Marvelous nativity sets

Here’s what will grace my prayer corner this Christmas: a wooden image of Mary from Guatemala, a ceramic Jesus with a crib of Lenca pottery that I bought in El Salvador, and a wooden angel from Bolivia, with a candle in a wooden star, from Bethlehem. I wish Jesus was not so white, but… 

I also have a tiny creche, from Ecuador, painted by a woman from Colombia, the wife of a colleague at Caritas a few years ago.

This image of the Holy Family, crafted from olive wood, from Palestine, was at the center of my prayer space one Christmas.

 

Some people are upset about the creche in St. Peter’s Square. While it may not be to my taste, there is one element that I find absolutely marvelous: an astronaut is bringing the Baby Jesus a moon rock. 

In Honduras, as in El Salvador, many people put a lot of effort into the arrangement of nacimientos, in churches as well as in private homes. The church of San Marcos in Gracias, Lempira, has often had marvelous nacimientos with scores of figures.

A few years ago, the pastor and I stopped at a few houses in Quebraditas and saw a unique one with Snow White on a horse, rubber duckies, Minnie and Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, and even a half-naked Barbie.

If you want to quibble about this, fine. But you may be missing an important message: the Incarnation.

Jesus Christ, God-made-flesh, came into the midst of our lives on this earth. Let all come and worship him – with moon rocks, action figures, dinosaurs, and all God’s creation. 

Different cultures will reflect this differently. In 2013, on a personal pilgrimage in Italy, I came across a display of Nativity sets in the Cathedral of Ravenna. What an amazing variety, reflecting different cultures, nations, and races.

You can find more of these images here. 

Truly God is born among us - and pitches his tent everywhere.

Christmas images from throughout the world

Last February when I went to Mass at the cathedral in Ravenna, I noticed a display of Christmas images from throughout the world.

I snapped photos of many of them – though I didn’t take the time to list where they were from.

They provide a glimpse of the way peoples throughout the world perceive the birth of Christ.

Tonight is the first night of the posadas, the religious processions in Latin America re-creating Joseph and Mary seeking shelter in Bethlehem. Tomorrow we begin to pray the O Antiphons at Evening Prayer.

May these images help us to see Christ Jesus coming to all God’s people throughout the world.

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If you can identify what country an image comes from, let me know and I will put captions on the photo. 

All photos are covered by a Common Commons license and may be copied for non-commercial use with attribution.