For
God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who
believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life (John 3:16)
Tradition teaches that Saint Francis of Assisi set up the first Nativity scene in order to inspire and encourage a greater appreciation of the wonders of the first Christmas. The year was 1223, and Francis created the scene in a cave outside Greccio, Italy featuring a wax figure of the infant Jesus and a man and a woman playing the roles of Mary and Joseph, with a live donkey and ox also present. Local shepherds watched over their sheep in nearby fields, just as shepherds in Bethlehem had watched over theirs on that first Christmas Eve.
In his biography of Saint Francis, Life of Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Bonaventure described what happened that evening:
The
brethren were summoned, the people ran together, the forest resounded
with their voices, and that venerable night was made glorious by many
and brilliant lights and sonorous psalms of praise. The man of God
[Francis] stood before the manger, full of devotion and piety, bathed in
tears and radiant with joy; the Holy Gospel was chanted by Francis, the
Levite of Christ. Then he preached to the people around the nativity of
the poor King; and being unable to utter His name for the tenderness of
His love, He called Him the Babe of Bethlehem.
The first Nativity scene presentation proved to be so popular that a new tradition was born, with people around the region creating their own living Nativities to celebrate Christmas. Eventually, Christians worldwide celebrated Christmas with their own scenes, often with statues so that they could remain in place, in their town squares, churches and homes. In addition to the baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, a donkey and an ox, later Nativity scenes featured angels, shepherds, sheep, camels and the three kings who traveled to present gifts to the infant Jesus and his parents.
Every
Christmas crib provides a simple invitation to open our hearts and
minds to the mystery of Life. It is an encounter with the Eternal God,
who as the second Person of the Holy Trinity entered history and
mortality in the mystical scene of the first Nativity for all to see
(though he had truly become human some nine months earlier!). Although
few encountered Him that first Christmas in the simple and lowly
dwelling of Bethlehem, it would not be long before the world knew that
he came for all: rich and poor, sinner and saint, believer and
non-believer.
Christmas anchors us in the profound message of the closeness of the One who created the world; the One who becomes human and dwells among us -- Emmanuel. The God who made the whole universe and created man out of the dust of the earth, embraces our humanity -- without sin -- and takes up His first dwelling among us as every man -- in the womb of Mary.
Sadly, just as with that first Christmas Eve when only a few persons recognized the wondrous gift that entered human existence, so it is with human life today. So many forget the miraculous wonder of every conception. They forget that the eternal Logos -- the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us -- was once an embryo, a fetus and a developing child. The Incarnation sanctifies every pregnancy, every womb and every developing child within the womb. Moreover, Jesus' first act of redemption began from the womb of Mary, His mother. Saint Paul puts it best:
Christmas anchors us in the profound message of the closeness of the One who created the world; the One who becomes human and dwells among us -- Emmanuel. The God who made the whole universe and created man out of the dust of the earth, embraces our humanity -- without sin -- and takes up His first dwelling among us as every man -- in the womb of Mary.
Sadly, just as with that first Christmas Eve when only a few persons recognized the wondrous gift that entered human existence, so it is with human life today. So many forget the miraculous wonder of every conception. They forget that the eternal Logos -- the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us -- was once an embryo, a fetus and a developing child. The Incarnation sanctifies every pregnancy, every womb and every developing child within the womb. Moreover, Jesus' first act of redemption began from the womb of Mary, His mother. Saint Paul puts it best:
Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in
Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose us in
him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish
before him. In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus
Christ, in accord with the favor of his will, for the praise of the
glory of his grace that he granted us in the beloved. (Ephesians 1:4-6)
This forgetfulness has lead humanity down a perverse path. Not only is nascent life so often rejected, vulnerable life everywhere is attacked and devalued. Many think only in temporal terms, forgetting that we are made of spirit, body and soul.
Continue reading on HLI.org...
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Father Shenan J. Boquet
President, Human Life International
