Merry Christmas from Seton Hall University

Christmas Message from the President

Dear Seton Hall Family,

Among Mother Seton’s many pearls of wisdom, this one is particularly timely. Social scientists estimate that we are exposed to more information in a week than people a century ago received in a year. Competition for our attention escalates, as we work to separate the wheat from the chaff.

Yet the most important messages in our lives are often the ones that shout the least.

Throughout Advent, we have prepared to be attentive to the voice of grace, which arrived in the form of a child born in a manger. We have prepared because the Savior of the world came to us not with shouting and thunder, but humbly, quietly and peacefully. No one realized it at the time, apart from a few shepherds, the magi, and of course, Mary and Joseph.

The Season that begins on Christmas Eve and ends with the Baptism of the Lord is a perfect opportunity to slow down, unplug and focus on what really matters. Though the voice of grace does not often shout, it can be found in many places and in many people.

I hope all of us will use the coming days to seek out experiences that are joyful and life-affirming. I pray that we grow ever more attentive to the voice of grace in our lives. And by doing so, may we draw nearer to the eternal wellspring of that voice, which beckons us to happiness and fulfillment.

You will be in my prayers that Christmas brings hope that endures long after the last carol is sung and the lights taken down. And I would be grateful if you remembered me in your prayers as well. 

May the peace and love born of Bethlehem live in your hearts and homes!

A blessed Christmas!

Monsignor Reilly