Advent has begun in the Vatican. It's a time for anticipating the birth of Jesus, drawing closer to His Word and the sacraments, and preparing our hearts to receive Him.   

In the first week of Advent, Pope Francis presented the Golden Rose, a symbol of the papal blessing, to the Salus Populi Icon in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major.   

This Basilica is closely linked to the mystery of the Nativity. It contains preserved fragments of Jesus' crib and was designed to highlight the first nativity scene in history, which it has been home to since 1288.   

Every year, in preparation for Christmas, St. Peter's Square delights thousands of pilgrims from around the world with the traditional presentation of the nativity scene and the lighting of the Christmas tree.   

Cardinal Fernando Vérgez Alzaga, President of the Governorate of Vatican City State, highlighted what makes this year special. He explained to EWTN Vatican, "This year, we celebrate a dual anniversary tied to the figure of St. Francis of Assisi. It marks the 800th anniversary of the first depiction of the Nativity and the 800th anniversary of the approval by Pope Honorius III of the stamped rule of the Friars Minor. For this reason, a nativity scene from the areas where this tradition originated could not be missing."  

Eight hundred years ago, in 1223, St. Francis of Assisi created the first depiction of the Nativity in Greccio, a small Italian village nestled among the rocks, giving life to the tradition.   

 To honor this anniversary, a nativity scene that recalls the original one in Greccio is on display in St. Peter's Square. The structure of the nativity scene resembles the rock of the Shrine of Greccio, while the water surrounding it references St. Francis's "Canticle of the Sun." The octagonal base on which the scene rests commemorates the eight hundred years since the first Nativity.     

Sister Raffaella Petrini, Secretary General of the Governorate of Vatican City State, described it in this way, "The nativity scene is like a living Gospel, an instrument proclaiming the message of salvation, as Pope Francis emphasized in the apostolic letter Admirabile Signum, [which he] dedicated to the meaning and merit of the nativity scene [and] symbolically signed in Greccio at the Nativity Shrine."   

We chose to imagine what happened then through an artistic representation. The scene features a fresco of the Greccio cave, where a Franciscan friar celebrates Mass in the presence of the Madonna and St. Francis, who holds the baby Jesus. St. Joseph, the ox, and the donkey are in adoration next to them.   

The tree that rises 25 meters (82 feet) high in St. Peter's Square comes from Piedmont, a region at the foot of the Italian mountains. This year, its decoration represents care for our "Common home" in the spirit of Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato Si'.     

The governor of Piedmont, Alberto Cirio, explained the meaning behind the spruce, "This spruce is crowned with Alpine Stars, which we managed to reproduce in the plain precisely because we want to defend nature, we want to defend the wonderful creation that we have a duty to protect every day. This spruce will illuminate the Christmas of the whole world in the square, that is the square where the heart of the whole world beats, the heart of brotherhood, peace, respect, solidarity, and for us, it is a source of pride and sharing."   

As is the Vatican's tradition, Prefect Monsignor Rino Fisichella, who heads the Dicastery for the New Evangelization, has set up the fantastic exhibition of the "100 Nativity Scenes" to the left of the Basilica, where visitors for free can admire 122 nativity scenes from 22 countries around the world until January 7th.

Adapted by Jacob Stein.