Distilled Wisdom . . . . . Alfred A. Montapert “Very few people ever scratch the surface of their potential ability. Many go all through life without ever discovering themselves.”
“On Reconciliation” . . . . . Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia Prime Minister, October 26, 2025“Praising the agreement between Thailand and Cambodia, Ibrahim said, ‘Reconciliation is not concession, but an act of courage.’”
Quality of Life . . . . . Mike Wickett, Insight, # 62 “The greatest mistake people make is to wait for somebody else to come and do it: ‘Build me up; fill me with joy; give me an exciting life.’ It can’t happen. Life doesn’t work that way. The quality of your life is your gift to yourself.”
Grasp of Biblical Truth . . . . . James Englert, The Priest, June ‘89
Great Works . . . . . Samuel Johnson
“Few things are impossible to diligence and skill…
Voyage of Discovery . . . . . Marcel Proust
“The voyage of discovery rests not in seeking new lands,
Be Responsible . . . . . Henry Ward Beecher “Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody else expects of you. Never excuse yourself.”
Complete the Circle . . . . . Hora Edwards “In helping others, we shall help ourselves, for whatever good we give out completes the circle and comes back to us.”
Notable Winners . . . . . B.C. Forbes “History has demonstrated that the most notable winners usually encountered heartbreaking obstacles before they triumphed. They won because they refused to become discouraged by their defeats.”
Ideals are Thoughts . . . . . Dr. Albert Schweitzer “Ideals are thoughts — standards of excellence. So long as they exist merely as thoughts, the power latent in them remains ineffective, however great the enthusiasm and however strong the conviction with which the thought is held. Their power becomes effective only when they are taken up into some refined human personality to become active.”
Fully Human, Fully Alive . . . . . Fr. John Powell, SJ “There are the children of the new beatitude: Blessed are those who hunger after life in all its fullness! They have no appetite or willingness to settle for mediocrity in any form.”
Come, O St. Nicholas . . . . . Fr. Ed Hays, “A Pilgrim’s Almanac," p. 190
On Disagreements . . . . . Earl Nightingale “… Just as an occasional hot disagreement is normal, so is the passing of the disagreement — if we’ll let it pass. … But people will cling to a miserable, moth-eaten, little grudge for dear life, feeding it, nourishing it, keeping it alive despite all its attempts to die, whipping it back to life and maintaining their misery and the misery of others at all costs. These people have the depth and breadth of a teaspoonful of tepid canal water, and the sense of humor of a hungry shrew and the lines of bitterness become etched about their mouths. …”
Classroom of Silence . . . . . Matthew Kelly, The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity, p. 109 “It is in the classroom of silence that God illuminates our hearts and minds so that we can see clearly and answer passionately those four questions: Who am I? What am I here for? What matters most? What matters least? With these answers and clarity, God then sends us out into the world to live with passion and purpose.”
Vital Behaviors . . . . . Leo Buscaglia “… Love, tenderness, compassion, caring, sharing and relating are the most vital of human behaviors. Without these qualities life is empty though we may have the best of life … Even knowing this, we spend so little time developing these behaviors.”
Some Great Service . . . . . Calvin Coolidge “No enterprise can exist for itself alone. It ministers to some great need, it performs some great service, not for itself, but for others.”
On Thoughtful People . . . . . Leo Rosten “Thoughtful people, creative people, people who try, who care, people who are concerned, pay a price — but the rewards are indescribable. It is these rewards which are returned from one’s own values, one’s own way of living — in trying to be incorruptible, at least in trying not to be corrupted. The state of internal contentment we call happiness means using the resources of the mind and the heart — as deeply and fully as you can.”
A Candy Maker’s Witness . . . . . Anonymous A candy maker in Indiana wanted to make a candy that would be a witness, so he made the Christmas Candy Cane. He incorporated several symbols for the birth, ministry, and death of Jesus Christ. He began with a stick of pure white hard candy. White to symbolize the Virgin Birth and the sinless nature of Jesus, and hard to symbolize the Solid Rock, the foundation of the Church, and firmness of the promises of God.
Thinking that the candy was somewhat plain, the candy maker stained it with red stripes. He used three small stripes to show the stripes of the scourging Jesus received by which we are healed. The large red stripe was for the blood shed by Christ on the Cross so that we could have the promise of eternal life. Unfortunately, the candy became known as a candy cane — a meaningless decoration seen at Christmas time. But the meaning is still there for those who “have eyes to see and ears to hear.” I pray that this symbol will again be used to witness to the wonder of Jesus and his great love that came down at Christmas and remains the ultimate and dominate force in the universe today.
The Christmas Carolers . . . . . Parables for Christmas “A group of carolers went forth to carol. And, as they caroled, some carols were lost on the evening air and simply disappeared in the night. And some fell on the stony ears, and as soon as they were heard, they were forgotten. And some were caught up in the general noise of the street, which at times rose up and overpowered them. And other carols went straight to their mark and gladdened the hearts of those who heard them, so that they were hummed and repeated hundreds of times as these persons went about during the Christmas season. Whoever can understand this should give thanks for carols!”
|
%20(Reg).jpg)
“The content of our own imagination and understanding profoundly shapes our
grasp of biblical truths. Yet, however much the activity of our minds and hearts
is affected by the society and culture in which we have been socialized, it is
important to insist that we are not utterly determined by that socialization.”
“Come, O St. Nicholas,.jpg)
The candy maker made the candy in the form of a “J” to represent the precious
name of Jesus, who came to earth as our Savior. It could also represent the
staff of the “Good Shepherd” with which He reaches down into the ditches of the
world to lift out the fallen lambs who, like all sheep, have gone astray.
-green.jpg)