Christmas places before us the profound mystery of life generously offered and life gra­ciously received. In the Babe of Bethlehem, God chooses closeness over distance, accompaniment over authority, tenderness over power. The Incarnation reveals a God who does not stand above humanity, but walks with us—listening, healing, and guiding us gently as Emmanuel, God with us always. This nearness of God is the source of our Christmas joy and the heart of our Jesuit and Synodal way of proceeding.

This year, our celebration of Christmas carries within it both gratitude and grief. We remem­ber with deep affection Dr. Celine Lobo, whose extraordinary generosity continues to bless the Society of Jesus beyond her lifetime. Her quiet and decisive gift speaks eloquently of a life rooted in trust, gratitude, and faith. In offering all that she had (property and possession) to the Province, she reminds us that true legacy is not measured by possession, but by giving totally without any expectation. Her life stands as a luminous Christmas witness to the Gospel of generosity.

Alongside this gratitude, we continue to mourn the sudden passing of Fr. Swebert Sylvan D’Silva, SJ. His home-going during his golden jubilee year pierced our hearts with sorrow. Yet even in grief, grace revealed itself. The calm dignity with which the Province, SJU, and our collaborators came together bore testimony to the deep bonds that unite us. In Swebert, we remember a companion whose simplicity, generosity, and quiet dedication touched the lives of countless people. He leaves us with a gentle but enduring invitation: to live our Jesuit vo­cation with joy, humility, and a freedom unburdened by noise, ambition, or self-importance.

In this season marked by loss and hope, we inaugurated the Centre for Religion and Cul­ture at SJU. This new initiative stands as a sign of Christmas hope. It affirms dialogue over division, encounter over exclusion, and depth over superficiality. In a fractured and polarized world, the Centre becomes our concrete response to the Incarnate God who continues to dwell among us—inviting us to listen attentively, to learn humbly, and to walk together across religious, cultural, intellectual, and social boundaries. This is synodality lived in the light of Christmas.

In a world wounded by indifference, fatigue, and fear, the Babe of Bethlehem reminds us that the smallest gestures of compassion can rebuild trust and the simplest acts of listening can restore dignity. At Christmas, we are drawn to a God who places Himself among the most vulnerable, identi­fying with the child, the poor and the powerless. This mystery commits us anew to safeguarding every minor and vulnerable person entrusted to our care. It is in this spirit that the Safeguarding Policy of the Province was promulgated on 8 December 2025, as a concrete expression of our Christmas faith. To welcome Christ is to create spaces that are safe, respectful, and life-giving—where no one is harmed. we pledge ourselves to a culture of care and accountability, so that every child may grow in dignity, security, and hope.

May the birth of Christ renew our individual selves, our communities, strengthen our commitment, and make hope visible in our workplaces.

I wish you a blessed Christmas and a grace-filled New Year 2026