Pope: Making a Nativity Scene at home, is like opening your front door and letting Jesus in
The Nativity scene "brings the Gospel to the places where we live: homes, schools, workplaces and meeting places, in hospitals and nursing homes, in prisons and in squares. And where we live, it reminds us of an essential thing: that God did not remain invisible in heaven, but came to Earth, he became man, a child”.
Vatican City (AsiaNews) - Making a Nativity Scene at home, is like “opening your front door and letting Jesus in", it is "celebrating God's closeness", it is "rediscovering that God is real, concrete, alive and breathing", is "the here and now of each and every family ” said Pope Francis today, dedicating his last general audience of the year to the Christmas crib.
The next two Wednesdays there will be no audience during the Christmas season and the beginning of the new year.
Speaking to the seven thousand people present in the Paul VI hall, Francis therefore invited them to "make the crib", defined as "a simple but effective way to prepare" for Christmas, "the birth of the One we Celebrate".
The Pope added: "This year I too followed this route: I went to Greccio, where St. Francis made the first nativity scene, with the locals. And I wrote a letter to remember the meaning of this tradition. The crib in fact "is like a living Gospel" (Apostolic Letter Admirabile signum, 1). Bring the Gospel to the places where you live: in homes, schools, workplaces and meeting places, in hospitals and nursing homes, in prisons and in squares. And where we live, it reminds us of an essential thing: that God did not remain invisible in heaven, but came to Earth, he became man, a child ”.
“Making the crib is celebrating the closeness of God: God has always been close to his people, but when he became incarnate he was very close. It is rediscovering that God is real, concrete, alive and breathng. He is not a distant lord or a detached judge, but he is humble Love, descended to us. The Child in the crib gives us his tenderness. Some figurines depict the ‘infant’ with open arms, to tell us that God has come to embrace our humanity. Then it is nice to be in front of the crib and there to trust in the life of the Lord, talk to him about the people and situations we care about, make the budget of the year that is ending with him, share the expectations and concerns ".
"The crib - he said - is more relevant than ever, while every day many weapons and so many violent images are made in the world, which enter the eyes and the heart. The crib is instead a handcrafted image of peace”.
“From the crib we can finally grasp a teaching on the very meaning of life. We see daily scenes: the shepherds with the sheep, the blacksmiths who beat the iron, the millers who make bread; at times landscapes and situations of our territories are inserted. It is right, because the crib reminds us that Jesus comes into our concrete life. This is why it is important to make a small crib at home”.
It is "to let Jesus enter. He lives with us. He does not magically change things but, if we welcome him, everything can change. I wish that building the crib become an opportunity for you to invite Jesus into your life. Because if He lives it, he is reborn. And it really is Christmas ".
Finally, a "special" greeting from the Pope addressed a group of Chinese seminarians from the Propaganda Fide college, who were present at the audience.
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14/02/2021 13:07
