Tag Archives: fulton j sheen

Mar 16 2012

Why can I not love others, despite the way they are?

“How rich am I when I look at the poverty of my inner life? I may have something, but am I anything? Am I not poverty-stricken as regards self-mastery, and, oh, how rich in egotism and selfishness! How wise am I? I may know all the Books of the Month, being proud of my college education, but have I ever discovered the meaning of life? Is there anything lovable in me at all? Am I not nasty and cranky? Do I not short-circuit every conversation with a fellow worker at the water cooler?

But I still love myself. I am good to myself. I give myself a good chair when I come into the room. I always order the best food, avoiding anything that does not flatter my palate. I avoid conversations that might embarrass me.

If then I can love myself, despite all of my weaknesses, failures, and faults, why can I not love my neighbor, despite all of his or her faults?… Why can I not love others, despite the way they are?”

-A.B. Fulton J. Sheen, From the Angel’s Blackboard.

I am reminded of Psalm 22.6 which reads: “But I am a worm, and not human…” I’ll leave it there in order to take it out of context, because it must be taken out of context to make my point, though my point is still valid. You may read the entire Psalm 22 to know the full meaning.

If only we were so humble to compare ourselves to worms! We would then see all persons around us as worthy of our love and respect, not only out of fear of being squashed, but also because of the humility that comes with frailty and meekness. He who sees himself as a lion (and there are even life coaches who teach a person to growl like one!) who view others as prey, because the lion is seldom humble, basks in the sunlight and picks its teeth with the bones of its prey. He doesn’t care how he is seen, as long as others have to look up at him.

And what is the answer for those who are strong, rich, or in positions of power? “The strong must see their own ignorance… If then I, who am not worth loving, am loved by Love, the least I can do for others is to do what God has done for me…if God loves me, as miserable as I am, then He must love everybody”(Sheen).

One needs to be governed by love, which is in its own nature something that must be shared. Even love of self is shared between the intellect and the conscience. When love is shared, it gives birth to compassion and sympathy. Jesus knew how to suffer with those he loved. He touched the leper to heal him. Jesus healed others without touching them, but he had to show the limitless potential of love, compassion, and sympathy. As men recoiled from the lepers, Jesus reached out and touched the leper to heal him. Fulton Sheen wrote, “How different was the attitude of Shylock, who said, “I will buy with you, sell with you, talk with you, walk with you,…but I will not eat with you, drink with you, nor pray with you”.” Shylock was a lion with a large mane.

There are too many lions in the world today, and especially here in America. Freedom has turned to permission, and that permission is granted by government, even against the faith and love of millions. But before we can ask those who are unlovable to change and to love us, so to not treat us as inferiors, we must first find a way to love the unlovable, and that includes our persecutors, for God loves each and every one of them.

It would be nice to leave this thought right there, cozy and delicate, a sweet ending. But, we also need to recognize that all Christians must stand firm against all forms of evil and sin with righteous indignation, turning over the tables at the temples of lust, power, envy, pride, murder, avarice, hatred, false gods, and so on, within ourselves first, then without. We can see here that the war the Christian fights is one against the Evil One, not against those who have been tempted or who are unlovable. We fight against the sin of homosexuality, not the homosexual; gluttony, not the alcoholic; fornication, not the unwed cohabitators; cupidity, not the hoarder; vainglory, not the authority or position. We are called to love all, because we are loved. But like Christ, we must hide away from this world at times and pray heavily. We must hate the sin, but love all, so to attest to the Almighty Love awaiting every human being, no matter how unlovable he or she may be.

Cum amore,

-Travis

Jan 31 2012

Anyone who has never felt the pangs of conscience looks with contempt upon the penitent’s tears

The title of this article is profound and full of wisdom, largely because they are not my own words, but those of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen from his popular book, From the Angel’s Blackboard. I want to discuss the subject of conscience because I believe it to be one of the greatest chasms between the religious and nonreligious. Everyone is born with a conscience, but every conscience is developed and nurtured differently. Some are malnourished.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us that “Conscience must be informed and moral judgment enlightened. A well-formed conscience is upright and truthful. It formulates its judgments according to reason, in conformity with the true good willed by the wisdom of the Creator. The education of conscience is indispensable for human beings who are subjected to negative influences and tempted by sin to prefer their own judgment and to reject authoritative teachings.” (CCC 1783).

The first line shows us that conscience must be formed. This is the duty of parents, elders, society, and the Church, but primarily parents. You can assume then, that if the divorce rate is above 50% in our country, abortion is guaranteed by law, lyrics of music are aberrant, and gay marriage is acceptable – among other things – what implications this can and does have on a young person’s conscience formation. Our parents are failing when the divorce rate is so high. Our society is failings with its secular imbalance. Our Church fails when leaders are not catechized correctly or when they push their own ideas and agenda, or when leaders are scandalized.

Fortunately, our Blessed Lord has imprinted His law in every heart, so no matter how corrupted a conscience may be, it is not so far as to be incurable. Research conversion stories of those on death row, and you will see what I mean.

But the bigger picture I want to paint is how those described above – without fully formed consciences – look upon the religious.

Before my conversion, I looked upon those who were on their knees in prayer as silly. Those who were in tears or near tears were just plain outlandish and humiliating. I felt embarrassed for them! As the title of this article reasons, I did in deed look at those who felt the pangs of conscience with contempt. I’ll save all the reasons why for a later article.

In no way can we expect someone who is not in tune with his conscience (God’s law) to understand the tears of sorrow, or the aches of contrition. He cannot see past the enormous pride or ignorance that blocks his view. He is quintessentially disabled for two reasons: The first has already been mentioned, namely, because his conscience is not formed adequately. The second reason why one would look at the contrite with contempt is due to the second part of the same sentence from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, specifically, his moral judgment may not be sufficiently enlightened. His conscience is formed, but he has yet reached an educated level to understand true contrition.

This is the difference between regret and repentance, the difference between Judas and Peter. Both betrayed Jesus, but instead of feeling guilt and self-pity as Judas did, Peter fell at the feet of our Lord with tears of love and sorrow, as we do before, during, and after confession, and as we do during Mass or adoration. And because Peter fell, as we have at times fallen, he had a greater understanding of human weakness; therefore he was enlightened, and chosen as the head of the Church over other disciples. Let’s not count the many ways Peter had fallen!

Let me put a bow on this article. It is unreasonable to expect the nonreligious to understand our contrition, but it is not meant to be understood by a malnourished or unenlightened conscience anyway. Our contrition belongs to God. We are not seeking acknowledgment or praise of this world, and we are not to care about how we are seen. We are to care immeasurably for acceptance into the Heavenly Kingdom, and firmly to resolve to amend our lives, and rather to die than again to offend our God!

God’s peace and love be with you.