The most useful graduation messages shouldn't be about "changing the world" and other empty (truly empty) messages...not about "transformative change."  

Year after year liberals pine for abstract changes out there, not inside themselves.

The best and most practical and most enduring graduation speeches should drill home in one way or another the following themes:

- "Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect."
- Grow in personal holiness every day; get closer to God and His will every day.
- Work at doing your work better and better every day, giving it a holy intention. 
- Work exists to make you holier, more virtuous, more holy. 
- Stop sinning; love in the little things, especially when you don't feel like it.
- Feelings come and go.  Feelings aren't love.
- Be a better husband or wife.
- Put both shoulders into parenthood. 
- Work at having a more lively presence/awareness of God in every detail and event of your life. 
- Learn to love the Cross that God hands you.