Christmas crib prayer

Catholics have a beautiful, pious tradition of venerating sacred images. Of course, this has been thoroughly explained and defended: Catholics do not worship images. Instead, we Catholics know by heart that our veneration of these sacred images is directly rendered to the One True God through the intercession of the saints. Just like asking a friend to say a prayer for us.

During the Christmas season, Catholics often display and decorate a set of images that make up the Nativity Scene depicting that first Christmas night in a stable in Bethlehem. St. Francis of Assisi, who created the Christmas crèche on Christmas Eve of 1223, is responsible for the tradition’s current form of exhibiting figurines symbolizing the birth of Christ. We owe St. Francis of Assisi this beautiful tradition and devotion during the Christmas season.

One could think of the Nativity Scene as a living Gospel emerging from the pages of the Holy Scripture. The portrayal of Jesus’ birth is a straightforward and joyful declaration of the mystery of the Son of God’s Incarnation. Let us pray and meditate on the many components of the Christmas crib as we construct and later gaze affectionately at the Nativity Scene over the entire Christmas season.

Prayer Before the Christmas Nativity Scene

Lord God, it was Your abundant love that gave existence to us. You are the basis of all relationships because You are love. Love is at the heart of the relationship that You have with the Holy Trinity. I laud and give You thanks for being the foundation of love and its ideal expression.

In the fullness of time, You have fulfilled Your promise of hope and salvation. You have sent Your Son, our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ, to save us from sin and death. In our poor state of broken humanity, the Word took on our lowly nature and became one of us. It is indeed a mystery beyond all human comprehension, and for this, we praise and magnify Your holy name.

God of all nations and peoples, you have shown your love to us since the beginning of time. When we most needed a Savior, You sent Your Son to be born of the Virgin Mary. He provides happiness, serenity, mercy, and love into our lives. As we eagerly celebrate the joyful season of Christmas, we lovingly set up this Nativity Scene. May we be reminded of the First Christmas in which Your Son was born of the Blessed Virgin and protected and watched over by the just man Joseph. May we be filled not just with nostalgia but with gratitude and humility for this wondrous remembrance of Your love.

Like the shepherds and the wise Kings, we gather before this Christmas Scene with a joyful yet solemn disposition. We behold the humility You have shown us. We behold the God who is with us – our loving Immanuel. We behold the love that knows no limits. We behold the Child who has shown us the serene yet powerful grandeur of His divinity and humanity.

Lord God, we ask You to bless everyone who visits this manger. As they meditate on the mystery of the Incarnation, may they be reminded of the humble birth of Jesus. May our hearts and thoughts be directed to Him, our Immanuel, and Messiah.

Through Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Short Christmas crib prayer

Lord, God of all creation, we gather around our Nativity scene to meditate on the coming of Your Son, the dawn of hope and salvation. Grant that everyone who beholds You in this manger be blessed this Christmas. May it serve as a reminder of the lowly birth of Jesus and inspire us to elevate our hearts to Him, who is God with us and who lives and reigns forever. Amen.

The Word of God

He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.

Luke 1:32-33 NRSVUE

While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place in the guest room.

Luke 2:6-7 NRSVUE

Thanksgiving Prayer to St. Francis of Assisi for the Nativity Scene

Dear Saint Francis of Assisi, we praise and thank the Lord for giving you to us as a great example of humility and holiness. Your pilgrimage to the Holy Land and your visit to the historical site of Christ’s birth have strengthened your love for the Child Jesus, who came into the world in such poverty, humility, and simplicity. By God’s grace, you established a new Religious Order, the Franciscans, to uphold these very virtues.

O blessed Francis of Assisi, you created the first Nativity Scene, which we now behold with joy and profound reverence. You desired to do something that would bring back memories of that Child who was born in Bethlehem for all humanity so that we can physically see the lowly surroundings of His early life, including how He was laid in the manger in a stable with animals. We thank you for giving us this beautifully innocent, pious devotion.

Hear our prayers as we look at this manger and recall the humble birth of the Savior. May we be inspired by your humility and piety. Help us to put our trust in God’s providential care and love. May this manger draw us closer to Christ, our Lord, and Savior.

Saint Francis of Assisi, as we behold this manger, may we understand in deep gratitude how Christ came into the world in such poverty and simplicity. May our hearts be humble and simple. May our hearts become worthy homes for Christ this Christmas.

Saint Francis of Assisi, pray for us. Amen.

Further reflection

Christmas is not complete without a display of the Christmas nativity scene. Be it in churches, in public places, or in our homes, the Christmas nativity scene is a very powerful reminder of the true meaning of Christmas. This brings to our minds the humble birth of Christ, the Lord, and Savior of all.

The Christmas nativity scene reminds us how God has been so good and loving to us. He has sent His only Son to save us from sin and death. The ever-powerful God has let Himself become vulnerable as a child and dependent on His parents. The nativity teaches us humility, gratitude, and simplicity.

Even while He was still an infant, the Lord Jesus has already taught us many things. He taught us to identify what is the most important in life. By being born into a humble and poor family, Christ has exemplified a modest life. May we not allow wealth or temporary things to deceive us from our true goal, that is, to be with God for all eternity.