Homily given by Bishop Anthony Randazzo
Bishop of Broken Bay
Fourth Sunday of Easter; Year A
Vocation Week 2020 – 3 May 2020
In October this year, we will mark the 10th anniversary of the canonisation of Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop. She is the first Australian recognised as a Saint and she lived and worked in our community of the Church over 100 years ago. When she was beatified in 1995, Pope John Paul II encouraged all Australians to be open to the new challenge of proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to be faithful to the best in our cultural traditions. He urged the Catholic people of Australia to be messengers of the peace, justice and joy which we have received in Jesus Christ. Walking the way of Jesus implies that all his followers accept their part in the mission to take up the cross and follow Christ.
The life of Saint Mary of the Cross was typical of the lives of many Australians in the 19th century who battled to make decent lives for themselves and for others. It is in this way that Saint Mary becomes a sign. A sign of what it takes to be an Australian and of what it takes to be a saint.
Saint Mary’s vocation was centred on the cross of Christ, which was the great sign for her of God’s love. The God, whom Saint Mary loved, called her to love, and to love most especially those who were poor and those without power. In answering God’s call, Mary embraced poverty in a way that would profoundly change her life. Like so many women and men in the Gospel, Mary MacKillop can teach us the value of true giving by her complete availability to the will of God.
The saints are often anonymous figures, insignificant to those around them – yet generous to the point of being reckless. Saint Mary of the Cross is one such woman - giving herself so that others may live with dignity and with the reassurance that the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is their Father too.
Today I joined our seminarians for the Diocese of Broken Bay for fellowship and formation. It is good for the bishop to spend time listening, talking, and praying with his future priests.
My particular prayer intention this week is for vocations to the priesthood and the consecrated life. I invite you to join me in prayer for this intention because we have a need for generous people to serve the community of the Church. The Church needs more priests and consecrated women and men if its ministry is to have the fullness that its apostolate to the world demands. As well as prayer, the Church needs action. We need to encourage all baptised people to discover their personal vocation in life. Most people will find their vocation in the world as laity. However, many will consider the Church’s need for priests to shepherd the flock of Christ, and for consecrated women and men to give witness to Kingdom values by a life of service to others.
Living out our Christian vocation each day demands that we commit ourselves to becoming holy.
We Catholics have a specific idea of holiness. It means that, with God’s grace, we decide one day at a time to live as Jesus did. To take up our cross each day and follow Him. Like Jesus, we make choices in favour of God. The key is to trust in God.
Saint Mary of the Cross dedicated her life to working with young people. The young people of our Church today are intelligent, loving and generous.
Today, what we need more than anything else is to encourage each other to listen to the call of God in our lives. And one of the best ways that we can do this is through prayer and service. Our prayers will move the Church into action. Our example of service will be a sign that faith is not self-centred, but rather, something that leads us to others – something that leads us to God. And, because our prayers are directed toward others, we will become models of holiness.
God is calling each one of us to life within the Church. The challenge is to question “where are you leading me Lord?” and “what is it that you are asking me to do?”
As each man and woman responds to their vocation in life, they take up the special role:
(1) of preaching the Word of God to the world,
(2) of the enrichment of the Christian family and
(3) ultimately of the building up of the Kingdom of God.
Today I ask you to listen to what God is asking you to do with your life. I ask you to step up! To meet the challenge of living your faith!
If God is calling you to be a priest or to consecrate yourself to a life of Religious service as a Sister or Brother, then look to Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop for your inspiration and guide. Let us pray that the triumph of her life, lived in the shadow of the cross, will become the inspiration for each of us as we strive to hear God’s voice calling us into life. Amen.