The Priest Is Not His Own

by Fulton J Sheen

Overview

THE PRIEST IS NOT HIS OWN

By Fulton J. Sheen

The Priest Is Not His Own is far more than a book for priests or for those considering the priesthood as a vocation. In these penetrating, deeply pondered discussions of the priesthood, Bishop Fulton J. Sheen has produced a work of lasting value, a book that will perhaps change many hundreds of lives, and certainly a book that will also interest readers who have no direct concern with the priesthood as a calling.

Inspiration for this volume came while Bishop Sheen was writing his famed Life of Christ, and it was out of those "dark days," as he describes them, that the thoughts of priesthood, illumined by the vision of Christ the Savior, were first formulated.

Just as the earlier work was based on the thesis that Christ offered no other sacrifice but Himself, so in this new book, Bishop Sheen envisages the priest as a man sacrificing himself in the prolongation of Christ's Incarnation.

Bishop Sheen writes of how all priests whether pagan or in the Old Testament offered victims distinct from themselves, such as lambs. But in Christ and the Christian conception, priest and victim are united inseparably.

Drawing on his profound knowledge of Scripture, Bishop Sheen is able to describe the exact and true significance of the individual priest, and in vibrant detail, his constant, unending sacrifice as victim.

In considering the priest's many obligations and roles, and his ever more gratifying fulfilment of them, Bishop Sheen has created a series of unsurpassed meditations. It is a very concrete guide to the many ways in which each priest can enrich his own spiritual life, as well as the lives of all those around him.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen brings the life of the Priesthood of Christ into terms of sacrifice, suffering, and vindication. This book is amazing in that while it speaks primarily to the ministerial Priesthood, the lessons learned can be translated easily to the priesthood of the faithful through Baptism. The depth of this teaching of what a priest "is," and not what a priest "does," is amazing. Sheen's ability to speak of deep subjects directly, yet with poetic beauty, is mesmerizing.

The Priest Is Not His Own is the work of a great and beloved inspirational leader - a world-famous priest himself writing eloquently and insistently to his colleagues and to those who would join him in a calling he understands and has most brilliantly realized.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781998229192
Publisher:	Bishop Sheen Today
Publication date:	11/24/2023
Pages:	280
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.59(d)

About the Author

Archbishop Fulton Sheen was one of the most celebrated churchmen of the twentieth century. He wrote over sixty books, and his radio and television programs drew an audience of thirty million listeners. His many other books include Life Is Worth Living, The World's First Love, and Through the Year with Fulton Sheen.

Table of Contents

	St. Thomas Aquinas	xiii
	Introduction	xxi
Part I	Philosophy
1	Is the proposition "God is" self-evident?	3
2	Do almost all human beings have some kind of natural knowledge of God?	4
3	Does God exist?	4
4	Are essence and esse the same in God?	6
5	When we demonstrate that God is, do we at the same time know the esse of God?	8
6	Is God in all things?	8
7	Do all perfections of finite beings pre-exist in God in the highest degree?	9
8	Does God certainly know free will acts before they happen in time?	10
9	Does evil that arises in the world contradict divine providence?	10
10	Is a morally evil action caused by the First Cause?	11
11	In this life do we know God in the mirror of creatures?	11
12	How does God manifest His Wisdom to us?	11
13	Is the human body naturally united to the human soul?	12
14	Is the human soul joined to the body by an intermediate body?	12
15	When a human person dies, does the human soul continue to exist?	13
16	How do the powers of the soul flow from the soul?	13
17	Does the human soul contain an intelligible light?	14
18	Why does the human intellect know all sensible things?	14
19	Do we need the light of the agent intellect in order to understand beings?	15
20	Is the image of God in every part of a human person?	15
21	Do creatures need to be sustained in existence by God?	16
22	Are all creatures continually kept in existence by God?	16
23	Is the action by which God causes things to exist the same as the action by which a carpenter constructs a box?	17
24	Does God cause all the activities of creatures?	17
25	Does God govern all creatures by freely moving them to act towards their goals?	18
26	How do God and creatures act as efficient causes?	18
27	Do beings not equipped with knowledge tend towards an end?	19
28	Is the human will, if it wills a good, free to choose or not choose that good?	19
29	Does a human person need to be always thinking about the last end in order to do all things on account of the last end?	20
30	Does an interior will act continually influence the exterior execution of the act even when the agent during the outer performance ceases to think about the initial inner volition?	21
31	How does God plan that all creatures tend to the divine goodness?	21
32	Do we owe special honor to God?	22
33	Does divine goodness require that God through higher creatures rules lower creatures?	23
34	Does the body obey the soul's command in the same way as the visible world obeys God's command?	23
35	Is a human person's sorrow lessened by the sympathy of friends?	24
36	Are irrational creatures moved by God?	25
37	How does a teacher cause a student to acquire knowledge?	25
38	Does a human person seeking knowledge experience an internal conflict?	26
39	Is lack of cheerfulness in a human person morally evil?	27
Part II	Theology
40	Does the Old Law contain the New Law?	31
41	Does the divine law oblige us to love each other?	31
42	How do we in this life know the Divine Wisdom?	32
43	Is the name of Image proper to the Son?	32
44	Why do angels assume bodies?	33
45	Did God create the angels in sanctifying grace?	34
46	Does each human person have a guardian angel?	35
47	Does happiness require the companionship of friends?	35
48	Can we have charity without faith and hope?	36
49	Do we need divine help to attain our last end, to see the First Truth in Itself?	37
50	Since it is impossible to turn to God without grace, is it reasonable to hold anyone accountable for not turning to God?	38
51	Does God cause spiritual blindness and hardness of heart?	38
53	Does God cause the faith of an unbeliever and of a believer?	40
54	What four powers does sanctifying grace impart to the souls of believers receiving that grace?	41
55	Does one mortal sin remove charity from the human person committing the sin?	42
56	Since an all-powerful God protects us, can we relax our efforts to avoid sin?	43
57	Was Christ suitably born of a virgin?	43
58	Why do we worship God by internal acts and external acts?	44
59	Is Christ appropriately called Head of the Church?	45
60	Does Christ's merit reach all the members of the Church?	46
61	Does Christ's Passion cause the forgiveness of sins committed after His death?	47
62	How can Sacraments that act on the body cause grace in the soul which is spiritual?	47
63	Is the Passion of Christ a remedy for the weakness resulting from sin?	48
64	Why was it especially appropriate for Christ to institute the Eucharist at the Last Supper?	49
65	At the end of the world will Christ be the efficient cause of the resurrection of our bodies?	51

Editorial Reviews

Archbishop Sheen, A Modern Saint

Always so profound and articulate. If all priests and those exploring religious vocations would read this book and take it to heart, the Church would be truly blessed with incredible shepherds ready to take on the world. Lay people will also benefit from this book, letting them know the awesome responsibility needed to be one of Christ's shepherds and what is required of them in return. Start reading one of Archbishop's books and you will not stop until you have devoured them all.

Sheen at His Best

This book is simply exceptional and one which every priest and seminarian should read, as well as each layman. The standard that a priest must meet is high. This book outlines the path to holiness in ministry, only by God's grace.

Should be required reading before deciding to become a priest

This is a remarkable read, and should be a pre-requisite for young men who think they may have a vocation.

I would recommend this to every young man who thinks he hears God's whisper.

The laity should read it to realize the true sacrifice of the priesthood.

From the Publisher