Catholics called to keep their sight on Jesus this Year of Grace and resist being distracted like Peter in Galilee to ensure we don’t sink
Turn your eyes to Christ, fix your gaze on him and allow him to lead you through the storms of life to safety and peace.
That is the call of the Year of Grace, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB told a packed St Mary’s Cathedral at the Perth launch of the nation-wide initiative on Pentecost Sunday.
Archbishop Costelloe encouraged Catholics to contemplate the experience of the Church’s first leader, St Peter, particularly as he stepped out onto the stormy Sea of Galilee, toward Christ.
“For Peter, it all fell apart when he took his eyes off Jesus. It is the same for us,” Archbishop Costelloe said. “If we lose sight of Jesus, or let ourselves get distracted, then, like Peter, we may well start to sink.
“The thing that saved Peter, of course, is that he realised, once he started sinking, there was only one thing to do. ‘Save me, Lord,’ he cried out, ‘I am going under.’ And Jesus put out his hand, took Peter by the hand, helped him into the safety of the boat, and then stilled the storm and brought peace,” the Archbishop said.
Representatives from parishes throughout Perth were there to receive the message and take it, and a special Year of Grace candle, back to their communities.
Around 60 people received a candle from Archbishop Costelloe, as Perth’s Year of Grace coordinator, Paddy Buckley, called each of them to the sanctuary.
The Holy Spirit came to the disciples individually but only because they were united in Christ, the Archbishop said. Pentecost provided an excellent opportunity to contemplate the true nature of the Church.
“It means to be a group of people determined to be disciples of Jesus, and who are willing to try to be as faithful as we can, in spite of our many failings and setbacks.
“Here is the call of the Year of Grace. As individual Christians and as the Catholic Church here in the Archdiocese of Perth, we are all being invited to once more turn our eyes to Christ, to fix our gaze on him, to allow him to take us by the hand and lead us through the storms of our lives to safety and to peace.”
Music was provided by the Cathedral’s youth music team.
For more information about the Year of Grace and for videos of the launch ceremony and the Archbishop’s homily, visit www.thefaith.org.au.