Chaplain Kimberly Willis

Good morning.

Let us pray.

Eternal and ever faithful God, on this sacred morning beneath the quiet majesty of these marble arches, we gather in this hollow place to pay tribute, to reflect, and to recommit.

We come before you as a grateful nation, mindful of those who have donned the uniform, answered the call, and stood in the breach on behalf of freedom.

You, who chart the course of every life, know each one who answered to the distant horizon, to the storm-tossed sea, to the far-off watch.

You have seen the quiet courage and the visible sacrifice, the sleepless nights, the lonely return, the unspoken burdens.

You have carried the tears of family, the prayers of caregivers, and the hope of a grateful people.

We remember those who fell, whose names rest beneath these stones, silent sentinels of our nation's promise.

We remember those who yet bear in body or spirit the cost of service.

Grant them your healing, your strength, and your peace.

And to families who waited, who worried, who bore the weight of absence, extend your sustaining grace, O Comforter.

We give thanks for the Department of Veteran Affairs, who daily honor our nation's sacred trust.

And we bless the veteran service organizations whose devotion ensures that no veteran stands alone.

In honor of those who served, renew our covenant to tend the garden of democracy with vigilance and care.

to serve with humility, to lead with integrity, to walk together as one people under your guiding hand.

Underpin our labors with hope, our words with true, our action with compassion.

Let freedom ring not only on the battlefield, but in the everyday lives of your people.

God bless the United States of America, that we may be true to the promise entrusted to us, vigilant in peace, resolute in service, defender of justice, and steadfast in gratitude.

It is in your holy name we pray.