St. Francis of Assisi is credited with perhaps the greatest religious symbol of the season, the creche.
Other signs, such as the Christmas tree, have pagan origins. But the creche is overtly Christian, a celebration of the birth in the manger.
Francis is said to have created the first-ever Nativity scene in Greccio, Italy, in 1223. Francis, the itinerant preacher, was intent on sharing the Good News of the Incarnation in an era where the Gospel of Luke story was not widely available for Christians, well before the invention of the printing press.
He illustrated the story of a baby born in a manger, surrounded by Mary, Joseph and barnyard animals. It is said that Francis was inspired by his own time in the Holy Land, seeing for himself the places where Jesus preached, walked and was born.
Francis was apparently well known to the people of Greccio, who he regularly preached to. Two weeks before Christmas, Francis asked a friend to prepare a cave with live animals and a manger. Brother Thomas of Celano, a Francis biographer, said the friar wanted to “represent the birth of that Child in Bethlehem in such a way that with our bodily eyes we may see what he suffered for lack of the necessities of a newborn babe and how he lay in manger between the ox and ass.”
People flocked to see the simple scene. The creche dramatic retelling of the Christmas story is now central to our celebration. It’s been said that miracles and healings grew out of that first creche scene in the cave outside Greccio. In 2019, Pope Francis visited the site and signed an apostolic letter on the importance of Nativity scenes.
The creche reminds us that Jesus comes to us as a poor, vulnerable infant. Today’s followers of Francis of Assisi continue to witness through various social ministries how Jesus holds those most forgotten closest to his heart. You can be part of the Franciscan mission by creating a lasting legacy of care by remembering the Franciscan Friars of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe in your will or trust.
Planned Giving to the Franciscans allows you to make a charitable contribution as part of your overall financial and estate planning. You can do this in a variety of ways, including bequests, charitable trusts, life insurance policies and retirement accounts. To learn more about how you can help the Franciscan Friars with your legacy gift, contact Brian Smail, OFM, via email at bsmail@friars.us or by calling 646-473-0265, ext. 303.
