Serving Faithfully – May 2020
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Serving Faithfully Newsletter of the Catholic Diocese of the Australian Military Services May 2020 Published by the Diocesan Curia. Editor: Brigadier Alan Hodges AM, KCSG (Ret’d) Issue #35 PENTECOST 2020 – WHAT ARE WE TO DO? hings are certainly different for us this Communion, Confirmaon and Marriage have been put on T year. Things were certainly different for hold. Even limitaons on funerals have been hard to accept. the disciples too. The Solemn Feast of Members of families have, in many cases, been unable to ‘sit Pentecost heralded at one moment the end of together’ and this has been difficult parcularly for the Jesus’ earthly mission to make the Father’s love grandparent/grandchild relaonships. So the ‘denial’ and known and to fulfill His promise to ask the Father to send the ‘taking up cross’ dimensions of Jesus’ words are fairly obvious. Holy Spirit; and at the other moment the beginning of the work What is also obvious is the working around the of the disciples to connue His mission. Life for them and for difficules so that we can follow Jesus. The use of the us changed dramacally and not without some concern and electronic media has brought our spiritual life into a new uncertainty either. ‘What are we to do?’ was their queson dimension. We can be part of a celebraon together even and it is ours too. All this was going on while they were in their though we are separated physically. The live streaming of Mass own ‘lockdown’ – they had sequestered themselves together and Holy Hour devoons are two examples. The use of with Mary in fear – and spent the me in prayer awaing the FaceTime, Skype, and Zoom and similar programmes have promised Holy Spirit. enabled people to pray together at the same me even though The social climate for those Apostles was deeply apart. We have more me for private prayer and reflecon. fractured. There was the obvious situaon of the Jewish There are not as many distracons. There is an increased effort People being under the authority of Rome. There were from many to be in touch so that they can be even more significant differences between the religious leaders and encouraging and acvely supporve. This is an opportunity for somemes open argument had led to different facons increasing our sense of awareness of the needs of others and forming in the pracce of the faith. We can easily get an to find a way of helping them meet those needs. Differences impression from reading the New Testament – especially the have become less threatening to our community. Acts of the Apostles – of a sense of enthusiasm and zeal that Things will not be the same as they was tempered at mes by the tensions of There is an increased effort from many to be were. The new ways and senses of the praccal applicaon of Jesus’ in touch so that they can be even more community expression are an teaching in various places. They had to encouraging and actively supportive. This is encouragement for renewal of our find ways around these tensions so that an opportunity for increasing our sense of mission as followers of Jesus and give us awareness of the needs of others and to find they could fulfil their mission. Aer all a way of helping them meet those needs. new purpose and heart. We are beer Jesus did tell them ‘Whoever wishes to able to own and reach out in a new come aer me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow evangelisaon, perhaps beer equipped and inspired by our me.’ (Ma 16:24). current experience. ‘What are we to do?’ is our queson in our Here in Australia in our present me we too are day; and the Holy Spirit, the Gi promised and sent, will confronng difficules associated with the COVID-19 connue to enlighten us and illuminate the way. It only pandemic. The measures imposed to control the spread of the remains for us to sincerely, deliberately virus brought special challenges to people of faith. The and openly place ourselves in prayer and ‘distancing’ that forms part of that response is on several reflecon in a space where we can let levels. That distancing has made it very difficult to maintain our the Holy Spirit dwell in us and renew our sense of community – in our families, in our workplaces, in our hope, purpose and indeed the face of social engagement, in our spiritual community. We have all the earth for us. become aware that the usual community expressions that ‘Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the encourage our spiritual life have not been available. The faithful and renew the face of the faithful have not had the opportunity to celebrate the earth.’ Eucharist or the Sacraments – especially Reconciliaon and Bishop Max Davis AM, DD Anoinng of the Sick. Special celebraons of Bapsms, Holy Military Ordinary Serving Faithfully is a newsletter of the Catholic Diocese of the Australian Military Services. It is published quarterly by the Catholic Military Ordinariate of Australia. The Diocese comprises members of the Australian Defence Force and their families, wherever they may be serving. Its people are scattered widely across Australia and overseas. Serving Faithfully aims to be a means of sharing events and experiences from across the whole Diocese. Articles are welcome to be submitted for publication to The Chancery, Catholic Military Ordinariate of Australia PO Box 63, CAMPBELL, ACT 2612 Telephone: (02) 6248 0511 Fax: (02) 6247 0898 Email: [email protected] Website: www.military.catholic.org.au Any opinions expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of the Catholic Military Ordinariate Chaplains and COVID-19 Fr Damian Styles - private, I know that there’s really no substute when we can sing, Kapooka Military Area pray and worship together. At the end of the Mass, I handed out to the parishioners some guidelines on ‘What should I do if I can’t go to Within Kapooka resides the Home of the Soldier, Mass?’ and ‘How do I make a spiritual communion?’. It has some the 1st Recruit Training Baalion - the entry point prayers and instrucons on keeping Sunday holy at their home. More for where soldiers begin their journey through importantly, there’s a list of website links where people can subscribe basic training. During the COVID-19 restricons to daily scripture readings and parcipate in Mass online. there has sll been a need to connue to train Recently, a parishioner said to me, ‘Father, I really miss going soldiers. to Mass.’ And I said, ‘I also miss celebrang Mass with people around. Kapooka has seen many changes over the last few months in I miss the morning and evening coffee with the people aer Mass.’ order to conform to policy and direcon, but also to achieve the aim I think this pandemic crisis has awakened a deeper sense of of being able to train future soldiers ready. It has seen sacrifice from appreciaon of how much our community means to us. If there’s staff, living longer on base to ensure new arrivals have their two one good thing that has come out during our COVID-19 experience, weeks of confirmaon that they arrived with no symptoms. While now more than ever, we deeply appreciate the source and summit of Chaplains here have been lucky to be able connue Character our faith – the Eucharist. This heightened desire and deepest longing Development lessons and other interacons with recruits and duty for the Eucharist during this difficult me has allowed us, both priests staff, it is all done with the challenges of social spacing and constant and lay faithful, a renewal of faith and much beer understanding of hand washing. An overall theme that arises though is loneliness. our relaonship with one another and with God. In the fourth century, holy men and women fled to the We realise how deeply Eucharisc we all are! deserts of Syria and Egypt to live a simple, austere life seeking God. These early monascs were hermits grouped together. They sought Deacon Kevin O’Sullivan to be ‘alone with God’. The term monk (Lan: monachus) means Officer Training School RAAF Base ‘alone’. These people were not seeking a lonely life, but a life of East Sale solitude. COVID-19 has seen restricons challenging people. While most people are not called to live as monks, I would argue that we Officers’ Training School (OTS) provides Inial are sll called to a spiritual life of seeking God in solitude. So while Military Training for all Air Force Officers COVID-19 has come with challenges, it has also opened opportunies (including those at the Australian Defence force to realise what is really important in the life of a person. Academy). OTS commenced the year, not at its As our COVID-19 restricons connue, see it as an normal locaon at RAAF Base East Sale VIC, but at opportunity. Stay posive, test negave. RAAF Base Wagga NSW, which saw Officer and Enlisted Inial Military Training conducted in the same locaon. As Chaplain to OTS I spent Fr Joel Vergara the first three weeks of the five-week course in Wagga. Not long Royal Military College Duntroon aerwards training moved back to East Sale - COVID-19 hit! Despite the challenges, and a few weeks on training pause, The last Sunday Mass celebrated publicly at RMC- OTS has connued training, but now under a compressed training D Chapel was on 22 March. It was for me a model. As the only Chaplain, Kevin states that he operates more like struggle to announce to the people that there an Army Chaplain than an Air Force one.