May 25: Memorial Day

A Memorial Day Prayer: “Gracious God, on this Memorial Day weekend, we remember and give thanks for those who have given their lives in the service of our country. When the need was greatest, they stepped forward and did their duty to defend the freedoms that we enjoy, and to win the same for others. O God, you yourself have taught us that no love is greater than that which gives itself for another. These honored dead gave the most precious gift they had, life itself, for loved ones and neighbors, for comrades and country – and for us. Help us to honor their memory by caring for the family members they have left behind, by ensuring that their wounded comrades are properly cared for, by being watchful caretakers of the freedoms for which they gave their lives, and by demanding that no other young men and women follow them to a soldier’s grave unless the reason is worthy and the cause is just. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.”

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For those of us who get these days confused: Armed Forces Day is observed on the third Saturday of each May and it honors those who are serving; Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday of May and it remembers those who died while serving; and Veterans Day is observed on the 11^th day of November at it honors those who served. Let us remember to pray for all of them.