Earlier this week, after my shift at the front desk and attending weekly care conferences, I went home for a much awaited job: setting up the nativity scene in our convent chapel. 
 
Ever since my childhood, I’ve been drawn to the crèche!
 
Back home, as we grew up, we had a special stable; my dad had made our wooden stable, and my mom had painted the ceramic figures.  We had real straw from our friends’ farm.  There are photos of me, sitting admiringly in front of the stable in our living room.  One time, if I remember correctly, my mom didn’t know where I was, and she found me there, quietly looking at the scene.  As we decorated, we would reenact the story of the first Christmas, putting the figures in place. 
 
I don’t get to help with all the decorating around here, and in the past, have missed not being able to put up the nativity set some years. 
 
I was glad to be able to do it again this year.
 
Thinking about it now, this life-long love for the manger scene fits in very well with my life, as I am part of a Franciscan community.  It was St. Francis, after all, who first (as far as we know) had the Christmas story reenacted at Greccio. 
 
As our constitutions say, “was captured by the love of Christ in the crib, on the cross, and in the Eucharist.”
 
I pray that St. Francis may intercede for us, and our world now, that we may grow closer to Christ each day, and become more and more like Him.

Yesterday was a busy day! 

After working the front desk, I held an activity for our residents.  We strung popcorn while listening to Advent/Christmas music. 

Toward the end, some humorous stories were shared.  We learned some things about each other that were prior unknown.  It was quite entertaining!

Some of the residents had never strung popcorn for the Christmas tree before, and for others, it had been a long time. 

When we were done and I was putting it on the tree, I was happy that we had just the right amount.  It came out perfect! 

This drew a prayer of gratitude from me as, by this time, I was quite tired, and glad to be done!

This afternoon, I went out for some much needed fresh air and exercise. 

As I walked the ten-block trek to the Church where I was meeting a friend for a "rosary walk," I found myself interiorly musing about the winter landscape. 
 
“It’s beautiful,” I thought to myself.
 
Not being one who especially loves winter or the cold, I kind of surprised myself by my grateful, positive attitude. 
 
Although it causes inconvenience and is not necessarily pleasant, snow certainly does have a beauty of its own.  When untarnished by human or animal activity, snow is so pure and clean. 
 
These musings, actually, were fitting on this the eve of the Immaculate Conception, as I prepared to celebrate this special feast of Mary. 
 
Pure white snow, after all, can be a beautiful and appropriate image for this solemnity.