“Al-Masih Qaam!  Hakkan Qum!
Christ is Risen!  He is Risen Indeed!”

Dear Friends of Bethlehem University,

As our Christian Orthodox sisters and brothers enter into the sacred mysteries of Holy Week commemorating the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus, allow me to take this opportunity on behalf of the University community to share with you some reflections from Brother Daniel as he celebrated
these Holy Days with us in 2006. 

In 2006, Brother Daniel wrote:

The CROSS looms large not only during Holy Week but each day in Bethlehem.

We all have crosses to bear.  We dream of the day when we can lay our crosses aside, never to pick them up again.

In a very real sense, every one of our crosses can become a moment of grace, a seed of the tree of Easter life. The faculty and students at Bethlehem University daily show that our crosses can be moments of grace. 

The Easter gospel is retold each day at Bethlehem University

• by so many of our faculty and students who daily meet the challenge of reaching the University for classes and returning home despite the wall that now surrounds Bethlehem;
• by so many families who are not able to visit relatives and friends in Jerusalem due to the great difficulty in obtaining travel passes;
• by parents who struggle to cover some of the cost of their son’s or daughter’s education at Bethlehem University with the economy so crippled by occupation and the lack of freedom of movement.

As I recently wrote to the University Community and our friends, Brother Daniel’s health condition has worsened and he is preparing to enter inpatient hospice care.  In times like these, we can only send our prayers and wishes to our Lord for only He has the power for miracles and salvation.  During this Holy Week leading us to the Orthodox Easter, we have the opportunity to prayerfully recall Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection – His triumph over death for us all.  Thank you in particular for remembering Brother Daniel in your prayers especially during this Holy Week.

Fraternally,

Brother Robert Smith, FSC, PhD
Interim Vice Chancellor