A national survey has found that Australians consider Australia Day the most significant day in the calendar. (AAP, 12 January 2012)

More than Anzac Day.

More than Christmas Day.

It is certainly being boosted by the political and media would-be opinion-controllers.

Municipal Councils are all hosting community breakfasts, sporting events etc., trying to beat up some interest.

Our Australian Aborigines are given at least a token mention in the publicity.

* * *

Australia Day commemorates the fact that on January 26, 1788, the “First Fleet” of European colonisers landed at Sydney Cove.

From that day on it became progressively more difficult for Aborigines to maintain their culture and way of life.

Since the 150^th anniversary of the First Fleet’s landing in 1938, some at least of the Aboriginal community, have taken to referring to January 26 as “Invasion Day and “a day of mourning and protest”.

It’s an unresolved problem.

The Christian gospel could be the factor that truly “reconciles” invaders and the invaded groups inhabiting Australia.

Generosity and fairness shown by the whites — and forgiveness and good living by the blacks – those are all it would take.

Grandstanding and slogan-quoting will not be enough.

The Josephite Sisters, the Catholic Order founded by Australia’s first saint, Mary MacKillop (Saint Mary of the Cross), have published a fourth collection of their founder’s letters — those written around the time of her “excommunication”.

The book, entitled, “Mary MacKillop and a Nest of Crosses”, was launched on June 17 at the Mary MacKillop Centre, Kensington, South Australia.

The launching received a couple of mentions in Catholic publications.

The rest of the media took no notice whatever.

Do they consider Saint Mary MacKillop to be of no interest whatever to the average Australian?

* * *

One letter MMK wrote to her mother after the excommunication drama was over, reveals what a forgiving, God-centred person Saint Mary Mac was:

“The poor Bishop is indeed sorry for all now. I was sent for on Friday but only got halfway to where the bishop was when a good priest met me and in the Bishop’s name removed the sentence from me . . . . Thanks be to God, the poor Bishop had true priests near at a time when he much needed them. Up to that time others were near. We will not speak of them – but it would be a charity to pray for at least some amongst them . . . .

God wisely permitted it for a hidden and mysterious end. I hope that our common sorrows have done us all good . . . .

My path, my dearest Mamma, will yet be that of the Cross. I seek nothing else . . . .

I can’t tell you much more about the new book. I have sent my money, but it hasn’t arrived yet.

It can be ordered online from St Paul’s Bookshop, at http://www.stpauls.com.au/

Australian Health Minister, Nicola Roxon, is responsible for arguing the Labor Government’s anti-smoking policies.

Labor has, since 2004, had a policy of refusing donations from the tobacco industry.

And, more recently, has plans to force all cigarettes to be sold in plain packaging carrying king size health warnings and no recognisable fancy logo-type brand identification.

Embarrassing, then, when it has now been proved that, in 2005, Roxon wrote to Philip Morris executives inviting them to a fund-raising dinner and thanking them in anticipation for their “continuing support”.

The Opposition has seized on this, calling her “an absolute hypocrite” — and saying she has lost all credibility etc.

* * *

Roxon says she is sorry it happened, but plans to fight on with the current anti-smoking legislation anyway.

Is she sorry about the invitation having been sent out?

Or is she just sorry she got caught?

Ultimately such a question is between her and God, who judges us all.

The rest of us all had better not try it — as we are all guilty of hypocrisy from time to time.

* * *

Yes, sending the offending letter was wrong.

We must make that judgement about her action.

God does not require our help, however, in judging anybody as a person.

Judging in that kind of way is something we must never, never do.

To do so would be a sin worse than sending out a credibility-damaging letter.

Giving people the benefit of the doubt is part of Christian charity.

Jesus himself said, “Judge not, that you be not judged; for with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged. The measure you give will be the measure you get.”

And he taught us to pray, saying, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” (Saint Matthew’s gospel)

Today’s gospel reading in traditional Catholic churches is about forgiving and obeying:

The kingdom of heaven is like a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants.

A debtor was brought who owed him a huge amount. Having no way to pay, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his family and property, in payment of the debt.

The servant fell down, pleading, “Be patient, and I will pay everything.”

Moved with compassion, the master let him go and forgave the debt.

When that servant left, he found a fellow-servant who owed him a small amount. Seizing him by the throat, he demanded, “Pay what you owe.”

The fellow-servant begged, “Be patient, and I will pay.”

But he refused, putting him instead in prison until he paid.

The other servants, seeing this, were upset, and told their master about it.

The master summoned him and said, “You wicked servant! I forgave you your debt because you asked me. Shouldn’t you have had pity on your fellow-servant, as I did on you?”

In anger, his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay the whole debt.

So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart.

(words of Jesus, St Matthew’s Gospel, chapter 18)

* * *

Mother Mary MacKillop was the exact opposite to that servant.

Wronged repeatedly, she never harboured grudges.

Knowing about child-abusing priests, she didn’t turn against the Church – it made her even MORE determined to be loyal to the Church.

It wasn’t easy for her to be like that, but she knew what God wants, and she obeyed. Only by regular prayers and Mass-attendance was she able to live so well.

Obedience, prayer, the Mass . . . if an excellent person like Saint Mary MacKillop needed these in order to live well . . . .

Won’t we need them even more, B-grade material that we are?

* * *

Yes, the secret of Mother Mary’s life was OBEDIENCE — to God, to the Church and to her vows.

In a time of crisis, Mother Mary wrote to a fellow-sister, “Our work cannot last if the spirit of Obedience for Obedience’s sake is not upheld. The Congregation will crumble away, bit by bit — without the spirit of Obedience in its members.”

You, dear blog-reader — and I — should we not make a new resolution to live lives of Catholic OBEDIENCE?

Happy Canonisation-Day!!!!

Is Holy Saturday merely a breathing-space between intensely emotional Good Friday highlighting the murderous degeneracy of our human nature — and the Resurrection joy of Easter Sunday?

No. Holy Saturday has a unique message of its own.

* * *

Holy Saturday is a day to spend, if possible, in recollection and silence in the presence of Our Lord’s lifeless body in the tomb.

A day to remember that Christ’s willingness to die, and the way he died, was a victory in itself — even before he rose victoriously from the grave.

A spiritual victory:

 *  remember how, amidst the worst that the devil and his greedy, power-crazed human servants could do — he had forgiven.

 *  Our Lord forgave his executioners — also his cowardly denier, Saint Peter.  

 *  he would willingly have forgiven his betrayer — but Judas was already dead.

 *  although surrounded by so much evil, Jesus had still thought of others — especially his mother.

* * *

From the gospels:

When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him . . . and Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, they do not know what they are doing.”

When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold thy son.”  Then he said to the disciple, “Behold thy mother.”

* * *

 O good and gentle Jesus, you gave yourself to us as a ransom for our redemption . . . .

 Grant that we, unworthy though we be, may come to resemble you in your grace, your forgiveness and your love.

Last week, American television current affairs commentator, Brit Hume, said on a panel show that what maritally-unfaithful celebrity golfer, Tiger Woods, needs is to convert to Christianity.

“He is said to be a Buddhist,” Hume observed, “I don’t think that faith offers the kind of forgiveness and redemption that is offered by the Christian Faith.”

Plenty of people were quick to label that comment as outrageous and unacceptable. Hume’s words were replayed on a rival show, to shocked laughter from the audience. Others suggested that Mr Hume is a bigot, an idiot, arrogant etc.

Attempts to proclaim the Christian gospel will often be met with mockery and condemnation – or worse. Jesus himself was crucified. About 11 of his twelve apostles are believed to have been put to death for their preaching.

* * *

Jesus had warned them (and us, if we choose to be his followers), “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you . . . the servant is not greater than his master. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you . . . yes, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is doing a service to God.”

* * *

He also told them, “I have still many things to say to you: but you cannot bear them now. But when he, the Spirit of Truth, comes, he will teach you all truth.”

Traditional Catholics take these latter words to be Our Lord’s prediction of his Roman Catholic Church being the means by which God will reveal all we need to know about him and his will for us into the future.

Such a belief can be annoying to non-Catholics. But when you investigate the illogical and/or no-sweat  ideologies on offer as alternatives to the Faith, we see how blessed we are by God to have his Church offering us his sacramental grace and teachings.