Fr Cameron Smith MGL’s installation Mass

St Benedict’s and St Scholastica’s are excited celebrate the Installation of our Parish Priest Fr Cameron Smith MGL.

Join our live stream from St Scholastica’s Parish from 11am.

I’m either going to single play Good. Okay, I’ll just focus on that. Good morning everyone. Thank you for joining us. It’s not Good morning everyone. Thank you for joining us to celebrate um the most holy Eucharist. Today, as you would know, we are particularly celebrating the installation of Father Cam as parish priest of St. Benedict and St. Scholastica’s parish. So, we welcome Bishop Tin, who is joining us today and who will be c the principal celebrant of the mass. Please stand for our entrance hymn. Light of the world. You step down into darkness. Open my eyes. Let me see. Beauty that made this heart adore you. Hope of our lives spent with you. Here I am to worship. Here I am to bow down. Here I am to say that you’re my God. You’re all together lovely. Allto together worthy. Allto together wonderful to me. King of all days. You’re so highly exalted. Glorious in heaven above. Humbly you came to the earth you created. All for love’s sake became born. So here I am to worship. Here I am to bow down. Here I am to say that you’re my God. You’re all together lovely, allto together worthy, allto together wonderful to me. Never know how much it cost to see my sin upon that cross. And I’ll never know how much it costs to see my sin upon that cross. Here I am to worship. Here I am to bow down. Here I am to say that you’re my God. You’re all together lovely. Allto together worthy. Allto together wonderful to me. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Peace be with you. And with your spirit. If we can invite the children to come forward for our Little Sprouts ministry this morning. So any kids aged uh 3 to 10. If you’d like to come forward, you can reflect on the word together. Can you hold the book for us? Can you hold the candle? We just pray a blessing over our children. Lord, ask that you can open their hearts and their ears to come to know you more and hear your word today. That you can help them grow in every way as you brought them to us through Christ our Lord. Guys can head off with Aaron. Just please be seated before uh Father Steven uh read the letter of appointment. It’s a honor to be here this morning. I never expected to be here and install Father M as a parish priest but it’s a great honor to be here and let us pray today offer our prayers and thanks to God for the work the NGL has been doing for us been done for us and we continue to uh recognition to bring the two community together. Thank you father Steven. Thanks, Bishop T. So, this is just an a bridged letter from uh the archbishop, Archbishop Peter Consolei, um installing um Father Cam as the the parish priest. So, I’ll just read. Dear Cameron, prayerful greetings to you and the Lord on the recommendations of the moderator of missionaries of God’s love, me. Uh I am pleased to appoint you parish priest of St. Benedict’s parish, Burwood, and St. Scholastica’s parish Bennettwood I entrust to you the pastoral care of souls in that parish with all the faculties duties rights and privileges as defined in the code of canon law in the dasis statutes and approved customs of this arch dasis. He then goes on to say, I earnestly request your participation in the preparation of your parishes and their people for the take the way of the gospel initiative introduced by the arch dasis in order to encourage the formation of families of parishes to bring the gospel mission to the people of the region more broadly. This appointment came into effect on the 15th of March 2025. finally goes on to say, “I pray that this appointment will bring rich blessings to the people you are called to serve and that you yourself will find joy in living out your priestly ministry. With every grace and blessing, I remain yours sincerely in Christ Jesus, most Reverend Peter, common solely, Archbishop of Melbourne. Please stand. Remember my brother Cam to be a loving father always, a gentle shepherd and a wise teacher of your people so that you may lead them to Christ who will strengthen all that you do. As a teacher of the faith, I ask you now to lead your people in profession of our faith. I believe in God the Father Almighty, the creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontious Pilot, but was crucified, died, and was buried. He ascended into he on the third day, he rose again from the dead. He ascended into he and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From there he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen. presenting of the church and keys as a new shepherd. Sorry if I can. Yeah. Will also make an oath of fidelity. Um so I Cameron Smith in assuming the office of the parish priest of St. Benedict and St. promise that in my words and in my actions I shall always preserve communion with the Catholic Church with great care and fidelity I shall carry out the duties incumbent on me towards the church both universal and particular in which according to the provisions of the law I have been called to exercise my service in fulfilling the charge entrusted to me in the name of the church I shall hold fast to the deposit of faith in its entirety I shall faithfully hand it on and explain it and I shall avoid any teachings contrary to it. I shall follow and foster the common discipline of the entire church and I shall maintain the observance of all ecclesiastical laws, especially those contained in the code of canon law with Christian obedience. I shall follow what the bishop what the bishops as authentic doctors and teachers of the faith declare or what they as those who govern the church establish. I shall also faithfully assist the dios and bishops so that the apostolic activity exercised in the name and by mandate of the church may be carried out in communion with the church. So help me God and God’s holy gospels on which I place my hand. Thank you father camp as the new shepherd of this community. I entrust you your keys to the parish churches and the tabernacles. May you be faithful steward of the mysteries of Christ. Through your priestly ministry, God’s people will be reborn in the waters of baptism, nourished with living bread and the word of life, renewed through sac sacraments, and led in faith, hope, and love. And now, Father Cam will lead me to the confessional box where the charity of God pour upon his people that sharing the love of God, the love of mercy that uh Father Cam will to bring us closer to God. I can’t. You were sent to heal the contrite of heart. Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy. You came to call sinners. Christ have mercy. Christ have mercy. You are seated at the right hand of the father to intercede for us. Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy. May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. Glory, glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to people of good will. We praise you. We bless you. We adore you. We glorify you. We give you thanks for your great glory. Lord God, heavenly king, oh God almighty father. Glory, glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to people of good will. Lord Jesus Christ, only begotten son, Lord God, lamb of God, son of the father, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. You take away the sins of the world. Receive our prayer. You are seated at the right hand of the Father. Have mercy on us. Glory, glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to people of good will. For you alone are the holy one. You alone are the Lord. You alone are the most high. Jesus Christ with the Holy Spirit in the glory of God the Father. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Let us pray. Show favor, O Lord, to your servants and mercifully increase the gifts of your grace that make fervent in hope, faith, and charity, they may be ever watchful in keeping your commands through our Lord Jesus Christ, your son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit. God forever and ever. Amen. A reading from the book of Genesis. The Lord appeared to Abraham at the oak of memory while he was sitting by the entrance of the tent during the hottest part of the day. He looked up and there he saw three men standing near him. As soon as he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them and bowed to the ground. My lord, he said, I beck you, if I find favor with you, kindly do not pass your servant by. A little water shall be brought. You shall wash your feet and lie down under the tree. Let me fetch a little bread, and you shall refresh yourselves before going further. That is why you have come in your servants direction. They replied, “Do as you say.” Abraham hastened to the tent to find Sarah. “Hurry,” he said. “Need three bushels of flour and make loaves.” Then running to the cattle, Abraham took a fine and tender calf and gave it to the servant who hurried to prepare it. Then taking cream, milk, and the calf he had prepared, he laid all before them, and they ate while he remained standing near them under the tree. Where is your wife Sarah? They asked him. She is in the tent, he replied. Then his guest said, “I shall visit you again next year without fail, and your wife will have a son.” This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. The just will live in the presence of the Lord. The just will live in the presence of the Lord. Lord, who shall dwell on your holy mountain? He who walks without fault. He who acts with justice and speaks the truth from his heart. He who does not slander with his tongue. The just will live in the presence of the Lord. He who does no wrong to his brother, who casts no slur on his neighbor, who holds the godless in disdain, but honors those who fear the Lord. The just will live in the presence of the Lord. He who keeps his pledge, come what may, who takes no interest on a loan, and accepts no bribes against the innocent. Such a man will stand firm forever. The just will live in the presence of the Lord. A reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Colossians. It makes me happy to suffer for you as I am suffering now and in my body to do what I can to make up all that has still to be undergone by Christ for the sake of his body, the church. I became the servant of of you. I became the servant of the church when God made me responsible for delivering God’s message to you. The message which was a mystery hidden for generations and centuries and has now been revealed to his saints. It was God’s purpose to reveal it to them and to show all the rich glory of this mystery to pagans. The mystery is Christ among you, your hope of glory. This is what this is the Christ we proclaim. This is the wisdom in which we thoroughly train everyone and instruct everyone to make them all perfect in Christ. The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Happy are they who have kept your word with a generous heart and yield a harvest through perseverance. Hallelu Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. The Lord be with you. And with your spirit. A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke. Glory to you, O Lord. Jesus came to a village and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. She had a sister called Mary who sat down at the Lord’s feet and listened to him speaking. Now Martha who was distracted with all the serving said,”Lord, do you not care that my sister is leaving me to do the serving all by myself. Please tell her to help me.” But the Lord answered, “Martha, Martha,” he said, “you worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed. Indeed, only me, only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better part. It is not to be taken from her. The gospel of the Lord. Praise to youord Jesus Christ. on this day. It’s lovely to be here and to see familiar faces that I haven’t seen for a while and to s you here uh this morning. Today I would like to share with you just three points from today’s gospel. The first point is this. When Jesus enters a home, everything changes. Throughout the Bible, whenever God enters someone’s life or home, something new begins. For example, when Moses encountered God in a burning bush, his life changed. He went from tending a ship to leading a nation. When Abraham and Sarah welcome the three strangers, actually angels in disguise, they received a promise from God, a child even in their old age. They aren’t just a nice stories. They show us what happens. We make space for God. And when we let him in, he brings new life, new direction, and a new beginning. And that’s what we witnessing today. Through this installation mass, God is entering into life of this parish in a fresh and joyful way by calling Father Cam to serve as your parish priest. This isn’t just a new job for him. It’s a response to God’s invitation. And he said yes to walking with you, to listening to you, and above all listening to God. And just as the scripture in the scripture when the lord enters a place he brings more than just a change of leadership but father cam he brings transformation and what and that transformation isn’t just for him it’s for all of us when we open our lives to God, he brings renewal to our whole community. That’s my first point. When God enters our lives, everything changes. Second point is this. Martha and Mary, two ways to respond to Jesus. Today gospel give us what we call a perfect picture of what happens when Jesus visits a home. He enters the house of Martha and Mary. Both women love him dearly, but they respond to his presence differently. Martha is busy running around preparing trying to get everything right. Mary on the other hand simply sits at Jesus’s feet listening and she gives him her full attention. And Martha becomes frustrated. She feels alone in her work. But Jesus generally reminds her Mary had chosen the better part. He’s not saying that service is not important. On the contrary, serving others is a vital part of our faith. But Jesus is pointing us to a deeper truth. And that is when he comes into our lives. The first and most important thing is to be with him, to listen and to receive. And from that place of connection, we can then serve with peace and joy. Before we do for the Lord, we must take time to be with the Lord. And that’s what Mary understands. She makes space in her heart to hear his word. So this message is so important today not only for father Cam as he takes on this ministry but for the whole parish. Sometimes we can become so busy with church activities, ministries and event that we lose sight of why we’re doing them in the first place. We are not grounded. If we’re not grounded in the Lord’s presence, if we don’t don’t take time to sit with the Lord, our work can become stressful, even overwhelming. But when we begin with prayer, with listening and everything we do, whether it’s leading the parish group or cooking for fundraiser or visiting the sick, flows out of our relationship with God. And that is the message of Jesus telling us to flows out from relationship outship with God that we actually doing our ministry. Second point, third point, my final point, a parish that welcomes Jesus together. This gospel speaks not just for new parish priests or assistant priests but to the whole community. In the early church, the Christian often gather in homes to celebrate the Eucharist. And sometimes the burden of hospitality, especially for the women, meant that they were stuck in the kitchen and missing out on prayer and the word. But St. Luke maybe reminding us or those Christianly Christians the Eucharist isn’t something a few prepared while others receive. It’s something we all enter into together. And that spirit is what builds a vibrant parish. Not one person doing everything. my father can’t do everything or assistant doing everything but everyone sharing both listening and deserving and that’s what today’s celebration is all about. Father Cam, Father Justin, Father Terren haven’t come to do it all themselves. They come to journey with you as someone who listens, who prays and serve with you. So to conclude, we are all invited to be like Mary to choose what is better to sit with Jesus and to listen and then like Martha to rise and to serve. Not because we are anxious or trying to prove ourselves, but because we have first been filled with the Lord’s presence. And let’s welcome Jesus into our lives with open hearts. Let’s support Father Cam, Father Terren, Father Justin with our prayers, our encouragement, and our friendship. And above all, let us remember that when we truly make room for the Lord, new life always follows. Thank you for your financial generosity which enables us to minister to many people in Bennettwood and beyond. This first collection helps to cover all our ministries and the various ongoing running costs for our parish. And Now, Father Cam will renew his priestly promises. My dear brother, in the presence of the people whom you are about to receive into your care, I ask you to renew the promises you make at your ordination. Are you resolved to be more united with the Lord Jesus and more closely confirmed to him denying yourself and confirming no promises about sacred duties towards Christ’s church which prompted by love of him? You willingly and joyfully pledge on the day of your priestly ordination. I am. Are you resolved to be faithful steward of the mystery of God in the Holy Eucharist and the other legical rights and to discharge faithfully the sacred office of teaching following Christ the head and shepherd not seeking any gain but move only by zeal for souls. I am may the God who has begun good work in you bring it to fulfillment. Now we have a presentation of the staff and finance committee. My brother Cam, this is the staff team, the assistant priests besides you and the finance committee of the parishes of Saints Benedict and Salasikas, the staff of the parishes and these key leaders will assist and counsel you as you minister to this parish. Your brother priests will work alongside as shepherds caring for the his flock entrusted to you. The finance committee will advise you in your stewardship of the Paris financial assets and legal affairs. Always be attentive to advice and support they offer. Put our hands our hands together for Jason. And please stand for the prayers of the faithful. Thank you everyone. Take a seat. Dear friends, Christ is among us. Our hope of glory trend in his wisdom. Let us pray for needs of the world. We pray for all of us in our busy lives that we focus on finding balance between service and rest and prioritize time spent with God. Lord hear us. Lord hear our prayer. We pray for Father Cam as he is installed as our parish priest and for our assistant priests, Father Justin and Father Terren that their time leading the flock at St. Scholasticas and St. Benedict’s may be fruitful and lifegiving for themselves as well as for the people they lead. Lord, hear us. Lord, hear our prayer. We pray for the mission of our parishes and for all the volunteers and staff who contribute to this work that we continue to move together in the Holy Spirit to support all generations to flourish in Christ. Lord hear us. Lord here our pray. We pray for all preachers of the gospel and teachers of the faith that they will make known to the world the glorious mystery of Christ. Lord hear us. Lord hear our pray. We pray for local cultural sporting and service groups that their grassroots activities will break down barriers and help communities grow strong together. Lord hear us. Lord here our pray. We pray for those who have died recently especially Fred heal us and those whose anniversary of death occurs around this time especially Don John Francis Jamaha that the mystery of Christ will be fully unveiled for them in the kingdom of heaven. Lord hear us. Lord hear our prayer. God of wisdom and bounty, you reveal your glory to us in the death and resurrection of Jesus. Help us to live by the wisdom of the cross. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Our second collection helps to support the living expenses of our priests. Be still for the presence of the Lord, the Holy One is here. Come bow before him now with reence and fear. In him no sin is found. We stay on holy ground. Be still for the presence of the Lord, the holy one is here. Be still, for the glory of the Lord is shining all around. He burns with holy fire, with splend. How awesome is the sight, how red, king of love. Be still for the glory of the Lord is shining all around. Be still for the power of the Lord is moving in his place. He comes to cleans and heal to minister his grace. No work too hard for him in faith. Receive from him. Be still for the glory of the Lord is moving in this place. Be still for the presence of the Lord. The holy one is here. Bow before him now with reence and fear. In him no sin is found. We stand on holy ground. Be still for the presence of the Lord, the Holy One. Let me receive. Pray brothers and sisters accept God. accept. Accept, O Lord, we pray, the offerings which we bring for abundance of your gifts, that through the powerful working of your grace, these most sacred mysteries may sanctify our present way of life and lead us to eternal gladness through Christ our Lord. Amen. Thanks, brother. The Lord be with you. And with your spirit. Lift up your hearts. We lift them up to the L. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. It is right and just. It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation always and everywhere to give you thanks, Lord, holy father, almighty and eternal God. For when your children were scattered afar by sin, through the blood of your son and the power of the spirit, you gathered them again to yourself that the people firm as one by the unity of the trinity. May the body of Christ and the temple of the Holy Spirit might to the praise of your manifold wisdom be manifest as the church. And so in the company with the choirs of angels, we praise you and with joy we proclaim, holy, holy, holy Lord God of host. Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosana in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosana in the highest. Hosana in the highest. the highest. You are indeed holy, O Lord, and all you have created rightly gives you praise. For through your son, our Lord Jesus Christ, by the power and working of the Holy Spirit, you give life to all things and make them holy. And you never cease to gather a people to yourself, so that from the rising of the sun to its setting, a pure sacrifice may be offered to your name. Therefore, O Lord, we humbly implore you, by the same Spirit, graciously make holy these gifts we have brought to you for consecration, that they may become the body and blood of your son, our Lord Jesus Christ, at whose command we celebrate these mysteries. For on the night he was betrayed, he himself took bread and giving you thanks, he said the blessing, broke the bread and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take this all of you and eat of it, for this is my body which will be given up for you. In a similar way, when supper was ended, he took the chalice and giving you thanks, he said the blessing and gave the chalice to his disciples, saying, “Take this all of you and drink from it. For this is the chalice of my blood, the blood of the new and eternal covenant, which we poured out for you and for many, for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in memory of me. The mystery of faith. We proclaim your death, O Lord, and profess your resurrection until you come again. Until you come again. Therefore, O Lord, as we celebrate the memorial of saving passion of your son, his wondrous resurrection, ascension into heaven, and as we look forward to second coming, we offer you in thanksgiving his holy and living sacrifice. Look, we pray upon the oblation of your church and recognizing the sacrificial victim by whose death you will to reconcile us to yourself. Grant that we who are nourished by the body and blood of your son and filled with his holy spirit may become one body, one spirit in Christ. May he make of us an eternal offering to you so that we may obtain an inheritance with your elect, especially with the most blessed Virgin Mary, mother of God, with blessed Joseph, her spouse, with your blessed apostles and glorious marts, with St. Benedict, St. Last and with all the saints on whose constant intercession in your presence we rely for unfailing help. May this sacrifice of our reconciliation we pray O Lord advance the peace and salvation of all the world. Be pleased to confirm in faith and charity your pilgrim church on earth with your servant Leo our pope and Peter our bishop and his assistant bishops, the order of bishops, all the clergy and the entire people you have gained for your own. Listen, listen graces to the prayers of this family whom you have summoned before you. In your compassion, oh merciful father, gather to yourself all your children scattered throughout the world. To our departed brothers and sisters and to all who are pleasing to you at their passing from this life, give kind admittance to your kingdom. There we hope to enjoy forever the fullness of your glory. Through Christ our Lord, through whom you bestow on the world all that is good. Through him and with him and in him, O God, almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours forever and ever. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. At the Savior’s command and from divine teaching, we dare to pray. Our Father, who art in heaven, be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation temptation but deliver us from evil. Deliver us Lord we pray from every evil. Graciously grant peace in our days that by the help of your mercy we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our savior Jesus Christ. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Lord Jesus Christ, who said to your apostles, “Peace I leave you. My peace I give you. look not on our sins, but on the faith of your church and graciously grant her peace and unity in accordance with your will. Who live and reign forever and ever. Amen. The peace of the Lord be with you always. And with your spirit. Let’s offer each other the sign of peace. Peace. With you, Justin. With you, Steven. Thank you. Where you came of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world. Grant us peace. Behold the Lamb of God. Behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lambord. Lord, may the body of Christ keep us safe for eternal life. Amen. Mary has chosen for herself the best portion which shall never be taken. taken away from her. Bread of life, hope for the world. Jesus Christ our brother, feed us now. Give us life. Lead us to one another. As we proclaim your death, as we recall your life, we remember your promise to return again. Friends of life, hope of the world. Jesus Christ our brother, feed us now. Give us life. Lead us to one another. The bread we break and share was gathered once as grain, just as now it is gather. Make your people one, the bread of life, hope of the world. Jesus Christ our brother, feed us now, give us life, lead us to one another. We eat this living bread. We drink this saving cup. I am hope in our broken world. Source of lasting love. Bread of life, hope of the world. Jesus Christ our brother, feed us now. Give us life. Lead us to one another. Hold us in unity, in love for all who see that the world may believe in you. God of all who live, bread of life, hope of the world, Jesus Christ our brother, feed us now. Give us life. Lead us to one another. I love you, Lord. Oh, your mercy never fails me. All my days I’ve been held in your hands. From the moment that I wake up until I lay my head, I will sing of the goodness of God. All my life, you have been faithful. All my life you have been so, so good. With every breath that I am able, I will sing of the goodness of God. I love your voice. You have led me through the fire in darkest night. You are close like no other. I’ve known you as a father. I’ve known you as a friend. I have lived in the goodness of God. And all my life you have been faithful. And all my life you have been so so good. With every breath that I am able, I will sing all the goodness of God. And all my life you have been faithful. And all my life you have been so so good. With every breath that I am able, I will sing of the goodness of God. Your goodness is running after. It’s running after me. Your goodness is running after. It’s running after me. With my life laid down, I surrender now. I give you everything. Your goodness is running out. It’s running out of me. Your goodness is running out. It’s running out of me. Your goodness is running after. It’s running after me. With my life laid down, I’m surrendered now. I give you everything. Your goodness is running after. It’s running after me. All my life you have been faithful. All my life you have been so so good. With every breath that I am able, I will sing of the goodness of God. I will sing the goodness of God. Let us pray. Graciously be present to your people, we pray, O Lord, and lead those you have imbued with heavenly mysteries to pass from former ways to newness of life. Through Christ our Lord. Amen. Please be seated for the cam has few words to say to us. had three things to say. So I’ll say firstly that I’ve always had a lovehate relationship with leadership. Um, you know, I love to help out. I love to support other good leaders, but taking on a leadership position myself was always like, nah, no, don’t don’t like that. Um, so then the conversations began happening last year about whether I could take over as parish priest and I was surprised to find this willingness within myself as well as questions of can I really do this? Do I really have the gifts, the strength, the capacities um to be able to lead these beautiful communities? Um but the good news is that my leadership of the communities doesn’t actually depend upon me and my gifts and my capacities at all, does it? No. Um it depends on what God wants to do. It depends on the intentions that he has for the community. the the transformation that Bishop Tin was talking about that he wants to bring. And as I’ve taken up this role, I found this this little bit of journaling that I’d written last year, and I decided to print this out and stick it on the wall right in front of my desk so that I could remember this um all the time. Anyway, if we can click to the next slide, that’ll be great. Remote never works. Uh not that one. The one before, the one with lots of text on it. That one. My leadership of the parishes and my personal flourishing as well does not depend upon my talents and capacities, but on God’s resources that he pours into me. Good news. Yeah. My first and most important task, therefore, is to dwell in his sweet embrace of love as openly and as constantly as possible. This is something I’ve been trying to remind myself of constantly when I um get into the busyiness of being parish priest and go I don’t know what I’m doing. I don’t know anything about finance. I don’t know how to organize building projects or um how to lead a parish. Um but I remember that if the Lord’s called me to do this, then he wants to supply the grace and he is a very abundant and good and generous giver. And it was beautiful that this um story of Mary and Martha just happened to fall on the gospel of today because there’s there’s plenty of maring going on being parish priest. I tell you, I have been a lot busier in the last four months than I’ve ever been before. But God continually wants to invite me back to the most important thing, the first and most important thing, which Bishop Tin said almost exactly those words. You’ve stolen all the points from my speech in your homaly already. So, thank you. But we’re obviously aligned in the spirit. My first and most important task is to seek the Lord to open up to what he wants to do in me and what he wants to do in our communities. Uh and if the Lord wants to bless uh our parishes during however long he decides that I want to be parish priest, then that’s only going to come through me opening up to his strength and his grace and his love rather than relying on myself. So that’s the way that I want to go about this role. That’s the way that I want to go about leading you. Not coming from myself, but um letting the Lord fill me with his strength. Another well, one one way in which particularly the Lord is providing for me and has already been providing for me in the last few months is that I’m not alone. um especially in a well when when these conversations first began happening about um possibly becoming parish priest uh it was clear to me that I wouldn’t be able to do it unless we had such an amazing um staff team such an amazing um team of employees that was already built around me that I already loved working in and that has been such a strength for me over the last months um learning to delegate stuff and everybody just saying what can I do for you? what can I do for you? How can I help you? How can I help you? Um, has been absolutely huge. So, I can’t thank the staff enough. Um, but also want to add to that as well. Father Justin and Father Terrence, I can’t I can’t talk to you and talk to the microphone at the same time, so you can listen to my back. We’ve all taken on um a bit more of the load over the last four months. Um, but you guys have just been faithful and generous and just willing to give yourselves. So, uh, thank you. That’s not only a huge support to me personally, not only as just priests serving the people, but also just as brothers. So, thank you for that. The second thing that I want to say, a this is a cool picture of the staff team that I forgot to click on to, but yeah, they find that interesting. Um, I’ll get to that. The next thing that I want to say is about what um the mission is and what we’re trying to do and what we’re trying to be as a parish. And um, for this I was reminded just to go back to this verse that had um, resonated for me at my priestly ordination. Um, and it was this. I’ll show you the verse now. There we are. We do not proclaim ourselves. We do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. This is the kind of statement that I felt the Lord is putting upon my priesthood when I was ordained. Um, and I really want to reclaim that in the way that I want to be parish priest because I’m not going to be parish priest forever. You’d be thankful for that. I’m thankful for that. And at some point after I’ve finished up and 5 10 years down the track, I don’t really care whether you remember me at all or not. But I would hope that you have come to know Jesus more. I would hope that you’ve come to deepen in relationship with him, that you’ve come to open up more to the grace that he wants to have in your life, to the incredible, intimate, generous, uh, merciful love that he has for you. that you would be opened up to the the life and the flourishing that he wants for you. That’s what I hope to come out of this. It’s not about me at all. It’s about the transformation Jesus wants to bring to each one of our lives. So, this is what I hope my priesthood would be about, but this is also what I hope my service of you would be about as your parish priest. And I hope that this is really what every single thing that we do as a parish would be about this about allowing Jesus into our lives more and more. Um just as Mary witnessed to in our gospel today. Finally, just a couple of thank yous. Uh firstly to Bishop Tin. Wonderful to welcome you back here to uh install me. Uh, not only I’ve known Tin for quite a few years before I was ever in in seminary. Um, so yeah, great to have somebody known and make it more personal, but also to welcome you back to St. Alask when he was parish priest here himself. So definitely feels like a bit of a handing of the baton. Um, and also to all those who’ve served in the liturgy today. There’s been lots of stuff going on, music servers, readers, all sorts of things. So thank you. you know who you are. And also those who’ve helped out in the hall afterwards. I welcome you all to come and to the kickons. We’re going to keep celebrating over in the hall. Uh thank you to those that brought some food. Uh and to all those who’ve set up over there. And I might even have a little bit more to say over there. So I’ll save some more thank yous for that. Thanks. Thank you. Japan just before the final blessing. Uh thank you father Ken Baka the the founder of the MGL’s community for taking on this mission the mission of taking over the central I think that’s the the beautiful sign of the two brother and sister come together okay camp so I think it’s a the great work of God working in our lives thank you say yes to take on leadership uh like myself when I was asked the bishop like yourself I also bit reluctant to take on the leadership role but you said we’re not doing the work. God’s doing the work for us. Let us rely on God’s grace, God God’s strength to help us to bring about the ministry, the love of God share among us. So that’s the thing we need to remember that God first and everything else will fall into place. Amen. Please stand for final blessing. The Lord be with you. And with your spirit. Bow down for the blessing. May Almighty God always keep every adversity far from you and his kindness pour out upon the gifts of his blessing. Amen. May God keep your hearts attentive to his words that they may be filled with everlasting gladness. Amen. Amen. And so may you always understand what is good and right and be found ever hastening along in the path of God’s commands. make coairs with citizens of heaven. Amen. Amen. And may blessing of almighty God, the father and the son and the holy spirit. Amen. Go in peace. Glorify the lord by your life. Thanks be to God. Over the mountains and the sea, your river runs with love for me. And I will open up my heart and let the healer set me free. I’m happy to be in the truth. And I will live my day. For I will always sing of when your love came down. I could sing of your love forever. I could sing of your love forever. I could sing of your love forever. I could sing of your love forever. Over the mountains and sea, your river runs with love for me. And I will open up my heart and let the healer set free. I’m happy to be in the truth. And I will daily lies. For I will always sing of when your love came down. I could sing of your love forever. I could sing of your love forever. I could sing of your love forever. I could sing of your love forever.