Fulton J. Sheen - Characters of the Passion

CHARACTERS

of the

PASSION

The Primacy of Peter

CHARACTERS

of the

PASSION

FULTON J. SHEEN

Angelico Press reprint edition 2015

This Angelico edition is a slightly edited

republication of the work originally

published in 1947 by

P.J. Kenedy & Sons

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted,

in any form or by any means, without permission

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Angelico Press

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Paperback ISBN : 978-1-887593-13-7

eBook ISBN : 978-1-887593-14-4

NIHIL OBSTAT : John M. A. Fearns, S. T. D.

Censor Librorum

IMPRIMATUR : Francis Cardinal Spellman

Archbishop of New York

New York, 1945

Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Image Credit: James Tissot (French, 18361902)

Jesus Before Pilate, Second Interview

Brooklyn Museum, Purchased by

public subscription, 00.159.268

Cover Design: Cristy Deming

CONTENTS

Dedicated

to

MARY IMMACULATE

Gracious Mother

of

Divine Grace,

in Token

of

Love and Gratitude

he most interesting drama in all the world is the drama of the human soul. Were it not endowed with freedom, it might go out to war and enterprise alone and unheeded; but master of its choice, unlike the sun and stones, it can use time and things to decide its destiny, its eternity, and its judgment. Though there are many phases to these dramas, perhaps the most interesting of them all is the psychology of a fall and resurrection.

More concretely, how do some souls lose their faith, and by what steps do they later on recover it? The answer to such questions is to be found in the story of the apostle Peter, whose name appears first in the gospel narrative, and who might appropriately be called The Fisherman Philosopher, for he asked Divine Wisdom more questions than any other of His followers. For example, To whom shall we go? Whither goest Thou? Why cannot I follow Thee? What shall this man do?

To this searching intellectualist of Galilee, who was born Simon and whose name was changed to Peter, and who from the bitterness of his spirit cried out, Depart from me, O Lord, for I am a sinful man, we go to study the steps by which he fell and the stages by which he returned. There seem to have been five stages in Peters fall.

First, neglect of prayer.

Second, substitution of action for prayer.

Third, lukewarmness.

Fourth, the satisfaction of material wants, feelings, and emotions.

Fifth, human respect.

Neglect of Prayer. No soul ever fell away from God without giving up prayer. Prayer is that which establishes contact with Divine Power and opens the invisible resources of heaven. However dark the way, when we pray, temptation can never master us. The first step downward in the average soul is the giving up of the practice of prayer, the breaking of the circuit with divinity, and the proclamation of ones own self-sufficiency.

The night that Our Blessed Lord went out under the light of a full moon into the Garden of Gethsemani to crimson the olive roots with His own blood for the redemption of men, He turned to His disciples and said, Watch ye, and pray that ye enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh weak (Matthew 26:41). Withdrawing from these three disciples about as far as a man could throw a stonehow significant a way to measure distance the night one goes to deathHe prayed to His Heavenly Father, My Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from me. Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt (Matthew 26:39).

When Our Blessed Lord came back the last time to visit His disciples, He found them asleep. A woman will watch not one hour or one night, but, rather, day after day and night after night in the presence of a peril threatening her child. These men slept. If they could sleep on such an occasion, it was due to the fact that they had no adequate conception of the crisis through which Our Savior was passing, no consciousness of the tragedy that was already upon them. Finding them asleep, Our Blessed Lord spoke to Peter and said,... What? Could you not watch one hour with me? (Matthew 26:40). Peter had given up both watching and praying.

The next stage was:

The Substitution of Action for Prayer. Most souls still feeling the necessity of doing something for God and the Church turn to the solace of activity. Instead of going from prayer to action, they neglect the prayer and become busy about many things. It is so easy to think we are doing Gods work when we are only in motion or being fussy.

Peter is no exception. In the turmoil of the arrest of Our Blessed Lord which followed, Peter, who had already been armed with two swords, allows his usual impetuosity to get the better of him. Slashing out rather recklessly at the armed gang, what he strikes is not a soldier at all, but a slave of the High Priest. As a swordsman Peter was a good fisherman. The slave steps aside, and the blow aimed at the crown of his head merely cuts off his ear. Our Blessed Lord restored the ear by a miracle, and then turning to Peter said,... Put up again thy sword into its place; for all that take the sword shall perish with the sword (Matthew 26:52). Divinity has no need of it. He could summon twelve legions of angels to His aid if He wished. The Church must never fight with the weapons of the world.

The Father had offered the Son the cup, and no one could hinder His drinking it. But Peter, giving up the habit of prayer, substituted violence toward others, and all tact was lost as devotion to a cause became zeal without knowledge. Far better it would be to take a few hours from active life and spend it in communion with God, than to be busy about many things while neglecting the one thing that is necessary for peace and happiness. No such activity is a substitute for watching and praying an hour.

Lukewarmness. Experience soon proves that religious activity without prayer soon degenerates into indifference. At this stage souls become indifferent. They believe one can be too religious, too zealous, or spend too much time in church. Peter exemplifies this truth.

A few hours later, Our Blessed Lord is led before His judgesand one is almost inclined to say, May God forgive us for calling them judges. As that sad procession moves on in the unutterable loneliness where the God-man freely subjects Himself to the evil darts of men, the Gospel records, And Peter followed Him afar off. He had given up prayer, then action, and now he keeps his distance. Only his eyes remain on the Master.

How quickly the insincerity of action without prayer proves itself! He who was brave enough to draw a sword a few hours before now strays on behind. Christ, who once was the dominating passion of our life, now becomes incidental in religion.