A few years ago I heard an editorial on the radio which made an interesting suggestion. The commentator suggested that we switch Memorial Day with Veterans Day. I thought the idea sounded silly until he explained it. His argument was that Veterans Day honors all those who served in the military and came home to their family and friends. It should be a day of celebration and joy, but it happens to fall in a month when winter is starting to settle in, and thus we tend to think of it as a time of passing. (For us as Catholics, November is particularly a time of prayer for those who have died.) Memorial Day remembers those who did not come home, those who died defending our nation, so it should be a more somber time. Yet we have come to think of Memorial Day as the beginning of summer, so we make it a time of cookouts and picnics. The man on the radio thought it would be better if we had those cookouts while honoring our living veterans and prayed for those who died in the dreary month of November.
That argument made sense when I heard it. Now I am not so sure. Perhaps the holidays as they are now can provide a little balance. While we honor our veterans in November, the approach of winter reminds us of the struggles they faced and of the need for continued vigilance. Meanwhile, this weekend's celebration of Memorial Day should give us pause to reflect, while the beginning of summer offers us hope. On the one hand, we have hoe that those who "gave the last full measure of devotion" (in the words of Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address) will share eternal life with Christ in heaven. In addition, the somber purpose of Memorial Day reminds us that the freedoms we enjoy did not come easily. Whether we enjoy a picnic or a party or baseball game on that day, we should all remember to take time to thank God for all that we have as we look ahead to summer.
As for me, I am looking forward to my first chance to participate in the Kennedy Township Memorial Day parade that I have heard so much about. I hope that this local celebration will help me to focus on what the holiday is all about as we pray for those who have died defending our nation. May we pause to reflect on the sacrifices of the brave soldiers who have done so much for us. And may we then return to the celebration, reflecting on the blessings we have as Americans, as well as the joy of looking forward to summer.
