This weekend, we take time to remember and give thanks to the brave men and women who have laid down their lives in the defense of America.  Some commemorate Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, while others celebrate by having picnics, barbecues, family gatherings, parades, vacations, and participating in sporting events.  But what unites all Americans, however they choose to spend Memorial Day, is a solemn reverence for the sacrifices our country’s brave men and women, and their families have endured.
 
Let’s take a moment to give thought to the families and the friends of the fallen.  We cannot measure the depth of their loss, nor comprehend the true measure of their sorrow.
 
We can, however, let them know that we will never forget their loved ones – their valor, their sacrifice, and what they have accomplished for our nation.  Take time to tell a veteran or a family still mourning their son or daughter, brother, sister, or best friend of your respect and gratitude.
 
President Lincoln’s words from that battlefield in Pennsylvania echo our sentiments today: “It is for us, the living, to be dedicated to the unfinished work which they who have fought here have thus so nobly advanced . . . that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave their last full measure of devotion.”
 
So today, let's rededicate ourselves to carrying the torch of liberty and hope and pray that it will light the way for all those who struggle under tyranny and oppression.  In so doing, we also pray that it will warm the hearts of our heroes who look down on us from the embrace of God.