Good Morning Digital Neighbors! Happy Friday ADD Irregulars, WSN Vagabonds, Friends, Refugees, Early Birds, Later Dayers, Conversants, Lurkers, Phamily, Dawn Patrol, Triggeratti, Merry Bigots, Fascinating People, Seekers of Sanity and Civility and and all the rest of you Supporters & Members at Locals!

I had a great Retreat - I am sure I will be mulling over Narrative Grace for many months to come. It was great to have the time to pray, reflect and experience some good fellowship with my fellow priests. I am immensely blessed in my life.

Today I want to thank all of our Veterans for there service to our Nation. When I think of the men and women who have served our Nation words like SERVICE, SACRIFICE, SELFLESS come to mind. I know not all Veterans embody all three of those virtues, but the best do and any Veteran embodies at least one of them.

I can't imagine any young man or women not realizing when they enlist that minimally they are offering their life in service to our Nation. I pray their service will help them mature as the type of citizens with engaged awareness that this Republic needs to thrive. I know that is hopeful thinking, but knowing that your life has entered a life of serious consequence, it ought to make one more mature and aware. Knowing that your actions can have consequences that reverberate well beyond the moment and that choice invites one to a maturity that everyday living rarely affords. I think the most aware are the ones that have to face the most serious consequences in times of war and conflict.

The most dangerous type of service involves sacrifice. You hope you and your comrades never have to face that bridge, but you aren't terrified of it. Respectfully fearful of a potentially final moment and yet consequentially courageous to act in the moment for a perceived good that may well give birth to countless unknown goods only to be seen years later. It can come with terrible loss, your own life, your comrades who actually understand the weight of that moment, and haunting memories of choices, consequences, losses and sorrows that leave one wrestling with the meaning of those moments for a lifetime.

Such willingness to embrace service and to offer your life as a sacrifice, not always the ultimate one, but always a sacrifice of convenience and one's own will, is worth honoring and celebrating. Most people can't imagine sacrificing convenience and we are all tempted to want the validation of our own will as the greatest form of freedom and self-expression. My will be done never reaches beyond self and is probably more self-destructive than the individual will ever know until it has caused severe damage to self and others. So thank you Veterans for your service, sacrifice and selflessness that the best of you embody and challenge all of to live. I know Memorial Day is for all of our Fallen, but even today as we honor you, I remember those who no longer live to see another Veteran's Day. You have my prayers and gratitude. May we (The Public) strive to form a society that is worthy of your service and sacrifice. Peace.