EDUCATION MATTERS: ‘Unto us is born a Saviour’

By Dr Gerard Gaskin, Executive Director of Catholic Education Tasmania

‘Unto us is born a Saviour’. These simple words, drawn from the prophet Isaiah and proclaimed anew each Christmas, express the wonder of God’s eternal promise fulfilled. In the birth of Jesus Christ, Almighty God entered human history not in splendour or power, but as an innocent and vulnerable child. The Creator of all things chose the poverty of the stable so that no one might be excluded from His love, and so that every person might know their true dignity as a child of God.

Christmas invites us once again to contemplate this profound mystery. God did not stand at a distance from our frailty; He embraced it. The Infant in the manger would grow into the man who walked among the poor, healed the broken, suffered for our sake, and died upon the Cross. His glorious Resurrection resounded through all of time and history, revealing that no darkness is stronger than the light of God’s redeeming love. As Gaudium et Spes reminds us, “only in the mystery of the incarnate Word does the mystery of man take on light.” In Christ, humanity discovers both its origin and its eternal destiny.

This year, as students across our system reflected artistically on the biblical story of the birth of Jesus, we were reminded how deeply the Nativity continues to speak to hearts of every age. Children often understand instinctively what adults can forget: that God comes to us in simplicity, humility, and tenderness. Their depictions of the Holy Family, the shepherds, and the angels proclaim the Good News with a freshness that renews our own faith and wonder.

As we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Saviour, may we take time to recognise His presence in our families, our communities, and in those we serve. Christmas calls us to see Christ in every person and to share the gifts He has entrusted to us with generosity and compassion. In a world marked by conflict, uncertainty, and suffering, the message of Bethlehem remains a beacon of hope: God is with us, and His love continues to transform the world from within.

May the joy and peace of the Christ Child fill your homes and hearts this Christmas. I pray that the year ahead will bring blessings, renewed hope, and deepened faith for each one of you.

Rejoice and be glad for unto us is born a Saviour.