Homily by His Eminence Mykola Cardinal Bychok for the Divine Liturgy and Procession Our Lady of Good Success in Sydney

Homily by His Eminence Mykola Cardinal Bychok for the Divine Liturgy and
Procession Our Lady of Good Success
St Andrew’s Church, Lidcombe, NSW
7 February 2026

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

A warm welcome to all of you gathered here today in St Andrew’s Church. This procession in honour of Our Lady of Good Success is a beautiful moment of unity between our two communities—St Andrew’s Ukrainian Catholic Parish and St Joachim’s Roman Catholic Parish. Your shared presence is a powerful witness to the communion of faith that binds us together. I extend a special greeting to those who may be joining us for the first time, or who may be participating in the Divine Liturgy of the Ukrainian Catholic Church for the first time. We are grateful that you have chosen to pray with us today.

We gather under the maternal mantle of this remarkable title of the Mother of God, a devotion that has inspired the faithful for more than four centuries. Between 1594 and 1634, the Blessed Mother appeared seven times to Mother Mariana de Jesus Torres in the Convent of the Immaculate Conception in Quito, Ecuador. Her messages spoke frankly about a future time of deep confusion, a “near total corruption of faith and morals.” Yet she did not come to frighten, but to strengthen. She promised a marvellous restoration—a renewal of the Church brought about through fidelity, prayer, and trust in God’s providence. And the very name “Good Success” does not speak of worldly achievement, but of the “good event”—the Purification of Mary and the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple—moments of obedience, humility, and hope.

This spirit of hope, grounded in vigilance and fidelity, is exactly what our readings invite us to embrace today. Saint Paul, writing to the Corinthians, reminds us that Christian freedom is never an excuse for self‑indulgence. “Everything is lawful,” he says, “but not everything is beneficial.” Freedom in Christ is always ordered toward love—toward the good of the other, toward the building up of the community, toward the glory of God. Paul urges us not to ask, “What am I allowed to do?” but rather, “What leads others to Christ? What strengthens communion? What reflects the Gospel?”

In a world that often confuses freedom with self‑assertion, Paul calls us back to a freedom rooted in charity. This is deeply connected to the message of Our Lady of Good Success. She warned that a time would come when many would live as though truth were optional, as though morality were a personal invention, as though faith were a private hobby. But she also promised that God would raise up souls—humble, courageous, faithful—who would rebuild the Church through their witness. Paul’s words today remind us that we are called to be those souls. Our choices matter. Our example matters. Our fidelity matters. Even the smallest act of charity, the smallest sacrifice for the good of another, becomes part of God’s restoration.

In the Gospel, Jesus speaks of turmoil—wars, upheavals, signs in the heavens. These words can unsettle us, but Jesus’ intention is not to frighten. His message is one of clarity: “Do not be led astray.” Every age faces confusion. Every generation confronts voices that promise easy answers, false messiahs, or worldly solutions to spiritual problems. And so Jesus warns us to be discerning, to be prayerful, to be anchored in Him.

This is a message we need to hear today. There are always those who claim to speak for God, who stir fear or division, who promise salvation through ideology or political power. But the psalmist reminds us: “Put not your trust in princes, in the sons of men, in whom there is no salvation.” Our hope is not found in charismatic personalities or in dubious political figures who claim to offer deliverance. Our salvation comes from Christ alone. Our Lady of Good Success urges us to remain faithful, not to be seduced by false prophets or by the noise of the world, but to keep our eyes fixed on her Son.

Jesus concludes His teaching with a call to vigilance—not a fearful vigilance, but a hopeful one. Vigilance is the posture of someone who expects God to act, who believes that grace is at work even when the world seems dark. This is the heart of the devotion to Our Lady of Good Success. She teaches us to wait with confidence, to pray with perseverance, to trust that God is guiding history even when we cannot see the path. Her message is not one of despair but of assurance: the Church will be renewed, faith will be purified, and Christ will triumph.

Here in Lidcombe, as we honour Our Lady of Good Success, we are invited to become people of hope—people who live St Paul’s call to charity and Jesus’ call to vigilance. When we choose what is beneficial rather than merely permissible, we build up the Body of Christ. When we refuse to be led astray by the noise of the world, we bear witness to the truth. When we remain vigilant in prayer, we participate in the “marvellous restoration” promised by Our Lady.

And today, as we pray together as one community, I ask you also to remember Ukraine and her suffering people. May the Mother of God intercede for them, protect them, and bring peace to their land.

Mary always leads us to her Son. She does not remove the challenges of our time, but she strengthens us to face them with courage, humility, and unwavering trust. As we continue this Divine Liturgy and later process with her holy image, let us ask Our Lady of Good Success to intercede for us: that our hearts may be purified, that our faith may be strengthened, and that our lives may reflect the hope that never disappoints.

Holy Mother of Good Success, pray for us.