Catholic Identity
Reflection
Religious Education Leader – Catholic Identity – Elizabeth Holligan
Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr Michael Tate
Titles and Burdens
There have been periods in the church’s history where the burdens placed on the shoulders of people – particularly an exaggerated sense of guilt for certain sins – truly weighed people down, creating a terrible sense of unworthiness, leading to the living of distorted lives.
Our Lord makes it clear that leaders cannot evade responsibility for this by hiding behind honorific titles.
In the Gospels, we find the One who said: ‘Come to me all you who toil and are burdened and I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon you and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden light.’ (Matt 11:28-30)
If people don’t find that the burden laid on them by Church leaders (who often long to be greeted obsequiously) leads to refreshment and rest for their souls, then it is right to question the burden, and to question the leaders who impose such burdens.
Perhaps we could pause for a moment to pray for Pope Francis whose favoured titles are simply: ‘Bishop of Rome’, ‘Servant of the Servants of God’.
© ꜰʀ ᴍɪᴄʜᴀᴇʟ ᴛᴀᴛᴇ; ᴍᴛᴀᴛᴇ@ʙɪɢᴘᴏɴᴅ.ᴄᴏᴍ
ʀᴇᴠ ᴘʀᴏꜰ ᴍɪᴄʜᴀᴇʟ ᴛᴀᴛᴇ ɢʀᴀᴅᴜᴀᴛᴇᴅ ɪɴ ʟᴀᴡ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ᴜɴɪᴠᴇʀꜱɪᴛʏ ᴏꜰ ᴛᴀꜱᴍᴀɴɪᴀ ɪɴ 1968, ᴀɴᴅ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇᴏʟᴏɢʏ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴏxꜰᴏʀᴅ ᴜɴɪᴠᴇʀꜱɪᴛʏ ɪɴ 1971. ʜᴇ ʟᴇᴄᴛᴜʀᴇᴅ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴜɴɪᴠᴇʀꜱɪᴛʏ ᴏꜰ ᴛᴀꜱᴍᴀɴɪᴀ ꜰʀᴏᴍ 1972-78, ʙᴇɪɴɢ ᴅᴇᴀɴ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴀᴄᴜʟᴛʏ ᴏꜰ ʟᴀᴡ ɪɴ 1977-78. ʜᴇ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴀ ꜱᴇɴᴀᴛᴏʀ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛᴀꜱᴍᴀɴɪᴀ ꜰʀᴏᴍ 1978-93, ʙᴇɪɴɢ ꜰᴇᴅᴇʀᴀʟ ᴍɪɴɪꜱᴛᴇʀ ꜰᴏʀ ᴊᴜꜱᴛɪᴄᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ 1987-93. ʜᴇ ꜱᴇʀᴠᴇᴅ ᴀꜱ ᴀᴍʙᴀꜱꜱᴀᴅᴏʀ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴀɢᴜᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴏʟʏ ꜱᴇᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ 1993-96. ʜᴇ ᴛʜᴇɴ ʀᴇᴛᴜʀɴᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴀᴜꜱᴛʀᴀʟɪᴀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴏʀᴅᴀɪɴᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴍᴀʏ 2000 ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴀꜱ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴀ ᴘᴀʀɪꜱʜ ᴘʀɪᴇꜱᴛ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀʀᴄʜᴅɪᴏᴄᴇꜱᴇ ᴏꜰ ʜᴏʙᴀʀᴛ ꜱɪɴᴄᴇ ᴛʜᴇɴ. ʜᴇ ɪꜱ ᴀɴ ʜᴏɴᴏʀᴀʀʏ ᴘʀᴏꜰᴇꜱꜱᴏʀ ᴏꜰ ʟᴀᴡ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴜɴɪᴠᴇʀꜱɪᴛʏ ᴏꜰ ᴛᴀꜱᴍᴀɴɪᴀ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ʜᴇ ʟᴇᴄᴛᴜʀᴇꜱ ɪɴ ɪɴᴛᴇʀɴᴀᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ʜᴜᴍᴀɴɪᴛᴀʀɪᴀɴ ʟᴀᴡ.
General Notices: Religious Education Leader: Elizabeth Holligan
Sacramental Program 2023-2024
Students undertaking the St Mel’s Parish Sacramental Program met at St Anne’s College on Thursday night for the Adults and children ‘Reconciliation – Our Time Together One’ session. Students and parents will be meeting regularly as they continue the journey with the students undertaking the Second Rite of Reconciliation on Thursday November 30th at St Mel’s Christ the King Church. Please contact St Mel’s Parish for details. We pray for those students and families undertaking their sacramental journey.
St Vincent de Paul Christmas Voucher Fundraising
This term our fundraising will be directed towards the Christmas Vinnies appeal. The Shepparton South St Vincent de Paul Conference assists many members of the local community facing challenging times financially. Our local St Vincent de Paul conference is requesting our help as they aid over 450 clients this Christmas.
Each year level and PG is asked to raise funds to purchase vouchers for families and individuals in need this Christmas. You can help by donating cash or vouchers for the provision of food from business like SPC or supermarkets (not cards that can be spent on alcohol). Any cash sent will be used by the school and Shepparton South St Vincent de Paul conference to purchase vouchers. Vouchers will be presented to the Shepparton South St Vincent de Paul conference at our end of year mass, Friday December 8th. Your generosity, kindness and assistance is greatly appreciated in our fundraising at St Anne’s College.