St. Francis and the Christmas Creche
from Father Saunders, the Arlington Catholic Herald and CERC.
What is the origin of the Nativity Scene (creche)?
The story of the origin of the Christmas creche rests with the very
holy man, St. Francis of Assisi.
In the year 1223, St. Francis, a deacon, was visiting the town of
Grecio to celebrate Christmas. Grecio was a small town built on a
mountainside overlooking a beautiful valley. The people had cultivated
the fertile area with vineyards. St. Francis realized that the chapel
of the Franciscan hermitage would be too small to hold the
congregation for Midnight Mass. So he found a niche in the rock near
the town square and set up the altar. However, this Midnight Mass
would be very special, unlike any other Midnight Mass.
St. Bonaventure (d. 1274) in his Life of St. Francis of Assisi tells
the story the best:
It happened in the third year before his death, that in order to
excite the inhabitants of Grecio to commemorate the nativity of the
Infant Jesus with great devotion, [St. Francis] determined to keep it
with all possible solemnity; and lest he should be accused of
lightness or novelty, he asked and obtained the permission of the
sovereign Pontiff. Then he prepared a manger, and brought hay, and an
ox and an ass to the place appointed. 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 [St. 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. A certain valiant and
veracious soldier, Master John of Grecio, who, for the love of Christ,
had left the warfare of this world, and become a dear friend of this
holy man, affirmed that he beheld an Infant marvellously beautiful,
sleeping in the manger, Whom the blessed Father Francis embraced with
both his arms, as if he would awake Him from sleep. This vision of the
devout soldier is credible, not only by reason of the sanctity of him
that saw it, but by reason of the miracles which afterwards confirmed
its truth. For example of Francis, if it be considered by the world,
is doubtless sufficient to excite all hearts which are negligent in
the faith of Christ; and the hay of that manger, being preserved by
the people, miraculously cured all diseases of cattle, and many other
pestilences; God thus in all things glorifying his servant, and
witnessing to the great efficacy of his holy prayers by manifest
prodigies and miracles.
Although the story is long old, the message is clear for us. Our own
Nativity scenes which rest under our Christmas trees are a visible
reminder of that night when our Savior was born. May we never forget
to see in our hearts the little Babe of Bethlehem, who came to save us
from sin. We must never forget that the wood of the manger that held
Him so securely would one day give way to the wood of the cross. May
we too embrace Him with all of our love as did St. Francis. To all of
the readers of Straight Answers, I wish you a very holy Christmas.
|