This talk offers a powerful antidote to the boredom and indifference that can settle into modern life, challenging the listener to live with total commitment and generosity. Bishop Sheen explains that a truly happy and energetic existence is not found in cautious self-preservation, but in "wasting" oneself for God and others. He argues that love is the engine of life, and without a great love to live for, we operate far below our true potential. This message is for anyone, young or old, who feels tired or uninspired and seeks to unlock a deeper level of purpose by giving themselves completely to a cause greater than themselves.

Drawing on his signature storytelling, Sheen illustrates this "all-out" principle with vivid examples. He recounts the story of King David, who, upon receiving precious water at great risk to his men, poured it out as an offering to God, teaching that things we "waste" for God are eternally remembered, while things we keep only for ourselves often spoil. This idea is powerfully reinforced by the woman who breaks her expensive alabaster jar of perfume over Christ's feet, giving everything at once in an act of extravagant love, rather than doling it out drop by drop. These stories serve as a model for a life lived not by calculation, but by total, unrestrained surrender to love.

Ultimately, Bishop Sheen connects this generous living to the power of faith. Using the story of Peter walking on the water, he explains that as long as Peter kept his eyes on Christ, he could do the impossible. The moment he looked away and began to calculate the danger of the winds and the waves, he began to sink. Sheen frames this as a timeless lesson: if we believe in the incredible, we can do the impossible. He concludes with a stirring call for his listeners to become "other Christs" in the world, so that their lives of joyful self-sacrifice might prove to a skeptical world that Jesus is truly God.

This powerful and moving conference addresses the spiritual fatigue and mediocrity that can settle into a person's life. Bishop Sheen presents a compelling argument that the path to renewed spiritual energy and deep fulfillment lies not in self-preservation, but in the seemingly paradoxical act of "wasting" one's life for God. For anyone who feels their love and service has become calculated or lukewarm, this talk offers a liberating invitation to embrace a life of total, uncalculated, and joyful self-giving, revealing that it is only in losing our lives that we truly find them.

Sheen begins by diagnosing a spiritual apathy in the modern world, where people carefully measure out their love and service, a condition the Middle Ages called acedia. He contrasts this timid approach with the "divine waste" exemplified by key figures in scripture and history. He reflects on the woman who broke her alabaster jar to anoint Jesus, an act Judas condemned as "waste" but which Christ defended as a "beautiful thing." This, Sheen explains, is the logic of love, which does not count the cost. He further illustrates this with the powerful story of King David, who, upon receiving water fetched at the risk of his men's lives, poured it out as an offering to God, deeming it too precious to drink.

Ultimately, Bishop Sheen's message is a passionate plea to escape the "barnyard" of a safe and mediocre existence. Citing a poem about a "tame old duck" that has forgotten how to fly, he warns that a life held in reserve is a life that loses its purpose and vitality. The sermon is a profound call to reject a faith of minimal investment and instead embrace the "ecstasy of surrender." By pouring ourselves out completely in love and service—wasting our time in prayer, our energy in charity, and our hearts in love for God—we participate in the beautiful and life-giving logic of the Cross.

This meditation offers a profound perspective on understanding the trials and problems inherent in life. Bishop Fulton Sheen explains that suffering is not a meaningless affliction but a continuation of Christ's passion in the world today. Listeners are invited to discover a new dimension to their own struggles, seeing them not as isolating incidents but as a potential participation in the redemptive work of Christ for the sake of His body, the Church. This understanding can transform one's approach to hardship, offering purpose and even joy in the midst of pain.

Bishop Sheen begins by challenging the common perception of Christ's suffering as a historical event confined to the past. He introduces the idea that "Christ is on the cross until the end of the world," meaning the passion is an ongoing reality. He substantiates this by referencing St. Paul's letter to the Colossians, where Paul speaks of filling up in his own flesh what is lacking in Christ's afflictions. Sheen clarifies that while Christ's suffering as the head of the Church was complete and perfect, the suffering of His body, the Church, continues. Therefore, the trials faced by believers are not pointless but are opportunities to share in and complete the passion of Christ for the salvation of others.

The sermon further explores how this continuation of Christ's passion manifests both consciously and unconsciously. For those with faith, suffering can be a conscious act of participation, a way to unite their pain with Christ's for the good of the Church, a concept Sheen calls "transferability." He illustrates this with the powerful story of Elisabeth Leseur, whose years of offered suffering led to the conversion of her atheist husband. For those without explicit faith, their poverty, sickness, and oppression are an unconscious carrying of the cross. Sheen argues that in their suffering, they too are Christ, and this realization should fundamentally change how Christians view and interact with the afflicted, seeing them not as mere objects of pity but as visible extensions of the suffering Christ in the world.

This address explores the profound identity of the human soul, particularly one called to a religious vocation, by framing it as an ordinary "earthenware pot" chosen to hold the extraordinary "treasure" of Christ's grace. Bishop Sheen invites the listener to shift focus from personal weaknesses to the divine gift they carry, offering a powerful perspective on humility and purpose. He explains that spiritual greatness is found not in the perfection of the vessel itself, but in its emptiness and willingness to be filled by God, making this a message of hope for anyone who has ever felt unworthy of their calling.

Drawing on rich biblical imagery, Bishop Sheen develops his theme with compelling analogies. He presents God as the divine Potter who lovingly reshapes the clay when a vessel is marred, emphasizing that failure is not final in God's merciful hands. He warns against the danger of spiritual stagnation, comparing an unchallenged soul to "wine settled on its lees" which loses its taste and potency. The practice of a daily Holy Hour is presented as the essential method for avoiding this complacency, a spiritual discipline that "pours" the soul from one vessel to another, purifying and enriching it for God's work.

Ultimately, the talk is a powerful call to embrace the Cross through active discipline and what Sheen terms "victimhood." He explains that just as the Heavenly Father prunes a vine to make it more fruitful, He purges the souls He loves through trials so they may become more effective channels of His grace. Bishop Sheen concludes that in a world seeking authenticity, it is only through a life of disciplined service—a life that reveals a union with the crucified Christ—that one can truly inspire others and bring them to the Redeemer.

This address champions the profound spiritual wisdom of being "impractical"—a selfless generosity that prioritizes faith and charity over worldly calculation. Bishop Sheen suggests that this is a vital message for anyone who feels their efforts are small, as he argues that saints, poets, and all truly great people operate on this principle of giving without counting the cost. He proposes that the greatest spiritual endeavors, like the Catholic Medical Mission Board itself, are founded not on pragmatic business plans but on a radical trust in God's providence, making this a powerful call to embrace a life of service and faith-filled giving.

Bishop Sheen develops this theme by honoring the impracticality of everyone involved in the mission's success. He celebrates the donors who give from their resources, illustrating with a parable that we are spiritually fed only when we "feed our neighbor." He extends this praise to the pharmaceutical companies, describing their millions of dollars in donated medicine not as a business loss, but as a beautiful adherence to the biblical command to leave "grapes on the vine" for the poor and the passerby. He explains that this care is not for a specific creed, but for "humanity," for the human clay that God has fashioned.

The talk culminates by focusing on the doctors, nurses, and medical professionals who volunteer their skills, representing the highest form of impractical love. Through moving anecdotes about figures like Dr. Tom Dooley and Mother Teresa, Sheen shows that this selfless action is the most powerful form of witness, proving that healing and forgiveness are two sides of the same mission. He concludes with the touching story of a doctor whose simple office sign, "Updike, Upstairs," became his epitaph, a perfect summary of a life lived in service to others and a reminder that the reward for such impracticality is eternal.

• Title podcast: Upstairs: The Impracticality of Charity

• Name speech: Address at the 50th Anniversary of the Catholic Medical Mission Board

• When he gave it: 1978

• Where, on which occasion: This was a keynote speech delivered at the 50th Anniversary Dinner of the Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB)

This is one of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen's most celebrated and insightful talks, essential for anyone seeking to understand the true nature of love beyond sentimental clichés. You should listen because Sheen masterfully unpacks the three different kinds of love—Eros, Philia, and Agape—and reveals how our modern confusion stems from reducing all love to a single, often selfish, dimension. With his trademark wit and profound wisdom, he explains that the Christian life is a journey of elevating our natural affections into a supernatural, divine love that is sacrificial, committed, and ultimately, the only kind that can bring us true and lasting peace.

Sheen begins by exploring Eros, the love of attraction and friendship, lamenting how it has been tragically degraded in modern culture into the purely "erotic," an experience-driven impulse that forgets the person. He then moves to Philia, the selfless love for all humanity, illustrating its power with the incredible true story of prisoners of the communists who shared a single lump of sugar for two years, keeping one another alive through an act of profound charity. This sets the stage for his explanation of the highest love, Agape—the divine love of God for us, a love that is not earned but freely given even when we are unlovable enemies.

The Archbishop brings this theology to a stunning climax with a powerful analogy of a courtroom, where God the Father, as judge, condemns His own Son to die in our place, demonstrating the perfect union of justice and mercy. This divine Agape, he argues, is the love we are called to, a love proven not by feelings but by the will. He concludes by explaining that our human hearts are created with a "piece missing," a void that no earthly love can fill, and that we will never be whole-hearted or truly at peace until we return to God to reclaim the part of our heart He has been keeping for us from all eternity.

This sermon offers a masterful and deeply spiritual explanation of the Rosary, transforming it from a simple set of prayers into a profound meditation on the entirety of the Christian life. Bishop Sheen invites the listener to see the Rosary not as a repetitive task, but as a powerful tool for understanding our own journey of joy, suffering, and ultimate hope. This talk is essential for anyone who seeks to deepen their prayer life, find meaning in their struggles, and understand how the life of Christ is meant to be a living pattern for their own.

Sheen masterfully structures his talk around the three sets of mysteries, presenting them as a complete spiritual roadmap. The Joyful Mysteries, he explains, represent the mystery of becoming a Christian, where God asks for our human nature, just as He asked Mary for hers, so that Christ can live and act through us. The Sorrowful Mysteries tackle the universal problem of suffering, arguing that Christ did not eliminate pain but entered into it, taking our place. Sheen reveals the profound truth that our own sufferings, when united with Christ's, become redemptive and are used to "fill up" the passion of Christ for the sake of His Body, the Church.

Finally, the Glorious Mysteries represent the mystery of our faith and our ultimate destiny. Bishop Sheen emphasizes the foundational Christian principle: "Unless there's a Good Friday in our lives, there will never be an Easter Sunday." He beautifully illustrates how the Rosary allows us to live with this hope, seeing Christ as the "Sun" and the Blessed Mother as the "Moon" who reflects His light into the darkness of our lives. The sermon is not just an instruction on how to pray the Rosary, but a powerful call to live it, uniting our entire existence with the life, death, and resurrection of Christ.

This address was a conference given during a retreat for the clergy, religious, and laity of the Diocese of Gary, Indiana. The retreat was hosted by his friend, Bishop Andrew Grutka.

This powerful and moving conference by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen will transform your understanding of the Resurrection, revealing it not as a one-time historical event, but as a continuous, dynamic force active in your life right now. You should listen to this because Sheen masterfully explains how your personal "deaths"—your sins, failures, addictions, and despair—are the very raw material God uses for your personal resurrection. He argues that our lives are a series of emergences from different "wombs" we are afraid to leave, and it is only by embracing these deaths to our old selves that we can experience the profound new life, power, and grace that Christ offers.

Using a series of unforgettable stories, Sheen illustrates this principle of spiritual transformation. He speaks of the "resurrection of the body" through the story of a New York prostitute named Kitty, the "resurrection of the mind" through the conversion of a famous intellectual, and the "resurrection of the soul" through the dramatic repentance of a lifelong alcoholic. Sheen contends that God is in the business of "recycling human garbage," turning what is broken and discarded into a masterpiece of His grace. He challenges the listener to see their own life not as a detective story with an unknown ending, but as a great epic where the triumphant conclusion—union with Christ—is already known, making the journey an adventure in virtue.

Ultimately, the Archbishop extends this vision of resurrection to all of creation, finding its echoes in art, music, and literature, from the sculptures of Michelangelo to the symphonies of Beethoven. He demonstrates that the greatest saints of the Old Testament were deeply flawed individuals whom God raised up, giving hope that our own imperfections do not disqualify us from holiness. This talk is a profound meditation on hope, proving that no matter how far one has fallen, the power of Christ's Resurrection is always present, waiting to break open our tombs and call us into a new and more glorious existence.