Ideas for your ADVENT season of preparation

Advent starts in a few days, on 3 December.

You might consider reading (or reading again) Benedict XVI’s third volume of Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives.  It is shorter than the other two volumes, and there are riches within.

The Holy Father’s book presents, among other things, a real defense of the historicity of the infancy narratives.

US hardcover HERE.  Kindle HERE. Unabridged audio HERE. Large print HERE.
UK hardcover HERE. Kindle HERE.  Large print HERE.

Also, for Advent, you might try the reflections by an amazing priest who died under the Nazi regime, Fr. Alfred Delp, in the book Advent of the Heart: Seasonal Sermons And Prison Writings 1941-1944.

Kindle HERE. UKHERE.   Smart.  Moving.

You have time before Advent begins to order these.

And, in the spirit of the Church Militant, you might think about toughing up your rosary!  These rosaries are modeled after the US government issued rosaries… yes, you read that right… government issued rosaries given to combat troops.

The Swiss Guard carries these rosaries!  HERE

There is someone out there who pretty much ripped off the idea, by the way.  The link here is the right one.

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
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6 Comments

  1. Stephanus83 says:

    I’m an active duty soldier in the Army and I entered the church two years ago. My Priest gave me a combat rosary as a confirmation gift. Those rosaries are wonderful and I carry it in my pocket with no worry of ever breaking it. The connection to my brothers in arms who were issued these types of rosaries in the past is something I often think about and it inspires a lot of prayers for those men and women.

  2. Philmont237 says:

    This is something I wrote modeled after “The Rifleman’s Creed.”

    This is my rosary. There are many like it, but this one is mine.

    My rosary is my best friend. Its prayer is my life. I must master it as I must master my life.

    Without prayer, my rosary is useless. Without praying my rosary, I am useless. I must pray my rosary true. I must pray earnestly to defeat my enemy who is trying to kill me. I must expel him even as he tempts me. I will…

    My rosary and I know that what counts in war is not the words from our mouth, the pain in our knees, nor the length of our prayer. We know that it is the prayer from the heart that counts. We will pray…

    My rosary is a warrior, even as I, because it is an extension of myself. Thus, I will learn it as a brother. I will learn its weaknesses, its strength, its parts, its accessories, its beads, and its medals. I will keep my rosary clean and ready. We will become part of each other. We will…

    Before God, I swear this creed. My rosary and I are defenders of my soul. We are the masters of our enemy. And Christ is the Savior of my life.

    So be it, until victory is Christ’s and there is no enemy, but peace!

    [‘rah]

    Fr. Z's Gold Star Award

  3. Philmont237 says:

    Thanks for the Gold Star, Father!

    I’d love to get this printed on some holy cards and make this a big thing somehow.

  4. Jim says:

    One could use the coupon ‘CHRISTMAS’ to get 20% off the Combat Rosary.

    Source: Fr Heilman’s email newsletter. The coupon only lasts until midnight today (Nov 26 AD 2017).

  5. Pingback: MONDAY CATHOLICA EDITION – Big Pulpit

  6. mwa says:

    20% discount still available for cyber Monday with “CHRISTMAS” code for Church Militant combat rosary and everything else on romancatholicgear dot com. I really like the 4way medals they have because it includes the St Benedict medal.

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