40 Meditation #2 On Anzac Day Today is Anzac Day, which is a very important day for Australia and New Zealand. It is a national day to recognise and commemorate the contribution of all those who have served Australia (including those who have died) in times of war and conflict. Generally speaking, today is meant to commemorate peace. Today's gospel (John 12:23-26) is about sacrifice and peace which is very suitable for Anzac Day. The seeds that were planted in the soil bore a lot of fruit, but their meaning and value comes with sacrifice. In the context of ANZAC Day, the former soldiers dedicated their lives in exchange for the peace we enjoy today in Australia. This day is not to encourage us to be actively participating in war, but to tell us that we must dare to speak out and act against injustice, so that justice itself can spread like fruits. There is a good example to be found in the SVD tradition and history. St. Joseph Freinademetz, when he first entered China as a missionary, disliked everything about China. He writes: “China really is the Demonic Realm!” He even reached a crisis moment in his vocation. In time, he came to realize the need to change his inner self will bring inner peace. He learned to only see good things in the Chinese people. “I have come to love my Chinese. I take China and its people and its language as my native country… I would die for them a thousand times over.” His dedication and love for the Chinese was so deep that after his death, the faith was spread widely, and even some non-Christians were willing to listen to his teachings. He truly became a seed buried in the ground. In class on Wednesday morning, Fr. Brendan Connelly, CP, our lecturer, mentioned that when a missionary enters a new environment, he must be changed by the day he leaves. If not, we cannot imagine how bad it must be for himself. We always say that God is kind, full of compassion and patient towards us. We can also say that God has never punished us, and those bad results are caused by us. Just like Anzac Day the lives lost during the war happened because of human selfishness and greed. So, like Joseph, we must be willing to change the world by personal changes. Although we live in groups and do not wish to contribute to wars, excessive desires can cause chaos in our lives, as "those who love their life lose it". We need to purify ourselves in prayer and realize that as Christians peace must be a goal in our lives.
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