Sermons from St Faith's
Our Day of Thanksgiving
Fr Ged Callacher,
Patronal Festival, 5th October, 2014
It’s a great joy and privilege for me to be able
to take part in your Patronal Festival
celebrations. St Faith’s has, for many years, been
close to my heart. I was Director of Music here
for 12 years, and this Church has played a huge
part in my vocation to the priesthood. Maybe
that’s not surprising, because, over the years, St
Faith’s has fostered a large number of vocations
to ministry, both lay and ordained - although I’m
pretty sure I’m the first left-footer!
This morning, as we celebrate this Patronal
Festival, we give thanks for this holy place and
all that it means to us. People have always been
drawn to sacred places, places where they feel
particularly close to God. This beautiful building
is such a place. I’ve always thought that this
church has a special feel to it; it’s as if the
walls have soaked up the atmosphere of years and
years of devotion and prayer.
Beautiful, dignified and uplifting liturgy takes
place week by week within these walls, and it
engages all our bodily senses. We have the sight
of the beautiful furnishings and works of art; the
sound of bells and splendid music; the perfumed
smell of incense, and the taste and touch of the
Communion. All of these things invite us to
lift up our hearts, minds and bodies to God, in
praise and adoration.
But, of course, St Faith’s is more than just a
building; it’s a community of faith, and today we
give thanks for all who have worshipped here over
the years -people who have kept the Faith alive
here, in good times and in bad. We all have our
fond memories of people we’ve known here –
individuals whose lives have given us a glimpse of
the love of God - people who, despite their
faults, have lived out their faith in their
daily lives, with humility, compassion and
kindness. Today we thank God for the legacy
they’ve left us. By their example, they’ve all
helped to shape the life and witness of this
church throughout the decades.
But as we celebrate our Patronal Festival, we
commemorate, first and foremost, the life and
witness of our patron, St Faith. As you’re all
aware, we don’t know much about her life, but we
know that she suffered an agonizing death during
the Persecution of Christians by the Romans, early
in the 4th Century. Her martyrdom took place
in Agen, in Aquitaine, but her relics are now in
the Abbey at Conques, in the South of France.
I know that some of you have been to
Conques. It’s a beautiful medieval village, and
the centrepiece, of course, is the magnificent
Abbey.
Thousands of pilgrims visit Conques on their way
to the shrine of St James in Santiago de
Compostela. Every evening in the Abbey, there is a
Pilgrims’ Mass, followed by a blessing to send the
pilgrims on their way. I was fortunate enough to
celebrate a couple of these Masses last September.
It was a tremendous privilege, but it was a
strange feeling too. Here was I, a Bootle lad from
L20, a former organist of St Faith’s Crosby,
saying the Pilgrims’ Mass in the Abbey Church of
Saint Faith in Conques. I was there with a group
of friends, and we all felt a powerful and moving
connection between that sacred place in France,
and this parish church, especially when we heard
the organ playing that favourite hymn “In Our Day
of Thanksgiving”.
Saint Faith was only a young girl when she was
martyred, but she was firm in her faith, and would
not be forced into giving it up. She was given the
option of following pagan gods, but she simply
said ‘no.’ She was determined to follow the way of
Christ in a hostile world, and her example
should inspire us today, because we also live in a
hostile world, a world which has turned its back
on Christ. Our culture is so often
about me,me,me ….. and
that’s totally at odds with the Christian
values of self-sacrifice and self-denial.
For us, the Way of the Cross is essential to our
Christian discipleship. In today’s Gospel, Jesus
makes it clear that, if we want to be his
disciples, then we must take up our cross and
follow him. The way of the cross
involves self- sacrifice, self-denial. It
means putting aside our selfish desires and
putting the needs of others before our own needs.
Following the way of the cross, the way of love,
is always demanding, and sometimes we might think
that our efforts don’t count for very much. But
remember the parable of the Mustard Seed. That
tiny seed can grow into a large tree. And
so, in God’s Kingdom, the smallest acts of love
and kindness can make a big difference -
things like a friendly smile, a small word of
encouragement, a phone call or a visit
to someone who’s sick. Any small act of generosity
and self-sacrifice is precious in the sight of the
Lord, and helps to spread his kingdom of love,
peace and healing. The caring and compassion we
show for each other sends ripples out into the
community as a sign of hope.
Of course, we don’t always get things right.
Because of our human weakness and frailty, we find
ourselves saying and doing things we know we
shouldn’t, and in our church community, our
relationships with each other can be fragile and
strained. There’s a little rhyme which goes like
this: To live above … with saints we love….
That would be such glory…. But to dwell below with
those we know…. Now that’s a different story!
But despite all our faults and failings, we know
that we are loved and valued by God the Father,
who is always slow to judge and quick to forgive.
The reading from Isaiah that we heard earlier,
speaks of the love that God has for his
children: Do not fear, for I have redeemed
you; I have called you by your name, you are
mine.The knowledge that we are forgiven and loved
unconditionally by God should give us the will to
persevere in our faith.
And so, on this special day, we give thanks for
our patron saint, St Faith, and for this
much-loved church, dedicated to her. You, as a
community of faith, are well-equipped to carry
forward the work of God in this special place, and
I hope and trust that there will be exciting and
fulfilling times ahead. I pray that the Lord will
continue to bless and guide you as you plan for
the future. Stay close to Christ, through prayer,
through reading the Scriptures, and through the
Sacraments, especially the Eucharist. And
stay close to each other, in mutual support
and love.
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