On Remembrance

The Twenty-first Sunday after Trinity

GRANT, we beseech thee, merciful Lord, to thy faithful people pardon and peace; that they may be cleansed from all their sins, and serve thee with a quiet mind; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Remembrance Sunday

ALMIGHTY Lord and everlasting Father, who wouldest have the kingdoms of the world become the kingdom of thy Son Jesus Christ: Bestow thy blessing, we beseech thee, upon all who labour for peace and righteousness among the nations, that the day may be hastened when war shall be no more, and thou shalt take the nations for thine inheritance; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For those who serve in the Queen's Forces

O LORD of hosts, stretch forth, we pray thee, thine almighty arm to strengthen and protect the Queen’s forces in every peril of sea, and land, and air; shelter them in the day of battle, and ever keep them safe from all evil; endue them with loyalty and courage; and grant that in all things they may serve as seeing thee who art invisible; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Today is Remembrance Sunday. A day coming shortly after All Souls day in which we seek to commemorate those who died specifically in the service of their country. Remembrance Sunday is an Anglican practice which emerged following the First World War in which the world was exposed to the horrors of modern total war with millions of young men dying on the muddy battlefields of Europe. It has since taken on special significance as a more general memorial to all those soldiers who have died in the service to their country in all wars and peace operations.

Since the beginning of the Canadian participation in the war in Afghanistan, Remembrance Sunday has taken on special significance as, for the first time in a generation, the true risks of combat operations were brought home and Remembrance Sunday was no longer simply a time to honour the dwindling numbers of the Great Generation who fought in the Second World War, but rather a time to mourn losses being incurred on those sandy battlefields and to pray for the safety of those still fighting there.

While combat operations have since ceased in Afghanistan, the Canadian military remains active abroad, confronting the threat of Russian incursions in Ukraine and the threat of the Islamic State in Iraq. We live in a dangerous world, and the reality is that Canada, as one of the best-trained modern militaries in the world, will often be looked to for support in conflict zones around the globe.

In the wake of the murders of WO Patrice Vincent of Cpl Nathan Cirillo, this year’s Remembrance Day campaigns have taken on an even greater significance for many for whom it is also a cathartic expression of their grief and incomprehension at the violence during the shooting at Parliament Hill.

As we gather before the Lord for Remembrance Sunday, the words of the Act of Remembrance are given new meaning that is not found when it is used in a secular context. “Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.” In particular, we are reminded of St Paul’s words to the Corinthians:

I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O death, where is your victory?
    O death, where is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labour is not in vain. (1 Cor 15. 50-58)

Through the Act of Remembrance, we bring the sacrifices of soldiers to God, much in the same way the Collect for the Sovereign is meant to bring the power structures of the civil authority before God during the Eucharist. It reminds us that, though they have fallen, their death is merely the death of the flesh, and their victory over death has been assured in Christ Jesus.

In these ways, Remembrance Sunday is a unique moment for Anglicans to reflect upon those in civil authority who act on our behalf. Yet, at the same time, it is nothing new.

Each week in the Prayers of the People, biddings and intercessions are offered. There are five categories of biddings: the universal church, those in civil authority, the faithfulness of clergy and people, for those in adversity or suffering and for the dearly departed.

In praying for the universal church, we primarily concern ourselves with unity and right-doctrine; that all Christians would fulfil Christ’s prayer for peace and unity, particularly among Christians.

In praying for those in positions of civil authority, we recall the fact the fact that the government has a significant impact on our lives; it decides both where and when soldiers are to be deployed; how laws will be administrated; conditions in prisons and penitentiaries and importantly numerous laws of a moral dimension.

Clergy receive prayers for the faithful administration of their duties as teachers of the faith and administrants of the sacraments. They hold the all important charism of teaching authority, and so we pray for their faithful interpretation of God’s word and their teaching of it.

As the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews reminds us, “Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.” (Heb 13. 3) In some translations, mistreated is translated simply as adversity. Recall those suffering persecution, sickness, and all other forms of adversity.

Lastly we pray for the faithful departed and those who grieve. We pray both for those who continue to live, for their comfort, and also for the departed, praying for their glory in faith.

It is clear how many of these hold a slightly more limited, but still familiar, context on Remembrance Sunday. We pray for the Government and all governments, that there would be peace among the nations and an end to the need for military forces to be deployed abroad. We pray that in zones of active conflict there would be resolution. We pray for those forces that combat injustice and persecution in the world. We in particular recall those who served and who returned home with wounds, visible and invisible, and pray for their healing and well-being. Finally, we recall St Paul’s words on the victory of Christ in death as a we remember those who have fallen in wars, and we

This year, Remembrance Day has taken on a visceral and personal meaning for many. It was already highlighted in the minds of many, being the centenary of the start of the First World War, and the attacks on Canadian Armed Forces personnel here in Canada, the shooting in Ottawa in particular being an event that captured the attention of the nation as the attack was reported over the course of several hours. We have been reminded of the dangerous responsibilities soldiers take upon themselves, on our behalf, when they take up their uniforms. Remembrance Sunday reminds us that we are not merely to remember them, but to pray for them as well, fulfilling  St Paul’s instructions to the Philippians to, “in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (Phil 4. 6)

Simply put: it is not enough simply that we will remember them; we will remember and pray for them.