What really matters for Advent
I am embarrassed to say I approach Christmas with a bit of dread. It is NOT my favorite season. As a mom with kids at home, Christmas means there is so much more to do. Kids are home from school. The schedule is discombobulated. My life seems out of balance. I strive to do more (baking, decorating, shopping, wrapping, entertaining -- oh my) and yet seem to have less time to do it. My son’s words and the orientation of his heart are what I want this year. I want to be excited about Christmas - just because of Jesus.
Finding Hope on the Advent Journey
Things did not go as planned the first Christmas. Probably right around the time Mary and Joseph were settling in to wait for the arrival of their newborn baby, Ceasar Augustus announced that a census was taking place, and Joseph took Mary to the city of Bethlehem for their family to be enrolled. As we know, while they were there Mary went into labor and gave birth to the King of kings in a stable because there wasn’t room for them anywhere else.
A guiding force for vocations
Dr. Christina McShane accompanies men discerning priesthood. A perfect example of how God’s divine providence works in the lives of His faithful can be seen in the life of Catholic psychologist, Dr. Christina McShane, who serves the Office of Vocations. A native of the Diocese of Phoenix, she accompanies seminarians of the diocese as they discern their vocation during their time of formation at Nazareth Seminary. McShane has traveled a providential route of joy, sadness, and self-discovery to arrive at her current destination as she guides men along the path to the priesthood.