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The Southern Cross : July 2011
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www.thesoutherncross.org.au The Southern Cross opinion | The Southern Cross FEEDBACK A long night What is tradition? When Simon Rattle, the conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic orchestra, reflects on the musical tradition, he points out that "the point about a real tradition is to take what is the strongest and most vital part and carry it through into a new world." The bishops at the Second Vatican Council wrote about tradition in a similar way. For them, tradition is both the process of 'handing on' (that's the New Testament origin of the word) and that which is handed on---the life and practice of the church centred on the Word of God. As the church's faith in the Word of God is handed on from one person to another, from one generation to the next, it takes root in a new context. The task of 'handing on' is not one of simple replication. It requires deep reflection and prayer both about the Word of God, Jesus Christ, and about the contemporary context. This process is guided by the teaching of the bishops. In the Council's words, 'the tradition which comes from the apostles develops in the church with the help of the Holy Spirit. For there is a growth in the understanding of the realities and the words which have been handed down. This happens through the contemplation and study made by believers, who treasure these things in their hearts, through the intimate spiritual understanding of spiritual things they experience, and through the preaching of those who have received through episcopal succession the sure gift of truth.' (Dei Verbum 8) That's the challenge: to allow God's word to find life-giving expression in a new context. James McEvoy Catholic Theological College When the Vinnies CEO Sleepout came around again this year, I was confident of being much better prepared for sleeping rough this time. After experiencing the symphony of snoring in the Adelaide Zoo rotunda last year, my friend and I went along well-equipped with ear plugs, layers of clothing and a couple of pre-sleepout glasses of red to warm us up. We also did a decent reconnaissance of the zoo grounds to determine the best site for our slabs of cardboard and were delighted to find a cave-like storage area behind the panda enclosure. With some light rain forcing most of the other 87 participants inside the rotunda, we thought this a much better option -- ear plugs or not. Lying in our warm sleeping bags we joked about the animal noises, cobwebs and the potential for spiders and insects but on the whole were pretty pleased with ourselves, that is, until around midnight when we were awakened by the rather loud sound of sprinkler water beating on the wall. Lucky we had our ear plugs, I thought, and lucky we weren't out on the lawn like some of the other braver sleepers. But my smugness was short- lived as about half an hour later I found my friend ferreting around the bottom half of her sleeping bag which, like my own, was now saturated with sprinkler water. I quickly realised my socks were wet as was all the extra clothing I'd put in my rucksack. All of a sudden my snug sleeping bag was not so snug and the cardboard beneath me became soggy and cold. I consoled myself by thinking that, in a small way, this is what it really means to sleep rough -- not having any control over your little patch of earth and being exposed to all sorts of external forces. The word "vulnerable" springs to mind, as does lack of safety and security. Imagine someone sleeping in the darkness of the parklands and not knowing what dangers might lie ahead, what weather conditions will prevail or what daylight might bring. We might have heard the odd strange noise and suffered some discomfort but we knew we were in the safe confines of the zoo and there were the wonderful Vinnies volunteers looking out for us and making sure we checked out the next morning. And of course we could pop home for a nice hot shower to refresh ourselves. The homeless have none of that, as a young woman called Theodora told us during the informative evening. Abused as a child, she was forced to flee her home and live on the streets with other troubled teenagers until she eventually found help at Catherine House. Now a recovering addict, she quite rightly pointed out that the CEO sleepout was a far cry from the real thing but she also expressed her deep gratitude for the support provided by non-government organisations such as Vinnies. Similarly, Steve (who features in our Vincentian 50th anniversary spread) told the CEOs of his fall from grace as a result of a family death and a gambling addiction which led him to sleep in his car for nine days and eventually end up at the Vincentian Centre. The message from both Steve and Theodora was that homelessness can happen to anyone as a result of certain circumstances and that there is desperate need for more funds to support these people. So while it was far from a decent night's sleep, I came away once again with a great deal of respect for both the homeless and those who are committed to helping them get another shot at life and, most importantly, a home. Jenny Brinkworth Rebecca DiGirolamo's thought provoking article, Our Changing Face (Southern Cross June 2011) offers excellent discussion material for pastoral councils and school boards. Can we really take solace in the fact that the drift from the Eucharist is somehow compensated for by the 'spiritual values' or social justice activities of those who are content to live on the periphery of the Eucharistic community? The scent of the empty bottle will not last forever. I suspect that the future national census figures will bring little comfort. Bishop Michael Putney of Townsville puts succinctly the Eucharist's role as the source and summit of our faith life. "... work for justice without Eucharist or prayer can easily become secularised and lose the particular qualities that distinguish the Christian mission of justice, peace and reconciliation. "... Eucharist or prayer without work for justice can easily become self-indulgent and lose the meaning of the death of Jesus with which we are united through the Eucharist.' Our Changing Face in speaking of the future of our diocese says: "... the number of current Adelaide seminarians at just a handful of potential priests ...' There are in fact, five excellent men preparing for priesthood. This equates well, pro rata, with the larger Australian archdioceses, but is insufficient for our needs. The stories of these five men confirm the truth that a ceaseless proclamation in our parishes and schools of the necessary and fulfilling role of priests in the life of the Church will attract others to explore the possibility of a priestly vocation. If we are not single minded in securing and strengthening our sense of the sacred we will inevitably be swamped by the tsunami of secularism. Monsignor Robert Egar Dover Gardens FAITH MATTERS Photo: John Hemmings Thought provoking Jenny Brinkworth July 2011 Page 9
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