They have evicted Jesus… even during the pandemic!
All over the world, the Gen 4 are preparing for Christmas, helped by the creative love of many "Guardian Angels" - the assistants and animators of the Gen 4 groups, the catechists, mom and dad - and also in this special year they have found many opportunities to put Jesus back at the center of Christmas, making him be born in a thousand different ways and above all by opening their hearts to welcome him!
In various parts, the preparation of the figurines of Baby Jesus was a wonderful opportunity to live a family experience, with parents, grandparents and also with the closest friends, schoolmates. But also via zoom, the Gen 4 boys and girls have learned to make little angels and Baby Jesus, during Christmas parties online.
Thus, the figurines of "Baby Jesus", paper angels or other types of nativity scenes brought the joy and the "heart" of Christmas to neighbors, lonely people ... but also filled with poetry, enchantment and true light of Christmas to the children themselves!
One of the Gen 4 says: “Today I took the Baby Jesus we made yesterday to school and they asked me to show them how to make it. I remember… bringing Baby Jesus to school, I remembered better how to do it. Anyway, they liked it so much!”
And some moms:
"Thanks! Do you know that L. slept with his Baby Jesus on the bedside table? Today he wanted to take him to school. Gen 4 life really is so spontaneous. It moved me. She cuddles him as if he were a real baby ".
“Today G. returned from school very happy because he told the religion teacher that he is a Gen 4 and yesterday he did the Baby Jesus, then he discovered that she knows us! He also suggested that he can explain who the Gen 4 are to his companions.
And these special Christmas parties have spread around the world, with many Gen 4s, their families and often even inviting children with whom they wanted to share this moment of celebration. Thus they connected with all in the Philippines, or together with Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, or even in Korea and Brazil. Also in Holland a beautiful Christmas party via streaming with 270 computers connected (700/800 spectators)! And from Munich to Augsburg, together via zoom, they set out on a journey with the Magi and the shepherds. The Gen 4 with their acts of love filled the crib, where, at Christmas, they will put Baby Jesus!
In Ireland, during their Christmas party, they connected with the Gen 4 of the Holy Land who showed them the place where Jesus was born and sang a Christmas song: it was a beautiful moment!!!
In Japan, on the other hand, both in Tokyo and Nagasaki the Gen 4 were able to go to the streets or in front of a church to bring the figurines of Baby Jesus. They were welcomed by people with great happiness and all the "Little Baby Jesus" found a home right away!
And in Portugal the Gen 4 opted for a beach bar!
Welcome Jesus in every neighbor
Like every year, and perhaps even more so in this special year 2020, the attention to putting Jesus at the center of Christmas meant opening up to sharing not only with those who, despite being near, are more lonely or sad, but also opening our hearts to those who are far from us. This year the Gen 4 had chosen to help the difficult situation of the Fiore school in Guatemala, and they wanted to support it so that their peers could continue to attend school. Since almost everywhere it was not possible, as in other years, to go to the streets to offer Baby Jesus and ask for contribution to those who want to for the Fiore school, many children made or are making piggy banks instead, where they can put their savings for this purpose.
In some parts of the world, however, this gaze of love has been turned closer, such as in Argentina where the Gen 4 made Baby Jesus figurines and postcards. They wished to give the money they collected, for 50 families in need.