Spirit of Life,
We gather this Memorial Day weekend surrounded by a cloud of witnesses.
First among them are all those we remember this day who have lost their lives in war—
Members of the armed forces, civilians in service, innocent bystanders, children.
Those who share our homeland are remembered today in this country, but the ritual is repeated on other days in other countries all over the world.
For those among us who loved those lost, as family members or as friends, as they served our homeland, this day is a reminder that mourning and honoring never ends.
For their service and their sacrifice, we pause in the silence of memory and respect.

Silence

We cannot forget the other witnesses this day, all those who currently serve in the armed forces. We pray for their safe return.
We give thanks for all those who returned from service, who know war’s aftermath and the toll that it can take on the human heart.

Though this Memorial Day is dedicated to those lost in war all the beloveds we have lost are present to us this day. We hold their names and their faces in our mind’s eye. We recall the gifts they gave to us through the strength of their being, the depth of their love, the courage of their dying, and the fullness of their living.

In the Holy Quiet of this hour, surrounded by all these witnesses who live with us in blessed memory, we return with them once again to the silence, in tribute to all that they have meant to us.
Silence

Amen