“Stop Rearranging the Deck Chairs on the Titanic!”
Father Peter Fitzgibbons
February 3 – 4, 2024
Gospel: Mark 1:29-39
Today, I want to talk about “change.” When I’m making my rounds at the VA hospital, I see veterans who have a problem with the bottle. They are hooked to a banana bag which means they are being weaned off alcohol. I ask them how they’re doing, they usually say “Good.” Uh-Huh . . . you look it. Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired? “Yes sir.” Okay, do you want to be happy? “Yes sir.” Well, there’s only one thing you have to change. “What’s that sir?” Everything. “Oh.” And that’s true. “Well, maybe things would be better if I moved.” No, because wherever you live, you’ll be there. Things are not going to be better unless you change.
That’s what our Lord asks of us. “Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired? Do you want to experience the fullness of My love and joy in this world instead?” Yeah! I’m in. “Then leave everything behind, forsake everything, and come follow Me.” Now that’s hyperbole and doesn’t mean leaving your parents on their deathbed. It means a full renunciation of the will and following Him. We might think that some of the things our Lord asks us to do are stupid. So being the bright people we think we are, we always try to renegotiate the contract. “What do you mean I can be married only once?” That’s what Christ said. “Marriage is between a male and a female. I wrote that down for you a long time ago. Apparently, you skipped school that day. You need to learn it.” “What do you mean I have to eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Eucharist?” “Yes, that’s what I said.” “What do you mean I have to go to Confession?” “That’s what I said. The Apostles were given the power to forgive sins, and they can only forgive what they hear.” “What do you mean I have to suffer? Come down from the Cross, and we will believe You. We don’t want any suffering.” No, no, no. We are always trying to renegotiate the deal. Renounce yourself instead of trying to change everything. “I’ve given you the means to change through the Sacraments. I’ve given you my teachings to watch over and to reassure you that I am with you always.”
When I had my physical last week, I sensed the presence of my guardian angel. Know how that happened? When I got on the scale [groan], I could see with my peripheral vision that his foot was on the scale. Got a sense of humor that one! Nothing personal; it’s just business with him. So, we have to change, and it’s a long, prolonged process. But He offers His grace through the Sacraments, prayer, and mortification so that we can change ourselves and not be disheartened by our failures. In addition to giving us the power to change, the Sacraments also give us the power to bear the weight of the cross and to bear the damage done by our sins and the sins of others that have caused disillusionment and sadness. He gives us that power that we may have the fullness of joy.
There has been a lot of change in the Church. However, we always try to change the wrong things. If you’ve been around the Church as long as I have, you remember when the Mass was changed from Latin to English. Instead of the Mass being said in one language, we have it in five or six languages every Sunday. Well, that’s not working out. We moved the confessionals to reconciliation rooms. That also didn’t work out well. It’s like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. We’ll change things and make them better. Remember the guitar Masses? They were great, huh? It was terrible music! My goodness, I’m not Father Hippie!
We change the wrong things. Do not change the Sacraments. Instead, let the Sacraments change us. Christ calls us to change, but He doesn’t need to. When we begin the process of changing, is it always joyful? No. However, it is a progression in love. Lasting joy will only come when we are in Heaven. But He gives us joy and the power to change. He also gives us the power to pick up our cross every day and to follow Him. Change is not as frightening as you think. The devil tries to scare us: “Oh, my goodness! Change is terrible! You’re going to hate it!” That’s just him trying to frighten us. People who have addictions are afraid of change because misery is all they have known, but when they change and leave the misery behind, they praise God.
When we begin to change, we want immediate results like turning on a light switch. It’s like me when I got out of bed this morning and just stared at the coffee pot. I was tempted to put my mouth under the coffee filter and drink it that way. It would save me from having to wash a coffee cup. Change is a slow process. Doctors tell their patients that they didn’t get sick overnight, so they aren’t going to get better overnight. But don’t be afraid of the process. It always works.
Father’s Reflections . . . I worked at the VA hospital on Friday for a few hours, and it was very interesting. Two veterans received their celestial discharge which I had expected. Then we had another veteran who was there for rehab, and he also received his discharge . . . into the custody of the VA police. He was arrested on three felony charges. Bye-Bye! After that, I looked at the roster and saw a good Catholic name. So, I went to see him in the Memory Loss Unit. As I was talking to him, he said he was 98 years old. I asked him where he was from, and he said New Jersey. I was pretty sure he was Italian because his name ended with an “i”. Now I wasn’t racial profiling, but it was a good guess. I asked him, “You know a guy?” And he said, “Yeah, I know a guy.” I know a guy too!
I try to swing by the Emergency Room while I’m at the VA. Sometimes I see people there whose faces are black and blue. So, I’ll start talking to them and ask, “Didn’t the military teach you how to fight? Which branch were you in?” If they say the Navy or Air Force, I’ll say, “Well, that explains it!” Sissy boys. I swear, I have way too much fun there!
How will you apply this message to your life?________________________________________
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