This prayer service was offered last evening by The BeLoved Inclusive Catholic Community. It was prepared by Rev. AndreaGrace and Diane R.
Welcome
Veteran’s Day finds its roots as Armistice Day – established after the end of World War I – which was to be the war to end all wars. In 1947, Raymond Weeks, a World War II veteran, organized the first Veteran’s Day celebration in Alabama on Armistice Day. In 1968, the Government changed Veteran’s Day to October and then in 1978, Veteran’s Day was re-established on November 11, the original Armistice Day. As we move through this service, let us remember not only our veterans – but also their circles of love – and those who are now serving our country as Active Duty Members.
Opening Prayer
Let us take a deep breath together and place ourselves in the presence of the Holy One.
Divine Love,
We know you by so many names and images.
We gather now in your presence.
Bring comfort and healing to all of our veterans and active duty – to their circles of love – to our country and to our world.
Touch our hearts and minds through this gathering –
May we know your love more intimately and be transformed to share it more abundantly.
Amen.
In the following song, God Bless The USA, the refrain mentions the "men" who have served… Let us be mindful of the many women who have also served.
A Message To the Soldier, To the Veteran by Alden Solovy
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.
Praying...
When we pray, we are uniting our spirits with God. We are intentionally placing ourselves in God’s presence. We are communicating with God – sharing what is on our hearts… and listening for God’s response. I find it helpful to think about God being physically with me – the way that my parent, partner or friend is with me. When we pray, we are also opening a channel for God’s power and grace to enter and touch a person or a situation in a new way.
The Metta Prayer
All world religions include different types of prayer. Just as we enjoy physical food from cultures around the world, we can enjoy spiritual nourishment from religions around the world. Tonight, we will use the Buddhist Metta Prayer which is also known as the Loving Kindness Prayer. There are different variations. However, the Metta Prayer is always prayed as a mantra – slow and repetitive in alliance with our breath.
The words are:
The light of God surrounds me.
The love of God enfolds me.
The power of God protects me.
The presence of God is within me.
Wherever I am, God is and all is well.
Each line offers a different image.
We may pray the words and hear them. Light is around me.
We may pause and envision what the line is offering. – what does it look like to have the light of God surrounding me…
Or we may feel it in our body. – what does it feel like to be in the light…. Think sunlight or walking into a dark room and turning on the light….
As we move through these lines, we may hear… see… or feel…
Each of these is a wonder-filled way to pray. We may also focus on our breath – breathing in and out with each line.
With the Metta Prayer, we always begin by praying for ourselves. We can’t pass on what we don’t know. Join me now in praying…
The light of God surrounds me.
The love of God enfolds me.
The power of God protects me.
The presence of God is within me.
Wherever I am, God is and all is well.
I invite each person to say aloud the names of veterans and active duty members in their lives. We will collectively pray the Metta Prayer for those mentioned.
The light of God surrounds them.
The love of God enfolds them.
The power of God protects them.
The presence of God is within them.
Wherever they are, God is and all is well.
Let us now pray this for our country…
The light of God surrounds US.
The love of God enfolds US.
The power of God protects US.
The presence of God is within US.
Wherever we are, God is and all is well.
We offer this final prayer…
adapted from one written by David Lose
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 justiceand a harvest of peace...
May the peace you offer us,
the peace you give us,
be the peace that sustains, delivers and saves us...
Amen.