NOVEMBER 11, 2026 FATHER HENK VAN MEIJEL S.J.
This is the Beatitudes, the first part of the Sermon on the Mount. And the Sermon on the Mount gives us everything. Even if we did not know anything about Scripture of the Old Testament or anything else, it gives us, really, a sense of how to be good Christians, and, especially when there’s violence, that’s when our faith is being tested.
Jesus goes right against our human nature. “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” To be poor in spirit, to be humble, it doesn’t always go that easy. We can maybe relate with “Blessed are those who mourn and they will be comforted.” We can relate to that or we can relate to the peacemakers. But there’s a whole lot more to accept our suffering. That is a great task, and especially nothing has changed in human nature over the eons.
We are people. When I’m wronged or I feel I’m wronged, I got to retaliate and do something to make it, quote, “right”. But that’s not how it works.
And it is so discouraging when we even, today, in the news, we see the rhetoric around the world, by world leaders, some who just say whatever they please and upset people. And there’s also world leaders who just say nothing and they just ignore and they just do their thing. And in the meantime, so many, so many millions of people suffer around the globe.
Of course, we are very protected here in Canada, but often, I just think, of course, the Middle East is always on the forefront in the news, but like even the Sudan, we don’t hear much about it; the incredible suffering that’s going on there, all the innocent people on the move. I think we have something like 120 million people on the move on this planet, looking for safe places to live.
It takes a lifetime to be, quote, “become humble”. And of course, when you say, “I’m humble”, then you’re not so humble, you’re probably full of pride.
But how can I especially in the face of violence, how can I be a Christian? How can I be a pacifist? How can I be that instrument of peace and know and trust that God will bring good out of it? And this is really all of the Beatitudes: God will bring good out of our suffering and our pains and so on.
But it’s, of course, a big task for us because, as human beings, we want to be in control, and if someone does something to me, I retaliate. It is so deep in our consciousness, it’s so deep even in our families. So many family conflicts, right down at the micro level, where a sibling says something and then there’s, of course, an argument. How can I take the high road?
I think the Beatitudes is about taking the high road and rising above all the human drama, and to know when to speak, and most of all, to know when to hold our peace, to be quiet, to be those instruments of peace.
And of course, on this day, we continue to pray for the peacemakers. The 11th of November is a very special day, as we remember when the horrors from the First World War came to an end, where there was a truce on November 11, 1918, and they stopped. The truce was signed at 5 a.m., and at 11 a.m., at the 11th hour, on the 11th month, it stopped.
And it’s good to sit with that, and especially so many who have gone before us, so many gave our life for our freedom, so many have suffered. I also have to think of my own family. Obviously, I’m not born in Canada; I’m from the Netherlands. And my own parents and my own family who suffered so much during the Second World War, and they accepted and they tried to be peacemakers and to go on with everyday life.
Actually, the reason my name is Henk, I was the last one of seven, and my mother, she had named all the family members, all the grandfathers and grandmothers were taken care of, and there was an American soldier who had made an incredible impression on my family during the Second World War, who really also brought peace to my family, and I was named in honour of this soldier, whoever he was. I never met him, but that’s the story.
But we remember the Second World War, and the First World War, of course, and the wars that go on right now. And we have the symbol here of the poppy, the little flower, the little flower who grew in the battlefield, in the First World War, in between the trenches. As people were throwing grenades and whatever at one another, and here was this little flower growing there, nice little red flower in the fields, and that sign of hope, and we are people of hope.
And how can we move forward as a people to be that sign of hope for our neighbours? But it all starts in our families, to be pacifist, to know when to speak and to be quiet, and not to instigate any arguments.
And of course, that goes right down to the macro level, on the world level, where, especially, major world leaders are asked to do the same, to be people of peace and always work towards peace, for so many people, innocent people, are being harmed.
And in the tradition of this Remembrance Day, we just take a moment of silence, just a moment of silence to remember all those who have gone before us and who in conflicts, who have given their life for our well-being.
