nice christmas

I had a very nice community Christmas. A good mixture of fun and laughter, prayer and celebration, good food and conversation. This is my 5th CSJP Community Christmas, celebrated in my 4th house (I had one with my Candidate house, 2 in the Novitiate Community, 1 at St. Mary-on the Lake, and 1 at Grace House which included a visit at St. Mary-on-the-lake). Each celebration has been a little different, based on the personalities and traditions. It's always fun to find the best way to celebrate this amazing feast together. I think our local community did a great job of deciding how we'd like to spend the day together this year.

I was also able to connect with family via phone and email. I used to go home for Christmas every other year, although these days there isn't really a "home" anymore anyway since we sold the family house after my mom died. Still, it's important to share the day with them too, even if by distance. Entering a religious community doesn't mean that you close off connections with family and friends. Instead, you find new ways to keep those connections strong as you build new memories with your religious community.

I'm looking forward to the post-Christmas weekend, which is a 3 day weekend for me. I'm planning to see a few movies and work on an almost over due project. I've also got a new book that was under the tree for me which I might try to start reading tonight before bed.

I hope your Christmas was filled with fun, laughter and celebration!