St. Francis of Assisi repeated these words with tears of joy as he knelt at the first Christmas crib. He was the first to introduce the Nativity scene in 1223, after obtaining permission from Pope Honorius III.
“So great a God, so tiny an infant!” God, who made heaven and earth, came into the world without any ostentatious display of live bands or gun salutes. He spent nine months in His mother’s womb, like all of us, following the natural course of events. He took the form of a tiny defenseless baby. No one knew about Him except Mary and Joseph; later on, the shepherds and the three wise men. There was no room for Him at the inn; so there He was, the Lord of all creation, born in a manger. Since the time of Adam and Eve, the whole world waited for the promised Savior. And this most-awaited event in our history took place in a quiet and unspectacular way.
God’s greatness is hidden in a manger, in swaddling clothes, in a stable. During this Christmas season, let us contemplate on Jesus’ birth and imitate Him. We resolve be humble and simple like Him. How often we desire to be the center of attention, to be loved and praised by everyone, and to always appear in good light. We are not content to do good and disappear. We must stop thinking about ourselves and feel the responsibility to help others. We ask Jesus, Mary and Joseph to help us to be simple before God and others. And we try to learn from the greatness of this Child who is God!
(Reference: “Celebrating with God” by Fr. M. Guzman, “In Conversation with God Vol 1” by Francis Fernandez, “Do You Want to be Great” by Fr. Charles Belmonte; “Christ is Passing By” by St. Josemaria Escriva)
Santuario de San Antonio Parish 