
The concept of memorial is found all through scripture. God enacted regular feasts to cause us to remember. When Jesus instituted communion during a Passover meal He said, as oft as you partake of the bread and this cup, to do this in remembrance of me.
What were we to remember? His sacrifice for us!
We find this concept extending through scripture to apply to virtually unknown people to. For example, in Matthew 26:6-13 we find a woman who poured a very expensive jar of alabaster upon Jesus head. According to commentaries this equated to about a years worth of wages. The disciples saw her sacrifice as wasteful and they were indignant. But Jesus acknowledged her sacrifice and says in verse 13 "Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.
What are we to remember? Her great sacrifice obviously motivated by her great love for Jesus Christ, the Savior of her soul.
In Acts 10:1-8 we find that the place where God chose to introduce salvation to the Gentiles was determined by the actions of Cornelius, a Centurion. Acts 10:4 declares why?