Tag: Love

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Sermon Notes – November 7, 2021 – “The Circle of Love Continues”

 “The Cycle of Love Continues”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

 November 6 – 7, 2021

Gospel:  Mark 12:38-44

The month of November can be classified as a study in Ecclesiology or Who the Church is.  You can read about bishops referring to the Church as a “what.”  But it’s a “Who.”  “Father, why do you say that?  How can you contradict a bishop?”  I like contradicting bishops. . . it’s a hobby.  When Paul was going around beating people up, Jesus said “Saul, why do you persecute Me?”  He didn’t say, “Why are you persecuting My institution.”  No.  He said, “Why do you persecute Me.”  The Church is a “Who.” It’s the body of Christ.  There are aspects of a “what” but it’s a “Who.”  

What brought the Church in to being?  I’ll give you the answer by asking my second question. What brought you in to being?  It wasn’t a “what” – it was a “Who.”  God’s love.  The first question in the Catechism is “Why did God make you?”  Because He loved you.  You were created out of love.  You have always been in the mind of God for all eternity.  We existed in the mind of God before we existed in the bodies of our mothers.  God created us out of love and sustains us out of love.  He calls us into His presence out of love.  He calls us into His church out of love. This is His gift of love so that we can become one with the Body of Christ. . . His Bride.  So, the Church is not a “what.”  It’s a “Who.”  It is the Bride of Christ. 

Some people try to change the Church.  If it’s an institution you can change it, but if it’s a “Who,” you can’t.  The Church is a “Who.”  That “Who” was formed out of love, sustained and created out of love, and exists only because of love.  It’s a love of all people in the world and not just those here in Albemarle even though we love it here . . . it’s the best parish in the diocese.  Don’t tell them that – they will get really upset.  I almost get into fights with other priests when they tell me how great their parish is.  Really?  The whole Church is united by baptism.  As Bishop Waters said, there are no hyphenated Catholics. We are united in love, and we come to express our love and our prayers for those who have gone before us.  As we pass from this world, those left behind will pray for us, and the cycle of love will continue.  

Our love of others gave us what we have.  We didn’t build or pay for this church.  The Church of the Annunciation in New York gave the money to build it.   So, Yankees built this church.  We are enjoying their gifts of love and the gifts of love by those in this parish who have gone on before us.  The saints who have gone on before us pray for us.  They give us that gift of love.  They intercede for us to the Father so that we can attain what they have.  Love is not fulfilled unless it is complete.  No mother is happy unless she has her family around her.  The saints want their spiritual family, the whole body of the Church, to be with them in Heaven.  They always pray for us.  We as the Church Militant, the Church working for our salvation, pick up our crosses each day and follow the good Lord. We pray for those who can’t. . .those who have gone before us and who are cleaning their baptismal robes so that they may come and dwell in the place of the Perfect. This is mentioned at every Mass.  When we pass away, the Church will pray for us, maybe not by name, but they will always pray for us.  You were given the gift of love not by your prayers but by this prayer.  Because the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is what?  You got me on that one.  It’s not a “what.”   It’s a “Who.”   

In some churches, they announce that “the liturgy will be celebrated…”  That’s a Greek word meaning a public act. Big deal.  They think they are really hip.  The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is Christ offering Himself to the Father. And Christ, in that offering, is made present on the altar.  He asks not for our participation.  This is where the catechetics of the Mass have gotten really weird over the years.  The terms we use when referring to the Mass are often blasphemous.  “We go to church.”  Yeah.  You walk in and walk back out.  Big deal.  “I attend church.” Well, I attend a play.  “I actively participate.”  You know, I have a degree in Philosophy, believe it or not, and I have paperwork to prove it.  But I have no idea what that phrase means.  It was made up in the last forty years, and it means absolutely nothing.  So, when I say Mass in hospitals and nursing homes for people who are barely conscious and heavily medicated, they aren’t actively participating?  During my 13-minute Mass in the field, when the natives were restless, we didn’t sing, but we prayed a lot.  Are you kidding me?  They were trying to kill Blanch and John’s little boy.  You do not actively participate.  You do not go to Mass.  You do not attend Mass.  Take what I’m about to tell you and commit it to memory.  You are called, when you come here, to become part of Christ’s sacrifice. Whether we sing or not and whether we take up a collection or not has nothing to do with it.  You are called to become part of the sacrifice of Christ.  The Romans participated in the crucifixion, but they didn’t actually suffer with Christ, did they?   You take the place of the Blessed Mother whose human nature Christ took and suffered with on the Cross and redeemed us with.  You take the place of Saint John the Apostle, the Beloved, who suffered with Christ out of love.  You take the place of Mary Cleophas.  You are suffering with Christ.  You unite your sufferings and human nature with the suffering of Christ.  In the offertory, the priest, acting in the person of Christ, takes your human natures and makes them one with Christ in that animation of love on the altar that is always present to the Following.  You become part of Christ’s sacrifice.  That is why this place is so special.  Not only is there the Real Presence of our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament, but you are also standing at the foot of the Cross.  And very shortly you will become part of Christ’s sacrifice. At Mass, you will receive the grace of offering yourself.  You may offer that grace to one of your departed brethren.  The grace of receiving Holy Communion is another one.  Even if you are not able to receive the Most Precious Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, you can offer that sense of deprivation to someone else. 

This month, we pray for those who have gone before us.  The Church always prays for the departed. . . always.  The Protestants, with their so-called reformation say, “We don’t pray for the dead.”  Yeah, well we do.  It’s a part of the Church.  The Catacombs are filled with inscribed prayers in Latin.   What do they say?  “Pray for me.”  Since the earliest days of the Church, for over 2,000 years, we have prayed for them.  This is what we do.  When our loved ones are all in Heaven, with mine it may take a little work, but when they are all in Heaven, then our prayers go to someone else who needs them.  Remember that old Italian saying: “I remember your name.”  The saints all know who to pray for because when they get to Heaven, they are enlightened by the transfiguration.  They know who helped them, and they will mention you by name to the ear of Christ.

Father’s Afterthoughts:

Veterans Day is this week.  There are a lot of people who served, but just because they served doesn’t make them heroes.  In my day, people served because they didn’t want to go to jail or to go to Canada and learn to speak French.  I wouldn’t want to share a foxhole with them.  They might get me killed.  But there are a lot of unknown heroes.  I hear a lot of stories from veterans at the VA Hospital, and I’m going to tell you about two heroes.  One of the vets asked me if I served in Vietnam, and I told him “No.”   This vet told me that his older brother volunteered for Vietnam so he wouldn’t have to go.  His brother was a hero.  Another veteran, who is 99 years old and in Hospice, has all his faculties. . . he just can’t see very well.  This veteran was in the Armored Division during World War II and had a job nobody wanted. . . Radio Telephone Operator or RTO.   They were the ones the enemy was told to take out first.  Your lifespan as an RTO wasn’t that great.  To make matters worse, you carried a big antenna which let everybody know exactly where you were.  Thank you!  The good side of being the RTO is that he got to ride in a half-track and didn’t have to walk all the way to Berlin.  His unit liberated Dachau; the first concentration camp established in Germany.  Those are the veterans you should pray for and honor.

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.”  They can also be found on Facebook by searching for “Our Lady of the Annunciation Albemarle”

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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”

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Sermon Notes – October 10 – “Because I Like Skittles”

“Because I Like Skittles”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

 October 9 – 10, 2021

Gospel:  Mark 10:17-30

One day when I was at Fort Campbell, I went into the First Sergeant’s office to say, “good morning.”   The First Sergeant said, “Good morning.  Hey Sir, you know your chaplain’s assistant is graduating from air assault school.  His road march is on Friday.”   Oh, goodie!  Thanks for reminding me.  I appreciate it!   I left his office, but I didn’t appreciate it.  It meant that on Friday at 0-dark-30, I would be out there for graduation and the final test:  a 12-mile march in full field gear through gently rolling hills similar to the Alps.  The custom at Fort Campbell and the 101st is that if there is one person in your section doing push-ups or a road march, you all do it.  The only saving grace is that I didn’t have to wear the field gear.  Oh, there is nothing I’d rather do first thing in the morning than go on a 12-mile march at 44 years old.  Thank you, First Sergeant!  I probably could have gotten out of it, but I sucked it up and went anyway.  I was looking forward to the relaxation and being one with Mother Nature.   Um…No.   I would be running with children who basically had to run all the time.  Why did we do it?  We sacrificed to build and reinforce the bond of trust we have with our fellow soldiers…the band of brothers.  Is it pleasant?  Oh, heck no!  But it was the right thing to do.  They are works of love.  The bond with your fellow soldier is that he would die for you and you for him.  Works of love don’t always have to be enjoyed.  Why do we perform works of love?  We do them because it pleases the beloved. 

Our Lord said, “If you love Me keep my Commandments.”  Nowhere did our Lord say, “if you would like to” or “if it’s convenient” or “if you aren’t too busy” or “if you’re in the mood.”  He never said those things.  He said, “If you love Me keep my Commandments.”  The Commandments are not just draconian measures that our Lord has given us to ruin our fun.  The works of love teach us how to go outside of ourselves, to renounce our fallen nature, and to do something for Him.  It may manifest itself in someone or through someone else.  Everything we do with love; we do for Christ.  Doing works of love is not always pleasant.  Do you know why some people find the works of love unpleasant?  Because we are too much in love with ourselves.  The works of love are always focused on the beloved and not on self.   The Gift of the Magi is a short love story written by O. Henry.   Love is always focused on the other, and when we find the works of love inconvenient, unpleasant, or distasteful, that is the time we grow most in love by dying to ourselves and living more for our good Lord.  “Father, I had a game and couldn’t come to Mass.”  Really?  Saint Augustine wrote that “if there is any work involved in love, the work itself is love.”  And that is true.  The young man who approached our good Lord was unwilling to leave everything and follow Him.  Our Lord was testing him.  How much do you love Me?  The young man kept the Commandments and that was wonderful; however, he did not learn the lesson from them.  What is the lesson from the Ten Commandments?   It is total renunciation of oneself to the Beloved.   That’s the lesson.  Go sell everything you have.  Give to the poor.  Your possessions are a representation of yourself.  Give everything you have into service for our good Lord to use as He sees fit.  All the fruits of your talents and labors when used to support your family are works of justice and love.  So don’t feel bad about that.   People say you cannot earn a lot of money from the job you’ve worked at for 30 or 40 years.  You can’t enjoy it because you didn’t earn it.  It’s a work of justice and moral obligation to support yourself and your family and ultimately to pay taxes.  Put yourself and all your talents and abilities in God’s hands.  Renounce yourself and give yourself to Him.  The young man did not see that.  Hopefully, he eventually got it right. 

You’ve heard the phrase “follow the science.”  Who says that?  People who want you to follow their version of “science.”  You know what the science is for people recovering from any addiction?  No matter how much medicine is involved, make sure they come back from Opioids, Meth, or booze, and that they don’t die from detox.  That’s a big drawback.  In all the twelve-step programs, what’s the key to renewal and freedom from addictions and obsessions?  It begins with Step 1 which is perhaps the most important step – admitting that we are powerless.  The final step is to have a spiritual awakening.  There is a Seventh Step prayer…I’ll let you look that up too.  It’s a prayer of total renunciation.  In all the groups that started these types of programs what was the first prayer?  It wasn’t the “Our Father” but the “Peace Prayer” by Saint Francis.  “Lord make me an instrument of Your peace.  Where there is hatred, let me sow love.” That’s a renunciation of self.  Take me and use me as you will with all my talents especially where it is most helpful for people who know my faults.  It’s through your faults that shows people what God has done for you and the mercy he has shown to us all.  We do works of love not for ourselves because it pleases us…that’s selfishness.   The Commandments aren’t legal checkmarks you have to do like driving the speed limit when the police are around.  The Commandments are works of love.  They teach us renunciation of self. They are only burdensome when we want what we want when we want it, or we find them to be inconvenient because we love ourselves more.  They are not always convenient.  They are not always pleasant.  I’m sure changing diapers is not always pleasant.  I’ve been in hospitals.  Believe me, there are far worse smells in a hospital than in a diaper.  Trust me on this one.   Sometimes I leave patients’ rooms and have Skittles.  Know why I have Skittles?  Because I like Skittles. 

We all have fallen natures.  Just this morning I was here, long before you, saying my prayers.  And I really wanted some coffee.  I mean I REALLY wanted coffee.  The coffee had already been brewed.  But what was more important… my cup of coffee or my prayers?   You know the answer, but darn it, I wanted some coffee.  Today, the good side of my nature won, but it’s always a fight.  So, when difficulties come, always remember Who the works of love are for.

Father’s Afterthoughts:

·       I want to thank the Daughters of Mary for the marvelous meal they provided after the funeral Mass  for Elaine Gibbs.  The funeral luncheons they do is something to die for.  

·         When I was in the Army, I always loved those eight mile runs in the rain.  It was so refreshing and cleansing.  Thank you, sir.  Could you make this suck any more?

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”

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Sermon Notes – September 25-26, 2021 – None of Us are Getting Out of Here Alive

“None of Us are Getting Out of Here Alive”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

 September 25 – 26, 2021

Gospel:  Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48

I want to tell you about my evil twin brother, Paul.  While I was on vacation, I went to the local diner where it’s like Cheers with food, and everyone knows your name.  If you are a regular, you pour your own coffee and bus your own table.  The owner told me that my brother was the happiest when he could do something for someone else.  That was very nice to hear. 

I have good news and bad news for you today.  The good news is about the latest that I have read about Covid.  It’s 99.5% survivable.  Now, that’s really good news!  The bad news is that life is 0.0% survivable.  None of us are getting out of here alive.  One day the doctor is going to tell us that our birth certificate has been canceled.  When I was in Gitmo, I was outside the hooch one night with Father Seamus, a Norbertine father, while he was having a cigar.  This Air Force doctor walked by and said, “You know, Padre, that’s going to kill you.”  Father Seamus took a drag on his cigar and said, “And what are you planning on dying of doctor?”  We are called in the 5th Commandment to take all moral and prudent means to protect our health. 

We are also called to prepare ourselves to meet Christ and to grow daily in holiness.  This dispels the fear that the devil creates about our passing whenever that will be.  Sometimes it will be like Dorothy Strube at age 96, and sometimes it will be much sooner.  There was an announcement in the obituaries about a gentleman who was 46 when he passed away.  We don’t know when it will happen, but constant communion with Him in this life will make us happier and make those around us happier.  It will dispel the fear of transitioning from this life to the next…hopefully to heaven, if you do it right.

I read about this one man who committed murder in France and who was sentenced to death. His conversion in prison was so great and so amazing, that he was nominated for sainthood for being a servant of God.  He did go to the block…the French took their heads off in those days.  So, he was executed, but he was nominated for sainthood for such was his transition even in that small window.  My point is this: Why wait for that small window? 

We are called to grow closer to God.  Drawing close to Him will provide peace for our souls.  That moment of death will not be tragic.  Instead, it will be a fulfillment of our love.  Two hearts who love each other so tenderly will be together for all of eternity and never separated by sin.  I say that to the dying.  I say, “Make your peace with God and go meet your savior.  You will never lose Him again.”  That’s where we are all headed…to have peace so that we can become holy. 

Do not let your crosses, whatever they may be or how many you may have, cause you to think you aren’t doing something right.  “If I were doing it right, my crosses would be much lighter, and I wouldn’t fall so often.”  All of that is “bravo sierra” from the devil.  Saint Teresa of Avila said, “If this is the way you treat your friends, no wonder you have so few.”  Conversely, the more crosses you seem to have, the greater the love Christ has for you.  So, carry your cross, if not for yourself, for others and drawing them to salvation and away from the suffering of the world.  The devil uses many things – he is the father of lies – and he may make you think you are not drawing closer to God when, in fact, you are.  Be prudent about your health in all things.  Also, realize that no matter how many things there are to triumph over, there will be a moment when God will call you from this life to another.  And, He will ask you, “Did you love Me?”

How will you apply this message to your life?  Are you taking all moral and prudent means to protect your health as we are asked to do in the 5th Commandment?  Are you preparing to meet Christ by growing in holiness?

You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” and then “Sermon Notes.”  From a cell phone, click on “Blog” then “Menu” and then “Categories” (located at the end of page).  Sermon notes can also be found on the church Facebook page by Googling “Facebook Our Lady of the Annunciation Albemarle”

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Sermon Notes – September 5, 2021 – I’m Sorry . . . So Sorry!

I’m Sorry. . . So Sorry!

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

September 4 – 5, 2021

Gospel:  Mark 7: 31-37

In the Gospel, our Lord healed the deaf man.  Why?  Read the story. . .He was asked.  A lot of us do not ask for miracles.  Why does Jesus do miracles?  Well, for a couple of reasons.  First, it is very revelatory.  It reveals a number of things about God.  But, let’s put that aside for a moment.  Did the deaf man ask for a miracle?  No, he couldn’t. His friends did through intercessory prayer, and that’s very important.  Also, did our Lord say to the man and his friends, “I’d really like to help, but have you given to the DSA?” “Have you given very good stuff to the yard sale?”  “How are your Sunday collections going?”  “Are you helping out at the church?”  “Have you brought Father food?”  Good food…no cucumbers!  No.  He didn’t interrogate them.  Our Lord restored the man’s hearing and his speech because He loved him.  Our Lord never refused a miracle to anyone who asked or to anyone who didn’t ask.  He knew that the woman would touch His garment, and He used that as an example. 

Miracles are expressions of who and what our Lord is.  He gives us favors and miracles because He loves us.  They are gifts of His love.  They are meant to draw our hearts to Him and to sustain us in being.  Scripture tells us that our Lord lets the rain fall on the just and unjust.  It revealed to the people of Israel who our Lord was.  Our Lord is God.  He can heal our infirmities.  Do I have my physical limitations?  Oh, heck yeah!  My mind writes checks that my body cannot cash.  I’m 68, and I still think I’m 18.  Saint Paul said that if you ask for prayers of healing, sometimes it will happen and sometimes it won’t.  But, the Lord told Saint Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”  God does miracles all the time over at Atrium Health.  When people undergo bypass surgery, the healing is very slow.  First, they get the surgery, then they wake up, and then they go to therapy.  Everything moves at a slow pace, but they are our Lord’s miracles.

Miracles reveal God’s nature.  Do you know what God’s nature is?  God’s nature is love itself.  Jesus was love incarnate.  He came to give the gift of His love which is Himself. There are a number of miracles recorded in the Gospel, and there are more that are not as Saint John tells us at the end of his gospel.  The Lord gives us these gifts to show His love and His awareness of our needs.  What does God want in return?  Our love. That is what gifts of love are.  They are given freely.  Our Lord gives us these gifts of love to help turn our hearts toward Him and away from ourselves. 

Keep praying for His gifts.  Sometimes He says “No.”  However, when He says “no,” He gives us the grace to handle His answer and to bear whatever difficulties it brings.  I will tell you that it doesn’t seem that way.  I’m still not a Monsignor after 38 years, and I’m not happy about it.  But I’m humble, and I can handle it.  Our good Lord gives us the gift of Himself which is the greatest miracle of all.  His miracles are not just for physical ailments.  The greatest miracle is not the gift that someone gives you, it’s the gift of themselves. The physical aspects of the gift are signs of an invisible reality.  As Catholics, we see the greatest gift of all here in church. . .the gift of Christ Himself in Holy Communion and the Sacrament of Penance.  He gives it freely because He wants our love. He loves us so much that He allows Himself to be handled by an evil and sinful man such as myself.  God gives us these gifts not because we deserve them.  You cannot earn love. He gives these gifts because He loves us.  He created us out of love.  He gives us these gifts of love to draw us away from ourselves and back to Him.  So, keep praying for miracles. 

Father’s Afterthoughts:

I have been blessed with family and friends who point out my faults.  Do I have my faults?  “No, Father.”  Yes, I do, but thank you for that.  God gives me the grace to carry my crosses.  One of the great graces that God gives us for carrying our crosses and our faults is humility.   He gives us the humility to go back to someone and say you screwed up and ask for forgiveness.  Even I make mistakes on occasion, and when I do, I ask for forgiveness.  That’s how we show God’s love.  You’d be surprised when you say to someone, “I’m sorry.”  It is like the old Brenda Lee song, “I’m Sorry…So Sorry.”  Say “I’m sorry” to someone, and they may say, “Whatever.”  There’s a big difference between saying “I’m sorry” and “forgive me.”  Have you ever heard a song with “forgive me” in the lyrics?  Saying “forgive me” shows God’s power working in you.   

How will you apply this message to your life?  Are you praying for His gifts?

Email BeckyHraczo@gmail.com if you would like sermon notes emailed to you.  Also, you can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com/ and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” and then “Sermon Notes.

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Sermon Notes – June 27: Never – Ever – Give Up

“Never – Ever – Give Up”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

 June 26 – 27, 2021

Gospel:  Mark 5:21-43

What is the greatest gift our Lord has given us? The gift of Himself.  He offers us the perfect gift of love.  Why?  Because He loves us and wants to draw us closer to Him.  He really wants to give us that gift, sometimes more than we really want it.  But, since you are all here, I imagine you all want His gift.  Unfortunately, we have people in our lives who don’t seem to want it.  They go off the reservation. They turn their backs on everything their parents did for them and sacrificed for them.  It breaks your heart.  But, you pray and sacrifice for them anyway, don’t you? 

We are supposed to pray constantly.  Saint Peter said that the devil is always prowling about seeking the ruin of souls.  What do we pray for?  A lot of times when we pray, we pray too small.  We pray for those who do not like us.  We do not pray that they will have a heart attack or suffer any other kind of injury.  Instead, you pray that their souls may be converted or that you may have the strength to not choke the living you-know-what out of them when they are around.  We pray for a lot of good things. The ultimate good thing is eternal salvation.  This is the eternal good we should pray for…both for ourselves and others.

What’s the definition of insanity?  Doing the same things over and over and expecting different results.  We are human and not angels, so it is frustrating when we don’t see the results of our prayers right away.  We like things immediately.  Even the coffee maker isn’t fast enough for us.  Remember the televisions that we had to wait on to warm up?  Can you imagine that now?  When we do not see the results of our prayers right away, we think they are not working.  We give God a hard time, because we want what we pray for today.  However, God’s ways are not our ways.  He tells us to never be discouraged by prayer.  Maybe God said “No.”  If so, it is probably good that He did, because instead of giving us what we ask for, He gives us a greater good. 

Always say a prayer for yourself and your own salvation and another prayer for the salvation of others, especially your family.  It may take years and years to see any results from your prayers, and you may get more grey hair and worry lines.  You may get fed up and write them off, and that may be necessary if they have other problems.  But still pray for their salvation.  God never gives up.  You never know what He has in store, so do not get discouraged when praying for family and friends.  One of the side effects of prayer is that it changes us.  We develop a deeper trust and resignation to the will of God.  In today’s Gospel, people said “the child is dead” so do not bother. They gave up.   But, Jesus said, “If I gave you these small things which are not the best, why would I not give you the big things if you ask for it?” 

You never know what God will do, and I’ll give you several examples.  One is Saint Monica and her son, Saint Augustine.  Saint Monica never gave up on Saint Augustine, and he did a lot of crazy things.  He couldn’t write about it very well, and his confessions were boring as heck.  He’d put you right to sleep.  Still, he did a lot.  Then, you have my own family. My oldest brother and evil twin brother moved away from the faith, but they both received last rites and entrance into Heaven. Who knew?  Through prayer…my mother’s prayers, my father’s prayers, and my prayers, I was able to do their funeral Mass.  Another example is one that I remember quite clearly.   I was at Presbyterian Hospital in the Oncology Unit, and I had three patients on my list to see…two on the left and one on the right.  I thought, I’ll go see the patient on the right first.  So, I went into the room and introduced myself as the Catholic chaplain for the hospital.  The patient’s husband said, “Father, my wife is dying.  Will you give her the Last Rites?”  So, I gave her the Last Rites.  I anointed her and right where the ritual states “at or near the moment of death,” the woman took her last breath and died.  I looked at the nurse who shrugged her shoulders.  So, I said, “Go forth, Christian soul, from this world in the name of God, the almighty Father, who created you.”  When I came out of the elevator that day, something had told me to take a right turn instead of a left.  I had not seen these people before that day or after.  Another time when I was at Atrium, I was walking up the stairs, more steps for my heart, and a nurse asked me if I was a priest.  I said “Yeah.”  Go figure, huh?  Actually, I’m the pastor at a Baptist church, and I’m just trying to confuse everybody.  Anyway, the nurse said she was going to call me about a patient in ICU who was dying of cancer.  I never saw the patient before and I never saw her after.  Saint John Vianney, the Cure of Ars, had the gift of reading souls.  One day while he was taking a walk, he saw a woman who approached him.  She said, “Curate, you have the gift of seeing souls.”  Sometimes.  “Remember my husband?  He is dead.”  Saint John said, ”Yes.  I’ll offer him a prayer.” The woman said, “He fell off a bridge and drowned. He was an evil man. He’s in hell isn’t he?”  Saint John said, “I don’t know.”  The woman was irate and said, “You don’t know? What do you mean you don’t know!  He hit me, he spent money, and he drank!”  Finally, after she had finished unloading all her vile on him, Saint John said, “There was a lot of time from when he left the bridge and until he hit the water.” 

Imperfect contrition is the fear of God’s punishment and is sufficient to get you into purgatory and eventually into Heaven.  Even saying “I’m sorry” is enough.  So, we do not know what will happen.   We will find that out only if we get to heaven. Remember, we have control over that.  Everyone in hell is a self-made man or woman.  I’m not sexist.  So, keep up your prayers for all of those who need His love. That’s the way to love. 

Now, I am not much.  I’m not that bright, but I can read a calendar, so I know my sell-by date is rapidly approaching. I pray for a happy death and that God will allow me in heaven with all my sins and faults.  I pray that I will see the rest of my family.  So, never, ever, ever stop praying.  We never know how it will end.  Remember, God wants your family, friends, and enemies in Heaven more than even you do.

How will you apply this message to your life?  No matter what, keep praying for yourself and your salvation and the salvation of your family, friends, and enemies.

You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to https://annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com/ and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” and then “Sermon Notes.”  From a cell phone, click on “Blog” then “Menu” and then “Categories” (located at the end of page).  There is also a search box if you are looking for a specific topic.

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Sermon Notes – June 20 – Look Busy!

“Look Busy!”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

 June 12 – 13, 2021

Gospel:  Mark 4:26-34

The only thing we should have pride in is the mercy of our good Lord.  From His pierced heart, flows the river of Sacramental love so that we may have life and have it to the fullest in this life and in the next.  It is our means of salvation.  What we should be proud of, and the only thing, is our Savior’s love.  It’s not a sin or a debauchery. 

Now, let me tell you what you must do to get to heaven. You have to do one thing, and it’s extraordinary.  You know what it is?  You may be thinking, “Oh, God!  Father, please, I’m having enough problems with the ordinary stuff!  What the heck are the extraordinary things?”  Well, although it’s extraordinary, it’s not hard.  God doesn’t ask us to do hard things.  The extraordinary thing we have to do is do ordinary things ordinarily; in other words, do routine things routinely.  Do the same things day after day after day. 

Jesus said, “If you love Me and wish to be My follower, take up your cross every day and follow Me.”  So, we take up our cross and follow Him.  Now, our goal is progress…not perfection.  This includes saying our prayers, not choking the you-know-what out of someone who desperately needs it, and practicing spiritual and corporal works of mercy.  When I say “practicing,” I mean practicing just like doctors practice medicine.  It’s not perfect, but they keep trying.  Another way to carry our cross is by going to Mass every Sunday and on Holy Days, and maybe even on other days of the week.  The doors are open, and on weekdays, we don’t take up a collection.  So, you’re welcome to come in and get extra credit.  You also can carry your cross by going to Confession once a year…every three months is better.  Who wants to walk around with all that doodoo staining your soul that affects the body, mind, and spirit.  You’ll have a much better attitude.  We have much better vision and self-awareness when our souls are bathed in the most precious blood of Christ.  These are the ordinary things we can do ordinarily…the routine things we can do routinely, and that’s the extraordinary part. 

Because we do ordinary things, some may be tempted, and it’s a grave temptation, to stop, because they think that they are not progressing, they think they aren’t good at it, or they believe it’s not benefitting them.  All of that is a lie by the devil.  “I don’t think my medicine is helping me get well, so I’m going to stop taking it.”  That’s not going to lead to a good outcome.  Likewise, if we stop doing ordinary spiritual works of mercy, that also won’t lead to a good outcome.  The extraordinary part is when we keep doing it and doing it…whether we enjoy it or not.  We embrace the suck.  I don’t enjoy eating fish. But, I have to eat it, because it was prescribed by my doctor. That’s doing an ordinary thing ordinarily.  If I don’t follow my doctor’s advice, it’s a sin against the Fourth Commandment and a sin against the Fifth Commandment, because I would be endangering my life unnecessarily.     

Is doing ordinary things ordinarily a lot of fun?  No.  “Father, you’re a professional.”   Yes.  “Do you always enjoy your prayers?”  No.  If you catch me in the morning around 7:30, I’ll be over here saying my prayers.  You will notice, if you see me day after day, that I’m not walking on air.  I’m not levitating.  I’m not in mystical ecstasy every time I say the Rosary.  I’m not always happy.  Do my prayers always thrill me?  Oh, heck no!  Do I want to listen to one more whiner who comes in to complain?  “Oh, Father, it’s too hot in church!” Oh, shut up.  Do I want to listen to that?  No.  But, remember, everything we do should be focused on Him, our Beloved.  The things we do are acts of love to our dear Lord and are not done to please ourselves.  When you are tempted to stop doing ordinary things ordinarily, the focus is on you.   I’m not much but I’m all I think about…that’s one of my favorite sayings.  Whatever we do, whatever our gifts of love for our Lord are, big or small, they are acts of love and devotion to our Savior. 

Now, as you know, in the Oval Office at the White House, there’s a phone that goes from the United States to the Soviet Union in case there is a nuclear war so that people don’t end up in a mushroom cloud.   In the Vatican, there is also such a phone.  Remember the bat phone?  It’s kind of like that.  This phone doesn’t go from the Vatican to the United States or to Russia.  It goes from the Vatican to Heaven.  It’s not used, but occasionally the housekeepers come along and dust it like any other piece of furniture.  This phone had never rang, but, one day it did.  Whoa!  I doubt it was a wrong number.  Everyone was too scared to touch it.  No one but the pope could answer the phone, so, they found the Holy Father, brought him in, and he picked up the phone.  The pope said, “Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord.”  The pope smiled and put the phone down.  By that time, everyone in the Vatican had gathered around.  “Holiness, who was it? Speak to us!”  The pope said, “It was God.”  “What did He say?”  The pope responded, “He’s coming back soon.”  “Holiness, what should we do?”  The pope answered, “Look busy!” 

How will you apply this message to your life?  Are you doing routine things routinely?  Are you coming to weekend Mass and going to Confession at least once a year?  Are you practicing corporal and spiritual works of mercy?   

You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to https://annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com/ and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” and then “Sermon Notes.”  From a cell phone, click on “Blog” then “Menu” and then “Categories” (located at the end of page).  There is also a search box if you are looking for a specific topic.

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Sermon Notes – That 3 in 1 and 1 in 3 Thing

“That 3 in 1 and 1 in 3 Thing”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

May 22 – 23, 2021


Gospel:  John 20:19-23

Today, Holy Mother Church celebrates the Solemnity of Pentecost which is when the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles.  It’s also the birthday of the Church.  Now, let me ask you a question.  When did you first receive the Holy Spirit?  At Baptism.  Remember, when I baptize you, it is done in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  When is the next time you receive the gift of the Holy Spirit?  At Confession.  After that?  Holy Communion.  Now, you may be thinking, “You also receive the Holy Spirit at Confirmation.”  Yeah, you do.  You receive Jesus, and you receive God the Father. That 3 in 1 and 1 in 3 thing.  You receive the fullness of the Spirit.  In each Sacrament, you receive the whole God.

The Sacraments are given for different purposes depending on your particular mission in the Body of Christ.  At Baptism, you were given the gift of God Himself.  In each Sacrament, you get the gift of the whole God…not just a slice of Him.  You get the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  In Baptism, Christ asked for, and you, through your parents, gave Him your human nature.  The human nature He took from Mary in the body He was born with, taught with, healed with, suffered with, and redeemed us with is now in Heaven.  So, how does He continue His mission to teach, heal, and sanctify the world?  It goes on through us by living a good Catholic life.  In whatever part of the Body of Christ He has assigned us, we work for His glory and the salvation of souls.  So, if you are in hell, you are a self- made man. 

Christ takes our human nature at Baptism, so, we are part of His new body which is the Church.   Each of us has a place in the body of Christ to do the work of bringing Him to the world.  Through the gifts of the Holy Spirit, He helps us accomplish that mission.  There are seven gifts (wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord) and 12 fruits (charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, long-suffering, humility, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, and chastity).  The whole purpose of giving us the Holy Spirit through the Sacraments is to bring God’s love to the world and to make that love manifest in whatever part of the Body we are in.  The graces of the Holy Spirit strengthen us so that we can carry out that mission.   

Part of my job as a priest is working at the veterans’ hospital in Hospice.  Hospice is a part of the hospital where people who are very sick and in the last six months of their lives are cared for by specially trained doctors and nurses.  They have all sorts of terrible diseases.  We had one patient who had Progressive Supranuclear Palsy which is a rare disease that the patient contracted while working as a doctor in Vietnam.  His brain turned into jelly, and there is no treatment.  It’s so sad.  The hospice staff try to make their patients as comfortable and pain-free as possible.  A few years ago, there was a nice area with a kitchen and dining room where hospice patients could come out of their rooms and eat together.  Other veterans from across the hospital would come down and have lunch with them.  It was so much fun to laugh and talk with them.  I would pick up trays and do whatever I could for them.  You know what a sign of God’s love looks like?  There was a hospice patient at the luncheon who couldn’t feed himself…he was that sick.  Another man who, after this incident died about two weeks later, was also at the luncheon.  But, instead of eating his own lunch, he spent that time feeding the patient who couldn’t feed himself.  One would think that if you’re dying, it would be all about you.  But, this is what God’s love looks like.  This was an act of the Holy Spirit.  The staff would have fed that patient, but he did it.  He didn’t have to do it, but he wanted to.  He made sure that man ate before he did.  That is a sign of the Holy Spirit in action and God’s love is in the world. 

Another thing they have done in Hospice, and hopefully will do again once COVID is over, is that when veterans are actively dying and don’t have family members there, volunteers come and sit with them all night and all day so that they don’t have to die alone. Usually, the veterans are very old and don’t have anybody.  But, a veteran should never die alone. In the military, you never leave a fallen comrade.  I’ve always thought that this is a sign of Christ, along with their guardian angel, being with them as they leave this life. You see the love of Christ in those volunteers.  They don’t need to teach us…their actions teach us everything.  It’s all through the promptings of the Holy Spirit who moves and works within us – not always the way want; otherwise, I’d be a monsignor! 

I’ll tell you a story about the nursing staff.  Don’t let this get back to them.  World War II veterans are very old, and when they are nearing the time of their passing, all of the memories of what they had to do during the war come back.  Mine will come back too when it’s my time.  It’s just part of what we went through.  It comes back for a lot of the men who saw combat.  Many times, it was their wives who helped them keep it all together, and if their wives are no longer with them, it’s a real hardship for them.  I remember this one man who was in his nineties and about to leave us asked the nurse if she would hold his hand until he fell asleep.  The memories had come back, and his wife had done that for him.  That’s not in any nurse’s job description.  But, she sacrificed her own time to sit with that man while he faced his nightmares.  I’ve sat with veterans as they were passing from this life…that’s what we do.  We offer spontaneous acts of love.  I’ve seen you do it.  Your acts of generosity are acts of the Holy Spirit.  You are showing Christ’s love.  If you ask anyone why they do it, they would probably say that they don’t know, but it felt like the right thing to do.  Do they get paid for it?  No.  It was just the right thing to do.  These are the actions of the Holy Spirit using our human natures to show Christ’s love to the world.  But, so that we can repeat these acts of love, we must be refreshed in the Holy Spirit by frequently participating in the Sacrament of Penance and Holy Communion. 

What is so beautiful about these acts of love is that you do it without thinking.  It’s just a normal response.  You don’t stop and think about what you should or shouldn’t do…you just do it.  That’s the action of the Holy Spirit letting the Spirit work in you to bring the love of Christ to the world.  And, believe it or not, someone will see and be taught God’s word simply through your acts of love                                                                                                      

How will you apply this message to your life? Refresh yourself in the Holy Spirit by frequently participating in the Sacrament of Penance and Holy Communion

You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to https://annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com/ and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” and then “Sermon Notes.”  From a cell phone, click on “Blog” then “Menu” and then “Categories” (located at the end of page).  There is also a search box if you are looking for a specific topic.

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Sermon Notes – Rules? There Are Rules?

“Rules? There Are Rules?”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

May 8 – 9, 2021

Gospel:  John 15:9-17

Now, when I was in seminary we had to study…a lot.  “So, Father, you learned a lot of rules.”  Maybe.  We had a semester in Moral Theology.  Then there was the Canon Law course which we took twice, because there are two different versions…the one we were living under at the time and the one that would be in effect five years down the road.  The funny thing about that is the first part was the one we had to study and were tested on, but it was only written in Latin.  It could not be translated into English, because there wasn’t a precise translation, and Canon Law is very precise.  So, you sit there in class with a Latin dictionary.  Great!  One year of Latin in high school just didn’t quite cut it.  So, yeah, there are a lot of rules, if you want to look at it that way.  If you look at them without love, then they are RULES.  But, if you at them with love, they are the way God gives us His healing power and keeps us from harm.  So, they aren’t really RULES. 

You know what else has RULES?  Flight school.  Anybody can take a plane up, and everybody can land it…but, landing the plane safely is the tricky part.  You know who else has RULES?  Doctors.  Medicine has lots of RULES.  You can’t do this and you can’t do that…well, you could, but a good outcome would be doubtful.  What’s the first rule in. Medicine?  Do no harm.  Great idea!  That philosophy almost applies to military doctors.  Doctors study all these RULES so they can bring God’s healing gift to you.  Otherwise, there are a lot of people who wouldn’t be here today.  What are the RULES for?  Through the actions of our health providers, the RULES are there so that God’s healing gifts may be granted to heal us, to console us, and to comfort our families.   It’s the same with God’s Commandments.  If you follow them, you get what He promised.  The RULES of medicine are acts of love.  The emptying of oneself, because you don’t know everything, allows God’s healing power to flow from you to the other person. 

The same thing is true with the Church.  The RULES are set in the Gospel as Commandments.  What are they?  They are works of love.  “If you love me, keep My Commandments.” So, the Commandments are works of love.  They are not RULES.  What makes people look at the Church and say, “There are a lot of RULES” is ego.  We call that “king baby.”  “I want what I want when I want it.”  Now, I am blessed to have a wonderful cardiologist.  He’s a very, very gifted man and a wonderful healer, except he lacks something in his education.  Maybe, he was sick that day in medical school.  Apparently, he doesn’t know that bacon is heart healthy, and I can’t quite convince him that it is.  I want what I want when I want it.  Those are people’s RULES. 

God loves us unconditionally, because God is love itself.  He created us out of love, and He saved us out of love. God continues to loves us even when we tick him off by sinning.  We have to accept His love and give that love back.  But, we put conditions on receiving Him as if we are the ones making the RULES.  Is anybody here perfect?  Bea, don’t put your hand up.  So, no one.  That’s why we need a Savior, and that’s why we are here.  This is a hospital for sinners – not hotel for saints.  We do not set conditions on His love; instead, we seek it.   He wants to give Himself to us, but not if we aren’t prepared to receive Him.  These are the RULES so that the gift of His love will not be insulted, mocked, or held up for ridicule.  We take His love and make a mockery of it. 

Even though God’s love is unconditional, we cannot do whatever we want just because God will love us anyway.  “I can do this because God loves me unconditionally.”  “I’m going to do that because God will love me anyway.”   No…you cannot.  In the Gospel, our Lord said, “Whoever does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple” (Matthew 10:38) and everybody left Him.   When He declared that marriage is between one man and one woman (Matthew 19:4-7), everybody left Him.  When our Lord told His disciples, “…unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you” (John 6:53), everybody left Him.  Christ said, “If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love” (John 15:10). These are the RULES.  We have RULES to guide us so that we understand what acts of love are and what they are not. 

We all make mistakes, and we are judged on them.  “My conscious is my guide.”   Well, it shouldn’t be.  The judgement of the Church should be your guide, because it is infallible in matters of faith and morals.  My own judgement is not too good.  Remember bacon?  There are rules about Holy Communion.  Non-Catholics and non-practicing Catholics cannot receive.  Saint Paul wrote that whoever receives the Eucharist unworthily “will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord” (1 Cor. 11:27-30).  They are not guilty of being impolite – they are guilty of His death.  Instead of loving Christ, those who receive unworthily are taking His gift and throwing it in His face.  “I don’t care what You want, this is what I want.”   Be sure to read the black part of Scripture, and leave the white part alone.  These are not RULES.  There are no RULES in the Church…only acts of love.  If we find His Commandments and the Church’s rules to be odious and burdensome, that’s our ego from the first sin.  Remember, it was not committed by Adam and Eve, but by Lucifer who said, “I will not serve.”   

The next time you hear someone say, “Catholics have a lot of RULES,” just say, ‘”You know, if you read the Gospels, Jesus had a lot of RULES.  But, those RULES tell us how to die to ourselves so that He can live within us.”  Yes, we have RULES, but they are acts of love.  If we have a problem with the RULES, then we have a problem with our love of God. 

How will you apply this message to your life? Are you making a mockery of His love by following your own set of rules instead of His Commandments?    

You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to: https://annunciationcatholicalbemarle.com/ and clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” and then “Sermon Notes.”  From a cell phone, click on “Blog” then “Menu” and then “Categories” (located at the end of page).  There is also a search box if you are looking for a specific topic.

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Sermon Notes – The Good Shepherd

“The Good Shepherd“

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

April 24 – 25, 2021

Gospel:  John 10:11-18

I have been meditating on the Gospel of the Good Shepherd.  Where in the Gospel do we first hear about the Good Shepherd?   You’ll find it in Genesis when God went looking for Adam and Eve.   They had sinned and were trying to hide, but God looked for them to bring them back.  Why did they run from God?  They were “necked.”  That’s naked for all you Yankees.  They hid because they had sinned.  They ran away from God, but God went after them.  God goes after sinners, because He does not want us to succumb to the evil one.  Adam and Eve were afraid, because sin causes fear.  They were afraid of the One who loves us.  Sin makes us stay away from the One who has the power to heal sin.  “We’re going to be punished!”  But, this is a great act of love as we see on the Crucifix.  He asks us to partake of His love by receiving and asking for His forgiveness.  If we run from God after we have sinned, it is an offense against God. 

I have heard this statement from a number of priests and others:  “I have to forgive myself.”  Excuse me..WHAT??  That’s a sin right there.  The sin wasn’t against you.  You egotistical jerk!  The sin was against God and no one else. That statement is blasphemous. It’s pop psychology, and it’s blasphemous.  It’s your own fertilizer excuse…you know the word.  It’s a fertilizer excuse justifying the act.  “I have to forgive myself.”  You cannot bring healing to yourself. That would require penance and divine forgiveness.  Only God can absolve sin, and only God can heal it.  Sin in this world is made manifest by fear.  What do people do when they are afraid?  They try to hide.  They lay down conditions for coming back.  “I’m not coming back to the Church until priests can get married.”  Do you ask any of the professionals in your life if they are married?  “I’m not coming back until Mass is in English, until Confession is face-to-face, or until people can marry whoever or whatever they want.”  Really? 

Sin causes fear and anger which distorts reality.  So, people try to deny that they did anything wrong.  “I didn’t do anything!”  “It wasn’t that bad.”  “You cops are all crooked.”  “You priests are all perverts.”   They try to deny what they’ve done by lashing out.  When a dog is afraid, it may snarl at you. People try to deny their sin and will do anything but say “I’ve done wrong, and I’m sorry.”  That fear changes your perspective and it changes your attitude.

I was driving up to the VA hospital the other day, and I always try to find the State Troopers and the Sheriff’s deputies.  It keeps you aware, and it’s kind of fun to see where they might be hiding.  I appreciate the art form.  But, I can always tell where they are just by watching people in front of me slam on their brakes.  Why are you afraid?  Just do the speed limit. Come on!  But, they are afraid.  What are they afraid of?  They are only afraid if they’ve done something wrong.  But, God’s love casts out all fear…not self-love… but God’s love. 

God is love itself.  We see His love when we look at the Crucifix.  We see that love portrayed at every altar, at every confession, at every hospital visit by a priest, at every marriage ceremony, and at every baptism and confirmation.  This is God’s great love manifested.  I’ll give you some homework for tonight.  Read the poem, “Hound of Heaven” by Francis Thompson.  Francis was a drug addict and alcoholic.  He had fear, and he kept running and running afraid a great beast was going to kill him.  Finally, he ran out of energy and said, “Fine, kill me.  I don’t care anymore.”   When he stopped, he saw that the beast was actually a puppy that wanted to kiss him.  The last part of the poem is:  “Whom wilt thou find to love ignoble thee, Save Me, save only Me?”

God is the Good Shepherd.  But, we have to be willing to be led.  Remember what the first sin was?  It wasn’t by Adam and Eve, but by Lucifer who would not serve.  It’s the same thing when we want to be led by God.  We have to say, “I will serve.” “I will follow.”  It is sinful to say, “I will not serve.”  “I will not listen to you.”  “I know what’s best.”  We are all sinners, that’s why we are all here.  He is the Good Shepherd and brings us home if we want to be led.

How will you apply this message to your life? Are you running from God?  Are you fearful and angry?  Stop running and let God lead you.

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