Tag: Tabernacle

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Sermon Notes – December 25, 2025 – I got God for Christmas

“I got God for Christmas”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

December 25, 2025

Gospel: John 1:1-18

Last week, I had to call 911 for a lady who thought she had been bitten by a snake. That was a lot of fun. But it was not the first time – I have called 911 several times for other people. I hope you never have to call 911, because when you do, you are upset, anxious, excited, and all wrapped up in the situation. When you call 911, the operators are very good, and they get all of your information. After you hang up the phone, you wait, and you wait, and you wait. Soon, you begin to wonder why they aren’t there already. As the crow flies, the EMTs are only two miles away. Less than three miles away, there are five fire stations: three regular and two volunteer. Also, less than a mile away, there are two cop shops: sheriff and police. After you call, you begin tapping your fingers and wondering when they will arrive. After what seems like an eternity, you hear sirens in the distance. So, you know they are on their way. They are coming, and they are coming, and they are coming, very slowly, but they are coming. “This is an emergency! Someone is hurt. I need help!” However, the police and rescue squads are constrained by the speeds at which they can drive in the city. That’s the theory, but I have seen sheriff deputies and EMTs whizz by the church. When I see an ambulance scream by on the way to the hospital, I know someone is in really bad shape. When the police, fire department, EMTs, or rescue personnel finally arrive, the healing can begin. They take charge and assure you that they will do everything they can to improve the situation. They work their magic, and your anxiety level lessens.

The same is true about our salvation and redemption. When our first parents hurt themselves and us badly by Original Sin, we needed help. But amazingly, we did not call 911 or GOD. God did that Himself because the offense was so grave that we alone couldn’t make amends. It was a divine offense. In the garden, we walked with God and talked to God. Then we gave God the shaft because we wanted to do what we wanted. But God loves us so much that He didn’t want us to wander away from Him. He said, “I will send you a savior” to remedy the divine offense. This divine offense could be fixed by only one Person – His divine Son, the 2nd Person in the Blessed Trinity. He came to be our Savior. On this day, we commemorate His appearance in the world made visible in the form of human flesh that He took from the Blessed Mother.

When you look at the manger scene, which was originally created by Saint Francis of Assisi, you can foretell the future. Our Lord came to be our Savior and to be sacrificed as atonement for our sins. The wood of the manger became the wood of the Cross 33 years later. The hay He laid on was food for the animals and became our food in the Holy Eucharist. There’s enough just on that for two sermons, but we don’t have the time. He came as our Savior, and that’s what we rejoice in. Today, as we celebrate His coming, our healing has begun. The straying from God is over. God has come to heal the damage in our souls due to sin, to remove the cancer, and to help us live so that we can go to where we were created to be, which is Heaven. He came to heal us and to reconcile us to God. That is the beauty of this day and the great joy we should have.

Who do you see around the Christ Child? You see Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds. The wise men wouldn’t come until much later. But wouldn’t you love to have been there at the beginning of the First Century? Well, you don’t have to be envious. Know why? Because you have Him right there in the Tabernacle, although not under the appearance of human flesh, but of the Host. You have Him right here at Mass. What is our Savior’s greatest gift to us? His greatest gift to us is Himself. He offers Himself to us in the Sacraments, which is the greatest gift at Christmas. If you ask, “What did you get for Christmas?” My answer is, “I got God.”

How will you apply this message to your life? _________________________________________

You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to AnnunciationCatholicAlbemarle.com, clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” and then “Sermon Notes.” On a cell phone: click on “Blog” and then “Menu.” Scroll to the bottom and click on “Categories.” Sermon Notes are also available on the Church’s Facebook page at OLA.Catholic.Church. Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”

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Sermon Notes – July 20, 2025 – “Embrace the Suck”

“Embrace the Suck”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

July 19-20, 2025

Gospel: Luke 10: 38-42

Last night, I was watching people come into the church, and it was quite amusing.  They were walking very slowly, and some of them were younger people.  I asked them why they were walking so slowly.  They said it was really hot out there.  Okay, but walking slowly doesn’t make it any cooler.  It reminded me of my last time overseas.  I was a part of the group that arrived there first, so we were the old old-timers. When our replacements arrived so that we could go home, the newcomers would be outside doing light work to get acclimated to the heat.  If it were 110 degrees, that would have been a nice, easy day for us.  We would go running on days like that because we had been acclimated to the heat.  So, the old-timers would watch the newcomers working outside in the heat and start a countdown, 3 – 2 – 1, and plunk, down they would go.  They would have IVs in both arms.  Yep, it takes a little time to get used to that kind of heat.  After a day up north, I could take my shirt off, and if I sat it on the floor, it would literally stand straight up from all the body fluid I had lost.  That is how hot it is over there.

We have a wonderful opportunity despite the discomfort of the summer heat.  Saint Paul wrote, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of His body, that is, the church” (Colossians 1:24).   We can offer up all our discomfort for the salvation of souls and the salvation of our own souls.   We have been given a great gift that we can use for ourselves and others.  So why waste it?   Embrace the suck and offer it up as a penance.  We have months of this heat ahead of us.  I knew that would cheer you up.  But what an opportunity we have to grow in grace and help others by our suffering.  So, take advantage of this uncomfortable heat and offer it up.  You don’t have to enjoy it.   Enjoyment is not a requirement for offering something up.

Now, I’m going to try to save you some money.  I’m going to share with you the secret to happiness and beauty, so you can stop watching TV commercials.  Do you know what the secret to happiness is?  Happiness comes from always having our Lord present in our souls and not losing Him.  We don’t lose Him . . . We kick Him out by our unrepentant venial sin and mortal sin.  Read the poem, “Hounds of Heaven,” by Francis Thompson.  We are the ones who drive Christ away.  Our Lord said, “But seek first the Kingdom [of God] and His righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides” (Matthew 6:33).   When Christ lives within us, we have the greatest peace that is possible in this life, and eventually, we will have even greater peace in Heaven.  But no matter how holy you are or try to be, you will always have disappointments.  For example, I have been a priest for 41 years, and I am still not a Monsignor.  So don’t tell me about your disappointments; I know what real disappointment is!   People will disappoint us.  My parents and brothers all died to get away from me, but I don’t take it personally.  When my mother was dying, God and I had a chat, which included official military words that I will not repeat here.  Was I disappointed?  Yes.  Did I lose faith?  No, because I knew Who I needed to talk to. 

The secret of beauty is having Christ within us and becoming His living Tabernacle.  I was watching a commercial that featured a macho man who was all dressed up and looking very sharp.  The commercial was for a cream that would help men eliminate the lines and creases on their faces.  Really?   Dude, give me your man-card; I’m going to shred it.   I earned all these lines on my face.  Numerous beauty products are available to enhance our appearance.  My favorites for men are the comb-over and the comb-forward.  Yeah, everybody sees it, especially on a windy day.  Former New York City mayor, Rudy Giuliani, would color his hair, and on a hot day, the color would melt and drip down his face.  Nobody sees that; it looks good!   Beauty is not about seeing a dermatologist for treatment just so someone can bounce quarters off your cheeks when you are older.  It is having Christ within you.  True beauty comes from living holy lives.   We are called to be a living Tabernacle and to bring Christ to others.  He uses the beauty that comes from holiness so that people see Christ in us.  At the end of their lives, Saint Teresa of Calcutta and Saint John Paul II were not going to win any beauty contests.   But they radiated a divine beauty, a divine glow, and a divine joy.   This is what we are called to be by living holy lives.  This is how you can become beautiful.  So, save your money on hair products and other beauty products.   Want to be beautiful or handsome?  Be holy.   It’s a lot cheaper, and you will be a lot happier.

How will you apply this message to your life?  ________________________________________

You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to AnnunciationCatholicAlbemarle.com, clicking on “Blog,” then “Categories,” and then “Sermon Notes.”  On a cell phone: click on “Blog” and then “Menu.”  Scroll to the bottom and click on “Categories.”  Sermon Notes are also available on the Church’s Facebook page at OLA.Catholic.Church.  Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.  

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Sermon Notes – August 11, 2024 – “It’s Not About Us”

“It’s Not About Us”

Father Peter Fitzgibbons

August 10 – 11, 2024


Gospel:  John 6:41-51


In the church, we have stained-glass windows and the Stations of the Cross which represent the bible in pictures.   The Rosetta window above the altar displays the 15 mysteries of the Rosary which is also Scripture.  Way, way back before the Protestant’s so-called Reformation, we had these things.  Why?  One reason is because a lot of people couldn’t read.  It wasn’t their fault; they were just trying to survive.  Also, people didn’t have enough money for books because they had to be written on parchment or sheepskin.  It was very tedious work for monks to do.  When people came to church, they could see Scripture with their eyes, and as the priests were preaching, they would point out the various mysteries of the faith. 

The whole point of Scripture is to bring attention to Christ especially Christ incarnate in the Tabernacle.  This brings up something funny; in the so-called Reformation, their attention was solely on Scripture.  So, what did Protestants do?  They got rid of visible Scripture in their churches.  The stained-glass windows and Stations of the Cross were all gone.  I thought you loved Scripture.  So why did you get rid of the visible Scripture?  No one has answered that question for me yet. 

Everything we do is directed at the Tabernacle. We have proved that our Lord is in the Most Blessed Sacrament.  We have seen the evidence.  When we take our Lord away and denigrate the Blessed Sacrament, people leave in droves.  We come to Mass for a Who not a “what.”  I read a ritual book that stated, “The liturgy is the work of the people.”  No, that makes it a high school play.  The liturgy, which is the Mass, is Christ.  It’s a Who not a “what.”  You got that wrong and you flunked Theology 101.  That phrase never shows up anywhere in Church history.  I may have been sick a day or two while in seminary, but we were never taught that.  And I guarantee you that Saint Thomas Aquinas never wrote that.  Nor did Saint Louis de Montfort or Saint John Vianney.  People said, “We have to focus on the liturgy.”  So, they moved the Tabernacle to another location in the church to a place where you would be lucky to find it with a native guide.  When I got here, I started putting things back where they belonged, and people said, “Vatican 2 said this, and we have to do that.”  I said, “Okay, fine.”  I don’t want to get in trouble with anybody.  I get into enough trouble with local law, so I don’t need the Church law after me too.  Oh, did I say that out loud?  Show me where the Church decreed that.  I had a professor who was at Vatican 2.   Abbot Walter was a counselor at Vatican 2, and he claims they never said that.  Does anybody want to give out Communion?  Come on up.  No!  Does anybody want to perform surgery?  Come on up; we’ll give you a knife.  Have a good time.   No!   Everything is placed with reverence for the Eucharist.  Nobody is supposed to go beyond the altar rail except for the priest and those who have business at the altar.  And as soon as they finish, they leave.  The Tabernacle is supposed to be in a pronounced location.  When Bishop Jugis came in, God bless his soul, he had everything put back where it belonged. 

Every couple of centuries or so the Church has to do some housecleaning.  If some is good, more is better.  That’s true for hundred-dollar bills and pizza.  Everything else, not so much.  “We need more statues.”  No.  Statues are nice, but it gets so cluttered you can’t find our good Lord.  So, the Church has to do a little housecleaning and say, “That’s all very nice, very sweet, but it has to go away” so we can focus on our Lord.  All the Gospels in the past couple of weeks have been focused on the good Lord.  “I am the Bread of Life.”  The focus is always on Him and not on you, not on me, and not on the worshipping community.  By the way, I have no idea what “worshipping community” means.  Granted, I’m not the brightest bulb in the circuit.  Just as an aside, I was poking around on the internet to see what my classmates are up to, and I discovered that one of my classmates at my old diocese is now a monsignor.  Suck up!  He was Roman anyway.  When you are Roman, it’s like having graduated from West Point in the Army.   “You are all equal.”  No, you’re not.

The only thing we should focus on is our good Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament.  “I am the Bread of Life.”  It’s not about what you sing or who brings the gifts to the altar.  It’s all about Who is in the Tabernacle.  That is our faith.  Everything points to our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament and our focus should be only on Him.

How will you apply this message to your life?  ________________________________________

You can read all of Father Fitzgibbons’ sermons by going to AnnunciationCatholicAlbemarle.com, clicking on “Blog” then “Categories” and then “Sermon Notes.”  On a cell phone: click on “Blog” and then “Menu.”  Scroll to the bottom and click on “Categories.”  Sermon Notes are also available on the Church’s Facebook page at OLA.Catholic.Church.  Click on “Groups” and then “Sermon Notes.”