NAVIDAD 2024 inglés

In Bethlehem, a King was born. Bethlehem is every home where we recognize and love the King of the world.
In Villa Fontana, we also join the shepherds and the carpenters, the merchants and fishermen, the blacksmiths and the women vendors, the three wise men, and the men and women of good will, to peek at the manger and contemplate the Child: “And I kiss him - you kiss him - and I dance to him, and I sing to him, and I call him King, Love, my God, my Only One, my All!” This Christmas opens the doors to the Holy Jubilee Year, inviting us to find “springs of hope”. Christian hope consists in the fact that, thanks to Christ, to his grace, communicated to us through Baptism, our life is transformed forever. With the water of Baptism, we receive the gift of a new life, breaking down the wall of death, making it a passage to eternity.
That is why we celebrate Christmas so much and why we can celebrate birthdays every year. All of that, thanks to our Redeemer Jesus.
In the Nativity scene at Villa Fontana, a water spring stands out, giving life to the flow of a river. In this way, as is the intention year after year, we join the “nativity scene” in Rome. On this occasion, it was made by the people of El Grado, a coastal town in the province of Gorizia, in the north of Italy.
The Vatican Manger scene is not just a simple representation of the Nativity, but an authentic window into the life of a region rich in fishing traditions. The authenticity of the Christmas representation in St. Peter's Square is outstanding. Every detail has been done with meticulous care, from the native flora to the recreation of local birds. That is why in our own nativity scene, we have placed ducks, herons and flamingos, those white and pink birds with thin legs, symbolizing beauty, balance, purity, patience… the ability to communicate with the divine. They will be Baby Jesus’ toy this year. Water gives life, as the first psalm says about those trees planted by the river that bear fruit in their own time. Well, in our Nativity scene there are many trees and, next to the portal, we see three. Well, actually two, because the first one has already been cut down. And, using our imagination, it reminds us of that story of three little trees who were dreamers. The first one dreamed of keeping treasures, of being a chest of stones. The second dreamed of being a ship. And the third wanted to grow so tall, that when people looked at him, they would think of God. Years passed and the small trees became majestic cedars. And one day some woodcutters cut them down with several blows of their axes to use their wood. The disappointment at first was great for the three, because the first ended up transformed not into a luxurious chest, but into a simple manger to feed animals. The second became not a large ship, but a simple fishing boat, too weak to sail the oceans. And the third seemed to have the hardest luck, because he would have wanted to grow and grow, but it was made into planks, cornered in a military warehouse. Time passed and one night the light of a golden star shone on the first tree and a young woman placed her newborn son in that humble manger. "I wish I had built him a beautiful crib," her husband told her. The mother squeezed his hand and smiled as the light of the star illuminated the child who was sleeping peacefully on the straw and rough wood of the manger. "The manger is beautiful," she said, and suddenly the first tree understood that it contained the greatest treasure in the universe. In our Nativity scene you can see the place where that tree was planted and nearby, in the grotto, a manger is already built. The other two trees are still there. Their story should be told later, in April, at Easter, but I'll go ahead so as not to leave you with questions: The second tree, the poor boat, one day transported, along with its master and companions, a gentle teacher who during a sudden and powerful storm that almost made them sink, calmly stood up, rose his hand and gave an order to the waters: "Calm down." Instantly, the storm obeyed him and gave way to a haven of peace. Suddenly the second tree, which had become Peter's boat, knew that it was carrying the king of heaven, earth and the seas. And the third tree? One Friday morning, some violent men abruptly seized the wooden planks from the corner. The third tree was horrified to be forced onto the back of an innocent man who had been mercilessly beaten. The poor prisoner carried him painfully through the streets before everyone's eyes. From Heaven, our “nativity scene” will be watched by Lolina, an Opus Dei supernumerary who kept sending us all the figurines of the Nativity scene of Villa Fontana from the Canary Islands for over 20 years, and who passed away just a month ago. We have placed a small portrait of her in the grotto, very close to the Holy Family, in gratitude. At Villa Fontana, we wish you a happy and holy Christmas.