“Let’s go to Bethlehem”
It’s wonderful how a seemingly simple phrase in the Gospel can stop and make one think. The words of the shepherds after the angels left them, caught my heart this year. They heard the angelic message and wanted to go see for themselves its truth, meaning and consequences. We don’t hear much about the shepherds after that except “they repeated what they had been told about him, and everyone who heard it was astonished” Lk 2:17. I wonder what happened to all those who heard the message and saw its reality?
My thoughts wandered towards so many of our students who moved on to high school and into the big wide world. Had they heard the message we had shepherded to them? Have they experienced for themselves the reality of the angels message? Have they spread the word to those who have met them? The message received by a few shepherds spread to many and transformed the world. The message is not so loud in our age. Perhaps we will only ever hear from a few of those who have passed through our campus. But from those we do re-encounter the news is always hopeful and positive. I see our students advance in life, challenge the world in which they find themselves and are equipped to bring light and peace to those with whom they interact.
As with those first shepherds and their listeners, we don’t know what the outcome will be for our students. We only know that we prepare them academically for life’s challenges and pass on the angels message of “Peace and Goodwill” towards all people. When we meet our graduates we soon see that the message has taken root and in them we see it flourish.
It’s really not for us to see the outcome, although we hope and pray that it is successful. It is for us to sow seeds, nourish, tend to the young seedlings and let them flourish and bear witness to the wonder of life in God. They come to us, hear the good news and leave to find its value and reality for themselves. As a bishop in the barrios of Ecuador once told me “We must show them there is another better way.” When I encounter our graduates, I know that we have done just that.
The Bethlehem which Joseph and Mary entered was little more than a stop off for travelers, but from the humble stable the word went out to renew the world. From our equally humble campus, we continue that word of “hope, joy, peace and good will”.
Thank you for being fellow messengers and enabling us to transform the world of our young students. I pray that the peace which the Christ child brought to those first messengers and bring to us at St. Anthony’s will be yours this Christmas and always. Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
“Let’s go to Bethlehem” together.
Fr. Patrick McGuire
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