Draw near to holiness

O radiant dawn, splendor of
eternal light, sun of justice: come and
shine on those who dwell in darkness
and in the shadow of death.
(O Antiphon of Advent, Dec, 21)

The preparatory path of Advent ends as a new season of Christmas begins. We stand at the crossroads of what was promised, what is fulfilled and what is to come. Light pierces the darkness with humble radiance. Stillness abounds like the first fall of snow: quiet, soft and pure.  The daily and Sunday Mass Scripture readings during the next two weeks teem with faith, hope and love. We read about people who were haltingly obedient to God’s call, amidst the blessings and struggles, as well as the great joy of conversion brought about through God’s unfailing mercy.  And perfectly nestled in the middle is the Nativity of our savior from which all creation points towards and salvation springs forth.

Wonderful sign

Pope Francis, published an Apostolic Letter on Dec. 1, 2019 entitled “Admirabile Signum (Wonderful Sign: On the Meaning and Importance of the Nativity Scene.)” He begins by describing an increase in “amazement and wonder” at the sight of the Nativity. “The scene,” Pope Francis explains, “is like a living Gospel rising up from the pages of sacred Scripture, as we contemplate the Christmas story” and spiritually journey with God who became man to encounter all of humanity. “And the word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:14). Thus the Nativity deepens our awareness of just how truly remarkable and profound the birth of Jesus means to our salvation. It is so meaningful that Pope Francis encourages all the faithful to display a Nativity scene in their homes, as well as “workplaces, schools, hospitals, prisons, and town squares” with the hope to continue the tradition with our children, grandchildren and generations to come. 

Scripturally, the Nativity scene is told in the Gospels of St. Luke and St. Matthew. We know about Mary and Joseph, the birth of the first-born son, swaddling clothes, manger, it is night and they are not in an inn. We also read of shepherds, their flock, multitude of the heavenly host with an angel proclaiming the salvific news and to seek the sign given by God, as well as the Magi from the east, also called to seek the same sign.

Where was the first Nativity scene?

Fifteen days before Christmas in 1223, St. Francis of Assisi, so inspired by his visit to the Holy Land, asked a local man in the hill-city of Greccio located in the province of Rieti, Italy, to “bring to life” the creche’ scene. St. Francis stated, “to bring to life the memory of that babe born in Bethlehem, to see as much as possible with my own bodily 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” (Thomas of Celano, First Life, 84; Franciscan Sources, 469). The local man named John did as St. Francis requested and recreated the Nativity with real animals, a real manger and real hay. There were no statues. The joy of this well-documented moment remains to this day. Pope Francis writes of his namesake, “St. Francis carried out the work of evangelization with the simplicity of that sign” as the tradition continues today, more so with statuary but some with live animals.

A little one

Why, asks Pope Francis, are people so moved when they set eyes upon the Nativity? He states, “God launches the only true revolution that can give hope and dignity to the disinherited and outcast: the revolution of love … of tenderness.” God humbled himself, became man and lived in the world as we live, so that we may come to know him, love him and serve him and that we could see his face and have new life.
St Alphonsus de Liguori writes in “The Incarnation, Birth and Infancy of Jesus Christ,” “Now this God, so great, has become a little infant and for whom? A child is born to us: for us he is born. And wherefore?” St. Ambrose gives us the answer: ‘He is a little one, that you might be a perfect man; he is bound in swaddling clothes, that you might be unbound from the fetters of death; he is on earth that you might be in heaven.’ ” 

Draw near

Pope Francis reflects that as we set up our Nativity, we draw near to the moment salvation entered the darkness “wrapped” with stars of hope; a hope filled with the knowledge that God will never abandon us. We draw near to the touchable, extreme poverty of Jesus, our savior, laying on straw meant to feed animals.  We draw near to the coldness of a cave, only to realize God is our shelter and in him is our refuge. We draw near to the poor shepherds, first to hear of the coming of the savior, to momentarily cower out of fear but then in knowing, are taken over in joy! 

We draw near to a mother, obedient and graced, and a foster father, staff in hand, as they are the first to tenderly hold, protect and feed the one who has come to hold, protect and feed us. We draw near to the reverence given by three Magi who come from afar, bearing gifts from the earth and of themselves, then bearing witness to others along their path. We draw near to the holiness of this real, historical moment, made present by the holiness of our lives today. How can I “relive” the magnificence of the Incarnation as depicted in the Nativity scene? 

The Nativity for us today

God calls us to holiness, as seen in Mary and Joseph; to stay away from the darkness of sin that rips us to the very core, and to turn and follow the stars of hope which light our path; to know him in sacred Scripture, as the angel proclaimed; to reverently come to him at Mass, just as the shepherds and Magi knelt before him in the stable; and to be fed by him in the Eucharist, foreshadowed by the manger. Ultimately, the Nativity is the reality of God’s desire for you, for me, for all of us to draw near to him. God desires us to be near to him; to come home. Step into the Nativity scene. Come home for Christmas.

Pope Francis concludes his Apostolic Letter by writing, “the Christmas creche is part of the precious yet demanding process of passing on the faith. 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. Thanks to that child who is the son of God and son of the Virgin Mary and to realize that in that knowledge we find true happiness.” 

May the sign of the Nativity draw us nearer to Christ Jesus and be where we find our true happiness and a peace today and each day to come. Amen. Merry Christmas. 

O Emmanuel, our king and giver of law: come to save us, Lord our God! (O Antiphon of Advent, Dec. 23)

(Note: Pope Francis’ Apostolic Letter “Admirabile Signum (Wonderful Sign): On the Meaning and Importance of the Nativity Scene” may be found on the Vatican Website w2.vatican.va/)

Dow is the director of the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis for the Diocese of Baton Rouge.