“Do Whatever He Tells You”
Father Peter Fitzgibbons
December 28 – 29, 2019
I am going to tell you the secret to happiness, and as we will all find out this year, it’s definitely not sugar cookies or dessert. The secret to happiness is holiness. What is the secret to holiness? Go back to my famous sermon on the Feast of All Saints. It is doing what you are told. My mother didn’t think I was holy nor did my former evil twin brother. But, look at the Blessed Mother; she said, “Let it be done to me according to Your word.” Saint Joseph was told to take Mary as his wife. Saint Joseph…he was a very military kind of guy…saluted the flag and moved on. He was told to get up, do this, and he did it that very night…boom!
So, Joseph did as he was told even though it was difficult taking the shoe leather express to Egypt and back. It was not an easy assignment, yet, he said yes to God, because he had more trust in God than he did himself. This showed he had humility and did not have pride. Our sins are all what? They are all pride. I want to eat the apple. I want to do what I want to do, so you have to change the church. The issues are so trivial that you are pole dropping over mouse droppings. You really are. Either choice A or B would be a fine solution, so pick one. Pride says we want to do it our way. So, how is that working for you?
The hardest thing for me coming out of the military and into civilian life was relearning English. English outside the military is very different. In the military, “no” means “no.” You don’t ask for an explanation from the old man or the commander if it’s a lady (calling her an old lady is not a good career move). When they say “no”, it’s no. That’s it, you’re done, case closed. In civilian life, saying “no” is difficult. If someone asks you a question and you say no, they say, “what do you mean, no?” It’s a complete sentence…no. You expect them to do as you say. It’s like herding cats out here, and it is so frustrating! I want a pony for Christmas…No!
In order to love God, we need to do what He tells us; to keep His commandments. The apostles tell us His commandments are not burdensome; yet, we make them that way. “Oh, I can’t do it; This is too hard for me.” I love that phrase, and I heard it often in the military. “Oh, First Sergeant, I can’t do it!” Really? I hear from people who are in school. l know one lady who was in nursing school. She said, “I can’t do it.” No, the school staff are not stupid, and when they accepted you into nursing school, they knew you could do it. But, you don’t want to do it.
God knows we can all be saints because He created us that way. We are all called to be saints, and He give us the precise to path to follow to become one. This is not just for those who need it, because everybody does. It’s for those who want it. The precise path is to trust in the loving God and to do what He asks you to do. And, this is especially for parents… you ask your children to obey you in all things, because you have greater experience. When they see you do what God tells you to do, they are witnesses which we are all called to be. How did I feed my faith into manhood? It came from my father who gave it to me through his example. Where did he get it? From his father who was a cop for 38 years, and he never missed Mass. Back then Mass was in Latin, and I am fairly certain that my grandfather was not a Latin scholar. This is how you pass on your faith to your children and to others.
Not happy? Even in religious orders and the priesthood, there are not a lot of happy people. It’s a fact of life. We are men and not angels. Remember, the happiness we seek is union in the presence of God. That doesn’t mean everything is going to go our way, that we will win the lottery, or that we will have cookies and rice with our cake at dinner every night. That’s not the kind of happiness our Lord promises us. Our God promises us the presence of His love in our souls and a peace that the world cannot give. It is knowing the strong love and support for carrying our daily crosses. It is the love we seek and give to others. It will happen, and it will happen naturally. You won’t even have to think about it.
A happy family is a holy family, all striving toward the Almighty God in perpetuity. It’s all a struggle, and we all fall down, even I do. When i was sick and not feeling well, there were some 4-letter arrows flying around in the rectory – not fun – and not very uplifting if anyone had heard them. Even though I was sick, a mitigating factor, it was still a sin, and I went to my confessor. What was surprising is that the bad words flowed so naturally. Maybe it was my background or maybe I had a bad upbringing. But, if you want to be happy and to have a happy family, seek holiness through God’s help. Teach your children the faith. Pray together. Talk out loud about everything. On the way to Walmart, turn the radio off, put the phone away, and do a decade of the rosary.
Last Sunday, I spoke to the Spanish for Christmas, and there were all these young guys there who were dragged to Mass by their parents…I know that. And they were all tough young men. Really? I said, “you think you’re tough huh?” Then, pray the rosary; tough guys pray the rosary. They laughed, and I said, “The greatest man I ever knew did.” Who’s that? My father. Paratroopers in World War II prayed the rosary. Read the book, “Band of Brothers.” Father Samson was walking down the road to give last rites to some soldiers who had been hit. The problem was that we didn’t own that real estate yet…negotiations with the Germans were still ongoing. The soldiers yelled at Father Samson to get off the road before he got himself killed. Know what Father Samson was doing? He was praying the rosary. For that action he was awarded the Silver Star. You want to pass on the faith to your children? Let them see it. Don’t let them just hear it – let them see it.
How will you apply this message to your life? Will you do whatever He tells you? Will you pass the faith onto your children and others by letting them see it?