“Do the Next Right Thing”
Father Peter Fitzgibbons
June 22 – 23, 2024
Gospel: Mark 4:35-41
I was talking to a man the other day at the hospital and giving him a little spiritual direction. He’s a very devout man, and I’ve known him for years. He was judging himself harshly about how well he was carrying his crosses. He didn’t feel he was making any progress. I said that if you notice in Scripture, our Lord never asked anyone how they felt. He didn’t care because feelings change. Every time He asked the Apostles what they thought, they got it wrong. He didn’t ask the Pharisees or Sadducees because He knew they would get it wrong. Therefore, He left us instructions in black and white. The Blessed Mother, the greatest spiritual director of all, said to us, “Do whatever He tells you.” These were her last words recorded in Scripture. Can a mother be wrong? No . . . especially the mother of our Lord. So, we follow the commands of Christ and do whatever He tells us. Christ said, “If you love Me, keep My Commandments.” And through the Sacraments, He gave us the means to achieve that. The second part of this great spiritual maxim is one my battalion commander would use, “Do the routine things routinely.” Our Lord said, “Take up your cross and follow me.” He gives us the power to pick up our cross, to bear it every day, and to help others bear theirs. Another wise man said, “Do the next right thing” and you will be progressing toward sanctity. So, when in doubt, just do the next right thing.
Great moments, such as the ecstasies that the saints experienced, may come or they may not. Every now and again, not as often as we would like, but when our Lord decides we need it, He gives us these little pick-me-ups although I’m still not a monsignor even after 40 years in the priesthood. Thanks a lot! But sometimes we are so busy and wound up in ourselves that we miss them. On those occasions, our Lord is saying, “You’re doing great! I’m proud of you!” Unfortunately, we sometimes miss all that. The gifts He offers us usually come before a great struggle, so do not pray for spiritual gifts because you might find yourself in a heap of trouble. But that’s how we achieve our salvation.
Growth in spirituality does not consist of ecstasy after ecstasy. That’s reserved for Heaven. It’s about taking up our cross every day and doing what He tells us to do. Some of our crosses may change depending upon the time of life and our situation. We may have other crosses added, and we may, out of love, take the crosses of others onto ourselves. A good friend of mine was a Special Ed teacher. She was coming down with the flu and even though she felt bad, she needed to be in class. So that night I prayed, “Lord, give me her flu so she can teach her class.” After all, I was in the 101st Airborne Division, and I was a tough guy . . . until the next afternoon when I went downhill. I was so sick. She was fine, but I was really sick for a couple of days. Don’t be too eager about taking another person’s cross because what happened to me could happen to you. I thought I was a tough guy. Nope. The Lord rewarded me for my love but punished me for my pride.
Do not be disheartened. It’s a temptation by the evil one to make you think you are not doing well because if you were progressing, you would be much happier, and things would work out a lot better. That’s not true. In some of the so-called spiritual programs, they say, “If you do this and this, you will feel much better.” No. That’s spiritual blackmail of our good Lord, and He really doesn’t like that. Saint Teresa of Avila said, “If this is the way you treat all your friends, Lord, it’s no wonder You have so few.” And that’s true. But our crosses are there so that we are not puffed up by our pride. “I raised myself to Heaven by my own bootstraps.” “I’ve done this, and I’ve done that.” Think of your crosses as a way to grace instead of something you have to put up with.
Some days, and there’s no way around it, bearing our crosses is a royal pain. I have complained about my crosses to the point of ad nauseam. But my crosses are there to keep me small, to keep me safe, and to keep me reliant on God’s mercy and God’s grace. The daily bearing of my crosses, as well as cleaning up the messes I create because of them, shows God’s grace to others. It’s not always pleasant, but so long as we don’t give up, we are making spiritual progress toward salvation.
I’ve been saying the Divine Office, a daily prayer priests have to say, for over 40 years. Do I always enjoy it? No. Does my mind always stay centered on it? No. Look! Squirrel. But I’m still doing it. Despite our failed human nature, we keep coming back and doing the right thing. We take up our crosses and follow Jesus. As long as we do that every day and remain faithful to the Sacraments through which we are healed and strengthened, we are making great spiritual progress. Don’t listen to anyone or anything else.
How will you apply this message to your life? ________________________________________
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