Happy New Year! I hope that 2024 continues to bless you and our school community.
Fr. Zarse really wants the students of SHOJ to know that Jesus loves them. Along with the Nativity of Jesus, there are so many great feasts days during this time. It makes me a little sad that the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus is celebrated while we are not in school. The feast day is Jan. 3. In 1 John 3:1 it says:
“See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are.”
God gave us this same gift when He sent His son and made us His children. Along with His Fatherly love, He gives us guidance through the name. We don’t have to earn it and we can’t lose it. We are given this gift to help us live our lives.
The easiest way for us to understand this is to think about our own family name and heritage. We should find ways to celebrate our inheritance. We should work hard to make the most of our name and make our family proud. Our names give us something to live up to. With our name we are given the gift of a reputation and a status that comes with it. We need to work to make our name something to be proud of – practicing virtues is one way to do this.
I hope we can all help each other with this resolution!
Mrs. Rhodes
