Padre’s Corner

Hello Everyone, a very belated Happy Australia Day to you all

How did you honour our great nation Australia on Australia Day? For the third year members of Castle Hill RSL Sub-Branch in association with Castlebrook Memorial Park and Bunnings Castle Hill placed an Australian Flag on the graves of all Ex-Service Men and Women buried in Castlebrook Memorial Park and Castle Hill Cemetery. The day commenced with a brief Service, followed by the raising of a new National Flag, replacing the flag that had flown at Castlebrook for the past year; the flag placing followed and then all who attended enjoyed breakfast. What a great way to honour those who served and at the same time to remember all those who have made Australia the great nation it is now. I hope in the future other organisations will follow this initiative.

Dorothea McKellar while homesick in the United Kingdom wrote the poem that we now call “I love A Sunburnt Country”. This poem which is believed to be directly inspired by Dorothea witnessing the break of a drought; illustrates her love for Australia, in part the poem reads:

I love a sunburnt country, A land of sweeping plains, Of droughts and flooding rains. I love her far horizons; I love her jewel-sea, Her beauty and her terror- The Wide brown land for me!

This was a given, a far different view of the land which faced our first settlers. Chaplain Richard Johnson at the first Church Service conducted on what was to become Australian soil took as his reference Psalm 116 verse
What Shall I render Unto the Lord fort all his goodness to me?

At that service the participants had little to be thankful for except perhaps that they were alive. Today however we have much to be thankful for today; the freedom to worship, a freedom which is not allowed in many countries; the freedom of speech, again denied in many countries; the freedom to live where we like, if we can afford it. We also enjoy the necessities of life; food, clothing, shelter, education and the provision of health facilities. Yes in this lucky country we have much to be thankful for and so my friends let us as we belatedly commence this year let us give thanks to God “for all His goodness to US”

Heavenly Father, we ask you to guide us by Your wisdom and spirit that together we might seek to establish peace and happiness, truth, justice and faithfulness in our land Australia. Direct the hearts and minds of those who are entrusted with the government of our Country. We pray that together we may improve the welfare of all Australian, and honour Your name. Amen

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Colin Aiken 0417203722