Bringing the Nativity into our hearts and homes

Last weekend, in a rare episode of cleaning frenzy, I came across a box that never made it back to the attic after the Christmas season last year — the Nativity. It brought to mind the unfortunate truth that Christmas is also the season of court battles over separation of Church and state, and the nativity scene, as symbolic of Christ’s birth, is often at the center of the battle. Tradition tells us that the second century Roman Emperor Hadrian, in an attempt to stem the tide of Chris­tianity, established a pagan temple upon the site of Christ’s birth. It seems the Emperor was well aware of the power of Christ’s birthplace to promote devotion to the faith tradition that would rise up in the Savior’s name. Today it is with a heavy heart that many Catholics will acknowledge the obvious - the Hadrians of the world are still at it. The on-going prejudice against Christianity becomes routinely evident every Christmas as Chris­tian symbols of the birth of Christ – the REASON for the celebration of CHRISTMAS – are banned from every public arena. It would seem, as a group, we are part of the problem because our worship and devotion is so often lukewarm, and because we have mis­takenly bought into the novelty of the season as promoted by merchandis­ers and marketers. Perhaps it would be inspiring for us, as Catholics, to read again the story of St. Francis and the crèche as written by St. Bonaventure: “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.” It is always the time for Catholics to take on the attitude of St. Francis who created the Christmas manger to “excite the inhabitants . . . to com­memorate the nativity of the Infant Jesus with great devotion.” But perhaps now is the time for Catholics to come together with a visible expression of their uncommon love for Christ and the Holy Family by putting a manger in public view on their own property to express de­votion to our God and our faith. Bring the Babe of Bethlehem home this Christmas — to your hearth and your heart!   “Take time to be aware that in the very midst of our busy preparations for the celebration of Christ’s birth in an­cient Bethlehem, Christ is reborn in the Bethlehems of our homes and daily lives. Take time, slow down, be still, be awake to the Divine Mystery that looks so com­mon and so ordinary yet is wondrously present.” Edward Hays