In the musical “MacKillop” last week in Sydney – and soon to be in Melbourne - there is a scene on board a storm-threatened sailing ship bound for Rome. In this scene, Mary takes up a position in the prow, arms outstretched in prayer. The others crowd in behind her, close-packed, and thus they ride out the storm.
This scene is strongly reminiscent of today’s reading from the book of Exodus in which Moses stretches out his arms in prayer for as long as Joshua and his men are engaged in battle. I have no idea if the scene on board the sailing ship in “MacKillop” is a fictional embellishment or not, but it clearly demonstrates her tremendous faith, her trust in prayer and her remarkable gift of leadership. The more one learns of Mary MacKillop, the more one admires and marvels at her!
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The gospel reading today about the persistent widow seeking justice from an unjust judge, reflects so much of what we see in Mary’s life. Certainly she encountered opposition from unjust judges but her God did see justice done to his chosen, even though he delayed to help her.
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There is so much to encourage us in this gospel reading about “the need to pray continually and never lose heart”: we are nobodies, the cards are stacked against us in so many ways, all we can do is make nuisances of ourselves. And this we are urged to do!
There is so much to encourage us in the life of Mary MacKillop, reflecting as it does the freshness and directness of Australian vision and her hands-on approach to ministry of so many kinds.
Let us thank God for this great Australian, thank God, too, that she has won endorsement from the Church and even from our secular society and pray that the lavish attention given her may bear fruit in our people, believers or not, and enrich Australia in many ways.
St Mary of the Cross, pray for us.
Helen Ryan OP |
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