Almighty God,
we remember before You today
the end of fighting in World War I,
and we honor before You those who fought
and who were killed or wounded in that terrible struggle.
We remember before You
the millions of civilians killed or made homeless
in that terrible conflict,
and the generations of young men
whose loss still affects their countries.
On this day,
may we celebrate peace,
peace that is founded on security for all,
peace that calls for respecting the dignity
of all persons and nations,
peace that seeks to build the world rather than destroy it.
Every life lost is a world destroyed, O God.
We pray for our veterans,
the men and women who served this country,
in all the wars and conflicts since,
that they be honored for their sacrifice and cared for in their needs.
We pray that we honor the fast You have chosen, O Almighty One:
to care for each other
with compassion, kindness, and generosity,
and to protect the vulnerable
with the same force and determination
we present in any conflict,
remembering that we are all knit together by humanity.
Lord, You know our needs and our concerns:
rest your protecting hand
upon those for whom we pray,
Amen.
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