//Women Made for His Glory//
If You Think God Can’t Use You, Remember . . .
Sermon Notes – December 31, 2023 – They Always Said ‘Yes’
They Always Said ‘Yes’
Father Peter Fitzgibbons
December 30 – 31, 2023
Gospel: Luke 2:22-40
This weekend Holy Mother Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Family. Why do we call the Holy Family holy? Well, as the great theologian of this parish, I will tell you. We call them holy because they had no sin. I went to school for that! We know as an article of faith and dogma that the Blessed Mother was without sin. Now tradition, with a small “t,” has it that Joseph was too. That has not been defined by Holy Mother Church. We don’t know that as a matter of faith, but Saint Alphonsus Liguori talks about that in his book, “The Glories of Saint Joseph.” So how is it that they were without sin? Because they never said “no” to God. They always said “yes.” Some of the things God asked them to do seemed incredibly odd. Mary was told, “By the way, you are going to conceive a son without a husband, bear Him, and He will become the king of Israel. How does that work for you?” Back then, that could have been a death sentence. Great. Thanks! Saint Joseph was told that his fiancé was pregnant by the power of God, and he was going to marry her anyway. Are you okay with that? I’m sure that went over well with Joseph, but he said “yes.” His mind was not clouded by sin and the effects of sin.
Saying “yes” to God was not always easy. God told Joseph to take Mary and go to Jerusalem. So, using the Shoe Leather Express, they walked to Jerusalem. There was not a Stanly County transportation system or SCUSA back then. Nope. They had to walk. God said, “By the way, Joseph, Herod is going to try to kill the Baby. So, take the Child and go to Egypt.” So, they again took the Shoe Leather Express and walked to Egypt. Scripture never quotes Joseph. He never said, “God, I’ve got a better way.” He never said anything, but he always immediately did what our Lord asked him to do. So did Mary, and she treasured all these things in her heart (Luke 2:19). So, he took Mary and the Child and walked to Egypt. A couple of years later, they walked back to Nazareth. Joseph had strong legs and a good heart. He always said “yes,” never questioning what our Lord asked him to do. Mary also never questioned Him. The difference between them and us is that when God asked Joseph and Mary to do something they always said “yes.” But when He asks us to love Him and to keep His Commandments, we try to negotiate: “Uh . . . What do you mean by ‘all the Commandments?’ How about 7 out of 10 . . . does that work for You?” “Do You grade on a curve?”
God made male and female (Genesis 1:27). Geniuses think they can read Scripture. “Well, what does that really mean?” It means what it says. “But we are trying to improve things.” We always want to change things. That’s why Mary and Joseph were holy. They did what our Lord asked, and it wasn’t always easy. The Catholic opera laments, “Oh! It’s so hard to go to church! Oh my goodness, I might miss a sale at Walmart!” Really? You have a nice clean car to come to church. Joseph and Mary used the Shoe Leather Express to go to the synagogue. Joseph was a carpenter and a skilled artisan but that was before the era of Black and Decker power tools. It was bull work. We have running water while Mary had to go get the water. Have you ever pulled a full bucket of water up 30 feet? Do you know how much a gallon of water weighs? Yeah, that’s some upper-body work. There was no refrigerator and no air conditioning. It’s very warm in Palestine, trust me, it is very hot there. So, it was not easy. Saying “yes” was difficult. But Joseph and Mary renounced their will for the sake of God. And that’s how we become holy, by renouncing our will for the sake of God and saying “yes.” Even with our modern conveniences, it is difficult. We need to silence the thoughts in the back of our minds, “Yeah, I’ll be obedient, but I’m doing it anyway.” Joseph and Mary always had Christ in them, with them, around them, and at the center of their lives. Their focus was always on our Lord. You may be thinking, “Well, He was there physically with them.” Yes. He is also physically here with us. He is there in the Tabernacle. That’s why we genuflect and talk in hushed tones here in the church. He is physically here and in you when you receive the Sacraments.
Always bring something home, either the messenger or the mess. It’s your choice. It’s our choice. We are so careful about Covid, the flu, and RSV, however, but we need to be more careful about sin. If you want to be holy imitate the example of holiness. “Well, Father, Joseph and Mary were without original sin, so it was easy for them.” Yes and no. Remember, the reason our first parents, Adam and Eve, were kicked out of paradise was because they wanted what they wanted and not what God wanted. Even though they saw God, walked with God, and talked with God, they still faltered. They said “no.” They had only one thing to do, and they said “no.” Joseph and Mary dealt with the same temptations as Adam and Eve. But everything they did was for God and the welfare of the other. Joseph for Mary and Mary for Joseph. It may be harder for us because of the effects of original sin and our sins committed after baptism, but God affords us greater grace when we say “yes.” I was reading last night about the head of the Dominican Order of Priests in Portugal. He said that when a child is afraid, the child runs to his mother; but when a child is in danger the mother runs to her child.
So be holy by having Him at the center and focus of your life. When the mother of Saint Teresa of Lisieux came back from receiving Communion, Saint Teresa who was not old enough to receive it, would lay her head on her mother’s lap. Her mother asked Teresa why she was doing that, and Saint Teresa said, “Because Jesus is inside you.”
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.”
Saint of the Day – September 18 – Saint Joseph of Cupertino
Saint Joseph of Cupertino’s Story
Joseph of Cupertino is most famous for levitating at prayer. Already as a child, Joseph showed a fondness for prayer. After a short career with the Capuchins, he joined the Conventual Franciscans. Following a brief assignment caring for the friary mule, Joseph began his studies for the priesthood. Though studies were very difficult for him, Joseph gained a great deal of knowledge from prayer. He was ordained in 1628.
Joseph’s tendency to levitate during prayer was sometimes a cross; some people came to see this much as they might have gone to a circus sideshow. Joseph’s gift led him to be humble, patient, and obedient, even though at times he was greatly tempted and felt forsaken by God. He fasted and wore iron chains for much of his life.
The friars transferred Joseph several times for his own good and for the good of the rest of the community. He was reported to and investigated by the Inquisition; the examiners exonerated him.
Joseph was canonized in 1767. In the investigation preceding the canonization, 70 incidents of levitation are recorded.
Reflection
While levitation is an extraordinary sign of holiness, Joseph is also remembered for the ordinary signs he showed. He prayed even in times of inner darkness, and he lived out the Sermon on the Mount. He used his “unique possession”–his free will–to praise God and to serve God’s creation.
Saint Joseph of Cupertino is the Patron Saint of:
Air Travelers
Astronauts
Pilots
//Franciscan Media//
Saint of the Day – August 26 – Saint Joseph Calasanz
Saint Joseph Calasanz’ Story
From Aragon where he was born in 1556, to Rome where he died 92 years later, fortune alternately smiled and frowned on the work of Joseph Calasanz. A priest with university training in canon law and theology, respected for his wisdom and administrative expertise, he put aside his career because he was deeply concerned with the need for education of poor children.
When he was unable to get other institutes to undertake this apostolate at Rome, Joseph and several companions personally provided a free school for deprived children. So overwhelming was the response that there was a constant need for larger facilities to house their effort. Soon, Pope Clement VIII gave support to the school, and this aid continued under Pope Paul V. Other schools were opened; other men were attracted to the work, and in 1621 the community—for so the teachers lived—was recognized as a religious community, the Clerks Regular of Religious Schools—Piarists or Scolopi. Not long after, Joseph was appointed superior for life.
A combination of various prejudices and political ambition and maneuvering caused the institute much turmoil. Some did not favor educating the poor, for education would leave the poor dissatisfied with their lowly tasks for society! Others were shocked that some of the Piarists were sent for instruction to Galileo—a friend of Joseph—as superior, thus dividing the members into opposite camps. Repeatedly investigated by papal commissions, Joseph was demoted; when the struggle within the institute persisted, the Piarists were suppressed. Only after Joseph’s death were they formally recognized as a religious community. His liturgical feast is celebrated on August 25.
Reflection
No one knew better than Joseph the need for the work he was doing; no one knew better than he how baseless were the charges brought against him. Yet if he were to work within the Church, he realized that he must submit to its authority, that he must accept a setback if he was unable to convince authorized investigators. While the prejudice, the scheming and the ignorance of men often keep the truth from emerging for a long period of time, Joseph was convinced, even under suppression, that his institute would again be recognized and authorized. With this trust he joined exceptional patience and a genuine spirit of forgiveness.
//Franciscan Media//
Saint of the Day – June 23 – Saint Joseph Cafasso
St. Joseph Cafasso (1811–1860) was born in Castelnuovo d’Asti, Italy, to a peasant family. He was born with a physical deformity of the spine, which caused him to grow into a stunted and crippled man. Discerning a call to Holy Orders, he entered the seminary in Turin where he later met another famous saint—John Bosco. Joseph taught John Bosco and encouraged him in his mission to minister to the town’s impoverished street youth. Joseph was an excellent professor of moral theology, as well as a famed preacher and confessor. He performed his duties so well that he became known as the “Priest’s Priest.” He spent entire days preaching in prisons, offering comfort to the prisoners, hearing their confessions, and even advocating to improve the poor conditions of the prison. For this work he also earned the name, “Priest of the Gallows.” St. Joseph Cafasso is the patron saint of prisoners, prisons, and prison chaplains. His feast day is June 23rd.
//Catholic Company//
Saint of the Day – June 14 – Saint Joseph the Hymnographer
St. Joseph the Hymnographer (816-883 A.D.) was born in Sicily to a pious Christian family. When Muslims invaded the island, his family moved to Greece to escape persecution. At the age of fifteen he entered a monastery and grew in holiness and virtue. St. Gregory the Dekapolite took Joseph with him to Constantinople to defend the traditional reverence of icons in opposition to the iconoclast heresy. Joseph was then chosen by the local clergy to be a messenger to Pope Leo III to obtain the Holy Father’s assistance in battling the iconoclast heretics, who were gaining power and influence. On his way to Rome, Joseph was captured by Muslims who delivered him into the hands of the iconoclast heretics. While held a prisoner, St. Nicholas appeared to Joseph and asked him to sing in the name of God. After six years Joseph was freed from prison and returned to Constantinople, where he founded a monastery dedicated to his friend St. Gregory. He also dedicated a church in the name of St. Bartholomew, to whom he had a devotion. St. Bartholomew then appeared to Joseph in a dream and encouraged him to write hymns for the Church. After writing his first hymn in honor of St. Bartholomew, Joseph dedicated other hymns to St. Nicholas, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and other saints. During his life he composed nearly 1,000 hymns. When another wave of iconoclasm arose, he again stood steadfast against it and was exiled for eleven years as a result; he was later exiled a second time for defending orthodox Christian doctrine. He finally died full of years in Constantinople. His feast day is June 14.
//Catholic Company//
Minute Meditation – Building God’s Kingdom
The willingness to work with God will unleash Joseph’s full potential. His inherent aptitude for organization and for building is well suited to the rearing of God’s Son. First and foremost, it situates Jesus in the same condition as the vast majority of people. He isn’t raised with wealth, prestige, or influence but in ordinary obscurity. Many in Nazareth who hear him announce the kingdom of God will be astonished. “What is the wisdom given to him? …Is not this the carpenter?” (Mark 6:2, 3). In his manual labor Jesus becomes part of the process by which the earth is subdued. The real experience of forming and shaping concrete objects prefigures Jesus’s work of redemption: “Behold, I make all things new” (Revelation 21:5).
— from the book Joseph, the Man Who Raised Jesus
by Fr. Gary Caster
/Franciscan Media//
Minute Meditation – Saint Joseph, The Worker, Pray for Us
While the work of raising a child is not always easy, Joseph’s task was even weightier. Mary and her son didn’t need just any man; they needed this one, the one whom God had chosen for them. Joseph gave himself completely to this holy undertaking. Was he aware of what was taking place? We don’t know. We do know that every opportunity Joseph had to instruct Jesus was an opportunity to grow in the knowledge of God. Imagine being the one to teach the Son of God how to use a hammer or the one to watch anxiously the first time Jesus used a saw. The work in Nazareth, while truly the stuff of ordinary life, was carried out by an extraordinary man. This work wasn’t only for Mary and Jesus but also for all women and men united with God in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph continues his work for us in the Church today.
— from the book Joseph, the Man Who Raised Jesus
by Fr. Gary Caster
//Franciscan Media//
Saint of the Day – May 1 – Saint Joseph The Worker
The Story of Saint Joseph the Worker
To foster deep devotion to Saint Joseph among Catholics, and in response to the “May Day” celebrations for workers sponsored by Communists, Pope Pius XII instituted the feast of Saint Joseph the Worker in 1955. This feast extends the long relationship between Joseph and the cause of workers in both Catholic faith and devotion. Beginning in the Book of Genesis, the dignity of human work has long been celebrated as a participation in the creative work of God. By work, humankind both fulfills the command found in Genesis to care for the earth (Gn 2:15) and to be productive in their labors. Saint Joseph, the carpenter and foster father of Jesus, is but one example of the holiness of human labor.
Jesus, too, was a carpenter. He learned the trade from Saint Joseph and spent his early adult years working side-by-side in Joseph’s carpentry shop before leaving to pursue his ministry as preacher and healer. In his encyclical Laborem Exercens, Pope John Paul II stated: “the Church considers it her task always to call attention to the dignity and rights of those who work, to condemn situations in which that dignity and those rights are violated, and to help to guide [social] changes so as to ensure authentic progress by man and society.”
Saint Joseph is held up as a model of such work. Pius XII emphasized this when he said, “The spirit flows to you and to all men from the heart of the God-man, Savior of the world, but certainly, no worker was ever more completely and profoundly penetrated by it than the foster father of Jesus, who lived with Him in closest intimacy and community of family life and work.”
Reflection
To capture the devotion to Saint Joseph within the Catholic liturgy, in 1870, Pope Pius IX declared Saint Joseph the patron of the universal Church. In 1955, Pope Pius XII added the feast of Saint Joseph the Worker. This silent saint, who was given the noble task of caring and watching over the Virgin Mary and Jesus, now cares for and watches over the Church and models for all the dignity of human work.
//Franciscan Media//
Meditation of the Day – The Presence of the Blessed Sacrament
