Preparing for Christmas and the Christmas crib

As we journey through our season of Advent, we are preparing for the “advent” or coming of Jesus Christ, our Savior. It is certainly a very busy time as we see those “shopping days to Christmas” counting down and as the list of things to do seems to grow rather than to shrink! We all have many ways of preparing for, and then celebrating, Christmas, and the hardships of the pandemic have made some of these difficult. Hopefully, this year we can continue those celebrations that we so love and cherish.

There are some things we all follow, but then there is a huge richness and diversity of family, cultural and local traditions, whether it be with what we eat or what we do! Whatever our traditions may be, most of us have some form of Christmas crib, or crèche, or manger scene in our homes. Some are simple, some are on a grand scale; but all are beautiful and important for us. The crib that we bring out each year may have all sorts of associations or a long family history. With this in mind, I would like to offer a brief reflection this year on the Christmas crib. Hopefully, it may be of some help to you and your family in preparing for the great feast of Christmas.

You may know the origins of the crib, that go back especially to St. Francis of Assisi and the events in a small hill town in Italy called Greccio. As Pope Francis tells us in his 2019 “Letter on the Meaning and Importance of the Nativity Scene:” Before Christmas, St. Francis asked a local man to help him realize his desire “to bring to life the memory of that babe born in Bethlehem, to see as much as possible with my own eyes the discomfort of his infant needs, how he lay in a manger, and how, with an ox and an ass standing by, he was laid upon a bed of hay.” At this, his faithful friend went immediately to prepare all that the saint had asked. On Dec. 25, the friars gathered together along with people from the farmsteads in the area, who brought flowers and torches to light up that holy night. When Francis arrived, he found a manger full of hay, an ox and a donkey. All those present experienced a new and indescribable joy in the presence of the Christmas scene. The priest then celebrated the Eucharist over the manger, showing the bond between the Incarnation of the Son of God and the Eucharist. At Greccio, there were no statues; instead, the nativity scene was enacted and experienced by all who were present. This is how our tradition began: with everyone gathered in joy around the cave, where there seemed to be no distance between the original event and those sharing in its mystery and joy on that day.

As we look at our crib, whether in our home, or in a church, or elsewhere, hopefully we can recognize and know the amazing reality of God being with us in this intimate and so human way. As Pope Francis asks: “Why does the Christmas crèche arouse such wonder and move us so deeply? First, because it shows God’s tender love: the Creator of the universe lowered himself to take up our littleness. The gift of life becomes all the more wondrous, as we realize that the Son of Mary is the source and sustenance of all life. In Jesus, the Father has given us a brother who comes to seek us out whenever we are confused or lost, a loyal friend ever at our side. He gave us his Son who forgives us and frees us from our sins.” Hopefully too, we can realize the importance of sharing this reality with everyone, especially in our world as it is now. There is so much need!

But, there is yet more that we can gain from reflecting and praying, as we gaze on our Christmas crib. The various characters, even the scene, can teach us much. Think of how often the background to a crib depicts nighttime. We have the darkness of night and yet, in this darkness a star shines out, pointing us to the presence of Emmanuel, “God with us.” Yes, God is with us and gives us light and strength, even in times of darkness.

Let us look too at the figures in our Christmas crib and ask some questions. Can I be like Mary, who responded so generously to God’s call and invitation, her heart fully open to God’s love and purpose for her? Can I be like St. Joseph, who trusted in God’s help and lived his calling from God to be a guardian and defender of the Holy Family? Can I be like the shepherds, who despite being so busy with their everyday work and the struggles of earning a living, took time to visit the newborn Jesus and then spread the wonderful news? Think how their fear was turned to joy. Can I be like the three wise men, who made a commitment not to live just on the surface, but rather to undertake a long and arduous journey to seek and to find God? They then returned home to proclaim the newborn King and, for them, life would never be the same again. Can I be like the angels, remembering that the word “angel” means a messenger: can I be God’s messenger?

I have seen many Christmas cribs that have additional figures in them. I like to think that they represent us and all those around us, whether it be family or friends, or perhaps a stranger, or someone who is poor or in need. Yes, God invites us to be part of the Christmas crib. As St. Francis did all those centuries ago, God invites us to be part of the Christmas story and to make it alive and real in our time and place. May the scene at the Christmas crib move all of us to be Christ to all whom we meet.

Father Anthony Barratt is the pastor of Holy Trinity Parish in Hudson and Germantown and the diocesan director of Prayer and Worship.