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Sermon Notes – July 14, 2024 – “That’s All I can Stands, I can Stands No More”

“That’s All I can Stands, I can Stands No More”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

July 13 – 14, 2024

Gospel:  Mark 6:7-13


On Thursdays, if I remember, I go to the IDT (Inter-disciplinary Team) meetings.  Doctors, nurses, psychologists, social workers, physical therapists, dieticians, and chaplains attend this meeting to discuss Hospice patients.   We were discussing this one patient who is 47 years old and who is refusing treatment.  With treatment, he could be cured, so his doctor wasn’t sure what to do.  To complicate matters, this patient is also schizophrenic.  He was trying alternative holistic medicine, such as crystals, which was not working, and he was getting progressively worse.  The staff was trying to get him to talk to the oncologist.  I asked the psychologist, “Do you think that perhaps he is afraid?”  Nobody hears anything after doctors say “cancer.”  They shut down, and the conversation is over.  Although it could be stage 1, after they hear the “C” word, they stop listening.  That is especially true if you have another condition like schizophrenia.   He was afraid and stopped taking his medicine.  He could only control what he could control.  When you are a patient in the hospital, everything is out of your control, and privacy is a joke.  That is the nature of the business. 

We have to be careful about what we say.  Paul said, “Only speak of what builds people up.”  Be good to people.  The sin of slander is akin to murder in Scripture.  In the hierarchy of sins, slander and murder are equal.  We have to be very careful about what we say because we have no idea of the fragility of people.  They could be a lot more fragile than we think they are.  Sometimes they have the “Popeye” syndrome.  Do you know what that is?   “That’s all I can stands, I can stands no more.”   Someday, when they’ve had just one thing too many happen, they go postal.   We don’t know, so say good things that will help people and not evil things.   All that evil speech comes from inside the person saying it.  Speak words of kindness and love, not evil. 

In the Gospel, our Lord sent the Apostles out without any money, food, or anything, and all I could think was, “Are You kidding me?  Lord, do You have any idea what you are asking them to do?”   People who went to college and studied the dictionary would call that counterintuitive.  No – it’s stupid!  But our Lord wouldn’t tell us to do things that are impossible.  That goes against His nature.  The Apostles did what the Lord asked them to do.  Our Lord gives us these things to do so that we can show our love for Him.  “If you love Me, you will keep my Commandments.  My Commandments are not burdensome.”  Oh, I don’t think so.  My lack of faith in eating fish is just terrible.  What a terrible cross I have!  I have to obey my doctors.  That’s the Fourth and Fifth Commandments, by the way.  “I know the commandments.”  I don’t think so . . . but keep learning.  Remember what John Wayne said, “Life is tough; it is tougher when you’re stupid.”  “The Commandments are too hard.”  Not really.  Otherwise, our Lord wouldn’t have said, “My yoke is easy and My burden light.”   It may be unpleasant, but when we start saying the Commandments are hard, how are the young supposed to remain pure?  How are the old supposed to remain pure?  Have you ever heard about the Villages?  Do some research on that.   Ask any police officer, and they will tell you there is a lot of stupid out there manifesting itself.   We have the King Baby Syndrome; “I want what I want when I want it. So, I will change the Word of God to justify what I want to do.”   Our Lord tells us what to do and gives us the means to do it.   He does not tell me to do Misfit work because I’m incompetent.  I don’t fly airplanes for a reason – because I don’t have the ability.  But God doesn’t require that of me.  God gives me the means to do what He requires of me for my vocation as He does for us all.  He offers that to us all. 

So, the hardship of keeping God’s Commandments is negligible.  “Oh!  Do you mean I have to go to Mass every Sunday?”  Well, you catch all the Panthers games, don’t you?   Oh yeah.  Keeping His Commandments is not as hard as we think because He gives us the tools to do so.  The devil on our shoulders tells us how hard it is and how much we will miss the great side of life.  No, you won’t.  You will not miss the Four Horseman:  guilt, fear, shame, and remorse. 

I see people all the time who walk in misery and sadness.  We don’t always have to like what our Lord asks us to do.  I never saw a time in which He asked for someone’s opinion about one of His Commandments.  He said to keep His Commandments.  You don’t have to like them.  Just do what you are told, and it will work out well.  It worked out for the Apostles, and it will work out for us.  We are not the newest kids on the block or the brightest bulb in the box, but our Lord told us exactly what we need to do to have the greatest amount of happiness possible in this life and eternal happiness in the next.  All we have to do is what He tells us to do and to use the means He gave us.  Our lives would be so much better.  Perfect?  No.  I always have to pay for my pizza.  So, perfect?  No.  But it would be so much more hopeful, joyful, and peaceful.   

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.”

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Sermon Notes – July 7, 2024 – “True Knowledge Leads to Humility”

“True Knowledge Leads to Humility”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

July 6 – 7, 2024

Gospel:  Mark 6:1-6

Why do we receive an education?  So that we can use our talents to provide for ourselves and our loved ones, for the good of Society, for the good of the Church, and for our own salvation.   One of the greatest fruits of education has a significant impact on spiritual life.   We learn that we don’t know everything and become humble.  The Apostles always had a problem with education.  They said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will believe.”   Jesus said, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).   The Apostles didn’t understand that, so they had to continue their education. 

Knowledge is a virtue and can produce many fruits.  The people of Nazareth, Jesus’ hometown, said they knew Him.  Obviously, they didn’t because if they had, they would have worshipped Him.  True knowledge, used properly, brings about humility.   The more I learn, the more I realize that I don’t know everything.  Sometimes, people read a book and then say, “Father, I know all about this stuff.”  Uh-Huh.  Sometimes people try to tell me what the Church believes.  “Father, I went to a weekend course on Theology.”   Oh, good.  I studied Theology for four years; come talk to me when you’re serious.  It’s pride that says, “I have knowledge; therefore, I know everything.”   True knowledge is the exact opposite.  One of the fruits of education can be seen in the creche at Bethlehem.  You see three kinds of people around Jesus:  the holy – Saint Joseph and the Blessed Mother; the shepherds who knew they knew nothing; and the Wisemen who were educated enough to know they knew nothing. 

People often ask me questions about the Faith, and that’s good.   It may inspire them to read further.   Faith seeking understanding is Theology.   Now, I’m not a learned guy.  I know a few things about a few things.  I know some things about the military and work as a hospital chaplain.  But other than that, not so much.  However, I can refer you to people who are experts in exorcism, Canon Law, and Martial Law.  I’m not an expert in those fields and have only a passing knowledge of them.   Remember our minds are fallen because of Original Sin and sins committed after Baptism.   There is a great book that I read in seminary.  It’s the “Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma” by Father Ludwig Ott.  It’s a very thick book with a very small print.  It helps to have young eyes.  I’ve read and reread that book.  So, when you come to Confession, you know I’m prepared.  But the fruit of that learning is not so that I can bedazzle you with my knowledge.  The fruit of knowledge leads to a holy life so that every day we conform our lives closer and closer to Almighty God. 

We come here to learn how to use our knowledge in works of faith, hope, and charity.  “But Father, I don’t understand everything.”  Perfect.  You’re in the right place.  Will you ever understand everything?  No.  Only when you are in Heaven will your mind be enlightened.  In the meantime, we learn as much as we can and that knowledge, hopefully, will lead us to greater humility.  Saint Thomas a Kempis, in his writing about the temptations of Christ, wrote “It is better to have but little knowledge with humility and understanding, than great learning which might make you proud.” Humility with the knowledge we have is love lived out. 

Last week, I told you a story about our Most Reverend Bishop, who retired after serving for 20 years as bishop.  Although I did not know it, he was very sick.  None of us knew he had only one kidney until after he retired.  Having only one kidney was debilitating for him.  Even as tired as he was after Confirmation here at the church, when I asked him to visit someone in the hospital, he agreed.  I knew it would thrill Genevieve for the bishop of the church to visit her.  As it turned out, besides Genevieve, there was another woman in the hospital who was being sent home to die.  The bishop spent time with them, and he was so compassionate.  He had the knowledge, and he put it into practice.  That is humility.  I’ll say this about myself: I try to do it too.  When I work at the hospital, I’ll help nurses and patients and deal with some things that people would consider yucky.  But it’s not about me; it’s about that person who is sick.  That’s humility, and it’s what I try to practice all the time, but I have an ego as big as the Grand Canyon, so it’s tough.   I have letters before and after my name.  “I fought for my country.”  So did the cook.  Shut up!   If we don’t have humility, all that knowledge we’re supposed to have is wasted. 

Father’s Reflections . . . I will tell you this story so that you know I am almost human . . . almost.  The other day I had a severe temptation.  If you guessed it was for fish, you’d be wrong.  I’m getting older and I’m seeing all these doctors.  It would be great if I could look at my medical file.  I work at the Veterans Hospital, and I can access medical files as part of my work, but I can’t look at my own file.  So, I was thinking that maybe I could ask one of my homeboys to look at it although that would be unethical.  I just want to find out if a wise doctor put in my expiration date just so I can prepare.  But I’m over it.  See, I get temptations just like everyone else. 

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.”

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Ascension Presents: The Bible in 10 Minutes

The Bible is amazing… but sometimes confusing and hard to read. How can we understand the whole story?

From Ascension and Fr. Mike Schmitz—creators of the Bible in a Year podcast—comes a beautiful, clear, shareable summary of the story of salvation: the Bible in 10 Minutes. If you’ve never had the whole narrative summarized for you (or if you could use a refresher), this video will change your perspective on humanity’s relationship with God.

https://www.youtube.com/@TheBibleinaYear