Like so many, husband, father and financial advisor, Hillery Schanck, has always loved his family’s Christmas traditions. Then one year, he felt like something was missing.

“It was probably in 2016, that after Christmas was over, I really had this immediate empty feeling. And I was trying to process what was that about. And I think I imagined the traditions themselves as being bad things. I think I just needed some time and some space to process the coming of the Messiah at the same time. So for me, I started researching the way people practice Advent,” Hillery says, “And I came across this reference somewhere on the web that said you should try using Handel’s Messiah as an Advent practice. And honestly I didn’t even know what that meant.”