Each year we gather on Remembrance Day with solemn hearts to remember those who gave everything. We also pray for the living and those who suffer as a result of service, Deacon Peter Devenish-Meares writes. Source: The Catholic Leader.
The absence of those who paid the supreme price is felt not only in our hearts, but in our communities and in our families.
Each name etched into a memorial is much more than a name; it is the life of a colleague, a friend, a neighbour, a son who once stood shoulder to shoulder with their fellow officers and soldiers in the strident call – duty first.
To commemorate them is not simply to recall their deaths, but to honour the fullness of their lives.
They wore the Rising Sun not for personal gain, but for the greater good, standing in the gap when others could not or would not.
Their sacrifices remind us that service is costly and that courage often comes clothed in a uniform.
I find strength in the words of Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel: “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden … let your light shine before others …” (Matt. 5:14–16).
These words are not merely ancient poetry – they are a living call.
Our fallen colleagues and loved ones allowed their light to shine in the most difficult, dangerous places.
Even when the darkness of tragedy loomed, their light was not extinguished. It will never be extinguished.
The light of their service continues to shine as a beacon. It shines when you visit a mate, mow the memorial lawn or call someone to cheer them up. It shines when you care when no one is watching.
Their light, reflected now in our actions, becomes a guiding torch for us.
But let us be clear – to honour their memory is not simply to speak well of them. It is to let their example shape how we live and serve tomorrow.
The light they carried cannot be hidden; it calls us to renew our own commitment to be men and women of courage, humility and service.
Deacon Peter Devenish-Meares is an Army chaplain and Royal Australian Regiment Associate Padre.
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A ‘Light on the Hill’ can never been extinguished – reflecting on Remembrance Day 2025 (By Deacon Peter Devenish-Meares, The Catholic Leader)
