Memorial Day means to remind us of over 1.3 million the men and women who died in defense of this country. What do we mean, then, by country? Certainly that means our geography including our states and territories. Certainly that means our people. And within our people, it is formed around ideas. The assumption is that if you are born here you’ll absorb those ideas in many ways, including schools. We hope. More about that in a moment.

It is very clear in the naturalization process where applicants for citizenship have to pass a civics test, which focuses on our founding documents: The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution with a special focus on the Bill of Rights. In other words, words.

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This Graduation Sunday morning we are blessed to have a Gospel passage about another graduation of sorts.

There are two primary issues afoot in this Gospel passage. First is the witness we see to restoration. This man has been laid up for some unspecified reason for 38 years. We must assume that over that time his limbs, especially his legs, must have atrophied. John is not specific as to how long he had been at the pool of Beth-zatha, or you may know it as Bethesda, but it appears Jesus picked him out from among the many who had gathered there to seek some healing effects from the waters, perhaps water aerobics although there is no mention of pool noodles, or perhaps aid from the crowds coming to the pool.

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Today’s Gospel presents a moment that is at once extremely encouraging and most somber.

Not long ago I received a call from a young woman who is getting started in life, early 20’s. She was in tears because she had been reading about terrible suffering that some children endure, especially in human trafficking and especially in developing nations. That got her thinking about other awful things. She wanted to know why God allows such evil in the world.

When Judas leaves Jesus and the other disciples that night of the Last Supper, it is one of the most awful moments in human history. We spend a lot of time and energy trying to figure out the best ways to help people learn about Jesus. That includes introducing his story and him for the first time, helping people to grow in their knowledge and love of him, and helping people who have drifted away from him or been wounded by life or even the Church in some way. We view all of that in terms of progress; if only they knew, or if only we knew better.

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