Memorial Day - history and prayer for the day

Memorial Day is one of those holidays that Americans get the day off for but do not really "use" the day as it was meant to be, mostly because public displays of patriotism and memorialization are not as popular as once was. But as Catholics, I think we need to try to keep the history of Memorial Day intact and instill in our friends and family a time during this weekend and especially on Monday to reflect on those who served and died in the Armed Forces of America so that we can live in this land of the free. Here is a history and a prayer from a website
from the Association of the Miraculous Medal (webpage here) :

HISTORY OF MEMORIAL DAY:

After the bloody war between the States, citizens of the North and the South felt a need to honor those fallen in the war. On various days people from different communities would place flowers at the graves of those they wished to honor. The day came to be known as Decoration Day. By 1868, the northern states were keeping the day on May 30. In 1882, the day was renamed Memorial Day and extended to honor the fallen in other wars. Since 1950, Congress has designated Memorial Day as a day when the people of the United States might unite in prayer for permanent peace. In 1971, President Nixon declared it a national holiday and designated the commemoration for the last Monday in May. Besides honoring those Americans from the armed forces, it is also a day for personal remembrance of all loved ones. Flowers on graves, church services, visits to the cemetery are all ways to mark the day with dignity and solemnity. In this spirit it is only fitting to make this day one of prayer in our Catholic faith with its long tradition of remembering the faithful departed.

Scripture Reading Judas Maccabeus then took up a collection among all his soldiers, amounting to two thousand silver drachmas, which he sent to Jerusalem to provide for an expiatory sacrifice. In doing this he acted in a very excellent and noble way, inasmuch as he had the resurrection of the dead in view. II Maccabees 12: 43

Prayer Lord God, you are the glory of believers and the life of the just. Your Son redeemed us by dying and rising to life again. Since our brothers and sisters believed in the mystery of the resurrection, we join our prayers to those of the Blessed Virgin Mary as we ask that they share the joys and blessings of the life to come. Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

I heard this poem on Dr. Laura's radio show last week, I think it is a refreshing reminder of
what soldiers do for us:

Thank a Soldier

It is the soldier, not the reporter,

Who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the soldier, not the poet,

Who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the soldier, not the campus organizer,

Who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.

It is the soldier, not the lawyer,

Who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the soldier,

Who salutes the flag,

Who serves under the flag,

And whose coffin is draped by the flag,

Who allows the protester to burn the flag.

To all the brave men and women who have dedicated or given their lives to protecting this country and it’s freedoms:

Thank you. You are hero’s in our eyes and forever in our hearts.

If you can read this message thank a teacher,

If you are reading it in English of your own free will THANK A SOLDIER!

SUPPORT OUR TROOPS!

“It is better to fight for something, than to live for nothing”-General George S. Patton

Although the above is not really for the dead soldier, as Catholics, we believe in life after death and the Communion of Saints, so there definitely are soldiers in Heaven that we can thank and ask for their prayers. The military gets a bad rap these days but if you think about it, if the U.S. did not get involved in World War I, II and the cold war, it may have been possible for dictators from Germany or Soviet Union to conquer the United States and we would not have the rights and privileges we have now. Time to tell if our ongoing War on Terrorism will be seen in the same light or not, especially due to the enemies using new and unorthodox methods of warfare.

Hopefully soon, we will have a world where war will be a thing of the past, that peace will
reign over the whole Earth so we can concentrate on sheltering the homeless, feeding the hungry, and clothing the naked.