Dear Friends,

In moments like this when we draw another year to a close awaiting the dawn of a new year, there are three streams of thought that come to mind.

1) The sunset moment : This is the window of looking back. Lots to be thankful to God for. For life itself. For good health for ourselves and for our loved ones. For success and prosperity given to us as an institution. For changes that have enabled us to move forward. There have been sad moments as well. A few weeks ago, the world woke up to the news of people held hostage by a lone gunman in a Sydney restaurant. The next day?s breaking news on television showed bloody images of a gruesome massacre of innocent children in a school shoot-out in Peshawar. There are other happenings, smaller but similar, that fill newspaper columns and leave us sad for a period of time. However, all things

considered, there are more things to be happy about and we thank God for allowing us a transit into the New Year.

2) The surrender moment : We pause between 11 and 12 midnight every 31st December to invoke Gods presence into ourselves. In the reflections of that tranquil hour, the images of the year run past our minds. We ask for forgiveness of our faults, and surrender ourselves to God. As the bell tolls and the candles are lit, the old has gone behind and the new morning awaits us . This is a transition that happens every night, but we hold this night in a very special way by watching the night turn to day. A reminder to us that God watches us every night ensuring that we enter into a new day.

3) The sunrise moment : Anything new creates excitement. Back in school days, when we entered a new year in a new class, the feel of handling new textbooks, the smell of new pencils and erasers and the crispness a new uniform made us look forward to the new year. New resolutions were made, new dreams and hopes formed in our minds which pushed us forward in the journey of life.

Another New Year has dawned on us with its opportunities and challenges. We may not have a full view of what lies ahead, but we have the promise of God that He will walk with us. Just as the sun will rise from the eastern horizon to its mid day position, so will our hopes and plans. We just need to navigate together the course we have charted together.

I take this opportunity to wish the entire CMC community ? students, staff, alumni, retired staff, friends of Vellore, support staff, parents and partners of the institution a Joyous New Year 2015. Let the peace of God accompany you throughout this New Year.

Sunil Chandy. Director