"Be Attentive"

Dear Salesian Family,

Long before there were department stores to remind people of how many days until Christmas…long before the Church was there each year to remind people of the coming celebration of Christ’s birth...there was one person – the very first one — who counted the days to Christmas.

Yes, the Blessed Virgin Mary, carrying the Son of God in her womb, most certainly waited with breathless wonder and eager longing the birth of her baby boy. Now, two thousand years later, we are invited to join her in spirit as we celebrate the season of Advent. Strange as it may seem, it happens only too often, in the hustle and bustle of getting ready for Christ’s birthday, that too many can too easily forget what it’s all about.

As a student body we have taken the practice for the virtue of this month to ‘Be Attentive’. Yes, be attentive to little things that make a difference in our lives and the lives of those around us. We want to be attentive to the coming of Jesus into our lives during this special Advent season.

Hopefully, we are among those who by word and action are a living reminder that Jesus is the reason for the season. True, part of the joy of Christmas is found in reaching out to others and expressing love, appreciation, and caring. I encourage you to take the time to prepare a Nativity Scene at home and make it an occasion for a moment of family prayer. Perhaps attend a Reconciliation Service held in your parish. Let’s be attentive, not get “too busy” to attend Christmas Mass, and celebrate a joyful and peace-filled Christmas!  

God bless!

Sr. Carmen, FMA