As the Week celebrating volunteering comes to an end, we have invited to this Mass people of the Archdiocese who give their time and energy to supporting agencies in the Church and the wider community in unpaid roles. It is with gratitude that we recognise their generosity and service to the community.

I had the privilege to visit Chisholm College for the opening and blessing of the Flexi Learning Centre. When the College was in its early stage of development, I continued my primary education there and began my secondary education. I heard at the blessing that the College has a strong community spirit and the families are engaged in its mission.

This gave me the opening to share on the same spirit that existed in those early years. I spoke about the commitment of our parents to spend their Saturdays doing a number of jobs around the school. My father was one of those who contributed to carpentry work together with others in the building industry.

I was fortunate to belong to a family that contributed as volunteers. My mother worked in the local St Vincent de Paul shop. She loved this work, which was done without payment, but was done for others, some of whom were really struggling. Mum got into some trouble, though, when she give articles of clothing to some customers who were unable to pay. The supervisor told Mum she would have to stop doing this, “How will we be able to keep the shop going?” Mum listened and from that point onward would pay for the items herself that were needed by a person in obvious need.

Volunteering makes a real difference to our society. Among the things that flow from this kind of service are the creation of lasting relationships, enrichment of lives and strengthening of communities by the presence of the volunteer and their engagement and connection with the people they serve. People feel that they are important and valued, and that they belong. Communities flourish.

The Gospel on this Sixth Sunday of Easter reminds us of the last meal Jesus shared with His disciples and gave his farewell to them before his arrest and terrible death on the cross. His address though was full of hope. He spoke of the plan of the Father to save us and to draw each of us into the Communion with the divine life of the Trinity. We are destined to share an intimate union with the Persons of the Trinity.

We are coming close to the feasts of the Ascension and Pentecost. The people of God were to come to know the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and feel the power of the Spirit in their lives. We can feel the same power because of the union that binds us to the Spirit, the Son, and the Father. This power enables us to live in unity with each other and participate in the common mission and to truly love one another.

The Spirit offers us the gifts that produce love and the desire to serve without expecting anything back. Volunteering is a feature of our society that is needed and precious. Volunteers are truly signs of hope in action and in their acts of service.