On Remembrance Day, Australians are urged to observe a minute’s silence to remember all those who have died or suffered for the country in armed conflicts. But it’s also a minute of prayer, says Bishop Stuart Hall. Source: The Catholic Weekly.
“Silence in itself is the beginning of prayer,” the new Military Ordinary for the Australian Defence Forces told The Catholic Weekly.
“We stop what we’re doing and remember that every person who died in service had a name, they had a family, and they had a story. As Catholics, we entrust those who have died to God’s mercy.”
And it’s not just about the past. “It’s very much about asking God to help us build a more peaceful world.”
Bishop Hall is one of Australia’s newest bishops. He was ordained as the head of the Military Ordinariate on August 29 after the post had been vacant for about five years. There is a lot to do – and he has hit the ground running.
For example, three ADF cadets were received into the Catholic Church in October.
In fact, evangelisation is among Bishop Halls’s top priorities.
“Looking across the world, young people are coming back to faith. And the ADF is a major pool of young people,” he said.
“Within the Australian Defence Force, we have people who are seeking faith and wanting to investigate what does it mean to be a faithful person? What does it mean to believe in something that’s greater than myself or greater than what the world thinks is important?”
Bishop Hall’s episcopal motto is Pax Christi mihi est dux (the peace of Christ is my leader). And on November 11, he urges everyone, whether or not they wear a uniform, to pray for peace.
“That peace is not something that we can just simply take for granted.
“It’s something that we have to work for in our families, in our communities, and in our nation. As Christians, we are called to be people of peace. That is the message Australia needs to hear at any time, but in particular on Remembrance Day.”
FULL STORY
New military bishop outlines vision for evangelisation (By Michael Cook, The Catholic Weekly)
