Tag: Crucifixion

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Sermon Notes – March 29, 2026 – “He Took It All for Us”

“He Took It All for Us”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

March 28 – 29, 2026

Gospel: Matthew 26:14-27:66

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.”

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Sermon Notes – September 14, 2025 – There is Only One Truth

“There is Only One Truth”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

September 13 – 14, 2025

Gospel: John 3:13-17


Years ago, I took a course taught by Father Buckley who was both an interesting and brilliant man.  One day while he was doing academic counseling, a student came into Father Buckley’s office and asked him if he wanted some cake.   The student had some chocolate cake left over from his birthday.  Father Buckley said, “Cake bad,” and he opened a window and threw out the cake.  The only problem was that directly below the window and two stories down was the department director’s car.  Oops!   I remember that while we were taking our final exam on the New Testament, and after we had said the opening prayers, Father Buckley fell to his knees and said, “Saint Jude!”  Oh God, this is not going to be good!  One of the questions on the exam was: “What does this mean?  Jesus was a stumbling block to the Jews and a folly to the Gentiles.”   What that means is that we do not want to suffer for the Savior even though He made suffering the way to salvation. 

Many times, during Christ’s ministry, people reacted negatively to His teachings and left Him.  When He said that marriage is between a man and a woman and that it is until death, what happened?  Everybody left him.  When He said, ““Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you do not have life within you,” what happened?  Everybody left him.   When He suffered and died on the Cross to open the gates of Heaven, what happened?  Everybody left Him.   Peter even asked Jesus to knock off all the talk about suffering because they were losing people.  What was Jesus’ response?  He called Peter satan.   

At His crucifixion in Golgotha, the high priest said, “Come down from the Cross now, so that we may see and believe” (Mark 15:32).  Anything but suffering or renunciation of self.  Paul did not preach that while he was in Greece.  How many people did he get after preaching in Greece?  Two.  After reviewing the after-action report, Paul decided to preach about Christ crucified and then what happened?  Christianity was spread throughout the world.  We preach Christ crucified, not social justice.  We don’t need more civil laws.  We need more moral people. 

Jesus reaches down from the Cross and asks us to grasp His hand.  When we grasp His hand, we have a choice to make.  Will we pull Him down from the Cross to our level or will we allow Him to raise us up to the Cross so that we may have eternal life?  That’s the choice.   People say, “I love Christ, but not the Church.”  That is impossible, because you cannot separate Christ from the Church.  In Acts 9:4, when Saul was on the road to Damascus to persecute Christians, Jesus appeared before him and said, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?”  We don’t need to change what the Church teaches.  Every time it has been tried, it hasn’t worked.  In Protestant churches, there are 10,000 different denominations all proclaiming their own versions of the truth.  Now if you have studied Philosophy, you know that there cannot be 10,000 variations of the truth. The truth is the truth.  

We are not called to change the Church.  We are not called to change the Sacraments.  We are called to change ourselves, and we should start by seeking the Savior to change us.  People say, “Well, we need to change things because God wants us to be happy.”  In the next life, yes, but not in this one.  In this life, we will always have our difficulties.  I can no longer eat bacon, so do not tell me about your problems!   When I got out of my car the other day at the Breakfast Nook, the aroma of bacon was so thick that I teared up in the parking lot.  We will all have troubles in this life, but Jesus is reaching down from the Cross and saying, “Come up to Me, and I will take you to Heaven.”

Father’s Reflections . . . Now, we do not celebrate 9/11, a day on which many people died.  But we do honor the day.  On the Sunday after 9/11, I went to my parish in Statesville and said to them: 

“I will be leaving you very shortly. I am waiting for orders to be called back to active duty overseas. I realize that all of you want payback for this horrendous act of war against us.  Give us your sons, daughters, grandsons, and granddaughters, and we will take care of business.  Although, I must tell you that some of them will come home to you in a box.  So be careful what you wish for. “

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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The Rosary in a Year – Day 183 – Love Poured Out 

Fr. Mark-Mary reflects on the Crucifixion through Rubens’ painting, The Descent from the Cross, emphasizing the raw humanity of Jesus as He is lovingly lowered by His followers. He meditates on the mystical union between Christ the bridegroom and the Church, inviting us to find rest in Christ’s pierced side, the source of love, mercy, and life. Finally, he focuses on Mary’s sorrowful but hope-filled presence, encouraging us to bring our own losses to her while clinging to the promise of resurrection and redemption. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Crucifixion and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.

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

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Sermon Notes – June 1, 2025 – “Offer Up Your Suffering”

“Offer Up Your Suffering”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

May 31 – June 1, 2025

Gospel:  John 17:20-26

Today, we celebrate the day our Lord ascended into Heaven with the human nature He took from His mother that was united with His own divine nature, two natures in one person, called the Hypostatic Union.  The human nature He suffered with, that He taught with, and that He healed with, was taken up to Heaven today.  Do you know what the last sight the Apostles had of our good Lord?   His hands and feet with the marks of the Passion . . .  His sacred wounds . . . the price of sin given out of love. 

What do the marks of His Crucifixion do for us in Heaven?  They are presented to the Father to intercede on our behalf.   Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).  He is always pleading for us before the Father. 

Our Lord left us a great example of what to do with our many crosses, our own, those we acquired during our life, and those cast upon us by the sins of other people.  For example, some people do not realize how important I am, and they won’t get out of my way on the highway.  That is so rude.  You are in front of the holy man, and you are going too darn slow, so move!   All those other crosses – our limitations and physical illnesses – are all crosses we carry.   Make an active prayer and present them to the Father for ourselves and, even better, for others.  Saint Paul said, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for Your sake, and in my flesh, I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of His body, that is, the Church” (Colossians 1:24). 

What is lacking in the sufferings of Christ is our participation in it.  We can participate by offering up our prayers, works, joys, and sufferings to the Lord.   We offer them up for ourselves, for those who are dear to us, and especially for those who are not so dear to us.  They need our prayers, too.  So, keep them in your prayers, especially in your Morning Offering.  It’s a classic prayer, and an old one, but the old prayers are good because they focus us on the exact meaning of the prayer.

Morning Offering:

O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary,

I offer You my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day

for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart

in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world,

for the salvation of souls, the reparation of sins, the reunion of all Christians,

and in particular for the intentions of the Holy Father this month.  Amen.

The last vision the Apostles had of our Lord in His human nature here on Earth was the marks of His love to plead for us before the Father.  We must bear our crosses, but we do not have to like them.  Bring them to the Father constantly in your prayers for all your infirmities, both interior and exterior.  Offer them up in prayer to the Father in imitation of and communion with the sacrifice of Jesus.

Father’s Reflections:  I visited a patient in Hospice who claimed to be a Catholic Buddhist.  I talked to the hospital chaplain, who said there actually was such a thing as a Catholic Buddhist.  Really?  It is either the guy with a beard or the guy with a fat belly.  It’s one or the other, not both.  The chaplain said the patient wasn’t doing well.  Well, in Hospice, nobody is doing well.  I went in to see this patient and talked to him for a bit.  I said, “I heard you aren’t going well, and I’d like to give you Last Rites.”  He said, “I’m not going to need them.”   Now, although that will make our hospitalist very happy, it will surprise him.  So, I talked to the patient some more, and I said, “You are Catholic, right?”  He said, “Yes.”  Are you sorry for your sins?  He said, “Yes.”  So, I gave him absolution and an Apostolic Pardon.  I wasn’t going to ask him any more questions, because I had gotten the deal done.  I didn’t put anything in the record.  Nobody needs to know; God does.  The other chaplain asked me how I interacted so well with people.  I said, “I had ethnic studies when I was very young.”  Really?  “Yeah, I learned how to make people an offer they couldn’t refuse.”  It’s the art of the deal.  Get the mission done. 

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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The Rosary in a Year – Day 143 – Fulfillment of the Promise

In the Old Testament, God sent Noah the sign of the rainbow to promise he would never flood the earth again. Pietro Gagliardi’s fresco of the Crucifixion also depicts a rainbow above this sorrowful scene, signifying that this is the fulfillment of God’s promise. As we meditate, Fr. Mark-Mary tells us that this symbolism can remind us that death will not have the last word. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Crucifixion and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.

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

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The Rosary in a Year – Day 103 – Pilgrimage of Faith

Mary was preserved by special grace from sin, but Mary was also human, requiring her to journey on the same spiritual pilgrimage we all undertake. Here, on Calvary, we see Mary reach the conclusion of her pilgrimage of faith, as we are led by a reading from St. Alphonsus Liguori. Fr. Mark-Mary tells us that at this moment, Mary fully understands her son’s mission. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Crucifixion and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.

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

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The Rosary in a Year – Day 83 – Father Forgive Them

In the midst of the most tragic of circumstances, his crucifixion and death, what does Jesus say? Jesus prays for all of us, asking the Father to forgive. Today, Fr. Mark-Mary leads us in lectio divina, focusing on these words of Jesus, thanking Jesus for his mercy and incredible love. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Carrying of the Cross and we will be praying one decade of the Rosary.

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

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The Rosary in a Year -Day 63 – Even Unto Death

Just as the father in the parable of the prodigal son does not merely wait to welcome his son back, but pursues to meet him on the way, Fr. Mark-Mary explains that God does not wait for us to return to him but instead pursues us, even to death on the cross. At Calvary, in the Crucifixion, we see the true nature of the heart of God, a heart filled with love for us. Today’s focus is the mystery of the Crucifixion and Death of Our Lord and we will be praying one Our Father, three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.

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

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The Catechism in a Year – Day 85 – The Trial of Christ

In this reading, we learn that all sinners are the authors of Christ’s Passion. We do not blame the Jews for the Crucifixion of Jesus as we know that it is our own sins that caused his Passion and death. Fr. Mike tells us that the Jews are not collectively responsible for Jesus’ death, and they should not be spoken of as rejected or cursed. We’re reminded that when we choose sin and deny Christ by our deeds, we crucify him anew in our hearts. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 595-598.

Click on link to play video: https://youtu.be/nOF2N2TbSS0