In his novel, One Hundred Years of Solitude Gabriel Garcia Marquez writes about a strange disease that slowly infiltrated the old village of Macondo. This disease that emerged from the surrounding swamp, was a form of insomnia that attacked the whole town. The initial outcome was the inability of people to sleep. Although the villagers do not feel any bodily fatigue at all, a more serious effect slowly comes about, and that is the loss of memory. Gradually folks in the village realize they can no longer remember or recall the past. Soon they find that they cannot remember the name or the meaning of the simplest things used every day.

Those of you who have had loved ones who have battled Alzheimer’s Disease know how heartbreaking loss of memory can be. Of course, there are things in each of our lives that we would rather forget, but for the most part, our memories are a precious gift. They connect us with friends and family across great spans of distance and time. They allow us to experience the warmth of summer in the midst of a cold winter, and they offer us an opportunity to not duplicate past mistakes and failures. Our memories also root us in vital traditions that add meaning and depth to our lives.

During the Last Supper, when Jesus told his disciples, “Do this in remembrance of me,” he was offering them hope. And through their memories, he was offering hope to the generations to come. Remember my life. Remember my sacrifice. Remember my love. 

Remember…

Let us pray: God of all time and space, we thank you for the gift of memory. Today we especially remember friends and loved ones near and far. We thank you for the good times we have shared with them – for laughter and for tears. We thank you also that in Jesus we have a reminder of your love for us – a love that is unconditional and unfaltering. Finally, we thank you that you are a God who remembers us. Be near to us this day. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.