Most Rev Anthony Fisher OP with papal knights John Aquilina and John Thomas. Photo: Alphonsus Fok & Grace Lu

Homily for 4th Sunday of Advent (Year B) and Ceremony of Investiture of papal knights, St Patrick’s Cathedral, Parramatta, 18 December 2011

In the dormitory of the Dominican Priory of San Marco in Florence is one of the Renaissance’s greatest renditions of today’s Gospel passage (Lk 1:26-38). Late medieval spiritual artists distinguished various phases in this story: the ‘Mission’ of the angel, the ‘Salutation’, the ‘Fright’ of the Virgin, the ‘Colloquy’ between them, the ‘Consent’ or fiat of the Virgin and so on. In Fra Angelico’s great work we have the Salutation.

Through a window on to a medieval cloister, we look upon one of the most beautiful archangels ever painted. Angelico had the architect put a skylight above the painting so that sunbeams would shine directly on the angel; he then cleverly embellished Gabriel’s wings with silica. It has the effect of making the wings seem to flutter, as if the angel has just landed.

Gabriel has just landed and he immediately genuflects in homage, saying by his posture what he says in his words: Hail Mary full of Grace, the Lord is with thee. In representing this moment the angelic messenger and the angelic painter give an example to the passer-by. As the friars passed by on the way to their cells they were effectively being exhorted by the fresco to pray the Ave Maria. Indeed, at this stage in its evolution the Hail Mary had only the first half of the prayer as we know it today and at the words “of thy womb – Jesus” the friars would genuflect like the angel.

As the light of a new dawn floods the scene, there sits the Virgin, dressed not in glorious technicolour as in most of Angelico’s oeuvre, but in the stark black and white of a Dominican habit. She is seated, not on a glorious throne but on a cheap three-legged friar’s stool. So she is humble as a religious – yet she is larger than life, unequivocally Queen of heaven and earth, and no mere frightened visionary: no, she is about to give her answer.

Great artists, like the Fathers of the Church in their spiritual classics, invite us into the scene. We all wait, in anxious anticipation. We all listen, hoping for salvation at last. Eve said No on our behalf; but Eva in reverse is Ave. So through the one to whom the angel says Ave can begin the reversal of what Eve and Adam wrought! All creation is hushed and awaits her response. The angels listen, the dead listen, the faithful of Israel listen, even the animals and plants and sun and moon. It is the turning point of all history. And Mary said, “Fiat. I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done unto me!”

At last humanity in her says a great Yes to God. A new future dawns for us all. Immediately the Word takes flesh of the woman and comes to dwell amongst us. Christmas is on the horizon.

The Church bids us genuflect or bow in the Angelus, when we come to the words “And the Word was made flesh – and dwelt amongst us”. The Church directs us to bow our heads on Sundays when we come to the words in the Creed “and by the power of the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man”. On the Feasts of the Annunciation and Christmas we genuflect at those words, as Angelico’s archangel did. Strangely in Australia people resist bowing their heads in the Creed: perhaps because our democratic culture is not much into bowing and scraping. Yet surely there is one moment in all history that can bring even egalitarian Australia to its knees: the moment time stood still, the moment of the Incarnation. At that moment the angel asks us also: will you have God do to you as He wills?

Often, I suspect, we say Yes, as Mary did. Most of you, most of the time, live good lives. You fulfil your responsibilities. You are merciful, generous and just. You live the 10 commandments that are key to loving God and neighbour. You come to worship God on the Sunday before Christmas when many of your peers are focused entirely on shopping or cooking or the small picture of lives. You are here: not because you are saints – though some of you are, I guess – but because you see a bigger picture than that, the reason for the presents and the Christmas dinner; and you are saying Fiat, Yes, as Mary did.

Sometimes we say No. We can be more like the first Eve than the second. Like the One who tempted the first Eve we can say: I will not serve; I won’t be accountable to anyone; I want to be the god around here. Most of us, I suspect, say Yes more often than No. But if you are aware of times you’ve said No, especially any big Noes to God, get to Confession this week before Christmas.

I wonder if more often than Yes OR No, we say Maybe. Yes, God, I’ll let you do what you want with me, as long as it’s not too hard, as long as it’s not too different to what I want, as long as you give me this or that in exchange. We are not hard-hearted or closed-hearted so much as half-hearted; rather than running hot and cold we are lukewarm. That can be in our marriages, family life, friendships, work life, studies, civic life, faith life. And Maybe can be as dangerous as No sometimes. It can be a way of saying No without saying it; a half-commitment can be a refusal to commit, like those who delay RSVPing in case a better offer comes along.

When the Archangel Gabriel genuflected before the Blessed Virgin she didn’t say Maybe, thank God. Come this Christmas, when you genuflect in the Creed; come today when you bow your head in the Creed; say Yes with all your heart and so make your heart a crib for the Christ-child.

Thanks after Ceremony of Investiture of two papal knights, St Patrick’s Cathedral, Parramatta, 18 December 2011

I echo Fr Arthur Bridge’s words of tribute to our two newly created papal knights. Papal Orders of Chivalry are chiefly a means by which the Pope distinguishes those who have particularly served the Church. Sir John Aquilina and Sir John Thomas, if I may call them that today, are now entitled to tie their horses outside the church, are invited to wear their uniforms to major diocesan functions such as ordinations, but are asked to leave their swords and pistols at the door.

Seriously though, this is a great tribute to two excellent men who have served God and His Church very well indeed. I add to the honours conferred by the Holy Father my own particular gratitude for the services these two men have performed.

We thank the family and friends of the two new knights who brought them along to Mass today not knowing what was to happen to them! I also thank Fr Arthur Bridge who is the Chair of our diocesan honours committee, and through him the committee for assisting me in proposing our two candidates to Pope Benedict XVI.

Also present today is Phil Fehon and John McCarthy, who are also papal knights and who welcome our two newest knights into the ranks. Also Mr Michael Digges, the Business Manager of the Diocese, and Mr Chris Maley, Chair of the Diocesan Finance Council, representing those who have worked beside our two Sir Johns in their service to the Church’ especially in fundraising, finance and administration. Congratulations!