“Incarnation” is a big word, and one with a distinctively Christian cast. Indeed, the Incarnation is the heart of the Christian faith: the belief that Jesus of Nazareth is the most complete, yet succinct statement of who God is. Jesus is the Word of God made human, God’s self-revelation “in the flesh” (cf. John 1:1-14).

St. Francis was profoundly moved by this central doctrine of Christianity. The Feast of the Incarnation (Christmas) was his favorite holiday, and he enriched its celebration by organizing the first Christmas crèche. (Thomas of Celano, Life of St. Francis, I:XXX, 84-87)Because God had become human in the mystery  of the Incarnation, Francis was convinced that God could be found in the world, in the joys and sorrows of everyday life, in ordinary places and in ordinary people. He believed that the “Most High” can be met in what seems “most low.” The Almighty can be encountered in the powerless. The Infinitely Beautiful can be seen in the misshapen features of lepers, and the All-Good and All-Loving can be discovered in the modest company of the outcast and the poor. ).