Catholic Identity & Mission News

Celebration

In the past fortnight, the Church has celebrated the 60th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). The Council was called by Pope John XXIII with the desire to dialogue and respond to the changing world, and to ‘open the windows’, to let fresh air into a church much in need of reform. The anniversary of this Council occurred at a time when we were preparing the graduations of our Year 12’s and I was considering appropriate readings, prayers, and blessings to farewell them with. I had in mind to use Jesus’ charge to Peter, that he should ‘feed his sheep’ but even as I write it here, it is clear that this reading needs more context given to it because stated on its own, it seems a little out of place in our urban setting! However I was delighted to see that Pope Francis used this passage in his homily during Mass to celebrate the Council’s 60th anniversary.

“In his homily during Mass on the 60th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council…Pope Francis says Jesus’ words to Peter – “Do you love me? Feed my sheep” – are also addressed to the world today…..Turning to the word ‘feed’, Pope Francis explained that this is the kind of love that Jesus desires from St Peter. Originally a fisherman, Peter was made a shepherd, one who is called to live among his sheep and to love them.”[1] The image and use of the word sheep was one that was completely contemporary to Jesus. Living in an agrarian society, a shepherd was a common occupation and one that involved the shepherd to know and care for his particular sheep. The shepherd knew his flock and his flock knew him. And Jesus knew Peter, that same Peter who at Jesus’ lowest moment had denied him three times and who now, after the resurrection was given the chance to tell Jesus three times that he loved him (John 21:15-19).

It's a beautiful passage that challenged Peter then, and us today, to show our love for God by loving and caring for all of God’s creation. And even though we didn’t use this particular reading with our Year 12’s, we still farewelled them with a blessing that encouraged them to use their eyes, ears, words, hearts, and actions to bring about God’s love, justice, and peace in our world. This mirrors the spirit of the Second Vatican Council that some would argue is just starting to be more fully explored and implemented now. It was a Council about Scripture, liturgy, ecumenism, religious liberty, inter-religious dialogue, and missionary activity. It was the ‘brain-child’ of Pope John XXIII who was canonised a saint by Pope Francis in 2014. Staff at St Peter’s will have the chance to learn more about John XXIII and other popes who ‘changed the world’ in their opt-in Twilight Theology session next week. Matthew Hocking, who teaches on the CLN campus and I will be presenting about popes, both famous and infamous (!), who shook things up in their papacies. Through the history of the Church, we see a living tradition that by its nature challenges and changes, but the message that remains a constant, echoes in those words of Jesus to St Peter: to ‘feed my sheep’. And as we teach and learn in a school named in St Peter’s honour, we bear a responsibility to do the same. 

[1]Pope at Mass: ‘Learn from Vatican II how to see the Church’ by Christopher Wells, 18th October 2022

https://catholicoutlook.org/pope-at-mass-learn-from-vatican-ii-how-to-see-the-church/

Fiona McKenna

Deputy Principal - Catholic Identity & Mission