St Mary MacKillop had a keen awareness of disadvantage, not just because she was able to see the suffering around her in others, but because she had her own personal experience of being without.
She loved her parents very much because of their love and all they did for her.
Her father was a very educated man and could dream very large dreams. These dreams many times came to nothing and were costly to his family, so they would have tough times to live through, and would have to struggle to meet their needs. Her father was a good man but not always practical.
Mary’s life had its twists and turns as do we in life.
To help her family, she was able to find work in Melbourne when she was just sixteen. But a job that her uncle and aunt offered her in Penola became a defining moment for the rest of her life.
The job was to be a governess, to look after their children and to teach them. She was young, but already she could recognise the needs of others. So, seeing the opportunity to teach the other farm children she included them in the daily lessons.
This led her to become a teacher in the school in the nearby town. She was noticed by Fr Julian Tenison-Woods and one thing led to another and she discerned the work that God was calling her to follow for the rest of her life.
Mary heard the voice of God in the needs of those children and her vision began to be enlarged to see the need for education for children in remotest areas of Australia. Education is the pathway out of poverty: something Mary understood.
Her life from there on was about responding to the needs of others: the education of children and teachers; shelter for girls and women who were abused or living in poverty; care for the aged and people with disabilities. She founded the Sisters of St Joseph, who carried on her vision through their dedication to serve those in need in the same spirit.
It is on her feast day that we honour a great hero of Australia.
Mary teaches us in our own times. What she learned; she passes on to us. This is found in the new song to Mary MacKillop we used at the beginning of our liturgy.
“I feel joy when things go well, and an equal joy, when things go wrong. Because I see God’s will.”
Mary learned to listen to the voice of God that she discovered in the small and large things in her life. It is the voice of God who loves each of us and we can trust. She would examine each day and bless God for the good things, even the things that went wrong, for with the Spirit of Jesus she trusted that she would continue to grow in faith and as an image of Christ to others.
“Do not worry…. Your heavenly Father knows your needs…. set your hearts on the kingdom first and on God’s saving justice, and all the other things will be given to you as well.”
These words of the Gospel remind us of another thing that Mary passed on to her Sisters. She set her heart on the kingdom of God. Whatever she strove to do, it was for the glory of God. Many times, the projects would seem impossible, yet she believed that if they were in line with the plan of God, all would be provided for as God stirred the hearts of benefactors.
LifeLink helps us the recognise the needs of others and to find a way of helping.
We will soon see in the light show that follows the good that is done through our social service agencies and how the kingdom of God grows today with our help.