Sister Florence looked ancient. All we could see of her body were her hands and face, since everything else was covered with her flowing robe, starched wimple and veil. Her hands and face were very wrinkled. Sister Florence seemed especially old, because in the last few years, most of the new sisters assigned to our school convent were very young. Sister Donna, my first-grade teacher, looked no older than my sister who had just graduated from college.

Sister Florence’s advanced age prompted my third-grade class to speculate on whether she would possibly retire soon. By the beginning of November, it appeared that all the scary stories and rumors about Sister weren’t true. She wasn’t mean, wasn’t on the verge of having a nervous breakdown, nor likely to drop dead from old age during classes.

Sister Florence turned out to be kind. When we had our first snowfall that year, we were excited and couldn’t concentrate. She sighed but then instructed, “All of you go stand by the windows for a few minutes to watch the falling snow. When you sit back down, I want your full attention.”

Another example of her kindness occurred while a new convent for the sisters was being built next to our school that year. When the construction crew lifted the cross to its roof with a crane, she told us to watch, saying, “You’ll remember this all your life.”

On the last day of November, my class and I entered the classroom after recess to discover small, open-topped boxes with our names on them lined up on a blackboard eraser shelf. Hushing our whispering, Sister Florence unnecessarily explained, “Christmas is coming.”  

Everyone restrained themselves from cheering, knowing she wouldn’t approve.

Sister continued, “Right now we are in Advent. Christmas isn’t until the 25^th of December.” My classmates all looked around at each other with puzzled looks. The room was silent as Sister explained. “When a mother knows a baby is coming, she prepares for it. She makes clothing, diapers, and blankets for it. Advent is the time we prepare for the coming of Baby Jesus.

Indicating a basket full of small paper ‘hay’ Sister Florence said, “You can make baby Jesus more comfortable in his manger by offering up prayers and good deeds between now and Christmas. What I want you to do is put one of these paper strips in your basket each time you say a prayer or do a good deed. By Christmas, baby Jesus’ manger will be soft and comfortable.”

On our last day of school before Christmas, we entered our classroom after recess to find small, beautiful statues of baby Jesus nestled in each of our ‘manger’ boxes.

Seeing the baby Jesus in my box, I remember wishing I had provided more ‘straw’ for under him. Now, 65 years later, I’m still using that baby Jesus figurine in my yearly nativity display.

I found baby Jesus statues in a Rome gift shop ten years ago, when I visited Italy for the first time. One gift shop had baby Jesus figurines in all sizes, and they all looked just like the one Sister Florence had given me in third grade.

While planning a return trip to Italy this summer, I remembered Sister Florence and her lesson about Advent, and wanted to reexperience that exercise with my younger grandchildren and the people who attend the RCIA (Rite of Catholic Initiation of Adults) class at my parish.

While in Rome at the end of September, I found a gift shop that carried the same baby Jesus statues and bought 17 of them.

My grandchildren looked forward to get the short pieces of golden colored yarn I gave them to use for straw, and the baby Jesus that each will receive for Christmas.

At first, I worried that the people attending the RCIA class would think what I’m giving them is childish. But I’ve stopped worrying about that. They are baby Catholics, and the concept of making a soft bed for the child Jesus will not be lost on them.

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed
The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head;
The stars in the sky looked down where he lay
The little Lord Jesus asleep in the hay

The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes
But little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes
I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky
And stay by my cradle ’til morning is nigh

Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever, and love me, I pray
Bless all the dear children in thy tender care
And fit us for heaven to live with Thee there