Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Mass Celebrated by Archbishop Hart
at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Melbourne,
on Sunday, 3rd July, 2005, at 11.00am

Introduction

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The Church proposes as our model the obedience of Jesus raising the world from sin.

With a vision renewed by prayer Jesus opens out for us the paradox that salvation is hidden from the wise and the learned and made known to those who are humble.

As we call to mind our sins, let us ask our living Lord that he will make us humble and generous in serving him and in seeing him in others.

Homily

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Humanly speaking Jesus’ teaching in Galilee had just met with a setback. Despite the miracles he worked he had not been accepted. The wise and the learned had closed their hearts to the Gospel. This contrasts very greatly with the words of Dom Helder Camara, the murdered Archbishop of Olinda and Recife in Brazil, who said, “My door, my heart is always open.”

The Readings today underline for us that God is always approachable, open to us his people. He even invites us, “Come to me, take my yoke upon you”, and specifies that his is an easy yoke and a light burden.

Being humble of heart means that we recognise the gifts that God has given to us.

Then of course there is the striking sentence, “No one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.” ( Verse 27 ) This statement shows that Jesus alone knows God fully, but those who know Jesus are on the way to knowing God who sent him.

The picture of God as a mighty warrior gives way to one who leaves violence aside and is the perfect fulfilment of the will of the Father.

Being gentle and humble of heart contrasts with those who place burdens on people and are themselves puffed up. Part of being spiritual is allowing what we do to be guided by Christ’s vision of love and compassion.

We do have a choice. Do we tie up burdens and lay them on people’s shoulders and then do nothing to help them? Or are we part of leading the world to greater hope, even as a young person or as a single Catholic, our hope - knowing that we are supported by Jesus Christ, our faith - knowing that God is near and our love - being the instrument of sharing God’s care is a wonderful challenge.

Jesus praised his Father for “revealing to little ones the mysteries of the kingdom”. Here at Mass we discover that if we know Jesus, then we will be able to draw others to him. The importance of prayer, the importance of joy in God’s service and the unalterable conviction that good and truth will overcome evil.

Like Saint Paul we have to show the joy of one who has chosen to live as God’s adopted son in the Spirit. Saint Paul says very forcefully that if we are bound to God and his Spirit guides us, then death is but a phase of passing through to God. “All human beings die, but those who are Spirit led and whose hearts are Christ occupied die only to rise again,” insisted William Barclay in his Daily Study Bible.

Paul lived and died on the strength of this conviction and he invites us to do otherwise, as did Helder Camara, opting for the way of Jesus. In his words, “My door, my heart is always open; come to me.” That is Jesus’ invitation and the watchword for our life.

+ Denis J. Hart,
Archbishop of Melbourne.