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By Kathy Horan  After attending two preparation sessions, 21 adult candidates from throughout the Archdiocese received the Sacrament of Confirmation recently. Of those, 16 candidates also received their first Communion during a Mass celebrated by Archbishop Patrick O’Regan in St Francis Xavier’s Cathedral on Saturday July 29. Throughout the liturgical year we celebrate many feast days in honour of Mary, days that acknowledge important events in the life of Mary and Jesus, and in the early days of the Church. They remind us of many of the admirable qualities of Mary while also reminding us that Mary was an ordinary woman who placed her faith and trust in God at all times.
At the heart of our Catholic faith is Jesus Christ, born of Mary, at a particular moment in human history amid troublesome and challenging times. Luke’s Gospel gives us a glimpse of the extraordinary role of Mary in becoming Mother of Jesus and Mother of God. Mary is described as blessed among women, and the child she bore is also blessed. (Luke 1:42) In Luke’s account of the Annunciation, we hear that God looked with favour on Mary, and that she responded favourably and wholeheartedly to what God was asking of her. Mary’s close relationship with God resulted in her placing her trust in God’s words and responding: ‘Here I am, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ (1:38)
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By Kathy Horan  ‘Go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’
These final words of Jesus to the disciples provided them with a significant challenge, a way forward, and the promise of his abiding presence with them for all time – and no handbook of procedures to follow! A concern of the early Christian community was to find a way of sharing their faith in the risen Lord with those who came to them, seeking to become part of the group. In a time of uncertainty and confusion, the disciples and other early Christians knew their need of banding together as a community for support and encouragement to carry out the Lord’s mission. By Kathy Horan  Since the earliest days of the Christian community, there have been ordinary women, men and children who have made a significant impact on the lives of those around them. The reason they have made an impact is because of their witness to faith in the risen Lord and their desire to be faithful followers of the Lord.
Among those ordinary, everyday people were the first apostles, including those closest to Jesus who denied knowing him, doubted him, ran away from Golgotha when Jesus was dying on the cross, and seriously questioned him in the light of the events of those last days we have recently commemorated during the Easter Triduum. And yet, their failures and shortcomings were deemed unimportant when they experienced the peace of the risen Lord and the knowledge that they were deeply loved and forgiven. By Kathy Horan  Each year we wonder anew and give praise and thanks to God for coming and dwelling among us, for taking on our human condition and enabling us to come to God as faithful followers of Jesus.
A couple of weeks ago we celebrated the baptism of Jesus, and recalled the words God spoke to Jesus: ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’ (Luke 3:22) With these words, Jesus was named and claimed by God, and entrusted with God’s dream for the world, that all people would come to hear and take to heart the profound truth of God’s love, tenderness and mercy for each one of us. Immediately after his baptism, we are told that the Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness where he fasted, prayed and discerned his mission, returning then to announce that the time had come, the kingdom of God was drawing near and all were invited to repent and believe the good news. By Kathy Horan  In liturgical terms, we are travelling through what is called ‘ordinary time’, the longest of the liturgical seasons, a time for entering more fully into the mystery of Christ.
The feast of Pentecost reminded us of the Spirit’s presence in our midst as animator, consoler, the breath of new life, the great Spirit of Truth promised by Jesus to his disciples. During this ‘ordinary time,’ we are reminded that our baptismal call as Christians is to enter more fully and joyfully into the process of evangelisation and to recover the original freshness of the gospel, for ourselves and for others. Pope Francis observes that ‘in every activity of evangelisation, the primacy belongs to God, who has called us to cooperate with him and who leads us on by the power of his Spirit. It is God who renews, inspires, provokes, guides and accompanies us and it is God who brings new life’. By Kathy Horan  Each year when we celebrate the feast of Pentecost, we rejoice and celebrate the Spirit of Jesus alive in our midst – in us, in the Church and in the world.
The story of Pentecost reminds us of the birth of the Church and the transformation of the disciples from being fearful, uncertain individuals into spirited, bold proclaimers of the good news of Jesus. At that Pentecost time, they finally began to grasp the importance of what Jesus had said and done, and urged on by the Spirit of Jesus, they began to take up the challenge of being missionary disciples, spreading the joy of the gospel, and baptising people in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Author: Kathy Horan Our Church is currently still basking in the surge of newness of life and purpose ushered in with the celebration of Easter.
The joy of the risen Lord is with us and before us as we come together as communities to remember that goodness has overcome evil, light shines forth and dispels all kinds of darkness, joy takes the place of sadness and hope urges us on as God’s people, called to see life differently. At the Easter Vigil, many candidates who had come inquiring about what it means to become Catholic were formally received into the Catholic Church. They were fully initiated into the Church through the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and Eucharist. Several others, baptised in other Christian churches, were received into full communion with the Catholic Church, being confirmed and then celebrating first Communion. |
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Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide
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