In his Homily at Mass at the Sandhurst Formation Institute, Bishop René RCJ invited us to look honestly at how the Gospel is lived in our daily lives, particularly in the way we love one another.

“In the Gospel, we could say that love is the greatest commandment, Love your neighbour as you love yourself.”

But do we really love as Jesus commands us? Bishop René asked us to consider how easily we justify our own way of loving, limiting love in a way that suits us.

He brought the question into the small, practical moments of parish and community life. Are we open in our communication? Do we really listen to one another? Do we mind when someone takes our seat at Mass? And are we willing to accept change; are we territorial about parish identity; are we open to people who aren’t just like us? After all, he said when relaying a story,

“We have one identity, we are Christian.”

“My hope and prayer is that we make space for Christ to enter more deeply into our lives and influence how we live our Christian calling. By this Christian calling, truly living our love in a very practical way. After all, love is a decision,” he said.

And that decision, Bishop René encouraged us, is to keep becoming people of love: “Grow more into truly deciding to be people of Love, people who are teachers of love.” By truly living the Gospel we give witness to Jesus.

Even when we are familiar with the rubrics of the Liturgy and faithful in attending Sunday Mass, “We really have a lot to learn as a community, a people, a church, as a Diocese”. And that is why the Diocese is focusing on formation with events like the SFI.“

He finished his Homily with an image of Christ, with arms stretched out across the cross, “to demonstrate how important we are to him, how much we are valued, how much we are loved.”