The Nativity scene: a reminder of simplicity and reflection during Advent
Advent is perhaps the most challenging liturgical season for Christians. The secular world has kidnapped this time intended for quiet reflection and turned it into a time of premature celebration. During Advent, we spend four weeks trying to balance ourselves. Like standing in the middle of a seesaw, we often have one foot in the materialistic world of gifts, decorating and parties while the other foot is in the spiritual world of prayerfully expecting the miracle of Christ’s birth.
A Christmas tradition started by St. Francis may help us keep our focus more on the coming miracle than the latest sales. The beloved saint from Assisi taught us to live simply and care for the poor, including through the Nativity scene.
We may think the Nativity scene is as ancient as the celebration of Christmas itself. Yet, Nativity scenes were unheard of until St. Francis set up the first one in a cave outside of Greccio, Italy, in 1223. His goal was to remind people of the poverty into which Christ chose to be born.
St. Francis felt the faithful were missing the message of the Gospel because they were too enmeshed in materialism. Sound familiar? We may be able to keep our balance a little better this Advent by focusing on the rich symbolism of the Nativity scene.
— The empty manger: We are often reminded to prepare our hearts to receive Jesus. But it is difficult to imagine what a heart ready to receive Jesus should look like. So, let’s begin by looking at the simple manger that received Jesus so many years ago. This year, consider making the Nativity scene the first and most important Christmas decoration to grace your home.
If possible, find a new place of honor for your Nativity set. Try not to hide it under the tree, where it will eventually be buried by presents. Instead, place it on a mantle, a hutch or a small table set up for this special purpose. You might want to put up just the stable and its animals this first week. The live animals were most important to St. Francis in his first Nativity scene. He wanted the townspeople to truly experience the stench and roughness that surrounded the Christ Child’s birth.
— The shepherds and their sheep: The shepherds who slept in the fields are an example of the people Pope Francis is referring to when he says we must reach out to all who live on the peripheries. Who are the shepherds in our lives whom we push to the periphery? Who have we chosen to alienate or ignore? Who is the outcast in our neighborhood, place of work, family, parish or circle of friends? Who is the one we feel is too angry, boastful, boring, whiny, backward or difficult to like? Advent calls us to pay attention to them.
Not only have we pushed some people to the peripheries in our own lives, but the world has also pushed entire cultures, nationalities, and countries to the peripheries, forcing millions of people to live in unnecessary poverty. The first reading for this week reminds us Advent is a time to show mercy to all those in need. “Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God … Make straight in the wasteland a highway … Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill shall be made low” (Is 40:1, 3-4).
Isaiah is not suggesting we power up bulldozers to rearrange the landscape. But he may be talking about leveling the economic playing field for those who live in the valley of poverty while others dwell on a mountain of riches. Are we prepared to be more merciful this Advent?
— Angels on high: We, as members of the Church, should be people of joy. The angels who hover over the manger came to bring joy. As Luke writes, “Do not be afraid: for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy.” Are our lives too noisy to hear the joyful song of the angels? Are we too busy to look up and see them singing in the night?
Even if we are not yet feeling all the joy of Christmas, we can still give the gift of joy to others. The beauty of the angels was not so much in that they were joyful themselves but that they brought joyful tidings to the world. For a Christian, this should be a time to bring as much joy as possible to as many people as possible.
— The star of Bethlehem: “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage” (Mt 2:2). It was a common belief in the first century that a ruler’s birth was marked by the appearance of a new star in the sky. The star of Bethlehem pointed the magi’s way toward Jesus in the manger. When we see the star in Nativity scenes this Advent, we, too, should allow it to point our way to Christ.
— The three Wise Men: “And on entering the house they saw the child with Mary, his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage” (Mt 2:11). In ancient times, it was customary for foreign dignitaries to visit a newborn king. Let us be more like the magi, who, after making a long journey, knelt immediately when seeing Christ, acknowledging his divine kingship. We, too, are on a journey and must pay Jesus homage.
— The stable: “She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn” (Lk 2:7). As the innkeepers turned away the Holy Family, so we turn Jesus away every time we sin. As we look at Mary and Joseph huddling over their son in the stable, let us open our hearts to Christ and allow his parents, the first Christians, to lead us to holiness.
— Mary and Joseph: Living in expectation of the Lord, like Mary and Joseph, is different than living with our own expectations. As we enter the last week of Advent, we may still be holding onto our own expectations. We may have expected more twinkling lights on our house, more expensive presents under the tree or a home remodeling project done to impress guests. These material expectations can leave us disappointed or over-stressed.
Now is the time to gaze upon Mary and Joseph in the Nativity stable. They had unmet expectations, too. They expected to stay at an inn and have a warm meal. Yet, they end up seeking shelter with animals.
Mary and Joseph show us we never know what to expect from God. He can surprise us with joy and contentment beyond our own expectations if we simply place our trust in him. The Lord is coming to do great things for us.
Featured image: A Nativity scene on display at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Ridgefield, NJ, in Dec. 2022.
