Head's Weekly Message — Christmas 2021
Dear Mayfield Senior School Community,
There is no place like our Mayfield home for the holidays! This is particularly true for me this year as we celebrate the birth of Our Lord all together once more in our beautiful Strub Hall. Even as we are entering the final phase of our renovation project—lovingly protecting and strengthening our cherished Mayfield home—Christmas is everywhere. Once again, we see the glittering tree filling the entryway, the staircase banister wound with ribboned garland, the living room mantle crowned by a beautiful angel, and most of all, our lovely crèche in the chapel, inviting prayer and reflection. Music fills our school too, as our singers and instrumentalists complete their final Carol Night rehearsals. We smell and taste the sugary treats that seem to be around every corner, and we feel the excitement of each Kris Kind gift given and received.
Christmas is a very special time at Mayfield because the birth of Our Lord—God coming to us as a helpless baby born in a humble barn—represents the heart of our Holy Child mission. This is the foundational belief that God is with us, and in us, and works through us with a powerful force of love. We are never abandoned, we are never alone, we are always cherished, and the proof is that we were given the most precious gift imaginable in the form of a newborn baby lying in a manger.
It is during the Christmas season in particular that I give thanks for our Holy Child community and think in particular of my dear friend and mentor Sister Barbara Mullen, SHCJ, who loved Christmastime at Mayfield so much. As I thank God for the gift of her amazing life, I share with you her Christmas prayer that has become central to my Advent preparation:
A Christmas Prayer
by Sr. Barbara Mullen, SHCJ
(1929-2016)
Oh, Divine Child,
This is your time. Christmas is a remembrance of the choice, You, our God, made to become human so that we may become divine.
We celebrate this season with gifts. As we give our gifts to family and friends, help us to reflect that the greatest gift of all is You, this Child of Bethlehem.
With all the busy-ness of the season, give each of us the grace to reflect and rejoice at our gift of you.
May we share in our lives the love and joy that filled your heart and life. We ask in Jesus’ name.
Amen
And I add my own prayer for us all. May this holy season fill our hearts with love and joy, and may the New Year bring blessings of health, mercy and peace for our families, our friends, our Mayfield community, our country and our world.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
With Love and Gratitude,
Kate Morin
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Established in 1931, Mayfield Senior School in Pasadena, CA is a Catholic, independent, college preparatory school for young women grades 9-12. Noted for its rigorous academic program, which includes 28 Advanced Placement and Honors courses, Mayfield’s curriculum is underscored by a philosophy of educating the “whole child,” which also encourages commitment to and excellence in the arts, athletics, community service and spiritual growth. The nurturing environment at Mayfield Senior School allows each student to flourish in an atmosphere of personal attention.
