Great and bright days are approaching. These days of anticipation leading up to Christmas are a time of such beauty that they captivate and give hope…

We can pause our busy lives to rethink Christmas, to look at it calmly, with perspective and depth, and be amazed by its mystery. With a “fresh” perspective, with the eyes of a child who knows how to discover the beauty that comes our way. What is it trying to tell us?

Christmas is the mystery of the birth of the Christ Child into a family: the Holy Family of Nazareth. Nothing is more beautiful and surprising than God himself becoming a Child… This is the spirit of Christmas.  Something heartwarming, the mystery of God’s love revealed through the humility of Bethlehem.  Looking with our hearts, entering the manger, perhaps as one of the figures, glimpsing and perceiving God’s love for humankind. Feeling loved.

And it highlights the greatness of the Family, of every family, giving life and love to all who come near…

The proper way to spend this waiting period is to prepare our hearts, like children, and to set up the Nativity scene. We can use this strength to be attentive to others, to improve family relationships.

It’s a special time dedicated to thinking about others, to brighten their lives with thoughtful gestures. It doesn’t require spending a lot, but rather having enthusiasm, surprising them with imagination and creativity, with small, everyday details, especially those we love most. Also, those who are suffering in many places, or are alone, sad, or lack the most necessities…

To think that we are always shaping our children: they are watching us all day long. We are leaving a mark, and paving the way for them to follow… We are going to teach them something transcendent and valuable, something that doesn’t fade with trends or the times, something they will always remember in their hearts and that will give them strength and purpose in their lives. And it will be passed down from generation to generation like the treasure it is.

To begin with, we can learn from them to see things with wonder and enthusiasm, knowing how to be amazed by what is beautiful.  Try setting up the Nativity scene as a family, incorporating our children’s ideas. Find a prominent place in the house and make it inviting… 

It’s fun, stimulating, enriching, and creative. Bring some pebbles, a bit of grass, some twigs, some dry leaves, straw, tree bark, or whatever you can think of. And some figurines, although they can also be made of modeling clay or play dough… Cut out stars from cardboard or construction paper, silver rivers, make paths of sawdust or sand…, some little animals… This way, you’ll spend a lovely time doing something truly captivating.

Once it’s all set up, we can play a game of imagination with our children and transform ourselves into characters from that  era .  Or even dress up. Hide in the Nativity scene, go with the shepherds to see the Baby Jesus, bring him cheese, a jar of honey, some clothes, or sing him a song. Imagine we can be with his Mother, Mary, or talk to Saint Joseph. How would we look at them? What would they tell us? What would we say to them? Each of us can listen in our own hearts.

With our intelligence, imagination, and creativity, we can transcend the limits of time and space  and go to meet Him. We can create our own story. Each of us can create our own, or the whole family can go, visit the Child, and gaze into the eyes of our children. We can talk to the Child, tell Him our hopes, joys, plans, dreams, worries… And listen to Him, for He speaks directly to our hearts, if we make room for Him. He longs for it…

Imagine how Mary and Joseph treated each other, with such affection and attention to detail, even though they had hardly anything material… but they did have a devoted, loving, grateful, generous, joyful, and encouraging spirit. With so much love. How lovingly they cared for that Child, the Son of God made man! They would prepare a place for Him with tenderness and care, making a comfortable little cradle with straw in that cold, hard manger. They would kiss Him, gaze at Him, smile at Him, sing to Him, dance for Him, and they would be filled with wonder!

So, on the one hand, we can talk to them, in our imagination, in reality, for both complement each other. And for God, all things are possible. The Nativity scene teaches us to pray simply by looking at it; it’s like a “special machine” that transports us to another world, another time… and helps us enter the scene, to be inspired by their lives full of simplicity and trust, attentive to what God was telling them…

And we learn countless things from them:  to value what’s important, to avoid being capricious, to think of others, to give love and attention, and to enjoy the joy of the newborn. What an outpouring of love they poured into that tiny corner of the Earth, where all things will become “new”!

Even teaching our children to hide in the Nativity scene and talk to those characters… Helping them take care of the Baby Jesus, to show Him kindness, to be His best friends, to say affectionate things to Him, to ask for His help and thank Him, to sing Christmas carols to Him… It is through affection, with the heart, that we experience it best, and they understand this well.

On the other hand, there we have God himself made man.  With his greatness and splendor, all of Love embodied in something so small. All the beauty and goodness we can imagine, condensed in a defenseless little Child… with open arms, waiting for our welcome and affection.

The Holy Family can serve as a model for us to try to improve ourselves, to become a little more like them, to learn to love and be better spouses… and good role models for our children. We can also ask for their help in our own weaknesses—their Mother, our Mother, the Virgin Mary, and their father, our beloved Saint Joseph, with his ever-present smile…

It’s the Nativity scene that God created.  And it’s also the title of a delightful book by Enrique Monasterio, published by Ed. Palabra, which begins with the Big Bang… and tells the vivid story of each character in the Nativity scene. It’s a lovely way to create a cozy atmosphere with the family and read during these days. Or it makes a wonderful gift for grandparents… they’ll surely love it. Here’s a quote: “In the beginning, God wanted to create a Nativity scene, and he created the universe to adorn the manger. And he began his work. He made seas and oceans of silver paper, and great deserts of golden sand for the camels of the Three Wise Men…” A marvel.

Therefore, as we await the arrival of the Christ Child, we can create a joyful, optimistic, and creative home environment, full of hope. We can offer Him small tokens of care and gratitude each day…  and enjoy the immense joy of being together as a family during these special days, when God Himself desires to be born in every heart.

Forget your differences and problems around the Nativity scene, offer understanding and forgiveness, and be kinder to those you love most. It’s always worthwhile, because they need us to be joyful. Besides, we will be happier ourselves. Keep those who have left us more present in your thoughts… but who watch over us. Don’t let sadness take root within you, but keep them in your thoughts as well.

Let us take care of the family, every family: “the heart” of humanity.

How much gratitude and wonder we should show for such a “Gift,” so full of meaning and transcendence. Let us learn to savor the beauty bestowed upon us, the love so treasured and shown… Let us contemplate the Mystery with the eyes and heart of a child. And thus, let us sow the peace and joy that overflows around us, in a world so desperately in need of peace, light, love, forgiveness, and hope.

We wish you a very Merry Christmas!