Many consider attendance at a performance of Handel’s Messiah a favorite holiday tradition.  When George Frideric Handel was composing his classical oratorio, he turned to the words of the prophet Isaiah for the royal titles which describe the Messiah—Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. In a retreat-like setting, we will ponder each of these titles and how people understood them then, how Jesus did (or did not) fulfill them, and what they mean for Christians today.  This exploration will lead to a deeper appreciation of the God who comes to save us and the holiday which celebrates this mystery. The morning’s process will include input, reflection time, and conversation. 

Kathie Budesky, IHM, MA, the director of Visitation Spirituality Center, has many years of experience in secondary education, both in the religious studies classroom and in the principal’s office.  A graduate of the Institute in Creation-Centered Spirituality at Mundelein College, she was a staff associate in the Ignatian Program in Spiritual Direction and Retreat Ministry at Guelph, Ontario.