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Week 3 | What Does the Creche Say to You?
A reflection from Fr. James Kubicki, SJ

They say that the very first nativity scene did not consist of statues, but of living persons. Just over 800 years ago, in Greccio, Italy, Saint Francis of Assisi gathered the townspeople in a place where there were animals and a manger filled with hay. He brought along a young couple and their baby. Perhaps he thought that people had heard the story of the birth of Jesus so often that they needed a reminder of what it was really like.

On that first Christmas night, there was no room in any of the inns in Bethlehem, and Mary and Joseph found shelter in a place where animals were kept. To this day, churches and homes continue the tradition of nativity scenes, or creches.

I remember the one that my family had when I was growing up. My father had built a little stable using small branches that he nailed together and glued. When we decorated our Christmas tree, the stable was placed underneath it, and on the roof and all around it we put cotton — the snow we imagined fell on Bethlehem that winter night so long ago.

We had a couple of statues of shepherds, and of course Mary and Joseph and Jesus, as well as three kings, which we kept at a distance from the stable, making it clear that they were still on their way to Bethlehem and wouldn’t reach it for another week and a half. We also had one ox and one donkey, which my mother told me we had to place right next to the manger because they were to breathe on the baby Jesus to keep him warm.

The other thing I remember is that the figure of Jesus didn’t look at all like a little baby. He was big — almost the size of the statues of Mary and Joseph. He filled the manger and wasn’t wrapped in swaddling clothes, but dressed in something like a nightshirt, with his arms stretched out alongside him, almost as if he were about to be crucified.

I’m afraid that a lot of nativity scenes and Christmas cards and holy cards make it difficult to believe that Jesus was an honest-to-goodness baby. I remember one holy card in which Jesus was a full-grown child, sitting up in the manger as animals came in and he blessed them.

I guess I prefer more realistic depictions of the newborn Jesus, because they remind me that the Son of God became a real, tiny baby.

Father Al Lauer, a priest of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati who died of cancer in 2002 at the age of 55, reflected on the birth of Jesus in one of his daily reflections, which a group he founded — Presentation Ministries — continues to publish. I like to quote him when I give retreats and talk about the birth of the Son of God. Here is what he wrote:

That is a mind-boggling truth of our faith, and it’s something we all need to be reminded of, because we’ve heard the story so often, and our art doesn’t always do justice to the reality. That’s what nativity scenes are supposed to do — inspire us with a deeper awareness of just how much God loved us, and how he continues to love you and me.

Here is something Pope Francis said in 2019 about nativity scenes:

What is this Virtual Pilgrimage?

Heart to Heart's latest video and audio series for Advent & Christmas is presented as a Virtual Pilgrimage of faith to prepare our hearts for the coming of Jesus.

Each day, beginning the first Sunday of Advent (November 30th) through Epiphany Sunday (January 4th), we will release a new video or audio reflection on the Incarnation.
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Sundays feature a video from Fr. Michael telling one of his own personal stories experiencing God made flesh, followed by an introduction of the two other speakers for that week.

Monday through Wednesday the first speaker will have a story each day on how the Incarnation has touched their lives, followed by the second weekly speaker Thursday through Saturday.

Deeply Personal Stories of Jesus

These are stories of prayer, hope, joy, sorrow and loss. Jesus finds us in all aspects of life, from Fr. Michael reflecting on the loss of his mom to Fr. Romke at an orphanage in Russia to Lauren Hackman-Brooks on a retreat in Chicago while everyone around her was celebrating for St. Patrick's Day. These are just three brief examples of the stories told during this daily virtual pilgrimage for Advent & Christmas.

Who are the pilgrimage speakers?

Videos each Sunday from Fr. Michael Sparough, SJ. Fr. Michael's Saturday homilies will resume in January.

Audio reflections Monday through Saturday from:

Fr Michael Rossmann, SJ | Dec 1-3
Ms. Lauren Hackman-Brooks | Dec 4-6
Dr. Terry Nelson-Johnson | Dec 8-10
Fr. Sean Grismer | Dec 11-13
Ms. Paula Kowalkowski | Dec 15-17
Fr James Kubicki, SJ | Dec 18-20
Ms. Erin Maiorca | Dec 22-24
Ms. ValLimar Jansen | Dec 25-27
Ms. Rachel Forton | Dec 29-31
Fr Keith Romke | Jan 1-3

Share this experience!

Invite your friends and family to receive each daily reflection. They can sign up at htoh.us/advent. We also have bulletin ads and copy for your Parish bulletin or email announcements. Please contact Teresa Larson at teresa@htoh.us for more info.

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