Fr Gerard’s Front-Page Reflection
Whether your life is a mystery, monotonous or mundane, all are called to follow Jesus
The priesthood is a most wonderous gift, and often it is shrouded in mystery. This may be because of the counter-cultural way of life. I am finding that it is sometimes perceived as mysterious to others because there is such an array of things we do. From the celebration of the Sacraments, to house blessings, to managing millions of dollars of assets (every parish is like an independent business), to classroom teaching. There is never a dull moment and not one week is ever the same. In a nutshell a priest’s role is to reflect Jesus Christ through preaching, shepherding and sanctification although – sometimes it seems we do so much more.
Another one of the interesting things which we do, which few people know about, is that the priests of the Archdiocese of Brisbane meet annually for the Clergy Convocation. Just as many employees in the corporate world must undergo professional development and regular formation to ensure their skills are up to date with an everchanging world and to realign their shared vision, the same goes for priests. Led by the Clergy Life and Ministry Team, over 150 priests gathered on Wednesday and Thursday to listen to and discuss various topics including: the latest results from the 2021 census and how they affect the social profile for each Parish (excellent data found here: www.ncpr.catholic.org.au/2021-parish-social-profiles-brisbane), Schools and future BCE building projects particularly in the inner city, the Archdiocesan Synod on Communion, Participation and Mission www.aobsynod2024.com, and we discussed the future and the mission of the Catholic Church in the Brisbane Archdiocese. These were all very valuable sessions and I particularly enjoyed exploring the statistics of the recent census utilised by the National Centre for Pastoral Network which outlined that out of a 137,000 population in our OLR Parish boundary, 22,000 identified as Catholic. We brainstormed that reaching out to parents at schools and catering initiatives toward them could be a valuable mission opportunity.
Archbishop Mark Coleridge opened the Convocation reminding us that this was not just a business meeting. It was a Convocation, which derives from the word “listening together”, not just to our own voices, but to the voice of God, who calls us all in the first place. God is always the prime mover, God is always the one who initiates, it is only when we are attentive to God’s quiet promptings that we hear Him. When overlayed with this week’s gospel, where Jesus encounters a complaining and disbelieving crowd, he again reiterates that he is the Bread of Life. It is only through God’s promptings and nourishment from the Bread of Life that we can be Bread (Jesus) to others. May your everyday encounters, however mysterious, monotonous or mundane they may seem, be life-giving and nourishing to others. May you also be inspired by a lesser-known quote from Australia’s first Saint, St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, whose Feast Day we celebrated on Thursday,
“Pray to be ever ready for God’s will, even when it takes you by surprise.”
Yours in Faith, Fr Gerard