2004

Tuesday 30th March 2004
Hope in the Struggle: A Message for Easter from Bishop Malone
As the Catholic Bishop of Maitland-Newcastle, Michael Malone is the pastoral leader of approximately 147,000 Catholics in the Newcastle, Hunter, Lake Macquarie and Manning areas.

I have just returned from my ad limina apostolorum visit to Rome, a pilgrimage made every five years by the world’s Catholic bishops. My journey to Rome recalled and celebrated the ancient pilgrimage made by earlier bishops to the tombs of the Apostles and was symbolic of the unity between the local Church of Maitland-Newcastle and the universal Church.

As bishop of a contemporary, local Church, the journey I have just participated in was an important spiritual journey, allowing me to reflect upon the sources and traditions, the joys and struggles of our Christian story. It’s rather significant then that this spiritual journey coincided with Lent, the season for reflection and conversion.

While in Rome for only a short time, I was absorbed into the rich history and the remarkable architecture of the place. As I walked the worn cobblestones I was reminded of the journeys of those who have gone before us, and of those who continue the journey with its inherent struggles and joys.

Despite this absorption with another time and place I was very aware of the realities of our world. The news reports of violence and devastation in Madrid, Iraq and other countries loomed large. On a personal level I know that many of us face struggles of our own.

At the same time I was influenced by the seasonal changes in Europe. While the weather was still a little chilly, reminding me of the cold, dark winter just past, there were early signs of new life. Spring had sprung! Bright sunshine, emerging greenery and blossoms on the trees were indications of freshness and growth. This obvious change of seasons reminded me that new life follows death; there is light in darkness.

Soon we will celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus. During the Easter season the liturgy of the Church invites us into the struggle of the disciples as they make sense of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. The disciples were not magically transformed by these events but in their struggle for understanding and with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, they came, eventually, to a new place and a new worldview.

St Luke relates the beautiful post-resurrection story of Jesus chatting to the two disciples on their way to Emmaus. The disciples did not recognise him (Luke 24:16) even though they had known him well. Recognition finally came with the sharing of a meal and the breaking of bread. The disciples see Jesus and themselves with new understanding. This powerful symbol of broken bread reminds us that struggle is still present even after the resurrection. We are reminded too, in the act of breaking bread and pouring wine, that we have the opportunity for new life.

In his poem Dark Night of the Soul, Spanish mystic, St John of the Cross, experienced hope in the midst of struggle. As American theologian, Keith Egan, describes so well: “For John of the Cross, the dark night experience, for all its feelings of hopelessness and helplessness, is ultimately not about darkness and despair. Rather the dark night is always for the sake of liberation, light and love, always about a movement from darkness to light.”

Struggle, at whatever level, is a constant in our lives. We live in a state of tension between suffering and joy. The challenge for us is to maintain some balance in it all. In her latest book, Scarred by Struggle, Transformed by Hope, American Benedictine Sister Joan Chittister says, “struggle is the gift of new life in disguise ... there is beauty in the dark valleys of life. It is called hope.” She believes that hope is rooted in the past, but believes in the future, for God’s world is in God’s hands and hope is in the struggle.

This Easter as we reflect on the Jesus story may we realise that hope is never extinguished. In time, our own struggles can lead us to new insights and new ways of being. However, as seasonal changes take time, so we need to be patient with ourselves and with others as we come to know the hope the resurrection of Jesus offers. I pray that you experience this hope in all sorts of surprising ways.

For Easter Service Times in the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle click here.

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