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The Saint Francis Xavier's Messenger

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The Saint Francis Xavier's Messenger The Saint Francis Xavier’s Messenger - #12 - January 2016 Newsletter of the Society of Saint Pius X in Sri Lanka ——————— From Holy Crib to Manger Scene In the Gospel of St. Luke we read about the Nativity of Our As with the other shrines in the Holy Land, the Church of Lord Jesus Christ: "She brought forth a son, her first- the Nativity has an interesting history worth exploring. born, whom she wrapped in his swaddling-clothes, and The Franciscan Custodians of the Holy Land have a very laid in a manger, because there was no room for them in informative website (www.bethlehem.custodia.org/ the inn." default.asp?id=455) that features the history of the shrine, a virtual tour, images and even diagrams of the Hence from Scripture we are told that the Infant Savior Basilica and the caves located below. Note though, that was laid in a manger, or feeding trough, and so born in a they have an ecumenical explanation of the shared type of stable, not in a dwelling place of men, but rather custody of the Church of the Nativity by the Latins, and of beasts. From these facts of the event of Our Lord's the schismatic Greek Orthodox and Armenians. birth, we witness the humility and tender mercy of the King of kings. Today one can access the Grotto of the Nativity by descending some stone steps situated to side of In the Palestine region, caves were often used in ancient the basilica's high altar. Upon reaching the cave, one times to house livestock while feeding troughs were finds the Altar of the Nativity under which is inlaid a typically made of wood. Symbolically the wood of the silver star in the marble floor bearing the inscription: manger connects with Our Lord's Passion which ended on “Hic de Virgine Maria Jesus Christus natus est”: "Here the the Wood of the Cross. On the other hand, the stone Cave Virgin Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ". To the right and of the Nativity perhaps alludes to Our Lord's Resurrection, a little distance from the Nativity altar is another altar which took place in the Holy Sepulcher, a burial chamber shrine which marks where the Holy Mother of God laid cut into solid rock. the Divine Infant in the wooden manger. The fact that Our Lord's birth occurred in a cave was Fragments of this Holy Crib—or Sacra Culla—can be passed down for nearly a century, but as with many of the venerated in Rome in theconfessio under the high altar other Holy Places, the Cave of the Nativity was not of St. Mary Major Basilica. There in a beautiful crib- rediscovered until the 2nd century by St. Justin the Martyr, shaped reliquary of crystal and silver, the wood pieces of thereupon a great devotion sprung up around it. In 326, the manger—called cunambulum—can be seen and St. Helena (mother of Emperor Constantine) had a church meditated upon. This chapel was built on the orders of constructed over what has become known as the Grotto of Pope Pius IX, who had a great devotion to the Holy Crib the Nativity. Emperor Justianian had the larger and of Jesus, which is the reason for the marble statue of the present-day Basilica of the Nativity built in 531. Supreme Pontiff kneeling before the holy relic. SAINT FRANCIS XAVIER PRIORY 525 Colombo Road—Negombo—Kurana (031) 22 38352 — [email protected] — sspxsrilanka.lk — fsspx.asia Another "relic" that can be found in Santa Maria “He would often meditate on the desolation of Christ and Maggiore—the first Roman basilica dedicated to the his holy mother with tears, and he maintained that Mother of God—is the "Crib" of Pope Sixtus III (432-440). poverty was ‘the queen’ of the virtues, as she had become So in addition to St. Mary Major being known colloquially so radiantly manifest in the King and his mother.” as the "Liberian Basilica" (after Pope Liberius who had the first church built), it also bears the nickname of Sancta This Nativity scene included a live ox and donkey (but no Maria ad Praesepe—Holy Mary at the Manger, referring to persons), while on a stone block covered with straw, a the relics of the Holy Crib. carved wooden statue of the Divine Babe was laid— later miraculously seen to come alive. The Latin word praesepio actually refers to a type of enclosure or barricade, or a fenced-in area for keeping The Franciscan Order naturally adopted the devotion of livestock. Later this word was applied to the ancient the Christmas manger scene and through the particular Roman custom of depicting the manger scene of Our efforts of the Capuchin Fathers (to which Padre Pio and Lord's holy Nativity. This devotional practice of course Ven. Fr. Solanus Casey both belonged), the Catholic was done to meditate more fully on the humility and custom of erecting a crib in the home began during the poverty of Jesus Christ, and the Holy Family's example of 17th century; later, outdoor manger scenes became detachment from the things of this earth. popular especially in town squares. Unfortunately today, outdoor Nativity scenes have often been the cause of The ancient praesepio of Pope Sixtus III constructed in municipal controversies, though some townships have 432 was actually a reconstruction of the "Holy Cave of the continued this edifying custom. Nativity" as in Bethlehem. During a renovation of the Marian basilica under Pope Sixtus V (1585-1590), the Today's creches usually include the figurines of the entire cave structure was moved as a single piece into the shepherds and their sheep, while even more right-side nave, along with the figurine sculptures of elaborate praesepios are comprised of entire villages Arnolfo di Cambio dating from 1288—they may still be containing many figures, buildings and detailed seen in the church today. landscaping. Some of these scenes date from the 18th century, when crib-making became a type of native folk In 1233—having previously visited the Church of the art. One example of such a praesepio in Rome is the Nativity in Bethlehem—St. Francis of Assisi (+1226) was extensive "Neapolitan Crib" in the Franciscan-run Basilica inspired to erect a praesepio just a few days before of Sts. Cosmas and Damian. Christmas in a cave near the town of Greccio (Italy) to depict "how poor [Christ] chose to be for our sakes": We must of course add that today this touching devotion to the Infant Child in the manger is not complete until the expectant arrival of the Three Wise Men from the East bearing their gifts on the Feast of the Epiphany—that is, the 'manifestation' of Christ as King and Savior of the Gentiles. The ascribed names of the Magi are Melchior, Caspar and Balthasar, who from the Parthian Empire followed the Star to Bethlehem, where tradition says its light shone into the Well of the Magi—a cistern situated near the presbytery in the Basilica of the Nativity. Their bodily remains are enshrined in the cathedral of Cologne, Germany. “If you want to celebrate the Feast of the Lord at Greccio, Scripture tells us that the Three Kings came before the hurry and diligently prepare what I tell you. For I wish to Infant King and adored Him while presenting precious recall to memory the little child who was born in gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. We too can emulate Bethlehem. I want to set before our bodily eyes the these men who were filled with True Wisdom by kneeling hardships of his infant needs, how he lay in the manger, before the manger scene and presenting our hearts and how with an ox and ass standing by he lay upon the hay.” minds to Our Divine Savior, Jesus Christ, Who came into this world as a man for our salvation and eternal As the Little Poverello's biographer Thomas of Celano happiness in Heaven. further related: Some points of Catholic Doctrine on Family Fr. François Laisney One has been waiting in vain to hear clear doctrine from the Synod of Bishops on the Family, but rather heard very danger- ously ambiguous reports. Since the faithful – and the less faithful – do need to receive from the Church the light of clear doc- trine, and it behoves a good shepherd to feed his sheep with such proper doctrine, so here are some simple concise considera- tions that should help. 1/ Nature of a family, as God has established it Special consideration in special cases: 2/ Virtues required for a good family 9/ Teenage pregnancy 3/ Virtues required to prepare for a good family 10/ Abortion 4/ Vices before the marriage, that will make a good family 11/ Imprudent or dysfunctional marriage more difficult 12/ Broken marriage 5/ Vices within the marriage 13/ Divorced and remarriage 6/ Obstacles outside the family that make a good family more 14/ Unnatural vices difficult 7/ Helps that can be provided for families to be good 8/ After the drama of sin, what can be done? The Mercy of False solutions: God calls to penance! 15/ “Perverse mercy” 16/ Marriage annulments 17/ False discernment 4/ Vices before the marriage, that will 5/ Vices within the marriage can even make a good family more difficult destroy the family itself The lack of faith, so common today, leads many to The first vice is a lack of faith: then searching for have an earthly view of marriage, searching in it on- happiness on earth, one tends to abuse of created ly selfsatisfaction and pleasures, only earthly and goods.
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