The Branches
The souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them.
They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead;
and their passing away was thought an affliction and their going forth from us,
utter destruction. But they are in peace. (Wisdom 3:1-3)
Hello Everyone —
Memorial Day 2026 is already a memory and another workweek is underway. I hope that your weekend and Memorial Day were in some way an opportunity to catch your breath – even if you found yourself at work.
I had the privilege of celebrating Mass on Monday at St. Adalbert Cemetery on 6th Street in Milwaukee. I am always edified by the number of people who turn out to pray and remember – to pay tribute and give thanks. And rightly so!
As the faithful gathered, it gave me pause to reflect that as distinct as each of us may be, there is a common experience that binds us together as firmly as if we all originated from the same family unit. That experience is the loss that comes as a result of death. No one is spared such a separation – and as a result, no one escapes the pain and heartache of grief.
It has been said that as a result of death, we have to accept certain realities that we do not want to have happen, that we have to learn things that we do not want to know, and that we have to let go of individuals we do not believe we can live without.
Indeed, the loss of someone we love thrusts us into a tremendous pool of uncertainty as
our world is turned upside down. What can we really know for certain? How are we ever going to make sense of things again? Or at least that’s how we can feel while in the grip of grief and loss.
But as we work our way through the mourning process and ride the waves of our emotions, we come to realize that there are certain things of which death cannot rob us, namely:
1. The accomplishments of a person’s lifetime
2. Our memories
3. One’s faith
The accomplishments of a lifetime
How does one go about measuring such things? Each life is shaped by its own unique set of circumstances, each person’s individual history, each one’s way of being in the world.
In our uniqueness, we establish different sets of priorities – different ways of placing value on things – based on what we believe. How do we journey through the good and the bad in our lives – the easy times and the challenging ones. And, through it all, how do we find purpose and meaning?
Memorial Day helps us to be especially mindful of the sacrifices made by those who served in our country’s armed forces. Incredibly brave men and women walked into the midst of something they did not start but were directed to bring to an end.
These were individuals whose lives exemplified James Bryce’s words:
“Patriotism consists not in waving the flag, but in striving that our country shall be
righteous as well as strong.”
Our memories
How often is it the case that after someone we love dies, we frequently slip into the mode of telling stories about that person?
“Remember the time when Dad did that?” “Do you remember when Aunt Sophie said that?”
If we just sit for a moment of silence and call to mind our deceased loved ones, how
quickly our minds are flooded with thoughts – so many memories. And in our remembering, we sense them close to us once again.
One’s faith
When we arrive at this third category, we are no longer looking to the accomplishments of another or finding ourselves walking through the hall of memories, but we turn our attention to our own faith journey.
John’s gospel details a powerful encounter between Martha and Jesus when he comes to Bethany to mourn the death of his friend, Lazarus. Jesus, after declaring that He is the resurrection and the life, asks Martha, “Do you believe this?”
Do you believe that there is something more to this life than just simple appearances? Do you believe that you will be reunited one day with those whom you have loved and who have died? Do you believe that those who live in the Lord never see each other for the last time?
Martha was quite clear in her resounding “yes. It is forever inscribed in the pages of sacred scripture. But what about us, you and me? How does our faith direct us to respond? Do we believe in the life that is to come? May our belief in the Resurrection be as resounding as Martha’s.
Among the myriad of intentions we lift up in prayer, let’s not forget to pray for our dear country and for all our service men and women, living and deceased.
As I do for you, please pray for me,
Most Reverend Jeffrey S. Grob
Archbishop of Milwaukee
