Pope Francis has sung the praises of the traditional Christmas crib, describing it as a "living Gospel".
Speaking at his general audience a week before Christmas, Pope Francis said a "simple but effective" way to prepare for Christmas was to make a crib.
Pope Francis described how he himself made pilgrimage to Greccio this year, where St. Francis set up the first nativity scene.
He recently wrote a letter to remember the meaning of this tradition.
As witness to this, The Tablet invited readers to send in images of cribs from around the world. Here are some of your submissions, interspersed with the Pope's latest thoughts as voiced in Rome yesterday.
Westminster cathedral side chapel crib, submitted by @EvangelisationWestminster.
"The crib in fact, is like a living Gospel."
The 'stationery crib' at the London Jesuit Centre, submitted by @LondonJesuit.
"Bring the Gospel to the places where you live: in homes, schools, workplaces and meeting places, in hospitals and nursing homes, in prisons and in squares. And where we live reminds us of one essential thing: that God did not remain invisible in heaven, but came to Earth, he became man, a child."
Sheffield Cathedral crib, made of Sheffield steel. Photo submitted by Nick Edmonds, CofE media officer.
"God has always been close to his people, but when he was incarnate and born, he was very close, very close."
Submitted by Rev Nigel Doyle, non-stipendiary Anglican priest in Diocese of Swansea and Brecon
"Making the crib is celebrating God's closeness, it is rediscovering that God is real, concrete, alive and palpitating."
A crib from Malawi. Submitted by Martha Linden, comms officer for the CofE
"God is not a distant lord or a detached judge, but he is humble Love, descended to us. The Child in the crib gives us his tenderness. Some statues depict the 'Bambinello' with open arms, to tell us that God has come to embrace our humanity. So it is nice to be in front of the crib and to trust in the life of the Lord, to talk to him about the people and situations we have at heart, to do with him the budget of the year that is ending, to share the expectations and concerns."
Sorrento Cathedral in southern Italy, submitted by Louise Watts.
"Next to Jesus we see the Madonna and Saint Joseph. We can imagine the thoughts and feelings they had while the Child was born in poverty: joy, but also dismay. And we can also invite the Holy Family to our home, where there are joys and worries, where every day we wake up, take food and sleep close to our loved ones."
Cafod Christmas crib, submitted by head of campaigns Daniel Hale.
"The crib is a domestic Gospel . The word crib literally means 'manger', while the city of the crib, Bethlehem, means 'house of bread'. Manger and bread house: the crib we make at home, where we share food and affections, reminds us that Jesus is nourishment, the bread of life (see Jn 6:34). It is He who feeds our love, it is He who gives our families the strength to go on and forgive us."
Here the magi are still far away, journeying past a bookcase on the other side of the room. Submitted by Arts Society lecturer Magdalen Evans.
"The crib offers us another lesson in life. In today's frenetic rhythms it is an invitation to contemplation. It reminds us of the importance of stopping. Because only when we know how to gather can we welcome what matters in life."
St Catherine Laboure Church, Chino Valley, Arizona, photo submitted by Pamela Brink
"Only if we leave the noise of the world outside of ourselves do we open ourselves to listening to God, who speaks in silence. The crib is current, it is the actuality of each family. Yesterday they gave me a little picture of a special crib, little one, which was called: 'Let mom rest'."
We welcomed this extremely strong #christmascrib contender from @ChurchTimes with bonus points for the neat stable, the ecumenical spirit, real moss, and disregard for boring rules about Nativity character scheduling. Submitted by Madeleine Davies.
There was the sleeping Madonna and Giuseppe with the Bambinello there, who made him sleep. How many of you must share the night between husband and wife for the child or child who cries, cries, cries? 'Let mother rest' is the tenderness of a family, of a marriage."
Christmas crib at Oulton Abbey Care Home (with a Pugin church), submitted by Karen Flello
"The crib is more relevant than ever, while every day many weapons and so many violent images are made in the world, which enter the eyes and the heart. The crib is instead a handcrafted image of peace. This is why it is a living Gospel."
Christmas crib at Galway Cathedral, submitted by John Boyle.
"Dear brothers and sisters, from the crib we can finally grasp a teaching on the very meaning of life. We see daily scenes: the shepherds with the sheep, the blacksmiths who beat the iron, the millers who make bread; at times landscapes and situations of our territories are inserted. "
Christmas crib at St Bonaventure, submitted by Andy Lewis.
"It is right, because the crib reminds us that Jesus comes into our concrete life. And, this is important. To make a small crib at home, always, because it is the memory that God came to us, he was born of us, he accompanies us in life, he is a man like us, he became a man like us."
#ChristmasCrib in the entrance to Christ the King Catholic Primary in Liverpool, submitted by deputy head .
"In everyday life we are no longer alone, He lives with us. It does not magically change things but, if we welcome it, everything can change. I hope then that making the crib is an opportunity to invite Jesus into life. When we do the crib at home, it's like opening the door and saying: 'Jesus, come in!' Is to make this closeness concrete, this invitation to Jesus to come into our lives. Because if He lives our life, life is reborn. And if life is reborn, it's really Christmas. Merry Christmas to all!
And here are more of your crib images! Thank you everyone so much and, to echo Pope Francis, Merry Christmas all!
Here’s one of the many #ChristmasCrib on display in St Vincent de Paul primary school. The kings are on their journey and are in the library currently!
St Peter's nativity scene in Rome, submitted by Tablet Rome correspondent Christopher Lamb.
Meanwhile, progress at the London Jesuit Centre: the three kings have reached the radiator, on their way to the nativity. They have acquired a map and a camel.
And elsewhere at Jesuits in Britain, there is a crib including St Ignatius and a crocodile. Apparently, they say, the crocodile has deep spiritual significance...
And another from Evangelisation Westminster, who report: 'The Star path is evolving. Each day as M&J progress more things begin to appear.'
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