"Peace be to you who are near at hand, peace be to them that are far away.” (Eph. 2: 17)
Today, as for the past one hundred and ten years, our community has gathered to celebrate the Feast of our Glorious Patron, St Michael the Archangel, and, with him, all the Holy Angels, and the Bodiless Powers of Heaven.
This annual gathering of our community provides us with an occasion to consider the patronal year that has gone by, and, under the protection of the Angelic Powers, to resume our journey in faith. As in the past, may we be effective witnesses to our Lord Jesus Christ, who as on the road to Emmaus, accompanies us, and, who reveals Himself to us in the Breaking of the Bread.
However, we will not be effective witnesses – we will not be that salt and leaven of which Jesus speaks unless we are united in love. In the Holy Liturgy, the deacon reminds us that love and unity are the inseparable conditions for the proclamation of our faith, "Let us love one another that with one mind we may confess….”
Our Melkite Catholic people come from many different backgrounds and nationalities in the Middle East. Many have spent some time in Europe or elsewhere before coming to Australia, some families have been here since the foundation of the first St Michael’s in 1895, other families are more recent arrivals in the two Southern Lands – yet each one of us is a son or daughter of this Holy Eparchy…..and I give thanks to the Lord Jesus Christ that he has granted me the privilege of being your bishop these past nine years.
Thanks be to Him, our Great and Eternal High Priest, who has allowed me to share with you your joys and sorrows, your many successes and our temporary setbacks, your hopes and aspirations. True to His promise in the Holy Gospel, the Lord, having called me far away from my homeland, my family and my friends repaid me a hundred times over by the gift of this family which is the Eparchy.
It is the unity of this eparchial family that will empower us as messengers of the Gospel, as witnesses to the Lord Jesus Christ, so that others seeing our good works will give glory to our Father in Heaven.
At this time as our thoughts are centred upon unity and love, it is particularly distressing to note certain events of today which remind us that there are those whose hearts are set upon disunity, hatred and violence. Let us pray the Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, to touch their hearts and call them back to the ways of peace and fraternal charity.
At the end of October we concluded the Year of the Eucharist which had been proclaimed by the late pope of Rome, John Paul II, of blessed memory. This event was marked in Sydney with a procession of the Holy Eucharist from St Patrick’s, Church Hill, to St Mary’s cathedral. His Lordship, Bishop Julian Porteous, who is with us this evening, carried the Blessed Sacrament, accompanied by the clergy, religious, seminarians and a gathering of many thousand of Catholics.
It was an extraordinary experience to see the faith of the Catholic people kneeling in the street as Jesus of Nazareth passed by. Of course, during the four hours of procession and prayer at the Cathedral, many formal prayers were offered on behalf of this nation, this city and the needs of mankind. However, more wonderful to consider are the fervent prayers that must have been spoken secretly in the hearts of so many people. We can be sure that many graces and favours were granted that day….as they were in the days when the crowd pressed about Him and the cry was heard, "Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Although the Year of the Eucharist has now concluded we should remain constant and unfailing in our devotion to the Lord who comes to His people in each and every Divine Liturgy and who remains present in a true and personal way in our churches wherein the Blessed Sacrament is reserved.
Our patronal feast is a most appropriate time to thank the Lord for the many gifts He has bestowed upon the Eparchy. Two priests have been ordained so far this year, and a third will be ordained in December……and in response to the increasing number of faithful, we have established the Parish of the Dormition of the Theotokos at Schoefields, and, St Rita of Cascia at Liverpool. A new wing has been added to Holy Saviour School at Greenacre.
At the beginning of 2006 we will found a parish for the families of Canberra and the ACT. In that same year, we will begin work on the new church and parish centre of St Elias at Guildford. insha’allah.
However, heeding the warning of St Paul in his Letter to Corinthians, we might well say that these things are as nothing if we do not love one another.
Two days ago, we concluded the first convention of our Eparchy. Some fifty people from our Eparchy Pastoral Council gathered at Wollongong to discuss three issues of importance and concern for our Church….the Unity of the Eparchy, Ministry to the Youth and Ministry to Families.
The future of our Church in Australia and New Zealand rests firmly with our young people. This is not unique to our situation. The late Holy Father said quite clearly that there can be no future for the Church without the youth and the youth will find their future only within the Church. The parents of our community are not only responsible with us for the religious education and development of our young people – parents are indispensable.
Parents give of your time to your children – encourage them to find themselves within the Church, and, encourage them to assume such responsibilities and leadership roles that might arise in the church. Every human person has a longing for God, a desire for Him. As St Augustine says of this need for God, "Our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee.”
It is the task of our parents and the older members of our community to help our young people satisfy that longing – and it is best satisfied within their church and best nurtured within their community.
It is a truism that the family is the fundamental unit of both society and the church. St John Chrysostom spoke of the family as the domestic church. As never before the family is under particular stress – philosophically, economically, legislatively, and morally. Indeed, in several nations the very definition of family has been so deformed as to almost exclude what has always been accepted as family.
We must do all we can to counter the present assault on the family. We must make our position crystal clear and stand by it – there can be no compromise. Above all we must take every opportunity to offer whatever support possible for families in distress, and, every encouragement for those families making their way thus far in a difficult environment.
My thoughts turn also to our brothers and sisters in New Zealand. Although we are at a distance from them, I would take this opportunity to assure them of our fraternal affection and our prayers, and, to wish them a happy Feast Day. May the Angelic Powers stand watch over them and their Homeland under the Cross of Light with which the Creator marked our southern sky. Peace be to them that are far away!
We owe a heartfelt thanks to the Dean of the Cathedral, Father Melhem, the parish council, the Ladies committee, and all the parishioners who contribute so much time and effort towards the Christian life and outreach of this Cathedral and community.
It is with great joy that I especially greet those who bear the name Michael in whatever form, and also Gabriel and Raphael and any of the names of the Angelic powers. May your patron saints amongst the bodiless powers watch over you and keep you in good health and holy peace.
This evening let us place all those things of which I have spoken before the Throne of Mercy, and as we do so, let us seek the unfailing intercession of Our Lady, the Holy and Glorious Theotokos, the Blessed Virgin Mary.
As the Holy Liturgy says the Lord "knows every household and the needs thereof.” We commend all to His loving kindness, and we entrust ourselves, and those around us and the Holy Eparchy to the powerful protection of St Michael the Archangel and All the Holy Angels.
And now to the Lord Jesus Christ who is ever wonderful in His Saints be all honour and glory and thanksgiving for ever and ever, Amen