Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne: Archbishop: Homilies: Mass for the Vietnamese Chaplains and Religious

Mass Celebrated by Archbishop Denis Hart
at St Mary's College, University of Melbourne,
on Thursday, 2nd October, 2003 at 5.30pm

Introduction

My dear Fathers, Sisters and Friends,

I am delighted to be with you as we ask the blessing of the Lord upon the work of the Vietnamese Chaplains here in Melbourne. The presence of Vietnamese people here among us has been a tremendous challenge, to appreciate their suffering and valiant desire to follow the Gospel, to be inspired by the strength of their family life and to continue to minister to them spiritually, so that our awareness of God and of his wonderful works will endure.

Today we celebrate the feast of the Guardian Angels and we remember that God sends messengers to be with us in our words and deeds. It is the holy person, who is open to the work of the angels who lead them to God, who becomes an instrument of God’s grace, inspired by the spiritual helpers whom God has sent. Saint Augustine says that with their whole beings the angels are servants and messengers of God because they always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven and they are the mighty ones who do his word harkening to his voice.

As apostles of our people, guarded by our own angels, may we too be the ones who humbly, and yet effectively, do his word.

Tonight’s Mass challenges us to answer the question, “What is true heavenly greatness?” Jesus advises us that the simplicity and clear vision of a child is the basis of all oneness with Christ.

In his Encyclical Letter, Novo Millennio Ineunte, the Holy Father stresses again and again that it is our personal encounter with Christ in prayer, our search for holiness, which will make us ready to launch out into the deep.

We know that God himself made the world in all its richness, diversity and order, and made human beings to be the crown of all that he did. Today’s celebration of the angels reminds us that angels have intelligence and will as purely spiritual creatures. They are personal and immortal, surpassing in perfection all the visible creatures because their total being is to be messengers and to bear witness to God in our world.

It is pertinent to our work in the Church to remember that Jesus is the centre of the angelic world. The angels belong to him because they are created through him and for him. They belong to him still more because he has made them messengers of his saving plan: “Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to serve, for the sake of those who are to obtain salvation?” (Hebrews 1.14) If we look at the example of the angels we can see their intervention in the story of creation and we can be challenged, though in a lesser and human way, which is no less spiritual, however, to be God’s instruments to save our people.

The Catholic Catechism tells us that angels have announced God’s salvation and serve the accomplishment of his divine plan. They closed the earthly paradise; protected Lot; saved Hagar and her child; stayed Abraham’s hand from killing Isaac; communicated the law by their ministry; led the people of God; announced births and callings; and assisted the prophets. Finally, the Angel Gabriel announced the birth of John and that of Jesus himself.

From the Incarnation to the Ascension the adoration and service of angels surround the life of Jesus. They proclaim, Glory to God in the Highest, at his birth, they protect Jesus in his infancy, serve him in the desert, strengthen him in his agony in the garden and evangelise by proclaiming the Good News of Christ’s Incarnation and Resurrection. (Saint Luke 2:8-14; Saint Mark 16:5-7) They will be present at Christ’s return, which they will announce to serve his Judgement.

Today in the liturgy in the First Eucharistic Prayer the Church asks their insistence. “Almighty God we pray that your angel may take this sacrifice to your altar in heaven.” Or in the funeral liturgy, “May the angels lead you into paradise.”

We might well learn that these points of angels, as we know their protection.

The adjective ‘angelic’ is used to describe people who are totally united to God, fixed intently and completely on him as the angels were, though in a human degree. The challenge for you and to me is to watch and care and pray for our people, to protect and shepherd them to life, to remind them constantly of the unity between the life of faith here on earth and the reality of heaven, knowing that God’s angels care for us. We too are called to dwell in the shelter of God, the Most High, that we may witness to him to our people.

Like the angels, we have to be ministers who do his will and not allow the grace of God to be crowded out by materialism, tragedy, hard work, or still less, by sin.

Tonight is a moment when we remember the help of angels God gives us and the help it is our duty in prayer and work to give to our people. Holy angels of God, pray for us.