Homily given by Bishop Anthony Randazzo
Bishop of Broken Bay
Jubilee of Families, Children, Grandparents, and the Elderly
Acknowledgment of the Lay Apostolate of CatholicCare Broken Bay
28 May 2025
My sisters and brothers in Christ,
Grace and peace to you in this Holy Year, a year in which the Church, with great joy and humility, lifts up the Jubilee of Families, Children, Grandparents, and the Elderly as a living sign of hope for the world.
We gather here today not only to celebrate the sanctity and vocation of family life in all its beautiful diversity, but also to acknowledge and honour the mission and witness of CatholicCare Broken Bay, our lay apostolate whose daily work is a testament to the love of Christ at work in the world.
In today’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we hear Paul speak to the people of Athens. Standing in the midst of the Areopagus, among philosophers and seekers of truth, Paul proclaims:
"Yet in fact God is not far from any of us, since it is in him that we live, and move, and exist, as indeed some of your own writers have said: 'We are all his children.'" (Acts 17:28)
These words speak to every human heart, young and old, single or married, in strong families or fragile ones. They tell us that God is near. God is not far off, not indifferent, not detached. Ours is the God who walks with us. Ours is the God who lives within us. Ours is the God who calls us His children.
This truth, that we are all God’s children, is the foundation of Christian hope. And it is the heartbeat of the family, which is the first school of love, the sanctuary of life, and the mirror of God’s presence in the world.
But we must be honest. The family in our modern world is under great strain. Profound and rapid changes in society and culture have left many families struggling to understand their identity and purpose. Some remain faithful, living courageously by the values handed down through generations. Others feel lost or unsure, confused by competing voices and overwhelmed by the demands of life. Still others are burdened by injustice, poverty, isolation, or exclusion (cf. John Paul II, Familiaris consortio, 1).
And yet, hope endures.
Hope is not optimism. Hope is not wishful thinking. Hope is a person, Jesus Christ, who never abandons his people. Through his Spirit, Jesus continues to dwell in the lives of families of every shape and size. He is present in the single mother, the elderly couple, the blended family, the grandparent raising grandchildren, the separated father seeking reconciliation, and the lonely child longing for love. In them, Jesus lives. In them, Jesus suffers. In them, Jesus brings new life.
In this light, I would like to turn with gratitude to CatholicCare Broken Bay. This lay apostolate is not merely a service provider or an institution. It is the merciful face of the Church in action. The people who embrace CatholicCare as their place of work and mission does not seek to judge, limit, or define families by categories. Instead, they listens. They accompany. They companion. They bring healing, hope, and dignity to those who are most in need.
Whether supporting a child in foster care, walking alongside a person with a disability, aiding someone experiencing domestic violence, or counselling a family in distress, the women and men of CatholicCare fulfill the apostolic call that Paul proclaimed in Athens: to make known the God who is already near, to reveal that in Him we live and move and exist.
Their mission, and the mission of all lay faithful, is to bring this truth alive in practical love.
This is the kind of Church we are called to be in this Holy Year, a Church of Hope. A Church that recognizes the sacredness of every person and the centrality of the family in the communion of society. A Church that believes no life is too broken, no relationship too wounded, no future too dark for the light of Christ.
My dear people, families, grandparents, children, and elders: You are the treasure of the Church. You are not forgotten. You are not alone. God is with you. And through the ministries of love and accompaniment, like CatholicCare, the Church is with you too.
So let us be renewed in hope.
Let us renew our commitment to one another.
Let us look again at our families, not only with eyes of memory or concern, but with eyes of wonder and promise.
For as long as there are hearts willing to love, serve, and build up the family, there will be hope.
And in that hope, we proclaim joyfully: "We are all God’s children." Amen.