St. Francis of Assisi found the perfect way to dramatize the Christmas Story—the story of how the Light overcame the Darkness by becoming flesh and dwelling among us. (John 1:5,14). He gave us the Nativity Scene.

His Vision of the Nativity is simple. A tiny baby. A loving mother. A faithful husband. A homeless family. A humble stable. Lowly shepherds. Lordly kings. Bleating sheep. Singing angels.

Yet his Vision of the Nativity is profound. God is with us, even when we are poor and homeless, even when we find ourselves in “humbling places.” The lowliest family is blessed. Poor people worship God. Rich people worship God. Nature worships God. Heaven worships God.

His Vision of the Nativity is profoundly simple.

Yet, his Vision of the Nativity gives Joy and Peace to all Humanity in the Way of Jesus.

His Vision of the Nativity is not a perfect representation of historical facts. For example, the Magi were not there on the night Jesus was born. (Matthew 2:1-2).

Yet, his Vision of the Nativity is a perfect representation of spiritual realities.

For example, meditate upon the sheep.

Nativity Scenes include a number of animals. After all, Baby Jesus was born in a stable. Mary laid him in a manger that was used to feed animals.

The importance of caring for many types of animals is far clearer today than when St. Francis of Assisi envisioned the Nativity Scene. Humanity’s love of power and money has ruined Nature far more than his worst nightmares.

A mass extinction of plants and animals is happening before our very eyes! It gives added horror to Isaiah’s warning:

“Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field till no space is left and you live alone in the land.” (Isaiah 5:8).

The angels who announced the birth of Baby Jesus rejoiced that his birth would bring “Peace on Earth.”  This Peace on Earth embraces all creation, including plants and animals.

As Isaiah promised, the day would come when “[t]he wolf will live with the lamb.” (Isaiah 11:6). “They will neither harm nor destroy in all my holy mountain.” (Isaiah 11:9).

Why? “[F]or the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.” (Isaiah 11:9).

Therefore, Isaiah urged us: “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.” (Isaiah 55:6). Because, if we do:

“[We] will go out in joy and be led forth in peace;

the mountains and hills will burst into song before [us],

and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.” (Isaiah 55:12).

Although the historical fact is that there were a number of different types of animals in the stable, the deepest spiritual realities are revealed by focusing on the sheep.

Why?

Jesus is the Good Shepherd. (John 10:1-16; Matthew 2:6; Luke 15:3-7; Hebrews 13:20-21; 1 Peter 5:4; Revelation 7:17). Jesus came that we may have life, and enjoy our life to the full. (John 10:10).

Furthermore, the vision of the Nativity by St. Francis of Assisi fulfills the vision of the Good Shepherd given to us by the great King David in the Twenty-Third Psalm.

Jesus is our Good Shepherd.

We lack nothing—even if we are homeless. (Psalm 23:1)

He refreshes our souls—as he refreshed the souls of Mary and Joseph—by giving us each other, and by leading us to “humble stables” where we can “lie down”, and find “green grass” and “still waters”. (Psalm 23:2-3).

He guides us along the right path through the Valley of the Shadow of death—as he led the Magi away from evil Herod and towards Baby Jesus. (Psalm 23:3-4).

He comforts us so that we fear no evil—as the angel comforted the shepherds, telling them: “Fear not!”. (Luke 2:10 (KJV)).

He prepares a table before us with overflowing cups, even in the presence of our enemies—as the “cups” of Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus overflowed from the generous hospitality of Bethlehem and the expensive gifts of the Magi, even as Herod was looking for Baby Jesus to kill him.

He follows us with his goodness and love all the days of our lives—as his goodness and love followed Baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the Shepherds, the Magi, and the Sheep to the humble stable in Bethlehem.

He assures us that we will dwell in the house of the LORD forever—as the angel assured us that the birth of Baby Jesus is good news for all people:

A Savior who empowers us to go out in Joy!

The Messiah who leads us forth in Peace!

Our Lord who commands us to give Joy and Peace to all Humanity in the Way of Jesus!

Merry Christmas!

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To read more about St. Francis of Assisi, please read my blogs: “St. Francis of Assisi Made the Way of Jesus Great Again”, “St. Francis of Assisi’s Vision of the Nativity”, “The Nativity Scene: Baby Jesus”, “The Nativity Scene: Mary”, “The Nativity Scene: Joseph”, “The Nativity Scene: The Homeless Family”, “The Nativity Scene: The Humble Stable”, “The Nativity Scene: The Shepherds”, “The Nativity Scene: The Magi”, and “The Nativity Scene: The Angels”; and by reading the chapter “Relying on the Lunar Module” in my book Visions of the Church (published with my book Visions of America), at pages 181-185.

The chapter about St. Francis of Assisi refers to the Lunar Module because I use the flawed—yet triumphant—flight of Apollo 13 as my narrative thread to give an overview of 2,000 years of Church history in only 60 pages.

To read more about the Nativity, please read my book Hoping in the LORD, at pages 12-46.

To read more about the Twenty-Third Psalm, please read my book Healing the Promised Land, at 101-102.