Participating in the mission of Christ BY BISHOP BRIAN MASCORD Homily for the Annual SRE Catechist Mass, 22 November 2025 Today we gather with hearts full of gratitude. Each year our gathering for this Mass is always a cherished moment in our diocesan life, it is a moment of grace, an opportunity to pause, to pray, and to remember why your ministry matters so deeply. but in this Jubilee Year of Hope, it carries a special grace. It is a time to thank God for you, your generosity, your faithfulness, your quiet courage, and to reflect on how your ministry shines as a sign of hope in our world. The readings that we listen to today (Acts 13:46-49 & Mt 28: 16-20) speak directly to your ministry as teachers of the Gospel, especially in the unique and sometimes challenging environment of our state schools. To you as disciples who are called to proclaim the Word in those places where you educate in faith those who are placed into your care. In the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Paul and Barnabas face resistance and misunderstanding, but they make a decisive, Spirit-led shift. After resistance from their own people, they say: “We are turning to the Gentiles.” They refuse discouragement; they refuse silence. Instead, they recognise that the Gospel belongs to everyone, not a select few. These are not words of frustration; they are words of mission. They recognise that God’s call leads them outward, beyond what is familiar, toward those who may not yet know the Good News. And then comes that remarkable line: “So the word of the Lord spread through the whole countryside.” My brothers and sisters, this is your story too. Many of you step into classrooms where the Gospel is not always expected, welcomed, or understood. Some of you face students who have never heard the name of Jesus spoken with love. Others meet children who hold a patchwork of beliefs or whose families carry wounds from the Church. And yet you go. You step forward. You plant seeds. Your ministry is not always easy. Some children come with no experience of faith. Some come with confusion, indifference, or hurt. Yet you go. You prepare, you teach, you pray. You give your time with love. And you do it not for applause, not for recognition, but because Christ has touched your hearts and you want to share that gift. For this, we say thank you, deeply and sincerely. Like Paul and Barnabas, you proclaim not because it is easy, but because the Spirit has asked you to shine Christ’s light exactly where you are. Jesus chooses ordinary disciples, disciples with doubts, disciples still growing in trust, and He sends them anyway. The Gospel today takes us to a mountain. For the Words that Jesus speaks to the disciples, He entrusts His mission to them all and these same words are spoken to you: “Go, make disciples… teach them… and know that I am with you always.” This is a word of consolation for you. There may be days when you feel tired, unsure, or discouraged. You may wonder if you have the right words or if what you do makes any difference. But Jesus chooses ordinary disciples, disciples with doubts, disciples still growing in trust, and He sends them anyway. Which means He sends you not because you are flawless, but because you are faithful. And your faithfulness is enough for Him. Jesus does not simply give a command. He gives a promise: “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” This promise is the anchor of your ministry. You are not just volunteers. You are not filling a gap in a timetable. You are participating in the mission of Christ himself. Every time you tell a story of Jesus, every time you help a child learn to pray, every time you show kindness, patience, or mercy, every time you answer a difficult question with humility and love, you are making the Gospel present. You are opening a door for the Holy Spirit to work. And the beautiful truth is this: you rarely see the full fruit of your labour. But God does. God uses your words, your presence, and your faith to touch hearts in ways you may never know. You are participating in the mission of Christ himself. Every time you tell a story of Jesus, every time you help a child learn to pray, you are making the Gospel present. Pope Francis invited the whole Church to live this Jubilee Year as Pilgrims of Hope. A pilgrim does not walk quickly or perfectly. A pilgrim walks steadily, humbly, and with longing for God. Our diocese is blessed by your willingness to serve in classrooms where the Church cannot ordinarily go. State school children often do not walk through the doors of our parishes, but they meet you. In many cases, you are the first face of the Church they meet, and what a hopeful face it is. You are missionaries in the truest sense of the word. Not missionaries far away, but missionaries right where the Spirit 4 | CONFRATERNITY OF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE • CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF WOLLONGONG
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