It is an image that truly makes you feel the spirit of Christmas. This group of nuns, who stay close to the most disadvantaged people living around St. Peter’s Square, belong to the Poor Clare congregation. Fr. Nicolas, a priest who joined them, says they spent nine days praying a novena together:
IÑAKI SAN NICOLÁS
Priest
We celebrated the preparation for Christmas with them, and they were nine wonderful days. On the first day only a few people came, but little by little, over the days, more joined in. These last few days, a great many people have come—especially those who are in difficult situations.
The novena began at 9 p.m. every day in front of St. Peter’s Basilica and to conclude they all sang Christmas carols together.
And it didn’t stop there. The congregation even brought food for everyone. Pizza, sandwiches, and hot chocolate — staples of any good party.
They all shared dinner together. And to top off the evening, they lit the candles on a cake made by the Poor Clare sisters to celebrate the birthday of Marcello, one of the participants.
Actions like these help even the most disadvantaged feel closer to Christ during Christmas. This is how Claudio, 33 years old and from Romania, explains it:
CLAUDIO
To help everyone understand that the world, no matter how big it is, is made up of brothers and sisters: no one is more and no one is less. That is why we give what we have in our poverty, but the greatest wealth is what we carry in our hearts.
After these days of prayer, Claudio shared a profound message:
CLAUDIO
From what I have understood here together with my family and this community, we must live together without looking down on one another for any reason or value, because every life is important.
But we must not lose ourselves; let us live in love with Christ, because if we desire Him, we will find Him. Seek and it shall be opened to you.
The novena was characterized by simplicity and communion. The gathering also pointed to the power of sharing, living together in faith, and seeing each other in the image of God, no matter our state in life.
BAM
