What better way to prepare for the arrival of the Christ Child than to take a brief journey to Greccio, the spot in central Italy where St. Francis of Assisi created the first Christmas crib in the year 1223.

    Francis, recalling a visit he had made years before to Bethlehem, resolved to create the manger he had seen there. The ideal spot was a cave in nearby Greccio. He would find a baby (we’re not sure if it was a live infant or the carved image of a baby), hay upon which to lay him, an ox and an ass to stand beside the manger. Word went out to the people of the town. At the appointed time they arrived carrying torches and candles.

    One of the friars began celebrating Mass. Francis himself gave the sermon. His biographer, Thomas of Celano, recalls that Francis “stood before the manger…overcome with love and filled with a wonderful happiness…” For Francis, the simple celebration was meant to recall the hardships Jesus suffered even as an infant, a savior who chose to become poor for our sake, a truly human Jesus... God a baby, with stretched arms, saying, I love you, I need you!

    Tonight, as we pray around the Christmas cribs in our homes, we welcome into our hearts that same God-Savior.

Comment: God’s choice to give human beings free will was, from the beginning, a decision to be helpless in human hands. With the birth of Jesus, God made the divine helplessness very clear to us, for a human infant is totally dependent on the loving response of other people. Our natural response to a baby is to open our arms, as Francis did, to the infant of Bethlehem and to the God who made us all.

http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/SaintOfDay/default.asp?id=1239
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St. Charbel Makhlouf, 1828-18-98, Joseph Zaroun Makhlouf , Hermit of Lebanon
The Lebanese hermit, who levitated in his prayers and a post-mortem maker of miracles, with uncorrupted bleeding body

    At age 23 he snuck away to join the Baladite monastery of Saint Maron at Annaya where he took the name Charbel in memory of a 2nd century martyr. Professed his solemn vows in 1853. Ordained in 1859, becoming a heiromonk.

    He lived as a model monk, but dreamed of living like the ancient desert fathers. Hermit from 1875 until his death 23 years later, living on the bare minimums of everything. Gained a reputation for holiness, and was much sought for counsel and blessing. He had a great personal devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and the Rosary, and was known to levitate during his prayers. Briefly paralyzed for unknown reasons just before his death.

    Several post-mortem miracles attributed him, including periods in 1927 and 1950 when a bloody "sweat" flowed from his corpse. His tomb has become a place of pilgrimage for Lebanese and non-Lebanese, Christian and non-Christian alike.

    In this century his grave has been opened four times, the last time being in 1955, and each time "it has been noticed that his bleeding body still has its flexibility as if it were alive".  

Born 8 May 1828 at Beka-Kafra, Lebanon as Joseph Zaroun Makhlouf

Died 24 December 1898 at Annaya of natural causes

Beatified 1965 by Pope Paul VI - Canonized 9 October 1977 by Pope Paul VI

Images Gallery of images of Saint Charbel [2 images, 30 kb]

Additional Information
        http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintc47.htm

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Hermit of Lebanon,

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