Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I recognize I’ve had many unique opportunities throughout my life that many other people have not. I try to find the right balance in sharing some of these experiences and memories with others, when I write and preach. It’s important that I do not share such things as a means of saying, “Look at me!” but as a way of communicating both where I’ve been and such things impact my perspective on life. Allow me to share one such story now.
I had the distinct pleasure of connecting with some distant relatives of mine in Germany my first summer over in Europe. I couldn’t come back to the US that summer and it was a good opportunity to reach out and visit them. What I had intended to be a short stay ended up being three weeks and I really got to learn about them and German culture as I shared in their everyday lives. One of my favorite traditions I discovered was their insistence on having coffee and some kind of dessert every day around 3PM (which suited me PERFECTLY!). But there was another particular tradition that I’d like to discuss with you in my letter today.
My relatives lived in a small village. There was a bigger town with a bunch of smaller little villages that surrounded it. And everybody was a local it seemed, knowing each other and with long-time ties to the community. This was greatly underscored by the local cemetery, which my relatives visited on a nearly daily basis. Whereas in American culture, there seems to be a general discomfort with death and dying, in German culture, taking care of the graves of loved ones was a familial expectation. My relatives picked weeds, brought flowers, and made the final resting place of their loved ones beautiful and well-kept. There was nothing morbid about it, and the general feeling I was left with from these interactions was nothing but love and care.
This weekend, our nation celebrates what is known as Memorial Day. It’s a tradition that goes back to the time of the Civil War. The original purpose of it was to decorate the graves of those who served our country in during the war and died. In our modern experience of it, such a
starting point may not be uppermost in our minds, but it’s worth our consideration. Many of our American ideals; such as liberty and the pursuit of happiness, are the very things our veterans have sought to protect in their service, especially in times of war. And we, as a country and a culture, ought to keep up the wonderful tradition of honoring those that have served in that way. Not out of mere obligation, nor in order to have a holiday, but as my German relatives do, out of love and care for those who’ve sacrificed and served. And so, thanks to all who have served and Happy Memorial Day!
Peace and Goodness,
Fr. Dan
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