So much of the mystery of the Incarnation is present to us as we gaze upon a manger scene. Whether it is the one on our mantel-top or the big light-up one in the center of town, each depicts the familiar scene of the Holy Family, for whom there was no room at the inn. The Word made flesh, from whom all things were made, finds himself rejected by the world he fashioned even from his very birth (Jn 1:3, 10-11).
Nonetheless, we admire that night in its quiet and stillness, meditating on it with the eyes of faith. We use our imaginations to construct an image of how “the real thing” must have been. We set up the manger scene just as we like, and look forward to placing the infant Jesus in his crib on Christmas Eve. We follow the inspiration of Saint Francis, the creator of the first nativity scene, who said: “I would like to represent the infant Jesus born in Bethlehem…” thus helping the faithful to contemplate the simplicity and poverty into which Christ was born. The imagery speaks to us because we too know the peace and serenity with which an infant sleeps; we recognize the preciousness, and like it all the more. We like our own sweet, sleeping Jesus.
See the full article by Br. Pius Henry, December 22, 2022