APOSTOLIC LETTER

Admirable signum
OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS
ON THE MEANING AND IMPORTANCE OF THE NATIVITY SCENE

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1. The enchanting image of the Christmas crèche, so dear to the Christian people, never ceases to arouse amazement and wonder. The depiction of Jesus' birth is a simple and joyful proclamation of the mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God. Gospel rising up from the pages of sacred Scripture. As we contemplate the Christmas story, we are invited to set out on a spiritual journey, drawn by the humility of the God who became man in order to encounter every man and woman. We like to realize that we are one of us, we know that we are one with him.

With this Letter, I wish to encourage the beautiful family tradition of preparing the nativity scene in the days before Christmas, but also the custom of setting up at the workplace, at schools, hospitals, prisons and town squares. Great imagination and creativity is always shown in employing the most diverse materials to create small masterpieces of beauty. As children, we learn from our parents and carry on this joyful tradition, which encapsulates a wealth of popular piety. It is my hope that this custom will be lost and that, wherever it has fallen into disuse, it can be rediscovered and revived.

2. The origin of the Christmas crèche is found above all in certain details of Jesus' birth in Bethlehem, as related in the Gospels. The Evangelist Luke Because Jesus was laid in a manger, the nativity scene is known in Italian as a presepe , from the Latin word praesepium , meaning "manger".

Coming into this world, the Son of God was laid in the place where animals feed. Hay became the first bed of the One who would reveal himself as "the bread as down from heaven" ( Jn 6:41). Saint Augustine, with other Church Fathers, was impressed by this symbolism: "Laid in a manger, he became our food" ( Sermon 189, 4). Indeed, the nativity scene evokes a number of mysteries of Jesus' life and brings them close to our own daily lives.

But let's go back to the origins of the Christmas crèche so familiar to us. We need to imagine ourselves in the little Italian town of Greccio, near Rieti. Saint Francis stopped there, most likely on his way back from Rome November 29, 1223 he had received the confirmation of his Rule from Pope Honorius III. Francis had earlier visited the Holy Land, and the caves in Greccio reminded him of the countryside of Bethlehem. It may have been the "Poor Man of Assisi" had been struck by the mosaics in the Roman Basilica of Saint Mary Major depicting the birth of Jesus, close to the place where, according to an ancient tradition are preserved.

The Franciscan Sources describes in detail what then took place in Greccio. Fifteen days before Christmas, Francis asked a local man named John to help him realize his desire “to bring to life the memory of a babe born in Bethlehem, to see as much as possible with my own eyes how he lay in a manger, and how, with an ox and a standing by the bed. [1]At this, his faithful friend went immediately to prepare all that the Saint had asked. On 25December, friars came to Greccio from various parts, together 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 full man of hay, an ox and a donkey. All those present experienced new and indescribable joys in the presence of the Christmas scene. The priest then solemnly 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; the nativity scene was enacted and experienced by all who were present. [2]

This is how our tradition began:

Thomas of Celano, the first biographer of Saint Francis,himself lying in the manger. From the nativity scene of that Christmas in 1223, "everyone went home with joy". [3]

3. With the simplicity of that sign, Saint Francis carried out a great work of evangelization. His teaching touched the hearts of Christians. Indeed, the place where this first nativity scene was enacted express and evoke these sentiments. Greccio has become a refuge for the soul, a mountain fastness wrapped in silence.

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, all in all, is all the more wondrous as we realize that the Son of Mary is the source of all life. In Jesus, the Father has given us a hurry when we are confused or lost, to loyal friend ever at our side. He gave us his son who forgives us and frees us from our sins.

Setting up the Christmas crèche in our homes helps us to relive the history of what took place in Bethlehem. Naturally, the Gospels remain our source for understanding and reflecting on that event. At the same time, its portrayal in the crèche helps us to imagine the scene. It is our hearts that make us save a lot of time.

In a special way, from the time of its origins, the nativity scene has invited us to "feel" and "touch" the poverty that God's Son took upon himself in the Incarnation. Implicitly, it summons us to follow him along the path of humility, poverty and self-denial that leads from the manger of Bethlehem to the cross. He asks us to meet him and serves him by showing his brothers and sisters in greatest need (cf. Mt 25: 31-46).

4. I would like now to reflect on the various elements of the nativity scene in order to appreciate their deeper meaning. First, there is a background wrapped in darkness and silence of night. We represent this, but also for its symbolic value. We can think of all those times in our lives when we have experienced the darkness of night. Even then, God does not abandon us, but is there to answer our crucial questions about the meaning of life. Who am I? Where do I how from? Why was I born at this time in history? Why do I love? Why do I suffer? Why will I die? God became man. His closeness brings light to the darkness of the suffering (cf. Lk 1:79).

The landscapes that are part of the nativity scene also deserve some mention. Frequently they include the ruins of ancient houses or buildings, which are replaced by the cave of Bethlehem and become a home for the Holy Family. These ruins appear to be inspired by the thirteenth-century Golden Legend of the Dominican Jacobus de Varagine, which relates to pagan belief that the Temple of Peace in Rome would collapse when at Virgin gave birth. More than anything, the ruins of humanity, of everything that inevitably falls into ruin, decays and disappoints. This scenic setting tells us that Jesus is newness in the midst of an aging world, that he has to rebuild, to restore the world and his lives to their original splendor.

5. With what emotion should we arrange the mountains, streams, sheep and shepherds in the nativity scene! As we do so, we are reminded of that, as the prophets had foretold, all creation rejoices in the coming of the Messiah. The angels and the guiding star are to sign that we are too

"Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us" ( Lk 2:15). I know the shepherds tell one another after the proclamation of the angels. A beautiful lesson emerges from these simple words. Unlike so many other people, busy about many things, the shepherds become the first to see the most essential thing of all. It is the humble and the poor who greet the event of the Incarnation. The respondents to God who set out to meet him with love, gratitude and awe. Thanks to Jesus, this encounter between God and his children.

6. It is customary to add many symbols to our nativity scenes. First, there are others who know only the wealth of the heart. They are too close to the Infant Jesus; no one can evict them or send them away from a crib so makeshift that the poor seem entirely at home. Indeed, the poor are a privileged part of this mystery; often they are the first to recognize God's presence in our midst.

The poor and the poor, the nativity scene reminds us of God. Jesus, "gentle and humble in heart" ( Mt 11: 29), was born in poverty and led to simple life in order to teach us to recognize what is essential and act accordingly. The nativity scene clearly teaches that we cannot let ourselves be fooled by wealth and marketing promises of happiness. We see her palace in the background, closed and deaf to the tidings of joy. By being born in a manger, the revolutionary tendency of tenderness. From the manger, Jesus proclaims, in a meek yet powerful way.

Children - but adults too! - often love to add to the nativity scene Yet, in its own way, these fanciful additions show that in the new world From the shepherd to the blacksmith his divine life with us.

7. Gradually, how to the cave, where we find the figures of Mary and Joseph. Mary is a mother who contemplates her child and shows him to every visitor. The figure of Mary makes us reflect on the great mystery that surrounded this young woman when God knocked on the door of her immaculate heart. Mary responded in complete obedience to the message of the angel. Her words, “Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word ”( Lk1:38), show all of us how to abandon ourselves in faith to God's will. By her "fiat", Mary became the mother of God's Son, not losing but, thanks to him, consecrating her virginity. Word of put into practice (cf. Jn 2: 5).

At Saint Mary's side, at Mary's side, stands Saint Joseph stands. He is usually depicted with staff in hand, or holding up a lamp. Saint Joseph plays an important role in the life of Jesus and Mary. He is the guardian who tirelessly protects his family. When God warned him of Herod's threat, he thought to set out and flee to Egypt (cf. Mt 2: 13-15). And when he was born, he brought the family back to Nazareth, where he was the first teacher of Jesus as a boy and then as a young man. Joseph treasured in his heart the great mystery surrounding Jesus and Mary his spouse; as a just man, he entertained himself

8. When, at Christmas, we place the statues of the Infant Jesus in the manger, the nativity scene suddenly comes alive. God appears as a child, to take us into our arms. Beneath weakness and frailty, he conceals his power that creates and transforms all things. 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:

The birth of a child awakens joy and wonder; it sets before us the great mystery of life. We are able to understand the feelings of Mary and Joseph who, as they looked at the Infant Jesus, sensed God's presence in their lives.

"Life was made manifest" ( 1 Jn 1: 2). In these words, the Apostle John sums up the mystery of the Incarnation. The crèche allows us to see and touch this unique and unparalleled event that changed course of history, so that time would be reckoned either before or after the birth of Christ.

God's ways are astonishing, for it seems impossible that he should forsake his glory To our astonishment, we see God playing exactly as we do: he sleeps, takes milk from his mother, cries and plays like every other child! As always, God baffles us. He is unpredictable, constantly doing what we least expect. The nativity scene shows God as a life has come to us, but it also makes us reflect on how our life is part of God's own life. It invites us to become his disciples if we want to reach the ultimate meaning in life.

9. As the feast of Epiphany approaches, we place the statues of the Three Kings in the Christmas crèche. Observing the stars, those wise men from the East set out for Bethlehem, in order to find Jesus and to offer their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. These costly gifts have an allegorical meaning: gold honors Jesus' kingship, incense his divinity, myrrh his sacred humanity that was to experience death and burial.

As we contemplate this aspect of the nativity scene, we are to reflect on the responsibility of every Christian to spread the Gospel. Jesus and his love.

The Magi teaches us that people can come to Christ by a very long route. Men of wealth, sages from afar, athirst for the infinite, they will lead them to Bethlehem (cf. Mt 2: 1-12). Great joy comes over them in the presence of the Infant King. They are not scandalized by the poor surroundings, but immediately fall to their knees to worship him. Kneeling before him, they understand that the God who with sovereign wisdom guides the course of the stars. On their return home, they would have told us about this amazing encounter with the Messiah, thus initiating the spread of the Gospel among the nations.

10. Standing before the Christmas, we are reminded of the time when we were children, eagerly waiting to set it up. These memories make us conscious of the precious gift With the children and our grandchildren. It does not matter how the nativity scene is arranged: it can be the same or it can change from year to year. What matters is that it speaks to our lives. Where is it, and whatever form it takes, the Christmas crèche speaks to us about the love of God, the God who became a child in order to make us know how.

Dear brothers and sisters, the Christmas crèche is a part of the precious yet demanding process of passing on the faith. Beginning in childhood, and in every stage of life, it teaches us to contemplate Jesus, to experience thanks to that Child who is the Son of God and the Son of the Virgin Mary. To realize that in knowledge we find true happiness. Like Saint Francis, may we open our hearts to this simple grace, so that from our wonderment to humble prayer may arise:

Given in Greccio, at the Shrine of the Nativity, on 1 December in the year 2019, the seventh of my Pontificate.

FRANCIS

___________________ [1] Cf. Thomas of Celano, First Life , 84; Franciscan Sources , 469. [2] Ibid., 85; Franciscan Sources , 469. [3] Ibid . , 86: Franciscan Sources , 470. [01938-EN.01] [Original text: Italian]