Full transcript
0:00By showing the victory of Jesus Christ ,
0:02Fulton Sheen also gives us a tool for
0:04the fight . He does not leave us
0:06defenseless . He describes ways of
0:11dealing with evil , or rather , with Evil
0:13with a capital E. I hold in my hand a
0:27unique book , a truly extraordinary
0:29publication , Archbishop Fulton Sheen's
0:31book on the forces of evil . Why do I
0:35say it is extraordinary ? Firstly , it is
0:41written by an eminent American preacher
0:43, it contains his teachings ,
0:44conferences , and is , if only for the
0:46author's sake , worth reading , worth
0:48picking up . Archbishop Fulton Sheen , an
0:57eminent American priest and television
0:59preacher , a man who , since the 1930s ,
1:01used television to preach the Word of
1:03God , to proclaim the kerygma and the
1:05good news of salvation that reached
1:07millions of Americans who sat down
1:09before their TV sets every week just to
1:11listen to him . This eminent American
1:17theologian surely , I am deeply
1:19convinced of it , saved the souls of
1:21many , many people . Thanks to him , they
1:25converted , utilized the sacraments , and
1:27returned to the Church . So that is the
1:30first reason why it is worth picking up
1:32this book . The second thing that makes
1:39this book somewhat unique is that it is
1:41dedicated to the forces of evil , so one
1:43could perversely say that a kind of
1:44protagonist of this book is the demon .
1:55It is a good custom established by
1:57tradition to avoid saying the word
1:58demon , Satan , or the name of the evil
2:00spirit . Polish tradition has created
2:07various descriptive or substitute terms
2:09. Boruta , the Evil One , the Short One ,
2:13but in all cultures it has always been
2:15" diabolo , " the one who divides , right ?
2:17The prince of lies . This , in turn , is
2:20suggested to us by Holy Scripture . So
2:25that there is also a hidden conviction
2:26that invoking the name of the demon
2:28somehow invites him here into our
2:30reality and makes him appear here , that
2:37we are subjected to , or surrendered to ,
2:39or exposed to his actions . Therefore ,
2:46the negative protagonist of Fulton
2:48Sheen's book is indeed the evil spirit .
2:53The book is also extraordinary because
2:55it was created in an extraordinary way .
2:57Paradoxically , Fulton Sheen did not
2:59write it . I mean , you might say , wait a
3:02minute , how can it be a Fulton Sheen
3:04book not written by Fulton Sheen ? Well ,
3:07exactly . Fulton Sheen repeatedly , in
3:14various places , in various conferences ,
3:16in various statements , gave us to
3:18understand that the issue of the evil
3:20spirit's action in the world actually
3:22deserves a separate , extensive analysis
3:24, an extensive study , and he sort of
3:26intended to write such a book .
3:33Unfortunately , we did not live to see
3:35it . The world did not live to see
3:39Fulton Sheen write this book , and he
3:41died in 1979 without leaving such a
3:43publication behind . However , after many
3:50years , an American priest of Polish
3:52descent , as evidenced by the name David
3:55Tomaszycki , decided to aggregate ,
4:01decided to collect , to search through
4:03all the materials , through the entire
4:05legacy , the extremely rich legacy that
4:07remained after Archbishop Fulton Sheen .
4:12To collect those themes that relate
4:14precisely to the work of the evil
4:16spirit , to the work of evil forces in
4:18the world , in the Church , in the
4:19reality we are in . He gathered them ,
4:25edited them , and this book was created
4:27from that . So , everything contained in
4:33the pages of this publication is
4:35exactly what Archbishop Fulton Sheen
4:37said , wrote , preached , or left in his
4:39private notes . However , the compilation
4:49, the layout , and the editing are the
4:51work of the tireless Dawid Tomaszycki ,
4:53who spent many years digging through
4:55this extraordinary wealth of content ,
4:57words , thoughts , and reflections left
4:59behind by this outstanding American
5:01preacher . Another reason why I claim
5:11this is an extraordinary publication is
5:13that Archbishop Fulton Sheen does not
5:15stop at just diagnosing the situation .
5:21He , of course , describes the work of
5:23evil , of evil forces , in the world . He
5:28gives advice on how to recognize
5:29temptations and subtle tricks , shows
5:31the dangers , but above all , he
5:33beautifully describes the victorious
5:35sacrifice of the Lamb who takes away
5:37the sins of the world , who has taken
5:38away the sins of the world . When Sheen
5:44explains the work of evil forces and
5:46demonic structures , even when he writes
5:48about demons , he is actually focusing
5:50on the person of the Savior , the One
5:52who defeated that very demon . By
5:56showing the victory of Jesus Christ ,
5:58Fulton Sheen also gives us the tools
6:00for the fight . He does not leave us
6:06defenseless ; he describes ways of
6:08dealing with evil , or rather , with the
6:10Evil One with a capital E. When we
6:12consider the issues of the work of evil
6:14forces in the world , in the reality we
6:16are in , people often adopt one of two
6:18extreme attitudes . The first attitude
6:25is ignorance . Fulton Sheen describes it
6:27very well . And here is a quote . The
6:30Evil One always helps to spread the
6:32news of his own death . The essence of
6:36God , however , is existence . God defines
6:40Himself . I am who I am . The essence of
6:45the devil , however , is a lie . He
6:48defines himself : " I am who is not . "
6:51Satan has very little trouble , writes
6:53Fulton Sheen , with those who do not
6:55believe in him . The Archbishop warns
6:59and says : " They are already on his side
7:01. " That is the first attitude . The
7:08second attitude is an unhealthy , morbid
7:10interest , a fascination with demons and
7:12evil , even such things as watching
7:14movies about exorcisms or tracking this
7:16evil everywhere . Fulton Sheen warns
7:23that this is also not a healthy
7:25attitude , because in this way ,
7:27paradoxically , by noticing evil lurking
7:29around every corner , in every nook , in
7:31all messages , in all movies , and in
7:33books , we see the work of the demon . In
7:37every person , in everything , in every
7:39relationship we look for it . The action
7:42of some demonic forces , of sulfur ,
7:43accompanies us all the time . In this
7:48way , we ourselves , as it were , set the
7:51devil up on a pedestal , on a podium .
7:56Paradoxically , he focuses our attention
7:58on himself and paralyzes our lives . On
8:04the one hand , causing some terrible
8:06fear and unhealthy fascination , and on
8:08the other hand , we are essentially
8:09placing him at the center of our
8:11reality . That is not a good trait . You
8:16must not do that . This attitude is very
8:20, very strongly criticized here and
8:22condemned by Fulton Sheen . Uh , to
8:26maintain this healthy moderation . On
8:29one hand , absolutely do not ignore him ,
8:31knowing that the evil one is active in
8:33the world . On the other hand ,
8:37paradoxically , do not focus on him , do
8:39not acknowledge his omnipotence as the
8:41prince . of this world . Fulton Sheen
8:45suggests how we can do this . He assures
8:48us . Jesus Christ has already defeated
8:51him . Evil has been conquered . However ,
8:55of course , we must cooperate with God's
8:58grace in how to continue defeating him
9:00in our lives . Life is a spiritual
9:04battle . This is probably the most
9:07important thing from this book that I
9:08remember . Of course , I will not
9:11summarize the entire book . You will
9:13find a whole wealth of incredible
9:15content there . It speaks to everyone in
9:18different ways . I have selected a few
9:26fragments here that I am trying to
9:28present ; the book , firstly , has the
9:29character of a diagnosis on one hand , a
9:32theological manual on the other , and
9:34thirdly , a very practical guide on how
9:36to deal with this . And this part , this
9:43part I really , very , very highly
9:45recommend to everyone . In fact , I
9:47recommend this book to everyone . So ,
9:51what does Fulton Sheen say about how to
9:53cope ? Above all , recognize temptations .
9:57Human temptations are quite easy to
9:59analyze , Fulton Sheen writes , because
10:01they usually fall under one of these
10:03three categories . The first category is
10:07related to the body , meaning impurity .
10:10This includes , for example , gluttony .
10:17Today I would add to this an obsession
10:19with appearance , tattoos — of course ,
10:21Fulton Sheen did not live to see the
10:23explosion of tattoos we have today , but
10:25by diagnosing a certain universal
10:27temptation that touches man in his
10:28physicality , we can now interpret it
10:30and , as it were , expand this catalog of
10:33threats with the things we see . So , as
10:41I said , an obsession with one's own
10:43appearance , tattoos , which very often
10:46contain overt references to demonic
10:48symbolism . All these strange signs — I
10:54won't list them all here — very often
10:56some snakes , some dragons , which are
10:58found where people have splattered
11:00their own bodies , often in an absolute
11:02way , with some obsessive exaggeration .
11:08Well , that is a dangerous matter . That
11:10is absolutely demonic activity .
11:15Piercing various parts of the body ,
11:17also idolatrous concern for body
11:19sculpting , some gyms . There is nothing
11:22wrong with a healthy lifestyle . There
11:25is nothing wrong with physical fitness ,
11:27there is nothing wrong with taking care
11:28of your condition . But let's look for
11:33ourselves , how many people do we know
11:35for whom going to the gym is more
11:36important than going to church , or who
11:38have stopped going to church altogether
11:40, because the gym is a kind of
11:41para-religious ritual ? That is idolatry
11:46. It is the idolatrous shaping of one's
11:50own biceps , the physique , some special
11:52personal trainer , supplements , this and
11:54that — don't we know such attitudes ,
11:56don't we see this all around us ? Fulton
12:03Sheen warned against this many years
12:05ago , 50 , 60 years ago , and said : "
12:07Temptation related to the body is not
12:09just impurity or gluttony , but also
12:11everything I just mentioned : plastic
12:13surgery , Botox , injections — all of
12:15that is a demonic temptation . " Another
12:23category mentioned by the archbishop
12:24and included in the pages of this book
12:26is temptation . Temptation related to
12:31the mind : pride and envy . The third
12:35category of temptation is the
12:36idolatrous love of things , that is ,
12:38greed , the covetous desire for objects .
12:41Today we would call it unbridled
12:43consumption , compulsive shopping . Well ,
12:45I have an iPhone 12 , but darn , my
12:47friend already has the 15 , and then
12:49there's the 16 . They released a new car
12:52model . A test drive . They're inviting
12:57you . Mine still serves me well . But no .
13:01The neighbors have a better one ; this
13:03greed , this desire to possess , the fact
13:05that we can afford it , perhaps because
13:07we live in slightly better economic
13:08conditions today . This unbridled
13:13consumption . I repeat again , I will not
13:15summarize the entire book . I will leave
13:17you with that extraordinary pleasure ,
13:19that intellectual and spiritual
13:21adventure of delving into these
13:22successive themes . I will only point
13:28out that the book was created , emerged
13:30from the thoughts , reflections , and
13:32conferences of the archbishop , which
13:34spanned decades , certainly over 40
13:36years of his work — intellectual ,
13:43spiritual , and pastoral . Thus , one can
13:50see how threats changed , how eras
13:51changed , how the world changed , and how
13:54much this extraordinary theologian and
13:56pastor responded to new threats , to
13:58what civilization and technological
14:00development bring , and to certain
14:01social changes . Hence , for example ,
14:07Fulton Sheen perceived the embodiment
14:09of the Antichrist in the world in the
14:11totalitarian system , in totalitarian
14:14systems . After all , his life coincided
14:16with that . He was a witness to all
14:17these misfortunes , these terrible
14:19dramas that the 20th century brought
14:21with it . Two terrible criminal systems ,
14:24totalitarian systems . The German Third
14:29Reich and the Russian Soviet one .
14:33Communism — he writes here , I must
14:35quote exactly . " The Church is currently
14:38confronted with a philosophy which ,
14:40acting from the outside , gathers people
14:42into a collective subject to absolute
14:44control . " " At the same time , it
14:47organizes them from within , imposing a
14:49totalitarian way of thinking , forcing
14:51them to renounce their own opinions . "
14:56This quote refers , of course , to
14:58communism , but let's note how universal
15:01it is . Is it not easy to see its
15:04relevance today ? So many years after
15:07the death of Fulton Sheen — a reminder ,
15:10he died on December 9 , 1979 . Uh , what
15:15he writes about communism , about the
15:17totalitarian system , that threat is
15:18taking a new form today . Yes , that
15:21threat is taking — has taken today — a
15:24new , more perfidious , more camouflaged
15:26form . Do we not see the same codes ? Do
15:30we not see the same mechanisms ?
15:40Globalism , what is happening in the
15:42European Union , what the pandemic
15:44showed us , this global control of
15:46citizens , what the Union is heading
15:48toward — the Ventotene Manifesto ,
15:50Altiero Spinelli , and that whole
15:52Frankfurt School , Marcuse — all of this
15:54is being implemented today in major
15:56supranational projects , and Fulton
15:58Sheen diagnoses it all perfectly ,
16:00anticipating these threats from a
16:01perspective of 30 or 40 years ago . So
16:13that is truly the immense value of this
16:15book as well , that it does not lose its
16:17relevance . For Archbishop Fulton Sheen
16:21— and let us remember , these notes are
16:23from 50 , 60 years ago , some from 70
16:25years ago . The greatest threat , the
16:28incarnation — the incarnation of the
16:30Antichrist — was communism . He writes
16:33that the Church will probably no longer
16:35struggle with any great heresy . I am
16:37quoting literally . There will also
16:39presumably not be another great schism .
16:42Communism is the heir to all the
16:43schisms and heresies of past centuries .
16:46It gathers them all within itself and
16:48leads them to their logical culmination
16:50, which is the replacement of God with
16:52the Antichrist . In the future , the
16:55Church will not struggle with internal
16:56opposition , but with an external enemy .
17:00The times of civil war , which raged
17:01between different branches of
17:03Christianity , are over . From this
17:05moment on , we will experience an
17:06invasion from outside the sphere of
17:08culture , from outside the sphere of
17:09religion , from outside the sphere of
17:11reason . We will witness the
17:13enthronement of the collective man , who
17:15will take the place of God . And now , of
17:20course , today from the perspective of
17:2260 , as I said , 70 years , could Fulton
17:24Sheen have foreseen a new version of
17:26communism , this globalized system of
17:28enthroning not just the collective man ,
17:30or not only the collective man , but a
17:32collective — because it is universal —
17:34enthroning of identical extreme egoists
17:36? A narcissistic anti-culture of
17:41individuals focused on themselves ,
17:43unable to see beyond the tip of their
17:45own noses . After all , we see what is
17:49happening through social media , through
17:51this necessity to show off , the
17:53necessity to exist , the necessity of
17:55self-creation , of performing oneself .
17:59It is this collective madness . The
18:01enthronement , perhaps not of the
18:03collective man anymore , but the
18:04enthronement of identical egoists . And
18:09thereby similar to each other , atomized
18:11, and unhappily lonely . This diagnosis
18:16by Fulton Sheen certainly fits today's
18:18times very well , too , with a slight
18:20modification . One more important
18:24warning . Communism is not content with
18:29denying God . Communism demands
18:32rebellion against the Creator . Is what
18:41we see with the entire gender
18:43anti-culture , what we see today with
18:45the denial of reality in what this "
18:47woke " anti-culture brings — which
18:49rejects reality , rejects the tools of
18:51knowledge , which demands the creation
18:53of its own reality , which tries to
18:54change the environment even at the
18:56level of names and language — Surely ,
18:58that is cabal . These are some
19:08completely magical vibes that have
19:10begun to reign in contemporary
19:12philosophy , culture , the academic
19:13environment , and at universities . Also
19:22this , this , this rebellion against the
19:24Creator , rebellion against the creation
19:26that is my body , that is my biology ,
19:28the refusal , the refusal to acknowledge
19:30biological reality as binding , which is
19:32seen in gender transitions , which is
19:34seen in various gender deviations .
19:41After all , this is a rebellion against
19:43the Creator . This is an evident
19:45rebellion against the Creator . Fulton
19:47Sheen predicted this . And what else
19:49does Fulton Sheen write ? The action of
19:51the evil spirit reached its climax in
19:53the 20th century . From the multiplying
19:56rebellions of the past , which under
19:58innocent slogans of reform were aimed
20:00against the divinity of Christ , against
20:02the Holy Trinity , against the Eucharist
20:03, a monstrous giant was born . Marx once
20:08stated that the Reformation of the 15th
20:10century destroyed the external priest ,
20:12and our goal is to destroy the internal
20:14priest , that is , the spiritual nature
20:16of man . And further . The Antichrist
20:20will provide a psychological
20:21explanation for guilt as repressed
20:23eroticism . He will make people cringe
20:26with shame when someone says they don't
20:27have an open mind , that they aren't
20:29liberal . He himself adopts an attitude
20:34so open that he equates tolerance with
20:36indifference to evil , good , truth , and
20:38every error . See , Fulton Sheen already
20:43half a century ago perceived and
20:45diagnosed an anti-Christian revolution .
20:49This is a phenomenon that is very aptly
20:51summarized by contemporary philosopher ,
20:53prominent writer , and scientist Stephen
20:56Meyer . Well , Stephen Meyer , in his book
21:03" Return of the God Hypothesis , "
21:05presents such a trio , puts together
21:07such a trinity of spiritual fathers of
21:09the anti-Christian , demonic evolution
21:11of the Western world , pointing to ...
21:18Darwin , Marx , and Freud . And he says :
21:23Darwin showed us where we come from .
21:27Marx indicated where we are heading ,
21:29and Freud freed us from a sense of
21:31guilt . I will pause at Freud , because
21:39few people remember this . Few people
21:45know that in 1909 , when the ship George
21:47Washington was entering the port of New
21:49York , because Sigmund Freud and Gustav
21:51Jung had left for the United States ,
21:53from Austria , from Europe , they sailed
21:55to work at American universities .
22:06Sigmund Freud , on that ship , looking at
22:08the Statue of Liberty , is said to have
22:10said to his companion Carl Gustav Jung :
22:12" They do not realize we are bringing
22:14them the plague . " Fulton Sheen
22:19describes to us what this demonic
22:21plague consists of . It takes on the
22:23most varied forms . It is not just about
22:26the damage caused by psychologization ,
22:28the focus on eroticism , on one's own
22:30sex , on some sexual perversions , and so
22:33on . The common element is the loss of a
22:36sense of sin , the loss of a sense of
22:38guilt , the loss of a sense of awareness
22:40of good and evil . If there is no sin ,
22:44writes Fulton Sheen , there is also no
22:46redemption . The sacrifice of Jesus
22:49Christ on Golgotha was therefore
22:50completely meaningless . Unnecessary .
22:52The incarnation was unnecessary , and
22:54the resurrection is also of no
22:56significance . This is the complete
22:58recipe for the victory of the forces of
22:59evil . This is the victory of the plague
23:02. And how does this look in the Church ?
23:05And another quote . In the Church , a
23:08proposal appeared briefly for children
23:10not to go to confession . Do you
23:12remember that campaign in Gazeta
23:14Wyborcza ? I think there was an entire
23:20series of articles about the terrible
23:22psychological damage and traumas
23:24children suffer from going to
23:26confession , having to kneel before some
23:28man who asks them who knows what , and
23:30so on and so forth — that we should
23:31abandon confession , collecting
23:33signatures , some sort of civic action ,
23:35it was just madness . Fulton Sheen
23:42predicts and describes this using the
23:44American example , but just as it came
23:46from outside the Church here , it is
23:48very often those who hate the Church
23:50the most , or who are outside the Church
23:51, who write about it . That is how they
23:55most often speak on this subject .
23:58Fulton Sheen points out that in the
24:00American Church , a tendency was
24:01emerging for children not to go to
24:03confession before receiving their First
24:05Communion . It was argued that this
24:08could trigger an experience of sin or a
24:10false sense of guilt in them . But
24:12Fulton Sheen continues to wonder if
24:14children truly do not know what sin is .
24:18After all , any three-year-old would
24:20burst into tears if they heard from
24:21their mother , " Mommy doesn't love you
24:23anymore . " A child — the archbishop
24:27writes — understands very well the
24:29meaning of a broken relationship , which
24:31is the essence of sin , because that is
24:33what sin is : the breaking of a
24:34relationship with God . Also , a
24:39manifestation of this plague that Freud
24:41spoke of — the way modern man uses to
24:43escape from a sense of guilt — is
24:45convincing himself that he is not
24:47guilty at all and does not need
24:49redemption , does not need these sins
24:51washed away . He needs medical or
24:56psychological therapy . This way of
25:01escaping from sin is precisely the
25:03exchange of penitents for patients .
25:06There are no guilty people , only sick
25:08ones . Fulton Sheen writes . In the mind
25:11of modern man , the thought of the
25:13forgiveness of sins does not even arise
25:14. We lie down comfortably on the couch ,
25:18the archbishop writes , at the
25:19psychoanalyst's , instead of bending our
25:21knees and begging for forgiveness .
25:24Since by receiving communion we haven't
25:26accepted our Savior , because we don't
25:28need salvation , we don't need the
25:30redemption of sins , we only need
25:32therapy . We do not accept our Savior ,
25:37that is , someone who offered Himself
25:38out of love for our sins , so we might
25:40as well be receiving communion with
25:42Buddha . Ultimately , what is the
25:45difference ? Many people , Fulton Sheen
25:48writes , have problems with their own
25:50identity . And another quote . Because
25:52they are always looking for fault in
25:54others , it never even occurs to them to
25:56look into the hell of their own hearts .
25:59And guilt will not disappear just
26:00because we deny its existence . The vast
26:05majority of people undergoing
26:07psychiatric treatment would feel better
26:08if they knelt at the foot of the cross
26:10and went to confession , instead of
26:12searching for justifications for their
26:14own lifestyle . Rationalizing is
26:18therefore another form of escape . from
26:21sin . Yes , taking into account the surge
26:28in suicides , the illness of loneliness ,
26:30and how overcrowded psychiatric offices
26:32are today , this diagnosis from a
26:34prominent American preacher decades ago
26:36is once again so relevant . Fulton
26:42Sheen's book , like so many of his books
26:44, is an encounter with a brilliant
26:46polymath . Here we have references to
26:52mass culture , great poetry , books —
26:54most often American ones — thinkers ,
26:56philosophy , but also to films , theater ,
26:58song lyrics , ephemeral verse , and
27:00events that were happening or had taken
27:03place in the United States . Fulton
27:10Sheen strongly describes and
27:12experiences as the work of the demon
27:14what happened when the Americans
27:15dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima
27:17and Nagasaki . He also reacts strongly
27:28to everything happening in offices and
27:30scientific laboratories that could
27:32bring about further destruction , which
27:34... well , this area of his reflection on
27:36modernity and the contemporary world is
27:38quite pessimistic . But as I said , even
27:48seeing the forces of evil and demonic
27:50powers everywhere in these actions , he
27:52always directs our attention to the
27:54cross , to salvation , and to redemption .
28:01And on the other hand , this erudition
28:02of his — which shouldn't surprise us in
28:04a priest — is also striking in how
28:06deeply he is a man of the Word of God .
28:10How deeply he clung to the Holy
28:12Scriptures , to the Bible , and how many
28:14references there are to the Old
28:15Testament juxtaposed with the Gospels .
28:19Then he quotes the words of the psalms .
28:21Well , that is a truly impressive thing .
28:24It is so compelling . For example , one
28:27of the gospel scenes he recalls is he
28:33writes about how in Capernaum , the Lord
28:35Jesus heals a possessed man and quotes
28:37the voice of the demon . Oh , what do you
28:41want with us , Jesus of Nazareth ? Have
28:43you come to destroy us ? I know who you
28:46are , the Holy One of God . I believe
28:48Luke and Mark describe this exact scene
28:50in a very similar way . Fulton Sheen
28:53comments that evil is particularly
28:55sensitive to the presence of good . It
28:57detects a threat to its existence long
28:59before the good realizes what is
29:03happening . It does not waste energy
29:07fighting a harmless opponent . The fact
29:12that the internal enemies of the Church
29:13always form an alliance with enemies
29:15from the outside is the best proof that
29:17the Church is not dying of defeat . Look
29:22, internal enemies , who are inside the
29:24Church , inside the community , form an
29:26alliance with the external ones . For
29:31Fulton Sheen , this phenomenon — which
29:33is absolutely present among us , we
29:35experience it here in Poland — for
29:37Fulton Sheen , he draws a good message
29:39from it , a positive message , proof that
29:41the Church is not dying . Thank God that
29:46the Church is still considered an enemy
29:48. Sometimes it stirs anger in people ,
29:52their own resentment , which is the only
29:54reason for their rebellion against it ,
29:56yet the press gladly publishes every
29:57confession of a priest or religious who
29:59speaks out against the Church they
30:01serve . The very bitterness of those who
30:05claim the Church no longer has any
30:07meaning shows and proves how important
30:09a place the Church community actually
30:11holds in their lives . Well , that is the
30:14paradox . Many of the fragments compiled
30:17here by Dawid Tomaszycki from Fulton
30:19Sheen’s conferences come from
30:20retreats for priests . And another quote
30:23. As for the priests , each of them
30:26should see himself not only as a priest
30:28, but also as a victim . He will not
30:33offer a host other than himself , but
30:35will offer himself , offering himself as
30:37a host . He will gather all the ailments
30:41of his parish , take into his hands all
30:43the loneliness of the atheists and
30:44skeptics he knows , and bring them to
30:46Christ . In all the wrongs committed in
30:49this world , he will perceive the wounds
30:50inflicted upon Him . He will understand
30:53that the reparation for the pride of
30:55the scholars of the whole world is the
30:56crown of thorns placed upon His head .
31:00He will grasp that as compensation for
31:02the wandering of those who have left
31:03the shadow of the cross , where holiness
31:05is born , his feet are bound . He will
31:11lay all false loves in His pierced
31:13heart , and to any threats directed at
31:15him for remaining faithful , he will
31:16answer with the words : " Father , forgive
31:18them , for they do not know what they do
31:20. " And truthfully , after this moving
31:27passage from the retreat for priests , I
31:29should end this column of mine , but
31:31from his vast body of work , we have
31:33more selected fragments here that serve
31:34as a guide . It wouldn't be complete if
31:40I omitted this part . Ready-made recipes
31:44available to everyone . He shows the
31:47three best ways of fighting that
31:49overcome the demon . The name of Jesus .
31:52The Blood of Jesus Christ , invoking it
31:54— and here is a wonderful paragraph
31:56about what the blood is . Blood , in
32:00which there is sin in our blood , and
32:02the blood of the propitiatory sacrifice
32:04. And the next one , which is once again
32:07the name of Jesus , the invocation of
32:09the name of Jesus . At His name , every
32:11knee shall bend . The Blood of Christ ,
32:13which washes away sins . The blood of
32:15the Lamb , which washes away sins , and
32:17the Most Holy Virgin Mary . The
32:19Immaculate Heart of Mary . Fulton Sheen
32:22was a very Marian priest . And finally ,
32:27as far as the guide goes , he shows that
32:29without adoration , we will not change .
32:34Dramatic statistics that were conducted
32:36among English priests . Well , if this
32:40took place during Fulton Sheen’s life
32:42, then it must be the 60s or 70s , or
32:44the early 60s or 70s . He says that in
32:51studies conducted in England among
32:52clergymen , both Protestant and Catholic
32:54, when asked how much time they spend
32:56daily on prayer , the average came to
32:58six minutes . Fulton Sheen admits ,
33:04everything I have , everything I can
33:06share comes solely and exclusively from
33:08the Holy Hour . And here is a huge ,
33:12magnificent hymn in honor of adoration .
33:17The entire last part of the book
33:19dedicated to the Holy Hour is an
33:21encouragement to prayer , showing how
33:23much grace , how much good , what an
33:25incredible resource , what a reservoir
33:27of God's love is hidden in this
33:28possibility of adoration , what we
33:30receive , and how much he himself
33:32benefited from it . If we wonder where
33:38this outstanding priest had so much
33:40strength for conferences , books ,
33:42writing papers , participating , and at
33:44the same time administering a diocese
33:46and so on — after all , he was a bishop ,
33:52then we will understand what a powerful
33:54force adoration is . He says daily
33:57adoration , an hour dedicated to the
33:59Lord Jesus , an hour before the Blessed
34:01Sacrament , an hour with the Holy
34:03Scripture . This is the most effective
34:08weapon for defeating the forces of evil
34:09. I remind you once again , Fulton Sheen
34:16does not mince words , he does not
34:18sugarcoat reality . He writes directly :
34:21" We live in the times of the devil . " We
34:26live in the times of the devil and it
34:28is high time to take seriously the task
34:30of practicing the Holy Hour , pointing
34:32out that this Holy Hour — every
34:34Christian , every Catholic , every
34:35religious sister , every priest — note ,
34:37we do not include the Holy Mass
34:39celebrated by a priest in the Holy Hour
34:41. Yes , the faithful may include it . Yes
34:48, such a detailed guide is what the
34:50archbishop reveals to us here . So why
34:56is it essential to read this book ? In
34:58summary , the life of a Christian , the
35:00life of every Catholic , is a battle , it
35:02is an area of struggle . If we want to
35:09win this battle , we must take advantage
35:11of what Dawid Tłaszycki has collected
35:13from the vast pastoral , spiritual , and
35:15theological legacy of an outstanding
35:17priest who will be beatified on
35:19September 24th .