December 20, 2023 / 04:28 AM
In the General Audience this Wednesday, December 20, Pope Francis dedicated his catechism to reflecting on the first manger in history, inspired by Saint Francis of Assisi in the Italian town of Greccio in 1223.
Below is the complete catechesis of Pope Francis:
800 years ago, on Christmas 1223, Saint Francis created the living nativity scene in Greccio. While the manger is being prepared or completed in homes and in many other places, it does us good to rediscover its origins. What has been the intention of San Francisco? Let us take it from his words: “I wish to celebrate the memory of the child who was born in Bethlehem and I want to contemplate in some way with my eyes what he suffered due to the hardships he found himself in due to lack of what was necessary for a newborn child, how he was put to bed in the manger and how it was placed on the hay between the ox and the donkey” (TOMMASO DA CELANO, first lifeXXX, 84: FF 468). Francis does not want to create a precious work of art, but rather to arouse, through the manger, amazement – think about this word – amazement at the extreme humility of the Lord, at the privations he suffered, for love of us, in the poor grotto. of Bethlehem. I have underlined one word, “astonishment”, this is important. If we Christians look at the manger as a beautiful thing, as a historical thing, also religious, and we pray, this is not enough. Before the Mystery of the Reincarnation of the Word, before the birth of Jesus, this religious approach of amazement is needed. If I, when faced with the mysteries, do not reach this amazement, my faith is simply superficial, a computer science faith. Don’t forget this.