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The Rainbow of Sorrow: The Seven Last Words and the Art of Understanding Pain and Suffering
World-renowned evangelist and New York Times best-selling author Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen presents a collection of engaging sermons, encouraging the reader to understand the mystery of suffering and sorrow in the world today.
Throughout this series of sermons, Archbishop Sheen will provide some valuable insights as to why sometimes, the innocent have to suffer. Using the Seven Last Words spoken by Jesus from the Cross on Calvary as a backdrop, Sheen will address the topics of pain and suffering using his inimitable writing style, with immediacy, yet conveying joy and comfort in the subject matter.
These meditations on the Seven Last Words correlated to the mystery of pain and suffering make no pretence to absoluteness. The Words are not necessarily related to the struggles we face but they do make convenient points of illustrations.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREFACE
UNJUST SUFFERING - “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”PAIN - “This day thou shalt be with Me in Paradise.”SUFFERING OF THE INNOCENT - “Woman, behold thy son! (Son) Behold thy mother!”GOD AND THE SOUL - “My God! My God! Why hast Thou hast abandoned Me?”THE NEED OF ZEAL - “I thirst.”A PLANNED UNIVERSE - "It is finished.”
ETERNAL FREEDOM - “Father, into Thy Hands, I commend My Spirit.”
ABOUT THE AUTHORThis book has one main aim and that is to awaken an appreciation of the Passion of Our Lord and to hopefully incite in the reader a better understanding of pain and suffering. If it does that in but one soul its publication has been justified.Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen was a man for all seasons. Over his lifetime, he spent himself for souls, transforming lives with the clear teaching of the truths of Christ and His Church through his books, his radio addresses, his lectures, his television series, and his many newspaper columns.The topics of this much-sought-after lecturer ranged from the social concerns of the day to matters of faith and morals. With an easy and personable manner, Sheen could strike up a conversation on just about any subject, making numerous friends as well as converts.During the 1930s and ’40s, Fulton Sheen was the featured speaker on The Catholic Hour radio broadcast, and millions of listeners heard his radio addresses each week. His topics ranged from politics and the economy to philosophy and man’s eternal pursuit of happiness.Along with his weekly radio program, Sheen wrote dozens of books and pamphlets. One can safely say that through his writings, thousands of people changed their perspective about God and the Church. Sheen was quoted as saying, “There are not one hundred people in the United States who hate the Catholic Church, but there are millions who hate what they wrongly perceive the Catholic Church to be.”Possessing a burning zeal to dispel the myths about Our Lord and His Church, Sheen gave a series of powerful presentations on Christ’s Passion and His seven last words from the Cross. As a Scripture scholar, Archbishop Sheen knew full well the power contained in preaching Christ crucified. With St. Paul, he could say, “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2).During his last recorded Good Friday address in 1979, Archbishop Sheen spoke of having given this type of reflection on the subject of Christ’s seven last words from the Cross “for the fifty-eighth consecutive time.
Throughout this series of sermons, Archbishop Sheen will provide some valuable insights as to why sometimes, the innocent have to suffer. Using the Seven Last Words spoken by Jesus from the Cross on Calvary as a backdrop, Sheen will address the topics of pain and suffering using his inimitable writing style, with immediacy, yet conveying joy and comfort in the subject matter.
These meditations on the Seven Last Words correlated to the mystery of pain and suffering make no pretence to absoluteness. The Words are not necessarily related to the struggles we face but they do make convenient points of illustrations.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREFACE
UNJUST SUFFERING - “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”PAIN - “This day thou shalt be with Me in Paradise.”SUFFERING OF THE INNOCENT - “Woman, behold thy son! (Son) Behold thy mother!”GOD AND THE SOUL - “My God! My God! Why hast Thou hast abandoned Me?”THE NEED OF ZEAL - “I thirst.”A PLANNED UNIVERSE - "It is finished.”
ETERNAL FREEDOM - “Father, into Thy Hands, I commend My Spirit.”
ABOUT THE AUTHORThis book has one main aim and that is to awaken an appreciation of the Passion of Our Lord and to hopefully incite in the reader a better understanding of pain and suffering. If it does that in but one soul its publication has been justified.Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen was a man for all seasons. Over his lifetime, he spent himself for souls, transforming lives with the clear teaching of the truths of Christ and His Church through his books, his radio addresses, his lectures, his television series, and his many newspaper columns.The topics of this much-sought-after lecturer ranged from the social concerns of the day to matters of faith and morals. With an easy and personable manner, Sheen could strike up a conversation on just about any subject, making numerous friends as well as converts.During the 1930s and ’40s, Fulton Sheen was the featured speaker on The Catholic Hour radio broadcast, and millions of listeners heard his radio addresses each week. His topics ranged from politics and the economy to philosophy and man’s eternal pursuit of happiness.Along with his weekly radio program, Sheen wrote dozens of books and pamphlets. One can safely say that through his writings, thousands of people changed their perspective about God and the Church. Sheen was quoted as saying, “There are not one hundred people in the United States who hate the Catholic Church, but there are millions who hate what they wrongly perceive the Catholic Church to be.”Possessing a burning zeal to dispel the myths about Our Lord and His Church, Sheen gave a series of powerful presentations on Christ’s Passion and His seven last words from the Cross. As a Scripture scholar, Archbishop Sheen knew full well the power contained in preaching Christ crucified. With St. Paul, he could say, “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2).During his last recorded Good Friday address in 1979, Archbishop Sheen spoke of having given this type of reflection on the subject of Christ’s seven last words from the Cross “for the fifty-eighth consecutive time.
- GenresTheology
70 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1938
6 people are currently reading
31 people want to read
About the author
Fulton J. Sheen
528 books744 followersFulton John Sheen was an American bishop of the Catholic Church known for his preaching and especially his work on television and radio. Ordained a priest of the Diocese of Peoria in Illinois, in 1919, Sheen quickly became a renowned theologian, earning the Cardinal Mercier Prize for International Philosophy in 1923. He went on to teach theology and philosophy at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. and served as a parish priest before he was appointed auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of New York in 1951. He held this position until 1966 when he was made bishop of the Diocese of Rochester in New York. He resigned as bishop of Rochester in 1969 as his 75th birthday approached and was made archbishop of the titular see of Newport, Wales.
For 20 years as "Father Sheen", later monsignor, he hosted the night-time radio program The Catholic Hour on NBC (1930–1950) before he moved to television and presented Life Is Worth Living (1952–1957). Sheen's final presenting role was on the syndicated The Fulton Sheen Program (1961–1968) with a format that was very similar to that of the earlier Life Is Worth Living show. For that work, Sheen twice won an Emmy Award for Most Outstanding Television Personality, and was featured on the cover of Time magazine. Starting in 2009, his shows were being re-broadcast on the EWTN and the Trinity Broadcasting Network's Church Channel cable networks. His contribution to televised preaching resulted in Sheen often being called one of the first televangelists.
The cause for his canonization was officially opened in 2002. In June 2012, Pope Benedict XVI officially recognized a decree from the Congregation for the Causes of Saints stating that he lived a life of "heroic virtues," a major step towards beatification, and he is now referred to as venerable. On July 5, 2019, Pope Francis approved a reputed miracle that occurred through the intercession of Sheen, clearing the way for his beatification. Sheen was scheduled to be beatified in Peoria on December 21, 2019, but his beatification was postponed after Bishop Salvatore Matano of Rochester expressed concern that Sheen's handling of a 1963 sexual misconduct case against a priest might be cited unfavorably in a forthcoming report from the New York Attorney General. The Diocese of Peoria countered that Sheen's handling of the case had already been "thoroughly examined" and "exonerated" and that Sheen had "never put children in harm's way".
For 20 years as "Father Sheen", later monsignor, he hosted the night-time radio program The Catholic Hour on NBC (1930–1950) before he moved to television and presented Life Is Worth Living (1952–1957). Sheen's final presenting role was on the syndicated The Fulton Sheen Program (1961–1968) with a format that was very similar to that of the earlier Life Is Worth Living show. For that work, Sheen twice won an Emmy Award for Most Outstanding Television Personality, and was featured on the cover of Time magazine. Starting in 2009, his shows were being re-broadcast on the EWTN and the Trinity Broadcasting Network's Church Channel cable networks. His contribution to televised preaching resulted in Sheen often being called one of the first televangelists.
The cause for his canonization was officially opened in 2002. In June 2012, Pope Benedict XVI officially recognized a decree from the Congregation for the Causes of Saints stating that he lived a life of "heroic virtues," a major step towards beatification, and he is now referred to as venerable. On July 5, 2019, Pope Francis approved a reputed miracle that occurred through the intercession of Sheen, clearing the way for his beatification. Sheen was scheduled to be beatified in Peoria on December 21, 2019, but his beatification was postponed after Bishop Salvatore Matano of Rochester expressed concern that Sheen's handling of a 1963 sexual misconduct case against a priest might be cited unfavorably in a forthcoming report from the New York Attorney General. The Diocese of Peoria countered that Sheen's handling of the case had already been "thoroughly examined" and "exonerated" and that Sheen had "never put children in harm's way".
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 19, 2023
In this book, Sheen used Christ’s final words from the cross as the foundation for an in-depth reflection on suffering and it’s purpose and meaning for us in this world. This writing provides deep consolations and heavenly perspectives for those who might find themselves in a period of life with particularly intense suffering.
September 27, 2016
"Pain in itself is not unbearable; it is the failure to understand its meaning that is unbearable. If that thief did not see purpose in pain he would never have saved his soul. Pain can be the death of our soul, or it can be its life."
Sheen is short and accessible, but very profound as always here in this meditation on suffering. "Rainbow of Sorrow" is good for contemplation, particularly in conjunction with the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary.
Sheen is short and accessible, but very profound as always here in this meditation on suffering. "Rainbow of Sorrow" is good for contemplation, particularly in conjunction with the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary.
January 14, 2021
"One of the greatest tragedies in the world is wasted pain. Pain without relation to the cross is like an unsigned check - without value. But once we have it countersigned with the signature of the Savior on the Cross, it takes on an infinite value [...] All the sickbeds in the world, therefore, are either on the right side of the Cross or on the left; their position is determined by whether, like the thief on the left, they ask to be taken down, or, like the thief on the right, they ask to be taken up."
December 16, 2020
What a unbelievable reading experience
A must read for people who know the bishop Fulton Sheen and his guidance to people in this life that we are living in
Olivia
A must read for people who know the bishop Fulton Sheen and his guidance to people in this life that we are living in
Olivia
April 8, 2023
Another Good Friday gem from Fulton Sheen!
Minimally relevant notes: Sheen is a poet. Like, on a level with Chesterton (whose influence is palpable, which makes me happy). And he quotes so much poetry, particularly Francis Thompson. In short, the better I get to know this man the more I like him.
Minimally relevant notes: Sheen is a poet. Like, on a level with Chesterton (whose influence is palpable, which makes me happy). And he quotes so much poetry, particularly Francis Thompson. In short, the better I get to know this man the more I like him.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews