Bishop Fulton Sheen addresses the modern struggle with monotony and purposelessness in life, which he describes as the “rat race.” He begins by exploring the normal relationship with time—where the past, present, and future are interconnected to give life meaning. He contrasts this with the mentality of those trapped in the rat race or seeking kicks, who reject the past and future in favor of living only for the immediate present. This mindset, rooted in rebellion and alienation, leads to a life devoid of goals, tradition, or purpose. Sheen highlights the dangers of intensifying the present through fleeting pleasures like drugs, speed, or casual sex, which leave individuals empty and unfulfilled.
He critiques this fixation on the now as fundamentally irrational and destructive. Sheen explains that true meaning comes from relating the present to a greater purpose, much like a journey finds its meaning in its destination. Living solely for the now is like focusing on a single frame of a film or a moment in a journey without understanding the whole. Moreover, time itself, when viewed as a series of disjointed moments, becomes an obstacle to happiness. He argues that real joy comes from transcending time and participating in something eternal. Sheen suggests that the modern obsession with kicks and rebellion is rooted in the frustration of not finding deeper truths, love, or purpose.
Sheen concludes by pointing to God as the ultimate fulfillment of humanity’s longing for life, truth, and love. He argues that our dissatisfaction with earthly life, truth mixed with error, and imperfect love points to a yearning for the infinite. Only in God, who is pure life, truth, and love, can the human heart find rest. Sheen contrasts the rat race with the true race for happiness, emphasizing that holiness and fulfillment are not about time or effort but about deep love and connection to the divine. This transcendent focus, he suggests, offers the only real escape from the emptiness of the rat race.
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