ANZAC Day 2024

 

Today is a holiday here in Aotearoa-New Zealand. It is ANZAC day. It is a day on which we remember one of the most disastrous campaigns in military history. We, Australians and New Zealanders, also remember all our soldiers who have died in wars, conflicts and on peace-keeping duties. We do so by remembering an effort by the allied forces to capture the Gallipoli peninsula and open the way to the Black Sea for the allied navies. The land campaign began with the landings of young soldiers of the allied forces on April 25, 1915. In 9 months of fighting, those killed included over 31,000 British (many from India and other British colonies), 9,000 French, almost 9,000 Australian and almost 3,500 New Zealand soldiers.

 

The Turkish or Ottoman forces, who were defending their territory and ultimately won the campaign, lost well over 56,000 men. This brief campaign continues to bring to mind the utter madness and horror of war.

 

During the commemoration ceremony, the words of the poem “For the Fallen” are recited, “They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, We will remember them.” All present respond, “Lest we forget”. The readings for memorial eucharistic celebrations in Australia and Aotearoa-New Zealand on this day are taken from the book of Wisdom 3:1-9 which tell us that “the souls of the virtuous are in the hands of God”. Many of these young men were still in the teens! The second reading is from 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 which reminds us that we preach a crucified Christ. The gospel is taken from John 12:23-28 – “If a grain of wheat falls on the ground and dies, it yields a rich harvest”. As the song goes, “When will we ever learn …?”