ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS WITH FULTON SHEEN

Bishop Sheen's 28 brief Advent meditations reflect on the Incarnation, birth and earthly ministry of Christ. Because most are only a paragraph long, they are a bit too general and lack the anecdotal specificity that drove many of Sheen's most famous sermons home. Still, the meditations on the "Divine Sense of Humor" and Jesus as "a rich person who became a poor man" are vintage Sheen, powerful in their very simplicity. The four weeks of Advent meditations are followed by reflections for the 12 days from Christmas to Epiphany. The book's final section offers a liturgy to adapt the reflections for group or individual prayer, complete with responsive readings, Psalms and hymns. (Sept.)