December 2011

Dear Verbum Dei Families,

      When I was a child, the approach of Christmas always gave me such an immense sense of awe and joy and hope. Regrettably, as I’ve become older, these emotions seem to get lost amidst the chaos that Christmas has become in the 21st century: buying tons of gifts, dealing with crowds at malls, hanging lights and ornaments, baking and cooking, and family obligations. Perhaps this is what Jesus means when He says in Matthew 18:3, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

      And so this will be my goal for Advent and I invite the Verb family to join me: This Christmas, let us simplify. Let’s strip Christmas of all the things that conceal what this special day is all about. Let’s get to the core of Christmas: the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Let’s go back to our child-like innocence and rediscover the sense of awe and joy and hope that God intended when he “so loved the world that he gave us his one and only son.”

      May the peace of Christ be with you and your loved ones this Christmas and New Year.

      Simply Christmas,

      Dan O’Connell
      Principal