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Nobody Does It Better

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On Divine Mercy Sunday, two extraordinary men were canonized: Pope St. John XXIII and Pope St. John Paul II. When these two heavenly friends sat on their papal thrones, they looked towards another extraordinary man to provide them—and the world—words of wisdom and hope: the Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, whose birthday we commemorate tomorrow.

From John XXIII

During Archbishop Sheen’s first visit with Pope John XXIII, the Pope presented Sheen with a small silver gondola. During his second visit, the Holy Father asked Sheen to visit his brother and relatives in his home in northern Italy. When Sheen went there, the entire town turned out to bid him welcome. At that same audience, John XXIII told Sheen “You have suffered much…Is there anything I can do for you?” Sheen replied that there was nothing he wanted except to do the will of God. To that the Pope replied, “That makes it very easy for me.” On another visit with John XXIII, Sheen went to the Pope’s private residence, and John XXIII gifted him some autographed books he had authored. Sheen was surprised at the simplicity of the papal private chapel. After they prayed together in the chapel, they returned to his office downstairs, John XXIII called in a photographer and told Sheen.“Come, let us have our picture taken. It may make some in the Church jealous, but that will be fun.” (https://www.facebook.com/FultonJSheen). 

 

 

sheen with pope saints

From John Paul II

Shortly before Sheen’s death in 1979, Pope John Paul II reached out to him in a personal letter.

God called you to proclaim in an extraordinary way his dynamic word. With great zeal you accepted this call, and directed your many talents to spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Thus, in these six decades of your priestly service, God has touched the lives of millions of the men and women of our time. They have listened to you on radio, watched you on television, profited from your many literary achievements and participated in spiritual conferences conducted by you. And so with Saint Paul, “I thank my God whenever I think of you; and every time I pray for…you, I pray with joy, remembering how you have helped to spread the Good News.”  (October 11, 1979.)

In his inimitable wit, Sheen summed up the essence of the Church’s teaching on the papacy and not only that, but the means and meaning of our salvation:

No chain is stronger than its weakest link, and the weakest link of the chain of Popes was the first. But that weak link was held in the hands of Christ. That is why the papacy will never fail.                    (Through the Year with Fulton Sheen)

This excerpt from Archbishop Sheen’s television show in which he offers a teaching on the life of Pope John XXIII provides a window into Sheen’s gift of oratory, his love for the papal office, and of the man, John XXIII. Prepared to be amazed and humbled.

Speaking personally about my own spiritual growth, “nobody does it better” than Sheen. His audio talks were my constant companion during my long and solitary commute to and from work; the cadence of his voice mesmerized my young children on family trips, and they never once asked to “switch the radio station.” During down times, I find myself searching YouTube for clips of his television show. Interestingly, when I have used his writings in undergraduate classes, the students respond favorably, and they tell me they can understand him.

Saint Joseph’s College has acquired the complete Sheen audio files. SJC students can access them all here. If you are not a student, you can purchase them for under $30. I even have the app on my iphone – the portable Sheen! If you haven’t already done so, I would encourage everyone to become a friend of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. Listen to his talks; watch his videos; get fed a daily quote by “friending” him on Facebook; watch a movie on his life; pray for his canonization.

Heavenly Father, source of all holiness, you raise up within the Church in every age, men and women who serve with heroic love and dedication. You have blessed Your Church through the life and ministry of your faithful servant, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. He has written and spoken well of Your Divine Son, Jesus Christ, and was a true instrument of the Holy Spirit in touching the hearts of countless people.

If it be according to Your Will, for the honor and glory of the Most Holy Trinity and for the salvation of souls, we ask you to move the Church to proclaim him a saint. We ask this prayer through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

From CatholicWeb.com

 Patricia Ireland is Director of Theology Programs for Saint Joseph’s College Online.

 

“Nothin’ Left to Lose” — Perhaps Everything!

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Thoughts for Earth Day 2014

In Kris Kristofferson’s poignant song, “Me and Bobbie Magee,” there is the haunting line, “Freedom’s just another word for nothin’ left to lose.” Let me transpose the idea: “Freedom’s just another word for everythin’ left to lose.” By itself, the line “nothin’ left to lose” is metaphysically incorrect, although it has its truth in human experience. The universe, if created by God, is not a “sound and fury signifying nothing.” If God created the universe out of nothing, then the universe signifies everything that God intends. A thing is wonderful when it is significant, revealing purpose metaphorically and analogically. There is no wonder in the insignificant, and thus no purpose. In a metaphorical universe, there is nothing insignificant. If the universe is not created by God, if the universe is not a metaphor analogically expressive of the fullness of meaning, then, indeed, there is “nothin’ left to lose” because there was nothing there to gain in the first place, and everything signifies nothing. There is nothing to imagine that would not be merely “imaginary.” This latter insight is close to the heart of Buddhism.

Sebago Lake, Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Sebago Lake, Saint Joseph’s College of Maine

No one deserves a star or merits a sunset. The universe, if created by God, is a vast metaphor saying that it is God’s gift. It has been said, very cynically, that “Blessed is he that expecteth nothing, for he shall not be disappointed.” And such a person will have nothing to be thankful for. Chesterton wrote in his St. Francis, “Blessed is he who expecteth nothing, for he shall enjoy everything.”

There is a tendency when speaking of metaphors to say that something is a “mere” metaphor. But if God created the universe, then it is no “mere” metaphor. The Catholic analogical imagination imagines that everything speaks of God and everything is a gift of God. If God saw that everything was good, then human beings must see everything as a gift, a gift for which human beings are responsible and accountable. This gift deserves our gratitude, a gratitude that can be put into environmental action. Gratitude may be the “real skill” with which Thomas Berry hopes “to raise the sails and to catch the power of the wind as it passes by.”

Since Fall, 2001, our College has offered the course, “Ecology and the Environmental Challenge,” required of all the students of the Sebago Lake Program. The course is a teaching challenge not just for the professors, but also for the whole College community. It is not just about self-preservation. We need to go much further. As Pope John Paul II stated, “An education in ecological responsibility is urgent: responsibility for oneself, for others and for the earth . . . A true education in responsibility entails a genuine conversion in ways of thought and behavior.”

I would add that a genuine conversion of imagination, one consonant with the Catholic imagination, is needed if we are going, as a College, to contribute solutions for our environmental crisis. A universe that is good, that is filled with real things that are good, and that speaks of God, surrounds us. If it is so, we are indebted to God for it, an infinite debt that can only be repaid by an everlasting hymn of gratitude. Dante Gabriel Rosetti said somewhere that “the worst moment for the atheist is when he is really thankful and has nobody to thank.” Every Earth Day, we should remind ourselves that our “Attainable/Sustainable” efforts need to be grounded in the deepest Catholic identity of the Mission of the College. Gratitude is a greater motive for environmental action than self-preservation. In Chesterton’s words, all “goods look better when they look like gifts.”

Daniel Sheridan is Professor of Theology at Saint Joseph’s College of Maine and former Director of the Online Theology Program.