Below is an excerpt from the introduction to Praying in the Presence of the Lord with Fulton Sheen , edited by Michael Dubruiel, originally published in 2002.
Excerpts from the book will be published in this space over the next few weeks, in honor of Archbishop Sheen's beatification on September 24, 2026.
Hope (2)
"Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise" -LUKE 23:43 (RSV)
Reflection by Michael Dubruiel
Bishop Sheen presents us with two extremes that can plague us in our relationship with Our Lord: despair and presumption.
Those who despair, focus on themselves to such a degree that they do not realize how much greater God's love and mercy are than any sin or offense that they are capable of committing against Him. The evil of despair is that the person who may feign humility is really the proudest of people who believes that his or her sins are too great for even God to forgive. The despair that such a soul feels is a wall that never al- lows God's forgiveness to permeate the person's soul and be freed from the chains of egoism.
Those who are presumptuous, on the other hand, are an uncaring sort who treat their relationship with God as if God were indifferent to whether or not they destroy their lives by the choices made. Such individuals keep God in their back pocket as a lucky charm with no real concern in their lives other than to manipulate their genie god.
The true companions of Our Lord are different. They neither take for granted their good fortune of having so great a savior nor do they fear that He will let them down; rather, they are moved through whatever experiences come their way with a fervent hope that in the end they will be with Him.
As in the present moment, so in eternity. We are always in God's presence. There is no place one can go to escape it. The person who prays in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament is made aware of God's presence in a unique way and indeed is privileged with a foretaste of heaven.
