Eucharistic Adoration at Justin Villa, Balwyn

Homily given by Archbishop Denis Hart
at Justin Villa, Balwyn,
on Friday, 10th December, 2004, at 2.30pm

...

My dear Brothers in the Priesthood,

We gather at the end of another year in the presence of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, surrounded by our loved ones, to thank and praise him. We gather into our prayer those who are dear to us and particularly those who have died during the past year. We remember with deep gratitude the help of the Sisters, the advice and care of Ruth Dickinson, of members of the domestic staff and of all who have helped for this occasion.

We have chosen Eucharistic Adoration today because we need to be in the presence of the Lord to know his will for us. Jesus Christ stands at the centre, not just of the history of the Church, but also of the history of humanity. In him all things are drawn together. Pope Paul VI said that ‘Christ is indeed the goal of human history, the focal point of the desires of history and civilisation, the centre of mankind, the joy of all hearts and the fulfilment of all aspirations’. ( Gaudium et Spes, 45 )

Today we come in response to the Pope’s call to recapture for our lives the value of being with the Lord in adoration and contemplation. It is a personal meeting with one, who is our Lord, our Saviour and Guide, whom we meet in living love and with whom we share the burdens of our life. In recent years the high standard of holiness offered as a goal for all of us in the Church has been proclaimed even more powerfully by the remarkable diversity of women and men who have been raised to the altars by the present Holy Father. It is in our human condition that we meet our God and are invited to bring others to encounter the Gospel.

In 1999 Pope John Paul wrote to the elderly, “Old age has a proper role to play in the process of gradual maturing along the path to eternity. Elderly people help us to see human affairs with greater wisdom because life’s vicissitudes have brought them knowledge and maturity. They are the guardians of our collective memory and thus the privileged interpreters of that body of ideals and common values, which support and guide life in society. To exclude the elderly is in a sense to deny the past, in which the present is firmly rooted, in the name of modernity without memory. Precisely because of their mature experience the elderly are able to offer young people precious advice and guidance. Every person needs others and draws enrichment from the gifts and charisms of all.” ( John Paul II, Letter to the Elderly, 1 October 1999, No. 10 )

Today, then, let us spend these few moments with Our Lord, remembering that we can do much by our prayer to support others. Indeed, as archbishop, I thank you for your constant prayer which supports the work of the diocese, for the readiness of some priests here, who are able, to do supplies and for the way in which Justin Villa is a place of care and hospitality.

I thank you for all you do as we turn to Jesus in the words of the Antiphon, “O sacred banquet in which Christ is received.” ( Liturgy of the Hours, Feast of Corpus Christi, Evening Prayer )

The Year of the Eucharist has its source in the amazement with which the Church contemplates the mystery of the presence of Christ’s Body and Blood. With the Pope, we consider it a great grace to be able to call the whole Church to contemplate, praise and adore the Lord in this special Sacrament. May it encourage a more lively and fervent celebration of the Eucharist, leading to a Christian life transformed by love.

+ Denis J. Hart,
Archbishop of Melbourne.