On this day, November 11, 2025, the Eastern Diocese remembers those who have served, fought, and sacrificed in war.
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O Christ, our God:
We lift our voices to you in prayer today, to remember our veterans, and honor their valor and bravery. Representing every walk of life, men and women alike, and across the generations, these honorable souls answered the call to serve in a righteous cause, to protect their country and people in times of war.
Lord, we ask you to place your graceful blessing upon them for the selfless service they gave – and often the supreme sacrifice they endured – on behalf of us all: to preserve our liberty, ensure our security, and vindicate our way of life in this great country.
With grateful hearts, we ask you to remember the bright souls of those who gave their lives, and to place your protective hand on those who continue to serve. We ask for your blessing on our veterans and all their loved ones, under the power of the Holy Cross: the sign of God’s supreme sacrificial love, which you gave to humankind.
As we pray for our veterans, Lord, we are painfully aware of the bitter calamity that war represents for all involved. It was during World War I when your Armenian children faced the threat of annihilation; and the burden of war still weighs upon their descendants today.
We pray for that day when every conflict will end; when the vulnerable are no longer threatened by aggression; when the meek are no longer subject to attack. With faith in the saving power of your Resurrection, and the promise of your Second Coming, we await the day when your Peace and Mercy will flow unimpeded over the entire earth.
For you are the King of Peace, Lord Jesus, and to you we give glory and honor, forever. Amen.
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Above: A World War I memorial known as the “Brooding Soldier,” in St. Julien, Belgium. The statue memorializes Canadian troops who died in the first gas attacks of the war, in that disastrous year of 1915.