In the United States, Memorial Day is celebrated each year on the last Monday of May. According to History.com, "Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971 [and is directed at] honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military."
It is a common custom to visit the graves of relatives on this day, honoring especially those who were veterans.
Catholics are always encouraged to visit cemeteries, as it reminds us of the need to pray for the souls in purgatory and to recall the reality of our own future death.
Hope of purgatory
Pope Benedict XVI reiterated that purgatory is meant to be a place of hope, mentioning it in his encyclical on hope, Spe salvi.
At the moment of judgment we experience and we absorb the overwhelming power of his love over all the evil in the world and in ourselves. The pain of love becomes our salvation and our joy … The judgement of God is hope, both because it is justice and because it is grace … If it were merely justice, in the end it could bring only fear to us all … grace allows us all to hope, and to go trustfully to meet the Judge whom we know as our “advocate.”
The existence of purgatory can give us hope during our life on earth, affirming to us that God is a just Judge, an “advocate,” rather than an arbitrary dictator. He wants to clothe us with his love, not only in this life, but also in the next. This love spurs us on, giving us hope that all the good we do is not in vain.
Prayer for deceased veterans
Here is a simple prayer from the USCCB to pray for those deceased veterans, recognizing their sacrifice and praying that they may be conducted into the loving arms of their Heavenly Father.
O God,
by whose mercy the faithful departed find rest,
look kindly on your departed veterans who gave their
lives in the service of their country.
Grant that through the passion, death, and resurrection of your Son
they may share in the joy of your heavenly kingdom
and rejoice in you with your saints forever.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Looking for more prayers? Check out our page of “Prayers for a Particular Need.”
