Fishers of Men

As a wrap-up to Fulton Sheen's book on the priesthood, A Priest Is Not His Own, we watched a video made for theUnited States Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Vocations and Priestly Formation by Grassroots Films.  The goal of the 18 minute video, Fishers of Men, is to give people a look in on the life of a Roman Catholic Priest and invite young men to open their hearts to the call.
1.  How can we challenge our children to be something remarkable?
2.  What image(s) most struck you?  Why?
3.  What influence did Pope John Paul II have on your formation?
4.  How can we, as mothers, encourage and support our children’s vocations?

Sheen Film: Servant of All

Chapter 17: The Priest and His Mother

Definition-
putative (page 274)-purported; commonly put forth or accepted as true on inconclusive grounds

1.  Have you consecrated yourself and/or your child(ren) to Mary?  How do you pray for them, specifically concerning their vocation?  (page 271)

2.  What role does Marian devotion play in your spirituality?  (page 275)

3.  Amidst which daily tasks do you find yourself "on duty" rather than "on love"?  (page 275)

4.  How does the reality that "every soul is either a potential convert or a potential saint" impact your daily interactions?  (page 276)

5.  Share an example of how Mary has lightened your cross.  (page 276)

6.  "The Marian dimension of the Church is antecedent to that of the Petrine, without being in any way divided from it or being less complementary (Mulieris Dignitatem, On the Dignity and Vocation of Women, footnote 55).  In what ways does our vocation as Catholic women support the dignity and vocation of our priests? our husbands?

Chapter 16: The Eucharist and the Body of the Priest

1.  How can a healthy Catholic view of the body help our daughters (and ourselves) avoid the low self-esteem perpetuated by our body conscience media/society?  (page 256)

2.  Do you treat your body as a temple of God?  Does your face reflect this fact?  (page 259)

3.  What practical steps do you and your husband take to guard the love in your marriage?  (page 260)

4.  Have you instructed your child(ren) about purity?  What illustrations did you use?  Did you consider any of Sheen's points?  (page 261-266)

5.  How does your faith express itself in sacrifice?  (page 267)

Chapter 15: How to Make a Holy Hour

1.  To what extent is meditation a part of your spiritual exercises?  (page 243)

2.  Share an example of a particularly fruitful meditation.  (pages 243-244)

3.  What is your favorite prayer posture?  (page 245)

4.  How do we show our love to God on a daily basis? our husband? our child(ren)?  (page 247)

5.  How has your increased knowledge of doctrine increased your love of Christ?  (page 249)

6.  "Today's strength must come from the Lord of today."  What helps you focus on the present rather than "forebodings and worries about the future"?  (page 250)

Chapter 14: Why Make a Holy Hour?

Definition:
Black Mass (page 233)-the name given to a ceremony supposedly celebrated during the Witches' Sabbath, which was a parody of the Catholic Mass.  Its main objective was the profanation of the Host, although there is no agreement among authors on how Hosts were obtained or profaned.

1.  How do you make time in the Presence of Our Lord?  (page 230)

2.  Is the Sacred Heart enthroned in your home?  What graces has this brought to your family?  (page 232)

3.  Share an example of how you have seen or felt grace through the hands of a priest.  (page 233)

4.  How have you become more "disposed to goodness" as your continue your walk with Christ?  (page 235)

5.  Remember your engagement story.  How does Christ "engage" you?  Do you respond to Him as you did to your fiance?  (page 236)

6.  What external escape from our worries and miseries do we seek?  (page 237)

Chapter 13: Judas and the First Crack in His Priesthood

Definition: unguent (page 214)-ointment: semisolid preparation (usually containing a medicine) applied externally as a remedy or for soothing an irritation

1.  How do we guard against avarice while using prudence (the proximate guidance for the judgment of conscience, see CCC 1806) with our resources?  (page 215)

2.  In our culture of self-determinism, how can we become "slaves of obedience" and teach our child(ren) to do the same?  (page 216)

3.  "The Church, which is the continuing Christ, must always expect such hostile coalitions in times of crisis.  Evil is hypersensitive to goodness.  It detects a challenge to its existence long before good men are awake to the signs of the times."  Perhaps the media fixation with priest scandals are, in part, an attack on the Church's "new springtime" that Pope John Paul II spoke about.  What signs of this springtime do you see?  (page 220)

4.  How much do we emphasize/strive for humility?  (page 221)

5.  As Judas and Nietzsche did, modern media often embraces evil as good.  How can we guard against the trend toward the secular value of moral relativism?  (page 225)

6.  How can we help foster devotion to the Divine Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist in our child(ren)?  (page 229)

Chapter 12: Melchizedek and Bread

1.  How does having a priest from the line of Melchizedek rather than Aaron effect our worship experience?  (pages 200-202)

2.  Do you agree with Sheen that "[f]or the Christian who lives in the realm of grace, the demands of the holiness of God are not less demanding than they were for the Jew under the Old Testament"?  Why or why not?  (page 206)

3.  How is Christ a source of blessing to you?  A source of affliction to those you know who refuse to recognize the power of God?  (page 207)

4.  "What does each of us seek in Christ?  Is it something He has, or is it He?"  (page 212)

5.  What role does Eucharistic devotion play in your spirituality?  (page 212)

6.  How we help our child(ren) foster a holy reverence/fear of God, the sacraments and His dwelling?  (page 211)

Chapter 11: The Return to Divine Favor

1.  What helps keep you going when you want to give up?  (page 185)

2.  How can we move from imperfect contrition (remorse) to perfect contrition (repentance)?  (page 185)

3.  How can we teach our child(ren) and ourselves that obedience is an essential response of love?  (page 192)

4.  How do you express your agapao of your husband and child(ren)?  Your phileo of them?  (pages 192-193)

5.  How have your falls helped you grow in holiness?  (page 196)

6.  What part of St. Francis de Sales advice resonates with you?  (page 199)

Chapter 10: The Priest as Simon and Peter

1.  Which members of your family circle have brought you to Christ?  Whom have you brought to meet Him?  (page 164)

2.  "Praiseworthy intentions are always ready to hand, but I cannot find my way to the performance of them (Romans 7:18)."  How have you done with your Lenten resolutions?  (page 164)

3.  Which strong qualities are also your stumbling blocks?  (page 166)

4.  When/how has your awareness of your own sinfulness brought you closer to Christ?  (page 170)

5.  What helps you to embrace the cross as the source of Redemption, rather than try to escape as Judas did?  (page 172)

6.  How can we make prayer a daily a priority and practical reality?  (pages 174-177)

7.  What, besides prayer, replenishes you after giving of yourself?  (page 176)

8.  How often do we act as if our primary duty is our own sanctification?  (page 178)

9.  Is it easier for you to keep company with God in times of prosperity or trouble?  (page 182)

Chapter 9: The Spirit and Counseling

1. "He came to Simon Peter; and Peter said to him, "Lord, do you wash my feet?" Jesus answered him, "What I am doing you do not know now, but afterward you will understand." Peter said to him, "You shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part in me." Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!" Jesus said to him, "He who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but he is clean all over; and you are clean..." (Jn 13: 6-10) Like Peter, we sometimes struggle either acknowledging our sin or accepting forgiveness and feeling like we must do "more." How do grace, faith, mortification, and prayer each play a role in requiting our sense of guilt? Which do you struggle with/turn to most often? (page 149)

2. In our own time, how does our culture's interest in Satan manifest itself? What can we do to guard against his influence? (page 150)

3. Share a redemptive experience from your life. (page 153)

4. Have the fallen away Catholics in your life left because of the Creed or the Commandments? (page 153)

5. "Sins of pride are understood through the crown of thorns; sins of lust, through the torn flesh; sins of avarice, through the poverty of nakedness; and sins of alcoholism, through thirst. Moreover, sin must be seen as resisting the Spirit of Love (Acts 7:51), as stifling the Spirit of Love (1 Thess 5:19) and as distressing the Spirit of Love (Eph 4:30)." How does Sheen's meditation help bring into focus both our sinfulness and the immensity of God's love for us? (page 155)

6. Do you find it easier to recognize God's Providence in good times or in bad? How can we better see all things as a gift from God? (page 158)

7. Do you have a devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus? Divine Mercy? What role do they play in your spirituality? (page 159)

Chapter 8: The Spirit and Preaching and Prayer

Definitions:
sirocco (page 142) dust storm
breviary (page 143) a book of prayers to be recited daily by priests and members of certain religious orders (in Latin pre-Vatican II)
importunity (page 144) insistent solicitation and entreaty
gibbet (page 145) an execution instrument

1. What concrete actions do you do on a daily basis to renew your faith in Christ? (page 133)

2. How can we stop the "busy-ness" of life from becoming an excuse for laziness, especially in our spiritual life? (page 133)

3. Share a time when a biblical passage has been particularly pertinent to your life. (page 134)

4. How is penance a part of your devotional life? How do you encourage your child(ren), especially in this season of Lent? (page 136)

5. When dealing with those in our household, including ourselves, do we have a "gentle hand for correcting those who are obstinate in their errors (2 Tim 2:24-25)? (page 136)

6. Think of a time when the illumination of the Holy Spirit has brought you into harmony with God's will. How did this experience enrich your soul? (pages 139 and 142)

7. Do we expect too much of our husbands? (page 146)

Chapter 7: The Spirit of Poverty

1. In what way is the spirit of poverty, defined by Sheen as dependence on God and recognition of our own unworthiness, a part of your spiritual life? Have you had a lesson in "divine trust" recently? Did it come at the price of your will, self-reliance or economic security? (page 119-120)

2. What constitutes our heavenly wealth? (page 122)

3. To what extent or in what area do we seek outside validation/compliments? How can we counteract these sources of pride? (page 123)

4. How can we keep our concern for material things in check while still tending to the needs of our family? (page 126)

5. In what ways can we practice the spirit of poverty in regard to time and self-satisfaction? (page 127)

6. How can we increase our gratitude and humility as "pardoned rebels"? (page 131)

Chapter 6: The Spirit and Conversion

1. Looking back on your spiritual journey, identify at least one key conversion experience. Did it begin as a moral crisis of physical, emotional or spiritual suffering? Was it a crisis of the soul? How have you become a "new" person as a result of the experience? (pages 106-107)

2. When you have the opportunity to discuss matters of faith with non-believers, are their objections more often intellectual or moral? Has the Spirit had an apologetic success through you? (pages 111-112)

3. As mothers, is love the foundation of our authority over our child(ren)? (page 115)

4. "The Scriptures are not merely a record of historical events that have passed. They constitute for every age a revelation of God's mind and Will to each individual." When have you experienced God clearly speaking to you through Scripture? (page 117)

Chapter 5: The Holy Spirit and the Priest

A definition from page 105 "...countless masses of souls that are like gold inglots (a bar or block of metal) covered with dross (scum)."

1. How can we be more attentive to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, especially in the midst of our day? (page 92, 95)

2. Do we desire Christ to be our constant companion? In what part of our day/life do we tend to forget or ignore Him? (page 97)

3. Knowing that Christ died for every person, how can we better strive to love everyone with perfect charity? (page 98)

4. As you have become more conscious of your own sinfulness, has the Spirit "taken the fun" out of sinning, as Sheen observes? (page 99)

5. "Before we commit a sin, Satan assures us that it is of no consequence; after we commit a sin, he persuades us that it is unforgivable." How can we combat this lie of Satan's and avail ourselves to the grace of confession? (page 102)

6. What wonderful things has God done in your life recently? (page 104)

Chapter 4: The Holiness of the Priest

1. Sheen states that "[t]he priest's holiness helps to make the faithful holy. The sanctity of the Christian community, in turn, helps to make the priest holy." How have you seen this dynamic at work? (page 73)

2. Reflecting on the "Our Father for priests" (Jn 17:13-24), is there a specific priest you know who manifests one or more of these characteristics (perseverance, joy, deliverance from evil, holiness through sacrifices, unity, Our Lord's constant companions and enjoyment of His glory in heaven) in an extraordinary way? (page 75)

3. Why does God ask us to wrestle with Him as Jacob did? (page 78)

4. To what extent is prayer for vocations a part of your spirituality? In what other ways do you help foster vocations, especially those of your child(ren)? (page 79, 82 and 89)

5. How can our lives better express the message of Christ to others? (page 81)

6. "We do not save our souls alone; either we save it in the context of our neighbors and of the Mystical Body, or we lose it." How do you encourage those around you, especially in your immediate family, to grow in their relationship with Christ? (page 85)

7. Sheen observes that we often negotiate with the Lord: "Tell me first what you want me to do, and I will see whether I want to do it." How can we better dispose/surrender ourselves to follow the advice Eli gave to Samuel and "put yourself in God's hands. He will show you your work."? (page 89)

Chapter 3: Spiritual Generation

1. How does God's command to "increase and multiply" manifest itself in your life in the non-biological sense? (page 57)

2. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (2337) "chastity means the successful integration of sexuality within the person and thus the inner unity of man in his bodily and spiritual being. Sexuality, in which man's belonging to the bodily and biological world is expressed, becomes personal and truly human when it is integrated into the relationship of one person to another, in the complete and lifelong mutual gift of a man and a woman. The virtue of chastity therefore involves the integrity of the person and the integrality of the gift." How is chastity a source of "fire" in your marriage? (page 60)

3. As parents, we have the "power and duty to foster the vocation" of our child(ren). What practical means does this entail in your home? (pages 61, 67-72)

4. How do we invite others, especially non-believers in our own family, to embrace the faith? (page 63)

5. Sheen calls meditation the "self-denial that carries from the heart the dead things of the world." How have you seen this type of prayer bear fruit in your life? (page 67)

6. How can we help our child(ren) hear the voice of God, do good works and avoid sin? (page 70)

7. Do you have any success stories of "reform" either of yourself or your child(ren)? (page 71)

Chapter 2: The Priest Is Like Jacob's Ladder

*On page 54, Sheen references ex opere operantis, which means "from the doer of the deed," and refers to the disposition of the minister or recipient.

1. What earthly crosses have brought you closer to Heaven? In hindsight, how have they strengthened your faith? (page 32-33)

2. How can we be more open and responsive to the grace of our vocation? (page 39)

3. To what degree and scope is intercessory prayer a part of your spirituality? (page 41)

4. Like the priest, we as wives and mothers often fail to recognize the greatness of our calling. How can we be more mindful of our daily tasks in light of eternity? (page 46)

5. Sheen states that "Silence constitutes an integral part of this [desert] isolation. It is not always proper to speak all that we know." How and when do you make time for silence? What helps you bite your tongue when necessary? (page 48)

6. Are you aware when you are using the fire of the world instead of God's fire? What are the signs? (page 49)

7. Does the world see a difference in our lives as followers of Christ? How can we shine more brightly? (page 47 and 56)

Chapter 1: More Than A Priest

1. How are a rich interior life and the lack of luxuries related? How does this play out in your life? (page 13)

2. We are called to the voluntary sacrifice modeled by Abraham, the white martyrdom of ourselves. What death/sacrifice of our own do we bring to Mass? (pages 19 and 21)

3. In what ways do our bodies enable or hinder us in serving God? How can we better utilize the gift our physical being? (page 24)

4. St. John Bosco believed that 1 in 4 people has a religious vocation. Do you agree with Sheen that our failure to stress the importance of sacrifice is one reason for the lack of vocations? How can it be emphasized more? (page 25)

Introduction: The Priest Is Not His Own

Bishop Fulton J. Sheen (1895-1979) was a prominent leader in the Catholic Church and a modern day philosopher. His unique manner of preaching the Word of God gained him much popularity. His messages continue to be very relevant today (from www.bishopsheen.com).  For more information about him, visit the site for the cause of his canonization.

Although this book was written with priests and seminarians as its primary audience, there is much that can be applied to our life as lay people.  As baptized People of God we all share in the priestly office of Christ, by virtue of our baptism (see Lumen Gentium Chapter 4: The Laity and Catechism of the Catholic Church 897-913).  The book also helps increase our respect, appreciation and understanding of the ministerial priesthood.

We are using prayers from Praying For Our Priests in conjunction with this book.  It is available for free here, through Regina Maria Cleri.  Here is a link to an article about the prayer book that appeared in The Catholic Voice.