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Christmas Message

Christmas Message
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Christmas is already here. The decorations are being put up, shopping is both a pleasure and a chore, and the Christmas letters to Santa are making their way to the North Pole.  I know we have been counting down the days to Christmas break.  The faculty and staff are more than thrilled to have the time to relax and enjoy their own family time, and the kids are all counting down the days until Christmas.

So where does that leave Advent? In the midst of this flurry of activity, it’s easy to lose sight of the true meaning of the Advent season. Advent and Christmas are different. But sometimes our students lump them together.  The word advent is derived from the Latin word “adventus” meaning arrival. Advent is a spirit of anticipation, but also one of preparation, of longing and of hope.  In this way, the Advent season becomes a journey, each week gradually moving us from a more solemn atmosphere of penance to a sense of joy and peace.

This is the essence and hope of Advent. We are reminded of God’s gift of love and of hope, enabling us to recognize the possibilities in our lives — even when these possibilities are obscured by the demands of daily life.  As you prepare for the holidays, I invite you to actively engage in the Advent journey with your children, being intentional about taking time to pause and reflect in gratitude. Give thanks for the little things and rejoice in the knowledge that possibilities are always present as long as we have faith in God. With a greater focus on Advent, we allow Christ to enter our hearts, so that, come Christmas, we can experience joy in the truest sense of the word.

This Christmas how will we respond to our greatest gift, Jesus?  Whether we are kings or shepherds, Pope Benedict reminds us of our response. 

Joy is the true gift of Christmas, not expensive presents that demand time and money.  We can transmit this joy simply; with a smile, with a kind gesture, with some small help, with forgiveness.  Let us give this joy and the joy will be returned to us.

Enjoy Christmas because there are people in your life who love you and who count on your love. Enjoy Christmas because God so loves the world that he sent his only son to us.

As we enter this season of celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, I pray that joy will be present in each of your hearts and homes.  May the glory of this Christmas be visible in all we do for one another, both today and in the year to come.  On behalf of the faculty and staff at Blessed Sacrament, we wish you and your family a most blessed Christmas and a happy and holy New Year.  

 

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