Congratulations on a successful fall semester (which has just a few hours left for those faculty pushing to get grades turned in before 3:45 p.m.!). I am deeply thankful to all of you for the effort that goes into serving our students. I hope that you get some well-deserved rest during the upcoming break.

For my Christmas message, I am borrowing the theme from Pope Francis’ Angelus address on December 3, the first Sunday of Advent. He spoke on the need to be vigilant – to look ahead with joyful anticipation and to prepare ourselves to welcome Jesus: 

“Here is a good program for Advent: to encounter Jesus coming in every brother and sister who needs us and to share with them what we can: listening, time, concrete assistance.

Dear friends, it will be good for us today to ask ourselves how we can prepare a welcoming heart for the Lord. We can do so by approaching His forgiveness, His Word, His Table, finding space for prayer, welcoming those in need. Let us cultivate His expectation without letting ourselves be distracted by so many pointless things, and without complaining all the time, but keeping our hearts alert, that is, eager for Him, awake and ready, impatient to meet Him.”

This is the kind of vigilance that leads to an attitude of hope and renewal that raises our spirits above the busyness of Christmas to the true meaning of this sacred season. 

May you be filled with the love, peace and joy of Christmas and have a very happy New Year. 

In Notre Dame,

Martijn