As we prepare to celebrate All Souls Day (Nov. 2), we gladly take the opportunity to pray for all the faithful departed. What an honor and important duty it is to spiritually assist the faithful departed as we offer our annual Novena for All Souls! Today, we pray in a special way for those who have died in Military Service.
Opening Prayer: “Merciful God, during this Novena of prayer, we remember all those who have died. We pray for their joyful reunion with you, their loving Creator. You raised your Son from the dead that all may share in His joyful Resurrection. So, as your Son has commanded, we reach out in prayer for the benefit of all those who have gone before us. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.”
The Rosary on Friday: The Sorrowful Mysteries (Jesus’ Agony in the Garden, the Scourging at the Pillar, the Crowning with Thorns, Jesus Carrying His Cross, and His Crucifixion and Death)
Prayer for Day: “Lord our God, whose mercy is never withheld for those who call upon you in hope, look kindly on the men and women who have died in military service, and number them among you saints for evermore. Fill our hearts with gratitude for their sacrifice; help us to treasure our liberty and to defend your truth. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.”
For further reflection: The privilege to hold differing opinions and expressing them openly is a result of the sacrifice of a few for all. Let us remember, well past this Novena, all those who have sacrificed (and are presently sacrificing) so much to serve. The Universal Catechism says, “whether we realize it or not, prayer is the encounter of God’s thirst with ours. God thirsts that we may thirst for Him.” (CCC, 2560) So, pray often: in times of joy and difficulty; in times of fear and doubt; in moments of distress and in times of peace. A simple prayer that comes from the heart becomes the place of our encounter with God’s love, mercy, and protection.
