Perhaps these are the same questions that the shepherds asked themselves when, having been given the news by an angel, they went, full of excitement and hope, to the stable in Bethlehem. Those shepherds, who stood in adoration before our Saviour, and left full of joy, telling all those they met the good news about the arrival of the Messiah, those very shepherds can be a model for us all.
Our modern lifestyle does not teach us much about the humility of God, who became a small, poor human being, subject to human frailty, just for us. On the contrary, our mindset tends to ignore this fundamental aspect of God’s love in favour of a misconceived sense of power and greatness.
The year 2009 is significant for all those who are inspired by the vision of Saint Francis of Assisi in that it marks the 800th anniversary of the founding of the Order of Friars Minors, the Franciscans. It was indeed in the year 1209 that historians tell us that the Poverello received approval from Pope Innocent III for his ‘form of life’.
As everyone knows it was Saint Francis who created the first nativity scene outside the small Italian town of Greccio. The living recreation of the birth of Jesus was not only the expression of his devotion to the mystery of God’s love who revealed Himself in the poverty of Bethlehem’s cave, but, in the fullest sense, it was a message sent to the people of his time and to future generations.
At the centre of our family and of our occupations, we must maintain the constant union with the mystery of Jesus Christ made man, of God who is the Father of us all, and of the Holy Spirit, the Love which unites all people with God.
All our actions should be rooted in truth and justice and, if we are capable of this, they cannot but bring us close to God. Saint Francis’ mysticism does not deny humanity’s greatest needs, but finds the living answer to all questions though faith in Christ and His teachings. Only in this way we will learn to live like brothers and sisters, helping good to triumph over evil.
For Francis, it is that stable in Bethlehem which should be the starting point of all our actions. As the shepherds, for whom the Baby Jesus, asleep in the humble manger, represented a turning point in their lives, so for us that same Baby must represent the basis of all our thoughts and deeds.
This Christmas, in the footsteps of Saint Francis, let us try to recover that genuine wonder at this mystery, so that we can be reborn spiritually and transform our instinctive love for that small new-born Child into a great mission of love for God and for our neighbour.
Finally, I would like to conclude this editorial by praising and thanking all our readers who, being part of the great family of Saint Anthony, have always demonstrated their sensitivity to suffering and poverty in all parts of the world.
On behalf of the editorial staff, I wish a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you, dear readers, whose attention and affection sustain us throughout the year.
Updated on October 06 2016