Bishop Sheen. You Should Know His Name

Many of our Catholic friends know of Bp. Fulton Sheen, but of course our friends are demi-geriatrics.  The kids?  That's another thing.  They don't know about him, or maybe--if their parents bring it up--they've 'heard of the guy.'  He's on his way to being canonized a Saint of the Church.

So I've read, by luck, several dozen of his short essays are contained in a book:  "On Being Human" which is still available (!!!) and YOU SHOULD BUY IT.

Anyhow.

Sheen taught at Catholic University, worked in New York as a parish priest and Auxiliary Bishop, and had a very successful radio and television career from 1930-1968 or so.  His TV series "Life is Worth Living" is available on YouTube.  YOU SHOULD WATCH IT. 

He had a very good grasp of societal trends--just reading these essays can bring a knowing grin to one's face.

Today I ran across a passage which is remarkable.  Sheen was discussing the receding of Reason in the US and he wrote:

"What has taken the place of reason?  Emotion, feeling, sentiment, repetition, subliminal suggestion, the irrational and glandular reaction.  The blindfolded lady of Reason has given way to the Aeolian harp....

"One notices this particularly in the Aeolian harps of the 20th century:  radio and television.  Practically no advertisement appeals to reason....

"What effect does the antirational or Aeolian harp have on religion?  Religion which appeals to reason, justice, sin, and Word Incarnate has little appeal to the emotional masses of people.  Religion is aboveground with reason and theology; the masses are underground with doubts, fears, frustrations, anxieties, dreads.  ..."

When the most-used expression is "I feel......." instead of "I THINK......" you know that Sheen was right.  You can smell the lack of Reason in politics, of course; that's a given.  But that lack of Reason has assaulted the Law, too.  That's going to be a problem.

Ask Sheen to pray for us.  And buy the book!