The Lucky Country

Ours is a lucky country. It is true in many ways, as we sing in our national anthem:

We've golden soil and wealth for toil,
Our home is girt by sea:
Our land abounds in nature's gifts
Of beauty rich and rare

This Australia Day weekend is a good time to thank God for all the blessings He has showered upon us during all these years “beneath our radiant Southern Cross”. It starts with the story of our first people, their tenacity and their generosity. We acknowledge them with great respect. It’s also the story of those who came to this land to build it to what it looks like today – a land of opportunities and well being. Let’s put a great tribute to their industrious efforts and to the sacrifice of those who tried to defend it and its values.

It is also a good time reflect on the deep rooted values on which our society is built on, and still stands firmly. Those are the Biblical values of love, kindness, forgiveness, equality and social justice. These values remind us of the need to have active reconciliation and genuine action to bridge the gaps that taint our society in many ways.

Let this day also reminds us to ensure a better place for our children, who can enjoy their freedom, to practise what they believe, and to prosper in families. Let us also ensure a humane welcoming attitude to those who come our shores with great hope and resolve to share our riches with the less privileged.

Happy Australia Day!

Fr Jaison Mulerikkal CMI

PS: Published in the Corpus Christi parish bulletin, ACT on Australia Day weekend 2013