Category: Baptism

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A Christian Australia?

Yesterday, we read Stefan’s reflection celebrating the birth anniversary of the International Young Christian Workers’ (IYCW) first’s president, Patrick Keegan. 

Patrick Keagan, in a speech to Australia, concluded that, 

“A Christian Australia is a worthwhile target for all members of the YCW. A Christian Australia is vital for the whole Pacific world. Australia is vital for the whole Pacific world. One knows that millions of people in the Far East are hungrily looking for an ideal of life pressed down as they are by an economic and social misery unknown in such intensity in Europe. In this setting, Australia must take her responsibility as the torch bearer of Christian values – geographically set as she is the springboard for the Far East.”

Patrick Keegan, Australian Broadcast 26.6.51 (Joseph Cardijn Digital Library/Pat Keegan)

In 1951, when Keegan made this speech, Australia was a very different country. He would be surprised at what has happened since. According to the 1954 census, the total number of Christians was almost 90% of the total population.

Catholics were 23%, Anglicans were 38%, and other Christians were 29%. The Australian Young Christian Workers (ACYW) and the Australian Young Christian Students (AYCS) were vibrant youth movements spread throughout Australia. 

Today, Christians are 44% of the Australian population (a minority for the first time since the invasion, but still a majority within the plurality of those who do not associate with any faith and other faiths).

Catholics are 20% of the Australian population, and the AYCW and the AYCS are a shadow of their former selves, limited to a few locations. 

Far from being vital for the Pacific world, Australian Christians (Catholics) cannot keep Australia Christian (Catholic). 

The declining number of Christians (Catholics) in Australia is concerning, and the causes are complex. What can we do about it?  

SEE 

Do I understand the causes of the declining number of Catholics in Australia? 

Which of these causes is within my spheres of influence? 

Would Cardijn and Vatican II’s teachings, particularly on the role of the lay apostolate, be a way to re-evangelise Australia again? 

JUDGE

If Australian Catholic laity would fulfil their baptismal role as priest, prophet and king – as captured in Stefan’s reflection: Lay People as Priest, Prophet and King – could that contribute to re-evangelising Australia, once again, and in an authentic way?

ACT

What can we do, as Australian Catholics, in the public sphere to fulfil our baptismal roles as priest, prophet and king? 

Greg Lopez

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Let us make man in our image

In today’s first reading (Genesis 1: 20 – 2:4), we find the passage: 

…God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in the likeness of ourselves, and let them be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven, the cattle, all the wild beasts and all the reptiles that crawl upon the earth.’ 

…God created man in the image of himself, in the image of God, he created him, male and female, he created them. 

Cardinal Cardijn made this clear to young workers.  

“Young workers must always be faced with the great truth of the eternal destiny of the mass of young workers. How often have I cried out at mass meetings: You are not machines, beasts of burden, slaves; you are human beings, with an eternal destiny, a divine origin, a divine purpose. You are sons of God, partners with God, you are heirs of God; this is true, not only for a select few but for the masses and the whole of the working class, without exception.” 

Cardijn (1945) A YCW of the masses to the scale of the world

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The world today is better than it was in the past. Despite the systemic environmental degradation, the quality of life of billions is improving. Yet, billions are also suffering. 

The abundance of God’s creation is insufficient for the wants of many. This imbalance between the desires of a significant population against the needs of others desecrates and violates the truth that all humans are created in the image and likeness of God. 

Pat’s reflection on 4 February 2023 captures this imbalance in rich and abundant Australia.

JUDGE

Do I/we believe in today’s first reading — that we are all created in the image and likeness of God, and therefore we are all equal no matter what our station in life is? 

Do I/we believe in Cardijn’s exhortation that we are not machines, beasts of burden, slaves … to employers, to consumerism, to materialism, to an ideology…

Do I/we believe that i/we are children of God, partners with God, and heirs of God? 

ACT

If I/we believe in today’s first reading and in Cardijn’s exhortation:

  • What could I/we do not to become a slave to an employer, to an ideology, to consumerism, or to materialism? 
  • What could I/we do to help those suffering from injustices that deprive them of their humanity?
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A witness for justice

The twelve Apostles, St Paul, St John the Baptist (the Gospel today is of his beheading), and St Maximilian Kolbe are examples of individuals who gave up their lives to witness their faith. 

The Young Christian Worker (YCW) movement has also produced its fair share of martyrs. The brothers Andre and Roger Vallee and Daniel Antero are among them. The Joseph Cardijn Digital Library lists individuals from the YCW or related to YCW who have died in witnessing their faith. 

There are martyrs, and there are those who live faithful lives every day without the need to be a martyr. We are all called to be a witness. And courage and bravery – witnessing for justice – can occur in ordinary life.

We witness the faith when:

  • We stand up for a family member, friend, colleague or community member who is being bullied or hurt.
  • We call out inappropriate behaviour by family, friends, colleagues, or community members. 
  • We hold ourselves and our leaders accountable.  

See

Injustice is a feature of human nature, primarily due to power imbalance. Powerful people often disregard the rights of those weaker than themselves.  

How do we respond to injustice? How do we strive for justice? How do we witness our faith?

Judge 

Today’s Gospel passage is about injustice. We read how St John the Baptist – who Jesus Himself said was a great man – was beheaded by King Herod because of an oath Herod had made to the daughter of Herodias, who hated John the Baptist because he was pointing out her and Herod’s wrongdoing.

This is St John the Baptist, who we read, baptising Jesus some days ago. St John the Baptist accepted this without a complaint. He had prepared himself for this time.  

The YCW members who were martyrs did not use violence. They were prepared.

Act 

Will I be prepared to peacefully stand up for what I believe in, like the Valle brothers? 

Will I be prepared to peacefully stand up for what I believe in, like Daniel Antero?

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Our place in God’s plan

In yesterday’s reflection on the Feast of Epiphany, Stefan Gigacz noted that the people of God, religious and lay people, shared in the triple ministry of Jesus – priest, prophet and king.    

Today the Church celebrates the Baptism of the Lord. 

The baptism is administered to Jesus by John the Baptist. Imagine an ordinary person baptising Jesus – the beloved Son of God. Ordinary people – like you and me – certainly have a place in God’s plan. 

The baptism is also the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry – the mission in the world to do His Father’s will – to spread the good news and manifest God’s love to all. This is our – yours and mine – mission when we are baptised. In other words, we are baptised to share in the triple ministry of Jesus – priest, prophet and king. 

See

Do we believe that we have a place in God’s plan? 

Do we sincerely and genuinely believe that we are baptised to share in this triple ministry of Jesus? 

As noted in yesterday’s reflection, can we Serve, Educate and Represent?

Judge 

If we believe in the above, how might our public ministry look like – how might we act in our ordinary lives? 

Act 

Like yesterday’s Act – can we decide on just one activity each week where we will do our best to: 

  • Serve (volunteer our time for a good cause or help a member of the family or friend in need), 
  • Educate (spread the good news – spiritual and temporal – in our family, at work, among our friends, etc.), 
  • Represent (take part, or lead a collective action for an individual or a group in need — perhaps a colleague who is bullied at work needs help ((see comment by Stefan Gigacz about how school leavers are being mistreated)), perhaps there is a local community issue that requires a collective effort, etc.) 

Author

Greg Lopez

Image

Dave Zelenka / Wikipedia