Advent is a journey…We are waiting… moving toward…something better, we hope, that we will find on Christmas morning.  On Christmas morning, we find the love of Christ in an infant.  We find ourselves devoted to this little child who like all babes needs our care and support for the first several (18 or more) years of their life.  As this child grows, we grow in our relationship with Jesus.  This child becomes the Good Shepherd.  There is something about the image of the shepherd that we find compelling, as most of us have never seen a shepherd.  This image speaks of peace and tranquility and hope in the face of danger. We find ourselves praying Psalm 23 – The Lord is my Shepherd – in times of grief and sorrow, to give us comfort that the Shepherd is with us, guiding us. This year at Christ the King Retreat Center, the image of the Good Shepherd will be the focus of our spiritual journey (retreat theme).  We pray that you will find the image of the infant at Christmas and the image of the Shepherd a place of peace and tranquility, leaving the dark valley behind.