Veteran’s Day; 11-12-18

Titus 1:1-9   Ps 24   Luke 17:1-6

Deacon Jim McFadden; Historical Church at Folsom

 

            Veteran’s Day is a good occasion to remind ourselves as to what is ultimately important. The men and women who either risked their lives or actually sacrificed them for the greater good had to come to terms as to what values are worth dying for: and if they’re worth dying for, they are worth living for.

Let’s start with a basic truth: we are made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:27). The Son of God became one of us to reveal most perfectly Who God is and how we can realize our destiny through His Son, Who is the sole mediator between Heaven and earth. As baptized Christians, who have been initiated into Jesus’ mystical Body, the Church, we are called to be His disciples, which means we strive to be like Jesus in every aspect of our lives as we share in His Mission of bringing His salvation to the world.   In this way, we are living out of our True Self, we are acting like God, Who is self-giving Love. When we conform our lives to Jesus’ teachings and His Way of Life, we are conforming ourselves to God because Jesus is the “exact representation of the Father’s Being” (Hebrews 1:3).

So, to be like God means to work, to suffer, to give ourselves away for the good of others even at the expense of our private self-interest—even if that means dying so that others may live a just life where human dignity is promoted and preserved.

For all of us, it comes down to that either-or-choice: is my life about myself or is about God? Am I willing to surrender myself completely to God, even at the expense of my own physical life, or, are their limits to my Faith in God. Can we say with the Psalmist that “your love is more precious than my physical life.”

For most of us, we don’t have to make that ultimate sacrifice. But, those who have striven to defend their country for a just cause, had to ask that question. Are their some values—such as the recognition that everyone has the right to Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness—that I would risk my life for the Common Good. Such a sacrifice, done with a clear and good intention, is an offering that gives glory to God because we are operating as God does: namely, sacrificial self-giving. That’s what God did for us on the Cross when His Son sacrificed Himself for our salvation. And, that is why we honor the men and women who have risked or who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the well-being of others. They have given us a good example that there are values worth living and dying for. They have taught us by their example that it is better to promote the Common Good than it is to live a selfish, self-absorbed life. By their sacrifice, they encourage us to teach our children and each other, the same message. As echoed in today’s Gospel, the young are particularly vulnerable to the bad example of an individualist, self-referential life. When we honor Veterans, we are saying that sacrificial love is basic to our Faith and that is a core value we want to pass on. Amen.