Memorial Day Mas; and A Prayer for America

Memorial Day Mass; and A Prayer for America
Monday, May 25, 2009

On this Memorial Day as we honor our dead, especially those who gave their lives that we might live in peace, let us be ever mindful of the magnitude of their sacrifice, for who can give more than this life as proof of love for his brother.

While Old Glory silently stands guard over their holy resting place, let us offer our gratitude and pray that we may prove worthy of the sacrifice they made.

Let us promise to dedicate ourselves to the preservation of peace and freedom for which they so gallantly fought and died.
Cardinal Roger Mahony, Archbishop of Los Angeles

Memorial Day Mass: May 25, 2009 + 10 A.M.
All Souls Cemetery, Long Beach, California
Celebrant: Most Reverend Edward Wm. Clark, D.D., S.T.D. V.G. Auxiliary Bishop

Holy Gospel according to John – Jn 17, 24-26

Raising his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed and said: “Father, all those you gave me I would have in my company where I am, to see this glory of mine which is your gift to me, because of the love you bore for me before the world began.

Just Father, the world has not known you,
but I have known you; and these men have
known that you sent me. To them I have
revealed you name, and I will continue to
reveal it so that your love for me may live in
them, and I may live in them.”
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A Prayer for America: Pastor Joe Wright before the State House in Topeka, Kansas:

Heavenly Father, we come before You to ask forgiveness and seek Your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, “Woe to those who call evil good,” but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and inverted our values. We confess that:

We have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and called it moral pluralism;
We have worshipped other gods and called it multiculturalism:

We have endorsed perversion and called alternative lifestyle;
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery;

We have neglected the needy and called it self-preservation;
We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare;

We have killed our unborn and called it choice;
We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable;

We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building esteem;
We have abused power and called political savvy;

We have coveted our neighbors’ possessions and called it ambition;
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression;

We ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called enlightenment

Search God, and know our hearts today’ try us and see if there be some wicked way in us; cleanse from every sin and set us free. I ask it in the name of your Son, the Living Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.