The End Of The Beginning

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My son will finally be ordained to the priesthood on Saturday and he will say his first mass on Sunday. It has been a long journey to get to this moment. However, ordinations, graduations, getting a license to practice, etc., are just the end of the beginning. The real work and the real education begins when you finally get out into the world and you deal with the reality of daily life. It has always been my opinion that education gives you knowledge but life gives you wisdom. No matter how smart you think you are or how prepared you feel, life will transform you in good and bad ways. Life is tough and none of us get through it without some scrapes and bruises. It is not my intention to be negative about life. Life is a wonderful thing. It is also a teacher and we do not always like what it teaches. However, if we open minds and hearts it will teach us love, tolerance, patience, compassion, and humility. It will also make us wise, understanding, accepting, and realistic. Life has been my greatest teacher. When I was thirty years old I could never have imaged the person I am now. I don’t think God and life are done with me yet. My transformation into who I am meant to be is not yet complete. My son and others are in the beginning of their lives and they want to change the world. I have more years behind me than I do in front of me. In spite of this, I still want to change the world and many of my contemporaries want to do the same. If you are young, listen to those of us who are further down the road of life than you. If you are old, remind yourself that you don’t know everything. The old need to also listen to the young. Together we can all change the world and make it a better place.