re of Christmas than the Greek.

Rome is often condemned for using in her liturgy the dead language of
Latin, but it must not be forgotten that in every country she offers to
the faithful a rich store of devotional literature in their own tongue,
and that, supplementary to the liturgical offices, there is much public
prayer and praise in the vernacular. Nor, in that which appeals to the
eye, does she limit herself to the mysterious symbolism of the sacraments
and the ritual which surrounds them; she gives to the people concrete,
pictorial images to quicken their faith. How ritual grew in mediaeval
times into full-fledged drama we shall see in the next chapter; here let
us consider that cult of the Christ Child in which the scene of Bethlehem
is represented not by living actors but in plastic art, often most simple
and homely.

The use of the "crib" (French _creche_, Italian _presepio_, German
_krippe_) at Christmas is now universally diffused in the Roman Church.
Most readers of this book must have seen one of these structures
representing the stable at Bethlehem, with the Child in the manger, His
mother and St. Joseph, the ox and the ass, and perhaps the shepherds, the
three kings, or worshipping angels. They are the delight of children, who
through the season of Christmas and Epiphany wander into the open
churches at all times of day to gaze wide-eyed on the life-like scene and
offer a prayer to their Little Brother. No one with anything of the
child-spirit can fail to be touched by the charm of the Christmas crib.
Faults of artistic taste there may often be, but these are wont to be
softened down by the flicker of tapers, the glow of ruby lights, amidst
the shades of some dim aisle or chapel, and the scene of tender humanity,
gently, mysteriously radiant, as though with "bright shoots of
everlastingness," is full of religious and poetic suggestions.

The institution of the _presepio_ is often ascribed to St. Francis of
Assisi, who in the year 1224 celebrated Christmas at Greccio |106| with
a Bethlehem scene with a real ox and ass. About fifteen days before the
Nativity, according to Thomas of Celano, the blessed Francis sent for a
certain nobleman, John by name, and said to him: "If thou wilt that we
celebrate the present festival of the Lord at Greccio, make haste to go
before and diligently prepare what I tell thee. For I would fain make
memorial of that Child who was born in Bethlehem, and in some sort behold
wi