A Day to Rember, A Life to Reflect

Celebrating the end of WWII in Pilsen

Today, May 8th 2025, we pause to remember the end of one of history’s darkest chapters 80 years ago—World War II. Across the Czech Republic, the United States, and throughout Europe, this day stands as a solemn reminder of what it cost to defeat the evil that was Nazi Germany.

It is a day to honor the courage of soldiers and civilians alike—men and women who stood against tyranny, who left behind families and futures, and who gave their lives so others could live in freedom. Americans crossed oceans to fight on foreign soil. Czechs resisted occupation at home and abroad. Countless others from across Europe joined the struggle, knowing full well the danger they faced.

Their sacrifice is not just a historical fact. It is a moral weight.

The Bible tells us, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Today, we remember those who laid down their lives not only for their friends, but for generations they would never meet—for you, for me, for the students we teach and the communities we serve.

Let us ask ourselves today: Is what we are living for worthy of such a sacrifice? Are we giving our best in our work, in our relationships, in our efforts to build something good and lasting? Are we living with the kind of gratitude that honors those who gave everything?

May we never forget the price that was paid. And may we live in a way that proves it was not paid in vain.