A Saint For These Times

I can’t remember exactly when I first heard about Venerable Fulton Sheen, but like the saints often do, these holy men and women introduce themselves to us by way of a simple quote, prayer or picture we come across. It has been my experience that sometimes specific saints stick around for a while and often become the exact person you needed to intercede for you at that point in time.

This is exactly what happened to me with Venerable Fulton Sheen. After I first heard about him, I started seeing more and more of his quotes, which all seemed to captivate me. Each one full of truth that always struck me straight to the heart. I wanted to find out more and more about him and in a quick search I found recordings of his television show “Life is Worth Living” and I started watching them. What a very different time he lived in that a Catholic priest had his own mainstream television show, captivating the nation with Catholic theology. That’s completely unfathomable in today’s culture. But there was and still is something about Sheen that is captivating. He draws you in with his simplicity of thought and depth of wisdom. Plus it doesn’t hurt that he has a very theatrical way about him that somehow demands your full attention.

A few months ago, I borrowed a book from a friend of mine titled “Three To Get Married”, which was written by Fulton Sheen. This book should be required reading by every engaged couple. I actually just mailed a copy to my niece and Goddaughter who just got engaged this summer.

The foundational premise of this book is this: 

There are two basic loves that we all have, love of self and love of neighbor. There is a constant tension between these two and that back and forth is actually healthy.  When we lean too far into one or the other is when we get into trouble. If we love self too much it becomes prideful, lustful, or cruelty or hatred of the spiritual. Sheen says that the perversion of self love creates individualism and without God this leads to selfishness. 

Conversely, when we lean too far in the opposite direction by loving our neighbor too much we become dependent on the other person for our own happiness. Sheen says that in this we are always disappointed because only God is love; all others will fail in comparison. He goes on to say that the perversion of loving neighbor creates totalitarianism and without God this only allows us to love those who are pleasing to us, not our enemies. 

In pondering these two basic loves, the conclusion that Sheen comes to is that it actually takes three to love- self, other, and God (lover, beloved, and love). Sheen says that the love between two persons requires God because God IS love; He is the love that is shared between the two. Furthermore, God and love are the same existence. Many people may not recognize this reality, but it still remains true; thus where God is rejected in a relationship, love will eventually die out. It requires our willing participation in His love in order to keep the flame of love alive. 

St John the Evangelists tells us this about love in 1 John 4:7-8 “Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God, and he who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God; for God is love.” Essentially, through the power of the Holy Spirit, love, which finds its source in God alone continues to be poured out upon the world. When we allow the Holy Spirit (the loving action of God) to enter into our relationships we will be truly participating in that love. 

This very understanding of love is so needed in our world today. Oftentimes we look at love as an action that we create within ourselves and then act out in the world. This is a false reality of love. Fulton Sheen describes love as a third reality (or person) that exists between the lover and the beloved; namely the Holy Spirit. Thus God is the source of all love and we merely submit to it and participate in it. I venture to say that if we all fully understood love in this way, as a source that comes from God Alone and not as something we create or earn, the Holy Spirit would be more fully alive in the world today.

Venerable Fulton Sheen furthers this concept in the book by explaining the intimate relationship between husband and wife. He said when God is willingly invited into it, the marriage will grow deeper and deeper in that love of God, thus bringing husband and wife into deeper union with one another. 

With the ever increasing destruction of marriage and the family in our society today, I dare to say that God has not been invited into many of these foundational relationships and a false love of our own making has taken the place of God. Only God’s love is everlasting, we must be willing to invite Him into our marriage if we desire a lifelong union with our spouse. 

If there was ever a time that we as a culture needed a great and holy person to intercede for us, it is now. Additionally, in my opinion, there is no better person to intercede for our marriages, our families, and our country than Venerable Fulton Sheen. 

If you haven’t heard of Fulton Sheen, I invite you to check him out. There is an incredible miracle associated with his Beatification, which has sadly been put on hold. The story of this miracle can be found in the book “61 Minutes to a Miracle” by Bonnie Engstrom. A friend of mine has a recording of this story from a talk that Bonnie gave at our parish last year. If you haven’t read “Three to Get Married,” I invite you to do so. There is so much wisdom in this book and it has not only given me a better understanding of the Sacrament of Marriage, but it has also strengthened my own marriage.

Thank you Fulton Sheen for your wisdom that you so willingly shared with the world. May we too be bold in our witness of Jesus Christ, just as you were. Venerable Fulton Sheen, pray for us!

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