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At Christmas we celebrate the earthly birth of the Savior. According to biblical tradition, he saw the light in the Bethlehem of Galilee, in a rocky cavity on the outskirts of the city used by shepherds as a stable to “bring salvation to all who allow grace to be born in their soul.” was born, but it is perhaps less clear why this is important and what it means.
“Then a star burned in the sky and shone on the field, and standing over Bethlehem, Gloria was already shining in the gloom of a ragged barn: there, an angel, of beautiful white, lay in the sacred lap of the manger, the only begotten Son of God …
(József’s kiss: Christmas carol)
The Gospel of Luke writes about this in more detail.
Christmas songs and stories should not miss the word Bethlehem, which means the city of Galilee itself, the birthplace of Jesus from the royal house of David according to the Gospels and contemporary sources, and the manger where the newborn was born. It was the cradle of Jesus.
The meaning of the word Bethlehem itself sounds different in different languages: in Hebrew we can translate it as bread, and in Arabic as meat.The Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, commemorate in detail the life and teaching of Jesus. The four New Testament writings began in the late 4th century AD, at the Council of Rome in 382, and were accepted as the only authentic and inspired by God after the canonization completed with the Synod of Carthage held in 414.
„And it happened that in those days a decree was promulgated for Caesar Augustus, that the whole world would be counted. This first census took place when Kvirinius was governor of Syria. So they all went to their city to be included in the list. And Joseph of Nazareth from Galilee went up to Judea, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house of David and of his tribe.
to be counted on his fiancée, Maria, who was in a blessed state. And it happened that while they were there, the time came to give birth and she gave birth to her firstborn son. He bandaged it up and put it in the manger, as there was no room for them in the accommodation.“He writes the second chapter of the Gospel of Luke, who writes in the greatest detail about the birth of Jesus.
In addition to Luke, the first New Testament scripture, the Gospel of Matthew, also mentions the manger in Bethlehem. In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul affirmed that the manger in Bethlehem helps us understand the mystery of Christmas because it speaks of the humility and merciful goodness of the divine Son, who, although rich, became poor.
The mystery of the manger
The term manger itself comes from the Latin word “munducare”, which in mirror translation means “to eat.” A manger or crib is, in the traditional sense, a trough or feeding box made of wood or stone in which hay is stored for larger farm animals.
According to the scriptures, when Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem and were not given a place at the inn, they were forced to look for accommodation elsewhere. and they found rest with the animals only in the rocky cavity used as a stable on the outskirts of the castle.
When Jesus was born, Mary, in the absence of a cradle, laid her wrapped son, Jesus, in a manger lined with hay.
„The shepherds farmed in the open field and tended their flock at night. And the angel of the LORD appeared to them, and the glory of the LORD shone around them; and great fear came upon them. And the angel said to them: Fear not; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy, which will be a joy to all the people; because there is a salvation for you today, which is in the city of the Lord Jesus, David. And the signal will be for you: you will find a little boy who is wrapped in a manger“Write the Gospel of Luke about the birth of Jesus.
It also symbolizes spiritual nourishment.
In the Christian faith, the manger of Jesus also has a deeper spiritual meaning.
As the animals go to the manger in search of real food, people can approach Jesus in the hay for spiritual food. “ Father Michael Van Sloun, pastor of St. Bartholomew’s Catholic Church in Minneapolis, told The CatholicSpirit online portal about the symbolism of the manger. – Jesus has infinite possibilities to give and we can approach him at any time because we will never be hungry; The word of Jesus is much more than food because it can save our souls. “
He added, “The manger is a sign that Jesus is our food and the shepherds were able to celebrate at first, but now it is our turn: Jesus born on the first Christmas is food for our souls.The Gospel of Luke makes this symbolism clear that “Christmas brings joy and peace to all who, like the shepherds of Bethlehem, hear the word of the angel, it will be a sign: they will find a bandaged child lying in a manger.”
The message of Saint Francis of Assisi is still valid today
According to tradition, the first nativity scene in Bethlehem was erected by Saint Francis of Assisi in an Italian rock cavity. The founder of the Franciscan order visited Bethlehem at Christmas 1222, and what he saw there was so influential that
Upon returning home, he asked the Pope for permission to build a “manger.”
On November 29, 1223, with the papal permission of Saint Francis, he erected the manger in the town of Greccio near Assisi. Here lived a holy man, Messier Giovanni Velitta, who was especially revered.
If you want us to celebrate Christmas together this year in Greccio, go ahead and prepare what I tell you because I want to relive the memory of a child born in Bethlehem where he lay in the manger between the hay and the donkeys. – this is what St. Francis sent to the man of the holy life before Christmas.
When Saint Francis of Assisi arrived, the manger was ready, the locals brought hay, ox and donkey, and then they also informed the shepherds, to authentically give life to the memory of the holy night.
Starting in 1223, Greccio, some seventy kilometers from Rome, became the “new Bethlehem”, where believers have gathered every year since then to commemorate the birth of Jesus together.
The nativity scene habit has become part of Christmas programs around the world. The village of Greccio is also regularly visited by the head of the Catholic Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Franciscan monastery, located at the foot of a rock wall overlooking the valley, cares for the cave of the original 13th-century manger in Bethlehem, where pilgrims are received throughout the year.
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