//Bob Holmes – Contemplative Monk//
Practice the Pause
Sermon Notes – September 17, 2023 – “We Cannot Give What We Do Not Have”
“We Cannot Give What We Do Not Have”
Father Peter Fitzgibbons
September 16 – 17, 2023
Gospel: Matthew 18:21-35
This sermon has been felon-approved by the folks at FU (Felon University; i.e., the prison). Remember, I have often told you that to study scripture you have to study it in the language and culture in which events occurred. Otherwise, you won’t understand the extreme significance of our Lord’s words. For example, consider the question, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Now, if you have a family like mine, before their number was reduced considerably, sometimes they can really tick you off. When my brother would make me mad, I’d wonder if it was the sixth or seventh time and if I should forgive him. But our Lord said, ‘”I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.” Catholic school math tells me that is 490 times that I must forgive. I could reach that number at a family reunion!
In Aramaic, seven is a perfect number – it is zero, a perfect circle, and so it is infinite. Our Lord said, “seventy times seven” or beyond infinity. Why did He use that language? Because while most modern languages today have comparative and superlative tenses, Aramaic and Hebrew did not at the time. Remember when spies were sent to the Promised Land? When they came back, they said that the people there were as numerous as grasshoppers and as tall as giants. No, they weren’t. There were just so many people that the spies couldn’t count them all, and the people were huge. When Jesus fed the 5,000, not counting women and children, do you think the apostles were doing a head count? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. . . No. It’s like when the diocese asks how many people were at church. Well, the church was full, so there were 300. The numbers are hyperbole. . . a number beyond counting.
Our Lord used that hyperbolic phrase, “seventy times seventy” because that is how great God’s mercy is. God’s nature is mercy and love. So to deny everlasting mercy would be to deny Himself. No matter how badly you think you’ve sinned, He absolutely forgives and forgets. The only thing God cannot forgive is our not asking for forgiveness because He will not violate our free will. We can keep things to ourselves although He already knows. So, don’t think you are keeping anything from Him. It is our choice to love Him or not. Receiving His mercy is one of the greatest experiences of God’s love. And that experience of God’s love enables us, as Saint John Paul II said, to go from the Sacrament of Penance which is the Sacrament of His mercy and love to the Sacrament of Holy Communion and Mass. We can have a deeper appreciation, bond, and love for the Sacrament of Penance which leads to other Sacraments. When someone says, “Father, I don’t need to go to confession,” I tell them that they also don’t need Holy Communion. “What do you mean, Father?” Did I stutter? (My new favorite phrase.) Then I ask a series of questions. Who do you see in Holy Communion? “Jesus Christ.” Very good. Who is Jesus Christ? “The Savior.” What does He save you from? “Sin.” And if you have no sins, you don’t need Mass and you don’t need to receive Holy Communion. We all need a Savior.
We cannot give what we do not have. Likewise, we cannot forgive others if we have not experienced forgiveness. Because of our diminished intellect and fallen nature, we tend to judge our spiritual nature by our feelings. When we are called to forgive others, we might say, “I don’t feel like forgiving that person.” However, Jesus used a declarative sentence when He said, “Forgive.” Nowhere in the Gospels did He ever ask, “How do you feel about that?” Our Lord doesn’t care how you feel. Forgiveness is an act of the will. Our feelings are diminished and don’t always lead us in the right direction. The right thing to do goes beyond our feelings and inclinations. When I eat fish – Eugh! – I do not feel like eating fish! I hate fish!! Damn doctors! But I have to eat it. Did the doctor ask if I like fish? No! Did he tell me to eat it? Yes. Quack! For many years, I thought bacon was a health food. God really has a way of laughing at us. But eating fish is the right thing to do, so I reluctantly choke it down.
Our Lord gave us a way to deal with all those feelings and resentments we have for others. He said, “Pray for them.” Pray for those who hate and persecute you. One, they may be wrong; and two, they may be right, and we really are jerks. Who knows. But we pray for them, and we pray for ourselves so that we can get our distorted feelings and emotions back in check. People say, “Father, you must hear lots of juicy things during confessions.” Not really. After the first week of hearing confessions, it’s like being stoned to death with popcorn. If you have a sin I’ve never heard, I’ll name it after you. Some people come to confession very upset, and I ask them what they have done. “Well, I did this.” Sometimes the hardest thing about hearing confessions is not laughing. Really? You are definitely pole-vaulting over mouse droppings here. But what I hear while being stoned to death with popcorn is their great love. I hear what people say and what they don’t say. They realize they have sinned and have cut themselves off from God’s love. They love God and want to come back and open their souls up to receive God’s love. That’s what I hear, and I really do listen. You aren’t going to sneak one in on me. “Father, I talk cruelly to my dog and my cat. I did some speeding. I killed two people and umm…” Whoa! That’s called an Oreo confession. But besides that, I hear the love for God. And that’s what priests are listening for.
Father’s Reflections . . .
On Friday, I was doing my ACLS or CPR recertification, and I was working on a very expensive and sophisticated mannequin that would tell me if I needed to go deeper, faster, slower, or move my hands. And all of a sudden, the mannequin went “de-de-de Woo-Bunk” and completely shut down. So, I did the only thing I could . . . I pulled the sheet up over the mannequin, turned out the light, and closed the door as I left. I’m a hospital chaplain; I’ve done this before.
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’s Facebook page at ola.catholic.church. Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”
Ascension Presents: How to Pray
Inspired by the real example of the saints, we will learn how to pray with the same consistency, trust, peace, and passion that led to deep transformation in their souls. The program will help you begin your journey of prayer, rejuvenate your prayer life, and strengthen your relationship with God.
Filmed on location in Italy with Dr. Edward Sri, this series mines the riches of Catholic spirituality and the Catholic tradition of prayer. Drawing from Scripture and the example of the saints, When You Pray will help you cultivate a fruitful life of prayer that leads to an ever-deeper encounter with God, so that you can give Him your entire heart.
How to Pray with Scripture
Lent is a time for us to grow closer to the Lord.
Prayer is a key piece of this, and praying with Scripture is a wonderful way to enter into conversation with the Lord.
In today’s video, Fr. Mark Toups—author of The Ascension Lenten Companion and the Rejoice! Advent series—teaches us how to pray with the Word of God.
Come and learn.
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”
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”
Struggling to Hear God?
If you’re struggling to hear God’s voice, take heart in Fr. Mark-Mary’s words of hope here. Complementing the advice given by Jackie and Bobby Angel in their new book, Fr. Mark-Mary encourages you to trust in God’s guidance. He recounts the time when he was working as a missionary in Honduras providing for the poorest families there. The decisions he had to make to ensure the most needy families received food from his mission weighed on him tremendously. Only by praying, deciding, and trusting in God’s providence was he able to proceed and provide the help the families needed. Especially in discerning his vocation as a Franciscan Friar of the Renewal, Fr. Mark-Mary put God’s will before all else. It seems to have paid off quite well, and that’s why he wants to embolden you to do the same.
Don’t Just Go to Mass . . . Pray the Mass!
For practicing Catholics who attend Mass every Sunday, it can be easy to get caught up in the routine instead of consciously entering into the sacrament. When this happens, although we remain physically present, we start to become emotionally distant from what’s actually taking place on the altar, while missing some of the main aspects of our faith. Today, Fr. Mark-Mary shares some ways we can dive deeper into the Mass through prayer. You can read the institution narratives that Fr. Mark-Mary mentions in the following passages: Matthew 26:20-29 Mark 14:17-25 Luke 22:14-20 1 Corinthians 11:23-25
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.
Sermon Notes – When You Wrestle With Pigs in The Mud, You’re Gonna Get Dirty
“When You Wrestle With Pigs in the Mud, You’re Gonna Get Dirty“
Father Peter Fitzgibbons
March 20-21, 2021
Gospel: John 11: 1-45
I’ve hear a lot these days that we live in a “cancel culture.” Do you know what that is? It’s when people say mean things about you and try to erase your very existence. However, I disagree that we are living in a cancel culture. I was in a cancel culture. I was in the U.S. Army for 24 years and served in three wars. They tried to put an expiration date on my birth certificate, and they were pretty darn good at it too. That’s cancel culture. We are not living in a cancel culture. What we have here is an evil culture. People are trying to do evil under the appearance of good. They are claiming what was evil is now good. These sins are included in the four sins in scripture that cry out to Heaven for vengeance. Members of the cancel culture scream at you just as they screamed at our Lord and crucified Him. There’s nothing new under the sun as scripture says. And there’s not. The good news for us is that we don’t have to be that way. But, if you wrestle with pigs in the mud, the pigs doesn’t mind, but you’re going to get dirty.
Let me ask you a question. Do you know what the secret to happiness is? Want me to tell you? Our Lord has told us to be holy. He said, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you.” This is a peace that the world cannot take away. So, if we seek and strive for holiness and to be one with our good Lord each day, we will have a happiness that no one can take away. That doesn’t mean you won’t have your share of sorrows and troubles. We all have our illnesses, and we all have our struggles. Our loved ones have been taken from this world to Heaven. That happens to us all. It doesn’t mean Christ stopped loving us. It means we are sharing in some of His Passion for the sake of the Body of His church, for our own redemption, and for the souls of others. We know deep down that as long as we do not turn away from our Lord through mortal sin or unrepented venial sin, He will always be there. Even though we cannot feel it, He is always present with us. Our peace and joy will come later after our trial on Earth is done. Our suffering is redemptive.
Saint John Paul II was suffering from end-stage Parkinson’s. He loved classical music, so they brought in a world famous orchestra and conductor to play for him. I don’t know his name…it’s not ZZ Top, so it’s beyond me. Because of the steroids he was on for the Parkinson’s, he was bloated, shaking and drooling. He could barely move. The last piece the orchestra played was his favorite, and the orchestra played it so beautifully, it would have made angels weep. When the orchestra finished playing, the conductor turned around and looked nervously at the Pope. The conductor was a little scared, because they were playing for the pope. The Holy Father could barely move, but he looked at the conductor and gave him a thumbs up. Even in his suffering, you knew he was a man of God. He had a happiness about him no matter what happened. He had the weight of the whole Church on his shoulders. He had a fatal illness that is terribly debilitating. But, he still had peace. And, that’s what we can have, because we have Christ. However, because we have Christ, we have an obligation to help others.
So, how do we fight this so-called cancel culture? We must try to be even more holy and to pray for people. Some of them are like those in I see in the gated community, a state sponsored residence with its own security system. Those incarcerated never had a chance. They were abused in childhood, so the chances were less than average that they would have a good life. They had a lot of things working against them. Granted, they chose to do evil, but they had a lot more crosses than we do. That’s not an excuse, but it’s a mitigating factor. How do we help those people who are evil and who try to say what we believe is evil and must change? Even the Catholic Church says sometimes what we believe must change. That’s not true. They are lying. They aren’t wrong…they are lying. Educated people who know better are lying. How do we change that? Have a little chat with them? Even though I’m almost 68, I’m still a soldier, and part of me would love to say, “Let’s go outside and discuss this.” No. Our Lord said to love them, sacrifice for them, and pray for them. They were taught from a young age that sin was good. We see the outcomes of sin and evil. We don’t have to be like them. But, instead of fighting with them, we need to love them.
Those who advocate evil are just like little children who don’t get their way, and they throw a tantrum. That’s me some days. Ever had a child…or a husband…throw a temper tantrum? What happens? Like our guardian angels, and like any good parent, we slowly take them in our arms, close to our heart. They are all worn out from their temper tantrum and break down in tears. So, we hold them close to our heart, giving them comfort and love. That’s what we are to do with this cancel culture. We can hold out our arms to them, no matter what they say to us, and no matter what they try to do to us. We can pray for them, sacrifice for them, and slowly bring them in to our heart.
This culture is not cancel…I know what cancel is. Cancel is evil. We are living in an evil age. Actually, every age is evil. But, we don’t have to be like that. Remember, when you grow close to Jesus, you have both a gift and a command to go out and bring others in and to change the culture. What’s very sad about people who are caught up in the cancel culture is that they don’t see how blind they are. They are like someone who has had too much to drink. The cops stop them, and they say, “I only had two beers!” Really? That math is wrong. They can’t stand up, never mind drive. “I’m okay!” They don’t see it…they are blind. It’s just like alcohol blinds the alcoholic and dope blinds the dope addict. And, the only cure for that is divine love.
During my time working in hospitals, I’ve learned that the only proper way to treat a disease is to find out what the disease is. So, we shouldn’t say it’s a cancel culture when it’s an evil one. People who are not eradicating evil are promoting it. There’s a big difference. Saint Mother Teresa tried to eradicate evil, and look at the love she spread. So this is what we do. We don’t have to be like them; instead, we need to love them, to pray for them, and to sacrifice for them.
How will you apply this message to your life? Will you, like Saint Mother Teresa, try to eradicate evil by spreading God’s love?
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