Advent and Christmas with Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen: A Devotional Journey of Waiting, Welcoming, and Living the Mystery

by Fulton J. Sheen, Allan Smith

Advent and Christmas with Fulton J. Sheen
A Devotional Journey of Waiting, Welcoming, and Living the Mystery

Experience Advent and Christmas through the timeless wisdom of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen.

This devotional companion draws upon Sheen’s beloved writings — including Christmas Inspirations and Life of Christ— and weaves them with new reflections, prayers, and meditations. It is designed to guide individuals, families, and parishes from the season of waiting in Advent to the joy of Christmas.

Inside you will Over 100 Daily meditations rooted in Scripture and Sheen’s insightsPrayers and novenas for Advent and ChristmasReflections on Mary, Joseph, and the Holy FamilyPractical applications for living Advent watchfulness and Christmas joyHymns and devotions for prayer at the crib and in the homeA simple guide for making an Advent & Christmas Holy Hour
Fulton Sheen’s voice speaks again with clarity and warmth, reminding
“Christmas is not a day, but a state of the soul — when Christ is born anew in us.”

Discover how the crib, the Cross, and the altar form one continuous mystery of love, and let this season transform your heart.

Table of Contents

PART I - The Waiting(Advent)
Chapter 1: Prophecy and Promise
Chapter 2: Mary’s Fiat
Chapter 3: Joseph, the Silent Watchman
Chapter 4: The Expectant Soul
Daily Reflections to Choose From

PART II - The Coming(Christmas)
Chapter 5: No Room at the Inn
Chapter 6: The Wood of the Manger and the Cross
Chapter 7: The Shepherds and the Magi
Chapter 8: The Word Made Flesh
Daily Reflections to Choose From

PART III - The Living Mystery(Beyond Christmas Day)
Chapter 9: The Birth of Christ in the Soul
Chapter 10: The Child and the Cross
Chapter 11: The Family of Nazareth
Chapter 12: Advent and Christmas as a Way of Life
Daily Reflections to Choose From

PART IV - Treasury of Christmas MeditationsFor Prayer and Reflection

Appendix Prayers for Advent and Christmas
1. The “O Antiphons” (Dec. 17–23)
2. Advent Prayer for Watchfulness
3. Christmas Novena Prayer
4. Prayer Before the Crib
5. Short Ejaculations (for daily use)

Appendix Fulton Sheen on the Incarnation
1. The Humility of Bethlehem
2. The Two Births of Christ
3. The Manger and the Cross
4. Mary’s Fiat
5. Joseph’s Obedience
6. The Poverty of Christ’s Birth
7. The Shadow of Suffering
8. The Eternal Present
9. Emmanuel, God With Us

Appendix Scripture for Reflection
1. The Promise of the Messiah
2. Mary’s Fiat
4. The Birth of Jesus
5. The Shepherds
6. The Magi
7. The Word Made Flesh
8. Simeon’s Prophecy

Appendix Family Devotions at the Crib
1. Blessing of the Nativity Scene
2. Christmas Eve Family Prayer at the Crib
3. Daily Family Prayer at the Crib
4. Prayer of Consecration to the Holy Family
5. Reflection with Fulton Sheen

Appendix Hymns and Carols for Prayer
1.

233 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 9, 2025

About the author

Fulton John Sheen was an American bishop of the Catholic Church known for his preaching and especially his work on television and radio. Ordained a priest of the Diocese of Peoria in Illinois, in 1919, Sheen quickly became a renowned theologian, earning the Cardinal Mercier Prize for International Philosophy in 1923. He went on to teach theology and philosophy at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. and served as a parish priest before he was appointed auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of New York in 1951. He held this position until 1966 when he was made bishop of the Diocese of Rochester in New York. He resigned as bishop of Rochester in 1969 as his 75th birthday approached and was made archbishop of the titular see of Newport, Wales.
For 20 years as "Father Sheen", later monsignor, he hosted the night-time radio program The Catholic Hour on NBC (1930–1950) before he moved to television and presented Life Is Worth Living (1952–1957). Sheen's final presenting role was on the syndicated The Fulton Sheen Program (1961–1968) with a format that was very similar to that of the earlier Life Is Worth Living show. For that work, Sheen twice won an Emmy Award for Most Outstanding Television Personality, and was featured on the cover of Time magazine. Starting in 2009, his shows were being re-broadcast on the EWTN and the Trinity Broadcasting Network's Church Channel cable networks. His contribution to televised preaching resulted in Sheen often being called one of the first televangelists.
The cause for his canonization was officially opened in 2002. In June 2012, Pope Benedict XVI officially recognized a decree from the Congregation for the Causes of Saints stating that he lived a life of "heroic virtues," a major step towards beatification, and he is now referred to as venerable. On July 5, 2019, Pope Francis approved a reputed miracle that occurred through the intercession of Sheen, clearing the way for his beatification. Sheen was scheduled to be beatified in Peoria on December 21, 2019, but his beatification was postponed after Bishop Salvatore Matano of Rochester expressed concern that Sheen's handling of a 1963 sexual misconduct case against a priest might be cited unfavorably in a forthcoming report from the New York Attorney General. The Diocese of Peoria countered that Sheen's handling of the case had already been "thoroughly examined" and "exonerated" and that Sheen had "never put children in harm's way".