Prayer

Fr Paddy’s Homily Tuesday the 18th of October for the 2023 Year 12 Commissioning Mass:

Who here has heard of Nedd Brockmann? Don’t be afraid to put up your hand! Anyone with a mullet haircut should know who he is!! Nedd ran through Baylis Street last Wednesday 42 days after he left Western Australia. His aim? To raise a million dollars for Homelessness. He arrived at Bondi Beach yesterday and he achieved his aim and more. He raised over 1 million dollars for a charity that supports homelessness.

What is truly remarkable about Nedd is that he is just an ordinary guy. He grew up in Forbes and is only 23 years old. He ran from Cottesloe Beach in Perth to Bondi Beach – 3953kms in 47 days. I understand that his feet were fairly mangled by the time he got to Bondi – but he stuck at it to the end. Nedd epitomized the words of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop. “Never see a need without doing something about it.“ He saw a need in the eyes of the homeless people he came across and he did something about it.

It is fortuitous that we inaugurate the leadership team for 2023 on the feast of St Luke. Most of the New Testament writings, outside of the gospels, detail the early apostles and followers of Jesus bumbling around trying to work out what to do. Jesus didn’t leave them a blueprint, a curriculum if you like, on how to go about running the church. That only evolved over time. As Leaders of this College and the Boarding School, you will have to find your own way, your own individual leadership style. Paul points out that in the drama of what he was doing he knew that the Lord was standing by him to give him power. The Lord will be standing by all of you to give you power as you lead this College into 3023.

The gospel is also about Jesus commissioning his disciples. What we notice is an urgency to the mission. Don’t pack heavy bags or take food etc – anything that would waste time. The kingdom of God is here and people need to know about it. The College needs you to lead right now – not sometime in second term next year. Secondly, the message to be spread is not anger or reproach but peace and healing. Yours is an urgent task of bringing peace and healing to those members of the school community who need it. Pay attention to your fellow school colleagues in your year and below and notice if they need support. And like Nedd Brockmann, if you see a need in the playground, the classroom, the boarding house, on the sporting field or on the bus, don’t be afraid to do something about it. God is relying on you.

Tuesday 1 November - All Saints Day

Wednesday 2 November - All Souls Day

Blessings,

Christine Savage | Leader of Faith, Formation and Mission