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SEXY GLAM
MAGAZINE - DECEMBER 2019
from The Life of St. Francis of
Assisi by St. Bonaventure, a
Franciscan monk who was born
five years before Francis’ death.
According to Bonaventure’s bi-
ography, St. Francis got permis-
sion from Pope Honorious III to
set up a manger with hay and
two live animals—an ox and an
ass—in a cave in the Italian vil-
lage of Grecio. He then invited
the villagers to come gaze upon
the scene while he preached
about “the babe of Bethlehem.”
(Francis was supposedly so
overcome by emotion that he
couldn’t say “Jesus.”) Bonaven-
ture also claims that the hay
used by Francis miraculously
acquired the power to cure local
cattle diseases and pestilences.
The nativity scene’s popularity
took off from there. Within a cou-
ple of centuries, nativity scenes
had spread throughout Europe.
We don’t know if people actually
played Mary and Joseph during
Francis’ time, or whether they