Times Change; Years Speed By; But Christmas

All Of Us Are Prone To Excuse Our Own Mediocre Performance. We Blame Our Misfortunes, Our Disfigurements, Our So-called Handicaps. Victims Of Our Own Rationalization, We Say Silently To Ourselves, 'i'm Just Too Weak,' Or 'i'm Not Cut Out For Better Things.' Others Soar Beyond Our Meager Accomplishments. Envy And Discouragement Take Their Toll. .

Our Problem Is That We Often Expect Instantaneous Solutions To Such Challenges, Forgetting That Frequently The Heavenly Virtue Of Patience Is Required.

Choose Your Friends Carefully, For You Will Tend To Be Like Them And Be Found Where They Choose To Go.

When We Have Sampled Much And Have Wandered Far And Have Seen How Fleeting And Sometimes Superficial A Lot Of The World Is, Our Gratitude Grows For The Privilege Of Being Part Of Something We Can Count On-home And Family And The Loyalty Of Loved Ones. We Come To Know What It Means To Be Bound Together By Duty, By Respect, By Belonging. We Learn That Nothing Can Fully Take The Place Of The Blessed Relationship Of Family Life.

May We Realize How Close To Us He Is Willing To Come, How Far He Is Willing To Go To Help Us And How Much He Loves Us.