Joy & Peace to You this Christmas Posted on December 20, 2024 in Activities, Alumni News, Faculty News, From the Head of School, Press ReleasesTagged Christmas In the beginning was the Word,And the Word was with God, And the Word was God.He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him,and without him nothing came to be. John 1:1-3 Dear Saint John’s Prep Community,Among my favorite memories of my children when they were very young was taking them to kiddie rides at a local carnival. I will never forget the blissful look on their faces as a pint-sized roller coaster whisked them through small curves and gullies, their arms extended high in the air. Their joy was uncomplicated and complete, and conveyed almost as a gift. They did not want the ride to end. And neither did I.Joy, and the peace that comes with it, often is elusive or fleeting in our complicated world and lives. We learn from experience over time to think ahead, to anticipate, and to look cautiously, sometimes skeptically, beyond the current moment to prepare for what might come next. Three of the four Sundays of Advent are expressly anticipatory, focusing on the need for vigilance, alertness, and readiness. However, the Third Sunday of Advent – Gaudete Sunday – reshapes those images by pivoting to themes of joy, rejoicing, and “good news.” It offers a powerful reminder of our need to embrace joy.Christmas provides us with a special moment, an opportunity, to experience simple joy: the joy of giving, the joy of receiving, the joy of a break from school, the joy of family and kinship, the joy of laughter. The challenges and uncertainties each day presents will always command their time. But on this day, in this season we give and receive joy and celebrate a rebirth of hope and renewal for ourselves, our families, and our world. Have a blessed and joyous Christmas! Jon McGeeHead of School Merry Christmas!Andrew ’15, Kate ’23, Nick ’18, Ben ’19, Ann, and Jon McGee