My Offering of Self

Suscipe

Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty,

my memory, my understanding,

and my entire will,

all I have and call my own.

You have given all to me.
To you, Lord, I return it.

Everything is yours; do with it what you will.

Give me only your love and your grace,
that is enough for me.

by St. Ignatius of Loyola

A Veterans’ Day Prayer

Our Lord and Savior gave his life so that we could be free. The men and women in our armed forces are following his example – giving of themselves for our freedom. Today’s prayer is the prayer of a soldier saint, St. Ignatius of Loyola.  St. Ignatius, a Spanish knight, was wounded at the Battle of Pamploma. It was during his recovery from his injuries that he had his spiritual awakening. I think most of us could also say that we were most open to our Lord’s voice and leading when we were hurting, lost, or in distress. My prayer is to live as Jesus lived: giving totally and without cost. To quote a favorite Bible school song:  “I may never fight in the infantry, ride in the calvary, shoot the artillery, I may never fly o’er the enemy, but I’m in the Lord’s army!”

Thank you veterans for living this prayer through your service to our country.

Lord, teach me to be generous.

Teach me to serve you as you deserve;

    to give and not to count the cost,

    to fight and not to heed the wounds,

    to toil and not to seek for rest,

   to labor and not to ask for reward,

   save that of knowing that I do your will.

Amen

St. Ignatius of Loyola