we want to hear. They may not be true, but we like to hear them. Every cardiac patient wants to hear, “You can have bacon. It’s good for you. It’s the other white meat.” No, but we like to hear what we want to hear. Our human nature wants us to believe the lies of satan. If we believe that death is the end, then we can deny our Lord and do whatever we wish. “I can do anything I want, and God will still love me.” Yes. He loves you so much that He wants to bring you to Heaven. Unfortunately, we will all die. However, that’s not a bad thing because it is only by dying that we reign with Christ. Death is just a transition, and the closer we draw to God, the less the fear of death will have a hold on us. Yes, sometimes the way we have to go to Heaven is not especially pleasant. Last week, I talked about a man I knew, Mike Way, who had cancer of the esophagus. But thank God for modern medicine, because our suffering is much less than it has been in the past. In his last days, Mike said, “He suffered that for me. I will suffer this for Him.”
The happiest people are those who go to church. Are they always overjoyed? Oh, heck no. I am not allowed to eat bacon. So, tell me your problems. But you will survive, and you will be rewarded in Heaven. Our Lord holds out the reward, not only for me, but for every one of His children. One day, sooner for some and later for others, He will come and take you to Himself. Now, whether you get to stay with Him depends on how you respond to His love. Did you return His love? Do you know how we prove that love? It’s not putting extra money into the collection basket – although if you did, I would appreciate it. We prove our love for God by taking up our cross every day. If we want what He is offering, we must do what He did by taking up our cross and following Him to Calvary. That we will reign with Him forever is not a promise but an assurance.
In the last few days, we have held tributes to Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday. On Holy Thursday, our Lord gives us the means to achieve Heaven through the Sacraments. On Good Friday, He shows us the nature of sin and how much He loves us. Today we know the results. We will rise, and we will see Him. On the last day, we will get a glorified body, which will be united with our soul. The soul is incomplete without the body, and incompleteness cannot last in His presence. But He taught us the way. “If you wish to be My disciple, take up your cross and follow Me.” Do exactly what He did, and you will get what He offers. All participants in 12-step programs want to get sober and clean. I ask participants, “Do you have a sponsor, someone who can teach you the steps and help you to understand them?” Yes. Then I’ll ask them, “Do you want to be like them?” Yes. “Then do what they did.” Do you remember what I told you about walking through a minefield? Do not take a step unless you see a footprint in front of you. Otherwise, things will turn out very badly and very quickly for you. That’s what we do – we follow in Christ’s footsteps.
Now progress, not perfection, is what we should strive for because our Lord said, “Take up your cross every day and follow Me.” We can never reach perfection, so we struggle along with whatever crosses we have. By the way, does anyone need more crosses? I’m just asking. I think we all have enough. Sometimes it seems like God is piling on. Saint Teresa of Avila once said, “Lord, if this is how You treat Your friends, no wonder You have so few.” But we struggle along with our crosses, our own Calvary, and then one day we will ascend our final cross and pass from this life. Our bodies, like Christ’s, will lie in a tomb. However, our souls, if we have been faithful, not perfect but faithful, will be with Christ in Heaven. We will get our perfected body back on the last day. This is the joy and the hope that no matter how many failures we have had, no matter the mistakes we have made, Christ will forgive us, and there is a place in Heaven for us that has been reserved since the beginning of time. Everyone can achieve it. No matter how bad you think you are or what you have done, there is a place for you in Heaven if you take the means to do so.
There is a story about Bishop Sheen, now Venerable Bishop Sheen and soon-to-be Saint Fulton. He went one night to a hospital, and there was this guy who did not want to make his peace with God. Bishop Sheen told the man he had brought a friend. He took out a pyx, which holds Holy Communion, and said, “I have our Lord here.” But this guy did not want Him, so eventually Bishop Sheen left. But later that night, the man was crying for the Lord of the Cross. Theresa de Lisieux heard about a murderer named Henri Pranzini. He had been sentenced to death by guillotine – the big axe. Saint Theresa kept praying for him and praying for him. Up until the end, he refused everyone. “Go away from me!” Later, before they laid him on the guillotine for the final chop, he screamed, “The Cross, the Cross!” The priest approached him with the crucifix, and the man kissed it. Was that enough to achieve eternal salvation? I bet it was.
So, take up your cross every day, and if you fall, get back up. Remember, as a famous theologian once said, “It’s 5 o’clock somewhere.” You can start your day over again whenever you decide to. Pick up your cross and follow Christ, imperfectly as we all do, because Christ has a place for each of us in Heaven.
Father’s Reflections:
I used to go to the female prison in Troy, and we would play “Stump the Priest” before I started Mass. It’s sort of like “Stump the Chump.” This one female felon, who always asked lots of questions, said, “Father, I have a question.” You could see the other women rolling their eyes. I asked this woman what her question was. She said, “I read in the paper about people who die, and they all go see Jesus.” I said, “That’s true.” She was shocked. I told her, “We will all die, and we will all go see Jesus in Heaven. Some get to stay long enough for a cup of coffee, and others get to stay for eternity.” That’s true.
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.”
Today is called Spy Sunday. Do you know why? You never know when there’s going to be a pop quiz with me. It is called Spy Sunday because the Pharisees wanted to kill Jesus. Scripture says that Jesus had to steal into Jerusalem. The statues and crucifix in the church are covered out of shame that our Lord had to sneak into His own city of Jerusalem, the city of David, because His chosen people were trying to kill Him.
The Gospel today is very crystalized because we can see who Christ is – true God and true Man. The hypostatic union, as you all know, is the one human nature Christ took from the Blessed Mother and assumed into His divine nature. That is represented at the altar, with one drop of water placed into the chalice of wine, symbolizing His incarnation. Jesus showed that when He wept at the death of His friend, Lazarus. Did He know that He would raise Lazarus up? Of course, He did. But He showed that He shares our pain during those times. Scripture tells us how to deal with our grief when it happens. When we feel pain at the death of someone, it is not because we don’t love Jesus enough. It is because our love has changed. Bishop Sheen wrote that when Martha went to our Lord and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died,” she didn’t say it sweetly. No, Martha was torqued. She probably used His full name and had her finger in His face. Every man knows that when a woman uses your full name, you are in deep trouble. “Jesus bar Joseph [Jesus son of Joseph], if You had been here, my brother would never have died!” Martha probably had Jesus by the lapel of His tunic. She was really torqued because you only get angry at people you love when they disappoint you. When people cut you off on the highway, about a mile down the road, you are over it. But she was very angry at Jesus and disappointed in love.
All of us, if we live long enough, will know grief. We will have people we love that God will take from this world to Himself. Now I have been an orphan for about 30 years, which is rather frightening because I should not be left without adult supervision. What is especially frightening about that is that the Army let me have command of heavily armed soldiers with bad attitudes. I’m the last of my family, which makes Christmas shopping easier. It’s all about the ching. However, I’m left alone. It will happen one day if God blesses us with a long life. But it’s an opportunity to go to Him in prayer, even if you are angry and use bad words. God is a big God; He’ll get over it. Most of the swear words we use are old Anglo-Saxon words that have no celestial meaning at all. We get torqued when we think God has disappointed us. Our Lord hears us, and He says, “Wait, and you will have My consolation.” If you remember, He took His sweet time getting to Bethany, a Palestinian town, to raise Lazarus. They had to use the shoe leather express because there were no buses and no SCUSA. But a delay in an answer does not mean ‘no.’
When we lose someone when they die, our love has changed but not ended. It is a temporary separation. Our love has changed, and it is uncomfortable, even frightening. I had to pull the plug on my mother. Actually, I have pulled the plug on a couple of people, all legally so. We get angry with God in our souls. Eventually, our love will change, but it takes time. Clinically, and this is the job I do, it will take an average of about two years. It could take more or less time. Will you always miss them? Yes, and your missing them, like your love, will grow deeper and will change. That’s not bad, it just changes. Change is change.
He was always there. He didn’t ask Martha, “Are you worthy of this? What’s in it for me, maybe another dinner?” No. Our Lord did it because He loved Lazarus, who had been in a hot, humid tomb in Palestine for four days. It is safe to say there was a stench. Nobody was having burritos after Lazarus came out of the tomb. Ask any medic or police officer. But from Lazarus’ perspective, do you think he might have been a bit upset? He has to die again. Come on! He had it made; he would have been in Heaven! Now he had to go through dying again. Are you kidding? But out of love, he did anything our Lord asked of him. Lazarus was willing to die again because the Lord asked him to.
Our Lord will always come to comfort us in all our afflictions. I’ll tell you a story about some chaplain students who were shadowing me at the VA. I took them down to hospice, and they were asking patients, “Can I pray with you?” I really wanted to tell them to “shut up,” but instead, I told them they were there to learn. They asked me, “What are we going to learn?” I told them they would learn from the patients. They said, “But I want to bring them to Jesus.” Jesus is already there. Do you think anybody loves that person more than Jesus? You don’t need to bring Jesus to them; He’s already there. So, sit down and appreciate the presence of Christ and the presence of their guardian angels. Death comes to all of us, and it’s sad. I don’t minimize anybody’s grief. It’s terrible. Something we don’t do often in grief work, the five stages of grief, is to express gratitude. Nobody says thank you.
I had great parents, and I’m thankful for that. They didn’t kill me when I definitely needed it. They also didn’t put me in a basket and send me down the river. I had great brothers. They didn’t leave me any money, but I still love them. Cheap buggers. Anyway, say thank you for the great gifts you have. Some of you may have family members who are more challenging. We’ve all had that. Some of them you’d like to invite to a blanket party. But say ‘thank you’ for them because we had the great honor and blessing of helping them carry their crosses. Because even with all their crosses and all their problems, they taught us how to love. They were our teachers. We all come to church and say, “Lord, I love you.” Really? So, He tests our love by sending us these very interesting people, and it’s worse when it’s family. Strangers we can handle, but when it’s a family member, we want to put our hands around their throat. But they are gifts from God. Those gifts teach us how to love and to love others more than ourselves.
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.”
The Gospel about the Passion is so hard to read, and not just the subject matter, but also the English. Every sentence begins with a preposition and an ‘and’. Catholic school grammar taught me to never begin a sentence with ‘and.’ No. The run-on sentences make me wonder whether they were paid to write a college term paper and were trying to stretch it to 20 pages. Also, no crowd yells in perfect English, “Let Him be crucified.” What crowd in the world talks like that and in complete sentences? Jesus replied to Pilate, “You say so.” I have been a priest for over 40 years, and I’ve never heard that translation.
It’s good to study Scripture in the context of the culture. Do you know what gall is? Most of us have a gall bladder. Gall can also be defined as hutzpah, pride, and arrogance. But that’s not what this means. Gall in the ancient world was a narcotic. Jesus was offered wine laced with gall. Why? Both wine and gall suppress pain. They offered it to Jesus to help ease the pain during His crucifixion. What else does a narcotic do? It suppresses respiration and would have hastened His death. But Jesus refused it, not just once, but twice. It was another temptation on the Cross. He took upon Himself the true pain of sin for all men, for all people, for all time. He did not seek any lessening of that pain. He took it all for us.
I knew this man named Mike Way. I use the past tense because Mike has passed. I remember talking to him one night down at Carolina Beach. Mike lived a wild life, but he had come back to the Church and was very devout. He developed cancer, and the doctors couldn’t fix him. Near the end, Mike was in so much pain that it was difficult for him to sleep. He told me, “Father, I sleep in that chair.” I asked him, “Mike, do you want to up your meds? When you are in that kind of pain, the doctors can increase your meds.” He said, “No.” I asked him why not. Mike said, “I look at the Crucifix and think, He suffered that much for me, so I will suffer this much for Him.”
Father’s Reflections: I saw a news report from back home in Rhode Island. Saint Mary’s church will be closed by the Diocese of Warwick, my old diocese. They’ve closed a lot of churches there. Saint Mary’s was the church of my father’s family. Three other churches have been closed in that same area. The bishop had said that they were doing great. Then why are you closing three churches? The lack of priests is the reason. Well, you caused it, so just own up to it. They closed my mother’s church, the church where she was married. She and two of her sisters were married at the same time in that church. I didn’t know that until my cousin told me. I’ve seen pictures of my Uncle Norman, who, with his big ears, looked like dumbo from behind. The church property is right across the street from the hospital and next to a funeral home. It’s a great location for a church. However, there’s a problem with selling the property, and one that the diocese was unaware of. My grandparents lived a block away, so I heard this story as a young man. In the 1800’s, two priests who served at that church died and were buried somewhere on the church grounds. The funny thing is that they don’t know where on the property the two priests are buried. Oops! Usually, in the death book, you record the cause of death and the place of burial. Apparently, they did not do that when these priests died. Good luck! Now the diocese must go play “Where’s Father Waldo?” because you really cannot sell the property with two dead guys buried somewhere on it. Nice.
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.”
This past week, I’ve been going around the diocese hearing confessions, and they’ve been a lot of fun. I like driving and listening to music. It’s very relaxing. Sometimes I have to stop people during their confessions because they go on and on with all sorts of details I don’t need. “Father, it was a dark and stormy night. Ships were ablaze on the horizon. Doors were slammed, and there were gunshots.” I don’t need the whole great American novel. I just need to know what you did, okay? If I have questions, I’ll ask them. One person launched into a political diatribe. I don’t talk about politics. But I will tell you, especially during this war we are engaged in, that on my last trip overseas, I was the chaplain to the theatre commander. Technically, I didn’t have the appropriate security clearance to hear the theatre-level briefings that I did, but the commander told me to stay. Where we were, CNN, Fox, and Sky News were broadcasting on television. I can safely say that everything you hear on the news should be prefaced with “Once upon a time.” What you hear on the news contains only a kernel of truth. Commentators are not read into any of this, so rash judgments are made. My advice to you is to follow my example, watch Animal Planet. YouTube videos of dogs are also good. They always crack me up, because dogs have so much to say! So let it go. We are not privy to what is really going on. It will make your lives a lot easier.
About once a year, I have to go see the ophthalmologist. It’s rather fun because they have this machine you stick your head in, and it’s like Star Wars with all these flashing lights. Also, when you leave, you get a gift. They give you these funky glasses that look like those you wear to watch 3D movies. That’s because your pupils have been dilated so that the doctor can see all of the eye. If you don’t wear those glasses, your whole outlook on life will change when you leave the office. Instead of thinking, “Oh, what a beautiful day; the sunshine is wonderful,” you’ll come outside and get blinded by the sunlight. So, put on the glasses. I had a problem with that one time after an appointment with the ophthalmologist. My appointment was early in the afternoon, and a little later, I had to drive to Charlotte. I was driving west, and it was very unpleasant. I made sure to drive the exact speed limit and not one mile over. If I got pulled over by law enforcement with my pupils dilated like saucers, I would not enjoy the experience. If I said, “I was at the eye doctor,” I doubt the officer would believe me. Law enforcement officers can be very skeptical of people’s excuses. But why the change? It was the same beautiful sunlight as when I walked into the doctor’s office, but it changed when I walked out. Why? Because the organ receiving the sunlight had changed.
God’s love and His call for us to be holy can be painful for a soul that has been damaged by sin or steeped in it. The organ that receives God’s love has changed. God hasn’t changed. God is immutable. I see people from time to time, and they ask me if I’m a Catholic priest. Yes. They’ll say, “I used to be Catholic.” Sometimes I let that slide, but other times I’ll say, “I still am. What happened to you?” I don’t need that crap. The way they say it could be interpreted as an insult. I could have retired by now with a wife and grandkids, having a good time. I bet none of them are still working at 72. Obviously, I didn’t get the memo.
What has changed is the soul that would receive God’s grace, and you see the reaction. God’s love has not changed. What has changed is the organ, the soul. That is why we ask God to restore us so that we can receive His gifts not as punishment but for conversion. He helps us clear our vision by our repeated use of the Sacraments of Holy Communion and Confession, wiping away all our sins. The closer we draw to God, the better our spiritual vision becomes, and we are able to realize why people hurt us. People do stupid stuff; I’ll give you that. But with our improved vision, we realize that they are all children of God. Believe it or not, God loves them as much as He loves you. That hurts because I thought I was His favorite. What did our Lord say to do for people who are offensive or who do bad things to us? Pray for them. Nobody is beyond the mercy of God, and no sin is too reprehensible.
Saint John Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests. He was walking one day when a lady approached him. He said, “My child, how are you?” She said, “Curé, you know that my husband fell off a bridge and died recently. I heard that you could read souls. My husband is in hell, right?” Saint Vianney said he didn’t know. The lady became a bit irate and said, “What do you mean you don’t know. He did this, and he did that!” After summing up the litany of her husband’s misdeeds, Saint Vianney said to the woman, “There was a long time from when he left the top of the bridge to when he hit the water. There was enough time to say, I’m sorry.” It was perhaps an act of imperfect contrition that would keep that man out of hell. So, we have no idea.
Like the sunlight, God’s love does not change. His love is immutable. It is the organ that receives His gifts that has changed. It has been damaged by our sins and by the sins of others. I will give you a great example, and you may have seen it. Never come up behind me when I don’t know you are there; you will not get a good reaction. That was caused by the sins of others. We all have our sufferings, but God gives us the medicine so we can regain our spiritual sight.
Father’s Reflections:
I told some priests how drugs can be your best friend in the spiritual life. When I was working in Hospice, I was visiting with this one patient in Room 4. He was a helicopter pilot in Vietnam. He survived, became Catholic, and then became a priest. He left the priesthood and got married. Now he was in hospice. I asked him if he would like to receive Last Rites. He said, “No.” Okay, I didn’t take it personally. So, I left the room, got a cup of coffee, and waited until the drug cart came by. About 10 minutes later, I went back into his room and asked, “Would you like to receive Last Rites now?” I’ll take that as a “Yes.” Sometimes, morphine and fentanyl can be your best friends in hospice. It’s how you can use them to your advantage. I don’t like taking ‘no’ for an answer; I just wait until patients pass out.
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.”
During the two seasons of Advent and Lent, Holy Mother Church asks us for penance for the coming into the world of Christ at the nativity, and also for His suffering, death, and resurrection in Lent. The Church asks her faithful to receive the Sacrament of Penance. When you tell the priest your sins, the priest, who functions in the person of Christ, anoints your soul with His Precious Blood, which washes away all sin and infuses divine grace, healing the harm sin has caused. It is a beautiful Sacrament. But over the years, it has, like other things in the Church, suffered from some grave abuses. A white fence doesn’t stay white; you have to paint it and occasionally maintain it. It’s the same with the teaching of the Sacraments. Over the years of my priesthood, I have seen many weird things that Rome had to correct. This takes some time because they hope that bishops will self-correct. But the odds of that happening are not great, so Rome must do the correcting.
Remember when we all had to have reconciliation rooms? When I came here many years ago, may God have mercy on your souls, there were no confessionals. Confessions were made in the cry room, which goes against Church law. “We must have reconciliation rooms.” No. Priests are not obligated to hear confessions face-to-face. Someone appealed to Rome, and Rome said we did not need them. Monsignor wanted to spend thousands of dollars to create them. No. First, reconciliation rooms are not required. They also cost thousands of dollars. Homie isn’t playing that game! Rome reminded the bishops and priests, some of whom are educated beyond their ability, that confessionals are there for the protection of the priest and not for the comfort of the penitent. It is entirely my choice how I hear confessions. There have been so many crazy things. Another one is that priests cannot hear confessions right before Mass because it hinders the penitent from reflecting on the Mass. It sounds good for those not educated in Theology. But if you had any knowledge past the first year of Theology, you would know that is all fertilizer. “You cannot hear confessions right before Mass.” Rome said, “Yes, you can. You can also hear confessions during Mass.” The first thing you learn in Sacramental Theology is a Latin phrase: “Sacramenta destinabantur homini” which means the Sacraments were meant for man. They are not elaborate rituals that satisfy everybody’s desire to be in a high school play. The Sacraments are God giving life to man. That is why He came . . . to give us His divine life.
This comes up sometimes with the Spanish. They’ll say, “Father, confess?” Yes, but only if you speak English. They’ll say, “Yes, yes.” Then they start rattling off in Spanish. Wrong! I am only obligated to hear confessions in the language I understand. You are blowing stuff by me. I need English so that I can understand you. It’s like going to your doctor and describing in Spanish all your symptoms and all the medications you take. If your doctor doesn’t speak Spanish, what do you think the outcome of your healthcare is going to be? Not good. If I cannot understand what you are saying, I don’t know if there is any mortal sin there, so I cannot absolve you, and I cannot apply effective remedies. When I was overseas, a Korean lady came to camp, and she went to Mass. She would sit near the back of the Quonset hut with her daughter. After Mass, her daughter approached me and said, “Father, my mother would like to go to Confession.” Great. Her mother spoke Hangeul. How good do you think my Hangeul is? I barely speak English. I do not know Hangeul, so her daughter translated for her. Priests have told me I cannot do that. Yes, I can. It’s in the law. They must have fallen asleep during Canon Law class that day. The translator has the same obligation of secrecy regarding the confession as I do.
Another, and my favorite, is general absolution. I was at dinner with some priests, and one of them was laughing about a wedding rehearsal he had been to. Some people at the rehearsal wanted him to hear their confessions. But he was tired, so he gave them general absolution. Some of the priests thought that was funny and were laughing. Well, the way I was raised, you do not make a mockery of the Sacraments because that is blasphemy. So, I said, “Father, when I was overseas, after I began Mass, we started taking incoming fire, so I gave everybody general absolution. I do believe that is the only time it is allowed.” There was deathly silence at the table. So, it’s getting crazy. Our bishop, as the pastor and teacher of the diocese, has sent out a letter reminding the priests and the faithful about how to receive and celebrate the Sacrament. Here is a portion of it:
On the part of Confessors [that would be me], the celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation is not counseling, nor is it the appropriate time for spiritual direction. A brief word of counsel may be given after penitents confess their sins. If someone needs a longer consultation about their spiritual life, the priest should instruct the penitent to come to the parish office to arrange for an appointment with a priest.
When I was going through the Penance course, the professor said we should not keep penitents for long because it sets a bad example. Keep your voice quiet. Don’t yell, “You did what??” or “Oh my God!!” Don’t do that. Now back to the bishop’s letter.
On the part of the faithful approaching the Sacrament, penitents should be instructed to examine their conscience well before the individual confession. Ask briefly and confess your sins without extraneous details [I get a lot of that] or recounting all the circumstances surrounding your sins [I get a lot of that too. I have been a chaplain for 42 years, a military chaplain for 24 of those years. If you have a sin I haven’t heard about, I’ll pay for the privilege of hearing it.] Confessors should gently remind individual penitents that they only need to briefly mention details that would affect the gravity of the sin or culpability to the penitent to a greater or lesser degree.
That’s important. I have heard this a couple of times: “Father, I have committed every sin in the book.” There are two textbooks in the Moral Theology course: Volumes 1 and 2. I still have them; they are interesting reading. When someone says they have committed every sin, I ask them, “So have you married your first cousin?” No! There goes a chapter. I remember we had to study the degrees of affinity in Marriage Law and memorize all the tables. Gosh! In my 42 years as a priest, I have never had anyone who had a problem with that one. But I had to memorize those tables, and I still remember them. Another question I will ask is: “Did you date any animals?” No! Another chapter gone. “Did you sell the Sacraments?” No! Another chapter gone. Every sin has a name, so just name it. You’ve got to tell me where it hurts because I’m not a mind reader. I could probably predict with a high degree of certainty what you did, but that doesn’t help anyone. When the penitent admits their sins, it opens their soul to Christ’s grace and purity. And yes, I do go to confession. At my age, I cannot find priests much older than I am, so I have to go to much younger guys. Even though you must be 25 or 26 to be ordained, I can smell the Clearasil on them. We are robbing the cradle! Remember what the Sacrament of Penance is and what it is not. Christ wants your sins. He wants to give you the grace and healing God gives you in the Sacrament.
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.”
