Advent is here; to me, Advent has many messages.  One is building a community.  Advent and Christmas allow us to get together with family and friends to strengthen our bonds.  A second message is a buildup to the celebration of the birth of Christ, the call to “make ready the way of the Lord.”  This message is the one many families tend to focus on the most—preparing for Christmas with decorations, presents, and a feast.  Another message of Advent is that we do not have to wait.  God is with us now, here in our lives.  Every day I see God at work in our learning community among our students, parents, and staff.

Please take time out of your busy Christmas season to remember the blessing we have of having Christ in our lives every day:

• We continue to be blessed with supportive parents and a robust School Council. Please feel free to join us at any School Council meeting to provide your insights;
• Our school continues to be blessed with terrific staff;
• We have an incredible student population. Daily I get compliments about our students;
• Finally, we are blessed with our learning community of Father Leonard Van Tighem School. Every day we show how we are “many hands building a better world.”  Our school is truly a special place.

This year’s faith plan focuses on being ‘Being Mindful…Being Prayerful.’  I do not think there is a better season to model this than Advent and Christmas time.  I saw this pic about keeping Christ in Christmas on social media:

This quote truly encapsulates the message of ‘Keep Christ in Christmas.’  This Advent and Christmas season feed the hungry, clothe the naked, forgive the guilty, welcome the unwanted, care for the ill, love your enemies, and do unto others as you would have done unto you.

Have a blessed Advent and Christmas season,

Greg Kostiuk