05/25/2026
As we pause this Memorial Day, we do so with hearts full of gratitude, reverence, and humility. This day is not simply the unofficial beginning of summer, nor merely a date on the calendar. It is a sacred reminder of the men and women who laid down their lives in service to our country, and of the families who still carry the weight of that sacrifice. Their absence is not abstract. It is felt at empty chairs, in quiet memories, in folded flags, and in the lives that continued forward forever changed.
As Masons, Memorial Day should speak to us in a particularly meaningful way. We are taught to build — not only with stone and mortar, but with character, duty, love, and truth. Every life given in service, every family that has endured loss, and every act of courage offered for the good of others becomes part of a greater foundation upon which freedom, community, and brotherhood continue to stand. Those we remember today gave the full measure of devotion so that others might live in peace, hope, and liberty.
In a time when so much in our world feels divided, uncertain, and heavy, Memorial Day calls us back to the virtues we profess as Masons: Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth. Brotherly Love reminds us to cherish one another while we are still gathered together. Relief reminds us to care for the widows, the families, the grieving, and the burdened. Truth reminds us that freedom, duty, and sacrifice are not slogans, but sacred obligations passed from one generation to the next.
May we honor the fallen not only with words, but by how we live. May we be better husbands, fathers, sons, friends, neighbors, citizens, and Masons. May we remember that what we build together is made stronger when each of us takes his proper place, when we stand shoulder to shoulder, when we serve one another, and when we refuse to let the sacrifices of others fade into silence.
This Memorial Day, let us remember those who gave everything, pray for those who loved them, and recommit ourselves to living lives worthy of their sacrifice.
