So today is Memorial Day. Depending on where you are living right now, it's probably very different from Memorial days in the past. Many cemetery Masses/services, parades, and picnics have been canceled. Despite all of this, we need to remember why we actually have a day such as this. While the fun traditions are definitely enjoyable, Memorial Day was established not as the beginning of picnic season, but to be a reminder to all Americans of those brave men and women who lost their lives while defending our freedom as American citizens. Memorial Day isn't about parades. It isn't about picnics. It's about remembering and praying for those souls who lost their lives so that we could live in a country where we can practice our faith, exercise our freedom of speech, and live the lives that God has given us so that we can make it to Heaven!
In thinking of what to write for this post, the thought came to me that those who lost their lives while fighting for freedom are a lot like Christ. Jesus gave up His life so that all people, even those who would never know or love Him, could someday be freed from the sin that holds them back from being who they were meant to be. He fought the devil for our freedom and won. The men and women who lost their lives while fighting for our freedom did a very similar thing while fighting for the freedom of their country, both in that present-day and in the future.
Since Christ made the ultimate sacrifice and beat sin and death, we now have the chance to go to Heaven. With this in mind, I have a challenge for you today. In the time that you would normally be at a picnic/parade/memorial service or even while you're on your way to a non-canceled one (yay!), pray a Divine Mercy Chaplet* for all those men and women who lost their lives for your sake. Pray that when they died they were thrown into the Ocean of Mercy and taken to Heaven where they were rewarded for their bravery, courage, and Christ-like sacrifice. Pray also for those whom they were fighting against and those who persecute us now, that they will repent and turn back to the path God wants them to be on- the path to sainthood. All of these things can happen because the ultimate Good is always stronger than evil.
*How to pray the Chaplet:
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