Wisdom, we are told, is easily found by those who seek it. Truly an appropriate reminder, as we gather to celebrate a year of wise leadership of our schools in the Sandhurst Diocese. Whilst gratefully acknowledging the quality and commitment of our educators,  together we share the role to  encourage all those involved in education in the Diocese to ensure that our schools are truly Catholic in their identity and life

Well, my dear friends, let me say first how pleased I am to be with you as your Bishop, to celebrate this Graduation Mass with you. This is an extremely special event. The completion of your studies will have enhanced your knowledge of your Faith. Your reflection over the time of your studies on the various teachings you have had,  will have contributed to your vision for the future and hopefully these studies have provided you with a hope, security and confidence, because you have learnt more about Jesus and have come to know him better. As our response in the psalm emphasises: Happy are those who seek the Lord!

Well done to all at Catholic College Bendigo for the successful completion of another year of schooling – and special congratulations to those students who are graduating and leaving school.   I hope that you Graduands are really proud of yourselves and your accomplishments in completing your schooling. We should also acknowledge all the people who share in that pride –- your mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters; your grandparents and friends – your teachers; all of whom took this journey with you in ways both seen and unseen.  So this is their celebration too.

Ashley will join with me, together with all the priests of the Diocese of Sandhurst, to build upon the legacy of those who have gone before us, to bring Christ to our world and our world to Christ.  I ask that you unite with me in prayer that God may bless Ashley abundantly on this day of his ordination, and continue to empower us all to each use our talents and gifts to fulfil our respective responsibilities in His Church in the Diocese of Sandhurst.

The powerful words from St Paul’s letter to the Corinthians give a clear message to us all and are so appropriate for our reflection here today:

 “Whatever you do, do it for the glory of God… just as I try to be helpful to everyone at all times- not anxious for my own advantage, but for the advantage of  everyone else, so that they might be saved…… Take me as your model, as I take Christ”

Although Jesus had told His disciples many times that He would rise from the dead, they did not really believe Him. And so, it is not difficult to imagine the feelings of these women at that moment they saw the tomb was open and empty: Jesus body was no longer there!

This Easter Vigil is the most important Mass of the liturgical year. It is the first official celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus. Historically, it is during this service that people are baptized and that adult catechumens are received into full communion with the Catholic Church. Because the new liturgical day begins at sunset, the vigil begins outside the Church, where an Easter fire is kindled and the Paschal candle is blessed and then lit.

Today, we could rightly say to ourselves that we have been to Calvary. However, all this does not happen automatically, just because we have taken part in this liturgy. It is a question of accepting the meaning of the mystery, and this happens with faith.

Remembrance is at the very heart of what we celebrate this evening.

A memento is a very precious gift to help us remember something of the person we love which has outlasted them, but will stay with us.  We have different ways of trying to remember people who have gone before us - sometimes lots of photos in a box!

Sacred Heart Cathedral, Bendigo
I find immense consolation in the fact that the Gospels give us a realistic portrayal of our forbearers in the ministerial priesthood, the apostles. They were ordinary men like us, full of humanity, shortcomings and idiosyncrasies.

As we commission our new principals and school board chairs, I would like to share with you some thoughts regarding the nature and identity of Catholic education today.

‘The Gospel is our inspiration’!  Reading this on your Galen College website immediately one must be impressed at such a clear and focussed expression of faith.  The website technology is used wonderfully to continue this proclamation by explaining just how staff, students and parents together go about building a College community that incorporates Gospel values.

Today we ask God’s blessing on the beginning of the school year and are mindful of the wonderful history and charism that underpin this special school community of Catholic College, Bendigo.

The readings we have for today have some interesting messages for us at the beginning of the school year and as we celebrate the feast of St Brigid.

In his pastoral letter on the Year of Faith, which commenced in October 2012, Archbishop  Hart says: “In our times, a renewed effort to know and witness to Jesus Christ in the context of renewed knowledge of our faith is a timely and practical way of deepening our faith, and supporting our journey.”