When we think of war heroes we usually think of men. But there are plenty of women among them, Mary Wilson for one. During WW2 the Allied forces launched an assault upon the Anzio Beach in southern Italy. Their enemy was ready for the, and the Allied were soon pinned down on the beach and facing annihilation. Mary Wilson was head of the fifty-one army nurses who went ashore with the troops. As she stood assisting in surgery for wounded soldiers bullets ripped through the tent. Things were so bad it was arranged for the nursing staff to leave. But Mary Wilson would not go. As she reflected on the episode years later she said "How could I possibly leave them. I was part of them."
Application: incarnation. In becoming a human Christ also became one of us, is now part of us, so that his destiny and that of humanity are intertwined.
Application: presence. The greatest gift we can give others is our presence, especially in those times that are tough. This is God's gift to us and something we can gift to others.
Application: commitment, sacrifice, love, giving
Source: reported in Tom Brokaw, The Greatest Generation