Homily Memorial Day - May 27, 2024

 Today's readings can be found here.

            God, in His great mercy, gave us a new birth to a living hope.  This hope is the salvation of our souls.  However, we may need to suffer trials that test our faith.  This Memorial Day, we remember those that sacrificed their lives in defending our nation.  The families of these fallen service members certainly faced suffering and trials over the loss of their loved one.  Our first reading tells us that even in the midst of these trials, we have a living hope.  Jesus, our hope, died for us to bring us salvation.

            I served in the Navy after graduating from college.  While I was deployed to the Persian Gulf during Desert Storm, I was fortunate that we never saw direct combat.  I did not lose any of my fellow sailors during that conflict.  My shipmates came from various backgrounds and education.  We all had our own reasons for joining the Navy and serving.  Some joined to receive an education.  Some wanted to serve their nation.  Others just wanted a steady paycheck.  Regardless of the reason we joined, we all had one thing in common.  We knew we needed to rely on each other to be successful in our mission.  And we would do whatever it takes to keep our ship and our shipmates safe.

            We looked out for each other, whether at sea or in port.  We were like a family in many ways.  We didn’t always get along.  We didn’t always agree.  But when things got real, our training kicked in and we came together as a unit to defend our ship and each other.  We would do whatever it takes to keep our shipmates safe, even if it required the ultimate sacrifice.

            Isn’t this the model of the Christian service Jesus calls us to?  In our Gospel, Jesus tells the young man what he needs to do to have treasure in heaven.  Then he tells him, “Follow me.”  Jesus led a life of service to others, giving us a model to follow.  Jesus loved the young man in the Gospel even though the young man would not follow Jesus.  We, too, should love and serve others regardless of whether they’re willing to do the same.  Jesus said there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.  Jesus did that for us.  This Memorial Day, we remember those service men and women that did the same.  Let us remember them today and every day by serving others as they did, following Jesus’s example.