May 25, 2009

A Soldier's Prayer~A Memorial Day Tribute

Lest We Forget - American Cemetery Normandy
The American Battle Monuments Commission administers, operates, and maintains twenty-four permanent American burial grounds on foreign soil. Presently there are 124,917 U.S. War Dead interred at these cemeteries, 30,922 of World War I, 93,245 of World War II and 750 of the Mexican War.

The World War II Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial is situated on a cliff overlooking Omaha Beach and the English Channel in Colleville-sur Mer, France. It is just east of St. Laurent-sur-Mer and northwest of Bayeux about one hundred and seventy miles west of Paris.

The cemetery contains the graves of 9,387 American military Dead, most of whom gave their lives during the landings and ensuing operations of World War II.

An S.A.S. Soilder's Prayer

I bring this prayer to You, Lord,
For You alone can give
What one cannot demand from oneself

Give me, Lord,what You have left over
Give me what no one ever asks You for.

I dont ask You for rest,
Or quiet,
Whether of soul or body;
I dont ask You for wealth,
Nor for success,
Nor even health perhaps,
That sort of thing You get asked for so much
That You cant have any of it left...

Give me, Lord, what You have left over,
Give me what no one wants from You...

I want insecurity and strife
And I want You to give me these
Once and for all
So that I can be sure of having them always
Since I shall not always have the courage
To ask You for them

Give me Lord what You have left over
Give me what others want nothing to do with

But give me courage too...
And strenght and faith
For You alone can give
What one cannot demand from oneself.

Lieutenant Andre Zirnheld (d. 1941)

Lt. Zirnheld was a college philosophy professor before WWII, in which he served in the British S.A.S.. This prayer was found on his body when he was killed in action in Lybia in 1941

Labels: Catholic, Prayers, Quotable Quotes, Traveling