THE NATIVITY SCENE AS DEPICTED BY
ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI:
by: Bro. Bobby General (NSTI), SJWP Prophetic Minister,
CFD Makati Chapter President
CFD Makati Chapter President
A few years ago, we in the Ministry on Biblical Apostolate of the RCAM had a wonderful and enlightening Recollection presided over by Fr. Adonis Saclolo, our Biblical Doctor and family friend. He meticulously broke down for our reflection the Nativity scene most specifically from the perspective of the great St. Francis, Founder of the Friar Minors & Stigmatist.
He started by telling us the scene is the brainchild of the great saint in the 13th century in the year 1223. Up until that time there was no nativity scene. The great saint used this as a means of exposing the tremendous truths that the imagery contains. He further said that after the placing of the ‘Babe of Bethlehem” in the crib and giving an inspiring exposition, the great saint spent practically the whole night in tears, in awe of understanding the act of the Incarnation of God just a little more deeply. This great love of God, who lowered Himself to be vulnerable and to depend on others for His sustenance, safety and well being. It is the degradation of God by taking the human form in order to elevate our frail nature to God’s original intention in creating us in His image and likeness.
THE SCENE: (these will be the focus of reflection)
THE CAVE, THE MANGER ANIMALS OX AND ASS, THE BABE ON THE CRIB, MOTHER MARY, PAPA JOSEPH, THE SHEPHERDS AND THE ANGELS.
He started by telling us the scene is the brainchild of the great saint in the 13th century in the year 1223. Up until that time there was no nativity scene. The great saint used this as a means of exposing the tremendous truths that the imagery contains. He further said that after the placing of the ‘Babe of Bethlehem” in the crib and giving an inspiring exposition, the great saint spent practically the whole night in tears, in awe of understanding the act of the Incarnation of God just a little more deeply. This great love of God, who lowered Himself to be vulnerable and to depend on others for His sustenance, safety and well being. It is the degradation of God by taking the human form in order to elevate our frail nature to God’s original intention in creating us in His image and likeness.
THE SCENE: (these will be the focus of reflection)
THE CAVE, THE MANGER ANIMALS OX AND ASS, THE BABE ON THE CRIB, MOTHER MARY, PAPA JOSEPH, THE SHEPHERDS AND THE ANGELS.
I. THE CAVE:
Was it really in a cave? Well we cannot rely on the Scriptures to tell us that but we take the word of the great Doctor of the Church who resided at Bethlehem in a cave while working on his translation, St. Jerome who describes as a cave near the birthplace of the Lord. The cave signify the simplicity of the surrounding. It is a reflection on humility in accord with the very act of the Incarnation itself according the Apostle. I personally have been in this place at Bethlehem and up to now still remember the feeling of awe and deep appreciation of the concrete love God has for us, sinful and proud. In this our time, it is so easy for us to be bogged down with the glitz and glamour of the season. We can easily forget that Advent is truthfully a spiritual season to which we reflect on the great act of God to save us by His life and words. To humble ourselves might mean we acknowledge that we need God’s forgiveness because we have failed. In our parish, I told the recollection attendees that we need to go to confession before the great feast culminates. To be simple is to be humble. To be humble is to recognize the tremendous need we have of God’s mercy, love and graces. Simplicity, the spiritual kind is not truly outward, it is internal. Finally, let us be simple by saying and be convicted that we need God, His mercy, love and forgiveness.
Was it really in a cave? Well we cannot rely on the Scriptures to tell us that but we take the word of the great Doctor of the Church who resided at Bethlehem in a cave while working on his translation, St. Jerome who describes as a cave near the birthplace of the Lord. The cave signify the simplicity of the surrounding. It is a reflection on humility in accord with the very act of the Incarnation itself according the Apostle. I personally have been in this place at Bethlehem and up to now still remember the feeling of awe and deep appreciation of the concrete love God has for us, sinful and proud. In this our time, it is so easy for us to be bogged down with the glitz and glamour of the season. We can easily forget that Advent is truthfully a spiritual season to which we reflect on the great act of God to save us by His life and words. To humble ourselves might mean we acknowledge that we need God’s forgiveness because we have failed. In our parish, I told the recollection attendees that we need to go to confession before the great feast culminates. To be simple is to be humble. To be humble is to recognize the tremendous need we have of God’s mercy, love and graces. Simplicity, the spiritual kind is not truly outward, it is internal. Finally, let us be simple by saying and be convicted that we need God, His mercy, love and forgiveness.
II. THE MANGER ANIMAL OX AND ASS:
With the absence of an ass or wild donkey, a donkey and a real live ox was borrowed by St. Francis to be part of the 1st Nativity Scene or “Creche”. The place were the Lord was born was in a cave, a manger which is the place where the animals are placed. Fr. Adonis pointed out particularly the probability of these 2 specific animals to show their contrast. The Ox is an animal with dignity and is used for sacrificial purposes, their blood is precious and it is pegged as basically a dignified and clean animal, very useful in many ways. The Ass (wild donkey) is characterized as very stubborn, not very useful and basically an unclean animal. However, the commonality of all animals in a manger are they are basically “beast of burden”.
The catechesis is that the “Messiah” chose a simple cave and the place of the beasts of burden to be born to show us that He brings redemption to all, rich or poor, no color preference, learned and unlearned the contrast of the ox and ass. The redemption is that He, Jesus, the Babe of Bethlehem, will take the yoke of sin and redeem us to bring us rest, freedom and the restoration of our relationship with God. Salvation will be for all men in Jesus, no prejudice whatsoever.
Prejudice is an evil thing. It is rooted in pride the character trait of the devil himself. There are even some that is disguised in spirituality. Looking down on others and seeing less of them just because they do not pray like we do, or read the bible like we do, or partake of the sacraments as often as we do, or kneel down longer than we do. The Lord Jesus sees the nobleness of all men, His lack of prejudice is saying “you all are worth taking this humble form for and dying for”.
With the absence of an ass or wild donkey, a donkey and a real live ox was borrowed by St. Francis to be part of the 1st Nativity Scene or “Creche”. The place were the Lord was born was in a cave, a manger which is the place where the animals are placed. Fr. Adonis pointed out particularly the probability of these 2 specific animals to show their contrast. The Ox is an animal with dignity and is used for sacrificial purposes, their blood is precious and it is pegged as basically a dignified and clean animal, very useful in many ways. The Ass (wild donkey) is characterized as very stubborn, not very useful and basically an unclean animal. However, the commonality of all animals in a manger are they are basically “beast of burden”.
The catechesis is that the “Messiah” chose a simple cave and the place of the beasts of burden to be born to show us that He brings redemption to all, rich or poor, no color preference, learned and unlearned the contrast of the ox and ass. The redemption is that He, Jesus, the Babe of Bethlehem, will take the yoke of sin and redeem us to bring us rest, freedom and the restoration of our relationship with God. Salvation will be for all men in Jesus, no prejudice whatsoever.
Prejudice is an evil thing. It is rooted in pride the character trait of the devil himself. There are even some that is disguised in spirituality. Looking down on others and seeing less of them just because they do not pray like we do, or read the bible like we do, or partake of the sacraments as often as we do, or kneel down longer than we do. The Lord Jesus sees the nobleness of all men, His lack of prejudice is saying “you all are worth taking this humble form for and dying for”.
III. THE BABE OF BETHLEHEM IN THE CRIB
From his biography of Francis (called the Life of St. Francis of Assisi), Saint Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, described what happened that night: “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 [Francis] stood before the manger, full of devotion and piety, bathed in tears and radiant with joy; the Holy Gospel was chanted by Francis. 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.”
The high point of the Nativity Scene of the Seraphic Saint Francis was when he placed the baby in the crib. It is the time when it dawned on him the greatness of the love God has for us. Fr. Adonis told us of an icon, Easter Catholic tradition wherein it depicted the Babe of Bethlehem in a crib (wooden box) side by side with the Crucified Lord in a casket (wooden box) as well. He told us that it is a very beautiful image of the unconditional love God has for all of us. He is the Logos to which all things were created according to the Apostle John enjoying the fullness of Godhead, including all the attributes of God but because of His love for us came to take our human form for our redemption. The side by side imagery reminded him that when He was born, he knew that His life will culminate in suffering, rejection and death on a wooden cross. He said that when the Word became flesh, God in Jesus embraced suffering for our sake. From that moment He became very vulnerable and will now feel things alien to Him as God. God will now hunger, thirst, feel pain and all the limitation of being man, a baby for that matter who is weak and frail and why? It is because He loves us and wants to elevate us to the purpose of our creation, the restoration of our dignity and He is willing to pay the price for us. The birth of the Lord as a baby, the sacrifice God took for our redemption is a marvelous truth to behold and the image of the icon captures the essence. An adult Lord Jesus dead in a wooden casket and the Babe of Bethlehem in a wooden crib, twin images of how much suffering God is willing to take for you and me.
From his biography of Francis (called the Life of St. Francis of Assisi), Saint Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, described what happened that night: “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 [Francis] stood before the manger, full of devotion and piety, bathed in tears and radiant with joy; the Holy Gospel was chanted by Francis. 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.”
The high point of the Nativity Scene of the Seraphic Saint Francis was when he placed the baby in the crib. It is the time when it dawned on him the greatness of the love God has for us. Fr. Adonis told us of an icon, Easter Catholic tradition wherein it depicted the Babe of Bethlehem in a crib (wooden box) side by side with the Crucified Lord in a casket (wooden box) as well. He told us that it is a very beautiful image of the unconditional love God has for all of us. He is the Logos to which all things were created according to the Apostle John enjoying the fullness of Godhead, including all the attributes of God but because of His love for us came to take our human form for our redemption. The side by side imagery reminded him that when He was born, he knew that His life will culminate in suffering, rejection and death on a wooden cross. He said that when the Word became flesh, God in Jesus embraced suffering for our sake. From that moment He became very vulnerable and will now feel things alien to Him as God. God will now hunger, thirst, feel pain and all the limitation of being man, a baby for that matter who is weak and frail and why? It is because He loves us and wants to elevate us to the purpose of our creation, the restoration of our dignity and He is willing to pay the price for us. The birth of the Lord as a baby, the sacrifice God took for our redemption is a marvelous truth to behold and the image of the icon captures the essence. An adult Lord Jesus dead in a wooden casket and the Babe of Bethlehem in a wooden crib, twin images of how much suffering God is willing to take for you and me.
IV. MOTHER MARY
THE FATHERS, DOCTORS AND POPES ON MARY’S PAINLESS DELIVERY OF CHRIST OUR LORD:
St Gregory of Nyssa, Bishop & Doctor of the Church
“Though coming in the form of man, yet not in everything is He subject to the laws of man’s nature; for while His being born of a woman tells of human nature; virginity becoming capable of childbirth betokens something above man. Of Him then His mother’s burden was light, the birth immaculate, the delivery without pain, the nativity without defilement, neither beginning from wanton desire, nor brought to pass with sorrow. For as she who by her guilt engrafted death into our nature, was condemned to bring forth in trouble, it was meet that she who brought life into the world should accomplish her delivery with joy.” (St Gregory of Nyssa, Homily on the Nativity, AD ca. 388)
St. Ambrose of Milan, Bishop & Doctor of the Church
“Who is this gate (Ezekiel 44:1-4, see above), if not Mary? Is it not closed because she is a virgin? Mary is the gate through which Christ entered this world, when He was brought forth in the virginal birth and the manner of His birth did not break the seals of virginity…There is a gate of the womb, although it is not always closed; indeed only one was able to remain closed, that through which the One born of the Virgin came forth without the loss of genital intactness” (St. Ambrose of Milan, The Consecration of a Virgin and the Perpetual Virginity of Mary, 8:52; ca. AD 391).
St Augustine of Hippo, Bishop & Doctor of the Church
“It is not right that He who came to heal corruption should by His advent violate integrity” (St. Augustine, Sermon 189:2).
“In conceiving thou wast all pure, in giving birth thou wast without pain”
(St. Augustine,Sermon on Nativity).
“Christ transcends, indeed, the miracles of all besides, in being born of a virgin, and in possessing alone the power, both in His conception and birth, to preserve inviolate the integrity of His mother: but that was done neither before their eyes nor in them. For the knowledge of the truth of such a miracle was reached by the apostles, not through any onlooking that they had in common with others, but in the course of their separate discipleship.” (St. Augustine, Tractate91:3).
St Leo the Great, Pope & Doctor of the Church
“She brought Him forth without the loss of virginity even as she conceived Him without its loss.” (Pope St. Leo the Great, Tome to Flavian, ca. AD 430)
THE FATHERS, DOCTORS AND POPES ON MARY’S PAINLESS DELIVERY OF CHRIST OUR LORD:
St Gregory of Nyssa, Bishop & Doctor of the Church
“Though coming in the form of man, yet not in everything is He subject to the laws of man’s nature; for while His being born of a woman tells of human nature; virginity becoming capable of childbirth betokens something above man. Of Him then His mother’s burden was light, the birth immaculate, the delivery without pain, the nativity without defilement, neither beginning from wanton desire, nor brought to pass with sorrow. For as she who by her guilt engrafted death into our nature, was condemned to bring forth in trouble, it was meet that she who brought life into the world should accomplish her delivery with joy.” (St Gregory of Nyssa, Homily on the Nativity, AD ca. 388)
St. Ambrose of Milan, Bishop & Doctor of the Church
“Who is this gate (Ezekiel 44:1-4, see above), if not Mary? Is it not closed because she is a virgin? Mary is the gate through which Christ entered this world, when He was brought forth in the virginal birth and the manner of His birth did not break the seals of virginity…There is a gate of the womb, although it is not always closed; indeed only one was able to remain closed, that through which the One born of the Virgin came forth without the loss of genital intactness” (St. Ambrose of Milan, The Consecration of a Virgin and the Perpetual Virginity of Mary, 8:52; ca. AD 391).
St Augustine of Hippo, Bishop & Doctor of the Church
“It is not right that He who came to heal corruption should by His advent violate integrity” (St. Augustine, Sermon 189:2).
“In conceiving thou wast all pure, in giving birth thou wast without pain”
(St. Augustine,Sermon on Nativity).
“Christ transcends, indeed, the miracles of all besides, in being born of a virgin, and in possessing alone the power, both in His conception and birth, to preserve inviolate the integrity of His mother: but that was done neither before their eyes nor in them. For the knowledge of the truth of such a miracle was reached by the apostles, not through any onlooking that they had in common with others, but in the course of their separate discipleship.” (St. Augustine, Tractate91:3).
St Leo the Great, Pope & Doctor of the Church
“She brought Him forth without the loss of virginity even as she conceived Him without its loss.” (Pope St. Leo the Great, Tome to Flavian, ca. AD 430)
V. ST. JOSEPH
Another important person that contributed in the fulfillment of the Nativity Scene is St. Joseph. The other day I was speaking about my personal patron, the patron of our parish and specifically said that if the patriarch did not heed the voice of God through the angel, we probably would have waited much longer than we should for our redemption. The contribution of the patriarch absence words and much action is to obey God and His words. St. Joseph the head of the Holy Family is the image of what it means to love Jesus and Mary not by words alone but by his deeds. He is willing to take a chance and act out of love in the midst of fear and anxiety. He is literally willing to lay down his life for Jesus and Mary and by doing that, protecting and guiding them till the time the plan for our redemption came to fruition in the wooden cross at Golgotha.
The pure love of Joseph to Jesus and Mary was rewarded and seen by God both in his lifetime and even up to now in the glory of heaven. There is probably only one person who is obeyed and given submission by God in Jesus and the Mother of God, Mary. Tradition has it that when Joseph died, he has on his one hand, God in Jesus and on the other, Mary Theotokos. I believe that no one person can take that kind of honor. Hence, he became the patron for the dying and the art work all over Italia confirms this tradition.
Another important person that contributed in the fulfillment of the Nativity Scene is St. Joseph. The other day I was speaking about my personal patron, the patron of our parish and specifically said that if the patriarch did not heed the voice of God through the angel, we probably would have waited much longer than we should for our redemption. The contribution of the patriarch absence words and much action is to obey God and His words. St. Joseph the head of the Holy Family is the image of what it means to love Jesus and Mary not by words alone but by his deeds. He is willing to take a chance and act out of love in the midst of fear and anxiety. He is literally willing to lay down his life for Jesus and Mary and by doing that, protecting and guiding them till the time the plan for our redemption came to fruition in the wooden cross at Golgotha.
The pure love of Joseph to Jesus and Mary was rewarded and seen by God both in his lifetime and even up to now in the glory of heaven. There is probably only one person who is obeyed and given submission by God in Jesus and the Mother of God, Mary. Tradition has it that when Joseph died, he has on his one hand, God in Jesus and on the other, Mary Theotokos. I believe that no one person can take that kind of honor. Hence, he became the patron for the dying and the art work all over Italia confirms this tradition.
VI. THE SHEPHERDS
In the accounts of the Gospel about the birth of the Lord, it was to the shepherds that the angel brought the good news of the birth of the Messiah. This long awaited event that has tremendous implication to humanity is declared first of all to the shepherds, the poor and outcast of the Israeli culture. The shepherds are poor people and social outcasts that is why they had to live outside towns. They have literally acquired in their person the smell of cattle which is repugnant to most people especially those who live inside towns and cities. They are the simple folks of the times and they have their station just a little above the health and apparently spiritual outcasts, the lepers. Despite such predicaments, God chose them to be the 1st to receive the good news in order to fulfill the words of the prophets who said that the poor will have the good news preached to them. If there are a group of persons that would need the Messiah, I think the shepherds are the ones who need this good news and if they receive it, will restore their dignity and speak to all about the impartiality of God. Redemption is at hand and it is for all men absence prejudice.
When I was at Shepherds Hill, outside Bethlehem, the traditional place said to be the place where the shepherds saw the angel bring them the good news, the above is the reflection that came to mind. I exclaimed the praise of God in my heart, that despite my unworthiness, God deemed to reveal to me the good news of our redemption in Jesus. Despite being poor and weak, He decided to redeem me for who I am.
In the nativity scene, their contribution is to open their heart to the Lord through the angel, receive and believe in the good news that is found in the person of Jesus, the Messiah and give glory and praise to God. We can learn from the shepherds by opening our hearts to Jesus and give Him the praise and the glory that He alone deserves.
In the accounts of the Gospel about the birth of the Lord, it was to the shepherds that the angel brought the good news of the birth of the Messiah. This long awaited event that has tremendous implication to humanity is declared first of all to the shepherds, the poor and outcast of the Israeli culture. The shepherds are poor people and social outcasts that is why they had to live outside towns. They have literally acquired in their person the smell of cattle which is repugnant to most people especially those who live inside towns and cities. They are the simple folks of the times and they have their station just a little above the health and apparently spiritual outcasts, the lepers. Despite such predicaments, God chose them to be the 1st to receive the good news in order to fulfill the words of the prophets who said that the poor will have the good news preached to them. If there are a group of persons that would need the Messiah, I think the shepherds are the ones who need this good news and if they receive it, will restore their dignity and speak to all about the impartiality of God. Redemption is at hand and it is for all men absence prejudice.
When I was at Shepherds Hill, outside Bethlehem, the traditional place said to be the place where the shepherds saw the angel bring them the good news, the above is the reflection that came to mind. I exclaimed the praise of God in my heart, that despite my unworthiness, God deemed to reveal to me the good news of our redemption in Jesus. Despite being poor and weak, He decided to redeem me for who I am.
In the nativity scene, their contribution is to open their heart to the Lord through the angel, receive and believe in the good news that is found in the person of Jesus, the Messiah and give glory and praise to God. We can learn from the shepherds by opening our hearts to Jesus and give Him the praise and the glory that He alone deserves.
VII. THE ANGELS
THE MISSION OR MINISTRY OF ANGELS ACCORDING TO ST. THOMAS
(SUMMA THEOLOGAE PRIMA PARS, 112)
1. God sends angels to minister to his purposes among bodily creatures. This sending or mission is not the dispatching of angels upon a journey. To be sent means to be present in a new place in which one was not present before, or to be present where one was but in a new way. An angel is present where it exercises or applies its powers, and not elsewhere. When God has an angel apply its powers to a creature, the angel is sent to that creature. God is the sender and the first principle of the effect produced by the angel sent; God is also the ultimate goal or final cause of the work so produced. The angel is God's minister or intelligent instrument; by its being sent it renders ministry to God.
2. It seems that, of the nine orders of angels, only five orders are sent for the external ministry, and that the superior angels are never sent.
3. Angels are said to assist before the throne of God. All angels assist inasmuch as all permanently possess the beatific vision. But, in a special sense, only the superior angels assist before God's throne. These superior angels, beholding mysteries in God, communicate what they behold to the inferior angels. All good angels see God in the beatific vision, but the superior angels behold deeper and wider mysteries in God than do the lesser angels. By their deeper and wider knowledge of divine mysteries, the superior angels are said to assist.
4. Angels sent in the external ministry are those whose names indicate some kind of administrative or executive office. These are, in descending rank, Virtues, Powers, Principalities, Archangels, Angels.
In the Nativity Scene basically all the persons who participated in one way or the other have received the word of God through the ministration of the Angels. These intelligent creatures are by their ministry, messengers of God. However, hearing the angels’ message is not an assurance that we will comply. The angelic utterances are given as a direct message from God and will definitely fulfill the plan God has for a particular time, place and circumstance. The angels are all around us and I believe that even in this our time, they continue to do the bidding of God. Let us therefore be more sensitive to these intelligent creatures and allow the fullness of the plan of God to materialize. Likewise we hope to be messengers as well of God’s will to others by our words and more so by our deeds. Whenever we do a loving thing to another soul, especially the poor, the sick, the suffering and the dying, when we perform our ministries with the object of glorifying God, we are truly messengers of God. Take precaution however that when these are done we do not fall into pride lest we become more like fallen angels and this is not pleasing to God who alone deserves the praise.
THE MISSION OR MINISTRY OF ANGELS ACCORDING TO ST. THOMAS
(SUMMA THEOLOGAE PRIMA PARS, 112)
1. God sends angels to minister to his purposes among bodily creatures. This sending or mission is not the dispatching of angels upon a journey. To be sent means to be present in a new place in which one was not present before, or to be present where one was but in a new way. An angel is present where it exercises or applies its powers, and not elsewhere. When God has an angel apply its powers to a creature, the angel is sent to that creature. God is the sender and the first principle of the effect produced by the angel sent; God is also the ultimate goal or final cause of the work so produced. The angel is God's minister or intelligent instrument; by its being sent it renders ministry to God.
2. It seems that, of the nine orders of angels, only five orders are sent for the external ministry, and that the superior angels are never sent.
3. Angels are said to assist before the throne of God. All angels assist inasmuch as all permanently possess the beatific vision. But, in a special sense, only the superior angels assist before God's throne. These superior angels, beholding mysteries in God, communicate what they behold to the inferior angels. All good angels see God in the beatific vision, but the superior angels behold deeper and wider mysteries in God than do the lesser angels. By their deeper and wider knowledge of divine mysteries, the superior angels are said to assist.
4. Angels sent in the external ministry are those whose names indicate some kind of administrative or executive office. These are, in descending rank, Virtues, Powers, Principalities, Archangels, Angels.
In the Nativity Scene basically all the persons who participated in one way or the other have received the word of God through the ministration of the Angels. These intelligent creatures are by their ministry, messengers of God. However, hearing the angels’ message is not an assurance that we will comply. The angelic utterances are given as a direct message from God and will definitely fulfill the plan God has for a particular time, place and circumstance. The angels are all around us and I believe that even in this our time, they continue to do the bidding of God. Let us therefore be more sensitive to these intelligent creatures and allow the fullness of the plan of God to materialize. Likewise we hope to be messengers as well of God’s will to others by our words and more so by our deeds. Whenever we do a loving thing to another soul, especially the poor, the sick, the suffering and the dying, when we perform our ministries with the object of glorifying God, we are truly messengers of God. Take precaution however that when these are done we do not fall into pride lest we become more like fallen angels and this is not pleasing to God who alone deserves the praise.
Reflection & Application:
What am I doing in preparing for the coming of Lord Jesus, the babe of Bethlehem?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus you chose to be born in a cave to show us simplicity and humility. You chose to reveal yourself to the simple people and those with open hearts. May we in this commemoration of your first coming, open up our hearts to You and be ready for your second coming. May we admit our need for more of You in our lives today. Amen.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, graciously hear our prayers, for the poor, the sick, the suffering and the dying of today. Amen.
St. Francis, Stigmatist and founder of the Friars Minor, pray for us, the poor, the sick, the suffering and the dying of today. Amen.
What am I doing in preparing for the coming of Lord Jesus, the babe of Bethlehem?
Prayer:
Lord Jesus you chose to be born in a cave to show us simplicity and humility. You chose to reveal yourself to the simple people and those with open hearts. May we in this commemoration of your first coming, open up our hearts to You and be ready for your second coming. May we admit our need for more of You in our lives today. Amen.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, graciously hear our prayers, for the poor, the sick, the suffering and the dying of today. Amen.
St. Francis, Stigmatist and founder of the Friars Minor, pray for us, the poor, the sick, the suffering and the dying of today. Amen.