Dear Saints,

Historians and official records generally place the total number of Americans killed in combat across all U.S. wars at about 650,000 to over 1 million people since 1775. The Department of Veterans Affairs lists roughly 651,000 battle deaths, while broader historical tallies that include Confederate forces and additional conflicts bring the total to around 1.0 to 1.3 million total war-related military deaths.

Every one of those Americans had a name. Every one of them had a smile. Every one of them had a heart. Today they are part of a tragic data point, but behind every statistic is a story of generous self-giving, without which our nation would be an impoverished version of its more glorious self. This coming Monday, then, should be a solemn act of gratitude: a moment for each of us to resolve that no life surrendered in duty will be forgotten.

Of course Memorial Day is not only about memory but also hope. Every one of those departed Americans is uniquely precious, and we trust in God's mercy towards them. Our fallen countrymen are witnesses to divine love: their courage was not abstract but embodied, and their final sacrifice exemplified a devotion more relentless than hell itself. Though we cannot repay them, we can honor them, first and foremost by ordering our days according to the same great love for which they laid down their very lives.

Christ’s Peace,

Father Daniel

δοῦλος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ