The three readings for today, August 8th, speak very much of the character of Mary MacKillop (St Mary of the Cross). The first reading from 1 Kings 17:8-16 tells about the widow of Sidon who, in answering the request of the prophet Elijah, used up all the food she had to feed the prophet, her son and herself. Having done this, she discovered she would never again be without enough food for herself or her son. The second reading from Colossians 3:12-17 calls us to be the saints of God, clothed in love, at peace in our hearts and ever grateful. In the Gospel reading from Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus urges us not to worry about what to eat and wear because God will provide. As Jesus says, “Do not worry about tomorrow: tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Mary MacKillop is the first Australian to be recognised as a saint in the Catholic Church. She was born in 1842 in what is now the Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, Victoria. She was brought up in a religious household who lived through hard times.
In 1866, she and two of her “blood” sisters opened a Catholic school with the help of Fr Julian Tenison-Woods. Eventually other women joined her community and, because of their plain brown habit, they became known as the “Brown Joeys”. Despite conflicts with local clergy and bishops, she travelled to Rome in her effort to win recognition from Rome for her congregation. Her community founded many schools and other charitable institutions which continue to this day. Sr Mary MacKillop died in 1909 and was canonised in 2010. The readings chosen today attest to her remarkable trust in God, trust that God would always provide, her character as a woman of deep love, especially for the poor, and deep gratitude to God. Let us pray in gratitude to St Mary of the Cross for the extraordinary witness shown by her community of dedicated sisters over the many years of work throughout Australia and New Zealand.
Fr Tom Rouse - Lower Hutt, Aotearoa New Zealand
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