On December 1, Pope Francis visited Greccio, in the Rieti valley, where he signed the apostolic letter Admirabile signum – Admirable Sign – “On the meaning and importance of the nativity scene.” In this text – presented in the very place where, in 1223, Francis of Assisi recreated the scene of the birth of Jesus – the Pope comments on the various objects and characters that are part of the scene of the nativity. He writes that “all this speaks of the everyday holiness, the joy of doing ordinary things in an extraordinary way, born whenever Jesus shares his divine life with us.”
Like the figures in the crèche – each with its own meaning and role – we also are invited to be signs for our time, every day: by our love and by our clear choices for a simple and joyful life, in service of the Gospel!
In the articles on this website, you will find a few examples of this spreading of the Gospel as lived out by Franciscan brothers on Canadian soil. We also include some brief news items, covering events that marked the life of our Franciscan Province over the past year.
May the crèche remind us that God’s love is simple, incarnate, and that God reveals himself to us in all the small details of daily life and through the great diversity of human beings and the many aspects of creation.
Happy reading and Merry Christmas!
Fr. Pierre Charland, OFM
Provincial Minister
Holy Spirit Province of Canada