Fr. Aidan Writes:
Pope Francis celebrated Mass in the French Military Cemetery in Rome on All Souls Day. He recalled an inscription on the door of a small cemetery which read: “You who are walking, think about your steps, and of all your steps think about the last step.” The Pope told those gathered “life is a journey and on that journey we pass many historical
events, many difficult situations.” “We will all have a last step,” said the Pope, “the important thing is that the last step finds us on our way, on the path of life and not lost in an endless labyrinth.”
“Look at the graves…These people – good people – died in the war, they died because they were called upon to defend their country, to defend values, to defend ideals and many other times, to de- fend sad and lamentable political situations,” he said. He stopped at a grave that had no name but read “Died for France, 1944.” “This grave”, said the Pope, “may not have had a name, which is a tragedy of war, but in God’s heart is the name of all of us.”… “I am sure that all those who went in goodwill, called by their Fatherland to defend it, are with the Lord,” the Pope commented. “But do we, who are on the road, fight sufficiently so that there are no wars? So that the economies of coun- tries are not fortified by the arms industry?”
As we honor our veterans, do so with humility and thanksgiving for their commitment and ser- vice. We should ensure all of them are afforded every help they need to be able to commit to civilian life, a shift in their life paths that is for many hard to navigate. The Pope’s question is always valid and poignant, “what are we doing to stop wars and arms proliferation today?” Our Vets served with honor and know the horror of war. Many are dismayed when they see little real effort to deescalate the international political tensions that lead to unnecessary loss of life. We must all do our part to reduce anything that leads to war. We should not have to send our Infantry (children soldiers) to risk their lives for the problems adults have caused. Make sure to pray for all our veterans on the 11th. God bless us all, Fr. Aidan Peter CJ
May God bless you, your families, and the week ahead,
Fr Aidan Peter