Veteran's Day: Thank you to all who have served.

A Prayer for Memorial Days
Almighty God, our heavenly Father, in whose hands are the living and the dead; We give thee thanks for all those thy servant who have laid down their lives in the service of our country.  Grant to them thy mercy and the light of thy presence, that the good work which thou hast begun in them may be perfected; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord. AMEN.

At the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in the year 1918, hostilities in Europe came to end with the signing of the Armisitce.  In Great Britain and throughout the Commonwealth, the end of the Great War has since been known as Remembrance Day or Poppy Day.  In the United States, Armistice Day became Veteran's Day following the Korean War so that the veterans of all U.S. wars could be honored and remembered.

On this day, we should take a moment and say thank you to those who have given of themselves to defend our nation.  We should also give thanks to God for the gifts of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for which so many have fought and died to establish and maintain. 

A Prayer for Protection to Saint Michael
Holy Michael, Archangel,
defend us in the day of battle;
be our safeguard against the wickedness
and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do thou, prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God thrust down to hell Satan,
and all the wicked spirits who wander through the world
for the ruin of souls. AMEN.

A Prayer for the Army
O Lord God of Hosts, stretch forth, we pray thee, thine almighty arm to strengthen and protect the soldiers of our country.  Support them in the day of battle, and in the time of peace keep them safe from all evil; endue them with courage and loyalty; and grant that in all things they may serve without reproach; through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

A Prayer for the Navy
O Eternal Lord God, who alone spredest out the heavens, and rulest the raging of the sea; Vouchsafe to take into thy almighty and most graciouos protection our country's Navy, and all who serve therein.  Preserve them from the dangers of the sea, and from the violence of the enemy; that they may be a safeguard unto the United States of America, and a security for such as pass on the seas upon their lawful occasions; that the inhabitants of our land may in peace and quietness serve thee our God, to the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

A brief note: The prayers that I have selected above, with the exception of the prayer to St. Michael, come from the 1928 BCP.  Because that book predates the establishment of the U.S. Air Force, there is no direct mention of the all the brave men and women who have given their youth and their lives in the service of their country.  We in Northwest Louisiana cannot overlook the valiant service performed by the men of the 8th Air Force during World War II and thus rightly should honor those who carry on in their footsteps.

Semper Fi.

Fr. Michael+