The Cross and the Crib: When Calvary Becomes The Nursery

By Fulton J. Sheen

The Cross & The Crib.
When Calvary Becomes the Nursery.
A Journey of Discovery with Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen! 

In this special collection of New York Times best-selling author Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen works, the reader will find some timely reflections on the seven last

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bishop Sheen Today
• Release date: Nov 25, 2023
• ISBN: 9781990427176

Fulton J. Sheen

The life and teachings of Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen anticipated and embodied the spirit of both the Second Vatican Council and the New Evangelization. A gifted orator and writer, he was a pioneer in the use of media for evangelization: His radio and television broadcasts reached an estimated 30 million weekly viewers. He also wrote more than 60 works on Christian living and theology, many of which are still in print. Born in 1895, Sheen grew up in Peoria, Illinois, and was ordained a priest for the diocese in 1919. He was ordained an auxiliary bishop in New York City in 1951. As the head of his mission agency, the Society for the Propagation of the Faith (1950–1966), and as Bishop of Rochester (1966-1969), Sheen helped create 9,000 clinics, 10,000 orphanages, and 1,200 schools; and his contributions educated 80,000 seminarians and 9,000 religious. Upon his death in 1979, Sheen was buried at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York. His cause for canonization was returned to his home diocese of Peoria in January 2011, and Sheen was proclaimed "Venerable" by Pope Benedict XVI on June 28, 2012. The first miracle attributed to his intercession was approved in March 2014, paving the way for his beatification.

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Copyright © 2021 by Al Smith

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review.

Bishop Sheen Today

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Sheen, Fulton J. (Fulton John), 1895-1979, author. | Smith, Al (Allan J.), editor. | Sheen, Fulton J. (Fulton John), 1895-1979. Cross and the Beatitudes. | Sheen, Fulton J. (Fulton John), 1895-1979. Rainbow of sorrow. | Sheen, Fulton J. (Fulton John), 1895-1979. Seven last words. | Sheen, Fulton J. (Fulton John), 1895-1979. Seven virtues. | Sheen, Fulton J. (Fulton John), 1895-1979. Seven words of Jesus and Mary. | Sheen, Fulton J. (Fulton John), 1895-1979. Seven words to the Cross. | Sheen, Fulton J. (Fulton John), 1895-1979. Victory over vice. | Sheen, Fulton J. (Fulton John), 1895-1979. Cross and the Beatitudes.

Title: The Cross & The Crib.  When Calvary becomes the nursery.  A journey of discovery with Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen.

Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen ; compiled by Allan Smith.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Douay-Rheims edition of the Old and New Testaments.

Description: Midland, Ontario: Bishop Sheen Today Publishing, 2021. | Includes bibliographical references.

Identifiers: paperback ISBN 978-1-7371890-9-1 / e-Book ISBN 978-1-6990427-50-3 

Subjects: LCSH: Jesus Christ — Seven last words.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Douay-Rheims edition of the Old and New Testaments.

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Reflections that transformed the hearts and minds of millions all over the world, written by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, on the seven last words of Christ.

From the central cross on Calvary come the answers for overcoming sin and brokenness. Those who will take these meditations to heart will find hope, healing, and restoration.

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To Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom, in humble petition that, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the world may find its way back to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

With filial gratitude and affection, I dedicate this publication to these two Holy Hearts, which overflow with love and mercy for all mankind.

Ad maiorem Dei gloriam - (For the greater glory of God)

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The Seven Last Words of Christ

The First Word

"Father, Forgive Them For They

Know Not What They Do."

The Second Word

This Day Thou Shalt Be With Me In Paradise.

The Third Word

Woman, Behold Thy Son; Behold Thy Mother.

The Fourth Word

"My God!  My God!  Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?"

The Fifth Word

I Thirst.

The Sixth Word

It Is Finished.

The Seventh Word

Father, Into Thy Hands I Commend My Spirit.

Contents

Introduction..........................................................13

First Reflection: Woman, behold thy Son;

Behold thy Mother ................................................19

Second Reflection: Thy Kingdom Come ..............25

Third Reflection: The Sanctus .............................29

Fourth Reflection: Blessed are the

Clean of Heart ......................................................39

Fifth Reflection: Suffering of the Innocent .........49

Sixth Reflection: Lust  ..........................................61

Seventh Reflection: Prudence  .............................75

Eighth Reflection: The Selfish   ...........................89

Ninth Reflection: The Fellowship of Religion  ..107

When Calvary Becomes The Nursery .................119

Acknowledgments ..............................................133

About the Author ...............................................137

Bibliography Notes ............................................143

Introduction

During his eighty-four years on this earth, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen spent himself writing books, pamphlets, and articles on a wide variety of topics, having to do with man and his final destiny. As a much sought-after lecturer, his topics ranged from speaking on faith, morals, philosophy, politics, the economy, the missions, to the social woes of the time and man’s eternal pursuit for happiness.

Hundreds of thousands of words were penned by Archbishop Sheen, and millions and millions of souls read his writings, and continue to do so to this day. One can safely say that through his writings and lectures, thousands of people changed their perspective of God, and thousands more came to Christ and His Church.

Of all the books written by the Venerable Sheen, I believe that the books that touched people the most were his books about the Cross - and Our Lord’s ‘seven last words’ from the Cross.

We hear St. Paul assert For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness (1 Corinthians 1:22-23.)  He follows this up by stating For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2.)

Archbishop Sheen knew full well the power of preaching Christ crucified.  For fifty-eight consecutive years, his memorable Good Friday address in parishes in New York City and elsewhere centered on Our Lord’s passion and death.  Each year he would choose a different topic and would tie it to the theme of Our Lord’s passion and His last words. People would come from far and near to get a seat in the church, to hear his famous Good Friday sermon.

The technique Archbishop Sheen used in his preaching, he also employed when writing on the Cross - and the Passion of Our Lord. In 1933, Sheen penned the pamphlet entitled ‘The Seven Last Words’.  For the next 56 years, Fulton Sheen would write and speak about a different theme each year and tie them together to the ‘The Seven Last Words’. 

In 1938, he wrote ‘The Cross and the Beatitudes’, which spoke of the beatitudes as they relate to lessons of love and forgiveness. Also in that same year, he would write ‘The Rainbow of Sorrow’, which was a message of comfort, wherein Sheen explained the meaning of sorrow and redemptive suffering. 

In 1939, in one of his best-selling books ‘Victory Over Vice’, Sheen tackled ‘the seven deadly sins’.  In 1940, ‘The Seven Virtues’ was written, wherein the reader was challenged to practice virtue. 

‘Seven Words to the Cross" was published in 1944.  In it, Sheen categorizes seven groups of people who challenge the message of Our Lord given from the Cross and answers their challenges in a compelling and incisive way.

Then in 1945, the Venerable Sheen wrote a poignant book entitled ‘Seven Words of Jesus and Mary’. In this book, he ties the seven words spoken by Our Lady in sacred Scripture, with Our Lord’s seven last words spoken from the Cross.

Sheen would go on to write other books tying ‘the seven last words’ to other themes. But with this book, I hope to present to the reader a concise work, tying together some of the books that Archbishop Sheen wrote on the words of Jesus and Mary, and the treasury of graces they contain for our sanctification. 

Each mediation will reflect on the central theme, which is the words spoken by Christ from the cross, "Woman behold your son; behold your mother (John 19:26-27).

As the reader ponders these reflections, he might have to pause for a moment or two over a sentence that is full of deep meaning that stirs the heart. He might also find that Archbishop Sheen has repeated certain lines throughout these reflections to drive home a point or an important theme, as any good teacher would do.

In this ‘Catechesis of the Cross’, the reader will be given nine different ways to look at the ‘third word’ spoken by Jesus from the Cross.