The Nativity scene decorates St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican Dec. 20, 2019. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)
OFFICE FOR SOCIAL MINISTRY
“The depiction of Jesus’ birth is itself a simple and joyful proclamation of the mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God … The nativity scene is like a living Gospel rising up from the pages of sacred Scripture.” (Pope Francis’ apostolic letter on the nativity scene, “Admirabile Signum” [“Enchanting Image”], Dec. 1, 2019)
Pope Francis wrote an apostolic letter, which he signed on the First Sunday of Advent, entitled “An Enchanting Image,” on the meaning and importance of the nativity scene. In the midst of this Christmas season, one way to “talk story” is to share the following excerpts from Vatican News about the pope’s reflections on the Nativity.
“Pope Francis says contemplating the Christmas story is like setting out on a spiritual journey, ‘drawn by the humility of the God who became man in order to encounter every man and woman … so great is his love for us, that he became one of us, so that we in turn might become one with him.’ Pope Francis explains that the Christmas creche moves us so deeply because it shows God’s tender love. ‘The nativity scene has invited us to feel and touch the poverty that God’s son took upon himself in the incarnation … it asks us to meet him and serve him by showing mercy to those of our brothers and sisters in greatest need.’”
“Pope Francis reflects on the meaning behind the elements that make up the nativity scene. He begins with the background of ‘a starry sky wrapped in the darkness and silence of night … His closeness brings light where there is darkness and shows the way to those dwelling in the shadow of suffering.’ Turning to the shepherds, Pope Francis writes that, ‘unlike so many other people, busy about many things, the shepherds become the first to see the most essential thing of all: the gift of salvation. It is the humble and the poor who greet the event of the Incarnation in the Infant Jesus by setting out to meet him with love, gratitude and awe.’ The presence of the poor and the lowly, continues the pope, is a reminder that ‘God became man for the sake of those who feel most in need of his love and who ask him to draw near to them. From the manger, Jesus proclaims, in a meek yet powerful way, the need for sharing with the poor as the path to a more human and fraternal world in which no one is excluded or marginalized.’
“The pope then focuses on the figures of Mary, Joseph and Jesus. ‘Mary is a mother who contemplates her child and shows him to every visitor,’ he writes. ‘In her, we see the Mother of God who does not keep her son only to herself, but invites everyone to obey his word and to put it into practice. St. Joseph stands by her side, protecting the child and his Mother entrusting himself always to God’s will.’ But it is when we place the statue of the infant Jesus in the manger that the nativity scene comes alive, says Pope Francis. ‘It seems impossible, yet it is true: in Jesus, God was a child, and in this way he wished to reveal the greatness of his love: by smiling and opening his arms to all. The creche allows us to see and touch this unique and unparalleled event that changed the course of history, but it also makes us reflect on how our life is part of God’s own life.’
“As the Feast of Epiphany approaches, we add the Three Kings to the Christmas creche. Pope Francis writes, ‘their presence reminds us of every Christian’s responsibility to spread the Gospel. The memories of standing before the Christmas creche when we were children should remind us of our duty to share this same experience with our children and our grandchildren … It does not matter how the nativity scene is arranged; what matters is that it speaks to our lives.’ Pope Francis concludes ‘The Christmas creche is part of the precious yet demanding process of passing on the faith … beginning in childhood, and at every stage of our lives, it teaches us to contemplate Jesus, to experience God’s love for us, to feel and believe that God is with us and that we are with him.’”
Mahalo, Mele Kalikimaka me ka Hauoli Makahiki Hou,
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