HAND PAINTED PLASTER STATUE – 9 Inches High

Nativity refers to the nativity of Jesus of Nazareth, the commemoration of his birth. It is celebrated on the night of December 24 to 25. In the liturgy, the celebration of the Nativity inaugurates the Christmas season. In the West it began to be commemorated in the middle of the fourth century and was celebrated for the first time in Constantinople in 379.

STORY ABOUT HIM
The scenes of the birth of Jesus were changing through the centuries and according to the customs and fashions imposed by the artists themselves. During the Middle Ages the most common is the representation of Mary lying on her bed with the child at her side, wrapped in petticoats. In the 13th century, Jesus is in the manger and there is an exchange of glances between the mother and the child.

At the end of the late Middle Ages, Mary began to be represented with her son in her arms. During the 14th and 15th centuries, the scene becomes warmer and more intimate as Mary is represented feeding the child. Flemish artists add more or less picturesque details, such as José’s participation at the time of the newborn’s bath.1 From the 16th century onwards, shepherds came on the scene adoring the Child. Shepherds offer farm animals, fruits, and other gifts.

Sometimes in the same work others are added to the central theme that may be related, such as the angel’s annunciation to the shepherds, the choir of angels, etc. Many of the Nativity images include angels as witnesses to the birth of Jesus. The next step is taken in the abundant monumental altarpieces of the seventeenth century in which the entire altarpiece is a description of the Nativity and everything related to it. The symbol of the lamb also appears.

WHEN DO WE PRAY HIM?
With the arrival of the Messiah, the hope is born that there will always be a better tomorrow and the conviction is materialized that evil will never prevail over good. This dogma brings together the essence of all the aspirations of men and women in constant search for happiness.

PRAYER
God our Heavenly Father, from the moment of creation you have never ceased showing your love for us. Even when we turned away from you, you did not abandon us to the darkness of sin and death. Indeed, it was when our need was greatest that you sent us a Redeemer—your Son, Jesus—to be born of the Virgin Mary. Bless us as we look upon this manger.

May it remind us of the humble birth of Jesus and raise our minds to contemplate the awesome mystery of God-made-flesh. Let this holy season fill us with hope that we might join him in the eternal Kingdom of peace in heaven. Through Christ, our Lord and Savior, who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

SHRINES AT THE UNITED STATES
There are no shrines in USA.