Last Monday, we celebrated Memorial Day. While being interviewed, Army veteran Ed Martinez was asked what Memorial Day meant to him, to which he replied, “What greater gift can one man or woman make to keep the United States free and to maintain our way of life than in sacrificing their life for us.”

We thank God for their love of country and are humbled and grateful for their service and that sacrifice.

We are so busy in our lives that, sometimes, we forget how lucky we are to live in the United States. We forget to thank God for this gift and the gift of those who gave everything to enable us to enjoy life in this country.

Recently, Sister Cheryl Dazy O.S.F. shared with me data that reminded me, once again, to thank God for where we live and the lives we enjoy. The data notes that there are 8.1 billion people in the world.

The author noted that it is hard to fathom that number of people, and to imagine what they have and do not have, so he extrapolated the information into various statistics, making his summary easier to comprehend. He notes:

11% of the world population live in Europe, 5% in North America, 9% in South America, 15% in Africa and 60% in Asia.

49% live in the countryside and 51% live in cities. 75% have cell phones, the remainder do not. 30% have internet access and 70% do not have the ability to go online.

7% have had the opportunity to attend college while 93% have not. 83% can read and 17% are illiterate. 26% live less than 14 years. 66% die between the ages of 15-64. 8% live over 65 years.

33% are Christian, 22% are Muslims, 14% are Hindus, 7% are Buddhists, 12% are other religions. 12% have no religious beliefs.

If a person owns their own home, eats full meals and drinks clean water, has a mobile phone and can surf the internet, and has the ability to go to college, that person is in a miniscule, privileged lot (less than 7% in this category in the world).

Please cherish the life that you have been given and thank God for where you live. Please be ever grateful for God’s graces in this regard, and the sacrifice of so many that has made this life possible.

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek