From Selfishness to Selflessness
Last Sunday we celebrated the Feast of the Exaltation of the Glorious Cross. As Sister Margaret pointed out in her corner last week, this Feast begins the final season in our Liturgical calendar and lasts for seven weeks. During this week with all that was going on in society, politics and even at the parish level, I couldn’t help but reflect on two distinct (but similar in essence) homilies that were delivered during the 9.30am family Mass by Father Yuhanna Azize and during the 11am Mass by Father Youwakim Njeim.
Fr Yuhanna spoke about selfishness and how this destroys our relationship with God and others. He gave some very good examples about how we are selfish through greed, gluttony and time to name a few. Fr Yuhanna also gave an example of a priest who is hard at work in his office doing something important that he enjoys doing however is urgently requested to attend to the hospital to visit someone who is ill. How would you respond in this situation?
On the other hand Fr Youwakim reflected on the selfless act of our Lord who suffered a brutal and humiliating death on the cross on account of the selfishness of humanity. Fr Youwakim focussed on carrying the cross and asked all those who think that they are carrying the cross, if truly they are. He gave an example of a man who wanted to experience what Jesus did and decided to carry a 100kg cross all around Parramatta. After he did this, the man came home and his mother asked him to do something for her. He replied, “I have been carrying a 100kg cross all day, can’t you see that I am exhausted,” and he refused his mother’s request.
Does this sound familiar?
Carrying the Cross does not always mean the pain of the body and great suffering. Rather it is an invitation for me to put my own life plan into God’s plan. God’s plan is simple! It is the giving of one’s self to the other or as Jesus put it: “the greatest love is to lay down one’s life for a friend.” This is what the cross signifies. It epitomizes selfless love! Jesus tells us, “Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” To love our life in this world is to love as the world loves, which is selfishly.
To hate our life in this world is to reject this selfishness and to embrace selfless love.
In this blessed season let us look inwards at our own lives and see how we can truly be examples of the selfless love that our Lord showed us through the cross. I look forward to seeing you around the parish during the week.
Fast is risking crash and slow will reach the safe goal.”
I am a great believer in this title motto and have derived it from the author Steven Covey who says “Fast is Slow and Slow is Fast”. In saying this Covey speaks of the importance of not rushing major decisions but of taking time to take into consideration all the options and their consequences and then to come to a decision.
The push to change the definition of Marriage seemed to be so rushed at one stage. On one side by those possibly with an opportunist agenda and couching the debate in terms of equal rights and accusing those with reasons for concerns of bigotry and threatening rights and those on the other extreme who hold and express bigoted attidudes towards people of same sex attraction. The media seems to be most interested in the extremes and the sensationalism from both which seem to incite fear and accusations while also drowning out the essential chance for a clear exchange of facts and principles for the balanced rights and long term good of all.
After my research so far, I believe, especially to non-religious audiences, our approach should be to expressing our points and principles in ways that calm the fears and anger on both sides as much as possible and promotes “fair rights” and dignity for all, including same sex couples, balanced with the” full rights of children”. And because of the necessity to always strive for the “full rights of children” and to prevent the collateral confusion that will flow on from a change of definition we express the opinion to leave Marriage unchanged.
So it is about “fair rights” for all which, same sex couples mostly have already under Australian law for their relationship and respecting the “full rights” of children’s including the right to a biological Dad and Mum. In reality there is no such thing as equal rights for everyone to everything; for instance a 15 year old person in Australia can’t get married and siblings can’t marry each other and so on.
So always remember this method of Love and compassion followed by a respectful sharing of the Truth in communication and dialogue in all of our relationships and situations as this is following the model Jesus gives us in ministry and teaching.
So with next Sundays 2pm National Rally to support Traditional Marriage we need to be ready to rally in a spirit of Love and for those who hold different points of view to respond with Love and then respectfully share the Truth calmly with principles and facts. Very importantly ask the Holy Spirit to equip you with words of love and truth. If someone does not respond in the same respectful spirit don’t react just give them space and let them be.
Good Websites to equip you with good points in discussions are MARRIAGE EQUALS.com.au and MARRIAGEALLIANCE.com.au
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if, being the last English speaking country in the world still to change the definition of Marriage, Australia lead the best way showing that Fast is risking crash/collision while Slow will bring about a third better option that leaves Marriage for what is best for children.
And let’s remember the power of Prayer and last weeks Homily Point ”How we Pray is How we Live!”
A Blessed Feast of the Cross to All.
“Go home and be Joseph” - Fathers Day
Dear Parishioners,
Our Family Committee arranged a Holy Card for Father’s Day in the Parish for fathers which were given out at the end of the 9:30 Mass to the fathers. On the Holy Car is an Icon of
St Joseph with the Child Jesus and a beautiful prayer.
With St Joseph as the choice of Saint for the Holy Card, I was reminded of the powerful CD on the mission of fatherhood by Devin Schadt called “Pure Fatherhood” a must listen to CD for fathers who want to live the fullness of the call of Fatherhood.(available in Giftshop)
Devin shares that at a crucial stage of his life as a husband and father a significant person advised him when he was a young dad and searching for a missionary project to satisfy his sense of mission he was told emphatically “go home to your wife and children and be Joseph!” Devin draws out that while we have no recorded words of St Joseph in the Scriptures his actions speak volumes of how he is the most powerful role model for fathers after Jesus. He was– Obedient to the Lord, and Provider, Protector, Teacher and Lover of his family – Jesus & Mary.
As fathers all 5 of these elements are our calling. Pray this Prayer for the intention to everyday be an imitator of St Joseph in your home…
“Oh, St Joseph, foster father of Jesus, most pure spouse of the Virgin Mary, pray for us daily to the same Jesus, the Son of God, that we, being defended by the power of His grace and striving faithfully in life, may be crowned by Him at the hour of death. Amen.”
There is another modern Joseph, Joseph Wakim who has recently written a book on Fatherhood ”What my daughters taught me.” ‘Ive just started to read it and it could be a good Father’s Day Gift to your Dad with a father sharing his experience and call to be a father and through very hard circumstances. Joseph will be doing a Faith Formation talk soon based around the faith themes in his book. Keep your eyes on the Faith formation notice.
Happy Father’s Day to all the Fathers
