Fifth Sunday of Easter
St Mary's Cathedral
Acts 6:1-7 1 Ptr 2:4-9 Jn 14:1-12
+ Cardinal George Pell, Archbishop of Sydney
28 Apr 2002
On this fifth Sunday of Easter, we welcome about 250 adults, neophytes or new members of the Catholic Church since Easter Saturday; participants in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, a vital part of the missionary outreach of the Catholic Church in Sydney and many other dioceses in Australia.
We can sometimes be so focused on ourselves and perhaps on our problems in our families, or schools, or throughout the Church, that we forget what an advantage it is to know the love of the one true God for us, and of the redeeming/saving activities of God's only begotten Son Jesus Christ.
We forget how lost outsiders can feel when they are confused, and realize that they need meaning, purpose and God's forgiveness in their lives. St Augustine, the 4th - 5th century North African theologian and bishop, was also writing about many in Australia outside the Church, when he explained that "our hearts are restless until they rest in God".
Everyone is always welcome at St Mary's, but the newly initiated are particularly welcome at the bishop's Church, the diocesan Cathedral where the bishop has his teaching chair ("cathedra" in Greek). As you know this is also the mother Church of all the Catholic Churches on our vast continent.
The Catholic Church is large and variegated; different in different places. So today the newcomers are privileged to hear our beautiful choir sing Hassler's Mass setting and other music (motets) from the precious heritage of Church music of the last 500 years. Some of it, the Gregorian chant which the choir sang after the entrance hymn, was organized and adopted about the end of the 6th century named after Gregory the Great, then the Pope, but some experts claim that this style of music was being sung by the Jewish people at the time that Jesus himself was alive. Few parish churches regularly use this music (some do), but it is useful for newcomers to be aware of this part of the wonderful artistic patrimony of the Catholic Church.
We have a beautiful gospel today, although it is deeply theological, giving intellectual explanations about who Jesus is. It is quite different from our Lord's parables, teaching lessons drawn from stories about daily life, but it contains a number of important lessons for all of us, especially those starting off in the Catholic way of living.
First of all Jesus explains that he is the way, the truth, and the life.
Jesus told us to call God father- probably "dad" is a more accurate translation, because "abba" (the Aramaic word) can be used by children young or old talking intimately to their father.
Our Lord wants us to be like children, but confident adult children, who believe that Jesus is the best way to God.
Jesus calls himself "truth", because that is what he offers us, the truth about this life and the next, about what is important and where life is going.
Jesus calls himself the Life because being a follower of Christ is life giving. Although we are called to do our duty, sometimes at considerable cost, Catholicism is not designed to make us unhappy or miserable; much less to bring death or unnecessary suffering. Christ should bring us peace, hope and meaning, because Christ is life-giving.
Therefore Christ and his teaching are precious for us. We know that many others cannot accept this, either not examining Christ's claims, or believing they are wrong or simply too difficult. In St Peter's words, Christ is for them like a stone rejected by the builders; a stumbling block.
All of us at every Easter are called to renew our commitment to following Christ; to take up our cross and follow him. Following Our Lord is not cost free. Our moods change. The first flush of enthusiasm passes. We realize that the Church is made up of imperfect people; sometimes grave sins come to light. We are aware of the publicity given to some sexual scandals throughout the world.
One of the most encouraging aspects of the New Testament is to see how imperfect in life and in understanding the early Christians were. The Greek-speaking widows, mentioned in the first reading, felt they were being overlooked in the distribution of practical help. Their complaint was justified, therefore the first Christian community reorganized to meet their requests.
So it should be with us. We listen to the difficulties, then act to remedy the trouble. We try to put our own house in order before we condemn others.
One final point. At this Paschal Mass I always distribute a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church to all newcomers.
Not a series of questions and answers but a beautiful, systematic explanation of what are Catholic teachings and why we believe them. A wonderful resource book, reference guide, which should be in every Catholic home.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
