The Nativity Where Mary Rests: The Nativity That Moves Pope Francis

In the Nativity, Mary rests while Saint Joseph keeps watch. Here is the original depiction of the Nativity that moved Pope Francis and shows us a new face of the Holy Family.

Every year, the Nativity scene, with Mary holding the Baby Jesus in her arms or lovingly watching over him as he lies in the manger, while Saint Joseph stands slightly aside, watching over them, nurtures the spirituality and devotion of millions of people around the world during the Christmas season and beyond. But what happens if in the Nativity Mary is resting, and it is instead Saint Joseph who takes care of the little Jesus?

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Nativity sets

Nativity in wood, stone, cotton, porcelain…

A few years ago, Pope Francis recounted that he received, as a birthday gift, an original reproduction of the Nativity called Let’s Let Mum Rest. In this particular Nativity, unique in its kind, the Virgin Mary is peacefully asleep, with her head resting on a sack that serves as a pillow, while nearby Joseph cradles the Baby Jesus, who stretches sleepily, reaching his little hands into the air. In short, in this Nativity Mary rests, and Joseph plays the role of mum!

The Pope was deeply impressed and moved by this alternative Nativity and spoke about it during his catechesis. In particular, he focused on the simplicity and humanity of this representation, which, as much as or even more than many traditional Nativity scenes, expresses tenderness, as well as the everyday challenges within a family and marriage. Who, among those with children, does not remember how exhausting it can be to care for a newborn during the night, when mum and dad must take turns soothing the baby and getting some rest?

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Pope Francis

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Thus, Let’s Let Mum Rest shows not only an alternative Nativity but also a new way of conceiving the Holy Family — not as frozen in roles defined and codified over the centuries, but as it truly was and is: a family, the family of all families. Made of roles, certainly, but roles that can be reversed, and made of domestic sweetness and harmony. These are the same sweetness and harmony that the Pope wished for everyone to bring into their own homes, during the Festive season and beyond. For Pope Francis, the Nativity is a domestic Gospel, an inspiration, an invitation to welcome the example of the Holy Family and bring into one’s home joy, closeness, shared daily concerns, and a deep, loving union in everyday life.

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Icon of the Holy Family with relief

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The Nativity is more important than ever today, in the hectic pace of everyday life, when it is difficult to find time for spirituality and what is truly important, essential. Setting up the Nativity in one’s home is therefore a way to open the door to Jesus, to let him enter our lives.

The image of the Virgin Mary resting while Joseph cares for Jesus gives us an extraordinarily modern image, as unusual as it is striking. If in this particular Nativity Mary is resting, this does not mean that her thoughts and heart are not entirely directed towards the Child she has just given life to. On the contrary, it was precisely that constant devotion, that effort of love, that exhausted her energy and forced her to seek rest. And it is beautiful to imagine Saint Joseph gently taking the little Jesus from her arms and, smiling tenderly at her, saying: “Go, rest a little, I will take care of everything.”

A man and a woman, a husband and wife, sharing the experience of the birth of their first child, and with it the immense, ineffable mystery of which God wanted them to be a part. After all, we must remember that Joseph and Mary could not have known anything about what would follow: the sermons, the miracles, the crowds praising and following Jesus throughout Judea. They lived a normal life, a daily routine made up of hard work, good moments and bad moments, but always shared, day after day, step by step. A daily life waiting for just one child to be complete.

In this married couple, who choose to reverse their roles and exchange responsibilities, the Pope, and we with him, cannot help but recognise a contemporary and human interpretation of the deeper meaning of the Nativity.

In our online store, several models of this splendid alternative Nativity are available, with Mary resting and Saint Joseph watching over Jesus.

Holy Family lying 20 cm composition in painted resin
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Holy Family set Navel colored porcelain 18 cm
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Holy Family statue Mary sleeping hand painted 10x15x10 cm
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