Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

[JimR-OCDS]

“As the scourging was the reparation for the sins of the flesh, so the crowning with thorns was the atonement for the sins of the mind – for the atheists who wish there were no God, for the doubters whose evil lives becloud their thinking, for the egotists, centered on themselves. The soldiers cursed as the thorns pricked their fingers. Then they cursed the Lord, as they drove the crown of thorns into His head, as a mockery of a royal diadem. Into His hands they placed a reed, the symbol of His kingdom, presumed to be false and unstable like the reed. His flesh, already hanging from Him like purple rags, is now covered with a purple robe to ridicule His claim to kingship of hearts and nations. Blindfolding Him, they struck Him, asking Him to prophesy, or tell whom it was that delivered the blow. They then bowed down before Him in mock reverence, spitting in His face, that all the subsequent Mindszentys, Stepinacs, and martyrs of the world might have courage in their hour of martyrdom. In this Mystery is verified the truth of our Saviour’s warning: ‘If the world hates you, be sure that it hated Me before it learned to hat you. If you belonged to the world, the world would know you for its own and love you; it is because you do not belong to the world, because I have singled you out from the midst of the world, that the world hates you.’ He who expects to preserve His faith without being mocked by the world is either weak in it, or else not so bold in goodness as to draw upon himself the mocking insults of another purple robe and a torturing circle of thorns.” Archbishop Fulton Sheen (The Fifteen Mysteries)

Jim

 

[rcuk]

Amen!

Thank you for sharing that.

A wonderful man. God rest his soul.

 

[eschator83]

Thank you for this reminder of Archbishop Sheen. There are elements of his style that seem very similar at Pope Benedict XVI–such as fondness for esoteric references which are unexplained and contribute little to the primary theme (Mindzentyz, Stepanics) and perhaps awkward phrases (in Benedict’s case I’ve wondered if many translations were poor, or if there is much in the German logic that just can’t be effectively expressed in English) such as “expect to preserve faith without being mocked for it”.
Most striking, and very Benedictine I think, is the authoritative (what’s wrong with authoritive) assertion “As scourging was reparation for sins of the flesh, so crowning with thorns was atonement for sins of the mind…” As far as I know, this powerful interpretation is unique to Sheen.
There is a Group here at Ccom devoted to Sheen’s book Life of Christ, that I recently noticed, which has been inactive for some time; most of the original members are now inactive. But I brought the book up from the basement and will try again to read it and comment on it in the Group, which I hope others will visit and join.
Sheen’s The Seven Last Words has been the easiest for me, perhaps partly because it’s so short (63 pp), and partly because it stays relatively close to Scripture. I am also now struggling with America’s Bishop, by Thomas Reeves, a Sheen biography, which I would also enjoy discussing.

 

[hakop]

Thank you for posting that Jim, very enlightening and opens up our eyes to the foul treatment our Lord underwent, and we can expect to undergo through the trials and tribulations and persecutions of the wicked one we will have to face as true believers.
I found that the spirit of fear likes to work in us faithful believers when this happens, but as it is written in 2 Timothy 1:7, God does not give us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. We must keep a firm grasp on the power and love our Lord gives us and the peace of mind, when undergoing these temptations to become angry with our persecutors or our enemies. We must turn the other cheek, because our reward is in heaven. We must give them our cloak as well when they take our coat from us. We must continue to love them, even having and undergoing spiritual and physical attacks, because through this we show that we are children of the Most High God, the Father of the Lord of Lords and King of Kings, Jesus Christ. Love one another, like the Lord has loved us, even if they mistreat you and hate you. Love the sinners, hate the sin. Jesus sat down and ate and drank with the sinners. He loved them regardless. Let us do the same.