The Christmas of the "poor man" of Assisi

Saint Francis of Assisi had a particular devotion to Christmas, considering it more significant than any other holiday of the year. He believed that, although the Lord had brought about salvation on other solemnities, it was on the day of his birth that he undertook to save us. The saint wanted every Christian to rejoice in the Lord on the occasion of Christmas, showing joy not only towards needy human beings but also towards animals and birds.

In "Second Life of Saint Francis of Assisi” by Tommaso da Celano, highlights the profound devotion of Saint Francis for Christmas. He celebrated this solemnity with enormous care, calling it the feast of feasts. The Saint was particularly fascinated byimage of the Baby Jesus and eagerly kissed the representations of infant limbs.

Saint Francis and his love for Baby Jesus

On one occasion, when the friars were discussing whether the obligation to abstain from meat on a Christmas Friday, Francesco responded very angry. He stated that the day of the birth of the Child Jesus could not be considered a day of penance. On the contrary, Francis wished that on this day i rich people would satisfy the poor and that the animals received a more abundant ration than usual.

The Saint showed a particular concern for the poverty of the Virgin Mary on the day of Jesus' birth. Once, during a meal, a friar reminded him of the poverty of Virgin and Francesco, profoundly sad at this thought, got up from the table and ate the rest of the bread directly from the earth.

Francis believed poverty to be one royal virtue, shining in the heavenly King and Queen. In response to a question about the traits that made a person closer to Christ, the Saint declared that poverty was a particular way of salvation, a virtue well known only to a few.

Francesco was a man from big heart and great compassion. She demonstrated these qualities with concrete and simple gestures, such as kissing the images of the Child and the desire that everyone, men and animals, could enjoy abundance on this special day.