Christmas at Greccio, Christmas at The Mount

Michael Perras, OFM

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This year we commemorate the 800th anniversary of Christmas at Greccio where the tradition of the Christmas Crèche finds its history. St. Francis of Assisi had a vision to gather the people to remind them of the Bambino of Bethlehem. One of the biographies of the life of St. Francis says he desired “to enact the memory of that babe who was born in Bethlehem, to see as much as possible how he lay in a manger, and how, with an ox and donkey standing by, he rested on the hay.”1

Each year as we set up our crèche (nativity scene) in our homes and churches it is a reminder for us to not just look at pretty statues or a family heirloom rather it is an opportunity to pray for our hurting world and to be reminded we are gathered in community with fellow believers trusting our God is here with us in the hurting and the harshness of life.

Over the past 17 years at Mount St. Francis Retreat Centre (Cochrane, Alberta) we have gathered young and old, neighbours and strangers together to tell the good news of the birth of Christ. This year we partnered with Holy Spirit Catholic School to tell the timeless story and draw the people of this generation into the story of God with us. Between the Greccio pageant at The Mount and Holy Spirit Christmas Concerts nearly 1000 people were reminded of the Bambino of Bethlehem “born for us along the way.”2

In the storyline shared this year the character of St. Francis – acted by a vibrant and talented 11-year-old) declared with delight: Welcome! Welcome! Now, it is ready, we light the way with our torches and candles lighting the way for Mary and Joseph and the Bambino of Bethlehem!3 This invitation of welcome can serve as wake-up call for each of us to light the way by our actions and words for all we meet in this season and the year ahead. We continually are invited to make a space and home to welcome the Holy Family – we see them in the faces of those around us and those we see in the news. Let our hearts and homes be places of welcome. St. Francis reminds us we are the spouses, siblings and mothers of Christ.4

This year Christmas at Greccio – Christmas at The Mount concludes with St. Francis bubbling up with awe praying: Let us open our minds and hearts to the true spirit of Christmas – the Bambino of Bethlehem – God with us! The Christmas story is a lesson in love and peace, let us be renewed each year! The Bambino of Bethlehem! Sweet Child! Holy Child! Bambino of Bethlehem! Little Son of God! Make us all the instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, the little Child sows love. Where there is darkness, the little Child shines light. Little Child, you come to bring us peace and joy! Oh, Bambino of Bethlehem, you are our joy and our hope!5

You can almost see St. Francis of Assisi dancing with delight holding the Christ Child some 800 years ago. Awakening in him and those gathered the depth of God’s great love. God emptying God’s self and becoming one of us. We also hear in the text echoes of what is ours to do in this time and place. As we carry the Christmas story in our hearts and lives this year and our whole life long we are continually invited to renewal, to be instruments of love and peace, to shine the light of Christ into the world; because we know Christ born is our joy and hope.

As we face uncertainties in the year ahead, as we listen with broken hearts about wars in our world, as we know the hurts and pains of our communities and families – we trust our God is with us equipping us with hope. This is the very message St. Francis desired to awaken in the people of Greccio 800 years ago. Their world and ours are not very different – let us be attentive to the Bambino of Bethlehem and how he is stirring us to be people of the gospel. As we gaze upon our crèche this Christmas let us be brave enough to pray for the courage to follow Christ wherever he shall lead us in 2024.

Blessings to you this Christmas and all through 2024.

  1. The Life of St. Francis by Thomas of Celano, Francis of Assisi – The Saint, Early Documents I, New City Press, 1999, Chapter XXX, paragraph 84, pg. 255 ↩︎
  2. Psalm 15, Office of The Passion: The Geste of the Great King ↩︎
  3. Christmas at Greccio – Christmas at The Mount Pageant Script, 2023 ↩︎
  4. Later Admonition and Exhortation to the Brothers and Sisters of Penance (Second Version of the Letter to the Faithful), The Saint, Early Documents I, New City Press, 1999, paragraph 50, pg. 49 ↩︎
  5. Christmas at Greccio – Christmas at The Mount Pageant Script, 2023 ↩︎
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About the author

Friar Michael Perras, OFM was born and raised in rural Saskatchewan, the oldest of four. Along with his siblings he grew up in his parent’s grocery store where he learned about community and service. Brother Michael appreciates quiet moments of prayer, music, Lego, journaling, being creative in the kitchen, lingering meals, socks, collecting quotes and Christmas. One of his greatest joys is being an uncle and a Godfather. His favorite Saints are of course St. Michael, St. Francis and St. Clare. His favorite Bible story is Noah’s Ark and his favorite parable is the Lost Coin in Luke 15. Prior to joining the Franciscans, he served in several communities as a Youth Minister and Pastoral Assistant. Brother Michael holds Certificates in Youth Ministry, Lay Ministry, Liturgical Studies, and Spiritual Direction along with a Bachelor of Theology degree. He is a non-ordained Franciscan Friar (Brother), solemnly professed since August 2019. He is the Guardian (local leader) of the Franciscan community at The Mount, serves as part of the Retreat Team and is on the Canadian Franciscan Provincial Council.

Contact Michael Perras, OFM

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Last updated: November 22, 2021

This Privacy Policy describes Our policies and procedures on the collection, use and disclosure of Your information when You use the Service and tells You about Your privacy rights and how the law protects You.

We use Your Personal data to provide and improve the Service. By using the Service, You agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

Interpretation and Definitions

Interpretation

The words of which the initial letter is capitalized have meanings defined under the following conditions. The following definitions shall have the same meaning regardless of whether they appear in singular or in plural.

Definitions

For the purposes of this Privacy Policy:

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Collecting and Using Your Personal Data

Types of Data Collected

Personal Data

While using Our Service, We may ask You to provide Us with certain personally identifiable information that can be used to contact or identify You. Personally identifiable information may include, but is not limited to:

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Usage Data

Usage Data is collected automatically when using the Service.

Usage Data may include information such as Your Device’s Internet Protocol address (e.g. IP address), browser type, browser version, the pages of our Service that You visit, the time and date of Your visit, the time spent on those pages, unique device identifiers and other diagnostic data.

When You access the Service by or through a mobile device, We may collect certain information automatically, including, but not limited to, the type of mobile device You use, Your mobile device unique ID, the IP address of Your mobile device, Your mobile operating system, the type of mobile Internet browser You use, unique device identifiers and other diagnostic data.

We may also collect information that Your browser sends whenever You visit our Service or when You access the Service by or through a mobile device.

Tracking Technologies and Cookies

We use Cookies and similar tracking technologies to track the activity on Our Service and store certain information. Tracking technologies used are beacons, tags, and scripts to collect and track information and to improve and analyze Our Service. The technologies We use may include:

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Cookies can be “Persistent” or “Session” Cookies. Persistent Cookies remain on Your personal computer or mobile device when You go offline, while Session Cookies are deleted as soon as You close Your web browser. You can learn more about cookies here: Cookies by TermsFeed Generator.

We use both Session and Persistent Cookies for the purposes set out below:

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We may share Your personal information in the following situations:

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Retention of Your Personal Data

The Company will retain Your Personal Data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy. We will retain and use Your Personal Data to the extent necessary to comply with our legal obligations (for example, if we are required to retain your data to comply with applicable laws), resolve disputes, and enforce our legal agreements and policies.

The Company will also retain Usage Data for internal analysis purposes. Usage Data is generally retained for a shorter period of time, except when this data is used to strengthen the security or to improve the functionality of Our Service, or We are legally obligated to retain this data for longer time periods.

Transfer of Your Personal Data

Your information, including Personal Data, is processed at the Company’s operating offices and in any other places where the parties involved in the processing are located. It means that this information may be transferred to — and maintained on — computers located outside of Your state, province, country or other governmental jurisdiction where the data protection laws may differ than those from Your jurisdiction.

Your consent to this Privacy Policy followed by Your submission of such information represents Your agreement to that transfer.

The Company will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that Your data is treated securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy and no transfer of Your Personal Data will take place to an organization or a country unless there are adequate controls in place including the security of Your data and other personal information.

Disclosure of Your Personal Data

Business Transactions

If the Company is involved in a merger, acquisition or asset sale, Your Personal Data may be transferred. We will provide notice before Your Personal Data is transferred and becomes subject to a different Privacy Policy.

Law enforcement

Under certain circumstances, the Company may be required to disclose Your Personal Data if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities (e.g. a court or a government agency).

Other legal requirements

The Company may disclose Your Personal Data in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to:

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  • Protect against legal liability

Security of Your Personal Data

The security of Your Personal Data is important to Us, but remember that no method of transmission over the Internet, or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. While We strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect Your Personal Data, We cannot guarantee its absolute security.

Detailed Information on the Processing of Your Personal Data

The Service Providers We use may have access to Your Personal Data. These third-party vendors collect, store, use, process and transfer information about Your activity on Our Service in accordance with their Privacy Policies.

Analytics

We may use third-party Service providers to monitor and analyze the use of our Service.

  • Google Analytics

    Google Analytics is a web analytics service offered by Google that tracks and reports website traffic. Google uses the data collected to track and monitor the use of our Service. This data is shared with other Google services. Google may use the collected data to contextualize and personalize the ads of its own advertising network.

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Email Marketing

We may use Your Personal Data to contact You with newsletters, marketing or promotional materials and other information that may be of interest to You. You may opt-out of receiving any, or all, of these communications from Us by following the unsubscribe link or instructions provided in any email We send or by contacting Us.

We may use Email Marketing Service Providers to manage and send emails to You.

  • Mailchimp

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Usage, Performance and Miscellaneous

We may use third-party Service Providers to provide better improvement of our Service.

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Children’s Privacy

Our Service does not address anyone under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from anyone under the age of 13. If You are a parent or guardian and You are aware that Your child has provided Us with Personal Data, please contact Us. If We become aware that We have collected Personal Data from anyone under the age of 13 without verification of parental consent, We take steps to remove that information from Our servers.

If We need to rely on consent as a legal basis for processing Your information and Your country requires consent from a parent, We may require Your parent’s consent before We collect and use that information.

Links to Other Websites

Our Service may contain links to other websites that are not operated by Us. If You click on a third party link, You will be directed to that third party’s site. We strongly advise You to review the Privacy Policy of every site You visit.

We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies or practices of any third party sites or services.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update Our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify You of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page.

We will let You know via email and/or a prominent notice on Our Service, prior to the change becoming effective and update the “Last updated” date at the top of this Privacy Policy.

You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Changes to this Privacy Policy are effective when they are posted on this page.

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