Most Reverend Vincent Long Van Nguyen OFM Conv DD STL, Bishop of Parramatta
Homily for the 2025 Annual Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) Mass and Awards Presentation at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Parramatta
Readings: Jeremiah 3:14-17; Jeremiah 31:10-13; Matthew 13:18-23
31 October 2025
Sowing the seeds of faith
Dear brothers and sisters,
It is with a deep sense of gratitude to God that we are gathered here at our mother Church to celebrate this annual Mass of thanksgiving for our ministry as catechists. As Confraternity of Christian Doctrine staff and volunteers, you share the mission of making Christ known and loved to the young people in government schools.
This is not an insignificant endeavour. Given the increasing secularisation of our society and the spiritual alienation of many, CCD ministry is like an oasis in the desert. It is often the only avenue by which the young and impressionable in these secular environments experience the precious treasure of our Catholic faith, a faith that is not just taught with words, and also caught – as it were – by a living example. I am indebted to each of you for the way in which you go about sharing your love of Christ and the generosity you demonstrate in the daily fulfilment of your sacred duty. In fact, the whole Church is indebted to you, for the way you model the Humble Servant who came to serve others and not to seek public acclaim or recognition.
The Word of God calls us to be a people whose hearts are attuned to his way, despite all things to the contrary. In the first reading, the prophet Jeremiah assures the exiled Israelites that God has not abandoned them in the darkness of their pain. God will shepherd them and lead them home to Zion.
During the long and harrowing exile in Babylon, many of them had given up their ancestors’ faith and drifted away. Those who remained loyal and steadfast in spite of the ordeal came to be known in the prophetic literature as the remnants of Israel. Jeremiah galvanised them with fresh hope. He prophesied that God would bring them back from captivity as long as they follow his way and “not the dictates of their stubborn hearts”. There would be no need to replace the lost ark of the covenant if they internalised the worship of God.
In the Gospel, Jesus taught his disciples a new way of living through the parable of the sower. It warns us against a kind of superficial living that seeks short-term gains and successes. This is what the parable of the sower refers to when it uses the image of the seeds falling on patches of rock or those smothered by thorn bushes. Superficial living happens when our concerns are no more than skin deep; or when our goals and commitments are short-lived.
The Gospel points us to a whole new way of living and relating to others. It is a paradigm of love and service as opposed to the way of individualism and self-interest. When we operate out of Jesus’ new paradigm, faith transforms us into humble servants of the kingdom. When the word finds a generous response in our hearts, there is no limit to the riches of God’s love and grace that can be channelled to the world around us.
Dear friends in Christ,
This Eucharist is also a thanksgiving to God for your active, faithful and generous discipleship. As Confraternity of Christian Doctrine volunteers, you embody the missionary spirit of Jesus and Mary. You choose to go beyond yourselves in order to enter the world of the young people; you meet them as they are; you share your knowledge of God with them; you enrich them not only with the gift of the head but more so with the gift of the heart. Your faith lived in the crucible of everyday life, with all its trials and tribulations, its joys and sorrows is the best gift that one can share with others. I am tremendously indebted to you for being the heralds of the Good News. God only knows the impact of your ministry to the young people in our diocese.
The late Pope Francis reminded us that the Church’s business is not primarily about converting people but spreading the fragrance of the Gospel. Our CCD ministry is precisely the work of spreading the fragrance of the Gospel. We do so especially with the love of God manifest in our lives and relationships. It is the quality of our lived faith that makes a difference to others. This celebration reaffirms our commitment to live and to share the treasures of our Catholic faith with humility and conviction.
I thank you most sincerely for the service you render to the young people. I notice the strong presence of our SRE student-catechists, who are the pride of our diocesan family. You who come from both systemic and independent Catholic schools are God’s gift to your fellow students in non-Catholic settings. Thank you for sharing your faith with them through the CCD ministry. May we all become imbued with the light of Christ and shine that light of faith to others. Mary, who is the example par excellence of faith, hope and love, intercede for us and make us instruments of grace. As we draw strength from the Eucharist, may we become one with Christ, whose seed of faith who sow in the hearts of the young and entrust its growth to the care of the Holy Spirit.
