Frederick Howden, Jr., Priest and Chaplain of the Armed Forces, 1942

The Collect:

Rite I:
Almighty God, our sure defense: We give thee thanks for thy servant[s] Frederick Howden, [N.,] and all military chaplains who provided comfort and inspiration in time of battle; and, following the example of Jesus the Good Shepherd, laid down their lives in the service of others. Inspire and strengthen us, also, for the duties of life still before us, that we may be faithful to the end; through the same Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

Rite II:
Almighty God, our sure defense: We give you thanks for your servant[s] Frederick Howden, [N.,] and all military chaplains who provided comfort and inspiration in time of battle; and, following the example of Jesus the Good Shepherd, laid down their lives in the service of others. Inspire and strengthen us, also, for the duties of life still before us, that we may be faithful to the end; through the same Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

First Reading: 1 Corinthians

Psalm: Psalm 18:1-6, 18-20

¹ I love you, O Lord my strength, *
O Lord my stronghold, my crag, and my haven.
² My God, my rock in whom I put my trust, *
my shield, the horn of my salvation, and my refuge;
you are worthy of praise.
³ I will call upon the Lord, *
and so shall I be saved from my enemies.
⁴ The breakers of death rolled over me, *
and the torrents of oblivion made me afraid.
⁵ The cords of hell entangled me, *
and the snares of death were set for me.
⁶ I called upon the Lord in my distress *
and cried out to my God for help.

¹⁸ He delivered me from my strong enemies
and from those who hated me; *
for they were too mighty for me.
¹⁹ They confronted me in the day of my disaster; *
but the Lord was my support.
²⁰ He brought me out into an open place; *
he rescued me because he delighted in me.

Gospel: John 10:11-18

¹¹“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ¹²The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. ¹³The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. ¹⁴I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, ¹⁵just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep.¹⁶I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. ¹⁷For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. ¹⁸No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”