Tag: Christmas

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Sermon Notes – December 21, 2025 – “Christmas is a Holy Day, Not a Holiday”

“Christmas is a Holy Day, Not a Holiday”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

December 20 – 21, 2025

Gospel: Matthew 1:18-24

This is a very beautiful season, and we take a lot of joy in it.  Our church is a beautiful setting for our Lord’s coming, just like our hearts are after we go to Confession.   In a few days, we will celebrate the solemnity of Christmas when God was made visible to us in the form of human flesh.  It is such a joy.  But there is usually something that distracts from the beauty of Christmas and why Jesus came.  It’s always something besides His coming for our sins, because we don’t want to talk about sin.  People can take anything sublime and use it blasphemously.   They think they are smarter than the average bear, and they try to transform Christmas into a ‘deeper meaning’ for society.  Mary was betrothed to a man named Joseph.  It meant something different in first-century Jewish culture than it does in our culture today.  “She was an unwed mother.”  Please.  They will say anything to detract from the reason Jesus came and why we should be joyful.  Some say that Mary and Joseph were poor, and that is why they had to stay where they did.  Really?  Scripture does not support that, nor does common sense.  Joseph was a talented man.  He was a carpenter.  Look at how much carpenters make these days.  They make some serious ching.   Carpenters in Joseph’s time did too, but wood was not as readily available as it is today.  So, they could not afford to make many mistakes.  But Joseph was a craftsman.   

A priest in Boston, Father Stephen Josoma, who I think was my classmate from seminary, decided that his church’s nativity scene would not have a baby in a manger.  Instead, his church displayed the following sign:    “ICE was here.”   Jesus was deported?  This priest was trying to do the trendy thing, but it is blasphemous, and it is not true.  Jesus was born in Palestine.  Who governed Palestine?  Rome.  Jesus was a Roman citizen, so He could not be deported.   Just like they cannot deport any of us from Acquadale or Oakboro.  We are North Carolinians.  That church in Boston changed the nativity for blasphemous purposes.  If given the opportunity, I would say to that priest, “Father, we were in the same classes, and you were far brighter than I was.  I must have missed that particular class on the nativity.”        

Caesar decreed that everyone return to their ancestral birthplace to enroll in the census.  Mary and Joseph had to stay where they did because they were late getting to the party.  Apparently, they did not get into the high-speed lane and arrived late.  It was nothing personal.  Nobody knew Saint Joseph, that Mary would be the mother of God, or that He was riding around inside her stomach.  They knew none of that.  If you have tickets to a Panthers game and you get there ten minutes before game time, will you be getting a parking space near the stadium’s front door?  Common sense tells us that you won’t.  “Oh, sure. We have one just for you. It’s in Gastonia.”  That’s just common sense. 

On Christmas Day, the remedy for sin will arrive, Heaven will be opened, and we will be given the means to dwell there with our dear Lord.  God’s promise of salvation made after the fall of our first parents is now made present.   Love becomes incarnate in the Person of Jesus Christ.   The 2nd Person of the Trinity assumed our humanity and became visible.   He would die on the Cross 33 short years later so that the Gates of Heaven were opened for us, giving us the means for salvation through the Sacraments.  That is the great joy of Christmas.  The centuries of waiting for God’s promise to be fulfilled, which seemed much delayed, prepared us to receive that promise.  In the same way, before you can go to any graduate school, you have to take the basic courses.  You have to be prepared.  All of God’s promises come true; we just have to wait for them and be prepared. 

Who is Jesus?  Jesus is our Savior Who came to save us from our sins.  He comes to take our worst to give us His best, which is Himself.  This is our joy at Christmas.  He offers peace on Earth.  That peace comes with peace in our souls for each and every one of us.  During this time in the Gospel, the world was at peace.  Do you know why?  The Romans ruled it.  If you stepped out of line, you got whacked.  The Romans had very little tolerance for stupid.  That is why the world was in a state of objective peace and not subject to interior peace. 

Christ comes to be our peace . . . peace in our soul.  He comes to take away our sins and, by taking away our sins, to infuse His divine presence in us.  This is the joy of Christmas.  We don’t have to wait for it.  Yes, we have to wait a few more days to commemorate His coming.  But each day Christ is made present, sacrificed on the altar, and we are given all the great gifts of His love in the Sacraments.  You cannot receive a greater gift than divine love and the gift of Christ Himself.  That is the joy of Christmas.  To say anything else debases the holiday.  It is a holy day, not a holiday.  God has come to us so that we can go to Him at the end of our days.  You know what is beautiful on Christmas Day?  Instead of looking up to Heaven to pray, you can look down at the manger. 

Father’s Reflections . . .

I had an interesting day yesterday.  I was hearing confessions, and I kept yawning.  One of the penitents asked, “Father, are you okay?”  I said, “Yeah, I’m just an old man. I sit down, and I fall asleep.”  Sometimes, hearing confessions is like being stoned to death with popcorn. Then there was a lady who was waiting for someone in the church parking lot.  She rang my doorbell and said that she had been bitten by a snake.  Okay, I was looking forward to drinking my coffee, but I guess this comes first.  I called the paramedics, and they told me to turn her on her side if she threw up.  Gosh, I really look forward to that, although it’s not exactly how I planned to spend my Saturday morning.  I really miss hospital work!   So, I sat at the kitchen table and waited for the paramedics to arrive, while she waited outside for them.  I took my hometown newspaper out to her and said, “Hey, if you get bored, read this.”  I wanted to keep her amused so that she didn’t wander out into the road.  After that, I went to Harris Teeter.  I bought some things and got into the checkout line.  The store was playing “Have a Holly Jolly Christmas” by Burl Ives.  The song was being played in a loop, over and over again.  The checkout clerk was a young man, and I asked him, “One of your favorites?”  He said, “It’s torture.”   It was like at Gitmo when music was played to get the enemy to talk.  That young man should get combat pay. 

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 – December 25, 2025 – I got God for Christmas

“I got God for Christmas”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

December 25, 2025

Gospel: John 1:1-18

Last week, I had to call 911 for a lady who thought she had been bitten by a snake. That was a lot of fun. But it was not the first time – I have called 911 several times for other people. I hope you never have to call 911, because when you do, you are upset, anxious, excited, and all wrapped up in the situation. When you call 911, the operators are very good, and they get all of your information. After you hang up the phone, you wait, and you wait, and you wait. Soon, you begin to wonder why they aren’t there already. As the crow flies, the EMTs are only two miles away. Less than three miles away, there are five fire stations: three regular and two volunteer. Also, less than a mile away, there are two cop shops: sheriff and police. After you call, you begin tapping your fingers and wondering when they will arrive. After what seems like an eternity, you hear sirens in the distance. So, you know they are on their way. They are coming, and they are coming, and they are coming, very slowly, but they are coming. “This is an emergency! Someone is hurt. I need help!” However, the police and rescue squads are constrained by the speeds at which they can drive in the city. That’s the theory, but I have seen sheriff deputies and EMTs whizz by the church. When I see an ambulance scream by on the way to the hospital, I know someone is in really bad shape. When the police, fire department, EMTs, or rescue personnel finally arrive, the healing can begin. They take charge and assure you that they will do everything they can to improve the situation. They work their magic, and your anxiety level lessens.

The same is true about our salvation and redemption. When our first parents hurt themselves and us badly by Original Sin, we needed help. But amazingly, we did not call 911 or GOD. God did that Himself because the offense was so grave that we alone couldn’t make amends. It was a divine offense. In the garden, we walked with God and talked to God. Then we gave God the shaft because we wanted to do what we wanted. But God loves us so much that He didn’t want us to wander away from Him. He said, “I will send you a savior” to remedy the divine offense. This divine offense could be fixed by only one Person – His divine Son, the 2nd Person in the Blessed Trinity. He came to be our Savior. On this day, we commemorate His appearance in the world made visible in the form of human flesh that He took from the Blessed Mother.

When you look at the manger scene, which was originally created by Saint Francis of Assisi, you can foretell the future. Our Lord came to be our Savior and to be sacrificed as atonement for our sins. The wood of the manger became the wood of the Cross 33 years later. The hay He laid on was food for the animals and became our food in the Holy Eucharist. There’s enough just on that for two sermons, but we don’t have the time. He came as our Savior, and that’s what we rejoice in. Today, as we celebrate His coming, our healing has begun. The straying from God is over. God has come to heal the damage in our souls due to sin, to remove the cancer, and to help us live so that we can go to where we were created to be, which is Heaven. He came to heal us and to reconcile us to God. That is the beauty of this day and the great joy we should have.

Who do you see around the Christ Child? You see Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds. The wise men wouldn’t come until much later. But wouldn’t you love to have been there at the beginning of the First Century? Well, you don’t have to be envious. Know why? Because you have Him right there in the Tabernacle, although not under the appearance of human flesh, but of the Host. You have Him right here at Mass. What is our Savior’s greatest gift to us? His greatest gift to us is Himself. He offers Himself to us in the Sacraments, which is the greatest gift at Christmas. If you ask, “What did you get for Christmas?” My answer is, “I got God.”

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 – December 7, 2025 – “Pull the Plug”

“Pull the Plug”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

December 6 – 7, 2025

Gospel: Matthew 3:1-12

I got a new computer, although I don’t know how to use it; go figure.  I get on two websites: the church email and the priests I follow.  That’s it.  That’s all I know how to do.  But one thing I do know about my new computer is that it has an off switch, as do my phone and television.  In case of emergency, there is a four-letter word: plug.  Pull the plug.  It saves you money, too.  “Oh, I am bothered by this!”  Pull the plug, and you will no longer be bothered.   I have spoken with many physicians I respect, and being without a phone or cable is not a terminal medical condition.  Believe it or not.  I’ve made it for 72 years without cable TV.  It’s amazing the things you can do without.  While I was deployed, I didn’t have a phone or cable.  We can reform our lives by getting rid of annoyances and focusing on God. 

We are preparing to commemorate the first coming of Christ at Christmas.  The decorations are up, Christmas cards are being mailed, and presents are being bought to show signs of our love.  The Church reminds us that Christ will come again for the Final Judgement.  However, Christ will return more often than just for the Final Judgement, because if we die before that, He will come to take us from this world.   If you think about it, Christ has never left us.  Some of you might say, “Father, you may have been sick on the day they taught this in seminary, but He ascended into Heaven.”   I actually do remember that class, and I have documentation showing that I passed.  The human nature He received from the Blessed Mother was raised up to Heaven, but He is still physically here with us.   What is that object on the altar underneath the purple veil?  The Tabernacle.  What is in the Tabernacle?   Jesus.  Now, I would give you only 50% credit if you said Jesus, because you didn’t correct me when I asked “what” is in the Tabernacle.  Jesus is not a “what.”  He is a “Who.”   Inside the Tabernacle is our dear Lord, body, blood, soul, and divinity . . . the person of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.  As He hid Himself within the veil of humanity He took from the Blessed Mother, so too He hides Himself within the veil of bread and wine, which is now a consecrated host.   He hides Himself, but He is always present with us.  He has not, and will not, leave us.

A problem many Catholics, priests, and bishops have is that they talk about Holy Communion and the Mass like they are an “it” instead of a “Who.”   They don’t realize it, but it is blasphemy when you refer to either one as an “it” because you are denigrating and almost denying Who is there.   They treat the Mass like a high school play that must be meaningful, where everyone gets a part, and everyone participates.  At no time in the history of the Church has that happened except for the past few years.   None.  The Mass is not a “what.”  The Mass is a Who.  The Mass is Christ offering Himself to the Father.  The Mass is not a place for us to enjoy, to criticize, or to try to improve, but rather to be a part of by offering ourselves to Christ.  The Holy Blessed Sacrament is Jesus Christ giving Himself for us in Holy Communion as He does in all the other Sacraments. 

By His great love, our Lord helps us prepare for His 2nd coming at the end of the world or at our death, which is the end of our world and our participation in it.   He not only tells us what we must do, but He gives us the means by which to achieve salvation.   How do we prepare?  Saint John the Baptist said, “Make straight the way of the Lord” (Isaiah 40:3).   Reform your lives.  Take up your cross every day and follow Him.  Go to confession.  Receive Holy Communion in a State of Grace.  Bless yourself with Holy Water as you enter the church and as you leave.  Come to Mass early and say some prayers.  I learned this as a child: say the Act of Contrition before you come up for Holy Communion to make sure your soul is refreshed and purified.  Most important of all, say a prayer of thanksgiving after Mass to express your gratitude for God’s great gift of Himself to us.  What greater gift can you receive than God Himself entering your body and soul?  So, say “thank you” before you rush out.  There is nothing happening in Albemarle right now, and Walmart will still be there.   The most overlooked part of the Mass is the act of giving thanks.  But this is how we prepare ourselves so that when He comes for us, we will be ready for Him. 

God doesn’t ask for much.  But this is how we prepare ourselves not only for the commemoration of Christmas, which will happen in 17 days and a wakeup, but also for the 2nd coming of Christ, either at the end of the world or at our death when our Lord comes to take us home.  Hopefully, we will get to spend eternity with Him, and not just for a cup of coffee.   It is so simple.  I have been to parishes where someone said, “I need to make an announcement before Mass.”  No, you don’t.   “We are going to rehearse this.”  No, you’re not.   This is not a concert, and it is not a high school play where we rehearse with the audience.  This is not audience participation in that sense.  “But how are they going to prepare themselves for Mass?”  They are doing it now.  They are praying.

Father’s Reflections . . . The other day, I was having breakfast at the Breakfast Nook and spoke with a gentleman I had seen many times. We were talking, and he said that something really good had happened that he wanted to tell me about.  I said, “Well, I’m kind of sad, so what is it?”   He said that someone who had been his best friend for decades had died.  I said, “I’m sorry to hear that.  Those kinds of friends are rare.”  The man said that his friend had been a confirmed atheist.  I said, “I didn’t know they confirmed atheists, but that’s just me.”   This man said that right before his friend died, he had accepted Christ.  I said, “That’s good.  You did the best thing you could for your friend.”   


My sister-in-law sent me news that I will have a new best friend when I go to Rhode Island on vacation.  She got a new cat.   Charming.

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 – November 30, 2025 – “God’s Gift to You”

“God’s Gift to You”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

November 29-30, 2025

Gospel: Matthew 24:37-44

To be honest, I gave a part of this sermon 23 years ago at an undisclosed secret location.  If I tell you where it was given, I will have to kill you because that information is still classified.  Nothing personal; it’s just business.  However, as we approach Christmas, which is in a few weeks and a wakeup, we are reminded of the great gift God has given us.  Last week, I told you that the gift He wants most is our sin.   The gift He gives us – actually the gift He offers us because we have to accept it – is the gift of Himself.  It is the gift made manifest in Bethlehem which unfolded the beauty of the Passion, death, resurrection, and ascension of His Son, and Pentecost.  That is the beauty of it.  The full beauty of Christmas is not revealed until Pentecost when we are given the gifts of His Passion through the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass which gives us the Sacraments.  We can take great comfort and joy in that because we have the means to eternal life.  Saint Paul said that man is made of three parts:  body, soul, and spirit.  So, I want everyone to look to your right, then look to your left, and now look behind you.  What do you see?  You see God’s gift to you this Christmas.   God hides in our human forms.  He surrounds us using these disguises to let us know that we are cared for and loved.  So, to all of you here today, God is saying, “See how much I love you. I do not leave you alone.  I surround you with the human nature of others.” 

We are surrounded by God’s love.  You are sitting in the presence of love itself in the Most Blessed Sacrament.  You are sitting in the presence of God Himself and surrounded by His children who were created in His image and likeness.  All of us are struggling along with each other on the road to salvation.  Each day we pick up our crosses and follow Him.  We are all God’s gifts to each other this Christmas.   We can be a more perfect gift to one another if we strive to achieve holiness in life which makes it easier for people to see God in us.  We don’t know how much people are hurting because they are not always open about the crosses they carry.   

I did a lot of work with the sick, and I still do.  I try to tell young chaplains, as they try to keep the contents of their stomachs down where it should be, that they are treating God Himself hiding under His human nature.  Yes, some of the patients are unpleasant; I’ll give you that.   I was talking to one of the chaplains, and he told me about a lady with Alzheimer’s who was brought in for respite care.  He went into her room and introduced himself.  Her response was to lower her shirt and reveal her chest.  Some patients think they are too sexy for their sheets.  There is never a dull moment in hospital work, and I actually got paid to have all that fun.  But God was hiding there in that patient’s human nature.   We don’t know the crosses people are carrying or the crosses they are carrying for other people.  We become greater gifts for others at Christmas by striving to be holy and allowing God to use us to show them His love. 

Every Christmas is different, and it will be different next year if we are blessed to see it.  That’s alright because different is just different.  There may be different faces, and there may be missing faces.  After my third Christmas in the theater of war, I explained to my fellow soldiers that they would remember that Christmas.  They would remember it because some of the soldiers in that Band of Brothers would not be with them for next Christmas because they did not make the military a career.  That particular Christmas was unique because they were there.  Hopefully we will be here this Christmas, and our faces will not be missing.  But if they are missing, hopefully they will be in Heaven.  Pray for me because I have a lot of things in my permanent record. 

What am I getting for Christmas from God besides the Mass and the Sacraments?  Look around 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.”

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Sermon Notes – December 8, 2024 – “We Have Christmas Every Day”

 “We Have Christmas Every Day”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

December 7-8, 2024

Gospel:   Luke 3:1-6

I heard confessions on Monday night in Statesville and Thursday night at St. Lukes.  On Monday night, we were invited to dinner at Outback.  One priest had never heard the phrase “circling the drain.”   My gosh!  Where have you been all your life?  You haven’t spent much time in hospitals and around nurses, have you?   On Thursday night, I had to educate one of the older priests when he said, “Well, the patient’s mother and wife wanted him to be given Last Rites, but the patient wouldn’t take it, so I left without giving it to him.”   I told this priest I’m a trained hospitalist, and this is how you handle that situation.   You wait until you see the nurses go by with the medication cart.  Then, have a cup of coffee and, after about ten minutes, go back into the patient’s room while he’s bombed and ask him, ‘Would you like Last Rites now? Oh, I thought you might say ‘yes.’”   Or you could ask the nurses when the patient will be medicated again and wait about ten minutes after that to ask him if he wants Last Rites.  Get the mission done, Father.   But God takes care of that anyway.  That’s just my bed-snide manner.  That night at dinner, Father Rossi ordered some hors d’oeuvres.  He asked me if I would like some tuna ahi.  It looked like undone roast beef.  I said, “That’s very kind, Father.  Would it get me any time off purgatory?”   No?  In that case, they don’t make a pharmaceutical strong enough to make me eat that thing.   I don’t eat fish.  I have a rule. 

In 17 days and a wake-up, we will celebrate the incarnation of God.  Our good Lord became incarnate in the womb of the Blessed Mother and made visible on Christmas.  We do not have to ask what love looks like because we can see it.  It’s a wonderful day.  God becoming incarnate was a great act of love by God.  But was it His greatest act of love?  No.  His greatest act of love was the crucifixion.   People say, “I wish we could have Christmas every day.”  You do!  I don’t get cookies every day like I do at Christmas, but God comes to us every day in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. 

Jesus, as the 2nd Person in the Blessed Trinity, was hard to see under the veil of human flesh and blood.  He is also hard to see under the veil of bread and wine in the Mass when it becomes His Most Precious Body and Blood.  But this is our faith.   His human nature was united with His divinity in what is called hypostatic union.  In the Mass, that happens when I put a drop of water into the chalice of wine.  That is His human nature being assumed into His divine nature.  At every Mass, God becomes flesh again.  He is incarnate in the Most Blessed Sacrament in every Catholic church in the world.  So, we have Christmas every day but without bad music like, “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause” and “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.”  Shut up!  Those songs make me want to rip out the loudspeaker. 

God is present in our world.  On His ascension, Jesus took the flesh that he received from the Blessed Mother and brought it to Heaven.  But He did not leave our world.  He didn’t say, “I’m going up to Heaven, and when it’s time, I’ll come back to get you and take you home.”  God is made present in our world every day in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.  It was hard for the Apostles to see our Lord and believe He was truly God.  Because of our fallen human nature, it is also difficult for us because we see with the eyes of our bodies instead of the eyes of our souls.  The trouble is our vision.  I appreciate all the hard work my eye doctor, Dr. Billingsly, has done for me.  He has saved me from walking around with a stick and a dog.  But the ability to see with the eyes of faith is most important to me. 

We have God’s physical presence every day, just like the Apostles.  We have Christmas every day.  Isn’t that wonderful?  It truly is.  Granted, we don’t have cookies and baked goods every day.  I will leave my back door open if anyone would care to make a donation.  I would be most grateful; just don’t tell my doctor.    We have Christmas every day without the bad music, wreaths, trees, and lawn statues, but that is unimportant.  What is important is what resides in the Tabernacle.  God came into the world, and He never left. 

Father’s Afterthoughts: 

We had a new patient in hospice.  He’s 91 years old.  So, I went into his room and started talking to him to see if he was oriented to time and place.  He was pretty “gah-gah.”   My final question was, “Do you remember the branch of service you were in?”  He said, “Marines!”   That question always gets through.

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 – We Find God in the Silence – December 1, 2024

“We Find God in the Silence”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

December 1, 2024

Gospel:   Luke 21:25-28, 34-36

Before Mass, I was talking to a lady who just returned from Lourdes.  I’ve been to Fatima several times but never to Lourdes.  Before you enter the shrine area, the grotto, or the church itself, signs ask for silence and appropriate dress.  Shorts are not allowed.  If you are not silent, someone will come to remind you; if one reminder is not enough, they will ask you to leave.  The silence is out of respect for Who dwells there.  Exterior silence is essential for prayer.  C.S. Lewis wrote “The Screw Tape Letters.”  Screwtape was one of the senior devils, and he had a little devil who was trying to rise up the demonic ladder.  This little devil said he was trying to think of innovative ways to get people away from God.  Screwtape told him that they already had an excellent method called noise.  Noise is very distracting.  It takes you away from who you are talking to or who you are trying to listen to. 

In the Mass, there are certain sections for reverential silence.  Unfortunately, the Mass has developed into something where people are moving, singing and doing whatever.  Someone said that those are supposed to be moments of meditation.  No, they are not.  Whoever said that did not go to a proper seminary.  Meditation takes about 20 minutes, and there is a reason for that.  Not only do we get the noise from outside that interferes with our concentration, but we also have silent, distracting noises in our hearts.  So, no matter how quiet it is in church, except for now, while I’m speaking, the hamsters are going and going, aren’t they?

We all have difficulties, and we all think about these things we must do whirling around in our heads.  Ideally, we leave all those things at the door.  But we bring them into church and give them to our Lord.  What happens when we have the stillness of the soul or as best we can?  Remember, we are men, not angels.  It is then we can hear God speak to us as He did to Elijah while he was in the cave.  God was not in the storm.  God was not in the earthquake.  God was in the silence afterward.  In the Garden of Gethsemane, our Lord asked the Apostles, “Can you not spare an hour to watch with Me?”  He didn’t ask them to talk.  He didn’t ask them to sing.  He asked the Apostles to watch with Him.  That is a huge part of prayer.

Last week, the hospice chaplain asked me if I would sit with a man who was actively dying.  He had been actively dying for three days, so he was a little slow at it.  I said, “Sure.”  I have done that many times.  Did I know him?  No.  Did I know his family?  No.  Did I know if he was a good man?  No.  What I did know is that he was a child of God.  So, I sat with him and reminded him to breathe.  He was trying to break the habit.  But in that room, in that reverential silence, I knew God was either there to take him or would be coming soon.  I prayed that he would have a merciful judgment and go joyfully to his loving God.  God was in that room, and I was listening.  That is a part of preparing for Advent. 

People ask, “Father, are you ready for Christmas?”  My response is, “I don’t mean to be sarcastic, but what difference does it make?  It’s going to come whether I am ready or not.”  It makes no difference.  Christmas is coming.  All these things we have to do are wonderful.  However, the most important thing we have to do is our interior preparation, which makes all the exterior preparations worthwhile.   All those gifts people give each other are expressions of God’s love.   The love within them is the love of God expressed by giving to others.  How much more expressive would they be if their souls were holier?  Do yourself a favor this first week of Advent and read “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry.

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 – December 17, 2023 – “Christmas is NOT the Season for Giving“

“Christmas is NOT the Season for Giving“

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

December 16 – 17, 2023

Gospel: John 1:6-8, 19-28

 A man named John was sent from God. He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to testify to the light.

And this is the testimony of John. When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to him to ask him, “Who are you?” He admitted and did not deny it, but admitted, “I am not the Christ.” So, they asked him, “What are you then? Are you Elijah?”  And he said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” So they said to him, “Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us? What do you have to say for yourself?”  He said: “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, ‘make straight the way of the Lord,’” as Isaiah the prophet said.” Some Pharisees were also sent. They asked him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?” John answered them, “I baptize with water; but there is One among you whom you do not recognize, the One who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.” This happened in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Do you know what the two kinds of people in church are?  Well, there are saints and sinners – we are all sinners, so that’s us.   Some are ordained and not ordained.  There is no second class.   In Rome, they are saying, “Oh, we make the decisions.”  “Women need the power to make great decisions.”  Really?  Did you grow up in a hole?  Women always make decisions.  Are you kidding me?  There is also chatter in the Church about who wants to lead or who wants power.  How about John the Baptist?   He said, “I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of His sandals” (John 1:7).   In those times, do you know who unstrapped people’s sandals and washed their feet?   Slaves.  John said he was beneath the slaves.  Know what Jesus said about John the Baptist?  He said, “Among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist” (Matthew 11:11).  So even as great a man as John was, he was not worthy to untie the sandals of our Savior.  We have to remember our state.  Even as a priest, I must remember my state.   I was given this gift for you and not for myself.  I am a better priest when I am more humble as I try to be holy.  So whatever gifts we have been given are for others. 

Have you ever heard that Christmas is the season for giving?   Do you know where that phrase originated?  Walmart and all the stores before them.  Christmas is NOT the season for giving.  Christmas is the season for receiving.  What is Christmas?  It is the reception of Christ coming into our world.  The first Christmas was when we received our dear Savior in a stable in Bethlehem.  We received Him into this world so that He could fulfill His promise to come, suffer, die, open the doors of Heaven, and give us the means to achieve our salvation.   Christmas is the season for receiving.  We are called to prepare ourselves for the reception of Christ not only at the anniversary of His birth in this world but also for that time when we experience our perfect Christmas which is when we get to see Him and enter Heaven. 

Holy Mother Church stresses that we should prepare our souls to celebrate His coming.  He is our true peace and happiness.   We are called to prepare ourselves for all the little Christmas we experience when we receive Him in Holy Communion and the Sacrament of Penance.  We can receive Christ every day.  How often can you receive Holy Communion?  Do you know?  Once a day?  Actually, more than once a day.  Twice if you receive Holy Communion at a daily Mass and then go to a wedding or a funeral.    You can go to Confession once a day too.  Popes and the great saints went every day to receive the grace of our Lord in the Sacraments. 

So, Christmas is the season of receiving.  When we receive, we can give.  Only by the reception of our Lord and welcoming Him into our souls and our lives are we able to give that love to others.  You cannot give what you do not have.  We cannot give love if we do not have the Author of love inside our souls.  We just can’t.  So, this is the season to prepare ourselves to receive our Savior not only on the anniversary of His birth into this world but before every Mass and every time we receive the Sacrament of Penance which could be every day . . .  just trying to drum up business.   When you receive Holy Communion, you receive Him spiritually and physically into your body.  So, for Catholics, every day can be Christmas. 

This is the season for receiving.  I am not telling you to skip giving gifts to your family and friends.  Don’t do that.  I don’t want to make your life harder than it needs to be.  But all that is just an expression of what should be inside.  If it’s not there, you need to receive our Lord a lot more often. 

How will you apply this message to your life?  ________________________________________

You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to AnnunciationCatholicAlbemarle.com and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” 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 – December 10, 2023 – “Oh, the Sorrows I’ve Seen!“

“ Oh, the Sorrows I’ve Seen! “

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

December 9 – 10, 2023

Gospel: Mark 1:1-8

The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God.
As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: Behold, I am sending My messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way. A voice of one crying out in the desert: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight His paths.” John the Baptist appeared in the desert proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. People of the whole Judean countryside and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins. John was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. He fed on locusts and wild honey. And this is what he proclaimed: “One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of His sandals. I have baptized you with water; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Here’s a little quiz from the Gospel: What do grasshoppers taste like? Chicken? No. They taste like grasshoppers, and the best dipping sauce is honey mustard. Just putting that out there for you. I’m hearing eye-rolls out there.

In the second reading of the Divine Office, there are writings from Saint Charles Borromeo who wrote that Holy Mother Church prepares the faithful for Christmas and the coming of Christ through hymns, readings, and liturgies. And that’s true. They all focus on the great mystery of His love.

During the Christmas season, we think about our past Christmases. Some were really good, and some were maybe not so good. We wish we could have Christmases like in years past. But all of those are temporary, although very teachable moments. The fulfillment of the joy of Christmas will come later. This is just a taste. All of those that disappointed us with all that pain, sorrow, and regret will be gone and transformed by the love of Christ. Christ is love Himself.

Some people ask me what my best Christmas was. I don’t know. I’ve had a lot of nice ones. Growing up, I had a great family despite me. One not so good Christmas happened when I was overseas, and I ran out of Spaghetti’Os. Oh, the sorrows I’ve seen! “Father, how about when you came home from overseas?” Well, it was quieter; I’ll give you that. It was also nice to have fresh plumbing; I’ll give you that too. “But don’t you have a favorite Christmas?” Well, I haven’t had it yet. My favorite Christmas will be when Christ comes to take me from this world and, hopefully, I will be found worthy to be possessed by Him. That will be my favorite Christmas. All the other Christmases are a foretaste, an encouragement, and mere teaching moments. So, keep your eyes fixed on the last Christmas to come.

Father’s Reflections . . . The Christmas parade yesterday was very nice. It was a long one, lasting over an hour, and continued during the Mass. People from our parish were volunteers. They did a fantastic job, and I want to thank them for that.

How will you apply this message to your life? ______________________________________

You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to AnnunciationCatholicAlbemarle.com and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” 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.”