At Christmas we celebrate that the eternal God was born of a woman in the most humble of circumstances, and so let us pray that we might recognize His abiding presence in every circumstance of our daily lives.Like Our Lady, Notre Dame, let us cooperate with God’s grace. May we be the seekers of truth, the sustainers of hope, and the builders of bridges that our world needs. May God bless you and all those dear to you this Christmas and always.

The latest episode of the Notre Dame Stories podcast explores Astrophysicist and Notre Dame Professor Grant Mathews' research into the science behind the Star of Bethlehem, so we decided to ask students and staff what they think it was.Want to know the answer? Watch the conversation: https://youtu.be/ANJr8MVyhgY

It’s a story so familiar to many that you may not even realize there’s more to be discovered. The Bible describes an event that led so-called wise men to Jesus.Scripture calls it a star, but what was it really? That’s the question Grant Mathews, director of the Center for Astrophysics at Notre Dame, set out to answer. He believes the Christmas star was actually a planetary alignment. He shares his research with us for this episode of Notre Dame Stories.------ Show links: Royal Beauty Bright: https://www.nd.edu/stories/royal-beauty-bright/ Subscribe: https://link.chtbl.com/notredamestories Episode page: https://stories.nd.edu/podcasts/what-was-the-christmas-star-2/------ Notre Dame Stories is the official podcast of the University of Notre Dame. It was created by the Office of Public Affairs and Communications. Written and produced by Andy Fuller with content coordination from Staci Stickovich, edited by Michael Wiens, and videography by Tony Fuller and Zach Dudka. Original music is by Alex Mansour. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

It’s a story so familiar to many that you may not even realize there’s more to be discovered. The Bible describes an event that led so-called wise men to Jesus.Scripture calls it a star, but what was it really? That’s the question Grant Mathews, director of the Center for Astrophysics at Notre Dame, set out to answer. He believes the Christmas star was actually a planetary alignment. He shares his research with us for this episode of Notre Dame Stories.----- Show links: • Watch on YouTube (https://youtu.be/ANJr8MVyhgY) • Episode page (https://stories.nd.edu/podcasts/what-was-the-christmas-star-2/) • Royal Beauty Bright (https://www.nd.edu/stories/royal-beauty-bright/) ----- Notre Dame Stories is the official podcast of the University of Notre Dame.It was created by the Office of Public Affairs and Communications and hosted by Jenna Liberto with Executive Producer Andy Fuller. It was produced by Jenna Liberto, Josh Long, and Staci Stickovich. Videography was done by Zach Dudka, Josh Long, Tony Fuller, and Michael Wiens. Original music was provided by Alex Mansour. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Settle in for a cozy crackling fire in the 1842 Club in Notre Dame's Stadium.Need a subtle-background for a Christmas party? Some white noise to study? Or some ASMR as you wrap holiday presents? Put on this Yule log and enjoy guest appearances from some of our favorite campus figures.