Mission Report – August 22, 2019

At our recent whole College Mass College Chaplain Fr Vincent Long Pham offered the Catholic vision in an accessible and persuasive image. At our staff formation day, Fr Jorge de Chavez also made clear the decisive choice of the Christian life -“ are we with Jesus in faith and love? Our staff Mass was also enriched by the Regina Caeli Schola, who united beauty and truth in their beautiful singing of the Mass. We have been the recipient of much generosity in the past weeks. I offer Fr Vincent’s homily for your prayerful consideration.

Please put up your hand if you don’t have a mobile phone . . .- That means that everyone has one.

We are living in the age of technology. Most of our latest phones run on 4G technology. In telecommunications, 4G is the fourth generation of cell phone mobile communications standards. Thanks to 4G technology, I can easily talk to my parents and friends who are in Vietnam.

Today I would like to invite you to reflect on 4Gs: GOD, GENEROSITY, GRATITUDE AND GROWTH.

The First G -“ GOD

– We believe that God is our Creator. In Him, we are created. In Him, the world is made. In and through Jesus Christ, we are re-created. In Him and through Him, we have eternal life and salvation. Pope Benedict XVI encouraged us to make God the centre of our lives, rather than thinking of God as in the margin. This is because -In God we live and move and have our being- (Acts 17:28).

The Second G -“ GENEROSITY

Generosity is compassion in action. Audrey Hepburn was a British actress and humanitarian. She said that we have two hands, one for helping ourselves and the other for helping other people.

The first reading today tells how a widow showed generosity to the prophet Elijah. She was a poor widow. She had only little bit of food left for her son and herself. Even so, she did not keep the food for herself, but she gave her food to the hungry man -“ Elijah. In turn, God gave her and her son a continuing supply of food.

Let us be generous with what we have.

The third G -“ GRATITUDE

Tanveer Naseer said this: -Gratitude allows us to see the best in those around us, and how they help us to do and be better.-

What are we grateful for today? Each morning when we wake up, we can say, thank you for this new day. We can be grateful for another day of life. We can be grateful for who we are and what we have. St. Paul in the second reading reminds us to give thanks to God for all the blessings we have received.

– The fourth G -“ GROWTH

Abraham Harold Maslow was an American psychologist. He said this: -In any given moment, we have two options: to step forward into growth or step back into safety.- Life is all about moving on, accepting changes and looking forward to what makes us stronger and better. Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose wisely.

– Today let us learn and grow together.

Today we remember and celebrate St Mary Mackillop. She is someone who pondered the 4Gs and put them into practice.

– She was a woman of great faith in God. Even in times of sorrow and suffering, she never lost her faith. She was a woman of hope. Even at the time of her excommunication, she looked for the will of God in what was happening.

In many ways, she was an ordinary woman doing small, ordinary things, but she did the small, ordinary things with great love. She saw Jesus Christ in others. She was attentive to people’s needs, especially the needs of the poor, and she responded to those needs.

– May we have people like Mary Mackillop today, to be witnesses of Christ’s love.

May Mary MacKillop pray for us. May we be united with her in praying for the world, especially for people in Australia that we might live in peace and justice.

Through the intercession of St Mary Mackillop, may the Lord bless us and our country, and help us put the 4Gs into practice in our daily lives.