Sunday, May 31, 2009

TRUTH, CONSEQUENCES, AND ACHIEVEMENT LADDER CHALLENGES

For many individuals who are striving to obtain the TRUTH about any given body of knowledge, these persons may have some challenges that may interfere with discovering the actual TRUTH or the "doctored" or "edited" TRUTH. For many persons in all walks of life, recognizing the TRUTH and accepting the TRUTH without any exceptions are finding these actions extremely difficult to achieve. Since there are some persons who like to use MENTAL RESERVATIONS as their way of disguising the intended TRUTH, the caution flags come out about all types of information that appears to have TRUTH written all over it. However, when disception tactics are employed by "reliable resources" in all fields of information discovery, the TRUTH is very difficult to recognize because of its camouflage. The process of providing limited TRUTH by masters of deceit is to create an atmosphere of confusion to even the most brilliant of minds and intelligent beings.

Whenever a person's efforts in climbing up and down the Ladder of Achievement are covered with misinformation, myths, rumors, edited biases, stereotypes, and prejudices, these person's positive efforts may be hampered by disciples of indifference, apathy, and sugar-coated deceptions. The self-fulfilling prophets of "gloom and doom" are eager to promote their selfish agendas at the risk of causing unrest, riots, civil disobediences, and downright brainwashings. Through the use of "spin doctors" and "political rhetoricians" the typical, common person is lured into believing untruths and doctored information that has no validity when put to the actual test of informational experts who have a handle on documented information that is irrefutable. CAN THE AVERAGE PERSON REALLY HANDLE THE TRUTH ABOUT EMOTIONAL DATA THAT IS TAINTED? WHAT IS TRUTH? WHAT IS THE REAL TRUTH? WHAT IS REAL OR IMAGINARY TRUTH? TO YOURSELF BE TRUE.

To be discerning about all resources of information, gives the average individual the opportunity to use both their left brain and their right brain to the maximum. To be critical and to be creative is the UNIQUENESS of each human being that is conceived and eventually born into this world with special talents if the world gives that person a chance, a CHOICE to be born into this world of challenges. Telling lies to hide the TRUTH is often concocted in order to deceive even the most intelligent. When a person reads a newspaper, a magazine article, a governmental report, an email, a text message, or receives a cell phone message, these persons need to be aware of the hidden agendas of all of these messages. What is often left out or edited out of these communications is contrived to distort the information and creates barriers for effective and efficient understanding.

Many persons spend their entire lifetimes to discover the TRUTH, THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH about what they are discerning and encountering. History has a way of repeating itself in other circumstances that are confusing at the time of its original happenings. With the use of multiple languages and misinterpretations of what is meant by a given message becomes a constant battle for those individuals who are attempting to understand the OBJECTIVE rather than the SUBJECTIVE analysis of each given TRUTH.

Imagine for a moment if each ENCODER of any type of communication really takes into account the DECODER's understanding of the intended message sent. How many wars and civil unrest could be avoided? How many downturns of economic cycles could be better forecasted? How many voters would have a better confidence in their elected officials if these politicians operated out of a respect for the TRUTH rather than deceivers of knowledge? Who can you really TRUST with the TRUTH and WHY? Yet, we continue to make progress in spite of the "MASTERS OF DECEIT" because we have dedicated citizens who revel in bringing the TRUTH to the attention of all concerned and patriotic citizens. Let us continue to strive for the TRUTH in all matters, and to realize that in one constant, absolute TRUTH: IN GOD WE TRUST FOR THE TRUTH!

Thursday, May 28, 2009

ACHIEVEMENT LADDER SUCCESSES DEPEND ON HOLISTIC INTELLIGENCE

For many individuals who are attempting to discover WHO THEY ARE rather than WHAT THEY ARE, the gnawing sentiments and acquisitions are based on the TOTAL PERSON who is striving to maximum their efficiency and effectiveness with time, talents, and treasures. To realize that the HOLISITIC INTELLIGENCE of each unique person determines their rise and their fall up and down the LADDER OF ACHIEVEMENT over a lifetime. The CHOICES that each person makes on a daily basis ignites the enthusiasm to accomplish what apparently may seem to be insurmountable. The probability and the probability are factors to be considered seriously in making GOOD CHOICES rather than BAD CHOICES. The total person comes into play in the day-to-day challenges that threaten their ultimate goal: TO BE THE BEST POSSIBLE PERSON IN EVERY POSSIBLE DIMENSION.

The Holistic Intelligence includes the following aspects: PHYSICAL, MENTAL, EMOTIONAL, PHILOSOPHICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, MORAL, IDEOLOGICAL, ETHICAL, SPIRITUAL, SOCIAL, ENTREPRENEURIAL, INTRAPRENEURIAL, AND AESTHETICAL. These attributes describe the WHOLE PERSON rather than a segment of the person. Each one of these attributes contribute to the TOTALITY OF EACH HUMAN BEING that differs from any animal on the planet. All of these attributes need to be in BALANCE for the successful achievement ladder enthusiasts to successfully achieve their mission, their goals, their objectives, and their visions for now and for future challenges.

Each Holistic person will climb up the Ladder of Achievement with the TOTAL PACKAGE of their HUMANITY in going from negative thinking to a more positive thinking that transcends the natural to the supernatural and beyond. Each new discovery of their given talents, interests, desires, attributes, altitudes, aptitudes, and attitudes will equate to a 100 percent concentration of maximizing their TOTAL HUMAN/DIVINE experience and lifelong learning adventure. Their "won'ts" at zero percent will give rise to the "did its" at 100%.

Why settle for the least when a person is capable of achieving the very best!

Friday, May 22, 2009

REMEMBERING HEROIC ACTIONS BY ACHIEVEMENT ORIENTED ARMED SERVICES

On this Memorial Day Weekend, 2009, we remember the multitude of heroes who laid down their lives during past wars that we, as legal citizens and active voters, may enjoy our freedoms of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as brilliantly expressed in the Declaration of Independence. Many armed services' personnel never returned from their fields of battle because of their individual heroic efforts to save the many who did return. Whether in the air, on the seas, or on the ground, these monumental people offered their lives as a tribute of their patriotism to the United States of America. During this Memorial Day Weekend, many friends and relatives will attend special services all over the United States and throughout the world for the patriots that spoke with their actions rather than their eloquent and bombastic rhetoric.

The survivors of these past wars include the Disabled American Veterans, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the spouses and families of veterans, and the scarred, emotional veterans who know what war really is. Many of these veterans were not welcomed with open arms for their call to service by the American public especially during the Vietnam War years. Many national public politicians gave lip service to the cause but their hearts were far from giving any emphathetic support or funds when needed and requested. Many of the past wars were considered "undeclared wars" or "wars without any honor or understanding" because of misguided and confused political ambitions of selfish congressional and senatorial pundits. There were two Presidents who restored the respect and the honor of patriotism for those who serve in the military.

On another front, the "War on the Unborn" has been going on since 1973 when war was declared on the unborn residents who live in the wombs of women who choose not to continue their pregnancies for many selfish reasons. Also, the information that was given to these women was pro-choice for death rather than pro-choice for life. Even the highest court in the Land declared that taking the lives of innocent unborn human beings was legal at any age, even though they rationalized the reasons and the conditions that may or may not prevail. Yes, even teenagers under 18 years of age were required to have their parent's permission to have their ears pierced but they could have their unborn baby electively aborted for any reason especially if the pregnancy was inconvenient.

The "throw-away mentality" and the "irresponsible sexual actions" were condoned by an extremist groups of women who ignored any other gender who would get in their way of "empowerment" and " total independence" from any Hippocratic Oath, which embodies the duties and obligations of physicians in their field of medicine. For many centuries, this Hippocratic Oath was the sound ethical practice of all qualified and licensed physicians without the concern of being "politically correct" or "non-sexist" in their professional practices. Today, a multi-billion business is protected by seasoned politicians who have lost all respect for the sanctity of innocent human life at all stages of development.

Let us remember the more than 50 million unborn babies that have been aborted since 1973 at the hands of abortionists. Because their abortion practice is legal in the secular, humanist world, but this practice is abhorred and considered heinous in the divine world of eternal existence. Will this irreconcilable practice continue without any possibility of resolve? Will the "War on the Unborn" continue to be the scourge of the 21st Century as it was on the 20th Century? Will we ever realize that there are no winners in any war because the scars continue from generation to generation? Remember to visit the graveyards of the heroes of our past wars and of our current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But, also remember to visit the dumpsters of the abortionaries that dispose of the innocent human beings after they have completed their "legal" tasks on the "products of pregnancy." Then remember to pray for the victims and the uninformed mothers who were given myths about the recoveries but were ignored concerning their future memories. Many women find healing through Project Rachel programs.

Thank you, ALL ARMED SERVICES, for your desire, dedication, and determination to make our Country a land of the FREE and the home of the BRAVE. Let us continue to resolve to understand what we are doing today will impact our future. Let us realize that we have to take responsibility for our own actions and be willing to be selfless in our efforts to care for the persons who need the care the most and for those who think they need the care the least. As the saying goes, "PEOPLE DON'T CARE HOW MUCH YOU KNOW UNTIL THEY KNOW HOW MUCH YOU CARE." For all of the caring persons in our Blessed United States of America, both living and dead, THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THE RIGHT TO LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.


Wednesday, May 20, 2009

ACHIEVEMENT SUCCESSES VS. IRRECONCILABLE DIFFERENCES

Whenever you listen to an individual making a speech or proposing a viable solution to life's challenges, you hope to hear and to understand that differences may be worked out to find the COMMON THREAD that individuals may find acceptable. However, whenever you listen to the words: IRRECONCILABLE DIFFERENCES, you thoughts start to ramble off to breakdowns in communications that often bring additional adversarial relationships.

The dictionary definitions of IRRECONCILABLE include the following:
a) incapable of being brought into harmony or adjustment;
b) incompatible
c) incapable of being made to acquiesce or compromise;
d) implacably opposed; and
e) a person who remains firmly opposed to agreement or compromise.

Imagine if everyone in this world proclaimed an edict: WE ARE NO LONGER ABLE TO GET ALONG BECAUSE OF IRRECONCILABLE DIFFERENCES. Where is the tolerance if tolerance is not allowed to be expressed. Respecting differences of absolute principles brings about a harmony to agree to disagree until my creative and critical thinking is modified or updated for better understanding. In some countries of the world, you are condemned to death or imprisoned because you dared to disagree with the ruling mandates by the leaders of the government. For many persons of cultural differences and backgrounds, relative truth to them is changing every day without any warning and any proper consideration for the human rights of all persons in the citizenry.

When you soundly believe in a value system or for any ethical value that you deem worthwhile for the common good of all concerned, you can expect opposition from other held belief systems. For some individuals and leaders, their way is the ONLY way and your way is in direct opposition to their way of thinking. You may be SMEARED, DISCREDITED, AND DESTROYED by your opponents because you may be BEARERS OF THE TRUTH that they do not want to accept. These persons remain firmly entrenched with their ideology and oppose any agreements or compromises because they believe they are right and everyone else is wrong. Many innocent human beings have been sacrificed on the altar of IRRECONCILABLE DIFFERENCES because of their ignorance or of their unwillingness to listen to sound reason and effective documentation.

For all Achievement Ladder Enthusiasts, your mission and your goals are your stepping stones up and down the Ladder of Achievement as you progress to reach your maximum potential as an active learner in life's many challenges. To hear and to listen to your opponents indicate that they will make your life a "living hell" because of the path that you have taken on Life's Journey, makes the challenges that you accept even more heroic and worthy of martyrdom success. Hopefully, as human beings we will discover the sacredness of each human life from conception to natural death and to rediscover alternative means of exalting life's challenges in respecting LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS available through an open, representative, and freedom under law for all of its citizens, UNBORN AND BORN. CHOOSING TO RESPECT HUMAN LIFE AT ALL STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT has no room for IRRECONCILABLE DIFFERENCES and for no COMPROMISE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE.

Friday, May 15, 2009

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE GRADUATES OF 2009....OUR ACHIEVEMENT LADDER IDES OF MAY RECOGNITION AWARD RECIPIENTS

During May, 2009, many new graduates will be awarded throughout our American Colleges and Secondary Schools stages to receive their diplomas and their recognition for completing their requirements for High School, their Associate, and for their Bachelors, Masters, and Doctoral degrees. These graduates overshadow the upcoming new graduates from the many secondary schools, including public, private, and home-schooled students. These students represent the future of the United States of America, and their sphere of influence will soon be felt in numerous, positive ways. These Achievement Ladder Enthusiasts know what is required of them to succeed in life; however, the "College of Hard Knocks" has yet to be entered by many of these neophytes of academic disciplines. The "classroom without walls" will be their new challenges to climb up and down the Ladder of Achievement for the rest of their natural lives. Hopefully, their climb to the top will echo, "100 percent - I did it."

As their new environments of career-oriented favorites sink into their hearts, their minds, and their souls, these students may find that they need to make adjustments to the "Real World" that is often left out of most textbooks and classroom discussions. Reality means to grow in the direction of Lifelong Learning Enterprises that will capture their full attention to use their time, their talents, and their treasures most effectively and efficiently. The answers to the questions: WHO AM I? WHAT AM I DOING HERE? WHERE AM I GOING? will continue to haunt them on a daily basis as these students take on new responsibilities, new commitments, new goals, new aspirations, new missions, and new life philosophical and theological challenges.

We wish all of these new graduates who are commencing into the unknown, the untried, the untouched, the unforeseen, the unpredictable, and the improbable, success in their new endeavors. May these talented Achievement Ladder Enthusiasts seek to say: "We did it"...with much guidance from mentors, positive leaders, friends, acquaintances, and well-intentioned pioneers and patriots. You are never alone in your quest to maximize your missions, your goals, and your objectives to making this world and the world around you a better place because you cared enough to give your very best at whatever you think, do, and say. IN GOD WE TRUST will always be there when others abandon you because of what you believe and cherish in life. Seek always a Hand Up rather than a Hand Out!


CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL GRADUATES IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.....YOU ARE OUR IDES OF MAY 2009 ACHIEVEMENT LADDER RECOGNITION AWARD RECIPIENTS. STAND TALL! BELIEVE IN YOURSELF! AMERICA BLESS GOD SINCE GOD HAS ALREADY BLESSED YOU!

Saturday, May 9, 2009

REWIRED NOT RETIRED FOR ACHIEVEMENT LADDER ENTHUSIASTS

Whenever you hear someone say, "I am looking forward to retirement," you may want to ask some profound and some simple questions. What do you plan to do with your time, your talents, and your treasures when you are no longer working a full-time career? You receive often these answers: "I plan to travel," or "I plan to play golf everyday," or "I will do whatever I want to do," or "I will read the books and watch the television shows that I missed," or "I will do just nothing." Often, the retirement years may have other challenges that you never saw coming as some people are facing today with company pensions in question, with downsizing, rightsizing, downgrading, reinengineering, and reorganization. Also, your physical and mental health may be impacted.

However, for many retirees, the new beginnings are determined by the individual who wants to continue their Ladder of Achievement goals and aspirations in other directions and other horizons. Often, new entrepreneurial ideas are implemented because of the ample time available to be free to think. Often, new researches on familiar or on very new areas may keep the mind, heart, and soul positively occupied with new growth and development. Getting beyond, "I won't do anything because I am retired" to "I did what I really wanted to do to make a difference" will shape the individual to explore new horizons and new challenges.

Yes, going from 0 percent to 100 percent or going from the negative to the positive takes an act of the will and the desire to succeed because self-actualization is possible and probable if you choose to make that choice in a positive setting. You are being REWIRED rather than being RETIRED. To take control of your physical, social, and emotional health means that you are taking better stewardship of the only life that you have been given. What you desire, determine, and dedicate yourself to accomplishing means that you are growing in a different dimension that will benefit yourself and those who you most love and really care about.

My experiences have given me new opportunities to experience community service through Americorps/VISTA and Habitat for Humanity. In addition, my educational background has given me opportunities to expand my professional growth through contracted seminars and facilitating challenges. Also, my family and my extended family have been a great source of encouraging those who are still working their ways through their personal Ladder of Achievement accomplishments in their relative youthful years of discovery. Being there for others in all aspects of loving relationships means expanding my own sphere of influence that could be beneficial to those who need the assistance the most and to those who think they need the assistance the least.

Yes, retirement can be challenging if you are going about the experience with little or no goals or aspirations. On the other hand, retirement will prove to be a rewirement of all of your time, your talents, and your treasures that will be welcomed and rewarded through your positive efforts to be open to the promptings of God's work on earth
as His instruments of His Love.

Friday, May 8, 2009

ACHIEVING MOTHERS' DAY HONORS WITH DIGNITY AND PROFOUND RESPECT

On May 10, 2009, we will all celebrate another day in honor of all of the Mothers in the world and especially in the United States of America. To salute the achievements of all of the loving mothers who have been selfless and generous in their total dedication to their families gives us all reasons to celebrate the unappreciated, the abused, the taken-for-granted women who give all but with little or nothing in return for their unconditional love for their spouses and their children. Many mothers have had the opportunities to see their children grow into wonderful examples of womanhood and manhood. In addition, many of these children have been conscientious in giving back love and honor to the very mothers who gave them life from conception to birth unselfishly and courageously. To those given much love, much more love is expected.

Many single mothers have shouldered the responsibilities of both parents in a world that separates families by their negative attitudes toward the most profound profession in the world....MOTHERHOOD. Many women have made serious sacrifices for their families by giving of their total beings to raising children in very challenging times. With careers on the line, many women have temporarily suspended their career ambitions to commit to the mission of the mother who really cares about her children and who is the first teacher of her children. A mother is the heart and the neck of every family with her achievements in making houses a true home for her children. Her nurturing care and guidance have succeeded in fostering future leaders of our Country and of many leaders in the world. With sadness do we read of negative leaders who apparently ignored the wonderful examples of their mothers and have sought to be greedy and power-hungry without any regard for the value of human life.

We are very proud to call her, Mother, Mom, because she has earned the respect and the dignity of giving her body as a temple for the growth of a new living unborn child. The innocence of the child yet to be born knows the mother before he or she is born into this world. The child is happy that his or her mother gave her or him an opportunity to be born in spite of all of the challenges that each mother faces prior to actual birth. The ongoing challenges of raising a young child and making a family loving and respectful of others is a mother's task. THANKS, MOM, FOR THE GIFTS OF LIFE AND LOVE. IT IS GREAT TO BE ALIVE. Thank you, Mother, for being there for us when we were growing up and needed your guidance and your compassion and your empathy. May all Mothers who have earned their eternal rewards in Heaven continue to intercede with God for all mothers who are currently the heart and the neck of all families.

In honor of the Most Important Mother of all time, Jesus' Mother Mary, we offer the following prayer:

"O Immaculate Heart of Mary, Queen of heaven and earth, and of our family, rule over us, together with the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ, our King. Save us from the spreading flood of modern paganism, kindle in our hearts and homes, the love of purity, the practice of the Christian life, and an ardent zeal for souls, and for the holiness of family life."

"We come with confidence to you, O Throne of Grace and Mother of Fair Love; inflame us with same divine fire which has inflamed your own Immaculate Heart. Make our hearts and homes your shrine, and through us make the Heart of Jesus Christ rule and triumph in every family in the world. Amen."

HAPPY LOVING MOTHERS' DAY TO ALL ACHIEVING MOTHERS!

Monday, May 4, 2009

COLLEGE SUCCESS SKILLS

Today is the last day of a class in College Success Skills. The students will be evaluating what they have learned since class started on January 12, 2009. The variety of skills include how to handle stress, how to effectively use time, how to better prepare themselves for their future career choices, how to deal with test anxiety, how to study using the SQ3R method, and how cultural diversity impacts our learning environments. To gain a self-confidence as a student and as a human being these students have had to research their physical, social, and emotional makeups to determine how they best LEARN with their unique learning styles and unique personalities. We are all students in life, and our success depends on finding out WHO we are rather than WHAT we are. Titles are meaningless.
Each student discovered their own unique Ladder of Achievement and the progress that they are making in their day-to-day challenges. WHO AM I? WHAT AM I DOING HERE? and WHERE AM I GOING? These are but a few of the challenging questions that each of us are asked to discover about ourselves. "Always remember what you have learned. Your Education is your Life. Guard it well!" (Proverbs 4:13) Accept each day as a new challenge in life's success.

Sunday, May 3, 2009

WE ARE ALWAYS LEARNING TO ACHIEVE

More than thirty years ago, my educational experiences included being a facilitator for a clerical procedures course at a women's minimum/medium correctional facility/campus in Central Pennsylvania. As my anticipated arrival time edged closer and closer for my very first class session, my thoughts drifted as to why my instructional expertise was being requested in such an environment. My anxiety level was reaching a new level because of my concern that my presence would be unaccepted by the women in blue and white. However, as my arrival time reached 9:00 am at the parking lot of the women's correctional campus, my thoughts were to turn back and to avoid this type of experience even for a short time. However, at my arrival past the entrance gate and directed toward the educational building, my hesitancy was diminishing because this was my responsibility to provide a positive opportunity to a group of women who could benefit from this special training prior to their parole date.

When my feet as well as the rest of my body arrived at the educational building, my attention was drawn to a special posting: WE ARE ALL LEARNING. That helped me to focus better for the next few steps near the small library for the residents of this correctional facility. At the next sign, my full attention and composure was enhanced with the following words: CAUTION: HUMAN BEINGS, HANDLE WITH CARE. That prompted me to reach out to each of the 27 human beings who were entrusted to my care for the next weeks and months. Individual name tags were made up for each woman in that class that spelled out her first name. The cage that was my classroom was inappropriate for the size of the class; however, my enthusiasm kicked in to make the most of a limited situation. These women sized me up in the first thirty seconds, and determined that my message may be worth something to them in the short term as well as the long term process. Their ultimate successes remain unknown, yet hopeful.

During the next few weeks, many members of the initial class were paroled leaving me with a reduced class list. As the weeks continued and as the class grew more interested in the subject matter, many more women were paroled and sent home to their families and friends. As my class dwindled down to six members, we completed that class in style and in positive momentum to prepare these women for their next challenges up and down the LADDER OF ACHIEVEMENT.

For the 21 women who were paroled during that six months program, my opportunities to encourage and to empower these women to maximize their skills, talents, interests, and time toward furthering their education was worth the unfounded anxiety that first prompted my first class session. WE WERE ALL LEARNING FROM ONE ANOTHER. The WHO they were was more important than the WHAT they did to be incarcerated in the first place. Many persons make numerous mistakes during their lifetime that require a locking up experience that may be unavoidable. However, when the person discovers the WHO they are rather than the WHAT they are, this transformation can be an enlightening experience that has many positive consequences.

WE ARE ALWAYS LEARNING TO MAKE BETTER CHOICES TO ACHIEVE OUR MAXIMUM POTENTIAL AS HUMAN BEINGS. PEOPLE DO NOT CARE WHAT WE MAY KNOW, BUT HOW MUCH WE REALLY CARE ABOUT THEIR SACRED WORTH. The Dignity and the Sacredness of each human being has been discarded in many places throughout our wonderful Universe. We must rediscover that GOD DOES NOT MAKE JUNK! We must come to realize that OUR CREATOR MADE US INTO HIS IMAGE AND LIKENESS. When we destroy innocent human life, we are saying that we want God Himself destroyed as well.
Are we ready to admit that we are killing God when we kill innocent human life?
IN GOD WE TRUST takes on a new significance when we realize the enormity of our daily decisions to ignore, to discard, to deface, to hate, and to discriminate in any way other beautiful human beings MADE BY GOD, IN GOD'S IMAGE!

Friday, May 1, 2009

ST. JOSEPH, THE ACHIEVEMENT WORKER

St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Mother Mary and Foster Father of Jesus Christ, was a JUST MAN not just a man. He was a totally committed family man who respected his Spouse and his Foster Child with Exemplary Example. He was a carpenter by trade, and he devoted his life to doing the ordinary tasks in an extraordinary way. His Holy Family always came FIRST in all of his decisions. He was a total protector and provider in times of crisis as well as in peaceful times.

St. Joseph positively achieved his climb up the LADDER OF ACHIEVEMENT with a proactive attitude that resulted in eternal results. When we think of the Most Holy Family that ever lived on this earth, we are reminded what a TRUE FATHER, a TRUE DADDY means to the welfare of his family. Let us encourage all fathers on this earth to GO TO JOSEPH for the inspiration and the encouragement to live a life focused on the family and on the community at large. St. Joseph, pray for us and intercede for us with your Foster Son, Jesus Christ, and with your Blessed Spouse, Mary, now and at the hour of our death. May the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit descend upon all fathers now and remain with these fathers forever. Amen.