In the United States, today is Memorial Day, a federal holiday. For some people this day marks the unofficial beginning of summer, but for me, as someone who served for twenty years in the U.S Army, this day has a deeper meaning, a day to reflect on the lives of the brave men and women who died in the defense of this nation. Yesterday, Facebook reminded me of a posting I made on Memorial Day 2018, and I decided to share it again today in this blog posting.
“I was prompted this morning to read again the challenges to us in the Gettysburg Address, which seem so appropriate today as we remember the sacrifices of so many brave men and women. “It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” ”
For those of you who might be curious, the photo below is from a November 2014 blog posting entitled “Rescue of an injured Bald Eagle” that documented the capture of an injured eagle by an officer of the Fairfax County Animal Control Services at my local marshland park. Some of the photos from that posting were reprised in Washington D.C. media outlets and the posting has been my all-time most popular posting with 3472 views.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Memorial Day 2024
Posted in Architecture, commentary, Nature, Photography, tagged Gettysburg Address, iPhone 11, Memorial Day 2024, Orkney Springs VA, Saint Francis of Assisi, Shrine Mont, Shrine Mont Retreat Center on May 27, 2024| 8 Comments »
Today in the United States we are commemorating Memorial Day, a day set aside to honor, mourn, and remember those who died while serving our country, especially in the armed forces. As some of you know, I spent 20 years in the U.S. Army and I personally feel a sense of gratitude to those who gave what Lincoln so poignantly called “the last full measure of devotion” in his address at Gettysburg in 1863. He challenged his listeners and continues to challenge us with these words, “It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.”
A little over a week ago I spent the weekend at a retreat at Shrine Mont in Orkney Springs, Virginia with a group from my church, St. Martin de Porres Episcopal Church. I was mostly unplugged all weekend in order to be more fully engaged with others and with the beautiful mountain setting. With my iPhone, though, I captured these images that give you a small sense of the beauty and serenity of Shrine Mont, including the outdoor cathedral that I visited each day in the early morning hours and at which we celebrated Pentecost Sunday with several other churches. Repeatedly throughout the weekend, I was captured by a sense of introspection and contemplation.
The third photo shows an extract from The Sermon to the Birds attributed to St. Francis of Assisi. Here is the full text, “My little sisters, the birds, much bounden are ye unto God, your creator, and always in every place ought ye to praise him, for that he hath given you liberty to fly about everywhere, and hath also given you double and triple raiment; moreover he preserved your seed in the ark of Noah, that your race might not perish out of the world; still more are ye beholden to him for the element of the air which he hath appointed for you; beyond all this, ye sow not, neither do you reap; and God feedeth you, and giveth you the streams and fountains for your drink; the mountains and valleys for your refuge and the high trees whereon to make your nests; and because ye know not how to spin or sow, God clotheth you, you and your children; wherefore your creator loveth you much, seeing that he hath bestowed on you so many benefits; and therefore, my little sisters, beware of the sin of ingratitude, and study always to give praises unto God.”
Today is a day set aside for us be thankful, an attitude which I believe we should cultivate every day and not just on special holidays. I can’t help but think of the Bible verses (Thessalonians 5:16-18) that say, “Rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances.” Not long ago I heard a sermon that has prompted me to look at that verse in a new way—the pastor reminded us that the verse says to give thanks in all circumstances, not for all circumstances. We definitely cannot control our circumstances, no matter how hard we try, but we can control our response to those circumstances.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
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