Sermon Notes – October 31, 2021 – Follow Directions!

 “Follow Directions!”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

 October 30 – 31, 2021

Gospel: Mark 12:28-34 

One thing about theology, it is a precise science.  Our Lord was precise.  He gave our first parents instructions in a 12-word declarative sentence:  “You shall not eat from the Tree of Good and Evil.”  They screwed it up, and here we are.  Really?  It was twelve words in a declarative sentence about how to maintain the original state of grace.  Our Lord reiterates what His Father revealed in the Old Testament about how we should love God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind.  He also said, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”   But the devil clouds our minds, especially of those who are educated way beyond their abilities. “What does that mean?”  “How can we do this?”  “We better check the nuances of that.”  “Well, that was 2000 years ago, and now this word means something else.”  No.  It really means what it says.  “It means this now because we are all enlightened.”  No, that’s just a temptation of the devil.  We want to be like God and make up our own rules.  When you get to Judgement, let me know how that goes for you.  

Our Lord did not say, “Work it out for yourselves, and whatever you come up with is good.” No.  He was very precise in how He told us to do it because He knew we would mess up.  Follow the Commandments.  By the way, a person’s conscience does not triumph over Divine Mandate or Church teachings.  “My conscience told me it was okay to do this.”  If you go down the street about a half mile and take a left at the courthouse, behind it is a big building full of people whose conscience told them it was okay to do whatever they did.  Also, if you drive down Airport Road to Felon University, there’s a whole bunch of people there who will say, “God told me it was okay to put a bullet in that guy’s head.”  No.  Conscience does not trump Divine Revelation.  The apostles had been in the presence of God for years and saw all those miracles, but every time He asked them a question, they got it wrong. 

Our Lord was precise.  Let’s say that you are traveling, and you think the Mass is at 8:30 at Our Lady of Perpetual Agony down the street.  You get ready and go, but they moved the Mass to 7:30.  Are you guilty of missing Mass on Sunday?  No, because you tried. Are you guilty of missing Mass if you got your days mixed up and thought November 2nd was a Holy Day when it was actually on November 1st?  No, you’re not.  But, when you give the Church the big humph, well then you have a problem.  God tells us exactly how to love.  He knew we would mess it up because of our fallen nature.  We are supposed to try to return to the original state of grace by living a life of holiness, and we can by doing what He told us to do.  

 “What would Jesus do?”  Jesus told us precisely what to do.  If we do what He said to do, we will get what He has promised.  Two weeks ago, I went to see my cardiologist.  It was a great appointment because he never put on a glove.  One glove is bad enough, but when they double-glove, be very afraid. . .it might get mildly invasive.  “Now this is going to hurt a bit.”  No it’s not.  It’s going to hurt a heck of a lot!  It’s not a thrill for anybody on the other side of the glove either…trust me on this one.  I saw a doctor give a patient a rabies shot in the finger. Wherever you are bitten, that’s where you get the shot now. This guy was a Vietnam Vet, and he was no sissy boy.  The doctor said, “Now this is going to hurt.” The guy was sitting in a chair, and he grabbed both chair arms while nurses held him down by his shoulders.  After the shot, he decided to relax a while on a gurney. Afterward, I was talking to the doctor, and he said, “Oh, it’s going hurt worse tomorrow.”  Who are you, Joseph Mengela?  Anyway, my cardiologist said that my blood work is fine.  I’m normal – at least my blood is.  I’ve been keeping records from when I started this heart regime two years ago after my brother’s death.  There is improvement because I did what I was told to do.  Did I always like it?  I’ll let you be the judge.  When I go out to breakfast with the staff, they have French toast and bacon while I have fake eggs and dry wheat toast. What do you think?  To make matters worse, they go on and on about how good their food is.  Stuff it!  I’m not brave enough to tell them, but that’s what I’m thinking. Still, I did what my doctor told me to do, and I have scientific evidence that my health has improved.  However, it just means I’m going to die of something else. 

Our Lord showed us exactly what we should do.  Love your enemies and pray for them. Sometimes, the most loving thing to do is not the thing we want to do.  We all have someone who irks us and who we just cannot stand.  I am not immune even as a priest.  Am I supposed to forgive them?  Yes, even though sometimes I’d like to go charismatic and lay hands on them. Forgiveness is an act of intellectual love. . . an act of faith.  What are we supposed to do?  We are supposed to pray for them.  Pray for good for them. . .and not to have an aneurism.  Pray for their conversion.  Pray that God will lay hands on them and not from the Joe Cutrone School of Counselling. 

Our Lord left us precise ways to show our love for Him and precise ways to show that love in action. What did our Lord tell us about forgiveness?  He gave us an example of what that love is in the parable of the prodigal son.  In the parable, the father didn’t wait for his son to grovel.  He ran out to meet his son, put his arms around him, and kissed him on the cheek.  He even had a celebration for him.  Likewise, our Lord went out after sinners.  He went to sick people like the blind man and healed them.  He didn’t ask if they wanted to be healed; He healed them anyway.  We are supposed to do that for those who hate us, for those who don’t love us, and for those who are unkind to us.  He told us to love one another, and this is how we are to demonstrate our love.  He showed us exactly what to do even to the point of the Cross.

How will you apply this message to your life? 

You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to https://annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com/ and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” and then “Sermon Notes.”   Sermon notes can also be found on the church Facebook page by searching for “Facebook Our Lady of the Annunciation Albemarle”


Sermon Notes – Follow the Directions

“Follow the Directions“

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

October 31 – November 1, 2020

Scripture: Matthew 5: 1-12A

When I was planning this sermon, I had a flashback to when I was in school. I remembered Jeannie Garrigan; I hope she is still with us. She wrote the Beatitudes on the blackboard in her beautiful Palmer penmanship. She had such beautiful cursive writing. We had to write the Beatitudes and memorize them. As you know, I was not given the gift of beautiful Palmer penmanship. Very often, Lori comes into my office and asks, “What the heck is this?”

On this day, our Holy Church holds up for our veneration, admiration, and emulation all those who achieved their faith’s goal of salvation. How did they do it? Our Lord told them, “If you love Me, keep My Commandments.” They used the means Our good Lord gave them to follow Him and to achieve their salvation. Those same means are there for us. You may say, “But Father, these are different times.” In many ways, these are far easier times. I have a picture on my phone of my Uncle Herbert who died at age four with water on the brain. Today, medical treatment is available with no problem; in by 10 am out by 2 pm. In the 1920’s, they didn’t have that. Our lives are far easier in many ways. We have a lot more electronic stuff…stay off the computer, will you? My gosh!

The same means for salvation that the saints had are there for us. Use the Sacraments, prayer, mortification, and the offering up of suffering…these are all parts of prayer. When you pray at home at night say, “Dear precious God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,” and mark yourself with the sign of the Cross. When you do, it carries an actual grace. But, do it slowly and with purpose, not like you’re at home plate. Use the Sacramental that provides an actual grace such as Holy Water.

What is the most neglected part of prayer? “Thank you.” All of the saints prayed. We honor, emulate, and venerate all the saints – not just the ones who have been canonized, but all of those who intercede for us. Why? Because, their love is not bound by temporal and physical restrictions. They pray for all the faithful in the Church suffering on Earth, the Church Militant.

One day we hope to enjoy the blessings of the Church Triumph in Heaven. Tomorrow, we pray for the Church’s suffering souls in Purgatory. So, perhaps tonight, or after receiving communion, say thank you for all those unknown intercessions made for you and to all those benefactors who have prayed for you. Why? Because, by virtue of their Baptism, they love you.

How will you apply this message to your life? Will you pray for the suffering souls in Purgatory? Will you imitate the saints by loving God as they did?