Reflect
In the little hillside town of Greccio, Italy, St. Francis of Assisi is said to have set up the first live Christmas Nativity, a scene that helped townspeople contemplate the radical absurdity of the Incarnation and the raw humanity of Jesus Christ. The 15th-century fresco that covers the walls where the crèche is said to have been reflects the same humble dimensions of the God who gripped Francis’ heart and imagination.
Pray
An image I cannot stop thinking about: the 15th-century fresco at Greccio—
where Francis created the first Christmas crèche—
of Mary holding her breast for the suckling Christ Child,
portraying the radical humility of you, my God,
the one who took on flesh in the vulnerability of a baby.
I cannot comprehend your ways, my Lord,
this unorthodox descent which saved—and actively saves—us all.
Act
Consider practicing Visio Divina—the reading of a sacred image and its multidimensional meaning—with the fresco in the grotto of Greccio. The image can be found by searching Google Images—or an image browser of your choice.
