“My Heart overflows with great mercy for souls, and especially for poor sinners. If only they could understand that I am the best of Fathers to them and that it is for them that the Blood and Water flowed from My Heart as from a fount overflowing with mercy. For them I dwell in the tabernacle as King of Mercy. I desire to bestow My graces upon souls, but they do not want to accept them. You, at least, come to Me as often as possible and take these graces they do not want to accept. In this way you will console My Heart. Oh, how indifferent are souls to so much goodness, to so many proofs of love! My Heart drinks only of the ingratitude and forgetfulness of souls living in the world. They have time for everything, but they have no time to come to Me for graces.”— St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, p. 367
“Oh, what awesome mysteries take place during Mass! One day we will know what God is doing for us in each Mass, and what sort of gift He is preparing in it for us. Only His divine love could permit that such a gift be provided for us. O Jesus, my Jesus, with what great pain is my soul pierced when I see this fountain of life gushing forth with such sweetness and power for each soul, while at the same time I see souls withering away and drying up through their own fault. O Jesus, grant that the power of mercy embrace these souls.” — St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, 914
On Friday, the Church celebrated the Feast of the Transfiguration. Ten days before His Passion, our good Lord took three of the twelve apostles – Peter, James, and John – up to the mountain to give them the final revelation of who He was …the final miracle before His Passion. He did this to strengthen them for the trial that was to come. On the mountain, Jesus lowered the veil of His humanity to show them His divinity. Remember, Jesus was one Who and two What’s . . . one person and two natures. The human nature that He took from the Blessed Mother was assumed into His divine nature. On the altar, when I put one drop of water into the chalice with the wine, it symbolizes two natures in one person. The wine is consecrated and turned into the Most Precious Blood on the altar. We have a foretaste of what Heaven will be like.
Now, the apostles saw Moses and Elijah, but how did they know it was them? There were no pictures. There were no selfies back in the days of the Old Testament. There were no statues. So, how did they know? Their minds were enlightened in the presence of God. Moses and Elijah talked to our Lord like one man to another just as we will when we are in Heaven. They talked about what would happen in future events. How? Because Heaven is the eternal now. God said, “I who I am.” He is the eternal now . . . no past and no future . . . the eternal present. It’s a foretaste of His gift. Our Lord gave the apostles this great gift to strengthen them for the terrible scandal of the cross. And, what happened? Even though they had seen three years of miracles and the revelation of who Jesus was, they all took off. They had not comprehended the lessons. Afterward, they realized that this is what He is. They had a spiritual V-8 moment.
Our good Lord, as He did for the apostles, He does for us. Before our great trials, we have a sense of God’s presence when He manifests Himself to us. He also does that every now and then to remind us of His love. Oftentimes, like the apostles, we miss it. We are too busy, too wound up, and too distracted, so we miss it. I read a book about 40 years ago by Father Adrian Van Kaam. In the book, he said, “God speaks to us with ordinary signs like the wind and the stars, and we often miss it. We are looking for something else.” With these terribly ordinary signs that we miss, God is telling us that He loves us and is with us.
During this big crisis we have right now, it may be comforting to think that in ages past it was much better. Ahh…No. You know why we think the past was better? Because we didn’t live in it. That’s why we think it was much better back then. But it wasn’t You weren’t there. Name for me any time period since the beginning of the world that was much better. You can’t, because there isn’t one. Everybody has their crosses in this world. We are much better off today except for our being so self-absorbed especially during this time. Now that the Corona virus has mutated into the Delta variant and the Lambda variant, people are panicking. “Oh my God! We are all going to die!” Well, I hate to bust your spiritual bubble, but we are all going to die. “Oh! This is terrible!” The Corona virus has a 99% survival rate. Okay? It’s much better than anything else we could possibly get. When I work in the hospital, doctors often tell patients, “We can’t fix you.” And, they panic. You know, when you panic, you make wrong decisions. Fear paralyzes you. “But, the virus is out there!” So, what are you going to do about it? You will take the ordinary precautions and move on with life. Do not be trapped by fear. That’s a tool of the devil. When you listen to his suggestions, it causes you to make bad judgements. God is always present and giving you signs of His love. That’s why I never stop the Mass when something happens. . .they are signs that God is with us. Would I like to be sick? No, I’d rather not. I’m not a very good sick person. I’m not a very good person, in general, but I’m really not a very good sick person. Besides my personality disorder of being a pain, you know why? Because I’m a soldier. I can soldier my way out of this. Ask Stump or Doc or anyone else who has served in the military. When I had to undergo anesthesia for a couple of procedures, I thought, “I’m good. I can drive.” I couldn’t walk, but I thought I could drive. I’ll be fine! Like a soldier, I do my job…a sign that God is with me.
If you stare at something with intent, you will miss the obvious, because you are looking at something else. Keep in mind that every now and then, you will see something extraordinary. Remember that our Lord is constantly with us. He is always present and desperately trying to get our attention. Whether it’s through a sign by our Guardian Angel or the Blessed Mother, our Lord shows us that He is present and never far away and may even be right next to you. God talks to us through people, places, and things. I’m great at loving myself. Sometimes, I wonder if God loves me as much as I love me. I’m pretty sure He loves me more. My vocation tells me that He does. We can show human kindness to others through Corporal Works of Mercy. We can act as Christ would have us act. Perhaps, we can be nice while driving and let someone in. Maybe, we can let someone go ahead of us in the checkout line at Wally-World or Harris Teeter . . . just ordinary, everyday things. Showing extra courtesy is so extraordinary these days.. We can show courtesy not by just doing things, but by not doing things. If someone cuts you off in traffic or is going ten miles below the speed limit or doing what I call “the slinky” . . . their speed goes from 40 to 58 to 25 to 52. Yo, dude, you’ve got cruise control on that car. Use it! If it’s an older driver, you don’t know what’s going on with them. They may be crackers, so you need to practice patience. Say the Rosary. Also, if they are really old people – if you can’t see them over the back seat – they are probably on their way to Florida. They are like a Q-Tip driving a car. All you can see is this puff of white hair over the seat. But they may have just buried their husband. They may have just buried their wife. Wouldn’t we love for someone to show us extra courtesy? We have our troubles too. So, if we are willing, God can use our human nature, like He used the one He took from Mary, to show His love to the world and make it visible.
How will you apply this message to your life? Will you show human kindness to others through the Corporal 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.
Just as the Bible takes us through many stages of consciousness and salvation history, it takes us individually a long time to move beyond our need to be dualistic, judgmental, accusatory, fearful, blaming, egocentric, and earning-oriented. Isn’t it a consolation to know that life is not a straight line? Many of us wish it were—and have been told that it should be, but I haven’t encountered a life yet that’s a straight line to God, including Mother Teresa’s! It’s always getting the point and missing the point. It’s God entering our lives and then us fighting it, avoiding it, running from it. There is the moment of divine communion or intimacy, and then the pullback that says, “That’s too good to be true. I must be making it up.” Fortunately, God works with all of it, and that mercy, or steadfast love.
The genius of the biblical revelation is that it doesn’t just give us the conclusions; it gives us both the process of getting there and the inner and outer authority to trust that process. Life itself—and Scripture too—is always three steps forward and two steps backward. It gets the point and then loses it or doubts it. In that, the biblical text mirrors our own human consciousness and journey. Our job is to see where the three-steps-forward texts are heading (invariably toward mercy, forgiveness, inclusion, nonviolence, and trust), which gives us the ability to clearly recognize and understand the two-steps-backward texts (which are usually about vengeance, divine pettiness, law over grace, form over substance, and technique over relationship). This is what we cannot discern if we have no inner experience of how God works in our own lives!
“Oh, how painful it is to Me that souls so seldom unite themselves to Me in Holy Communion. I wait for souls, and they are indifferent toward Me. I love them tenderly and sincerely, and they distrust Me. I want to lavish My graces on them, and they do not want to accept them. They treat Me as a dead object, whereas My Heart is full of love and mercy. In order that you may know at least some of My pain, imagine the most tender of mothers who has great love for her children, while those children spurn her love. Consider her pain. No one is in a position to console her. This is but a pale image and likeness of My love.”— Diary of St. Faustina Kowalska, 1447
“I saw my Guardian Angel, who ordered me to follow him. In a moment I was in a misty place full of fire in which there was a great crowd of suffering souls. They were praying fervently, but without effect for themselves; only we can come to their aid. The flames which were burning them do not touch me at all. My Guardian Angel did not leave me for an instant. I asked these souls what their greatest suffering was. They answered me in one voice that their greatest torment was longing for God . . . [I heard an interior voice] which said, My mercy does not want this, but justice demands it.“— St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, p. 35
Learn more about Fr. Mike Schmitz and Fr. Josh Johnson’s Pocket Guide to the Sacrament of Reconciliation: https://tinyurl.com/yhwfakge
Confession is a place of never ending mercy and forgiveness, and is one of the most beautiful parts of our Catholic faith. But for many, it can also be a very daunting experience, especially if it’s been a long time since your last confession. Whether it’s the first time you’ve gone in a year, or it’s the first time you’ve gone in your life, God is ready and willing to forgive your sins. All we have to do is let him into our hearts.
Today, Fr. Mike explains how to approach going to confession for the first time in a long time.
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.
