It is again my joy and privilege to send you warm Christmas greetings from St. Anthony Zuni Mission School.
Thoughts of the flight of the Holy Family into Egypt fill my mind this Christmas. Their journey of faith first took them to Bethlehem for the birth of the Christ Child, accompanied by the adoration and joy of the shepherds and the Magi. I can only speculate on their longing for the normality of their own home. Yet it was not to be. The vulnerable child was in danger and so their journey continued—seeking shelter in threatening and uncertain circumstances. Continuing their mission, their courage surely lay in contemplating the Holy Child and knowing that literally “God was with them.” I am sure that while the Family continued on their journey, the shepherds and Magi had departed with renewed peace, joy and hope in their hearts.
In some ways this flight into Egypt reflects the circumstances within which our School re-opened after the exile of Covid. Like Joseph, we dreamed and prayed on how best to keep our precious charges safe while nurturing their future. We longed for our normal homely way of life; we knew too that unknowns lay ahead on a journey that we must make for the sake of the students. Our courage came from knowing that we have our own “shepherds” among the friends of St. Anthony’s and that by remaining faithful to our mission—“the Lord is with us.”
We have been richly blessed with the help, support and encouragement of people like you—our faithful shepherds. Our young people steadily grow in knowledge, spirit and faith. As we journey cautiously forward, please know that you are in our daily prayers of thanksgiving.
Our prayer too is that the lasting joy, hope and peace of those first shepherds will be with you and your family throughout the year ahead. Be blessed this Christmas and always.
Sincerely, Fr. Patrick McGuire
Download December 2021 Newsletter | Christmas Card
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