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 shepherds.

They were going about their daily routines, watching their flocks by night. They lived with their sheep in those fields near Bethlehem. Perhaps they were bored with their routine jobs and their routine lives.

Suddenly, they weren’t bored anymore! Suddenly, their lives changed forever!

Out of the darkness of that routine night, “[a]n angel of the [LORD] appeared to them, and the glory of the [LORD] shone around them, and they were terrified.” (Luke 2:9).

The angel told them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in [Bethlehem], the town of David, a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11).

The angel told them how to find this Messiah. But the clues sounded like nonsense. To find this mighty heir of the great King David, they needed to “find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:13).

Now an even more terrifying, amazing thing happened:

“Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.’” (Luke 2:13-14).

As soon as the angels left, the shepherds immediately decided to go to nearby Bethlehem to “see this thing that has happened, which the [LORD] has told us about.” (Luke 2:15-16).

“So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger” (Luke 2:16).

The shepherds told Mary and Joseph what the angels said about Baby Jesus. All those who heard about it “were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.” (Luke 2:17-18).

The shepherds returned to their same old routines—living in the fields, watching their flocks.

Nevertheless, the shepherds had found the Baby Jesus and a new life that they were enjoying to the full (John 10:10). Because they returned to their old routines “glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” (Luke 2:20).

When you see the shepherds in the Nativity Scene, remember that your life can change suddenly. You never know when and how the LORD God will show you where to find Baby Jesus.

Suddenly, you will find that everything you’ve been told about Baby Jesus is true, just as you have been told.

You will glorify and praise God for enabling you to find Baby Jesus—the Good Shepherd who is giving you a new life that you are enjoying to the full. (John 10:10).

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”, and “The Nativity Scene: The Humble Stable”, “The Nativity Scene: The Magi”, “The Nativity Scene: The Sheep”, “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, including the chapter “The Shepherds Find Jesus”, at pages 31-35.