Tag: Love

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Sermon Notes – July 2, 2023 – Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places  


Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places  

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

July 1 – 2, 2023

Gospel:  Matthew 10:37-42


When I prepare couples for marriage, I don’t ask them if they have learned how to talk to one another.  No . . . I’m not Doctor Phil.  I wanted to be Doctor House, but I’m definitely not Doctor Phil.  The whole basis of marriage, a vocation, is love of God.  Be holy and perfect and all things will be given to you.  Our Lord tells us being holy is first and foremost because you cannot give what you do not have.   When we are united with the Source of love, we can give that love to others.  All love comes from the Father because He is love itself.  And that is what I tell couples.  If you want to have a marriage that lasts and survives the rotten times, be holy.  However, good times can be rotten too, and you should be wary of them.   

I also tell couples to pray the Rosary together every night.  “Father, what if they are not Catholic?”  Well, the good news is that they are praying the Rosary.  The bad news is that it ain’t going to hurt a bit.  There is no downside.  If you pray the Rosary together, you can talk to each other about anything.  I got that from Bishop Sheen by the way.  I’m not that bright.  You need to be united to the Source of life.  “But Father, you are not married.”   I could not do that to a woman although my brother did, and he had a Mensa card.    

Each vocation is manifested in love to the Sacred Body of Christ – the Church.  In my 39 years of priesthood, I have seen so many priests and religious leave the vocation because they do not, and will not, give themselves totally to God.  “My work is my prayer.”   No, it’s not.   Those are two different words.  I know because I went to Catholic school.  They are spelled differently and mean different things.  Both can be acts of love, but you cannot give what you do not have.  So, you must return to and be united with the Source of love.  Remember, in Scripture, Christ said, “Come away and spend time with God.”   The religious and priests become disheartened, and they leave.  They go looking for love in all the wrong places.   They look for love in people, places, and things.   Some do come back, which is tough because they don’t want to admit their mistakes.  But that Love they once touched won’t give up and follows them.  The faithful are united with the source of God’s love and seek Him by immersing themselves in His love through the Sacraments.  This is where we get the strength to do what God asks of us – to do corporal and spiritual works of mercy. 

We always like it when people thank us for our good works, but most people don’t.   “Well, Father, you do good works.”  I hope so; I’m going to be judged on that.  “So, people must thank you a lot.”   No, not really.   I’ve performed a lot of funerals and weddings and did not even get a thank you note.  Doing weddings is like negotiating with terrorists.  They come in with a list of nonnegotiable demands.   This is my Church, and I appreciate your desire to have your wedding here, but we don’t do that here.  “Well, father so and so does it.”  That’s nice.  Here are the rules straight from the Church’s rulebook.   Many people don’t say “thank you.”   Although we do it for Christ, I would love to get a “thank you” especially for the staff here who work so hard.   

Our feelings get hurt when people don’t say “thank you” and appreciate the enormity of our stooping down from our greatness to help them.   However, we humbly do it for Christ, and people see Christ in our human natures.   It’s tough sometimes.  Because you are hurt, you really want to say some good old Anglo-Saxon words that shouldn’t be used in polite company.  But Christ says, “You gave a gift of love to Me, and I will repay you according to My nature.”   So do not worry about it.  Bring Me your sorrows.  Bring Me your rejections.  Bring Me your feelings of being unappreciated.   Bring them to Me and stay awhile.  You will learn how unappreciated I am for My gift of love.  I offer Myself to the world in the Blessed Sacraments and look at how few show up.  Look at how few say, “thank you.”   People haven’t finished singing my praises and they begin leaving the church.  Whoa!  Did I dismiss you?  No!  They can’t wait to leave even though there’s not much going on in Albemarle at 10:30 in the morning. 

Once I had a funeral here, and it was on a day like this.  After the funeral, we got into the car to drive to the cemetery.  We drove at a funeral pace, so we were not traveling very fast.  I had the robes on, and I was very thirsty.  But when you are in a hearse and in a funeral procession, you really can’t ask the driver to stop at a gas station so you can grab a Coke.  That would be in poor taste and really frowned upon.   I got to the church – and it was a beautiful church – if you don’t know where it is, you’ll never find it.  It’s up over a hill and back.  I got out of the hearse and began walking to the grave site.  And there was this big, old man in bib overalls coming toward me with a cup in his hand.  He said, “I thought you might like this.”   It was a cup of ice-cold water.   He is now resting with his family in the back of the church grounds.  It was such a great act of love.  How he knew that I would need it or if it was a simple act of courtesy and kindness, I don’t know.  He did not know me, and I did not know him.  As I talked to him, I realized that he was related to some of the parishioners here.  But such as that.  Always remember, when we do things for others, we are doing them for Christ. 

Father’s Reflections . . . I looked at the calendar today, and I was reminded that 21 years ago I received an interesting letter.  Know who it was from?  The AARP.  Know what made it so interesting?  They sent it to me while I was in Iraq.  So, we have geriatrics protecting our country.  Great!

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 Facebook page at ola.catholic.church.  Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”

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Sermon Notes – June 25, 2023 – The High Price of Low Living

The High Price of Low Living

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

June 24 – 25, 2023

Gospel:  Matthew 10:26-33

Years ago, my older brother, John, went to the doctor.  The doctor told my brother that she had bad news for him.   John said, “What’s that?”  The doctor told him that he had Hepatitis C.  She also told John that he could probably be cured of it, but that he would have to stop drinking.   My brother thought about it and said, “I appreciate that doctor, but I like to drink.”  This was a guy who kept a bottle of vodka in his freezer.  Now, my brother was not a stupid man.  John and my twin brother both had Mensa cards, members of the Society of Geniuses.  John had a great doctor who offered all her talents and abilities to increase the odds of his survival.  Sometimes Hepatitis C can lie dormant forever, but it can also come and take you out.  My brother decided to play the odds and to continue drinking, but he lost the gamble.  The doctor had tried to help John, but he refused God’s gift.  I was there when he died.  He died a much more painful death than he should have.  It was not a pleasant way to go. 

I’ve been reading all these articles in Catholic newspapers about our needing to be a “welcoming Church.”  I have a question.  Remember “Welcome Back Kotter” and what happened when Horshack had a question?  OOOOHHH!  OOOOHHH!  OOOOHHH!  I have a question!   When were we not a welcoming Church?   My brother’s doctor used all her expertise trying to get him to change his mind.  But he was stuck on stupid.  You cannot fix stupid; you can only medicate it.   Saying that we are “not welcoming” is an insult to the people of God.  Look at all the Catholic hospitals, schools, and orphanages that took everybody.   A lot of times when the poor inquired about their bills, there were none.   How can we not be welcoming? 

Now, I’ve been a Catholic for 69 years and 40+ weeks.  I was very young when I was baptized, so I don’t remember the exact date.   My father was an usher, and I never saw him throw anyone out of church.  I have never seen Lori body slam anybody who came into the office.  That doesn’t mean she hasn’t wanted to, but she’s never done it.  I have been here for 20 years, and I have never observed anyone not welcome in this church.  Bea’s husband, Tommy, was an usher here for 55 years, and he was not Catholic until near the end of his life.  That’s an interesting story.  Tommy attended a Baptist church for 55 years.  When he was very sick, I went to his house to see him.   We watched Russian crash videos which I highly recommend by the way.  While I was there, Tommy said, “Father, how do I become Catholic?”   Well, I can hook a brother up tomorrow – no problem.  How can we not be welcoming?   Did Stump or Navy-boy Timmy ever check your baptismal certificates or bank statements?   No.  Did you ever hear me say, “If you are not Catholic, you are going to hell”?    No.  So, I get pretty indignant when people say that we are not welcoming.  What did Christ say?   “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28-30).   “Yeah baby!”   Not so fast.  He also said, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.”   “Oh, so there are conditions?”   Yes.  You must give up the high price of low living.  “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (Mk 8:34).    Leave your father and mother; sell everything you have and give it to the poor; eat My body and drink My blood; one wife and one husband, marriage between male and female. . .  Do you think our Lord got it wrong? 

Our Lord has a lot of conditions, but they are not burdensome.  The Commandments are acts of love, and love is easy.  It is the mindset that comes from sin that tells us they are difficult.   Just like addicts we think, “You don’t care.  If you really cared for me, you’d give me my drugs or booze.”  Come up higher . . . You will feel much better when you stop doing that stupid stuff.  Aren’t you tired of hurting?   Come up higher.  Come enjoy the grace of God.  Come enjoy His peace in your soul and the full joy of not being bound by old habits and sin.   Is it always instantaneous?  No.  When people get sober, tell them it takes about two years to regain their marbles.  It takes about five years to learn how to play with them, because original sin diminishes the will and intellect.  Repeated sin does the same thing. 

We are always carrying our cross.  When we preach what Christ did, we are a welcoming Church.  We are not being hurtful or hateful.  I came to Albemarle 20 years ago, and I am responsible for the spiritual care of all people within 404 square miles.  Church law doesn’t say “all Catholic souls” – it simply says “all souls.”  By virtue of my office, I am supposed to be welcoming to all people.  So, I take the insult that we are “not welcoming” personally.  We are trying to help people.   When we carry our cross, we take his place.  The Pharisees said, “We will believe you if you come down from the cross.”   But Christ said, “Come up with me. Share My passion.  Then you will know true peace.”   

We are very welcoming of people here.  You should have been at the baptism I had yesterday.  They were Spanish, and I couldn’t pronounce their names.  Y’all know how great my Spanish skills are.  It was a lot fun and full of laughter as the Anglo struggled to speak Spanish.   When I was overseas, we had people from Bangladesh and Pakistan who wanted to come to Mass.  But they couldn’t when the Saudi Arabians were around.  The Ministry of Internal Security wouldn’t allow Catholic Mass, so they would sneak in with us, and they were all welcome.  They were afraid that the Saudi Arabians would bust in during Mass.  I told them that we had a couple hundred of heavily armed men who were not in a good mood.   I didn’t think anyone was going to bother us. 

We are all one in Christ.  We are all welcome.  Yes, Christ has certain rules, that’s true.  But by being here, we are all a testimony that those rules are not burdensome.   We welcome everybody.  Unfortunately, we have plenty of pew space.  I wish that more people were here.  I would even add another Mass if needed.   We are welcoming.  People will always be drawn to Him.  And in that welcoming, in that call from Up Higher, they will see Christ.

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 Facebook page at ola.catholic.church.  Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”

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Sermon Notes – May 28, 2023 – Love is the Language of the Holy Spirit

Love is the Language of the Holy Spirit

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

May 27 – 28, 2023

Gospel:  John 20: 19-23

Remember last week I talked to you about the Ascension and how the human nature our good Lord took from the Blessed Mother was assumed into His divine nature.  It’s the same nature that He suffered with, healed with, died with, was resurrected with, and took to Heaven.  So, if Christ’s human nature is in Heaven, how does He continue to do His work in the world?  Fair question.  Well, He takes our human natures and uses them.  Through the Holy Spirt, He takes all our human natures and forms His new Body which is the Church.   With His new Body, He continues to teach, sanctify, heal, and bring His love to the world.  His new Body will continue for generations until the end of the world.   In the Book of Acts, our Lord says, “Paul, why are you persecuting Me?   He didn’t say, “the church” or “a Christian Group.”   He said, “Why are you persecuting Me?”   He said, “Me” personally because we are a part of His body.   

All those who are baptized are baptized in Christ.  You are part of His new body extended throughout the Ages.  That’s why it’s blasphemy when someone says, “Oh, I am reconciled to God but not His Church” or they say, “I love God but not the Church.”  Absolute blasphemy.  You love the head but not the body.  That makes no sense.  You cannot love one without the other.  It’s a whole Person . . . a package deal.  Christ takes our human natures which are offered by us or by our parents at our Baptism.  He assumes our human natures into His new Body to become whatever part of His Body that represents our vocation to bring God’s word to others, to heal, teach, and sanctify.  Whatever the vocation, Holy Orders, Religious, married life, or lay life – whatever part of His Body – we are called to build it up. 

Christ uses our human nature to reach out and to bring His love to the world . . . to speak the universal language   At Pentecost, Peter spoke to the crowd, and everyone heard him in their own language.  Everyone hears the language of Christ.   Now, I am not gifted in tongues.  If you have ever been to the 12:15 Mass, you know that I do not have that gift.  I speak Spanish with French accent.  French is my second language.  Believe it or not, I took Intermediate Conversational French in college, but my aunt who is 95 years old corrects my French.   I had to relearn French because my family was French Canadian and did not speak the French you learn in books which is Parisian.  While I cannot speak many languages, I know a priest who speaks five of them.  We are all called, and we are all able, to speak the most important language – a language nobody hears – and that’s the language of love and of Christ living in the world.  Whatever vocation and whatever circumstance in which you find yourself, bring Christ in.   Be the Good Samaritan.   Everybody sees that love.  Everybody can translate that language . . . . the universal language of Christ. 

I’ve told you this story before.  I don’t have that many years left as a priest, so I’ll share with you the stories I’ve got.  One day I was making my rounds in hospice at the VA, and two EMT’s wheeled in a patient.  They wanted to know which room the patient was going in.  The nurses were busy, so I told them and went down to the room with them.  To transfer a patient onto the bed, it really takes three people. One to grab the sheet, another to hold the head, and another to hold the feet.  Since there were only two EMT’s, I helped transfer the patient by holding his feet.  After we moved him, I went to the sink to wash my hands since I hadn’t used gloves.  One of the EMT’s who had been fairly rude to me earlier came over and said, “Thank you, Father.”   It was a big change from when they first came in even though I hadn’t done anything special.  One time a nurse asked me if I would help clean out a trachea tube which is not a real fun thing to do if you don’t have a strong stomach.  Sure.  “What did you do after that, Father?”  Lunch.  Cleaning the trachea tube didn’t bother me, and a man’s got to eat.  Anything you do to help someone, those acts of love, will be noticed.   They are things we do instinctively and perhaps with no forethought at all.  Something as simple as helping somebody with their shopping cart at Walmart by putting the cart back in its proper place so that it doesn’t go careening through the parking lot.  People will see those little acts of love.  It truly makes a difference because nowadays it’s so unusual.  But we are all called to do this as members of Christ’s Body. 

We are called to teach, evangelize, and to build up His Body which is His Church.  You were given the gift of tongue in Baptism because you were brought into the Body of Christ.  The gift of tongue is not a bunch of babbling.  Get some medicine, and you’ll be fine.   You don’t have to be a linguist . . . you have to be holy.  The gift of tongue is the gift of love by which we bring Christ’s love to the world.  God can work through even such a sinful creature as I am to bring Christ’s love and goodness to people.  You are no different than me – except better looking – God’s grace enables us to speak that one beautiful language of the Holy Spirit which is Christ and love.  And when people ask you how you can do that, you can tell them the reason is your Faith.  By the way, the reason is a Who and not a what.  So do those small acts of love; they always have an effect.  You never know.

Father’s Reflections . . . 

I learned from a highly placed, confidential source that things are crazy at Walmart.  It is Memorial Day weekend, and you can get great deals on all sorts of stuff like cars, mattresses, linens, appliances, and furniture.  It makes me so proud that I fought for our country!

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” then “Menu” and then “Categories.”  Sermon Notes are also available on the church Facebook page at ola.catholic.church.  Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”

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Speak the Truth in Love

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.”

Speak the Truth in Love

What is the relationship between truth and love? Today, Jeff dives into the books of Corinthians and Ephesians and shares what Paul teaches on how to love and the importance of love. Jeff explains what true love looks like and what it results in.

Click on the link to play video:

https://player.fireside.fm/v2/m7G8OqB6+GnGEItHZ?theme=dark

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Sermon Notes – April 16, 2023 – He Wants Your Garbage


He Wants Your Garbage

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

April 15 – 16, 2023

Gospel:  John 20:19-31

If you read the Acts of the Apostles, you learn that the Church is to evangelize by using prayers, the Mass, and the Breaking of the Bread.  Further along in the Gospels, Saint Paul said, “We preach Christ crucified” (1 Corinthians 1:23).   We don’t need to reinvent the wheel, which is what we always seem to do because we think we have a better way.  But it never quite works out, does it.  And it is painful and expensive on your part.  I had confirmation of this on Friday while I was having breakfast at a restaurant.  This man came up to me and said, “Excuse me.  I have to apologize because I didn’t know how to properly address you, so I asked someone, and they said to call you ‘Father’.”   Well, thank you!  That man was a Marine who was awarded two purple hearts in Vietnam because he was wounded in combat.   I was really impressed.  But the compliment wasn’t to me . . . it was to my Boss.  So, we must be doing something right here.   

We also want to pass all sorts of laws about inanimate objects.  Really?   How did that work out during Prohibition?  Not too well.  The problem is not an inanimate object; it’s a person.  Do you know what the most common murder weapon is?  A knife.  So, unless you want to gnaw on your food instead of using a knife, don’t ask for more laws. You have to change the person and not the inanimate object.  That’s why we must pass along the Faith.  

Now because it is Divine Mercy Sunday, I will ask you a question and it may frighten you.  What does our Lord want most from you when you come to church?   Don’t reach for your wallets.  Churches always say, “We need your time, talent, and treasure.”  When you hear that, it’s fertilizer and I’m being really, really nice.  He can do without all of that because He is God.  You know what Christ wants?  He wants the worst you have . . . He wants your sins.   He didn’t come down from the Cross and say, “I want your time, talent, and treasure.”  But He cannot forgive our sins unless we say, “God, I’m sorry.  This is what I have done.”  He will ask you to tell a priest who, according to the Gospels, acts in persona Christi.    God is all-powerful, but the one thing that He will not do is take your sins from you until you give them to Him.  He will not violate your free will. 

God gave the power to priests and bishops to celebrate the Mass and the Sacrifice of Christ which produces the Sacraments.  The apostles were told, “I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven” (Matthew 16:19).   But how do we know the difference?  It’s a good question.  Well, what are the three conditions for repentance?  Contrition, amendment, and the avoidance of sin.  Sin will find you.  So, if you don’t want to drink, don’t go into a bar.  There is always someone who will hand you a beer.   You cannot prevent everything but that’s the purpose of amendment.  If you are shacking up, you can’t be forgiven unless you say, “Hey, I’m moving out.”   Otherwise, you are just wanting permission.  But our Lord won’t take your sins unless you agree with Him. 

Now, the morals course I took consisted of two volumes of textbooks which we were tested on.  I also go to FU (Felon University) for refresher courses.   So, if you have committed a sin I haven’t heard during all my years of hearing confessions, I will name it after you.   You will be famous!  You’ll become an “influencer,” get on You-Tube, and make some bucks.  But you’re not that original . . . none of us are.  That’s the guilt, shame, fear, and remorse that sin does to us.  But once we get rid of all that garbage we hold so dear, God will give us His Most Precious Blood that flowed from His pierced side on the Cross and which fills the chalice at every Mass so that we may have peace in our souls.  During the Sacrament of Penance, the priest anoints our soul with His Most Precious Blood for the forgiveness of sin.  Our Lord came to reconcile us to Him so that we may have life and have it to the fullest.  He didn’t come to so that He could use our time, talent, treasure and all that propaganda doodoo.  He wants your sins. 

Take advantage of God’s love.  Give Him the worst that you’ve got . . . give Him your sins.  I cannot force you although I’d like to, but I can’t.  The greatest experience of God’s love is His mercy.  God is always offering us His great gift of love.  So, take advantage of it.  We make our lives a lot harder than they need to be, which makes the lives of those around us a lot harder than they should be.

Father’s Reflections . . .

An interesting thing happened to me yesterday.  I did a baptism and the mother and godmother asked, “Father, do you remember us?”   Um, would it hurt your feelings if I said ‘no’?   Nothing personal.  They said, “You baptized both of us.”   Oh God.  I’m getting old.  I baptized the parents and now I’m baptizing the kids.  I’ve been here a long, long time.  With therapy, you’ll get over it.  People ask, “Father, when you retire, will you move back north to be with your family?”  My family is in the cemetery, but I’ll be there soon enough.


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” then “Menu” and then “Categories.”  Sermon Notes are also available on the church Facebook page at facebook.com/ola.catholic.church.  Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”

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Sermon Notes – April 2, 2023 – The Smell of Love

The Smell of Love

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

April 1 – 2, 2023

Gospel:  Matthew 27:11-54

Remember I told you last week that sin has a smell?  Conversely, and more importantly, virtue has a smell.  My old organization and the people I hung around with were smelly.  It was nothing personal, but because of the situations we found ourselves in, that’s just how paratroopers were.  We were away from soap and water unless it rained, and we got a shower from Mother Nature.  So, paratroopers were a little more aromatic which most people found disgusting and would rather not be around.  “Oh, my goodness!”   It’s like Hospice . . . you get used to it.  You know what that smell was?  It was courage. 

Love also has a smell.  What does love smell like?  If you meditate on the Gospels and the Passion of our Lord, love smells like blood.  It also has a sound.  It’s the sound of blood dripping from the Cross.  Love has a smell, and it has a sound.  You seek divine love today.  In the consecration, the chalice is changed and holds the Precious Blood of Christ.  It’s the same Blood that dripped and sanctified the Way of the Cross.  It’s the same Blood that sanctified the Blessed Mother who was the first to be washed in His Blood at the foot of the Cross.   And it’s the same Blood that fills the chalice.  Christ, Himself, takes the chalice into the Confessional and anoints the soul and gives us absolution.  We are washed in the Blood of Christ . . . the same Blood that was poured out for us at Calgary.  Blood is the virtue of Divine Love.  And it has a sight, a sound, and a smell.  

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” then “Menu” and then “Categories.”  Sermon Notes are also available on the church Facebook page at facebook.com/ola.catholic.church.  Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”

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Sermon Notes – March 12, 2023 – God’s Love is Not Graded on a Curve

God’s Love is Not Graded on a Curve

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

March 11 – 12, 2023

Gospel:   John 4:5-42

Jesus was traveling in Samaria when He encountered the Samaritan woman.  Now, Jews did not travel to Samaria just like people here do not travel to Aquadale.  Jews just didn’t go to Samaria.  It was unclean.  The Jews hated the Samaritans and called them “dogs” which was an egregious insult.   Jesus went out in the middle of the day, and in the Middle East, nobody goes out past noon.  Do you know why?  It’s a little hot.   Even on a winter day, it is warm.  Trust me.  But 1you know who does go outside past noon?  The American army.  Soldiers go out with 60 to 80 pounds of equipment strapped to them.  It’s very slimming.  The pounds just melt away.  Jesus, the Good Shepherd, went outside during the hottest part of the day to seek and save what was lost.   Why was the woman drawing water at the well during the heat of the day?   Yes, they didn’t have fresh plumbing back then. . . I understand that.  But why was she alone?  American women travel by themselves all the time, and they don’t have to travel in groups.  The woman at the well was alone because the other women wanted nothing to do with her.  She was a fallen woman and not of good moral character.  That’s why she was alone.  Jesus, being God, knew that of course.  But He came out to seek and save her soul.  He wanted to bring her home to His heart.  So, He gently tried to awaken her faith, and talked to her about the living water He would give; the water that would truly quench her thirst.  At first, she did what so many do . . . she used intellectual arguments and blamed everything on someone else.  When you get caught speeding and the officer pulls you over, what do you say?  “They were doing it too!”   And the officer says, “I’ll get them later.  I’m only concerned about what you have done.”   

Our Lord’s love is individual and not graded on a curve.  “They are worse than I am!”   But I’m talking to you!   Jesus wants our souls, and He was concerned about the fallen woman’s relationship with God.  People try to argue about hypotheticals, and they always have something to denounce.  “The Church does this and that.” “This is bad and that is bad.”  “You Jews say this.”  “You Jews say that.”   “You priests are perverts.”   Uh, no.  But thank you for the slander.  I appreciate it because I know what you are doing.  They always use something to deflect.   They try to find excuses for their own bad behavior.  Jesus told the woman the sins she had committed.  Did He get mad with her?  Did He scream at her?  No.  Jesus doesn’t get angry at us for our sins.  He wants to take them away.  When we sin, tears run down His face because we have turned our backs on His love.  Did He yell at her, “You’re going to hell?”  He never says that to anyone.  But if we are in hell, we are self-made men. 

Jesus had a breakthrough with the Samaritan woman.  She had finally had enough of sinning.   He awakened her faith while He suffered in His human nature.  Even though He was hot and thirsty, He sacrificed His human nature for the salvation of a soul.  That’s how much He loves us.  That’s what our Good Lord does.  He comes after us constantly.  He never gives up.  I’ve suggested this before, and I’ll suggest it again . . . read the poem, “Hound of Heaven.”  No matter how bad you think it is that you’ve done, our Lord wants you back.  You know the kind of people I used to work with?  This is not even close.  The fallen woman was not one of His people.  But everyone is made in God’s image and likeness.  As I said last week, innocence can be regained.  He comes to all of us, if we let Him, to help us with our struggles and to draw us closer to Him . . . no matter what we’ve done . . . even if it is just to help with bearing our ordinary daily crosses.  Although some people’s daily crosses are extraordinary, they are daily crosses. 

I will tell you a story about a man who I miss.  I never got to say goodbye to him because he died very quickly.  He was admitted to the hospital and even though he wasn’t Catholic, he wanted to talk to a priest.  So, I visited him, and we talked.  He said, “Father, I’m not Catholic but a priest saved my life.”   He told me that as a young man he was physically, sexually, and mentally abused.  And like so many men of a certain age, he got a job offer from U.S. Government and the opportunity to travel.  He was volunteered or voluntold, and he was sent to Vietnam for a year.  While there, he saw the atrocities on innocent civilians that the North Vietnamese army committed.  Because he thought it was time for some payback, he volunteered for a second tour in a Special Operations unit.  And he gave the North Vietnamese a lot of payback.  He did a lot of nasty things.  When he came home, he had PTSD and drank like a fool.  He spent a lot of time and effort in hospitals.  A priest came and helped him.  That’s why he wanted to talk to me.  So, he got out of the hospital and got off the bottle.   After many years, he was free from his crosses.  He and his wife helped abused children.  And that’s what he did for the rest of his life.  When I met him, he was in the hospital, with ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease.  On the last day I saw him alive, he was in the hallway in his new electric wheelchair equipped with head brace controls so that he could control them with his mouth.  I said, “Cool wheels!  When I come back next week, we are going to pimp this bad boy out!  We’re going to paint flames on it and maybe hang some dice.”   I never saw him again.  He finally passed which was merciful because of the ALS.  He didn’t have to ride that bus all the way to the end.  This is the transforming power of God’s grace.  I don’t think any of you could be as bad as that guy was.  Is that man in Heaven?  I’m pretty darn sure he is.  God never stops working, and He never gave up on him.  It took a long while, but our Lord picked him up and changed him.   Our Lord comes to seek and save what is lost.  Was the Samaritan woman’s case unusual?  Yes . . . and no.

Father’s Reflections. . . .

I hold Mass at the local felon university (FU) or Albemarle Corrections Institute which is always interesting.  Although they will disagree, I’m going to remind the prisoners that there are blessings even while in prison.     1) Your life expectancy has increased now that you aren’t doing what got you here.  They got you off the drugs and alcohol you were consuming.  2) You are protected from your “friends” who may have eventually  killed you or helped you die.  3) You get a well-balanced diet and a square meal, especially the fish or sewer bass.  4) You are eligible for vocational training unless you leave prison in a box.  5) You get medical and dental care.  6)  You get psychological care.  7)  While in prison, you have the time to reflect on the harm you have done and have the time to do penance.  A lot of good things can come from being a guest of the state or a state employee living in a gated community.  Just like the Good Thief from the cross, “I’m getting only what I deserve.”  So, I’ll bring this up to the prisoners the next time I’m there.  Luckily, I have a corrections officer with me.  But there really are blessings in that place.  I miss the old days when some of the prisoners worked with dogs to rehabilitate them for adoption on the outside.  The prisoners grew to love these dogs and working with them was great therapy.  But it was heartbreaking for the prisoners when they had to give up the dogs.   

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” then “Menu” and then “Categories.”  Sermon Notes are also available on the church Facebook page at facebook.com/ola.catholic.church.  Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”

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Sermon Notes – March 5, 2023 – Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places?

Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places?

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

March 4 – 5, 2023

Gospel: Matthew 17:1-9

The last part of the Gospel says that the devil went away. In another part of the Gospel, it says that the devil will wait for another occasion. And that’s true. When we resist his temptations, he goes away and waits for another opportunity. The devil did it to our Lord, and he will do it to us. However, with the Lord, we can be victorious over our sins. But the devil is cunning, powerful, and patient. He will wait for another opportunity, and it will come. The prime opportunity for the devil’s temptations is when we are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired. During those times, we tend to make poor decisions. Our will is already weakened by original and repeated sin. So, he just waits for us. He also waits for pride. “Hey, I’m not like those little people. I’m very, very good. I don’t do that anymore.” Really?

We have to be careful during those times when we are most vulnerable. When we are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired, our will and our body are weakened. You can set that to a country music song by Johnny Lee: “Looking for Love in all the Wrong Places” which includes people, places, and things. “Oh, Father, computers and phones are great!” Yeah. They are a source of temptation for me. You should hear the words I say in my office about my computer. I have a backup phone which I also had words with this morning. I have no idea how to use it. Basically, I have a phone anchor.

Do you know where the biggest potential for sin is located? It sits on our shoulders. You can avoid certain things, but everything is inside our brains. We tend to forget what we’ve been taught in school but can remember every bad joke we’ve heard and every bad picture we’ve seen. It’s all in our brains. What goes in stays forever like all those electronic messages we send. They exist forever. You may wipe them off your phone, but they are out there.

We have to remember how weak we are. The devil plays on our pride just as he played on the pride of Adam and Eve. We feel very good about ourselves when we can drive all day without using any Italian hand gestures to people or commenting on someone’s ancestry who is driving erratically on the highway. “I didn’t flip that idiot off even though he needed it.” “I’ve done really good. I’ve avoided this and I’ve avoided that.” When I was a young soldier, I saw a World War II Army training film. The film was about broken shoelaces. It’s not the big things that will get you killed. . . it’s the small things. We do okay with major calamities but it’s the small things that trip us up. It’s our broken weakness. “Oh, I’m too old to commit that sin.” There are other sins. Trust me. There are a lot of sins out there, and you’d be surprised about the sins and depravity of old people. As Saint Peter recorded in his epistle on admonition, “Keep sober and alert, because your enemy the devil is on the prowl like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” (Peter 5:8).

Our will and intellect have been weakened by original sin and sins committed since our baptism. However, the innocence we have lost can be regained, and that’s what we try to do every day and especially during this Lenten season. We can regain our innocence by fasting, abstinence, almsgiving, and prayer. What does almsgiving do? It covers a multitude of sins. Saint James said, “anyone who can bring back a sinner from his erring ways will be saving his soul from death and covering over many a sin” (James 5:20). Those are the things we are called to do. That’s how we grow in virtue and regain what we have lost through sin. Will our intellect be perfect again? No, not until Heaven. But we have to be vigilant about temptation because the devil is always out there and waiting. While you are pious by being here in church, he’s outside doing pushups and chin-ups. He’s waiting for us. Right now, he may be wondering when Father is going to shut up. And I agree with that. Sometimes I go on longer than usual.

Always be vigilant. And do not ever, ever think, “Oh my God! We are so unpowerful.” when we have the greatest Power in the world ready to help us. Remember, in the face of temptation, the first thing we should do is run away from it. Don’t walk into a mine field if you don’t have to. The second thing to do is retrace your steps and get the heck out of there. And the final and most important step is to pray.

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” then “Menu” and then “Categories.” Sermon Notes are also available on the church Facebook page at facebook.com/ola.catholic.church. Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”

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The Catechism in a Year – Day 30 – God Is Who Is

God is truth, God is love, and God is being itself. Today’s Catechism readings begin to unpack the eternal nature of God and share with us God’s “innermost secret.” Fr. Mike teaches us that because God made us in his image and likeness, then we too are called to embody truth and love. Today’s readings are Catechism paragraphs 212-221.

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