Tag: Mother

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Sermon Notes – November 13, 2022 – “You Visit My Mother, I Remember Your Name”

“You Visit My Mother, I Remember Your Name”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

 November 12 – 13, 2022

Gospel:  Luke 21:5-19

5 When some were talking about the Temple, remarking how it was adorned with fine stonework and votive offerings, He said, 6 ‘All these things you are staring at now — the time will come when not a single stone will be left on another; everything will be destroyed.’  7 And they put to Him this question, ‘Master,’ they said, ‘when will this happen, then, and what sign will there be that it is about to take place?’  8 But He said, ‘Take care not to be deceived, because many will come using My name and saying, “I am the one” and “The time is near at hand.” Refuse to join them.  9 And when you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be terrified, for this is something that must happen first, but the end will not come at once.’  10 Then He said to them, ‘Nation will fight against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  11 There will be great earthquakes and plagues and famines in various places; there will be terrifying events and great signs from Heaven.  12 ‘But before all this happens, you will be seized and persecuted; you will be handed over to the synagogues and to imprisonment, and brought before kings and governors for the sake of My name 13 -and that will be your opportunity to bear witness.  14 Make up your minds not to prepare your defense, 15 because I myself shall give you an eloquence and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to resist or contradict.  16 You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relations and friends; and some of you will be put to death.  17 You will be hated universally on account of My name, 18 but not a hair of your head will be lost.  19 Your perseverance will win you your lives.

I had a baptism on Saturday, and it was interesting because for the Spanish, the Godmother holds the baby.  And this baby was not happy with the godmother.  The baby was crying and pitching a fit and finally the mother had had enough and took the baby.  It was like a light switch and the crying stopped.  Everyone needs their mother. 

When you study scripture, you realize that it does not include a lot of information.  Scripture only includes that which is essential.  It is very concise in the essential information it provides.  It leaves out a lot of great and interesting information that inquiring minds want to know.  But information that is not essential for salvation is left out.   For instance, the last time we hear anything about Saint Joseph is when they found Jesus in the Temple when they were taking Him back to Nazareth.   After that, Saint Joseph disappears from scripture, because he is not essential for the rest of the salvation story.  We didn’t hear about who cleaned up after the Last Supper.  Just like men….make a mess and leave.  When Jesus fed the 5,000, who took the leftover fish?  That is not important in the history of salvation, so it is left out of scripture. What is important are the words of Christ.  They are there for our edification, our example, and our teaching. 

We all have mothers, some of them better than others depending on your perspective.  God, in His loving wisdom, gave us our spiritual mother at the foot of the Cross.  “Son, behold your mother.  Mother, behold your son.”  He gave her to us all.  The importance of the Blessed Mother is reflected in scripture.  “Well, that’s not very ecumenical.”   If you don’t know about the Blessed Mother, you don’t know scripture.   If you have no love for the Blessed Mother, you don’t know scripture.   Where did Saint Luke get the Gospel of Luke?  He wasn’t there when the angel Gabriel showed up now was he?  No.  He had to hear it from Mary.  Those were her words.  In scripture, she is the only human being an archangel called “full of grace.”  Later on in the Gospel of Luke, in her Magnificat, Mary proclaims that “all generations shall call me blessed.”   That’s not a suggestion.  For all those who have been in the military, that is a tasking.   Call her blessed.  In scripture, who interceded for the first miracle?  

Now, people ask me for my prayers, and I do pray for them before and during Mass.  I appreciate your having trust and faith in me as a priest to do that.  But I am a very simple man.  I’m an idiot – just ask the staff.  But who better to intercede for you than the Mother of God?   When I was a young priest, I met this older Italian gentleman up north who said, “Hey, Father you visit my mother, I remember your name.”   Okay.  When you visit a museum and look at a beautiful sunset in a work of art do you think, “Oh, God will get upset because I’m enjoying the beauty of His handiwork.  I am taking away from the glory of God.”  That’s not true.  You are praising God Himself because He is made manifest in His works.  The Blessed Mother was one of His works.  We cannot create our own mother, but God did.   Mothers always watch over you.   When I came back from the Gulf War and was on my way to Korea, I took leave at home.   One day, my mother asked me if I was going out, and I said that I was going to visit some friends from college.  My mother said, “Okay.  Wear your jacket.”    Mom, I’m over 40 and I’m a combat veteran!  But I said, “Yes, Mom.”  Mothers always watch over us, but how much more so than our spiritual mother?  She always wants the best for us.  And what is the best for us?  To be with her Son.  Her last words in scripture are wonderful spiritual direction.  “Do whatever He tells you.”  You can’t get more concise than that now can you.  That is not an implied tasking.  That is an order.   Many of you have probably prayed the great prayer by Saint Bernard:  “Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother. To thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy, hear and answer me. Amen.”   Even though many of us have prayed that prayer, most of us probably didn’t get the answer we wanted.  I’m not a monsignor.  What are we seeking in that prayer?  We want consolation.  Somehow, mom can make everything alright.  I was called out to a house one night to give Last Rites to this woman.  I gave her the Sacrament, and she said, “Father, I have my Rosary right here.”   I said, “That’s great.  Pray it as much as you can.”  Because when the time comes for you to leave this world, Our Lady will come and take you by the hand and lead you to her Son.

How will you apply this message to your life? ______________________________________

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Sermon Notes – August 15 – You Visit My Mother . . . I Remember Your Name

“You Visit My Mother. . . I Remember Your Name”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

 August 14 – 15, 2021

Gospel:  Luke 11:27-28

Where I’m from up north, I lived in a diverse community with very strong ethnic ties and associations.   There was this gentleman who approached a priest and said, “Hey Father, you visit my mother – I remember your name.”  Okay…I’d love to.  What son, as hated as this gentleman allegedly was, doesn’t want to honor his mother.  There’s no shame in honoring one’s mother.  That’s true for us even with all our sins.  What about our good Lord?  He was the only child in history who actually created His mother.  Throughout the centuries, for thousands of years, the Church has always called for devotion to the Blessed Mother – not for worship or adoration – that belongs only to God Himself – but for devotion.  It’s not just a pious tradition for old women sitting in their living-rooms knitting, it’s for the whole Church.  Over the past 50 years or so, Devotion to the Blessed Mother has really fallen to the wayside which is sad, because people really don’t know their faith or scripture.  Non-Catholics say, “I study scripture and I pray scripturally.”  Well, if you studied scripture and prayed scripturally, you would be Catholic.  When you honor the Blessed Mother, you are praying scripturally. 

You’ve heard the proclamation of the Holy Gospel of Saint Luke.  Where did Luke get his gospel?  He wasn’t one of the apostles.  At the Annunciation, Mary was alone when the angel came to her.  Luke wasn’t there.  He wasn’t at Elizabeth’s house when Mary visited her.  So, where did he get all of this information?  Did Luke channel his inner Miss Cleo the psychic?  The first part of the Gospel of Luke is known as the Gospel of Mary, because she told him everything that’s in it.  So, Mary’s words are scriptural.  All of those people who have gotten biblical, theological, or philosophy degrees and who are not Catholic, should sue their professors for theological and intellectual malpractice.  You wasted your money.  Because if you made it this far in the scriptures, then you must be Catholic, and you must honor the Blessed Mother. 

What did Mary say further into the Magnificat?  “All generations will call me blessed.”  So, it’s a scriptural command to honor the mother of Jesus.  It has been 70 years since the so-called Second Vatican Council and some decided that devotion to the Blessed Mother was not scriptural.  Really?  Devotion is decreasing and along with it purity and belief in the Real Presence.  In order to understand Jesus, you have to understand Mary.  In theological studies, Mariology (the study of Mary) is a subset of Christology (the study of Christ).   It was from the Blessed Mother that He took His human nature.  If you look throughout scripture, I’m not going to give you a whole class on Mariology today – it’s a semester-long study – but just look at the highlights.  Protestants say they don’t have to rely on the saints.  Really?  Where is that in scripture?  Who interceded for us before the first miracle recorded in scripture?  The Blessed Mother at the wedding in Cana.   During the Passion, our Lord looked at His mother and said, “Woman, behold your son.”   He then looked at John and said, “Behold your mother.”  Protestants also say, “In order to be saved, you must be washed in the blood.”   Who was standing beneath the cross getting spattered with His blood?  The Blessed Mother.  The blood did not stop. . .the Romans were very good at what they did. When they took her Son down from the cross, He was placed in her lap.  She was covered in His blood.  Was she not bathed in the blood?  Walk in the blood?  After the Resurrection, Mary was in the Upper Room with the apostles when the Holy Spirit came.  This was the second time that the Holy Spirit came to her.  Remember the Annunciation?  The angel said, “Hail full of grace.”  Nobody else in scripture has been called that.  The power of the Holy Spirit came and overshadowed her.  “Oh, you have to be born again in the Holy Spirit.”  Well, Mary did it twice. 

This is why we have devotion to the Blessed Mother.  Just like our own mothers who have died, and hopefully in Heaven, intercede for us to the Holy Father.  How much more so can the mother of Christ intercede for us.  The original woman, the old Eve, took us all out of paradise to the new Eve who leads us to paradise.  Our Blessed Mother is the new Eve. 

Not too long ago, I received a call to go visit woman who was in her last days.  So, I went into the house and gave her the Last Rites.  She said, “Father, I have a Rosary.”  Oh, that’s great!  It was beautiful set of beads.  I said to her, “Hold them in your hands, and as often as you can say the Rosary so that when the time comes when you are to leave this world, our Blessed Mother will come take you by the hand and lead you to her Son.” 

How will you apply this message to your life?  Remain devoted to the Blessed Mother and ask for her intercession with her Son.

 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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Morning Offering – Everyone is in Such a Terrible Rush

“Everybody today seems to be in such a terrible rush, anxious for greater developments and greater riches and so on, so that children have very little time for their parents. Parents have very little time for each other, and in the home begins the disruption of peace in the world.”— St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta

//Catholic Company//

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Meditation of the Day – Pledge Your Heart to the Mother of Sorrows

“The Blessed Virgin endured a long and cruel martyrdom in her heart for our sakes, and for love of us. Frequently, and with feelings of tender love, contemplate her standing at the foot of the Cross, and join her in bewailing and weeping over sin, which, by causing the death of Jesus, rent in twain the heart of Mary. Pledge your heart to this Mother of sorrows, by some habitual act of devotion and mortification, in remembrance and in honor of her bitter sufferings. Also, endure something for love of her, imitating her patience, resignation, and silence.”— Fr. Ignatius of the Side of Jesus, p. 259

//The Catholic Company//

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Sermon Notes – Honor Your Mother

“Honor Your Mother”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

December 31 – January 1, 2020

I should preach a little tonight, but preaching just a little on the Feast of Our Blessed Mother is tough. I have to keep a watch on the time, because how can someone not speak for a long time praising your mother. How can anybody not do that. She is the source of your life. My earthly mother who should have killed me long before I reached this stage with pastry….sucking down another one is a distant memory, and it makes me tear up. She is the source of my vocation. Bishop Sheen said that the lack of devotion to the Blessed Mother was seen in a lack of vocations. The lack of devotion to the Blessed Mother also results in impurity, bad marriages, and fewer priests. The whole thing is falling apart.

There is also a lack of respect for the Eucharist. People say, “we are focused on the Eucharist, Father.” Really? Then how come in many churches, you need a road map and a native guide with GPS to find it? “Oh, we have a special place for it.” Where? A broom closet? “It’s over here in the old chapel of veneration.” The bathroom is bigger than the chapel…are you kidding me? It’s contrary to scripture. Devotion to the Blessed Mother is scriptural too. Read about St. Louis de Montfort. Who was the one who got the first intercession? Who is the mother of the Lord?

She was at the foot of the cross. She held the body of her son who was bleeding like a sieve…the Romans knew their business. She was covered with the blood of Christ; the first one, so how can you not love the Blessed Mother. She always pointed to her son, saying “do whatever He tells you.” Those are the last words spoken by our spiritual mother in this world. In the words of Saint Bernard, “never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Is there a better intercession than Our Lady?

Perhaps, before you go to bed tonight, think about all the wonderful gifts she has given you in answer to your prayers, both spoken and unspoken, and those you never requested, but were given just because she loves you.

How will you apply this message to your life? Will you become more devoted to the Blessed Mother?