“’THE MOUNTAINS MAY SHIFT, AND THE HILLS MAY BE SHAKEN, BUT MY FAITHFUL LOVE WON’T SHIFT FROM YOU, AND MY COVENANT OF PEACE WON’T BE SHAKEN,’ says the LORD, the One Who pities you.”
—Isaiah 54:10
“I PROMISE YOU THAT MY HEART SHALL EXPAND ITSELF TO SHED IN ABUNDANCE THE INFLUENCE OF ITS DIVINE LOVE UPON THOSE WHO SHALL THUS HONOR IT, AND CAUSE IT TO BE HONORED … “
—JESUS to St. Margaret Alacoque
O MERCIFUL LORD, my heart is broken but Thou art near. My spirit is crushed, but Thou art my Rescuer. Thy Words are Wisdom that gives meaning to my life; and Thy Words art my Hope. It Revives me and Comforts me in difficulties especially now. My soul faints, but Thou art the Breathe of Life within me. Thou art my Help, the ONE Who Sustains me. I am weak but Thou art Strong and Thou art my Strength. Thou Blest those who mourn, and I trust in Thee to bless me and my family with all that we need. Thou will Rescue me from this dark cloud of despair because Thou delight in me. O Most SACRED HEART of my beloved Lord and God, JESUS CHRIST, I implore, that I may ever Love Thee more and more, as I PUT ALL MY HOPE AND TRUST IN THEE! AMEN.
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.”
We as human persons are made with infinite desires that only God can fulfill. But because we’re fallen, we tend to live at the level of our superficial desires—desires for comfort, fun, fame, wealth, pleasure, success. These desires are not bad, but the rosary helps us be more aware of the soul’s deepest desires, which are for God. As St. Catherine of Siena taught, the greatest gift we can give to God in prayer is not the finite work of saying the words but our “infinitely desirous love” for God that is expressed in those words and that is being drawn out of our souls in prayer.
— from the book Praying the Rosary Like Never Before: Encounter the Wonder of Heaven and Earth by Edward Sri
We have arrived at another nugget day, or In Brief day, for the paragraphs on the mysteries of Christ’s life. On today’s “mystery nugget” day, Fr. Mike recounts the significance of Christ’s obedience to the Father and our own obedience to God’s will. He also emphasizes the importance of reflecting on the mysteries of Christ’s life by reading and meditating on the Gospels and praying the Rosary. Today’s readings from the Catechism are paragraphs 561-570.
A daily rosary might not be difficult… until that family vacation. Cold showers aren’t so bad… until that cold snap. Charitable giving feels great… until finances are tight.
Today, Fr. Mike invites us to let Lent interrupt us. Lent is inconvenient because Love is inconvenient. If we give more this Lent, we’ll get more than we ever have before.
16 So they hurried away and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. 17 When they saw the child they repeated what they had been told about him, 18 and everyone who heard it was astonished at what the shepherds said to them. 19 As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds went back glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as they had been told. 21 When the eighth day came and the child was to be circumcised, they gave him the name Jesus, the name the angel had given him before his conception.
In a few moments we will recite the Nicene Creed which is one of the statements of belief in the Church. We have many creeds including the Apostles Creed and the Athanasian Creed. The Nicene Creed was formulated by the Council Fathers, the Bishops, under the leadership of the Pope at the Council of Nicea in the fourth century. The Nicene Creed was a response to heresy by a priest named Arius who challenged our beliefs. Arius thought he was brighter than the average bear and that he had knowledge that nobody else had. So, he, in his exalted wisdom, sought to redefine who Christ is. He denied the true nature of Christ. This caused a bloody revolt within the empire. The Church went through great strife., and there was martyrdom all over the world. It was terrible. But that is what evil does. So, the bishops of the Church gathered in council along with the Holy Father and made a declaration about who Christ is and where He came from.
Remember, Christ is a person. He is a “Who.” He is not an “it” or a “what.” And that is affirmed in the Nicene Creed. In philosophy, you learn that a person is a “Who.” Inside that “who” is a “what” which is their nature. We have a human nature…some of us just barely. Animals have an animal nature. Christ is a “Who” with two “what’s”. He has a divine nature which is Himself, and He had the human nature He took from the Blessed Mother. If you watch closely during the Mass, you see that I put one drop of water into the chalice of wine. The amount of wine and water in the chalice cannot be equal parts. The drop of water is not to cut the effect of the wine. It is to symbolize the human nature assumed and lost within the divinity. And unless I put that drop of water into the chalice of wine, the Mass is invalid because no Precious Blood has been consecrated. The mixture of wine and water in the chalice must be very precise because it is expressing the theological and ontological real meaning of who Christ is.
The Blessed Mother is fittingly called the mother of God so that each year God is made visible. Why is she called the mother of God? Because that is what scripture said. The Council Fathers declared that Mary, the Blessed Mother, was the mother of God. To some, this was a novel idea, but it really wasn’t because members of the Council knew scripture. And scripture said that Mary was the mother of God. Mary had just conceived when she went to visit Elizabeth, her kinswoman. And when Elizabeth said, “Who am I that the mother of our Lord should come unto me,” she was saying that Mary is the mother of God. Remember, when you read scripture, you have to read it as a First Century Jew coming from a Jewish culture. “Oh, I studied under so-and-so.” Do you know how to study the Old Testament? Study it under a rabbi. I did. Then you discover what things really mean. “Oh, that’s what that means.” Bingo! You have to consider the culture.
First Century Jews would never use our word for “God.” Even now, the Orthodox leave letters out and use hyphens. They don’t use the word “God.” When Mary greeted Elizabeth, the baby, John, leapt in her womb. Again, you have to read scripture in the original language. John didn’t “leap in the womb.” The original word was “danced.” It’s the same word that David used to describe what King David did before the Arc of the Covenant as the Arc was coming into Jerusalem. John the Baptist danced before the Arc of the New Covenant. Mary is referred to as the mother of our Lord throughout scripture. Mariology is a subset of Christology because if you study Christ, you have to study Mary. This is why, as Catholics, we have a great devotion to our Lady. “Oh, but we don’t want to neglect Christ.” I’m the wrong ethnicity, I’m French Canadian, but there’s a great Italian phrase that I love to repeat, “Hey Father, you take care of my mother, I remember your name.”
In praising the mother of God, aren’t you also praising Him who is the source and author of all virtue? However, it was not enough for Mary to be the mother of Christ. She also had a secondary vocation. Read the scriptures. When some people read them, they become like jailhouse lawyers …they read stuff and say, “Oh yeah! It says this.” Well, not quite. Mary is also our mother. At the wedding in Cana at Galilee, she said, “Son, they have no more wine.” Any man knows that when a woman says that it’s an implied task and you better get to work and fix it. She stated the problem and now it’s your problem. Fix it. Yes, Mom. Yes, Dear. What did Christ say? The English translation is not a good one. He didn’t call her “mother.” He said, “Woman what are thee to me?” This sounds very harsh. Say that to your mother and let me know how it works for you. Not well I bet. Even saying that to Bea Morton would result in a less than optimal outcome. There would be a lot of tears and crying on your part. But that was the beginning of Mary’s second vocation as our Lord began His ministry which was fulfilled three years later at the foot of the Cross. “Son, behold your mother. Woman, behold your son.” He said “woman” and not “mother.” She was to be the spiritual mother of all men. Christ works through her. Christ works through her to become present in this world. He works through her to open the gates of Heaven and help us with our salvation. Remember the words of Saint Bernard:
Remember, Oh gracious Sweet Virgin Mary, never has it been heard that you left unaided anyone who ran to you for protection, implored your help or sought for your intercessions. With this inspired confidence I fly to you my mother, Oh Sweet virgin of virgins, I come to you and before you I stand sinful and sorrowful. Oh Mother of The Word Incarnate, do not despise my petitions but listen, hear and answer them with your utmost love. Amen
Now is that a great prayer? Darn right. I say it every morning. Does it always work? Um, yes. However, I’m not a monsignor. The forecast looks really bleak on that front. But my prayers are never denied. I always receive strength, consolation, and affirmation. It always comes because Mom knows best. We use that phrase in our physical life how much more so is it true in our spiritual life? We know the mother of God. As Teresa Cuthrone might say, “Hey, I know a girl.”
When we pray the Rosary, we pray scripture. There is nothing contrary or adverse to Christ in that. Otherwise, she would have dropped out of scripture like Joseph. She is our mother too and wants to take care of us. She wants us to be with her Son. So always ask for help. Nobody has been sent to hell for asking for intercession.
Father’s Reflections… I had an appointment with my cardiologist on Wednesday. He said I was fine. Okay. But because I’m a cautious man, I kept the receipt.
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”
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 timewill 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? ______________________________________
