The Greccio Story

A central part of the Christian faith and our Franciscan spirituality is the belief in the Incarnation. This belief - that God became human in the person of Jesus - was important to Saint Francis’ understanding of God, the human person, and the world in which he lived. Throughout his life, he sought to make people’s understanding of the Incarnation come alive. On Christmas Day in 1223, in the town of Greccio, Saint Francis did something entirely new: He re-enacted the story of Jesus’s birth. To our knowledge, this kind of devotion had never been done before.

At our Christmas Liturgy yesterday, we celebrated the 800th anniversary of the Greccio story. Members of our College community - and some creatures great and small! – retold the story of Saint Francis’s reenactment of the Nativity.

In his account of the Greccio story in his biography of Saint Francis of Assisi, Thomas of Celano writes:

“The day of gladness drew nigh, the time of exultation arrived. The brethren, were summoned from many places; the men and women of that town with exulting hearts prepared tapers and torches, as they were able to illuminate that night which with its radiant Star has illuminated all the days and years. At length the Saint of God came, and finding all things prepared, beheld them and rejoiced. The manger had been made ready, the hay ass were led in. There Simplicity was honoured, Poverty exalted, Humility commended; and of Greccio there was made as it were a new Bethlehem. The night was lit up as the day, and was delightful to men and beasts. The people came, and at the new Mystery rejoiced with new rejoicing. The woodland rang with voices, the rocks made answer to the jubilant throng. The brethren sang, yielding due praises to the Lord, and all that night resounded with jubilation. The Saint of God stood before the manger, full of sighs, overcome with tenderness and filled with wondrous joy” (First Life, 30).

In his 2019 Apostolic Letter Admirabile signum, Pope Francis reflects on this event in Greccio and considers the meaning and importance of the nativity scene. Channelling the spirit of Saint Francis, Pope Francis reminds us:

“The nativity scene is like a living Gospel rising up from the pages of sacred Scripture. As we contemplate the Christmas story, we are invited to set out on a spiritual journey, drawn by the humility of the God who became human in order to encounter every man and woman. We come to realise that so great is God’s love for us that God became one of us, so that we in turn might become one with God.”

This Christmas, let us celebrate the birth of the Christ Child. May it speak to us of the love of God and change our hearts, so that through our words, actions and care for others, we may be the instruments of God’s peace and love on earth. May we pray:

Loving God, as we contemplate the Holy Family, may we know your love for us. Remove the hopelessness that blinds us; cleanse us of the hurts that divide us from others; and restore us to hope, so that we may work to realise your Kingdom here on earth. May your Incarnation in the person of Jesus inspire us to lift up one another and to respect the dignity of all people. May the grace of Christ help us to care for one another and bring your peace to all people and creatures on earth. Amen.

I extend to all students and families the peace and joy of the Christmas Season. May the celebration of the birth of the Christ child renew your faith in our loving God and hope for our world. Travel safely.

Volunteers Needed

I would like to extend my gratitude to all students and families who have contributed so generously to our Vinnies Christmas hampers this year. At our Christmas liturgy yesterday we were able to present 55 hampers to representatives from the Saint Vincent de Paul Kedron Conference.

As with previous years, we do require families to assist with the delivery of these hampers. This will take place on Sunday 17 December, 9.00 – 11.00am (approximately) from the San Damiano Centre. It is essential that students are assisted by a parent/carer/other family member with a vehicle (drivers). Each team will deliver hampers to at least one family in Kedron or Stafford.

If your family is able to assist, I invite drivers (parents/carers) to complete this the registration form HERE.

Please note: To avoid disappointment and to ensure every team has the chance to deliver a hamper, we will limit the number of delivery teams to twenty-five. The form will be monitored each day and will be closed when we have reached our required number of volunteers.

Seeds Needed

Next year, Brisbane will host a gathering of Franciscan Schools from across the country. It will be facilitated by Franciscan Schools Australia (FSA) and is titled ‘In Our Own Backyard’.FSA would love to gift something unique to the delegates that is from our own backyards and is seeking donations of seeds to make seed bombs. Seed bombs are balls of organic matter that contain herb and/or flower seeds. If you (or a relative or friend) have a green thumb and are able to collect, store and donate seeds we can use next year (in Term 2) to make these seed bombs, please contact me at the College.

Mt A Marvel