Saint Joseph School
25 Squire Street
New London, Connecticut 06320
December 21, 2021
Dear St. Joseph School Families,
As the Christmas season fills our hearts and our senses this year, we are reminded of the miracle that we are about to celebrate, a celebration that changed the world forever. The past year and a half has brought changes to the way in which we gather and celebrate this miracle. This year we were able to come together for Advent prayer and our traditional Lessons and Carols celebration, but our hesitancy and caution for everyone’s health and safety remain concerns for all of us.
We are still in awe of the small child who came to re-create the world with the hope, peace, love, and joy of His coming, and we are in constant prayer that the reasons for which He came will become more evident in our lives. This small child grew to a man who modeled the way that we must live in order to make the world a better place—feeding the hungry, healing the sick, consoling the lonely, giving shelter to the homeless, welcoming the outcast, and trusting one another to do what is right for others. We know, intellectually, the difference that Jesus’ life made in the world. May we, most importantly, feel in our hearts all that Christmas brings to our own lives, and the lives of those around us this year. May we celebrate its true meaning—that God loved us so much that He came to us in the person of Jesus!
When we recall the story that was told of the events of Bethlehem all those years ago, we remember the light and song of the angels as they announced the Good News of Jesus birth to the shepherds on the hillside. “Peace on earth and good will toward all.” We remember the anticipation of the shepherds as they went in joy to find this Child, and we remember the magi as they carefully laid their well-chosen gifts before the Child Jesus. Each year the Story is told and each year the telling of the Story changes us, and the world around us! May we be the light and the song this Christmas, as we seek to make the lives of those around us brighter with our presence whether in person or remotely!
May the Story we tell be the hope, peace, joy and love of that first Christmas night. May we remember Jesus’ humble birth in a stable, and in remembering may we offer the gifts that we have received as gifts to one another!
I wish you a Joyous and Blessed Christmas celebration, one that will live on and be celebrated each day throughout the coming year, bringing peace and health to your homes, special joy to your families, and God’s love to each of you!
A Blessed and Joyous Christmas to All!
Marianne Cote, Principal