The Forge
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Set the Kindling
Before the first hour
Before the fire, the kindling is set.
Why the Forge
Christ once spoke to a church that had grown comfortable: “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold, nor hot… because thou art lukewarm… I will begin to vomit thee out of my mouth.” And then He gave the remedy: “I counsel thee to buy of me gold fire tried.”
That is what these thirty days are. Not a course, but a forge. The Fire is the hour itself, before the Blessed Sacrament — “our God is a consuming fire.” The Heat is Scripture and Sheen each day, bringing the soul to working heat. The Hammer and the Anvil is the daily discipline: keeping the hour, recording it honestly, one day at a time. The Tempering comes every sixth day, when what was forged is set so it does not crack. And on the thirtieth day, Proven Steel: an hour kept for life.
How each day works
Everything in the Forge is done inside the hour, before the Lord. Open the day when you arrive.
- ArrivingA short line from Sheen to settle you in His presence.
- Scripture and SheenRead slowly. Stop wherever a line holds you.
- For priestsA word Sheen spoke to priests, but anyone can read it.
- MeditationThe Rosary, or a page of spiritual reading, whichever draws you to Our Lord. Sheen: “The Holy Hour is not an official prayer; it is personal.”
- SilenceThe heart of the hour.
- The recordBefore you leave: did you make the full hour, and what did the Lord say to you?
Keep it to hand
Add Sheen Strong to your home screen, and it will open just like any other app. Each day’s readings are saved right on your phone, so you can use it in church even if there’s no signal.
On iPhone: Share, then Add to Home Screen. On Android: More, then Install and create shortcut.
Set up your reminders
Before your hour each day, your phone will send you a reminder. Let’s make sure it reaches you now, so if anything needs fixing, there’s still time to fix it.
Did your phone sound or vibrate?
Sound
Make sure you notice it
On an iPhone, the sound comes from your phone, not from us. To set it, go to Settings › Notifications › Sheen Strong › Sounds, and make sure Allow Notifications is turned on there too.
If your phone is on silent or the volume is all the way down, no sound will play, so check that it isn’t on silent. And if you use a Sleep Focus at night, go to Settings › Focus › Sleep › Apps, and add Sheen Strong so your reminder still comes through.
On an Android phone, the sound and vibration come from your phone, not from us. To set them, go to Settings › Notifications › App notifications › Sheen Strong. The menus look a little different depending on who made your phone, so if yours doesn’t match, just look for Sheen Strong in your notification settings.
Answer the reminder step above, and then go on.
Before the thirty days
Blessed Sheen’s appeal
In this talk, Blessed Sheen asks for the daily Holy Hour in his own voice. Watch it to the end, and your Kindling will be set. If you need to stop, that’s fine. When you come back, it will pick up right where you left off.
The thirtieth day
What are we going to do about it
Your record is saved. One more thing before you go: listen to the end of Blessed Sheen’s talk, where he makes his appeal for the daily Holy Hour.
of 30
You can change it until midnight.
This record is fixed.
Before the hour — a word from Dr. Howard
Welcome back.
I have missed an hour myself. It is rare, but it has happened. The point is not a perfect record; that would make the hour a matter of pride. The point is to feel what you missed. Each hour is a personal audience with Our Lord, and I know what it does for my day, my marriage, my family and my mission. So after a missed hour, I come to the next one with more desire, not less. Come back to Him today. He has been waiting for you.
— Dr. Peter Howard
Welcome. Your first hour is the one Blessed Fulton Sheen leads himself, whichever day you begin. Today counts as Day for you, and from tomorrow you’ll be on the same day as everyone else in the Forge.
The hour
You’ll be able to record your hour once the recording has played to the end.
The record
At the close of the hour.
This week
Your earlier words for this day will be removed.
Tomorrow
That’s all for today. Tomorrow’s day opens at midnight, your local time. I’ll see you at your hour.
The Kindling is set on All Saints Day.
Before the fire, the kindling is set.
Keep this on your home screen. When the Kindling opens, this is where you will set it.
Put it on your home screen
On an iPhone, in Safari
- Tap the Share button at the bottom of the screen. If your tabs sit at the top, tap the Page Menu button first, then Share.
- Scroll down and tap Add to Home Screen.
- Tap Add.
On an Android phone, in Chrome
- Tap More (the three dots beside the address bar).
- Tap Install and create shortcut, then Create shortcut.
- Tap Add.
Make sure you notice it
On an iPhone, the sound comes from your phone, not from us. To set it, go to Settings › Notifications › Sheen Strong › Sounds, and make sure Allow Notifications is turned on there too.
If your phone is on silent or the volume is all the way down, no sound will play, so check that it isn’t on silent. And if you use a Sleep Focus at night, go to Settings › Focus › Sleep › Apps, and add Sheen Strong so your reminder still comes through.
On an Android phone, the sound and vibration come from your phone, not from us. To set them, go to Settings › Notifications › App notifications › Sheen Strong. The menus look a little different depending on who made your phone, so if yours doesn’t match, just look for Sheen Strong in your notification settings.
The Kindling is set
The Forge is fired on November 10.
Your hour is set, your reminders are on, and you’ve heard Blessed Fulton Sheen ask for the daily Holy Hour. You’re ready. When the Forge is fired, your first day will be waiting for you here.
Each day of the thirty
full hour some minutes missed not yet
These figures are totals only. They never show anyone’s name, email address, or anything written in their journal.
The letters
All 24 letters the Forge can send, in the order an aspirant meets them, to peter+tester@fultonsheeninstitute.com, with their real subjects and footers. Sending them all takes about ten seconds.
Your place in this Forge
I’ve kept your place in this Forge while I look at your message. There’s nothing you need to do right now.
Your place has moved to the next Forge
You didn’t begin the Forge in its first three days, so we’ve moved your place to the next one. It begins on Thanksgiving, November 26.
Your place is saved for you in the next Forge, which begins on Thanksgiving, November 26. There’s nothing you need to do now. We’ll write to you before it begins, and I hope to see you there.
Your place in this Forge has ended
Five days passed without your hour, and so this Forge has ended for you. There is no reproach in it, only an invitation to begin again.
Your journal is still yours. Open the menu to read it or keep a copy.
The test is done
That’s the end of the test. Thank you so much for helping me with this. Before the Forge begins, everything you did here will be reset, so you’ll start fresh with everyone else.
The thirty days are done
You have completed the Forge — the basic training to become Sheen Strong.
Watch Blessed Sheen’s appeal again
Your own record. Only you can read it.
Reminders
About fifteen minutes before your hour, your phone will remind you, with sound and vibration, so you have time to get ready. If you’d rather it come silently, you can choose that here. And if you turn reminders off, the Forge still works the same.
Sound
Make sure you notice it
On an iPhone, the sound comes from your phone, not from us. To set it, go to Settings › Notifications › Sheen Strong › Sounds, and make sure Allow Notifications is turned on there too.
If your phone is on silent or the volume is all the way down, no sound will play, so check that it isn’t on silent. And if you use a Sleep Focus at night, go to Settings › Focus › Sleep › Apps, and add Sheen Strong so your reminder still comes through.
On an Android phone, the sound and vibration come from your phone, not from us. To set them, go to Settings › Notifications › App notifications › Sheen Strong. The menus look a little different depending on who made your phone, so if yours doesn’t match, just look for Sheen Strong in your notification settings.
Make sure it reaches you
- Allow Sheen Strong in your Sleep FocusSettings → Focus → Sleep → Apps.
- Keep Low Power Mode off overnight
- Keep the phone online
- Open the Forge once a day