Homilies

Homily For Mass For The Anniversary Of The Dedication Of St. Mary’s Cathedral + Institution Of Acolytes

02 Sep 2018
  

Homily For Mass For The Anniversary Of The Dedication Of St. Mary’s Cathedral + Fathers’ Day + Institution Of Acolytes
St. Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney

“Hey you guys: don’t you realise you are God’s temple, with the Spirit of God within you?” so St. Paul says to us today (1 Cor 3:9-17). As human beings created in the image of God we all have immortal souls, a spark of the divine about us. But as Christians restored to that image in Jesus Christ, we literally have the Holy Spirit dwelling in our hearts. What a match – a match made in heaven! I invite anyone who is feeling down about themselves, their relationships, the Church or the world at the moment to recall that truth: that your body is sacred, because it is a temple of God; that your soul is sacred, because it is made for eternity; and that your heart is sacred because of the indwelling of the Holy Trinity. Let me remind you: what this glorious cathedral is in stone, you are – and more – in the flesh, a living-breathing tabernacle for God. Alleluia!

Encouraging as is Paul’s message today, it is not one of vacuous optimism: in recalling that we are supposed to be little chapels, medium-sized temples, or grand cathedrals for God – depending on how much you’ve been eating lately! – there is a sober challenge too: are you living as if you were a holy place, a place like a church where people might meet God? Are you making of yours and each other’s bodies, souls and hearts true temples of beauty and goodness? Or is there something darker afoot, forces and individuals who ‘destroy the temple’ physically, emotionally or spiritually?

On Fathers’ Day we rightly join in celebrating the vocation of fatherhood, and all it’s meant to be. But this year we’ve seen too many examples of bad fathers: coercive, self-gratifying, abusive. We think of Friday’s release of the Church’s response to the Royal Commission and all the stories that are behind it, of the endless waves of shameful reports from other countries too, with accusations and counter-accusations about who did what and who covered up. These disgraceful stories of betrayal by our spiritual fathers frankly make me sick and angry, as I know they do many of you.

Or we think of secular parallels, like the much-publicised case of John Edwards, a narcissistic financial planner who left behind a string of women and children who wanted nothing to do with him, and who decided a month or so go to shoot his teenage children before turning the gun on himself.[1] Or we recall the report of Ernest Fisher – no relative – recently convicted of stabbing his son to death before directing his two other children to bury their bother’s body so he could watch the AFL on TV.[2]

If our Church is to hold up an ideal of spiritual fatherhood for the family of God and our society to present a parallel ideal for civic families, we must like St Paul acknowledge there can be a dark side to such good institutions. Our year is not yet 35 weeks old and 49 women have already been killed in domestic violence incidents in Australia – more than one each week; 15 children also.[3] And many survivors of domestic violence long carry the scars on their bodies or in their hearts.[4] Add the sexual violence against so many women and children, even in those most sacred of settings of church and family, and there is real evil here.

“Didn’t you realise you were God’s cathedral and these were God’s churches and chapels that you desecrated?” Paul’s thought resounds. The figures should shock us, the stories interrogate us all. But it’s not enough to be appalled: it’s our responsibility as Christians to do something about it.[5] It must be said loud and clear that no woman or child should suffer in a relationship or situation in which they are unsafe. We must identify the abusive attitudes in our culture, groups, selves, and root them out, making the world a safe place for the vulnerable. Our faith must be part of the answer to domestic violence and our faithful, especially our fathers, voices and models of something better.[6]

The last three popes have all suggested that true fatherhood is a counter-Gospel to the ‘psychological and moral imbalance’ of domestic abuse.[7] They point us to St Joseph as a model of protecting the Virgin and Child, from gossiping neighbours, ambitious kings and violent soldiers, from economic and emotional insecurity.[8] True Christian fatherhood ‘presupposes a profound respect for the equal dignity’ of wife and children. It must be founded on gentleness, not coercion; on self-giving, not self-gratification; on respecting, never abusing.[9] And to be and do this kind of gentle, respectful, self-giving fathering, Pope Francis has emphasised, a father must first be present: work, finances, leisure, nothing must separate him from his loved ones.[10] This is true both of our spiritual fathers and our familial ones.

To those men present today who have generously offered themselves for the ministry of acolyte, I say: you, too, must be signs of God’s compassionate paternity. Yours is not to lord it over others in the sanctuary or when you bring them the Eucharist; it is, rather, to lead them ever deeper in that Eucharistic love that is “the source and summit of the Church’s life”. You will assist bishops, priests and deacons in their sacred ministry, offer the most precious Sacrament to the faithful in the Liturgy, and bring that spiritual comfort to the sick and frail. In doing so you will unite them more closely to the Eternal Father, whom people must see in you.

Prepare for that service by receiving the Blessed Sacrament yourselves, praying before it, and pondering it deeply. Become yourself more and more truly a tabernacle for the Lord. Strive to live more fully by the Lord’s sacrifice and to be moulded more perfectly in its likeness. Be obedient to the Lord’s commandment at His Last Supper: “Love one another as I also have loved you.”

“Didn’t you realise that you were God’s temple?” I have spoken of two models of fatherhood today, one oppressive, self-gratifying, abusive; the other freeing, self-giving, nurturing. We want and need the second in both our spiritual fathers and our natural ones. But to be such fathers and God’s temples ourselves, we must let Christ cleanse the sanctuary of our hearts as He did the Jerusalem sanctuary in our Gospel (Jn 2:13-22). We must let him overturn the tables of our egotism, rage against any coins of exploitation, drive out any penchant for coercion. With His help we must purge our Church and society, also, of any such tendencies. We must offer – in ourselves – the spiritual and emotional fatherhood our world craves.

God bless all fathers as they strive to follow St Joseph’s example! St. Joseph, Spouse and Father, pray for us.

 

Introduction To The Anniversary Of The Dedication Of St. Mary’s Cathedral + Fathers’ Day + Institution Of Acolytes
St. Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney

Welcome to the Cathedral Church and Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Mother of God, Help of Christians, for our Solemn Mass to celebrate the Anniversary of its Dedication. This basilica church of St Mary, known as “the mother church of Sydney and of Australia” since the 1820s, was rebuilt after fire destroyed its predecessor in 1865 and the temporary replacement soon after. It was, however, built in four stages: the first stage stretched from 1866 to 1882, and included the laying of a foundation stone in 1868 by Archbishop Polding (making this year in one sense our sequi-centenary), and the first official opening and liturgical dedication in 1882 by Archbishop Vaughan.

The second phase ran from 1882 to 1905, culminating in another official opening in 1900 by Cardinal Moran once the central tower had been completed, and a solemn dedication – or ‘consecration’, as it was colloquially called at the time – by him in 1905 which lasted for four and a half hours (I hope today’s anniversary Mass will be a little shorter!): it is that rededication ceremony whose anniversary we mark today. One of the stained glass windows in the Nave rather beautifully depicts Archbishop Kelly carrying out the consecration rite in 1905.

The third stage of the building, especially the Southern nave, extended from 1912 to 1928, and included the laying of another foundation stone, in 1913, and a formal opening – colloquially called a ‘dedication – in 1928, both by Archbishop Kelly.

The fourth stage ran for the rest of that century, and included the completion of the crypt in 1961, with yet another dedication, this time by Cardinal Gilroy, and the addition of the spires in 2000, blessed by Cardinal Clancy. So, what was colloquially referred to as “Consecration” is officially referred to (now) as “Dedication”; and what was colloquially referred to as “Dedication” were really Openings with prayers. Though this girl is a bit confused about what day is her birthday and how old she is, we must say she’s looking pretty good!

As the Church of Sydney and Australia celebrates her old mother, the world beyond is celebrating fathers and so I welcome all fathers here today. During this Mass we will institute acolytes, many of whom serve both as physical and spiritual fathers. To them and to everyone present: a very warm welcome!

 

 

[1] Nicola Berkovic & Deborah Cornwall, “John Edwards: mad dad’s license to kill”, The Australian, 12 July 2018 https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/inquirer/john-edwards-mad-dads-licence-to-kill/news-story/7124f4fc7b077197e4ac149e083a7d02

[2] Joanna Menagh, “Ernest Fisher found guilty of murdering son Matthew Fisher-Turner before watching AFL grand final”, ABCNews, 21 June 2018 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-21/ernest-fisher-guilty-of-murdering-son-before-afl-grand-final/9893774

[3] Impact, Australian Death Toll Due to Violence: 2018, http://www.impactforwomen.org.au/death-toll-of-violence-in-australia-2018.html ; Patrick Wood, ”Landmark report reveals a woman dies every week du to Australia’s domestic violence crisis”, ABC News, 28 February 2018 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-02-28/landmark-report-reveals-extent-of-domestic-violence-crisis/9492026;

[4] Cf. P. Cox, Violence against women: Additional analysis of the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Personal Safety Survey 2012, Horizons Research Report, Issue 1 (2015), Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS), Sydney https://www.anrows.org.au/publications/horizons-0/PSS; Woodlock, D., Healey, L., Howe, K., McGuire, M., Geddes, V. and Granek, S. Voices against violence paper one: Summary report and recommendations, Women with Disabilities Victoria, Office of the Public Advocate and Domestic Violence Resource Centre Victoria, (2014) http://wdv.org.au/documents/Voices%20Against%20Violence%20Paper%20One%20Executive%20Summary.pdf

[5]  Cf. Leonie Westenberg, “‘When She Calls for Help’ – Domestic Violence in Christian Families”, Social Sciences, Vol. 6, No. 3 (2017), pp. 71-80; Catherine L. Marrs Fuchsel, “The Catholic Church as a Support for Immigrant Mexican Women Living in Domestic Violence”, Social Work & Christianity, Vol. 39, No. 1 (2012), pp. 66-87

[6]  Cf. Tricia Bent-Goodley, Zuleka Henderson, Lavar Youmans, & Christopher St. Vil, “The Role of Men of Faith in Responding to Domestic Violence: Focus Group Themes”, Social Work & Christianity, Vol. 42, No. 3 (2015), pp. 280-295

[7] E.g. John Paul II, Familiaris Consortio, 25 http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_jp-ii_exh_19811122_familiaris-consortio.html

[8] Cf. John Paul II, Familiaris Consortio, 86; Redemptoris Custos http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_jp-ii_exh_15081989_redemptoris-custos.html; Benedict XVI, Vespers Celebration Address, Apostolic Journey to Cameroon and Angola, 18 March 2009 http://w2.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/speeches/2009/march/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20090318_vespri-yaounde.html; Pope Francis, General Audience, 4 February 2015 https://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/audiences/2015/documents/papa-francesco_20150204_udienza-generale.html

[9] John Paul II, Familiaris Consortio, 25

[10] Pope Francis, General Audience, op. cit.