In Hebrew scripture a Jubilee Year is a yearlong celebration held every fifty years in which all bondsmen were freed, mortgaged lands were restored to their original owners, and land was left fallow, cf Lev 25:8-17. This understanding has inspired both Jewish and Christian celebrations of significant anniversaries for both people and iconic symbols.
The world has acknowledged the great contribution Queen Elizabeth II has made as queen over 60 years of service and leadership. Her gifts, generosity, commitment and faithfulness have been acknowledged and applauded universally.
Closer to home, over the last couple of months we have had a number of Golden Jubilees to celebrate with Sister Anthony celebrating her 50th anniversary of Profession as a Poor Clare nun, most of which has been spent here at their convent in Kennington. Four of our priests have celebrated fifty years of priestly life in service of the Church of Sandhurst: Monsignor Frank Marriott, the Vicar General and Administrator of the Cathedral, Father Frank Jones, Parish Priest of Numurkah, Monsignor John White, Parish Priest of Wangaratta and Dean of the North East Deanery and Father Bib Burtonclay who is retired.
Father Don Lourensz who is also retired, celebrated his Silver Jubilee of Priesthood in June.
In participating in these celebrations in the Diocese, people have gathered in great numbers to salute these Jubilians, express their admiration for their achievements and their gratitude for the benefit their lives and ministry have brought to others.
The Annunciation account in St Luke’s Gospel tells us many things concerning God’s call. This Gospel account has inspired artists to give us beautiful depictions of the Annunciation scene. Invariably the scene has Mary at prayer with the Scriptures indicating how her life was God-centred and thus, open to hearing God’s message as presented by the Archangel Gabrielle. St Luke has Mary puzzled by some aspects of God’s request of her, but once these are explained, Mary gives her unconditional and complete yes in her response: “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” (Lk 1:38)
These Jubilians who we are honouring in the Diocese at this time, have been people close to God and open to hearing his call – initially calling them to a life of holiness in their respective vocations and then, sustaining them throughout the years in faithfulness to commitment and ensuring fruitfulness in their ministry. The achievements of these Jubilians is not derived solely from the goodness and attributes of the individual's, but more importantly the source of their achievements flows from their openness to God, which has resulted in them accepting God's love in their life, responding to that love in saying yes to His call in the manner in which they have lived out their lives. This relationship with God finds expression in the dedication, fidelity and generosity of their lived vocation.
Further to this reflection we begin to recognize that God's design is the foundation of the graces that have enriched us, as we have received the fruits of these Jubilians' ministry. Just as God’s plan for our salvation was dependent on Mary saying yes and living out her yes faithfully, so God has reached into our lives through the yes of these Jubilians, that has brought them into contact with us, in a manner that has spoken to us of God’s love and compassion for us and has challenged us to show the love of God to others in the manner of our giving to others.
Through this reflection on Jubilees we find our focus on Vocation Week in August sharpened, as we appreciate more fully the call to holiness that God makes to each of us. We recognise that God love comes to us often through the ministry of others - our Jubilians are timely reminders of that fact – and that in accepting these gifts from others, we in turn are caught up in the need reach out to others in our turn.
Vocation Week calls us to open ourselves to God and to pray for a generosity to make our yes like Mary’s, unconditional and total. Our prayer should also extend to others that their yes will be unconditional and total. It is through this unconditional and total yes, that the contribution of our Jubilians’ example will live on in us and the lives and ministry of others.
- Bishop Les Tomlinson, Catholic Diocese of Sandhurst, August 2012
