Hajja Salesjana

for the Rule of his religious order. Fifteen days before Christmas, he asked a local man named John to help him “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 this infant’s 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.” On Christmas Day, St. Francis was joined by his friars and people from the surrounding area before a manger full of hay, watched over by an ox and a donkey. 4. The first nativity scene was connected to the Eucharist. Describing the scene in Greccio that day, Pope Francis writes: “All those present experienced a new and indescribable joy 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.” Unlike in nativity scenes today, the Pope says, there were no statues. Instead, “the nativity scene was enacted and experienced by all who were present.” 5. The original nativity scene inspired a vision. The Pope recalls that one of the witnesses to the first nativity scene saw “a marvellous vision.” Thomas of Celano, the first biographer of St. Francis, wrote that “one of those present saw Baby Jesus himself lying in the manger.” 6. The nativity scene is a means of evangelization. The Pope says that by creating the nativity scene, St. Francis “carried out a great work of evangelization” that continues to touch hearts to this very day. The saint had discovered “a simple yet authentic means of portraying the beauty of our faith” that was accessible to all. 33 Ottubru-Diċembru 2024 hajja