AMPJP Executive Officer’s report on Feb 2023
The AMPJP Strategic Direction has two priorities (1) Internal via collaboration for excellence in MPJP governance and (2) external via communion with the rest of the Church. February saw significant activity on both priorities.
MPJP collaboration was further by the AMPJP Council meeting on 08 Feb 2023. The discussion and decisions of that meeting are detailed in a news post on the AMPJP website. The second major activity was the Modern slavery webinar held on 20 Feb 2023. There is a news post on the AMPJP website that includes a link to the slide presentation and a recording of the webinar. There was some interesting discussion of the unique role of MPJP Canonical Stewards in addressing modern slavery.
Communion with the rest of the Church is progressed in our activity with the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference and Catholic Religious Australia in addressing the three actions assigned jointly to us by the Plenary Council. After a couple of videoconference meetings and numerous email exchanges, there are now draft documents for consideration of the leadership of the three organisations.
February also saw a meeting of the Committee of Religious Institute and MPJP School Authorities Australia (CORMSAA). That committee is comprised of representatives of both Religious Institute and MPJP school authorities who work together on common issues. This makes communion its nature and mission.
I hope you find much of interest in the AMPJP’s February posts.
The Lenten journey of penance and the journey of the Synod alike have as their goal a transfiguration, both personal and ecclesial. A transformation that, in both cases, has its model in the Transfiguration of Jesus and is achieved by the grace of his paschal mystery. So that this transfiguration may become a reality in us this year, I would like to propose two “paths” to follow in order to ascend the mountain together with Jesus and, with him, to attain the goal.
The first path has to do with the command that God the Father addresses to the disciples on Mount Tabor as they contemplate Jesus transfigured. The voice from the cloud says: “Listen to him” (Mt 17:5). The first proposal, then, is very clear: we need to listen to Jesus. Lent is a time of grace to the extent that we listen to him as he speaks to us. And how does he speak to us? First, in the word of God, which the Church offers us in the liturgy. May that word not fall on deaf ears; if we cannot always attend Mass, let us study its daily biblical readings, even with the help of the internet. In addition to the Scriptures, the Lord speaks to us through our brothers and sisters, especially in the faces and the stories of those who are in need. Let me say something else, which is quite important for the synodal process: listening to Christ often takes place in listening to our brothers and sisters in the Church. Such mutual listening in some phases is the primary goal, but it remains always indispensable in the method and style of a synodal Church.
On hearing the Father’s voice, the disciples “fell prostrate and were very much afraid. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Rise, and do not be afraid.’ And when the disciples raised their eyes, they saw no one else but Jesus alone” (Mt 17:6-8). Here is the second proposal for this Lent: do not take refuge in a religiosity made up of extraordinary events and dramatic experiences, out of fear of facing reality and its daily struggles, its hardships and contradictions.
Pope Francis, Lenten Message 2023
New website content:
New content on News page:
- Online formation with Boston College (posted 27 Feb 2023)
- Mercy Ministry Companions website (posted 27 Feb 2023)
- Modern slavery: MPJP Canonical Stewards Respond (posted 22 Feb 2023)
- AMPJP endorses “Uluru Statement From the Heart” (posted 17 Feb 2023)
- Assembly of the Church in Oceania (posted 16 Feb 2023)
- AMPJP Council meeting (posted 13 Feb 2023)
- AMPJP Safeguarding Policy (posted 10 Feb 2023)
- CORMSAA meeting Feb 2023 (posted 07 Feb 2023)
New content on CORMSAA page:
- Religious Institute and MPJP school authorities 08 Feb 2023 (updated list)
New on the Events page:
- Anti-slavery webinar 20 Feb 2023
Featured image: Photo by Lawrie Hallinan
