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Our trials, our sorrows, and our grieves develop us.

From you we have learned what we, at least, value, to separate Church and State; and from you we gather inspiration at all times in our devotion to learning, to religious liberty, and to individual and National freedom.

We must teach compassion and tolerance and encourage kindness, selflessness, and loving acceptance of all who are created in the image of God.

Virtues, like viruses, have their seasons of contagion. When catastrophe strikes, generosity spikes like a fever. Courage spreads in the face of tyranny.

Give us grace and strength to forbear and to persevere. Give us courage and gaiety and the quiet mind, spare to us our friends, soften to us our enemies.

When we create hope and opportunity in the lives of others, we allow love, decency and promise to triumph over cowardice and hate.

For whatever trauma came with service in tough circumstances, we should take what we learned - take our post-traumatic growth - and, like past generations coming home, bring our sharpened strengths to bear, bring our attitude of gratitude to bear.

We are each made for goodness, love and compassion. Our lives are transformed as much as the world is when we live with these truths.

We can learn the art of fierce compassion - redefining strength, deconstructing isolation and renewing a sense of community, practicing letting go of rigid us-vs.-them thinking - while cultivating power and clarity in response to difficult situations.

Today we affirm a new commitment to live out our nation's promise through civility, courage, compassion and character.