Wow!? Have I some catching up to do! I have only posted once since Advent began! Several months ago, our Bishop shared with the diocese the directive of not displaying the nativity scene under the altar. Thus ours will now be off to the cloistered side. Our figures were small to begin with and we realized that having them off to the cloister side would make it difficult for the guests to see them. Therefore, thanks to a donor, larger crib figures were ordered. We were told they would be 6-8 months for delivery. They arrived in less than a month!

Well, you might guess what happened next, larger statuary requires a larger crèche. Soooo we (mainly Mother Catherine Marie, Sr. Rose Marie and maintenance man Steve—with the entire community cutting loads and loads of newspaper!) have been crafting a new larger cave-dwelling for the Holy Family.

It is made of wood and insulation and covered with papier mâché.  The papier mâché of the crèche is completed and we’ve added snow and glitter and tube lighting. It looks like a cave in the side of a hill.  We hope this crèche will be a precious offering of love to our Savior at a time when in many places in our nation, all mention of the true meaning of Christmas is being removed. Our previous nativity statuary is from when our foundresses made the foundation in 1946. We hope this nativity set will last at least twice as long!

As I am writing this post some Sisters are in chapel putting the final touches on the crib. More pictures to come!

Until then I leave you with these words of our Founder...

With Christmas coming, I will ask the Lord to make you a saint, but with the secret sanctity of the Cross. You will see that you must become more childlike, otherwise you would not be pleasing to a Spouse who became a little child for you.

Concerning the Most Holy Night of Christmas Eve, I do not give you any practices of devotion. But often caress the Holy Babe. Be little and humble, so that Mary Most Holy, when she sees your heart so little and childlike through humility, will let you embrace the Divine Infant.