Australia Day / 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) - 26 January 2025

26th January 2025
“Do not look forward to what may happen tomorrow; the same everlasting Father Who cares for you today will take care of you tomorrow and every day.” - St Francis de Sales
 
Australia Day is a special day of prayer for Australian Catholics. This year we are especially blessed to have the day fall on a Sunday. Here is a reflection by the Venerable Archbishop Fulton J Sheen on the theme of community:
 
"Do you live wholly for yourself? ‘No man is an island.’ This is one of the most quoted lines of the poet John Donne. To him every man is part of a vast continent. When, therefore, there is a death, one should not ask ‘for whom the bell tolls’ – whence Hemingway derived the title of one of his novels. Donne says, ‘It tolls for thee.’
 
"In days of individualism when everyone proclaims ‘I must live my own life,’ there is apt to be a forgetfulness that there is no one whose life concerns himself alone. ‘None of us lives for oneself and no one dies for oneself.’
 
"It is this fact of our oneness with all human beings which invests life with such tremendous significance. If we could shut up within ourselves, so that what we did was nothing but that of an individual nomad whirling in space, we would then be truly individual, but this is not the case. Great forces have streamed into our lives from others, either to make us good or evil, also powerful influences flow out of our lives to contribute to the character formation of others.
 
"A question that was asked of man at the very beginning was: ‘Where is your brother?’ It was Cain who tried to be an island to himself by asking: ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’ We cannot turn away from a beggar without feeling that we have done wrong and failed in our duty. Every living man bears a relationship to all humanity.
 
"His having lived will never cease to be felt throughout the universe. We own each other and God owns us all. A man never stands alone, unrelated to anything, because of his close relationship to the Creator Who made all. A Willow tree may stand far from the stream, but its roots are burrowing down into the ground to gather its growth and strength. As Plato said: ‘I was not born for myself alone, my country claims a part, my relations claim a part and my friends claim a part in me.’
 
"The sun, moon and stars are related and even the moon moves all the tides of the world. Scientists today agree that the universe is organic. As one of them told us, even the rattle that is dropped by a child from its cradle affects even the most distant star. If the physical universe is organic, then so much more are men organic one to another. Society is a vast network of reciprocal influences.
 
"The Eastern people tell us that we are part of all we meet, and all we do becomes part of us:
 
There is a destiny which makes us brothers
None makes his way alone;
All we send into the lives of others
Comes back into our own.
 
"In a cemetery, a little white stone marks the grave of a little girl, and on the stone were chiselled these words: A child of whom her playmates said, 'It was easier to be good when she was with us.'"
(Walk With God)
 
Prayer to Our Lady, Help of Christians - Patroness of Australia
O Immaculate Mary, Help of Christians, Queen of Heaven and earth, Patroness of Australia, tender Mother of humanity, and refuge of sinners, to you we entrust our nation, Australia, and all who live in this country. We commit to your intercession all the members of our community, beginning with the weakest ones, from the unborn to the sick, the disabled and the elderly. We commit to you our families, our young and old, and all who are vulnerable.
 
To you, O Mother Most Pure, we consecrate ourselves, our country, and all that we have. And in order that this consecration may be truly effective and lasting, we renew today the promises of our Baptism and Confirmation; and we undertake to live as good Christians - faithful to God, the Church, and the Holy Father. We desire to pray the Rosary, partake in the Holy Eucharist, attach special importance to the first Saturday of the month and to work for the conversion of sinners. Furthermore, we promise, O most holy Virgin, that we will zealously spread devotion to you, so that through our consecration to your Immaculate Heart and through your own intercession the coming of the Kingdom of Christ in the world may be hastened.
 
Reign over us, Mother of God, and teach us how to make the Heart of Jesus reign and triumph in us and around us, as it has reigned and triumphed in you. Amen. 🙏💐💖
 
What does the Church say about patriotism?
The Church's teaching on patriotism emphasises a balanced and virtuous love for one's country, rooted in Christian principles and moral obligations. This understanding is articulated through various documents and teachings, which highlight the importance of patriotism while cautioning against its potential excesses.
 
Patriotism is defined as the virtue of love for one's country, which is seen as a natural extension of the love for family and community. Love for one's country is derived from the Fourth Commandment, which calls for honouring one's parents and, by extension, one's homeland. This love is not merely emotional but is expressed through active participation in the preservation and development of national culture.
 
Christians are called to contribute positively to their countries, as their faith encourages them to channel devotion towards the common good. The Church teaches that Christians benefit their country by fostering a sense of community and moral responsibility among their fellow citizens. This civic engagement is seen as a fulfillment of the Christian mission, where the road to the heavenly homeland is intertwined with responsibilities towards the earthly homeland.
 
While patriotism is a virtue, the Church warns against its distortion into extreme nationalism or chauvinism, which can lead to hatred or belittlement of other nations. Pope Pius XI cautioned that when patriotism becomes an inordinate love for one's own nation, it can result in grave injustices and international rivalries. True patriotism must be rooted in the recognition of the common humanity shared among all people, as all nations have an equal right to life and prosperity.
 
The Catechism of the Catholic Church outlines the duty of citizens to contribute to the good of society in a spirit of truth, justice, solidarity, and freedom. This includes a commitment to obey just laws and to engage in civic life, reflecting a love for one's country that is aligned with Christian values. The duty of civil allegiance is seen as a natural and religious obligation, where citizens are called to respect and support their country's rulers, provided that their authority is exercised justly.
 
In summary, the Church teaches that patriotism is a noble virtue that should be exercised with a spirit of justice and charity. It encourages a love for one's country and encourages the faithful to engage actively in their communities, contributing to the common good while upholding the moral principles of their faith.