Bambinelli Sunday

October 1, 2014 by Amy Welborn

And now, moving to Book #3 in our collection…

The story for Bambinelli Sunday was Ann’s idea. She had been long intrigued by the intricacy and liveliness of Neapolitan nativity scenes, and came up with the notion of a story focused on a little boy who’s part of a family of presepe makers from Naples, and who travels to Rome for the (newish) traditional blessing of Infant Jesus figures by the Pope in St. Peter’s Square on the 3rd Sunday of Advent.

Franciscan Media picked it up, and last year it was published.

(It’s not too early to order copies for your parish or school catechists….we have an instructional flyer for a catechetical session centered around the story here and detailed instructions at the link. Pastors and parish ministers? What about your own Bambinelli Sunday?)

This is a link to the group in Rome that sponsors Bambinelli Sunday in St. Peter’s Square.

This is a link to a 2013 blog post with an ongoing list of parishes doing their own Bambinelli – I can’t vouch for the links since most of them are to parish bulletins which may no longer be online

Pope Benedict’s words at the 2008 event:

The blessing of the “Bambinelli” [Baby Jesus figurines] as they are called in Rome, reminds us that the crib is a school of life where we can learn the secret of true joy. This does not consist in having many things but in feeling loved by the Lord, in giving oneself as a gift for others and in loving one another. Let us look at the crib. Our Lady and St Joseph do not seem to be a very fortunate family; their first child was born in the midst of great hardship; yet they are full of deep joy, because they love each other, they help each other and, especially, they are certain that God, who made himself present in the little Jesus, is at work in their story. And the shepherds? What did they have to rejoice about? That Newborn Infant was not to change their condition of poverty and marginalization. But faith helped them recognize the “babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger” as a “sign” of the fulfilment of God’s promises for all human beings, “with whom he is pleased” (Lk 2: 12, 14).

This, dear friends, is what true joy consists in: it is feeling that our personal and community existence has been visited and filled by a great mystery, the mystery of God’s love. In order to rejoice we do not need things alone, but love and truth: we need a close God who warms our hearts and responds to our deepest expectations. This God is manifested in Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary. Therefore that “Bambinello” which we place in a stable or a grotto is the centre of all things, the heart of the world. Let us pray that every person, like the Virgin Mary, may accept as the centre of his or her life the God who made himself a Child, the source of true joy.

If you are a priest or deacon offering this blessing, you might use Pope Benedict’s blessing from 2008 (it’s also in the book)

God, our Father
you so loved humankind
that you sent us your only Son Jesus,
born of the Virgin Mary,
to save us and lead us back to you.

We pray that with your Blessing
these images of Jesus,
who is about to come among us,
may be a sign of your presence and
love in our homes.

Good Father,
give your Blessing to us too,
to our parents, to our families and
to our friends.

Open our hearts,
so that we may be able to
receive Jesus in joy,
always do what he asks
and see him in all those
who are in need of our love.

We ask you this in the name of Jesus,
your beloved Son
who comes to give the world peace.

He lives and reigns forever and ever.
Amen.