Chaplain’s Corner by NSWG2 Chaplain LT John Mabus

In these holiday weeks, we stop to celebrate days that are important to us on a number of levels. Holidays, at their root are those days that we set aside as special, sacred, or significant to celebrate an event and or individuals. The holiday season really starts for many of us at Veterans Day. We take time to remember and thank those who have demonstrated courage and honor in the face of personal and family sacrifice for the good of our nation and world. At Thanksgiving, we gather with friends and family to eat good food, maybe watch some football, but especially we pause in thankfulness for the gifts we have been given as families and a nation. For people of faith, holy days like Christmas and Hanukkah are reminders of God’s faithfulness in the past, a light of hope for the future and an opportunity to extend charity and mercy to those in need. As a nation and as people of faith, we have been blessed with generations of those who have lived for causes greater than themselves with integrity and determination.



In the NSW community, often we may find it hard to ever have a normal holiday season because of deployments, trainings and other requirements. Each year may be an opportunity to celebrate the holidays differently. Incorporate traditions where you can, but don’t let them determine your ability to make the season count. During this sacred and special season, I encourage you to laugh, love, celebrate, and remember with a heart of gratitude and vision for the future.