Sydney: Mar Bosco Puthur, Bishop of Melbourne St. Thomas Syro Malabar Diocese, reminded the faithful that the Catholic Church is not monolithic, but a communion of Churches comprising both Eastern and Western traditions. Bishop Bosco Puthur was delivering the message during the Holy Eucharist celebrated on the first day of the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia. The first full-day proceedings of the Fifth Plenary Council concluded with a Votive Mass of the Holy Spirit at Sydney St Mary’s Cathedral.
The celebration of the Divine Liturgy celebrated according to the Eastern liturgical tradition of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, presided over by Bishop Mykola Bychok.
In his homily, Syro-Malabar Bishop Bosco Puthur invited members to think of the Church as a “communion of Churches…but with the same Spirit, the same God.”
'A great coming together of the East and West! This reminds us that the Catholic Church is not monolithic, but a communion of Churches, comprising both Eastern and Western traditions.
Bishop Mar Bosco Puthur
The Ukrainian Church, the largest among the Eastern Catholic Churches, is now suffering and bleeding due to the tragic war which has already cost thousands of human lives and churned millions of international refugees and internally displaced people. This Eucharistic celebration is a cry to stop this war that would reach the heavens.
Bishop Mykola, the youngest Bishop in Australia gives us hope for the future of the Church in this country. Let love, peace, and joy prevail!
In spite of the power of evil suffocating the Church and the world, everything is not lost. There is the joy and hope of Easter after every Good Friday. After every winter there is spring - said Bishop Bosco Puthur pointing towards a hope-filled future.
How comforting is the promise of the Lord in today’s Gospel regarding the Holy Spirit who will be with us forever? But Jesus puts a condition. We have to love him and keep his commandments. Do we love him, do we really love him? Even to Peter Jesus thrice repeated the uncomfortable question: do you love me? Is my parish a community of disciples of Jesus or is it just another “industry”, a religious industry for that matter?
Do we follow the Lord’s commandments, or are we making our own new commandments, influenced by the spirit of the world? Are we incapacitated to receive the Spirit promised by the Lord because we are so consumed by the world? According to the Discernment of the Spirit of St. Ignatius of Loyola, “It is the way of the evil spirit to bite, sadden and put obstacles, disquieting with false reasons, that one may not go on; and it is proper to the good spirit to give courage and strength, consolations, tears, inspirations, and quiet, easing, and putting away all obstacles, that one may go on in well-doing”. Let us pray to the Lord so that we can properly discern the spirit, know the Spirit of the Lord, receive Him and let him be with us and let us be with Him.
How consoling it is to hear from St. Paul that the Church is one unit, just like the human body is one, though made of many parts. Gifts may be different, but the same Spirit. Ministries may be different, but the same Lord. Ways and people may be different, but the same God. Unity in diversity! But the problem starts when the ear wants to grab power from the eye, and the leg wants to do the job of the hand.
Envy is our first enemy. The "greener pastures" mentality of the Church just creates more issues. At times the clergy (wants to be free) like the laity and the laity yearns to take over the roles of the clergy, leaving the faith in tatters.
Paul reminds us that “in the one Spirit we all are baptized” and “one Spirit is given to us all to drink”. The Church is the body of Christ.
Let us pray that during the days of this Plenary Council, we as the one body of Christ can know, receive and be with the Spirit of the Lord, who will console us and lead us to the truth - concluded Bishop Bosco Puthur.