My sisters and brothers,
Come, Lord Jesus Christ!
This week, Holy School and St. Carlo Acutis Legacy Academy gathered as one family to celebrate our Christmas Concert, beautifully centered on the theme of Joy. What a fitting grace for a season that invites us to “Rejoice in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4). From the delightful Christmas Pageant presented by our kindergarten students to the inspiring songs and dances of the older grades, the event overflowed with light, laughter, and wonder. In every smile, every lifted voice, and every confident step on stage, we witnessed the joy of Jesus shining through our children—“for the joy of the Lord is our strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).
Moments like these remind us that joy is more than an emotion; it is a gift we share. It grows when communities unite, when families encourage one another, and when teachers and staff offer their hearts in forming young minds in wisdom, character, and faith. As we continue this holy season, let us keep our students, families, faculty, and staff close in prayer. May God bless them with peace, gratitude, and the abiding joy that comes from knowing His love.
As we enter Gaudete Sunday, our readings call us to a deeper hope. Isaiah 35 promises that the desert will bloom and the weak will be strengthened—an assurance that no wilderness in our lives is beyond God’s power to renew. James urges us to patient endurance, like the farmer who trusts in the rains, reminding us that the Lord is near. And in the Gospel, Jesus points to the signs of the Kingdom: the blind see, the lame walk, and the poor receive good news.
May we welcome Christ’s humble coming, trust His perfect timing, and help the barren places of our world blossom with hope and joy. Amen.
God loves you! ~ Fr. NEIL