Prayer for Veterans Day
God of peace,
we pray for those who have served our nation,
who answered the call to protect and defend
the liberty and freedom
of one and all…
God of love,
we pray for those who fought,
who put their lives on the line,
not counting the cost to themselves,
giving freely of all they had
that others might freely live…
God of healing,
we pray for those whose bodies are scarred
by the crisis of conflict, the wages of war;
we pray for those whose nights are haunted
by memories too painful
for the light of day…
God of everlasting mercy,
turn our hearts and minds
to the pursuit of harmony,
the work of justice
and a harvest of peace…
May the peace you offer us,
the peace you give us,
be the peace that sustains,
delivers and saves us…
Christ Jesus, hear us!
Lord Jesus, hear our prayer!
Amen.
To the Soldier, To the Veteran
These things I do not know:
The sound of a bullet.
The power of a blast.
The blood of a comrade.
The depth of your wound.
The terror at midnight.
The dread at dawn.
Your fear or your pain.
These things I know:
The sound of your honor.
The power of your courage.
The blood of your wound.
The depth of your strength.
The terror that binds you.
The dread that remains.
Your dignity and your valor.
For these things I pray:
The sound of your laughter.
The power of your voice.
The blood of your yearning.
The depth of your healing.
The joy that frees you.
The hope that remains.
Your wholeness and your love.
© 2011 Alden Solovy and To Bend Light.
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