Two Hearts of great Love.

A few days ago, Maree Butler (who needs no introduction to the friends and visitors who come to Holy Cross) showed me a copy of The Advocate, May 13, 1948. It was most interesting to read about events of some 60 years ago, and to observe the advertisements, to see pictures of the ladies fashions, and to note the prices of articles at that time – in shillings and pence!

Most of the pages in this particular issue of The Advocate were devoted to reporting events associated with the Church’s Centenary in Melbourne, including one relating to the final Mass celebrated at the Exhibition Buildings where on May 9^th, 1948 “in the presence of 25,000 people, the Pontifical High Mass of Thanksgiving … was celebrated by His Eminence Cardinal Spellman … and the occasional sermon was preached by Cardinal Gilroy, who read the prayer for the consecration of Australia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”

Some 61 years later, in this month of June, the Church’s Liturgical Calendar includes two special celebrations of love – the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (this year June 19^th) and the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (June 20^th).

Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is, and has been for nearly 2000 years, fundamental to our Christian belief. The ‘heart’ is variously referred to in Scripture as the centre of affections, passions, wisdom, understanding, and above all, love. And Jesus told us that to love one another is the greatest commandment.

Generally speaking, devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus was given ‘impetus’ with the revelations of Our Lord to Saint Margaret Mary in 1673-1675; yet the ‘official’ recognition of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the church only occurred as recently as 1856.

Popular devotion to Mary, and to her Sacred Heart, has been part of Christian devotion for centuries, albeit to varying degrees, but ‘officially’ the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (previously the Sacred Heart of Mary) has its roots in the Marian apostolate of St. John Eudes (1680); but more recently, on December 8, 1942, the 25^th anniversary of the apparitions at Fatima, Pope Pius XII dedicated the Church and the human race to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. He placed the feast on August 22 and extended it to the entire Church. It has now been moved closer to the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, always falling on the Saturday after that Feast.

Although the Gospel writers tell us little about Mary we know she was a caring, loving Mother. The Gospels tell us about Mary giving birth to her special baby – in a stable! (Luke 2: 1-7); then she presents her baby, in accordance with Jewish custom, in the Temple (Lk 2: 22-40) and when aged 12, Jesus is separated from his parents for 3 days, Mary shows a typical, loving concern of a Mother and says ‘my child, why have you done this to us? See how worried your father and I have been, looking for you’ (Lk 2: 48). But surely, the story of the Passion of Jesus epitomises Mary as one with a sacred heart; she is there with her son on Calvary, until his death, and then his burial.

Since the time of Paul of the Cross, the Passionists have been dedicated to promote ‘the living memory of the Passion of Jesus’. In his preaching and in his letters of spiritual guidance, Paul of the Cross often promoted devotion to the Sacred Heart, eg: “I recommend to you a great devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus” … and … “I place you and your entire household in the Sacred Heart of Jesus”. Paul saw the Passion of Jesus as ‘a work of infinite love’ and he concluded many of his letters with the words: “placing you in the Sacred Heart of Jesus”. He also had a great devotion to Mary; he frequently signed off his letters with phrases such as ‘Thanks be to God and to Mary Ever Virgin’, or ‘Mary Ever Immaculate’, or ‘Praise to God and to Mary Ever Virgin’.

 During the month of June, the Church provides us with the opportunity to renew our devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a heart of the greatest love, and to the Sacred Heart of Mary, the one who said ‘Yes’ to God (Luke 1: 38). That was her unequivocal response to God’s call.       And this is our invitation.        - Dennis.

Golden Jubilee of Profession.

One of the Anniversaries celebrated by the Passionists at their Assembly held at Holy Cross (May Newsletter) was the 50^th Anniversary of the Profession of Fr Peter McGrath CP. We asked Fr Peter to write a reflection on his 50 years as a Passionist; this was his reply:

“How about this as a simple response to your most kind invitation? -

When Tony Egar and myself celebrated 40 years of Ordination at St. Anthony in the Fields, Terrey Hills, we both wrote very similar comments on a little book-mark that was printed for the occasion. I would like to update that bookmark and instead of beginning with 40 years, now have 50 years.

Fifty years is a millimetre for mankind,
but a marathon for me.

All you good people, such dear friends, have run with me over these years.  Whether you were running ahead to inspire me, running shoulder to shoulder to urge me on or picking me up
when I stumbled.

Thank you all for your courage and your conviction that I could run the race. I could never do it alone. You give me Christ's Spirit to run. Above all, thank you
for your love.

May we continue to run together.

Now I would like to add a personal observation about our CHARISM. It comes from my reflection of the last 50 years of being a Professed Passionist and working all that time with so many people. 

More and more I have come to appreciate that the Passionist Charism is the living Compassion of Jesus the Risen One. This Compassion is found in our ordinary, everyday lives. I have been privileged to discover this Compassion in the hearts of so many people, to be nourished by it and through the Grace of God, to be able to give it to others.

My religious life has been strewn with human frailty. I realised this most painfully when I had to accept my alcoholism and greatly receive the gift of sobriety, that was beyond my human efforts.

This gave me not only a deeper appreciation of Christ's Compassion, but also a more poignant identification with my brothers and sisters who bear the same marks of the Passion.

I am forever grateful.            Peter McGrath CP

Congo Part 2:  from our foreign correspondent!  –  Fr Denis Travers CP

(Continued from the April Holy Cross Passionist Family Newsletter,  in which Fr Denis outlined many interesting aspects of history & economic conditions in the Congo, the Catholic majority and the Passionist presence there.)

Many people get by on little income – often gained from small and simple ‘enterprises’ like road-side sales. Even professional people like teachers receive only the equivalent of $25 a month and this in itself is insufficient income for a family to live on. The country must get by without an extensive rail network or a sealed road network; the postal system does not seem to function in many parts of the country and public officials are poorly paid.

Yet to dwell only on the difficulties the Congo must face as a society is to miss so much else. There is great patience and tolerance amongst the people. They have little apart from their family and faith life, but it means a lot to them. Every Sunday huge crowds gather in the parishes to ‘enjoy’ mass for up to 2-3 hours or more. (They feel cheated if a sermon is not around 30-40 minutes - a preacher’s paradise!).

The cities are crowded and rather chaotic yes, but the countryside is vast, green and untouched. Our Passionist missions are difficult to reach, but are somewhat of an oasis after a long drive over horrible roads (4W drive accessible only).

In the mission areas, I saw another Congo. A quieter, more peaceful place and while there are few amenities, there are other gifts - the cool of the African evening as the storms come in, the end of labour at 6pm (when the sun sets) and if there is no generator, then you are back to the age of candlelight diners!

Mind you, here I should pause and dash any images you may be forming of my time consisting of exotic dinners and a life ‘a la safari’ style. It was not so. Given that we ate rice and fish for most meals, trying to find fish bones by candle-light leaves much to be desired!  I slept most nights under mosquito nets, had only a bucket of water to wash with each day and was offered fried caterpillars on three occasions. I also left Congo having achieved another ‘first’ in that I travelled for 3 hours in the back of a 4W drive land cruiser holding 40 litres of petrol near my feet, squashed in with about 1000kgs of food and supplies; oh, I should also mention that I was joined by eight other people (and their luggage), a goat and a chicken! Such is life…

From the tropical heat of Congo, less than 48 hours later, I found myself in Sweden, walking through snow to our community house in Linkoping. More of that story in the next edition…                      

   Denis Travers CP

HI All – from Fr Tom McDonough CP in PNG.

It’s been a very full week with the funeral of our Headmaster today. It began at 7am with the arrival of the hearse being showered with flowers by the primary school guard of honour and the secondary school brass band playing ‘Abide with Me’ with lugubrious intensity. We then had a viewing and wreath laying, then procession up to the Church for Eucharist at 9.00, with Two Archbishops and assembled Governors, Prime Minister and dignitaries; it is now 12.15 and the speeches are still going on.  Then it is on to the cemetery with police escort and brass band for the burial.

I had to MC the service, which was fine. However I'd forgotten the first and basic lesson of all Ecclesiastical and Liturgical MC's -NEVER, and I mean NEVER leave the copy of the Archbishop's homily on the Lectern before the ceremony begins. It is so undignified having to finish the Gospel by saying: 'Whoever took the Archbishop's homily off the lectern, could they please bring it back!'  -Especially in front of two Archbishops, two Governors, the Prime Minister and half his Cabinet. It never happens to Pope Benedict!

 The rain is pouring down & I am damp from the top down with the humidity and the bottom up with the rain.  My white habit is covered in mud, which at least is culturally appropriate as a sign of grief -the face and hands now need to follow. I can't quite bring myself to follow the example of the Archbishop and carry my own terry-towel for the occasional refreshing wipe.  It should all be finished by 3.00 -when I will be about finished as well.

Today our tenant company finally finished its lease at our monastery (except for the three families living in the flats who can't find anywhere else to live and asked for a couple more days).  So the Security men finish today and they and the dogs will be gone. The most immediate consequence of this is we will have to open the gate for ourselves whenever we come or go.  God, missionary life is demanding.  It also means we have to be a lot more careful about our personal security.  Mind you, now the company has gone there is precious little on the property that is worth stealing. It also means our own builders can come in and paint and freshen the place and we can go shopping for furniture and household stuff to redo the place. ANZ watch out! I am about to get seriously behind a cheque book again. The range of goods is not quite what I'd prefer, basically we are limited to the standard of the average 2 dollar shop in Marrickville Rd – but hey, shopping is shopping!!!

And from Fr Kevin Hennessy CP in Cairns ETC!

In the past few months I have been fortunate to journey with people over three Nations: New Zealand, the Easter Ceremonies at Holy Cross, the Synod in the Cairns Diocese and the Philippines. In New Zealand and the Philippines I was constantly on the move working with different communities, & with the Kiwis, discovering the experience of the early Christian Communities from the scriptures.  Brian Traynor CP has to receive a lot of credit for developing a program to make the scriptures relevant to the small communities through the Passionist Family Groups throughout New Zealand. Their response to God's Word was fantastic, giving hope to the support of the family, to the Parish and to leaders of the Church in that Nation. New Zealanders are great people as was shown by the Retreat Day for Principals and senior management in Auckland. Fun is such an important element of the Gospel and I saw it alive amongst them.

What a lovely place to come home to a welcoming community of Passionists who are not only my brothers in Christ, but friends in sharing vision, story telling and common hope for the future. The Easter ceremonies were prayerful, as young men looking at the Vocation of Passionist Life, joined us at Holy Cross for the 5 days. All expressed gratitude for a liturgy that involved and spoke to them, and to the people who came to Holy Cross & to St Paul's the Apostle, Endeavour Hills.

The Philippines was again a faith experience among those who work with the poor. Though very hot and polluted, the depth of faith amongst the women of all ages was so powerful. Amongst the 72 million people of the Philippines there is a lot of poverty and suffering. I could not but be moved that through suffering one comes to a greater meaning of life and a peacefulness that the world can never give. Placing oneself in God's care even though there is pain, loss and no finance sometimes to buy the rice for their family. Upon my return home to Australia, I was contacted & asked to pray for two of the teachers who had miscarriages after trying to cross flooded rivers to get to schools for the local children of poor families; 40% can't even pay the monthly school fees of AUD $3:50. But the joy in the children is something to see. The faith in the Passionist Sisters and Nuns is something to experience......so moving....with stories of how the Cross of Christ has been such a strength in difficult situations. 

I write this from Cairns where the people in this Diocese certainly know the name of the Passionists through the Synod and Vocation work that I have been facilitating over 3 years. They are so short of priests that the people with the Bishop are preparing for the future, from Tully in the South near Townsville and to Thursday Island to the North. The Church is alive; we must be encouraged by the faith of people in the outback of Australia. I will share a story in the next edition about faith in the outback of Northern Queensland.    Kevin Hennessy CP (26.05.09)