St. Francis of Assisi dared to bring the light of Christ to the forefront of the medieval Italian countryside by building a creche in Grecchio. In doing so, the tradition of the creche was established and became a popular custom.
Why think about this now... in the month of September?
As Christian nurses, we are called to carry Christ with us. We give birth to him, by carrying his truth and living it in our work, whether in our professional or personal domains. We become his spouse through union with him in prayer and contemplation. We become his sister and brother by doing the Father's Will.
St. Francis wrote: " And as for all those who shall have done these things and have persevered unto the end, the spirit of the Lord will rest upon them (Is.11:2) and shall make in them a habitation and mansion (Jn. 14:3), and they will be sons of the heavenly Father (Mt.5:45) whose works they do, an they are spouses, brothers, and mothers of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are spouses when in the Holy Spirit we are united as faithful souls of Jesus Christ....." taken from The Real Francis by Sergius Wroblewski OFM, Franciscan Publishers. 1967.
Bringing Christ's light to a world darkened by fears, anxieties, hatreds and sorrows is to bring love, mercy, tenderness, forgiveness and care to those in need.
Take some time to pray this week about how you bring light to the dark corners of your world. What words do you speak to bring peace, love, reconciliation and understanding? Do you add to the fears and anxieties that you encounter or do you help dispel them? Consider what you need to do right now to conform your heart to Christ's. Consider what you need to let go of right now in order to conform your heart to Christ's. Consider what you need to embrace right now in order to conform your heart to Christ's. Is your heart a habitation for Christ, a mansion or an abandoned shelter? Dare to rebuild the creche within your own heart, placing the Christ Child there to bring hope, light and love to our secular world.
Peace and all Good+
Brenda Wickersham MAV, RN, SFO
