Comments on: Memorial Day, from Time Immemorial http://www.fathersofthechurch.com/2006/05/27/memorial-day-from-time-immemorial/ Mike Aquilina's Blog Fri, 25 Jan 2013 09:36:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Mike Aquilina http://www.fathersofthechurch.com/2006/05/27/memorial-day-from-time-immemorial/comment-page-1/#comment-767866 Mike Aquilina Mon, 19 May 2008 23:34:56 +0000 http://www.fathersofthechurch.com/2006/05/27/memorial-day-from-time-immemorial/#comment-767866 The record is a little more complicated than that. Some of the Fathers seem to place an absolute prohibition on military service. But, going back to the mid-second century, there is ample evidence of Christians serving. In the time of Marcus Aurelius, there were regiments made up entirely of Christian soldiers. The Acta provide plenty of stories of soldier-martyrs. And there is this, from the most recent study of Rome's Christian catacombs: "In the epigraphic documentation, not even the military are lacking; they belong to diverse specialties and every rank, including praetorians (the corps was disbanded by Constantine), cavalry and equites singulares. Thus, a rather widespread belief is discredited, that military service was prohibited to the faithful in the pre-Constantinian period." Nonetheless, I certainly did not mean to equate U.S. military remembrance with the Christian anamnesis -- though it's natural for Christians to make the association when they remember their beloved dead. I've re-posted this article for several years, and you're the first to read it that way. I'll look it over again if I re-post it this year. The record is a little more complicated than that. Some of the Fathers seem to place an absolute prohibition on military service. But, going back to the mid-second century, there is ample evidence of Christians serving. In the time of Marcus Aurelius, there were regiments made up entirely of Christian soldiers. The Acta provide plenty of stories of soldier-martyrs. And there is this, from the most recent study of Rome’s Christian catacombs: “In the epigraphic documentation, not even the military are lacking; they belong to diverse specialties and every rank, including praetorians (the corps was disbanded by Constantine), cavalry and equites singulares. Thus, a rather widespread belief is discredited, that military service was prohibited to the faithful in the pre-Constantinian period.”

Nonetheless, I certainly did not mean to equate U.S. military remembrance with the Christian anamnesis — though it’s natural for Christians to make the association when they remember their beloved dead. I’ve re-posted this article for several years, and you’re the first to read it that way. I’ll look it over again if I re-post it this year.

]]> By: Grant Bakewell http://www.fathersofthechurch.com/2006/05/27/memorial-day-from-time-immemorial/comment-page-1/#comment-767754 Grant Bakewell Mon, 19 May 2008 22:45:24 +0000 http://www.fathersofthechurch.com/2006/05/27/memorial-day-from-time-immemorial/#comment-767754 The Early Church Fathers (found in the Didichae, et. al.) also preached and taught that allegiance to Roman Civil Religion, and participation in their military, was antithetical to the Gospel of Christ. The Early Church considered such participation a violation of the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, and antithetical to the vision and meaning of the Resurrection, and the ongoing Christian "Kerygma"/teaching with respect to the Kingdom of God (versus the Kingdom of Rome, or any other earthly kingdom), and the way of the Cross (versus the way of the sword, or the conquering legions of Caesar). The Early Christian martyrs gave their lives for Jesus Christ, not Caesar, for the Gospel, not for the Pax Romana, and for the Kingdom/Reign of God, not the ideology or political intentions of ANY nation-state, including Rome. The Eucharist is, indeed, our memorial of Jesus Christ: in living witness to him and all those who have given their lives in service to Christ and his Gospel, including those who have been martyrs and witnesses for justice and peace among peoples and nations of the world. This, however, is distinctly different from any national remembrance of soldiers who died in wartime (whether such wars were "defensive" or aggressive, or whether their actions as soldiers were "just" or "unjust" with respect to subsequent Church teaching). I urge your clarification, please! The Early Church Fathers (found in the Didichae, et. al.) also preached and taught that allegiance to Roman Civil Religion, and participation in their military, was antithetical to the Gospel of Christ. The Early Church considered such participation a violation of the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, and antithetical to the vision and meaning of the Resurrection, and the ongoing Christian “Kerygma”/teaching with respect to the Kingdom of God (versus the Kingdom of Rome, or any other earthly kingdom), and the way of the Cross (versus the way of the sword, or the conquering legions of Caesar). The Early Christian martyrs gave their lives for Jesus Christ, not Caesar, for the Gospel, not for the Pax Romana, and for the Kingdom/Reign of God, not the ideology or political intentions of ANY nation-state, including Rome. The Eucharist is, indeed, our memorial of Jesus Christ: in living witness to him and all those who have given their lives in service to Christ and his Gospel, including those who have been martyrs and witnesses for justice and peace among peoples and nations of the world. This, however, is distinctly different from any national remembrance of soldiers who died in wartime (whether such wars were “defensive” or aggressive, or whether their actions as soldiers were “just” or “unjust” with respect to subsequent Church teaching). I urge your clarification, please!

]]> By: Mike Aquilina http://www.fathersofthechurch.com/2006/05/27/memorial-day-from-time-immemorial/comment-page-1/#comment-583 Mike Aquilina Mon, 29 May 2006 22:23:51 +0000 http://www.fathersofthechurch.com/2006/05/27/memorial-day-from-time-immemorial/#comment-583 Some things never change, at least in some places, and that's a good thing. Some things never change, at least in some places, and that’s a good thing.

]]> By: Maureen http://www.fathersofthechurch.com/2006/05/27/memorial-day-from-time-immemorial/comment-page-1/#comment-582 Maureen Mon, 29 May 2006 20:49:35 +0000 http://www.fathersofthechurch.com/2006/05/27/memorial-day-from-time-immemorial/#comment-582 The graveside banquets sound very similar to Hispanic (and that of many Catholic countries) practice on All Saints' or All Souls' Day. The graveside banquets sound very similar to Hispanic (and that of many Catholic countries) practice on All Saints’ or All Souls’ Day.

]]>