"Faith makes things possible, not easy."
~ Blessed Fulton J. Sheen, 1895-1979
My father was a huge fan of Fulton Sheen's television show, Life Is Worth Living. It first aired in the 1950s and was revived as The Fulton Sheen Program during the 1960s. I remember Dad watching the shows with studied focus. Some memories are forever.
Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen will be beatified today at a Mass in St. Louis, Missouri. He becomes Blessed Fulton Sheen, one step closer to canonization. The required miracle that advanced Sheen to this holy status is the 2010 resuscitation of a stillborn infant, dead for over an hour, who was revived and is today a perfectly normal teenager.
The boy's parents had prayed for Fulton Sheen's intercession during the crisis. No medical professional can explain this outcome.
Sheen had a commanding presence, a sonorous voice, and a magnetic gaze. Through first his radio show, which aired from 1930 to 1950, then television during the '50s and '60s, he educated millions about the Catholic faith. One of his most famous quotes is: "There are not one hundred people in the United States who hate The Catholic Church, but there are millions who hate what they wrongly perceive the Catholic Church to be.”
My favorite quote of Sheen's is from his Emmy Award acceptance speech: "I wish to thank my four writers, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.” He had the gift of wry humor, often applied during his talks.
Fulton Sheen was also a prolific author. He wrote more than five dozen books, available at major bookstores and online.
Sheen was devoted to his daily Holy Hour, time spent in silent prayer and reflection in front of the Blessed Sacrament. It is said he never missed a day, and he always did it before he was to speak on the air. He died in his private chapel, in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, in December 1979.
After the 1960s, there is a generation or two that lost out on Fulton's Sheen's teachings. But he has experienced a huge revival in the digital age, with his shows airing on EWTN and YouTube. I found his entire series on YouTube last night. I recommend watching Episode 1, Quo Vadis America. It is so relevant to current events that I got the chills.
Sheen believed that communism was the worst threat to our nation. Considering the dangerous trajectory our politics have turned to, the man has been proved prescient.
The family of that stillborn baby is jubilant at today's beatification of Archbishop Sheen. They call him "an old family friend" and eagerly anticipate the verification of a second miracle attributable to Sheen, which will be required to declare him a saint.
My father would be very happy about today's events. Hopefully by now he and the good Archbishop are already "old friends" in heaven.
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| Blessed Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen ~ 1895-1979 |
