Patroness of Australia
Under the title of Help of Christians, Mary was chosen as Patroness of Australasia by the First Provincial Synod, convened by Archbishop John Bede Polding, in Sydney in 1844. We are helped through Mary’s powerful intercession and through the example of her life that we find in the Gospels.
The readings are in a three year cycle. In Year A the first reading is from the book of Sirach (4:11-18) and praises the Wisdom of God “Whoever loves her loves life, those who wait on her early will be filled with happiness.” The second reading from the first letter of St Paul to the Corinthians (1 Cor 1: 18-25) reminds us that God’s wisdom is expressed through the cross “The language of the cross may be illogical to those who are not on the way to salvation, but those of us who are on the way see it as God’s power to save.” In the Gospel from John (19:25-27) we hear of how Mary stood at the foot of Jesus’ cross and received from him the beloved disciple as her son “Woman, this is your son” and we are reminded that through that gift we are all Mary’s children.
In Year B the first reading is from the book of Proverbs (31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31). In it the author praises the perfect wife and comments that it is “the woman who is wise is the one to praise.” In the second reading from the letter of James (3:13-18) we hear the exhortation to live good lives with humility and wisdom “the wisdom that comes from down from above is essentially something pure; it also makes for peace, and is kindly and considerate; it is full of compassion and shows itself by doing good.” In the Gospel from Luke (1:39-56) we hear of Mary’s visit to Elizabeth and Mary’s song of praise “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit exults in God my saviour”.
In Year C the first reading is from the book of Genesis (3:1-15,20). In it we hear what has been called the protoevangelium–or first gospel because these words spoken by God contain the first promise of redemption in the Bible. After the fall God says to the serpent “I will make you enemies of each other, you and the woman, your offspring and her offspring. It will crush your head and you will strike at its heel.” Christ is the ultimate Seed of the Woman who would one day come to crush the serpent’s ugly head. In the process his “heel” would be bruised on the cross. In the second reading from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians (3:14-19) we hear Paul’s prayer for all believers that “Christ may live in your hearts through faith and…that you will have the strength to grasp the breadth and the length the height and the depth; until knowing the love of Christ, which is beyond all knowledge , you are filled with the utter fullness of God.” In the Gospel from Luke (8:19-21) we hear in Jesus’ words what we need to do to draw close to Jesus “My mother and brothers are those who hear the word of God and put it into practice.”