PRESIDENT’S BLOG: A SEASON OF JOY HOPE & PEACE

During Advent there is joy and hope … and peace 

“I guess you were right, Linus. I shouldn’t have picked this little tree. Everything I do turns into a disaster. I guess I really don’t know what Christmas is all about. Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?” -Charlie Brown

Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, I have always loved the changing of the seasons. The leaves have turned, briefly covering the landscape with faded yellow, orange and red. November rain washed the colors away, leaving a barren backdrop of early winter. Soon colored strands of lights will transform the trees and line the homes of families eager for the holiday season. Our traditions formed by nostalgic memories of Christmas past will fill our senses with the magic of the season: homemade cookies, caroling, warm fires, and snowflakes. Yet before we celebrate Christmas, we wait and prepare ourselves for the coming of Jesus during the season of Advent.

As we enter Advent, amidst our eagerness to complete the rush of shopping, wrapping, and wish fulfillment, we must stop to remind ourselves what we are truly preparing for this month of December. I recall one of my favorite Advent reflections, from a past student: “Advent is not meant to be merely a period of patient waiting, with its culmination at Christmas. Instead, it is an arrival of Christ to the world. Christmas, I now see, is not the end of what we are waiting for, it is the beginning. The idea of Advent as an arrival and Christmas as the beginning gives me hope.”

I love this reflection because for me hope is eternal. Throughout my life in education, I believe hope and my faith have lifted me during times when I have felt challenged and overwhelmed and this year has certainly been filled with these emotions. What I love about the Advent season and the arrival of Christmas, is that I am surrounded by those who mean the most to me and who fill me with hope. This is a time to celebrate family and friends, to reaffirm our faith, and pray for peace.

This month I offer my prayers to you and your family and wish you all a Peaceful Advent, Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year.

I would be remiss if I did not share with you a favorite memory of the Christmas season from my childhood. Each year, my family celebrated Christmas Eve with our closest friends. At the end of the evening, just before leaving for midnight Mass at St. Augustine Parish in Spokane, our families would gather to sing carols. Our final song, as we all joined hands, was “Let there be peace on Earth,” followed by a Christmas blessing.

Let there be peace on earth,

And let it begin with me.

Let there be peace on earth

The peace that was meant to be.

With God as our father

We are family.

Let us walk with each other

In perfect harmony.

Let peace begin with me

Let this be the moment now.

With every step I take

Let this be my solemn vow.

To take each moment

And live each moment

With peace eternally.

Let there be peace on earth,

And let it begin with me.

God Bless you and your loved ones.