“No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (john 15:13)
The Scripture
readings, above, are from taken from the New Revised Standard
Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © http://nrsvbibles.org
(Year B: Remembrance Sunday, 14 November 2021)
Recently I have been reading
‘A State of Emergency’ by Richard Chambers. It is a gripping and altogether
human story of people during the Great Modern Plague that began in early 2020.
It almost sounds like history except that it is not: we are still living
through this. What moved me most in this extraordinary account of the early
weeks of the crisis here in Ireland is contained in the chapters where the
author describes the ensuing crisis up and down the country in our nursing
homes. We do well to remember what
happened and how thousands of nurses, carers, ambulance crew and others moved
into what can only be described as a war scene of absolute catastrophic
proportions and human tragedy.
Most telling were the stories
of workers exhausted, scared and overwhelmed turning up morning after morning,
night after night putting their own lives and health on the line. In those
early days there were no vaccines. Nobody anticipate the full implications of
what was unfolding and how far it could go.
All we knew was that acts of outstanding bravery and self-sacrifice were
taking place.
I have no hesitation in
drawing on this very recent episode of our history and linking it to the time
of remembrance in or around Armistice Day on 11 November. As you know, it is traditional at this time
of year to mark, commemorate and thank God for the bravery and sacrifice of
millions who laid down their lives that we might live and be free. Indeed, we
should never forget. As it says in today’s Gospel reading:
“No one has greater love than
this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (john 15:13)
This was true in 1914 when the
nations of Europe including Ireland as part of the United Kingdom went to war
against each other. It was also true in 1939 and subsequent years when across
the world millions including many Irish women and men answered the call to
serve the cause of justice and defeat tyranny. Wars are sordid. No nation comes
out of war with completely clean hands. However, we should remember the love
that enabled people to give their lives. Love of others, of one’s own family
and one’s own country enabled heroic deeds.
Now that peace reigns in
Europe for the most part and for some time – thanks be to God – we should
remember that an enormous price was paid by others and that we are urged to
imitate the selfless love of those who went before us. We do not have to look
far, my dear friends. Today in a hospital near you nurses, doctors and carers
are working extremely hard at all hours of the day and night. We have a limited
idea of what this means until one of us or someone we know is in need of urgent
medical care for whatever reason.
As a society we should best
remember the heroes of the past by giving our own lives in whatever God has
called us to do. Who knows how our acts of kindness, generosity and
self-sacrifice can save lives.
Let us put the common first
before our own self-interests. This is the best way to remember and move
forward.
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