Homily given on Thursday 15 May 2025 at Westminster Cathedral by Archbishop-Elect John Sherrington
In the reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we continue to hear of Paul's missionary journey as he sails from Paphos in Cyprus to Perga in Pamphylia and then journeys to Antioch in Pisidia. Paphos, Perga, Pamphylia, Pisidia in the Greek text all commence with the capital letter Pi. It looks like a gateway and so we imagine the gospel is taken from one town to another as the work of evangelisation continues. Paul and his companions continue their preaching about Jesus Christ in a culture characterised by various Greco-Roman philosophies and worldviews. Paul's preaching shows the continuity between the history of the people of Israel and Jesus Christ who is the Saviour towards whom John the Baptist has pointed.
Today we each participate in this work of evangelization as we teach the truths of Jesus Christ as Saviour of the world, nourish the faith of our communities and desire to build the Church through the proclamation of the gospel.
The work of evangelisation is difficult because there is much resistance to the truth of the gospel in our society. 170 years ago, the Venerable Ignatius Spencer, who lived for a while in The Hyde area of Edgware Road in Hendon/Colindale where the Passionists had a mission, commented on the difficulty of evangelizing the English. Fr Gerard Skinner brings out this struggle from his writings, 'The English work all the time and with fervour to acquire a fortune, to be rich; they neglect religious services, Sunday is more for themselves', and later 'I see myself here so alone, though the people come upon me so largely and so warmly; and I may say so lovingly. Yet I have not one on whom I can think as sympathising with me. I see the necessity of a complete radical change in the spirit of the people..' (Skinner, p. 404). This bears resonances with our age.
We are also very aware of the green shoots which emerge each year as people seek to be baptised, received into the Church and confirmed. As a bishop, I particularly enjoy the annual Rite of Election. The various stories of the ways by which each person has come to faith weave a rich tapestry and are always fascinating. So often they reveal the importance of a personal relationship, the love of another person, or sometimes the call of the beauty of the liturgy which engenders wonder and openness towards the mystery of God leading to adoration (C.f. DD 25). The deepest yearning of the human heart has been touched and finds meaning and fulfilment in Jesus Christ. The Church grows.
A recent report of the Bible society, The Quiet Revival, shows a pattern of a new discovery of Christian faith especially among young men and the growth of the church in a quiet but steady way. I think this report identifies the reality that many people lack meaning in life. They are like spiritual nomads and come to us seeking deeper meaning and purpose in their lives as pilgrims of Jesus Christ. They recognise the need to be set free from 'sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness' to discover that 'The joy of the gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus... With Christ joy is constantly born anew' (Evangelii Gaudium 1).
Like John the Baptist we are each called to point others towards Christ and sow the seeds of faith, hope and love. We, as priests and bishops, also need to take care and ensure that joy is constantly born anew in our hearts, through the daily encounters with people, in quiet prayer and the prayerful beauty of the Mass.
The parable of the Sower gives me constant encouragement. He sows the seed which falls into different types of ground. It may become lodged between rocks and one day the sun and rain cause it to germinate. Sometimes the weeds overwhelm it, at other times the seed grows steadily and yields a rich harvest, thirtyfold, sixtyfold, or even one hundredfold. The mystery of our faith and the work of the Holy Spirit mean that we never can never be certain of the results of what we do and often only in time will they become apparent. Gardeners will recognise this pattern that growth cannot be forced. Plants need a few years take root in a particular place. We need patience as priests to be able to understand that God's ways are not our ways and that God's time is not our time.
At the same time, we must not give up but find new ways to spread the gospel and help people discover the truth and happiness of their lives realised in Jesus Christ. As we heard in today's gospel Jesus, after washing his disciples' feet, gives us the simple message that we are to be servants of one another. We are promised blessings if we are faithful. As St Teresa of Kolkata stated, 'God calls us to be faithful, not successful.' Jesus also warns us of the temptations that we must endure lest they overwhelm us. We need to be attentive to the changing patterns of our lives.
As I reflect on my 14 years as an Auxiliary Bishop in Westminster, I am grateful to Cardinal Vincent for his support and encouragement as well as the many responsibilities that he has given to me. I have particularly enjoyed the celebration of confirmations with young people and the visitation of the parishes in Hertfordshire and then north London. I thank you, the priests, for your service to your parishes and the way that so many of you work hard with teams of people such as catechists, parish safeguarding representatives, finance committee members and many others. I thank the curial services for their dedication and hard work. The seed continues to be sown and we pray for the grace of the Holy Spirit to make it bear fruit. I thank you all for your dedication to go the extra mile on many different occasions in the love and service of the Church following the example of Jesus the servant and shepherd who came to serve and not to be served.
I ask your forgiveness for my faults and the ways in which I have not been duly attentive to your needs as well any times when you feel that I have not truly followed the path of justice and truth. We are stewards of God's mysteries which is held in earthenware vessels who rely on the power of the Holy Spirit and God's grace. Our priestly vocation is a call to continual conversion towards the face of Christ and an ever-deepening relationship with him and God's holy people.
Since meeting the Apostolic Nuncio the words of the book of Deuteronomy have echoed in my heart and mind. God said to Moses, 'The Lord our God said to us in Horeb you have stayed long enough at this mountain. Turn and take your journey and go...' (Deut. 1:6).
I am now called to leave this land (to which I am hefted - we speak of hefted sheep as knowing their land and pasture) and go to another more distant land and there become the shepherd and preacher of God's good news of salvation.
I ask your prayers and will keep you in my prayers as I look forward to my new service seeking to do the will of Christ who sends us out to preach the gospel.
Archbishop-elect John Sherrington
