Years ago, when our family lived in Fiji, there was a tremendous mango tree at the back of our compound.

I estimated it to be roughly 60 feet tall. Later I discovered that it was exactly 80 feet.

How did I come to be so sure?

It fell over. Then it could be measured as it lay on the ground.

Impressive as it had outwardly appeared, the tree was white-anted inside.

That’s why during one hurricane season it bit the dust . . . .

* * *

With books it can be the other way round.

Inside the book may be great, but its outer cover can white-ant the message before the reader even gets inside.

A set of three books containing more or less everything surviving that Mary MacKillop wrote in her lifetime has just been published.

The cover of Volume One promises us an insight into “Mary MacKillop’s mission to set up a group of women . . . who could make a positive contribution to the world through education and support for human dignity”.

Sounds plausible . . . .

But in fact that was NOT Mary MacKillop’s mission.

* * *

The mission for which Mother Mary’s Order’s existed was stated in its original “Rule”, drafted by Father Julian Tenison Woods.

The first section, entitled “The Objects of the Institute” said (in part): “Since those persons who enter religion do so first of all for the salvation of their own souls, the Sisters of St Joseph must never forget that they come to give themselves wholly to God. They must belong completely to him. Their whole desire must be to love God and to love nothing else . . . .”

This hierarchy of priorities came to assume practical importance.

Sometimes priests and others made so many demands on the Sisters that it interfered with them finding time for their regular prayers.

Mother Mary challenged one such priest: “Are we not Religious first — Teachers second?”

* * *

Are today’s Josephite Sisters preoccupied, first and foremost, with worldly matters of schooling, human rights etc.?

If so, perhaps they should emulate their founder by putting those worthy issues second – and putting the defence of Catholic Tradition first.