Feast of the Immaculate Conception, 2020
To: Our Scholastican Family (School Personnel, Parents and Students, and Alumnae / Alumni
From: The Office of the Directress
PEACE and JOY!
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
We are once more enjoying a free day. It gives me the time to thank our PTA for spearheading the collection of goods for the victims of Typhoons Rolly and Ulysses. Thank you to each and everyone who contributed time and resources to enable us to lend a hand to Luzon victims and those in our midst here in Pampanga. Thanks to our teachers and parents who helped in packing the goods and to our alumnae who likewise sent in their donations. There is always JOY in giving! God knows best and He will care for your reward.
Now back to our free day. If you were here in school we would be celebrating together the feast of the Immaculate Conception with a Holy Mass. I hope that wherever you are, you are able to participate in an online Mass.
The feast of the Immaculate Conception honors our Blessed Mother with the singular grace of having been conceived free of original sin, the only one of the entire human race. Jesus’ saving grace was applied to her in advance so that the Mother of God would be conceived and born immaculate.
We who are her children can aspire to live like her in humility, simplicity, and great faith. And through her intercession and of her divine Son, we can grow in these virtues, so badly needed today.
To live in humility and simplicity is to recognize who we truly are. We have been fashioned from the earth “humus”. We share our creatureliness with the rest of all creation. But in God’s design we have at the core of our being, His divine life. All of us, without exception. We have been created in God’s image and likeness. We have been created to love.
We know and experience the struggle within—to choose the good and the better for the other and to choose what we like for ourselves. As we look to Mary our Mother, we beg of her to give us a heart like hers, a heart that is kind and loving. We ask her to teach us how to be open to God’s grace, to welcome it, so that what we desire and want is what God desires and wants.
As we journey this season of Advent, we join Mary in active listening and waiting for the stirrings of life. We open our hearts to listen to God’s voice. We hear God’s voice in Scriptures (lectio divina), in the liturgy (e.g. Holy Mass, Sacrament of Reconciliation), in our everyday life as we encounter others, and in the daily events, moment by moment.
When we recognize God’s voice and follow his inspiration to be kind, gentle, generous, and forgiving, we shall experience deep peace and joy. Then we know that in our hearts we have allowed God to have a home within us. Then we become more like Him. This whole process is not easy. To walk His way entails sacrifices and dying to self. We do not always understand God’s ways, but in faith we believe in Him and walk amidst pain and darkness. We can only pray: “Come, Lord Jesus. Come stay with me and be with me.”
Let this be our preparation for Christmas. Let Jesus live within us and direct our lives. Then even during this pandemic, we can rejoice because JESUS HAS COME. HE HAS COME TO US. Let us greet one another SHALOM. Peace and well-being be yours because the PRINCE OF PEACE HIMSELF is in each one of us!
Our school community will celebrate liturgically this coming of the Lord, on Friday, December 18 with a dawn Mass at 5:00 in the morning, livestreamed into your homes. Some of us Sisters, teachers and staff will be in the chapel while the rest of the school personnel will be in the classrooms (for social distancing) to participate in the beamed Holy Mass. You, dear parents and alumnae, are invited to join our children online.
The teachers would like to have a virtual salu-salo (breakfast) with their students. The school will provide a take-out breakfast for all our personnel. The teachers return to the classrooms for the virtual salu-salo while the rest partake of the breakfast in designated places. In a real and limited way, we would like to celebrate together this great feast of Christmas with spiritual and familial bonding. May the Christmas break be a beautiful experience of family togetherness, with laughter and fun, prayer and many opportunities for welcoming Jesus in one another and in the stranger. May we not forget those without food and shelter.
In faith WE THANK GOD for the blessings of 2020 and say YES to 2021!
Classes resume on January 4, 2021.
Stay safe and healthy!
Lovingly,
Sister Lydia Villegas, OSB
