As we experience and celebrate the birth of our Savior in the flesh on Christmas, we see fear overcome, hopelessness turned into joy and darkness turned to light. The world into which Our Lord was born was one of uncertainty, filled with fear and darkness. He taught all those he met, however, that there are good things of which they can be certain. He taught them not to be afraid. And he overcame the darkness of hatred, of ignorance and of indifference to one’s fellow man with his example of love.

The world in which we live today is, in some ways, not very different from that in which our Savior was born. Many are still plagued with fear, uncertainty and darkness. Unlike the people of old, however, we are already aware of the Savior in whom our hope lies. Christ is among us today, just as he was in Bethlehem. He stands ready to dispel our fears, take away our uncertainties and fill our lives with light.

Like the shepherds, the Magi and those whose lives the Lord Jesus touched during his earthly ministry, we have only to believe in him and allow him to lead us from darkness to light. Christmas Day and the holy season which follows remind us that there are good things and bright days to which we can look forward if we open the eyes of our hearts to him.

The birth of Christ is not a merely an historical fact that we annually recall, but an event that continually provides us with hope that the world can be a place of light. We Christians, for our part, must receive the gifts that have been given to us through our incarnate Savior with gratitude. We must then recommit ourselves to sharing them with others.

May the gift of Jesus, the Light of the world, who is given us on Christmas fill your hearts and your homes with abundant blessings. May His peace and joy be with you throughout the New Year.

With every prayerful best wish, I am

Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Robert J. McManus
Bishop of Worcester

The Catholic University of America is a community of scholars, both faculty and students, set apart to discover, preserve and impart the truth in all its forms, with particular reference to the needs of the nation. As a university, it is essentially a center of study serving the needs of human society. It welcomes the collaboration of all scholars of good will who contribute to these aims in an atmosphere of academic competence.

As a Catholic university, it desires to impart an understanding of the Christian faith. It seeks to insure the proper intellectual witness to Christian life in individuals and in the community, and to provide a place for continuing reflection, in the light of our Catholic tradition, upon the growing treasure of human knowledge.

Although CUA is a university that is in some ways similar to many of the Catholic colleges and universities throughout the United States, it also has a unique role to play in the mission of the Catholic Church in our country. Through its programs, many of the educators and professionals who directly assist the Bishops of the United States receive their ongoing spiritual and academic formation there. The university is noted, for example, for its fine programs in Religious Education, Social Work, Liturgical and Biblical studies, Theology and Canon Law - all of which make a direct contribution to strengthening the ministries that are so important to the Church. In that sense, we are all beneficiaries of the excellence of Catholic University.

In addition, thousands of high school seniors from parishes across the country are offered annually renewable $3,000 parish scholarships each year as well. Over 60 percent of incoming freshmen are recipients of parish scholarships.

With every prayerful best wish, I remain

Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Robert J. McManus
Bishop of Worcester