The month of December is coming to an end. The semester and students' finals are over, yet the most important part of this month lies ahead.
The liturgical season of Christmas kicks off with the vigil Masses on Christmas Eve and wraps up on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. This season is a joyful celebration of Christ's birth, both in our world and in our hearts. As students from St. John Paul II High School enjoy their Christmas break, we invite everyone to reflect on the profound gift of salvation that accompanies this miraculous event—emphasizing that Christ was born to ultimately sacrifice himself for our sake.
A Message from the President
Dear Friends,
As we enter into the Christmas Season, one of the holiest and happiest times of each year, we gain an opportunity to once again take wonder at what God has done for us. The year, as it twists and turns often unexpectedly, makes seeing the wonders around us much difficult for the vagaries of life get in the way. Perhaps that is why Christmas appeals to all of us, there is something about the birth of a child that slows the whole world down. All of us parents know that the look of a child, especially a newborn, blinking at us in complete trust and innocence, or clinging to their mother for life, makes the world cease from its worry and troubles. And when they close their eyes and sleep in their faces we see what the Angels proclaim "In Terra Pax, peace on Earth, good will toward man"
Cease you endless storms,
enough you treacherous waves,
The baby is sleeping and no terrors can hold sway.
For unto us a Son is given,
Unto us a child is born,
And His name is Wonderful,
Counselor, Almighty God,
The Prince of Peace.
This Christmas, I pray that you experience the rebirth of wonder, the joy of Christ Jesus coming to earth and the realization that He came, to die and set us free.
It is a joy and privilege to educate your students, and may we all raise a glass in celebration to the greatest Birthday in Human History!
Happy Birthday Jesus!
Merry Christmas,
Timothy Gallic
President
Catholic Schools Week - January 27-31
Come see what life is like at JPIIHS! In honor of Catholic Schools Week, we will be hosting an Open House for prospective families with students of all ages. Join us following the 10:00am Mass at Our Lady of the Valley Parish (1250 7th St, Windsor, CO) for refreshments and a tour of our school and curriculum. Don't miss out- we have a special scholarship opportunity for all families who attend the Open House! Enter your name into a drawing for a $1,000 scholarship for your first year at JPIIHS.
Knights of Columbus Family of the Month
Congratulations to Tom, Mary Anne, and Kilian O'Hare for being chosen by the Knights of Columbus Supreme Council as the Colorado Family of the Month for October 2024! The O’Hare family will be awarded a Holy Family gift, delivered to their home within 4-6 weeks.
All Colorado Knights of Columbus councils submitted their Family of the Month award recipient to the Supreme Council to considered for this award. The O’Hare family was submitted by the Our Lady of the Valley Council because of their consistent participation in our council’s CSU concessions fundraisers, Tom’s volunteering to tend bar at the John Paul II High School gala, and Mary Anne’s work on JPII HS committees. Kilian is an active Eagle Scout and is currently leading a team to build new benches for a local food bank. Additionally, Tom and Kilian have been strong supporters of monthly pancake breakfasts at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton (SEAS). Tom volunteered during SEAS’ St Jude relic display when several thousand people visited and venerated the relic. Tom and Mary Anne also helped during SEAS’ election day adoration, spending several hours in adoration during this crucial time in our country. Please congratulation the O’Hare family for winning Colorado’s October Family of the Month!
Vivat Jesus!
From the Headmaster's Desk
Regarding Revolutions
As a general rule, I’m not a man who much takes in the news. This is not because of any well-considered position, but this month, of course, has been absolutely riddled with news: Donald Trump was elected in, and Michel Barnier was voted out. Yoon Suk Yeol, now facing impeachment, declared martial law which was concluded at the same time that Brian Thompson was being shot. Toss in a line about ‘There are drones in New Jersey’, and this is starting to sound like the iconic Billy Joel song.
Most news is cyclical. The details are new, but the great waves of history create a regular ebb and flow such that even in the face of all of these world events they have the same look as many other major events in history. But there was one news story that I’ve been reading up on over the last two weeks that is utterly unprecedented. I am referring, of course, to the Revolution that took place in Isreal.
If you didn’t see the story, let me describe it for you in brief: a relatively unknown city approximately eighty-six miles outside of Jerusalem, was taken by foreign aggressors and occupied. Israeli authorities had made several attempts with military strike teams to attempt to liberate the occupied areas, but to little avail. As the occupation extended longer hostilities with the aggressors became more extreme, but still there was no apparent end to the hostilities. But, in the middle of this occupation the truly remarkable thing that occurred was a that a young woman said ‘yes’.
Of course, Israel led a military strike against Syria today, and that’s not at all what I’m referring to as being one of the most influential events of human history. I am, of course, referring to the Mary’s Fiat in Nazareth. In all of the news that’s flooding in at all hours, even the most important of these stories only rise and fall like breakers in the wake of Mary’s willingness to become the Mother of God. There is a news story that breaks not like a wave, but like the dawn.
The news cycle is all very interesting, but it isn’t earth-shattering. In fact, the news is very much earth-reinforcing; it confirms to constancy of the human condition, and they are the small ripples that imitate the flow of history’s cycles. Benevolent or malevolent, competent or incompetent, those who govern are generally predictable. Righteous or wicked, beloved or loathed, men are called from the march of the mortal, sometimes mourned, or sometimes jeered by the mob. Innovations are made, used, and abused. Regardless of what the seven o’clock news reports, these things become somewhat routine.
But that this little Jewish woman was faced with the will of God and embraced Him as her child is truly the most unique thing to have happened in all of human history. And we have the opportunity to imitate that fiat each time we are presented with the will of God—to see Him and choose Him for the Good that He is. And so this is my prayer for Advent: Lord, please help me not to have become so saturated by the world that I drown. Please help me to see your splendor, and give the humility to say with all gratitude, the revolutionary “yes” to Your will.
Blaise A. Hockel,
Headmaster