Last weekend I watched a video about the debate of wishing someone a Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays.  I am happy to say it is not much of an issue in a Catholic school and there is a lot of Merry Christmases, and Christ is Born!  What I enjoyed in the video were the underlining messages.  Firstly, Jesus probably wouldn’t have cared because He did not want to promote himself; He promoted God.  He promoted a community of justice, peace, and love; He wasn’t interested in status.  Secondly, rather than giving a person a greeting of Merry Christmas, it is more important to live it.  We must live as Jesus did.  A life of simplicity, generosity, service, and welcome and hospitality to others.  Thirdly, we need to be conscious of other’s faith, or lack of it.  As Pope Francis teaches us, we need to develop a culture of encounter, not confrontation.  By listening and respecting others, we learn from others.  So please do not worry or get upset if someone wishes you a Happy Holiday.  This Christmas, and every day, live as Jesus did and build bridges and not walls with others.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year to everyone in of our learning community!  I hope everyone has a blessed, safe and restful Christmas break.

Greg Kostiuk