From the President

“We stand in need of a deep renewal and a profound conversion of heart. It must begin with us.” The Light Shines in the Darkness

FROM THE DESK OF PRESIDENT DR. TIMOTHY O’DONNELL

Each year, as the last leaves fall and the days grow darker, I turn my gaze to our great Christmas Hope that never fades: Jesus Christ, the Light of the Nations.

On the fi rst Christmas night, our Blessed Mother and St. Joseph knelt in adoration of the Creator of the universe, who humbled Himself and entered His creation through the noble institution of a human family.

It is only through Him, the Christ Child born in the cave of Bethlehem, that you and every member of our Christendom College family are sharing the light of the Gospel with our darkened world. Together, we are educating the future Catholic leaders of our nation and Church—with zero federal funding—to build a hopeful future.

In these diffi cult times with the radiant light of Christmas upon us, how important it is that we do not lose hope but turn to Christ, who by His birth in Bethlehem gives us reasons for hope. Th e spirit of this world is always seeking to destroy this hope and war against the true light which enlightens every man who enters our world. (John.1:9)

If we believe divorce is the answer to every diffi culty encountered in marriage… If we believe that the safest most sacred space in the world, a mother’s womb, can now be a place of unspeakable violence… If we as a people believe pornography, with its abuse of children on the internet—now a billion dollar industry—and degradation of women and men is a matter of free speech and freedom of expression… If we no longer believe that marriage is the union of one man and one woman for life and ordered to the procreation of children… Lastly, if we deny the existence of God and His creation, then no law passed, or any vote, will change our behavior.

If we are on the wrong road, headed in the wrong direction, the only solution, as C.S. Lewis put it, is to get off that road, go back to the beginning and get on the right road. We stand in need of a deep renewal and a profound conversion of heart. It must begin with us. Christ is King and he must reign in our hearts and in our minds so we can bring Him to others.

Th e building of our Chapel of Christ the King is a powerful and concrete reminder in stone, precious glass, and wood, in these times of widespread confusion and chaos, that He alone is the answer to our social and cultural chaos. His star shines brightly over this Chapel to remind us all of His joyful birth.

Our chapel is also a powerful, tangible sign of what we can achieve when we work together.

Christendom College's liberal arts education that unites the truths of our Catholic Faith with the truths of natural reason is a heaven-sent answer to the intellectual and moral chaos in our society.

Let us remember we are not alone. Our Blessed Lord is always with us. As the author of Hebrews exhorts us:

“Th erefore, brace up the hands that hang down, and the tottering knees, and make straight paths for your feet…” (Hebrews 12:11-13)

So let us go forward with renewed faith, hope, and charity and yes, joy, which our Savior gives us as we celebrate His birth. Let us engage in this great battle for these are the times we have been given to live in.

In the Heart of the Infant King, In the Heart of the Infant King,