***In Gratitude to God's Love***

        Remain in union with Christ, learn everything from him, and let him shape and polish us in every way so that we may become even more pleasing and beautiful to him. Our reward will be great joy beginning now to eternity!

***Alone No More****

        Without Christ, we essentially exist alone, no matter how many people we know in this world. Once we know the Lord and become his forever, we are never alone again!

****Exemplary Rule for All Christians****

        Today is the Feast of Saint Stephen, First Martyr. This is the Response to readings from Psalm 31: Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit. In the Gospel reading from Matthew 10, Jesus told his disciples not to worry about how they are to speak or what they are to say during coming persecutions, for they will be given at that moment what they are to say by the Spirit of the Father. This was exactly what St. Stephen did, and we should be like that too! It's being ready to comment our spirit into the Lord's hands at any time.

**What We Must Not Delay:

opening the door to Christ when we hear him knocking.

**Honest Truth**

       We'll have no peace (both external and internal) until we enter the Kingdom of God thru Jesus.

***New Life thru Death***

         To live or to die in Christ—which is better? Both are necessary. You live in him first. When you are satisfied and feel completely free, you know that your old self has died in him; you now live a brand new life in him. 

***Absolutely True***

        In the Gospels, Jesus said to his disciples, "To the one who has, more will be given; from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away." This saying becomes absolutely true when you say "To the one who has Christ, more will be given; from the one who has not Christ, even what he has will be taken away."

**Christmas Joy Tainted

        Merry Christmas to all first! At Christmas time, many families get together with all the members of their own family. It's supposed to be a happy occasion, but many do it because they see it as tradition, an obligation, or an occasion to have a good time. But if there's no intention of celebrating the birth of our Savior, there can be no true joy. Also, those who already follow Christ can't help but feel the pain when they see the deep divisions amid the family because of him. Sorrow now pervades true joy.

***When we trust in God . . .

we become channels of his power for the good of all sinners.

**This I Know**

        There is an infinite number of things I don't know, but I do know without a doubt that Christ is our Savior, being the only light who can lead us out of darkness.