Homily given by Bishop Anthony Randazzo
Bishop of Broken Bay
Mass for Feast of the Holy Family & Opening of the 2025 Jubilee in Broken Bay
29 December 2024
My dear sisters and brothers in Christ, it is a great joy for us to be here today as we begin the celebration of this Holy Year, a special moment of grace in the life of the Church.
Every 25 years, the Church invites us to enter into a Holy Year of Jubilee – a time for renewal, reconciliation, and a deeper commitment to our faith. Today, as we open this Holy Year in the Diocese of Broken Bay, we do so in the light of the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, reminding us of the importance of relationships, love, and hope, which are the very heart of our Christian life.
In our reading from the first letter of Saint John, we hear these powerful words: “Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us, by letting us be called God’s children; and that is what we are” (1 John 3:1). The foundation of our faith is love – God’s love for us. It is this love that has brought us into the family of God, and it is this love that calls us to live as true disciples of Jesus Christ.
The Holy Family shows us that at the centre of every family is a relationship of love – first with God, and then with one another. This is the model that we, as families and as the Church, are called to follow.
The Holy Family is a reminder that the basis of every family, no matter its shape or size, is a loving relationship. Relationships in families, whether they are biological, chosen, or spiritual, are founded in love. This love does not simply remain an abstract idea; it is lived out in everyday actions, in how we treat one another, in how we honour and respect each other. The Holy Family, though not without its challenges, teaches us that love, respect, and responsibility are the foundation of family life.
In the Gospel today, we hear the young Jesus telling His parents, “Did you not know that I must be busy with my Father’s affairs?” (Luke 2:49). Even as a child, Jesus teaches us the importance of placing God at the centre of all our relationships. His relationship with His heavenly Father was His deepest bond, and it was this relationship that shaped Jesus’ relationships with Mary and Joseph.
Is this not also a compelling model for us today? My brothers and sisters, our relationship with God must be the foundation of all our relationships. It is through our relationship with God that we learn to love one another, to honour one another, and to respect one another, as the members of the Holy Family did.
As we begin this Jubilee Year, we are also reminded of the powerful message of hope that the Church is called to proclaim.
Saint Paul, writing to the Christian community in Rome, reminds us that: “Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit” (Rom 5:5). This is the message that we, as a Church, are called to share with the world: hope, born from the love of God.
You have head me say on multiple occasion that hope is not simply wishful thinking or a vague desire for better days. It is a confident trust in God’s promises, a trust that is grounded in the love of Jesus, who died on the Cross to reconcile the world to God, our heavenly Father.
It is this love, this hope, that fills our hearts and empowers us to face the challenges of life. In a world often marked by division, suffering, and uncertainty, the Church has the responsibility to proclaim this hope. Our duty is to be a beacon of light that points to the hope found in Christ.
As we reflect on this Holy Year and the calling it offers us, we must also recognize the responsibility we have as the community of the Church to read the signs of the times in light of the Gospel.
The world is changing, and we are living in a time when many are searching for meaning, for answers, and for hope. The Church, through the power of the Holy Spirit, is called to discern how God is at work in our world today and to respond with the message of love, reconciliation, and hope.
Today’s feast teaches us that hope is a way of life. It is a life founded on love – love for God, love of neighbour, love of one another. In our families, in our communities, and in our world, we are called to embody this hope. As we celebrate this Jubilee Year, let us renew our commitment to live as disciples of Jesus Christ, filled with the hope that does not disappoint.
The Holy Family of Nazareth reminds us that relationship, love, respect, honour, responsibility, and duty are the building blocks of family life. These same virtues are essential for living as faithful disciples. Our relationships – whether with family, friends, believers or non-believers – must be grounded in these principles.
When we live in relationship with one another as Jesus taught us, we become a reflection of His love for the world. And in doing so, we become a sign of hope for all those around us.
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, we entrust our families and our Diocesan family to your care. Help us to follow your example of love and faithfulness. May this Jubilee of Hope be a time of grace and renewal, filling our hearts with the hope that we have in Jesus Christ, our life, our Saviour, and our hope.
Throughout this Holy Year, may we, like the Holy Family, live in relationship with God and one another, and may we bring the light of Christ’s love to the world. Amen.