Lesson 5 – Good and Evil

Hello gentlemen!

Thank you to another great group of 10 guys who stayed for Sheen last week – including first timers Francisco, Danny C and our new friend Mike Aguilar (brother of the Fulton Sheen Prayer Group Apostolate founder, Jorge Aguilar) – I call Danny a first-timer to us but he’s a veteran of a full year of Sheen with his wonderful wife Becky back in 2018-2019. Since the beginning, we’ve had 20 different guys attend and from what I can gather, everyone loves this program! So please keep coming and let’s get other TMIY guys to stick around – just for more hour, you’ll be out by 9! Consider this a great Lenten addition to your toolbox!

Last week we listened to Sheen talk about Human Freedom and how love requires a free choice (among many other things discussed) – this week Bishop Sheen is going to teach us how to think philosophically about Good and Evil – what makes a thing good? When it attains the purpose for which it was made.

Here's an excerpt from the lesson:

There are some laws that we cannot disobey; for example, the law of gravitation, certain biological laws like circulation of blood. But Lesson 5 – Good and Evil (mp3) Lesson 5 – Good and Evil (pdf) in a moral universe, we are free either to obey the laws of God or to disobey them, just as we are perfectly free, for example, to obey the laws of health, or to disobey them. What then makes a thing good – what makes a thing bad? What makes a thing good? A thing is good when it attains the purpose for which it was made.

I have before me now a stopwatch. I’m talking to you without any notes that are written out, merely developing ideas that have been given to those who are interested in these ideas for many, many years. Therefore, I have to have a watch before me in order to decide when I should stop. Is it a good watch? How will I know whether it is good? By asking, what is the purpose of a watch? The purpose of a watch is to keep time. Does it keep time? Yes. Therefore, it is a good watch.

Now let us apply that to our ultimate end. Why were we made? What is the purpose of living? The purpose of living is to be supremely happy. How do we become supremely happy? By attaining life, truth and love, which is God. Anything I do, therefore, that helps me to attain that goal and purpose is good.

Way more than that but hopefully it will whet your appetite.

Look forward to seeing everyone on Saturday as we continue our wonderful and holy Lenten journey.

God love you!

Phil