• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Elizabeth Scalia
          • Michael R. Heinlein
          • Effie Caldarola
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Mark Viviano
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • Magazine Subscriptions
        • Archdiocesan Directory
  • CR Radio
        • CR Radio
        • Protagonistas de Fe
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
We can believe in an invisible hand that guides our lives spiritually. That doesn’t take away our freedom of choice, it simply helps us to be aware of God’s presence in our lives. (Pexels.com)

Do the next right thing

February 8, 2022
By Father Joseph Breighner
Catholic Review
Filed Under: Commentary, Wit & Wisdom

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

The best gift I received in 2021 came on Thanksgiving Day when a man called to thank me for saving his life 50 years ago.

I remembered the incident.

I was stopped at a red light on Reisterstown Road in Pikesville. As I looked up at my rear view mirror, I saw a car approaching from behind. I thought to myself: “He’s not going to stop!” He didn’t. He plowed into the back of my car.

Fortunately, I was not badly hurt. I got out to see if I could help the driver of the other car. Fortunately, he was not badly hurt either. We exchanged insurance information, and I was able to drive away. Once my car was repaired, I thought no more of the incident.

However, in the Thanksgiving message from this man, he told me the rest of the story.

He explained that this was more than just a fender bender. He said that he was heading to Druid Ridge Cemetery, less than a mile ahead. He explained that he was going to his mother’s grave, where he intended to commit suicide. Because of the accident, he said, he decided not to kill himself.

As I have written in a 2018 Catholic Review column, years after that accident I heard from another person who knew the driver. He told me then that the traffic accident actually wound up saving his friend’s life. But, to put it mildly, I was deeply moved and deeply grateful to hear this story from the very man whose life was saved.

God works in strange and wonderful ways. I’m not sure where I was going that day. I was stationed at St. Charles Parish in Pikesville, so I may have been going to visit a parishioner. I may have been taking Reisterstown Road to take the Beltway to visit my mother.

As I’ve shared in other columns, we all want to do God’s will. How do we know we’re doing his will? As I’ve said before: Do the next right thing!

I hadn’t run into a burning building to help someone to get out. I hadn’t dived into a lake to save a drowning person. I had not scaled a mountain to rescue someone from an icy ledge.

I just did the next right thing.

There used to be an old theory taught in economics classes about the “invisible hand” that guided all the economic forces. That theory is no longer taught. We realize that supply and demand runs our capitalist economy. But we can believe in an invisible hand that guides our lives spiritually. That doesn’t take away our freedom of choice, it simply helps us to be aware of God’s presence in our lives.

I was in the right place at the right time. Do the next right thing and chances are you’ll be doing God’s will. 

Also see

Radio Interview: Exploring the Nicene Creed – Part Two

Radio Interview: Exploring the Nicene Creed – Part One

Radio Interview: Religious freedom faces ongoing challenges

Copyright © 2022 Catholic Review Media

Print Print

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

Primary Sidebar

Father Joseph Breighner

View all posts from this author

| Recent Commentary |

Expert discusses serious harms of smartphones for children and how to limit their use

Cupcakes with 2025 graduation toothpicks in them and a bowl of cookies

Our 31-hour Road Trip

St. Paul and discovering that sin is ‘missing the mark’

Six lit candles on a chocolate birthday cake

Making a birthday wish come true

Pilgrims of Hope: Walking the Way of St. Francis in the Year of Jubilee

| Recent Local News |

Archbishop Lori announces clergy appointments, including pastor and associate pastors

DUAL ENROLLMENT

Double the learning: Dual enrollment provides college credit to high school students

St. Mary’s purchases former Annapolis Area Christian School

Radio Interview: Exploring the Nicene Creed – Part Two

St. Clement Mary Hofbauer adapts to times, cultures as it celebrates 100th anniversary

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • Expert discusses serious harms of smartphones for children and how to limit their use
  • Movie Review: Superman
  • Judge blocks Trump birthright citizenship order as part of class action lawsuit
  • Ukraine religious leaders issue ‘desperate cry’ to world to end Russia’s war
  • Pope Leo wears Chicago-made vestments to July 9 ‘care of creation’ Mass
  • Movie Review: Sorry, Baby
  • ICE deports Iowa parishioner to Guatemala homeland as supporters pray for his release
  • Come away and rest awhile
  • French woman hopes sharing mystical encounter with Minnesota Benedictine helps sainthood cause

Search

Membership

Catholic Media Assocation

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2025 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

en Englishes Spanish
en en