University Ministry at USD

If three wise men could enter a crowded stable and see among scattered hay and the stench of animals the King of Kings, then Lord, let us, too, see the truth laid bare. ... In a country that works overtime to deny racism, that masquerades as just and equal, the mask slipped right off today. And underneath it was a terrible beast fighting to stay in power, to continue oppressing, lying, and laughing all the way home. May not one of us stand before you, Lord, and deny the evil we have seen today. May not one of us deny that there are two Americas. May not one of us turn away from the work set before us. May Jesus say to us, as he said to his disciples: "Blessed are your eyes because they see." Amen. Cameron Bellm (1/6/21) @cameronbellm Image: "Nativity," He Qi

Wise women also came. The fire burned in their wombs long before they saw the flaming star in the sky. ... They walked in shadows, trusting the path would open under the light of the moon. Wise women also came, seeking no directions, no permission from any king. They came by their own authority, their own desire, their own longing. They came in quiet, spreading no rumors, sparking no fears to lead to innocents’ slaughter, to their sister Rachel’s inconsolable lamentations. Wise women also came, and they brought useful gifts: water for labor’s washing, fire for warm illumination, a blanket for swaddling. Wise women also came, at least three of them, holding Mary in the labor, crying out with her in the birth pangs, breathing ancient blessings into her ear. Wise women also came, and they went, as wise women always do, home a different way. - Wise Women Also Came by Jan Richardson @janrichardsonstudio (visit the link in her profile for access to her 2021 Womens’s Christmas Retreat!) Image: Epiphany" (2003) by Jannet McKenzie @jmckenzie2000

When the song of the angels is stilled, when the star in the sky is gone, when the kings and princes are home, when the shepherds are back with their flocks, the work of Christmas begins:... to find the lost, to heal the broken, to feed the hungry, to release the prisoner, to rebuild the nations, to bring peace among the people, to make music in the heart. -"The Work of Christmas" by Howard Thurman : unknown

University Ministry wishes you a Merry Christmas and a safe New Year!

No debemos simplemente vendar las heridas de las víctimas bajo la rueda de la injusticia. Debemos introducir un palo en la propia rueda. - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

The tradition of Las Posadas is a reenactment of the eve of the first Christmas, when Joseph & Mary searched for room at the inn, but none was to be found. In a traditional Posada, a group of people travels from house to house singing, seeking shelter for the night, answered by those indoors, answering in song. At the third home the peregrinos are welcomed inside to pray, eat tamales & champurrado, and celebrate. @ignatiansolidarity invites you to join in Virtual Posadas. Vir...tual Posadas will not only honor the traditional celebration of Las Posadas, but will invite into a daily experience of music, art, prayer, reflection, and action as we virtually journey with the migrants on the U.S-Mexico border in search of shelter and protection, just as the Holy Family did on Christmas Eve. #linkinbio to register! Photo: Posada Sin Fronteras 2019, Playas de Tijuana from El Sol See more