Homily for Memorial Day

For many, Memorial Day Weekend is more than just a three-day break. It's a time to mark the unofficial start of summer and a time of solemn commemoration. But for those who have lost a family member in one of our nation's wars or military efforts, this day holds a more profound significance.

My first visit to the National Mall in Washington, DC, and Arlington National Cemetery was in the mid-80s, shortly after the Vietnam Memorial was erected on the Mall. I was struck by the seemingly endless rows of grave markers at Arlington and the nearly 60,000 names inscribed on the Vietnam War Memorial. 

It is important to remember that behind every marker and every name, there is a real person who sacrificed their life for our nation and the hope of peace in our world. Each death recast the course of history for individual families and their communities who stood with them in their grief and continue to stand with them as we remember them today.

This is a day when we also remember all of our beloved deceased. Many people will visit cemeteries around our nation today, bringing a physical presence as they remember their loved ones, their grief at their passing, and their hope for everlasting life with them in heaven.

Let us pray, especially today, for all of our beloved deceased and for ourselves, as this day reminds us both of our mortality on earth and our hope for immortality in heaven.