Almighty God, Creator of heaven and earth, You have made
mankind in Your image. And You have graced us with the
ability to remember and have given us the capacity to be
thankful. And certainly it is sad when memories fade or are lost.
And ungratefulness can be all too common a characteristic of
the human condition. But when a nation forgets, when a people
no longer remember why they were blessed nor the sacrifices
made by those who gave their lives to defend the nation’s just
principles—when a country no longer shows thankfulness nor
honors those who died in service to something special and
great and for the very existence of that country, then it is
truly tragic. May it not be so, may it never be so, for these
United States of America.

But Almighty God, we remember. We remember what great price
was paid and what tears were shed by those that never had their
loved ones return from war. And we are grateful, so grateful,
that there were those who stood up, took arms, and risked their
lives for our land and for the freedom which generations of
Americans have enjoyed.

May our presence here this day be a sign of our Memorial.
May the wreaths and salutes be a symbol of our thankfulness
and the honor we wish to bestow upon these fallen champions.

And may we be thankful and ever remember the promise of Your
Word, that we will see them once again—those we knew and those
we have never met, but who have mightily impacted our lives—we
will see them at the resurrection of the dead. For You, O God,
have provided eternity.

Thank you our Father. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

© 2017 Gregory J. Scalzo