December 20, 2007


Dear Parents and Girls:

The words of St Therese on the Christmas card we sent this year to our families are so consoling. “A God who became so small could only be mercy and love.” What a great God we have. As we ponder the Christ child and reflect on the life processes of growing up which we share with Jesus one is amazed at God’s great plan.

Jesus told us that we must become like little children in order to enter the kingdom of heaven. I often think about that as I watch little ones. I believe that we have all watched the fascination young children seem to have with the wrapping paper and bows on the packages they receive. In fact, little children would be just as happy if we just wrapped boxes very beautifully and did not worry about what is inside. They love the boxes and the bright colored paper. When did we become more concerned about the contents of the package and forget to notice the wrappings?

Somewhere along the way we got caught up in “What did you give me?” I suppose it is because we ask children, “What do you want for Christmas?” and “What do you want Santa Claus to bring to you?” Then when we grow up we are still looking for presents and Santa Claus. We also become more interested in what is in the package than in the beautiful wrappings. Of course, both are important, yet when one wraps your present, that person is giving you the gift of time. The fact that you were thought about while the present was wrapped and the person found a way to get the gift to you, are also as important as the contents.

The wrapping is important. God was wrapped in a human person, Jesus Christ. The wrapping is around the greatest mystery and the greatest gift anyone has ever given to us. When we think of the wrappings, let us, like a little child, become fascinated with them and think of Jesus and how our loving God wrapped Jesus for us. Each of us is the wrapping around God who lives within us and in us. In the beautiful way of participating in the great mystery of God becoming a human person, we unwrap the gift of the God within us for each other. It is done simply by loving one another, seeing beyond the exterior to the person and the God within.

At Christmas when you see the beautiful wrappings on the gifts, think of Jesus, and think of the great mystery that lies within each of us if we use our ability to love and unwrap those gifts. Then God will truly be incarnate in our hearts, our homes, our families, our Church. Jesus will be born in our hearts, we will know the joy of a little child, and we will be elated not only over the wrappings on our gifts, but also over the people we have loved and who have loved us. It is through love that we unwrap the gift of another person, and Jesus is with us.

Thank you for your many expressions of love to all of us, and thank you for the gifts you gave. Most of all thank you for your daughter. May the blessings of the New Year be abundant.

Love,  Sister Camille Anne