Inaugurating the First Christmas Crib

In the year 1223, St. Francis made arrangements to celebrate Christmas by having a midnight Mass in a small cave near the village of Greccio. A manger was filled with straw. Many of the villagers, carrying candles and torches. Led an ox and an ass into the cave. A priest came to say Mass. St. Francis, as a deacon, sang the Nativity gospel with great fervor and devotion. The Mass was offered over a make-shift altar above the manger which had been turned into a crib. Many of the villagers were amazed at the rediscovery of this great mystery, and believed they saw St. Francis holding the Child Jesus. In his own words, St. Francis said, "I want to celebrate seriously the coming of the Son of God upon the earth, and see with my own eyes how poor and miserable He wished to be for our sakes." Years later, an altar was erected at the site of the manger, and a church was built in honor of St. Francis of Assisi.

Meditation:

"And so Joseph went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea to David's town of Bethlehem (because he was of the house and lineage of David) to register with Mary, his espouse wife, who was with child. Wile they were there, the days of her confinement were completed. She gave birth to her first-born son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, an laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the place where travelers lodged." Luke 2:4-7