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Dear Parents and OLF Families,
During this Year of Faith, the beginning of the liturgical year on the first Sunday of Advent holds particular meaning. We are called to continue to deepen our faith intentionally with great effort and to live a life of engagement and service to others. If we are to reflect Christ's love even in the smallest of actions and the most faintest of moments, we must gather all of the strength and focus available within us.
The daily commercial advertisements and sales distractions are relentless. The pressures to commit to proper etiquette and social networking can be overwhelming. On top of it, we want to preserve our own unique cultural Christmas traditions. All in all, we all can get exhausted quickly during the next few weeks of Advent.
As a community of faith and learning, our school is no different. We too, are affected by the buzz and excitement the holiday season brings. But especially during this time, we need to remember that the reason for our preparations is the coming of our Savior as a helpless infant wrapped in swaddling clothes. Together in prayer, mediation and reflection, we can prepare the gift within our hearts.
How do we show the love of Christ to our children, spouses, family, to strangers, the homeless, the lonely and the sick? Do we focus on the needs of others only during advent? The answer is of course that this needs to be an ongoing commitment. But why not set the beginning of the liturgical year as a time for continued growth in our faith, to serving others, to celebrating the Year of Faith with more vigor and intention?
For our students, we permeate the school day with opportunities for spiritual growth and social justice. We have a number of ways to channel excitement into faith-filled actions:
December 2:
Build your Advent wreath at the parish hall
December 3:
We will light the Advent wreath at morning assemblies to remind ourselves of our commitments and preparation for the birth of Christ.
December 10:
Families are able to attend the installation mass for our new Bishop at UCI
December 12:
Our Lady of Guadalupe (our diocesan patroness)
Celebrate Las Maņanitas with our Hispanic brothers and sisters
December 14:
Our students in Grades 3-8 will go to confessions
December 19:
The Christmas play this year is a dramatization of the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, with all of our talents and gifts fully invested in making this a special gift from your child to you!
December 3 - 21 Ambassador projects:
Missionary Childhood Association coin boxes
FAM food collections
Toy collection (giving tree)
Blessings,
Beate Nguyen, M.A. Ed
Principal
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December 3 
