12th January 2025
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
The Preface of today’s Mass offers us a clear reminder that the Lord Jesus has been
sent by the Father to bring good news to the poor. Jesus, the Word made Flesh,
God-with-us, was born among us so that all may have life. The good news of
Salvation is, therefore, the message that the Church is tasked to bring to the whole
world.
Just as the Holy Spirit was present at Jesus’ baptism by John, “declaring Him” the
Son of the Father, so the Holy Spirit dwells in those who are baptised, guiding the
mission that is given to us all through our baptism – our sharing in the mission of the
whole Church.
We are called to nothing less than living every moment of life caught up, as it were,
in the love that exists between Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Baptism brings us to life
lived in the love of the Blessed Trinity. It opens for us the way to a relationship with
God, in and through Christ, so close that nothing, as St. Paul reminds us in his letter
to the Romans, can separate us from this love. Just as Isaiah states in the first
reading today, the Lord gathers us in His arms, carries us close to Him and cares for
us with the greatest gentleness.
Baptism opens for us the way to the other Sacraments, most especially the
Eucharist. Let us not forget that there is nothing more wonderful in this life than our
meeting with the Lord in the Eucharist, as he nourishes us with Himself – He who is
the Bread of Life.
All is gift: life in the love of the Blessed Trinity, closeness to the person of Jesus, the
abiding presence in our lives of the Holy Spirit who prompts our actions and prays
within us when we cannot find the words. So much is given that we cannot fully
describe its wonder. As Jesus reminds us, to those who are given much, much is
expected.
How, then, are we called to respond to God’s gift? As Christ offered Himself, must
we not offer ourselves to be the Lord’s instruments in bringing good news to the
poor?
As the Church we must witness to the good news in an ever-changing world and
each and every living stone in the spiritual house that is the Church must take their
place in this mission.
In this Jubilee Year, the Holy Father has called us to be Pilgrims of Hope. Our Hope
is the Kingdom to which we look forward and it is this Hope, grounded in Faith and
expressed also in Love, that is the Christian’s Mission – our gift to the world. It is
nothing less than the proclamation of the Kingdom of Christ Himself.
This year is also the 60th Anniversary of our Diocese – surely a favourable time for us
all to pray for increased openness to the promptings of the Holy Spirit in our
commitment to share the Good News of the Kingdom.
This call to mission is at the very heart of our Diocesan Pastoral Plan. Since Easter
last year, conversations have been taking place in each of our present deaneries,
setting our communities on the path to new expression, to a renewed journey of
prayer, formation and mission that we may truly live as communities of saints – living
in Hope, Faith and Love in proclamation of Christ Who is our Way.
There is much in these conversations, it is true, that is about structure. While this is
necessary, we must not allow ourselves to be absorbed solely in these matters. The
renewal of our parish structures is for the very purpose of enabling us all – lay
faithful, religious, deacons, priests and bishop – to take our proper place in the great
mission that the Lord has given to us.
Ever-deeper conversation and sharing across our communities, together with a
sharing of resources will, in time, open the way to renewed mission as our focus
shifts to greater cooperation and effectiveness in the proclamation of the Good
News.
The new model of parish will enable us to live as “communities of communities” – bringing strength and renewed life as communities join together in prayer, in
formation and in the mission that will develop from these foundations.
These initial steps may not always be easy. We must learn to work together in new
ways and I take this opportunity to thank those priests who have accepted the
leadership role of moderator. I ask everyone to allow them the time and give them
and the clergy teams the support they will need for these early stages in this new
way of living out our mission.
There will be much work ahead, especially for moderators and the clergy and lay
faithful who will be called to serve on leadership teams. Let us all come together in
our “communities of communities” for prayer, formation and the renewed mission for
the world the Lord calls us to serve.
With every Blessing,
✝ Richard
