Mary MacKillop was born in Melbourne on January 15, 1842 and died in Sydney on August 8, 1909.

On becoming a nun in 1867, she took the religious name “Sister Mary of the Cross”, so that when Pope John Paul II “beatified” her in 1995, she became “Blessed Mary of the Cross”.

Some people had hopes that she might be “canonised” and become “Saint Mary of the Cross” some time during this anniversary year of 2009.

But some things cannot be rushed.

* * *

What we do need in a rush is to learn what Mary MacKillop’s life can teach us about how we ourselves should live.

What was it that made her able to cope with opposition, bureaucratic bungling and personal ill health — and still live like a saint, maintaining her love for the school children, the Sisters under her charge and even for the enemies of her work.

* * *

The key to understanding Blessed Mary of the Cross is that she was always ready to FORGIVE.

Are not Christians obliged always to forgive? When the twelve disciples asked Jesus how to pray, did he not teach them a prayer which asks God to “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us” ? 

When enemies were persecuting them, Blessed Mary once wrote telling her Sisters, “never by word or act in this trying time to say or do anything that would reflect upon the Bishop, either his priests or his people. Now more than ever we should be humble, patient, charitable and forgiving. If we cannot excuse everything we can at least excuse the intention.” 

* * *

In modern times people are often browbeaten into making apologies for past events. For example, Mr Rudd’s February 2008 formal “apology” to Australia’s Aborigines for white families having, in the past, for various reasons, taken over the care of Aboriginal children.

Why no formal speech of forgiveness from representatives of the Aboriginal races?

Apologising to human beings is all very well. Apologising to God, and doing what must be done to show him that we are sorry for ever displeasing him — that would achieve a lot more.

Australia, as a nation, will only please God when White Australians and Black Australians join together in united acts of apology to God, acknowledging that none of us — none — has anything to offer God except lives befouled and contaminated by selfishness and sin. 

We must mutually forgive each other and, as one nation, ask God for a complete makeover at both personal and community levels.