Faith & Mission

THE ISSUE OF HOPE

Recently, I found myself in conversation with a young man whose faith in humanity was seemingly crushed by the tumult of our age. The climate crisis, the rise of dictators, the pandemic and the growing divisiveness in communities around the world was leading him to despair for humanity. There is no doubt that he was raising are complex questions. They were questions that demanded complex responses. But as our conversation progressed it was clear that what lay at the heart of our conversation was the issue of hope. 

The Sunday masses from the last two weekends explore the mystery of faith and hope.  On Ascension Sunday, we read of Jesus leaving his followers. The disciples stand looking skyward. Is their faith and hope now located in a place beyond the world? They are afraid, and justifiably so. Their leader was cruelly put to death. They knew only too well how the authorities would act to brutally crush their nascent community. 

In the reading from Acts, an angel of the Lord challenges them. “People of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky?” 

Fr Frank Anderson has described these events leading up to Pentecost as a process of resurrection for the disciples. In the Pentecost Sunday readings, we hear of these broken and dispirited people emerging from their hiding to proclaim their faith. We know that these men and women will go out into the world and change lives in ways that Jesus in his life never seemed to achieve.

A key moment in the Pentecost story is the claim that the proclamations of the disciples could be understood by people speaking the ‘languages of the earth’ in ways that were intelligible to their hearts.

Here is the challenge that this Ascension/Pentecost season presents. Will we just look ‘skyward’ for others to offer us faith in a despairing times? Or can we become prophets of hope within our family, friends and communities.

The ‘namaste’ greeting is an invitation to the God in the other to interact with the God in me. Maybe if we could reach out in this spirit to all whom we encounter in a day, we would in our small way, speak to all in a language that is intelligible to their hearts. 

Morning Masses

For the remainder of Term 2, there will be Tuesday morning masses on 7 June, 14 June and 21 June.

All parents are welcome to join us on these Tuesday mornings at 8.00am in the College Chapel. 

Mr Mark Hyland

Director of Faith and Mission