Tag: Memorial Day

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Sermon Notes – May 26, 2024 – “All Gave Some, Some Gave All”

“All Gave Some, Some Gave All”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

May 25 – 26, 2024

Gospel: Matthew 28:16-20

16 Meanwhile the eleven disciples set out for Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had arranged to meet them. 17 When they saw Him they fell down before Him, though some hesitated. 18 Jesus came up and spoke to them. He said, ‘All authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19 Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations; baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And look, I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.’

Technically, the Easter season ends today.  Now, the Trinity is a hard topic to talk about, so I wanted to do some research.  I have the perfect book on the subject, but I couldn’t find it.  I searched for five or six days, and I just couldn’t find it.  The book I was searching for is “The Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma” by Father Ludwig Ott.  In that book, there is a chapter on the Trinity.   So, I thought that maybe Lori took it to brush up on some things, but I forgot to ask her to bring it back to the church.  It dawned on me too late that I could have borrowed Liz’s copy of the book.  So, I’ll preach on it next year. 

I do have some thoughts about Memorial Day weekend.  During this weekend of sales, I am sure you can get some great deals on mattresses and cars.  There might even be a good deal at My Pillow; I don’t know . . . You’ll have to check their website.   But this weekend, we commemorate those who have fallen in service to our country.  We pray for their souls and the families they left behind.  Have you ever seen the movie, “Taking Chance”?  It’s about a Marine who was killed in action (KIA) overseas and the process of bringing him home for burial.   My friends said, “Oh, you should see it!  We cried!”  I said, “That’s my 9-to-5 job. That was part of my day job when I worked for Uncle Sam.”  Oh.  

Usually, when a priest dies, his coffin is carried to the grave by his brother priests.  While I was still serving, I hung around some very bad places; it was the nature of the business I was in.  I had an agreement with my commanders that if I got whacked while serving in their unit, I would be carried to my grave by my fellow soldiers.  I would have, and have, done it for them, and they would do it for me.  I still wish it to be that way, but I retired, so that won’t happen.

We all know someone who was killed.  I knew a very special soldier who was one of Darby’s Rangers.  President Reagan called them the “Boys of Pointe du Hoc.”  On June 6, 1944, these elite soldiers scaled the cliffs at Normandy to silence the guns during an invasion in World War II.  These soldiers were the toughest of the tough.  This one man who served in that unit was not the man I knew but another.  He was the radioman or the RTO.  Now, of all the jobs in the Army, that’s the one you don’t want because you’re the one who gets killed first.  The enemy knows that the radio guy is the one who calls in the bad stuff on them, and that’s the first one they go for.  Nancy’s brother was a radioman in Vietnam, and he was killed.  Bill Peak was a radioman, but he was lucky.  But that man climbed the cliffs at Normandy.  His unit went all the way to Germany and opened the gates of Buchenwald.  He survived the war.  Nonetheless, 20 years later, on June 6, 1964, that soldier took out his service weapon and committed suicide.  Sometimes, it takes soldiers a long time to die of their wounds.  General Pershing said, “The tombstones silently speak more than words could ever say. 

Father’s Reflections . . . I have seen two of my doctors this week and got good reports from both.  One of the doctors I’ve been seeing for a couple of decades asked me, “When are you going to retire?”  I said, “I think my retirement letter will probably be my obituary.”   

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.”  On a cell phone: click on “Blog” and then “Menu.”  Scroll to the bottom and click on “Categories.”  Sermon Notes are also available on the Church’s Facebook page at OLA.Catholic.Church.  Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”

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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.”