Dear HFCS Friends and Families,
Hope is the focus of our first week of Advent. I found myself off campus today and yesterday, attending a funeral for a dear friend’s father. Hope is so integral to who we are as Catholics. Christ brought us hope for everlasting life with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as we end our days on Earth. As I participated in my friend’s funeral, I was blessed with a sense of Hope and Joy – I knew Walter was now where we all strive to be one day – with the Lord in heaven. I could not help but smile as I presented the Prayers for the Faithful and looked towards my dear friend Cheryl, surrounded by her children. While I know that Walter will be missed, I also know he is experiencing what we all hope for.
Advent is that time of preparation for the celebration of Christ’s birth and the culmination of the promise that Christ will come again. Will we be prepared? I know Walter was. He spent his last few weeks on earth saying goodbyes to friends and family. He was fully prepared to meet his Savior after a faith-filled life. Hope brings us consolation in our darkest moments; it allows us to muster our GRIT and move forward even when things appear insurmountable.
Hope is the central theme of the season of Advent and is apparent throughout the next four weeks. It is a foundation for our belief that Jesus is coming into our hearts and the world. The first week prepares us to be people of hope and believe that darkness will not prevail, but the light of Christ will overcome it.
Heavenly Father, as we begin this Advent, give light to our eyes and peace to our hearts. May the Lord find us watching and waiting in hope when He comes.
Special thank you to all the parents who helped during Parent Teacher Conferences. The lunches and dinners provided to help our teachers continue through long hours of meetings were fabulous and very appreciated. Your kindness and generosity is overwhelming. God bless you, and thank you so much.
Blessings to you and yours this week.
Pax et bonum,
Sue Styren, M.Ed.
Principal
