(18th Sept. 1976 - 18th Sept. 1982)
My dear Brothers and Sisters,
"To depart is to die a little to those who one loves" - so the French saying goes. Kahlil Gibran's words come to me as I leave this lovely valley and you, my beloved friends.
"How shall I go in peace and without sorrow? Nay, not without a wound in the spirit shall I leave this city... too many fragments of the spirit have I scattered in these streets ... and I cannot withdraw from them without a burden and an ache. Yet I cannot tarry longer." (The Prophet P. 1&2).
"GOD, WHO IS MIGHTY, HAS DONE GREAT THINGS FOR ME" (Luke 1,49). Many of us could say fervently those words of Mary (Luke 1,49).
We can point to many externals in the parish as evidence of God's working, but the real changes have been wrought slowly and often painfully deep within us. How He works, and has worked, and will work in us, is MYSTERY. Our faith is that God is real, and has come, and is ever coming into our broken world and the poverty of our hearts.
And he is FAITHFUL. "You! are God's work of art!" says St Paul. You'd better believe it!
It is good that I am going - good for me and good for you. God always has something better in store for us. God will use Father Peter to reveal His love to you, and to reveal to you, how precious and beautiful you are in His sight. Don't put expectations on him. Pray to love him, support him, accept him and be loyal to him - just as you pray for the members of your family.
By God' s grace, good things have been achieved in these six years. More will be accomplished in the days ahead. How? By each one of you daily going before God like Mary and saying, "I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be done to me as you say". (Luke 1,38). Say to Him, "Lord, show me how to live and love this day. Show me Your will. Help me to be led by your spirit. Mary, teach me to love your Son, Jesus.
Show me His face in all those I meet today."
3 ½ years ago I printed a visiting card and sadly did little visiting.
There are plenty left over. Please take one at the end of Mass and pray the little prayer on it slowly and with desire. God does not want faith in Him to be dead and cold, but warm, personal and vital.
Please, pray that prayer with desire. God is faithful. He will give you His Spirit and a living faith.
"Out of the presses of pain
Cometh the soul's best wine
The eyes that shed no rain
The same can give no shine" (anon)
Some of you know the struggle and effort that was required to start things - and the' struggle to keep them going!! Let us thank God and praise Him for the: people who came forward and turned the first sods of this vineyard at St Anthony's:
(l) YOUR BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN. How dear they are to me. How loyal they have been! They have "prayed us" through many a sticky situation. Children. I'll miss you.
(2) The people of the Music Ministry and Lectors.
(3) Paul Butz and Joy Bresser and the dedicated staffs at Padua and St. Anthony's Parish School.
(4) Our first saints - Peter Sawilejskij, Julia Hughes, Colleen Ross, Leonard McDonald and Helen Horvath.
(5) The Acolytes and Altar Servers.
(6) The Parish Prayer Groups.
(7) The men and women of the St Vincent de Paul caring for the poor, the beloved of Christ.
(8) Those who cleaned and prepared the places of worship at Padua and the Parish House.
(9) The thirty or more people who joined our community experiencing' conversion. They taught, and teach, us so much.
(10) The sick - like Marian Fulton, Diane Harrison, Tric Mills, Ted Welsh, Vin Cleal, Mary Armstrong and others. They are so POWERFUL before God. They teach us.
(11) The first Parish Pastoral Councillors and their successors.
(12) The Catechists at the School of Religion who really loved those children and wanted them to experience the love of Jesus.
"Blessed are they who instruct others to justice... ,"
(13) Perhaps dearest to God; the quiet ones- ,who suffered, prayed, and looked after small children. They won grace for all of us. To all you 'little people' I offer my gratitude. .You do delight the Lord.
(14) All those who went on team and dared to come to the challenging things we did. What graces were 'poured out! Only you and God would know.
Let's review them. Count the blessings!!
(a) We the Parish
(b) Personal Growth and Pastoral Care Course with our Uniting church brothers and sisters.
(c) The five Parish Renewal Weekends and all the prayer that went with them
(d) The two HOLY SPIRIT SEMINARS.
(e) The four Parish Missions (two with Fr John Hooper O.P., one with the Franciscans at the Celebration of the 750th Anniversary of the Death of St. Anthony, and one with Fr Pat Keenan CssR this year.
There are some things I want to mention as we remember the “wonders the Lord has done" in us and through us. Certain things are a source of joy and pride to me as I leave.
(1) Ecumenical worship and co-operation: Many Anglican and Uniting Church couples have done Marriage Encounter Weekends with me. Through them and their Ministers (my dear friends) . we have started such things as - THE PASSOVER MEAL – THE ECUMENICAL WAY QF THE CROSS - THE CELEBRATION OF THE RESURRECTION ON MONASH HILL. (We've done joint Lenten Studies for some years). Above al1 we’re beginning to love one another.
(2) The Tape Library: Many of you began to be readers through listening to tapes. It has gratified me to see so many men and women using the tapes. I'll leave them here for you.
(3 ) The Book Stall: The best in Canberra and the Archdiocese! All the time and trouble it has taken has been worth it.
"READ, READ, READ! The mind has an appetite and it will feed on garbage rather than starve!"
(4 ) The Piety Stall: What a blessing that has been! Religious objects can rekindle devotion~ and we witness to our faith by having a crucifix, plaque or picture hanging' and honoured in our homes to remind us of Him and His love, and remind others of our faith in Him.
(5 ) The people who with the Refugee Resettlement Committee and your generosity helped to settle seven Refugee families now living happily in our midst. And what a blessing and lesson these newcomers have been to us. Praise God!
(6 ) The Tithe (10%) of our gross parish income each year to the really poor of our world. That was a generous decision and God has certainly blessed that generosity. The Archbishop of Rangoon, Mother Teresa, Br Andrew and others would agree.
(7 ) Adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament: People visiting Jesus in the Patio Chapel at all hours - a great consolation to me.
The Marriage Encounter Weekends and the 44 hours of Adoration in the Parish House increased that devotion and gave many a. new experience of God in prayer.
We teach what we want to learn. The words of Ruth Burrows, the Carmelite nun quoted on the Bulletin twice before, and again today, sum up what I am seeking to learn.
Lest I leave you complacent~please let these words challenge you.
Ask not what my parish can do for me, but what can I do for my parish.
Not; do I belong to St Anthony's Parish, but do I belong to the parishioners - my brothers and sisters in the blood of Christ? Do I at least want to pray to welcome others into my heart, my life and my home? .
Could I conclude with the challenge a Christian lady put to me a few years ago?
"GO ON, DARE! AND NEVER FEAR THE THROW!"
"I beg you brothers, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ -and the love of the Spirit, join me in the. struggle by your prayers to God on my behalf, pray that I may be kept safe. May the God of peace be with you all." (Rom 15: 30&31);
I ask forgiveness of anyone I have hurt or harmed in any way.
I forgive from my heart all who have spoken ill of me. May God give us all His peace.