Through time, we have grown more alive to the to the life-giving harmony of the earth. Made in the image of divine communion, we contemplate the interconnectivity of creation, the relationships evident in the natural world and the divine fingerprints of God to discern reality.
The past, present and future of this unfolding story is revealed to us through sacred scripture and the natural world, which together offer us a window onto the eternal mystery of God’s infinite wisdom, goodness and love.
Our Blessed Mother Mary who played such a vital role in God’s plan leads us closer to the truth and helps us to receive spiritual life with, in and through her Son.
INTERCONNECTION & GROWTH:
From the moment of conception to natural death, we do not exist in isolation. Our salvation lies outside ourselves for we are connected to all creation, to each other and to God. It is upon this damaged and downhearted world that the eternal covenant was born, manifesting the divine root of hope from within, conserving the essential goodness of creation and transforming everything with a glorious presence.
This saving grace fulfils the epic journey of the human family from competition to co-operation, from covetousness to compassion, from consumerism to care and from conflict to communion. We each travel this path growing increasingly alive to the divine presence everywhere.
For each one of us, salvation is a process of becoming, a gift of grace through faith that reaches completion in our good works, a goodness that originates from God. Christ offers us salvation as a transformative love affair which leads to perfect union with God. We are all pilgrims on the road to heaven.
NATURE & NURTURE:
We honour Mary, the Blessed Mother who lovingly embraced the will of God to bring such abundant fruit into our world. The Mother of Divine Grace is a living anchor for goodness, a channel for peace, a temple for the Holy Spirit and an ark for divine truth.
As the Mother of Hope, she inspires us to live a virtuous life that leads us through the gate of heaven. This mystical rose, the bride of the Holy Spirit nurtures our re-discovery of the perfect garden of God where God’s plan for creation is restored. Thus, it is in Mary that the genesis of a new Eden begins amidst the brokenness of humanity.
Through Mary, the eternal Son of God was nurtured by creation and experienced the joys and pains of the natural world as we do. Through Jesus, God revealed eternal truths through the living matter of creation.
SPIRIT & BELONGING:
Creation, transformed from the beginning by the mystery of Christ and filled with the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit, awaits the revelatory awakening and caring action of the children of God.
The Spirit of God brings everything living into being and forges the ongoing spiritual re-creation of our inner lives. Nurturing the fruit of the Spirit within our own lives opens us up to the face of God within our own being, within our neighbours, and within all creation.
GRACE & TRANSFORMATION:
When we contemplate goodness, we discover the deep interconnectivity of all things and glimpse the reality and presence of God in all creation. The Sacraments invite us to profoundly experience the reality of creation on a deeper level, which gracefully nourishes our spiritual lives.
Our everyday interactions with the world around us are transformed thus empowering us to discover our true God-given potential within creation. It is through our relationships with each other, with the earth itself and with God that we discover the interconnectivity and harmony of human life, the natural world and spirituality.
The complementary pattern of this sacramental vision helps us to better understand God’s cosmic plan which is recorded in scripture, inscribed in nature and etched into our very souls. A sacred mystery dwells within all existence, a gift of being from God.
From the beginning, God has endowed all creation with the potentialities and paths to become what it is not yet. The evolving universe is unfolding, a sign of God’s presence and providence. The path of Jesus Christ reminds us that God journeys with creation even through torment and suffering. We yearn for the grace of Christ to transform our being.
MISSION & DESTINY:
Even while surpassing creation, God operates in and through creation at every level of existence. God’s creation facilitates the myriad relationships that sustain life thus underpinning human dignity and wellbeing.
Our Blessed Mother guides us towards our mission. Birth and the will of God has always been central to the story of life. Just as our Blessed Mother nurtured Divine Goodness, we too can say ‘Yes’ to the will of God and nurture goodness. Just as the earth nurtures our human family, we too can nurture the earth and the biodiversity of nature.
And just as a grieving mother followed Jesus to the Cross, we continue to witness to God’s goodness even amidst loss. We are all called to bring forth God’s goodness, tending and keeping the earth for all creation.
And so we pray:
Hail Mary, full of grace; Our Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
