My Brothers,

I, personally, try to end every day with an examination of the day that has passed. I try to look back at all the things I did and didn’t do, the things I said, the things that were said to me, and the events that occurred and my responses to them. This introspection tends to lead to growth and learning as well as better equipping me for the days to come. The month of December gives us a perfect opportunity to perform this same ritual on a much larger scale, to examine the year that has passed and to evaluate the paths we chose, the decisions we made, and the men we were. For all of us, I am sure there were stumbling blocks along that road, some we avoided, but some we did not. Did we learn from them? Are there still lessons to be learned from them? Have we overcome them? Are we still stumbling due to them? Did we ask for help when we needed it? Should we ask for help now? These are important questions to ask, but sometimes it is difficult to come to grips with the answers. Know, my brothers, that there are always brothers that are here to listen, to discuss with, to assist, and to lean on. Let me remind you, “that brotherhood is a reciprocal relationship… it is not only for grateful gifts and happy hours, but for use when the soul is sad, when the heart is pierced and pained and the road seems lonely and drear.” Also, be sure to not concentrate solely on those stumbling blocks, let them teach their lesson and then move on from them, the examine is not meant to only highlight the bad, but also to call to mind the good in ourselves, when I sit and do this examination I try to end with a block of positive, it is meant to inspire hope and accentuate the positives to be repeated.

I start my day with a prayer of thanks to God for my life, my wife, my kids, my family, my brothers, and my friends. I am truly grateful for each and every one of you and I pray that this holiday season brings peace and happiness to all!

I hope to see you soon!

Fraternally,

~ Júlio A. Calvão

Worshipful Master 2025