"The Cross in the battle versus Satan" by Bishop Fulton Sheen
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Description
In his enlightening sermon, Fulton Sheen addresses a youthful audience, blending humor and profound insights to explore the concepts of good, evil, and the diabolic in modern life. He starts with light anecdotes to engage his listeners, illustrating how easily we can be swayed by superficial pleasures and how different our perceptions can be as tourists versus residents in life's moral landscapes. Sheen recounts the story of a missionary in Vietnam encountering a possibly possessed child, segueing into a deeper discussion on the nature of the devil from both psychiatric and theological perspectives. He observes that as religious practices diminish, secular disciplines often adopt and distort these concepts, citing the example of psychiatrists discussing the demonic as theologians shy away from it. From a psychiatric viewpoint, Sheen discusses Rolo May's analysis of the diabolic, focusing on its nature to disrupt unity and create discord. This is exemplified in various societal divisions, including those within the Church. Biblically, Sheen interprets the essence of the satanic as a hatred of the cross of Christ, a theme he traces through the temptations of Jesus and Peter's reaction to Christ's prediction of his suffering and death. Sheen emphasizes that the satanic tempts with shortcuts to avoid the cross, promoting permissiveness, the allure of wonders, and the reduction of theology to mere politics. He warns of the rise of the demonic and the importance of recognizing how Christ and Satan appear to us before and after sin – Christ as an obstacle before sin but a defender after, and Satan as a seeming ally before sin but an accuser after. Concluding, Sheen underscores the power of the Holy Name of Jesus, the blood of Christ, and devotion to the Blessed Mother as weapons against Satan. He encourages embracing the cross and sharing the message of Christ's sacrifice, reminding his audience that at the end of life, we face either the merciful face of Christ or the terrifying face of Satan, with each claiming 'Mine'. The sermon is a compelling call to understand and resist the satanic, emphasizing the timeless relevance of the cross in Christian life.
More Episodes
In this sermon, Bishop Fulton Sheen reflects on how modern society has rejected the concept of sin, replacing it with rationalizations and excuses. He draws on historical and literary examples, such as Dostoevsky’s prediction that people would deny sin and guilt, and Shakespeare’s Macbeth, which...
Published 10/11/24
Published 10/11/24