Amy Welborn Ann Kissane Engelhart The Most Wonderful Surprise of All
With gratitude to Pope Benedict XVI, for bringing the light of Christ to the children of the world.
The Most Wonderful Surprise of All Amy Welborn Ann Kissane Engelhart
4
n the beautiful country of Italy, in the ancient, bustling city called Naples, you can take a walk down a wonderful street called Via San Gregorio Armeno. It’s a street lined with shops and workshops where people are molding, painting, and sewing figures for Nativity scenes. You’ll see their creations in the windows of their shops. You’ll see angels and carpenters, farmers, bakers, shepherds and kings. Cows and horses, little trees, huts and houses, miniature pots and pans and—babies. So many tiny babies, loving arms outstretched to you as you peer in the windows, trying to pick just the right one for the Nativity scene that you have at home. On this street, it is Christmas all the time! I 5
6
n one of those shops, a boy named Alessandro is watching his grandfather work. It is a warm and happy place, but Alessandro isn’t smiling today. “Why so quiet, Alessandro?” Grandfather asks. “On your visit last summer, you were full of questions.” Alessandro shrugs. His heart is still full of questions, but today they’re not about clay shepherds. He is even a little afraid to ask them. Grandfather peers at him over his glasses. “Hmmm. I think I see a boy who would like to help his old Papa,” he teases. “It’s almost December, and there’s certainly a lot to do.” 7 I
here is a lot to do around the shop; it’s true. So, Alessandro begins to sweep up bits of clay, fabric scraps, and dried moss from the floor. He hears customers in the shop. They are shopping for figures from the Bible, and so much more. The people in Italy like to make their Nativity scenes— called presepi—busy and crowded with people and animals from everyday life in both Bible times and today, sometimes all mixed up together. It reminds them that Jesus is not just in the past, but lives with us now. Alessandro hears Papa and Nonna laughing with a man who is looking for little chickens and dogs that would chase each other around a farmyard in his presepe. And they would really move! How funny! Alessandro can’t laugh, though, because he’s still thinking about his questions. It’s been a month since his parents had to go to another country for their work, leaving him here with his grandparents. When will they return? When will he be back at his own home, in his old school and with his friends? Alessandro doesn’t notice the bright blue of the Blessed Virgin’s robes or the gold of the Baby’s halo. All he can see right now are the broken pieces on the floor. 8 T
9
10
few days later, Alessandro runs on the cobblestones in the piazza in front of the store. He had felt shy about coming out to play with the other boys, but Nonna had practically pushed him outside on this sunny December afternoon. As he chases the ball and hears the other boys cheerfully call his name, Alessandro starts to feel happy. The ball bounces to him, and he gives a good kick. Oh no! The ball crashes into the store across the street! Will Signor Angeli be angry? Alessandro rushes to his grandparents, sad and afraid all over again. 11 A
’m so sorry,” says Alessandro to Grandfather, “I just wish—” “You wish you could replace the broken items?” interrupts Grandfather with a smile. “Well, I think Signor Angeli has plenty to refill his basket. But,” and he looks thoughtfully at Alessandro, “perhaps you would like to try to make a figure, for our little shop?” “But I don’t know how,” Alessandro protests. “I can’t make anything, especially anything so beautiful!” “Perhaps not yet,” laughs Grandfather. “But you have to start somewhere! And Alessandro, it’s love that makes what we create beautiful. It’s what makes Nonna’s food taste so good. Love brings all the pieces together. I think you have quite a bit of love in your heart, don’t you?” Alessandro nods, but he can’t speak. Nonna does, though. “Enrico, Bambinelli Sunday is next week. What if Alessandro makes his own Bambino, and the two of you take it up to Rome for the Holy Father’s blessing?” “Of course!” Grandfather claps his hands. Alessandro doesn’t know what Bambinelli Sunday is, but he listens as Grandfather explains and helps him begin to fashion his very own Christ Child. I“ 12
13
14
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. —Pope Benedict XVI Angelus address for the Third Sunday of Advent, December 14, 2008 32
Under the direction of Romain Lizé, President, Magnificat Editor, Magnificat: Isabelle Galmiche Editor, Ignatius: Vivian Dudro Proofreader: Kathleen Hollenbeck Layout Designer: Magali Meunier Production: Thierry Dubus, Audrey Bord Scripture quotations are from Revised Standard Version of the Bible—Second Catholic Edition (Ignatius Edition), copyright © 2006 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Benedict XVI address, © www.vatican.va First published by Franciscan Media, Cincinnati © 2013, Amy Welborn Second edition: © 2024 by Magnificat, New York • Ignatius Press, San Francisco All rights reserved ISBN Magnificat 978-1-63967-072-7 • ISBN Ignatius Press 978-1-62164-719-5 Printed in May 2024 by Dimograf, Poland Job number MGN 24L0247 Printed in compliance with the Consumer Protection Safety Act, 2008 The illustrator gratefully acknowledges Ermanno D’Auria of Via San Gregorio Armeno for permission to represent his presepe shop in the illustrations, and Alessandro D’Ausilio for expertly guiding us through the streets of Naples.
Each year, on the Third Sunday of Advent, children gather with their families in Saint Peter’s Square for “Bambinelli Sunday.” The children bring with them figures of the Christ Child—the Bambinelli—from their family’s Nativity scene. During the Angelus prayer, the pope blesses the children, their families, and the figurines they have brought. Bambinelli Sunday tells the story of one little boy, Alessandro, and what he learns from Baby Jesus about the love that can overcome anything. AGES 5 AND UP & The Most Wonderful Surprise of All
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzMzNzY=