The Greatest Commandment
In modernity, the word love is one of the most commonly misused and abused in our language. Devoid of order, misconceptions about love run rampant, steeped as we are in narcissism, secular humanism, relativism, and hedonism. Separated from God, society tragically propagates a notion of love that is, in truth, the antithesis of authentic love.
Now more than ever we need Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen’s wisdom, wit, and logic to refute these errors. In our sightless, irrational, and deeply polarized world, his prescient words elucidate the most divisive issues of our time. Mindful that we are all children of God, Archbishop Sheen decries anti-Semitism, racism, and sexism. He also explains what real tolerance means and why anti-hate campaigns don’t work.
The Greatest Commandment is a timely reprint of Archbishop Sheen’s two seminal books Love One Another and God Love You. This anthology of his bestselling reflections also contains quotes and prayers that he compiled to foster ecumenism and societal unity. Drawing on Sacred Scripture, the writings of the saints, and philosophy, Archbishop Sheen explains:
- The meaning of love in light of the Holy Trinity
- Why God created us to love — and to be loved
- The three types of love and the nine ingredients to charity
- How Heaven is the ultimate fulfillment of our joy, desire, and love
- Why love cannot exist without truth
- How we give the greatest glory to God at Mass by uniting ourselves to Christ
A treasure to contemplate, The Greatest Commandment expounds upon our deep-seated need to love God and implore His mercy by developing a personal relationship with Him through Sacred Scripture and the Sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist and Confession. God’s loving quest for our souls in turn impels us to love our neighbor. Love is a decision and requires sacrifice; it is the total gift of self for another. Our witness aids the disillusioned in finding their way to God. By cooperating with God’s Love, we will bring about the restoration of the world.
About the Author
Fulton John Sheen was born in El Paso, Illinois, in 1895. In high school, he won a three-year university scholarship, but he turned it down to pursue a vocation to the priesthood. He attended St. Viator College Seminary in Illinois and St. Paul Seminary in Minnesota. In 1919, he was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Peoria, Illinois. He earned a licentiate in sacred theology and a bachelor of canon law at the Catholic University of America and a doctorate at the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium.
In 1952, Sheen began appearing on ABC in his own series, Life Is Worth Living. Despite being given a time slot that forced him to compete with Milton Berle and Frank Sinatra, the dynamic Sheen enjoyed enormous success and in 1954 reach tens of millions of viewers, non-Catholics as well as Catholics.
When asked by Pope Pius XII how many converts he had made, Sheen responded, “Your Holiness, I have never counted them. I am always afraid if I did count them, I might think I made them, instead of the Lord.”
His two great loves were for the Blessed Mother and the Eucharist. He made a daily holy hour before the Blessed Sacrament, from which he drew strength and inspiration to preach the gospel and in the presence of which he prepared his homilies. “I beg [Christ] every day to keep me strong physically and alert mentally in order to preach His gospel and proclaim His Cross and Resurrection,” he said. “I am so happy doing this that I sometimes feel that when I come to the good Lord in Heaven, I will take a few days’ rest and then ask Him to allow me to come back again to this earth to do some more work.”
