December 22 - The depiction of Jesus’ birth is itself a simple and joyful proclamation of the mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God. The nativity scene is like a living Gospel rising up from the pages of sacred Scripture. From the time of its Franciscan origins, the nativity scene has invited us to “feel” and “touch” the poverty that God’s Son took upon himself in the Incarnation. It asks us to meet and serve him by showing mercy to those of our brothers and sisters in greatest need. Standing before the Christmas crèche, we are reminded of the time when we were children, eagerly waiting to set it up. Christmas crèche speaks to us of the love of God, the God who became a child in order to make us know how close he is to every man, woman and child, regardless of their condition.