Remade for Happiness: Achieving Life's Purpose through Spiritual Transformation

by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

When asked, "What's wrong with the world?" G.K. Chesterton famously replied simply, "I am." We want to be happy and yet we often seem to be the source of our own unhappiness, as well as that of others. Even when that is not the case, our lives — as blessed as they may be — have their share of sadness and disappointment. How do we respond? Do we become cynical and try, at all costs, to get as much pleasure as we can? Or do we recognize we were made for more?

In this classic work, Fulton Sheen explains the secret of authentic happiness: being spiritually remade. A genuinely spiritual life, Sheen contends, consists in more than obeying a set of commands, reading the Bible, or even following the example of Jesus. Before all else, it consists in being recreated and incorporated into a new, higher kind of life—the supernatural life of grace — and in being brought into a new kind of spiritual relationship, as a child of God through Jesus Christ.

What does it mean to be a Christian? Christianity is not a system of ethics; it is a life. It is not good advice; it is divine adoption. Being a Christian does not consist in just being kind to the poor, going to church, singing hymns, or serving on parish committees, though it includes all of these. It is first and foremost a love relationship with Jesus Christ.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen was one of the most celebrated churchmen of the twentieth century. He wrote over sixty books, and his radio and television programs drew an audience of thirty million listeners. His many other books include Life Is Worth Living, The World's First Love, and Through the Year with Fulton Sheen.

Praise for Remade for Happiness:

"Remade for Happiness is a book that succeeds in universally drawing in all readers. There's nobody better than the Venerable Archbishop Sheen in communicating the most important element of life. If you want to have the light of happiness in this life and in the next, then you need to read this book!"
Terry Barber, Author, How to Share Your Faith with Anyone

"Happiness is a fundamental desire in all of us. Yet, sadly, many people are unaware that in order to attain true happiness a person needs to have a right understanding of God, oneself, and the world. In this gem of a book, the Venerable Fulton J. Sheen helps us ponder these topics, and then instructs us in the necessary role that the Church, the sacraments, and the theological virtues play in helping us attain our ultimate desire—everlasting happiness! Remade for Happiness is classic Fulton Sheen!"
Fr. Donald Calloway, M.I.C., Author, Marian Gems: Daily Wisdom on Our Lady

"'Look at your heart! It tells the story of why you were made.' These words by the great Archbishop Fulton Sheen, which sum up our experience of life, also capture the heart of this beautiful book. A must read."
Chris Stefanick, Speaker, Author, and President of Real Life Catholic

The original title of this book was Preface to Religion. This edition has a Foreword by Jennifer Fulwiler, but otherwise unchanged.