When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
           To find the lost,
           To heal the broken,
           To feed the hungry
           To release the prisoners,
           To rebuild the nations,
           To bring peace among people,
           To make music in the heart.

The “work of Christmas”, described in this poem, has been my daily experience on the campus of Bethlehem University.  Our faculty strive to touch the hearts and enlighten the minds of young Palestinian students at the University.  The hope is instilled in our classrooms that gentleness and graciousness are more powerful than threats, torture or the sword.   We wait in joyful hope.

Dear friends and benefactors, as we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Prince of Peace, I invite you to pray with us in Bethlehem that the people of this Holy Land may one day experience a life of peace and freedom from oppression.

Brother Daniel Casey, FSC
Vice Chancellor