Every one of us has been given the gift of new life in Christ, Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB has said.
Speaking at the celebration of the World Day of Consecrated Life, Sunday 9 February at St Mary’s Cathedral, Archbishop Costelloe joined Bunbury Bishop-Elect Fr George Kolodziej SDS.
As Superior of the Salvatorians in Australia, Bishop-Elect Fr George Kolodziej has also served as a member of the Catholic Religious Australia’s Council
Celebrated worldwide on 2 February, this year’s celebration held special significance as it coincided with the Church’s Jubilee: Pilgrims of Hope.
The Mass was an opportunity for religious men and women to reflect on and give thanks for the gift of consecrated life; while recognising the profound impact their commitment has as a testament of faith.
Delivering the homily, Archbishop Costelloe focussed on the universal call to holiness that extends to all members of the Church, not just those in religious life.
Drawing from the day’s readings – Isaiah 6:1-8, Psalms 137:1-5, 7-8, and Luke 5:1-11 – Archbishop Costelloe reflected that discipleship is a shared journey, and the witness of religious life serves as an inspiration for all to follow Jesus while striving for holiness in their unique circumstances.
“God’s Providence is at work because all three readings today, while they clearly do not refer only to a vocation to the religious life, certainly do speak to us about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus,” Archbishop Costelloe said.
“Every single baptised person here in the Cathedral this morning is called to this discipleship. Every one of us has been given the gift of new life in Christ, and every one of us is called to do our best to live this new life to the full: to make the Lord Jesus, not just in words but in the daily reality of our lives, our way, our truth, and our life.”
Drawing from the teachings of Saint Francis de Sales, a Bishop from the 16th century, Archbishop Costelloe reflected on the idea that holiness is not confined to those in religious orders.
He noted that St Francis had questioned whether the lives of religious monks and nuns were the only path to holiness, concluding instead that “it is not only a mistake but against the teachings of the Church to hold that life in the Armed Forces, in a factory, in the world of business, or in the home, is incompatible with being holy,” Archbishop Costelloe explained.
“We become holy by working out how to be, and then striving to be in practice, true disciples of Jesus in the concrete realities of our own life, rather than in some imagined perfect life.”
Reflecting on the readings from the prophet Isaiah and the Gospel of Luke, Archbishop Costelloe expanded on the nature of calling and discipleship.
From the Prophet Isaiah’s response to God’s call, “Here I am, send me,” to Simon Peter’s words to Jesus, “Leave me, Lord; I am a sinful man,” the Archbishop highlighted the connection between human weakness and divine calling.
“When we put these two things together, we discover that discipleship of Jesus is about being called, saying yes, following him, and being sent by him,” he said.
“This fourfold reality is not just for religious sisters and brothers, not just for bishops and priests, not just for popes and cardinals – it is for all of us.”
Archbishop Costelloe acknowledged that our sinfulness and weakness can lead to forgetting or neglecting our call to be a disciple of Jesus.
However, those living the consecrated life are able to remind the Catholic community of the commitment to discipleship.
“It is because of this reality… that God calls some women and men to take on the challenge of religious life… to be a living homily and reminder of what we are all called to be and do in our own particular circumstances,“ he reflected.
The religious are “a precious gift of His grace,” he continued. “They remind us all of the challenge and the beauty of living our discipleship fully. This is why religious need our prayers, our support and our encouragement to help them remain faithful.”
Following the Mass, a lunch was held to celebrate the following Jubilarians:
Ruby (40 Years)
Sr Sandra Smolinski RSM
Golden (50 Years)
Sr Kathryn Summerfield SSJ
Diamond (60 Years)
Sr Marion Beard PBVM
Sr Lucy Van Kessel PBVM
Sr Martina Killeen RSM
Sr Breda O’Reilly RSM
Platinum (70 Years)
Br Bill Finegan CFC
Sr Joan Evans PBVM
Sr Goretti Keane PBVM
Sr de Lourdes Mansfield PBVM
Sr Vincent O’Connor PBVM
Sr Bridie Rafter PBVM
Sr Jo Dillon RSM
Sr Leonie O’Brien RSM
Sr Philomena Butler SSJG
Sr Vitalis Kilroy SSJG
Diamond (75 Years)
Br Basil Hickey
Oak (80 Years)
Br Max McAppion