Brothers and Sisters,
every year on the 8 of August we celebrate in Australia the Solemnity of Saint Mary of the Cross,
better known as Saint Mary MacKillop.
Today I would like to say a few words about a special woman I met many years ago
whose inexplicable recovery from advanced cancer led to Mary MacKillop’s canonisation.
Mrs Kathleen Evans visited my parish and shared with my congregation her healing story.
Kathleen was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1995, at the age of 49. At first, her doctor thought
he could add about five years to her life by removing her right lung.
However, Kathleen’s cancer was particularly severe and spread fast to her brain.
This stopped any possibility of surgery
and chemotherapy was ruled out because the cancer was too advanced.
She then turned to prayer.
A friend gave her a picture of Bl. Mary MacKillop and attached to the back was a relic,
a small piece of Mary’s clothing.
Kathleen started to wear hat relic on her clothing.
It never left her.
She also distributed to her friends and family members
prayer cards from the Sisters of St. Joseph in North Sydney.
She asked them to pray the same prayer for nine days,
asking Blessed Mary MacKillop to intercede for her before God.
Suddenly Kathleen began to improve.
Instead of feeling weaker, she became stronger.
Ten months after her initial diagnosis,
Ten months after her initial diagnosis, a series of X-rays and scans showed scar tissue on her lungs and brain
where the cancer had been, but there was no sign of the disease.
There was no scientific explanation for the disappearance of the cancer.
She was completely healed.
As a result, on 17 October 2010 Mrs Evans was present at the canonisation of Mary MacKillop
that took place at Saint Peter’s square at Vatican.
It was for Kathleen a very emotional time of thanking God for healing through the intercession of Sister Mary.
By the way, she carried a cross during the ceremony which was made from Australian timber.
Kathleen’s witness helped many of my parishioners to deepen their faith in a loving God.
Those who were not practicing Catholics and just came for the talk started coming to church on Sundays
realising that God's healing was available to them at every Mass.
Brothers and Sisters, is there anything you would like to be healed from?
Maybe you feel that you need to improve your relationship with God?
Some people see God as a severe judge who is waiting for an opportunity to punish them.
They are simply afraid of Him.
They live in constant and irrational fear.
What doesn’t allow you to sleep peacefully?
In today’s Gospel Jesus asks us to have confidence in God’s loving care and providence.
He calls us not to worry about tomorrow even if we feel unwell or don’t know how to resolve our problems;
even if we struggle financially and don’t have enough food or clothing.
He says,
“I am telling you not to worry about your life and what you are to eat,
nor about your body and how you are to clothe it.
Surely life means more than food, and the body more than clothing!” (Mt 6:25).
I am aware that the Lord’s teaching can be very challenging to many of us.
However, as Christians, we are called to set our hearts on God’s kingdom
and righteousness first,
and all these other things will be given to us as well.
“So, do not worry about tomorrow: tomorrow will take care of itself.
Each day ha enough trouble of its own” (Mt 6:34).
Saint Mary MacKillop had plenty to worry about.
She had many problems with Church authorities and with her own health.
We know from her letters how many anxieties she experienced in life.
But beyond all the worries, she remained a woman of extraordinary trust in God’s love and providence.
She trusted him even when she was excommunicated for some time
which caused her a great suffering.
Her endurance and commitment to God led her to holiness.
Let us ask God through the intersession of Saint Mary MacKillop
to help us to be faithful and courageous members of the Church,
so that we too can help others through our Christian testimony, like Mrs Evans did,
to realise that God exists, heals and cares for us.
Let us not be worried too much about this earthly life.
Let us trust in the Lord’s providential presence every day,
because – as Jesus reminded us in the Gospel -
we are more precious than flowers growing in the fields and the birds flying in the sky.