VATICAN - Pope Francis: Before the Nativity scene what counts is amazement

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - Before the Nativity scene, which remembers the mystery of the birth of Jesus, what counts is amazement. It is not enough to look at the Nativity scene as a "beautiful thing" or as a historical commemoration. Because "before the mystery of the Incarnation of the Word, before the birth of Jesus, we need this religious attitude of amazement". And "If I, in the face of the mysteries do not come to this amazement, my faith is simply superficial; a “computational faith.”". This was highlighted by Pope Francis during the catechesis held during the Audience today, Wednesday December 20, which focused on the origins of the Nativity Scene, made for the first time by Saint Francis of Assisi in Greccio, 800 years ago, on Christmas 1223. The intention of the saint of Assisi - the Pontiff stressed at the beginning of the catechesis, before the multitude gathered in Paul VI Audience Hall - was not to "create a beautiful work of art, but through the Nativity scene, to provoke amazement at the extreme humility of the Lord, at the hardships He suffered, for love of us, in the poor grotto of Bethlehem". Today - Pope Francis highlighted during the catechesis - "the risk of losing sight of what counts in life is great and paradoxically increases precisely at Christmas", when we are "immersed in a consumerism that corrodes its meaning". While "the Nativity scene was created to bring us back to what matters: to God Who comes to dwell among us. That is why it is important to look at the Nativity scene, because it helps us understand what matters and also the social relationships of Jesus in that moment, the family, Joseph and mary, and loved ones, the shepherds. People before things".

The Nativity Scene - the Bishop of Rome added in the catechesis - "speaks also of joy". The joy "that overflows from the heart when one tangibly touches the nearness of Jesus, the tenderness of God, who does not leave us alone, but consoles us". For this reason, the Nativity scene that can be set up in one's homes "is like the well in the Bible, it is the place of encounter where we bring to Jesus the expectations and worries of life, just as the shepherds of Bethlehem and the people of Greccio did. Bringing to Jesus the expectations and the worries of life. If, before the Nativity scene, we entrust to Jesus all we hold dear, we too will experience 'great joy'".

In the final part of the Audience, when greeting the Italian-speaking pilgrims, Pope Francis also addressed his thoughts to "the victims and injured caused by the devastating earthquake that struck the Chinese provinces of Gansu and Qinghai. The Pontiff also invited everyone not to forget "the populations who suffer the evil of war. Wars," the Pope recalled, "are always a defeat. Only the manufacturers of weapons win. Please, let's think about Palestine, about Israel. Let us think of the tormented Ukraine that suffers so much and let us think of the children at war. The things we see. Let's go to the Nativity scene and ask Jesus for peace. He is the prince of peace". (GV) (Agenzia Fides, 20/12/2023)

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