Sep 9:30am Mercedes College Mercy Day Mass

Archbishop Balvo said that there were two points which stood out. “The first is the fact that the Word of God will not always be favourably received. The second point is that the difficulties experienced in the mission of preaching the Gospel can be discouraging and can tempt one to look back toward the past rather than forward to the future. “We know from our experience that people are often inclined to stay with what is familiar even if it's difficult and negative, rather than to take a risk for the future. The Gospel points out that Jesus resolutely determined to go to Jerusalem even though He knew that this would mean His eventual suffering and death. But then these will be followed by His rising from the dead because in Christ, life triumphs over death. “This same message, this same reality is valid for us. We have responded to the call of Jesus to follow Him. We have accepted the kingdom and the mission to preach the Gospel. So, there can be no looking back to the life that we gave up - a life of slavery to selfishness and to sin. “We have known God's grace, a new life given to us in the sacraments, so we don't want to return to whatever life we had before that. Like Jesus, we are called to make the resolute decision and the firm commitment to give witness to the Gospel, not to look back at what was, but to look forward with confidence to what can be.

“In the year 2025, there will be another Holy Year. And of this, Pope Francis said, we must fan the flame of hope that has been given us and help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart and a farsighted vision.”

Archbishop Balvo chuckles as he talks about his fascination with the electric pulpit in St Mary’s Cathedral.