The Most Holy Trinity

Dear Parishioners,

     I used to love parades.  Whenever it was announced that we would have one in my home town I wanted to go.  We seemed to have quite a few of them.  Some parades were long.  Others were shorter.  Every Memorial Day we would have a parade.  This was a short one. There would be a police car, a fire truck, the high school band, and most importantly the veterans would march. 

     I looked for my grandfather in the parade who was a veteran of WWI.  I looked for my uncle who had fought in Korea.  I looked for my uncle who was a veteran who was a medic in North Africa, Italy and Germany during World War II.  But I never saw any of them.  They would be at home during all the speeches and fanfare. 

     My relatives never spoke about their military service unless it was to tell stories of basic training or to share some other tidbits about army life.  Never did they speak much about the battles they fought in.  Somehow it seemed like something they wanted to forget about.  I think that my relatives were not all that different than other men and woman who had seen the horror of war.  For them, peace was a treasure.  They did what they had to do when called and they did not brag about it or want recognition.  I would imagine they were glad to be alive after facing the possibility of death.

     We pray today for all those who have died in the wars our country has fought throughout its history and for those who are dying today.  We pray for those who have been psychologically wounded by the trauma they have endured in war. 

     We also pray that wars will one day end before humanity destroys itself.  We remember that the doomsday clock has moved closet to midnight over the last year.  Hope is a virtue that we very much need in the times in which we live. It seems like strategists and politicians who have never been in battle speak too easily of the need for war. 

     Jesus was the Prince of Peace.  We ask for his help today as we look at the violence in our world.  Most of all we prayer that we will keep the spirit of this holiday.  It is not a weekend to beat our chests proclaiming how proud we are to be Americans.  No, it is a weekend be humbled by the trust those who died had in the virtues of our land.  Virtues like truth, freedom, equality, and justice. The best way to honor those that have served is to never let those virtues die.

Blessings,

Fr. Mark

P.S.  Thanks to Raphael Ceja and the volunteers who did park clean-up last Saturday.  It was good to see Sacred Heart parishioners sacrifice for the beauty of our city.