Fulton Sheen

“How God will judge my life I know not, but I trust he will see me with mercy and compassion. I am only certain there will be three surprises in Heaven. First of all, I will see some people whom I never expected to see. Second, there will be a number whom I expected who will not be there. And – even relying on God’s mercy – the biggest surprise of all may be that I will be there. When the record of any human life is set down, there are three pairs of eyes who see it in a different light. 1. As I see it. 2. As others see it. 3. As God sees it.”
— Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

Lord, help us to focus on You as Fulton Sheen did so that we may be humble when looking upon ourselves, so that others will see You when they look upon us, and so we can see our lives as You see us.

Then pray: the Prayer for Canonization (above), one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be.

“Protestants, Jews and Catholics have God, morality, and religion in common. In the name of God, let us – Jews, Protestants, and Catholics – do two things: 1. Realize that an attack upon one is an attack upon all, since we are all one in God; it is not tolerance we need, but charity; not forbearance but love. 2. Begin doing something about religion, and the least we can do is say our prayers; to implore God’s blessings upon the world and our country; to thank Him for his blessings; and to become illumined in the fullness of His truth. There is entirely too much talk about religion and not enough action.”
— Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

Lord, Fulton Sheen reached out to people of every religion. Help us to focus on what we have in common instead of our differences.

Then pray: the Prayer for Canonization (above), one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be.

“In every friendship hearts grow and entwine themselves together, so that the two hearts seem to make only one heart with only a common thought. That’s why separation is so painful; it is not so much two hearts separating, but one being torn asunder.”
— Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

Lord, help me to build up spiritual friendship in my life so I can become one with them as we will all be one in heaven. Above all, help me to realize that separation from You means an empty heart for me.

Then pray: the Prayer for Canonization (above), one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be.

“The great tragedy of life is not so much what men have suffered, but what they have missed. And what greater tragedy is there than to miss the peace of sin forgiven? There is not a man living who, if he willed it, could not enjoy the spiritual food and drink which God serves to all who ask.”
— Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

Lord, Fulton Sheen led so many to peace of soul by introducing them to your forgiveness. Help us to share your gift of peace to others by introducing them to Your true loving forgiveness and gift of Confession.

Then pray: the Prayer for Canonization (above), one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be.

“All love on this earth involves choice. When, for example, a young man expresses his love to a young woman and asks her to become his wife, he is not just making an affirmation of love; he is also negating his love for anyone else. In that one act by which he chooses her, he rejects all that is not her. There is no other real way in which to prove we love a thing than by choosing it in preference to something else. Word and signs of love may be, and often are, expressions of egotism or passion; but deeds are proofs of love. We can prove we love our Lord only by choosing Him in preference to anything else.”
— Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

Lord, Fulton Sheen loved you above all things. Help us to choose to put you first in our lives so that we may learn what true love is.

Then pray: the Prayer for Canonization (above), one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be.

“Burning the candle at both ends for God’s sake may be foolishness to the world, but it is a profitable Christian exercise for so much better the light! Only one thing in life matters: Being found worthy of the Light of the World in the hour of His visitation. We need have no undue fear for our health if we work hard for the Kingdom of God; God will take care of our health if we take care of His cause. In any case, it is better to burn out than to rust out.”
— Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

Lord, even when tired and sick, Fulton Sheen worked unceasingly for your Kingdom. Help us to learn how to tirelessly work for You through Fulton Sheen. Help us to know that there is no rest until we rest in You.

Then pray: the Prayer for Canonization (above), one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be.

“Mary is not only mother of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, but she is also our mother, and this is not by a title of courtesy, not by legal fiction, not by a mere figure of speech, but by the right of bringing us forth in sorrow at the foot of the cross… Mary, by sacrifice and obedience, regained for us the title, Mother of the living. What a destiny to have the Mother of God as my Mother and Jesus as my brother.”
— Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

Lord, Fulton Sheen learned obedience at the school of Mary. He had such a great relationship with her; he knew that when he went before the judgment seat of Christ You would say ‘I heard my Mother speak of you.’ Help us to better know Mary so we may gain insight into such great obedience, love, faith and hope.

Then pray: the Prayer for Canonization (above), one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be.

“If we followed the same rules for health that we do about religion, we would all be bedridden. It is not enough to talk about the necessity of health; we must do something practical about it – for example, eat, exercise, and rest. So it is with religion. We must nourish ourselves with the truths of God, exercise our spiritual muscles in prayer, mortify ourselves of those things which are harmful to the soul, and be just as scrupulous in avoiding moral evil as we are in avoiding physical evil.”
— Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

Lord, Fulton Sheen did not ask others to go to confession or visit our Lord an hour a day without doing it himself. He practiced what he preached. Guard us from hypocrisy and help us to lead others to you through our actions.

Then pray: the Prayer for Canonization (above), one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be.

“The better we become, the less conscious we are of our goodness. If anyone admits to being a saint, he is close to being a devil. Jean Jacques Rousseau believed that of all men, he was the most perfect, but he had so many cracks in his soul that he abandoned his children after their birth. The more saintly we become, the less conscious we are of being holy. A child is cute so long as he does not know that he is cute. As soon as he thinks he is, he turns into a brat. True goodness is unconscious.”
— Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

Lord, Fulton Sheen always thought of himself as an unworthy servant and never thought himself a saint. Help us to be humble in our service and to realize as Fulton Sheen realized that all good works come from You.

Then pray: the Prayer for Canonization (above), one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be.

1. It is time spent in the presence of our Lord Himself. If faith is alive, no other reason is needed.
2. In our busy life it takes considerable time to shake off the “noonday devils,” the worldly cares, which cling to our souls like dust.
3. Our Lord asked for it. “Had you no strength, then, to watch with me even for an hour?” (Matthew 26:40)
4. The Holy Hour keeps a balance between the spiritual and the practical. Our resolutions pass from the conscious to the subconscious and then become motives of action.
5. The Holy Hour will make us practice what we preach.
6. The Holy Hour helps us make reparation both for the sins of the world and for our own.
7. Our sinful impulses are prevented from arising through the barrier erected each day by the Holy Hour. We will have spiritual resiliency to bounce back quickly after a fall.
8. The Holy Hour is a personal prayer, not an obligation. Love begins when duty finishes.
9. Meditation keeps us from seeking external escape from our worries and miseries.
10. Finally, the sole requirement is the venture of faith, and the reward is the depths of intimacy for those who cultivate His friendship.

“No rules,” Fulton Sheen says, “just spend a continuous hour before the Blessed Sacrament.”

We speak to God. Begin by placing yourself consciously in the presence of the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Our Lord. Prayer is not a mere asking for things, but an aiming at a transformation. We pray not to dispose God to give us something, but to dispose ourselves to receive something from Him: the fullness of Divine Life.

God speaks to us. We must not do all the talking; we must also be good listeners. “Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth.” Speak to God about how little you have corresponded to His will and how anxious you are to do it. Make acts of faith, hope, and love, and only when that train of thought has been exhausted proceed to the next idea.

Adapted from The Holy Hour Book by Fulton J. Sheen.

Act of Faith
O my God, I firmly believe that you are one God in three divine Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I believe that your divine Son became man and died for our sins and that he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe these and all the truths which the Holy Catholic Church teaches because you have revealed them who are eternal truth and wisdom, who can neither deceive nor be deceived. In this faith I intend to live and die. Amen.

Act of Hope
O Lord God, I hope by your grace for the pardon of all my sins and after life here to gain eternal happiness because you have promised it who are infinitely powerful, faithful, kind, and merciful. In this hope I intend to live and die. Amen.

Act of Love
O Lord God, I love you above all things and I love my neighbor for your sake because you are the highest, infinite and perfect good, worthy of all my love. In this love I intend to live and die. Amen.

Anima Christi
Soul of Christ, sanctify me. Body of Christ, save me. Blood of Christ, inebriate me. Water from the side of Christ, wash me. Passion of Christ, strengthen me. O good Jesus, hear me. Within your wounds hide me. Never permit me to be parted from you. From the evil Enemy defend me. At the hour of my death call me and bid me come to you, that with your Saints I may praise you for ever and ever. Amen.