For the past two months, I've been Catholicised (I made up that word) myself with a few good Catholic books and podcasts especially by Brant J. Pitre. Along the way, I stumbled upon recorded sermons and talks by the late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen (recommended by Bishop Robert E. Barron). I'm immediately hooked by this man. He was known for his TV and radio broadcasts. Bishop Sheen was someone who was not only rock-solid theologically (obviously, I still have beef with some of the Roman Catholic major doctrines) but also a master communicator and could relate concepts with great insight, wisdom, humor, and seriousness that appealed even to the non-Catholics like me. When I hear the man, I hear a deep spiritual giant.
So, I searched for his other recorded materials and found Going On Retreat a live sermon series in the form of an audiobook (6 hours+). Here Bishop Sheen teaches the priests and seminarians during a retreat (1973?) on such topics as the Nature of Christ, The Holy Spirit, Sin and Guilt, The Blessed Mother, the Apostle Peter, etc. Two concepts that stuck with me are: 1) 'Priest-Victim' - where he discusses the nature of sacrifice, the difference between priesthood and victimhood, and the need for priests to be both; and 2) 'The Daily Hour' - the need for priests to pray and fast as spiritual habits that nurture the soul and those who they serve. He once said, "Prayer begins by talking to God, but it ends by listening to Him. In the face of Absolute Truth, silence is the soul's language. Fasting detaches you from this world. Prayer re-attaches you to the next world." His Bible expositions - style and substance - on the Cross of Christ and the lives of the apostles Peter and Judas are superb! Go listen!
#ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #ArchbishopFultonSheen #Retreat #Priesthood #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain
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THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.
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