The Holy Redeemer Church in Warren held a Memorial Day service on Monday.

The last Monday in May is observed for Memorial Day, honoring our fallen soldiers for their sacrifice. A few weeks prior, on the second Sunday of May, mothers are celebrated. Coincidentally, the two share more than their place on the calendar — both emerged from the aftermath of the American Civil War. The two national holidays share symbolism in that

Mother’s Day arose from women’s efforts to promote peace and healing through motherhood, while Memorial Day arose from the shared act of honoring fallen soldiers. The commemoration of loss and the values that sustain us are displayed both through the love of a mother and the sacrifice of a soldier. In addition, this year Memorial Day falls just after the day of Pentecost. The three commemorate the sacrifices made out of selfless love for others.

These are intertwined in the foundation of our country -a country based on freedoms, all in which come at a cost. While the weather here in Warren County did not agree with what many would have liked to experience for the kickoff to summer, perhaps it’s a way in which we should memorialize by way of reflection on sacrifice, love, and devotion, rather than camping, parades and cookouts.

As the celebration of our country’s 250th birthday draws closer, we can take this Memorial Day to remember what President Abraham Lincoln said in his Gettysburg Address. The “new birth of freedom” proclaimed in the U.S. founding documents is a historical moment etched in everlasting time, reminding Americans the implications of conceiving, birthing and sustaining liberty and the continuous dedication to protect those freedoms. The sacrifices of soldiers on the battlefield should lead to a transformed nation where freedom is fully realized.

In contrasting Pentecost and Memorial Day, we honor the sacrifices of those who gave their lives for freedom — Pentecost’s freedom from sin and spiritual bondage and Memorial Day’s freedom won through sacrifice. A reminder that faith, freedom, and remembrance are intertwined as well as rooted in grace and courage — both essential to the nation’s and the Church’s mission.

The Holy Redeemer Rev. Mark O’Hern began his Memorial Day Mass sharing how the dying’s last words can vary and that the stronger a person’s faith is, the more their concerns will be for others whom they love. A mother brings life into the world, knowing the dangers of the world taking that life out, particularly when protecting others. He said, “Although Memorial Day is called a national holiday, it is not really intended to be a celebration. This is a remembrance of the price of a broken world and the sacrifices of those paying the bill. Today we honor the heroism and ultimately selfless love of many willing to treat even complete strangers as extended family with protection and care.”

Before the reading of the names of the fallen and the sound of “Taps,” O’Hern referenced the 1998 film, “Saving Private Ryan” by pointing out that the character Captain Miller (portrayed by actor Tom Hanks) spoke these last words to Private Ryan, “Earn it.”

We honor the lives of those that have laid down their lives for our freedom by living our lives in meaningful ways, as we can likely imagine that is what they would want for us and the very reason for which they served.