Annual Mass for Catholic Theological College

Celebrated by Archbishop Denis Hart
at Catholic Theological College, East Melbourne,
on Thursday, 5th June, 2003, at 5.30pm

Introduction

My dear Brothers and Sisters,

Together with my brother bishops and staff members I offer this Mass for you and for your growth in knowledge and love as you undertake further steps in your theological education.

Together with the faith of Saint Peter and the dynamism of Saint Paul we seek to grow in knowledge and love of our God, who brings life to the world.

Let us call to mind our sins that our light may be from Christ and our dynamism may come from his passion and resurrection.

Homily

My dear friends,

Let me begin by saying on behalf of myself and my brother bishops how glad we are to be back at C.T.C. to celebrate another year of College life and activity.

Each year there are some changes on the College scene. Some faces vanish, and new faces appear; students graduate; staff retire; new teachers begin; and this year, in particular, there are changes in the administrative team. I bid a warm welcome to you all — whether you are fresh, new faces or familiar, experienced faces! I especially welcome all this year’s students. You now make up the C.T.C. academic community and you are all very welcome.

We celebrate this Mass in honour of two of the mightiest pillars on which our Catholic tradition rests. Saint Peter and Saint Paul represent to us, respectively, the doctrine of the faith and the mission of the Church. Saints Peter and Paul hold up before all of us at C.T.C. today the great ideals by which we live: the truths of the faith and the call to evangelise the world.

The exploits of these two saints are, I am sure, well known to all of us: Peter the impetuous, the over-bold, the reckless; Paul the persecutor, the convert, and finally the apostle of the Gentiles who taught the faith to the infant Church. There is much we could tell of these two great saints. However, perhaps what we at C.T.C. most need to reflect on today is that scene in Saint Matthew’s Gospel where Peter first confesses his faith, and our faith.

When Our Lord asks ‘who do you say that I am?’, Peter replies: ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ In this first and greatest Profession of Faith Saint Peter identifies for us all the truth upon which we build our lives: the Messiah has been sent; the living God is incarnate among us.

For staff and students of C.T.C. Peter’s faith is at the heart of all that you do. Saint Peter and his successors are chosen by Jesus as the foundation of the Church, the final authority over all our endeavours. Through our communion with Pope John Paul II we are united in a special way with the Universal Church and with the words of the Apostles. When we study and learn in philosophy and theology, Scripture or Canon Law, we are not just gaining a qualification: we are taking responsibility for the spread of the faith. We are committing ourselves both to the purity of the faith and to the continuity of the tradition.

But faith is not ours to hoard, or to enjoy in secret. Faith is a gift from God, and we are privileged to assist Our Lord in sharing that gift with others. The teaching and life of Saint Paul remind us that the Church is, and always has been, a missionary community. It was Jesus himself who sent out the Apostles to evangelise, to baptise, and to forgive sins. The encounter with Jesus, Son of the living God, fills us with the Spirit of God, and with an enthusiasm for evangelisation.

Again and again, the Pope has called for a New Evangelisation. In many parts of the world this renewal has resulted in new ecclesial movements, dramatic growth in vocations, new commitment to marriage and family, and new programmes for youth evangelisation. Here, in Australia, we profit from this renewal each time the young pilgrims return from World Youth Day. Today, I want to thank the staff and students of C.T.C. for their willingness to be part of this New Evangelisation.

I am grateful and encouraged by your commitment to the missionary spirit of Saint Paul and your loyalty to the doctrine and teaching of Saint Peter.

I feel sure that the students, teachers, and administrators of C.T.C. this academic year are well able to live up to the fine tradition we have established over a number of years. No doubt there will be challenges and changes ahead, but our most precious resource is secure: our commitment to the Catholic faith, and our readiness to take up all that we have learned and to offer it to the world.

+ Denis J. Hart,
Archbishop of Melbourne.