At this time of year, we recall how St. Francis of Assisi offered a visual aid as part of his preaching about the birth of Christ to the townspeople of Greccio, Italy. On December 25, 1223, he brought in live animals, decorated a nearby cave with straw and a manger and created history's first Christmas crèche. In teaching a lesson about Christ's humble beginnings in the Bethlehem stable, Francis knew that seeing was believing.
