Our faith is a precious gift, given to us, not for ourselves alone, but so that we might be signs and bearers of the love of Christ to and for others, said Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB in celebrating the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper, Thursday 14 April.
Marking the beginning of the Easter Triddum, Archbishop Costelloe continued by saying that the desire for communion with the Lord, which brings us before the Blessed Sacrament in prayer and which impels us to come forward to receive him into our lives in Holy Communion, will always, if it is genuine, give rise to a desire for life-giving communion with others.
Archbishop Costelloe elevates the Body of Christ, during the Mass for the celebration of the Lord’s Supper, Thursday 14 April at St Mary’s Cathedral. Photo: Ron Tan.
“It will always impel us to break our bodies and spill our blood – to give ourselves away – for the good of others, so that others may know the joy of having Christ in their lives, as we know this joy in our own,” Archbishop Costelloe said.
Archbishop Costelloe was joined for the celebration by Assistant Parish Priest Fr Richard Rutkauskas and Fr Richard Smith, with Deacon Paul Russell assisting.
In celebrating Good Friday, The Passion, Archbishop Costelloe continued by saying one of the most precious gifts which the Lord has given us is the gift of freedom.
Speaking during the 3pm celebration, Archbishop Costelloe highlighted that freedom is the gift which makes us human.
“We are not simply driven by instinct: we are able to choose,” he said.
Archbishop Costelloe was joined for the celebration by Deacon Paul Russell, who proclaimed the Gospel.
Continuing his homily, Archbishop Costelloe said our own story and the wider story of our society, and indeed the long story of humanity, reveals the simple and dreadful truth that we often misuse our freedom and in doing so bring great suffering and distress to ourselves, to those who are dear to us, and to the wider communities of which we are apart.
“We see this so starkly and so tragically in the war unfolding in Ukraine.
“But we see it too, in different ways, in the violence which explodes in our streets and suburbs from time to time, in the coward punch which destroys an innocent person’s life, in the horror of the sexual abuse of the young, in the reality of domestic violence which poisons the lives of so many innocent people, especially women and children, and in countless other ways,” he said.
Archbishop Costelloe also invited the congregation to remember the image of Mary at the foot of the cross.
“Which invites us to remember, and to pray for, all those mothers who are grieving the loss of their sons and daughters, of their husbands, and of their brothers and sisters, in the dreadful conflict which is engulfing Ukraine,” Archbishop Costelloe said.
“Like Mary the souls of these mothers are being pierced by a terrible sword of suffering as they see those they love, suffer and die.
“And, of course, they are not alone. Evil, and the suffering it causes, does not discriminate. Everyone caught up in this terrible conflict is, in one way or another, a victim of evil,” he said. Archbishop Costelloe was also interviewed by Channel 9 at the conclusion of the service.
Stations of the Cross Passion Play
Cathedral parishioners were also blessed with a live demonstration of the Passion of Christ this past Good Friday.
The demonstration, narrated by Assistant Parish Priest Fr Israel Quirit, was also supported with music from the Cathedral choir.
