Much Given

Surely each of us asks ourselves in the depths of the night, “Who am I?” “How did I get here?” “What am I to do about it?” Whatever our answers, they are going to be grounded in our gender, ethnicity, culture and life experience. Deacon Mark Kelly reflects on the astounding changes in the world during his lifetime. This book is an attempt to encapsulate these and to locate himself amidst them. A lifelong but occasionally unsteady Catholic, essentially, he is attempting to identify who he is, how he got to be here and what he is called to do about it. He surmises that socio-politics, DNA, the happy accidents of his birth and childhood and Spirit (or fate or blind luck) substantially determine his spatial and spiritual location.

He asks and attempts to answer the most fundamental of questions. And he recounts some of the fun and silliness and re-calibration that has brought him to this point in his life.

Along the way he observes that much of what he thought was fundamental core to his self and his beliefs has proven not to be so. Yet he remains a committed and enthusiastic promoter of that which he does regard as fundamental core. Essentially that is the Kingdom of God, which itself is a kingdom of all embracing love in which we are all loved by our Creator absolutely, infinitely and intimately.

About the Author

Mark Kelly is a Vietnam Veteran (VLSM, AASM, ASM, ADM, NEM) who joined the RAN at 16 years of age, discharging at 23 to embark on several other careers including the power industry, teaching and ultimately ordained ministry. He commenced tertiary studies in his mid-twenties (BA, Grad Dip Ed, Dip Theol, MA (Theol)), began his teaching career at 34 years of age and was ordained as a deacon in the Catholic Church in 2006 at 54 years of age. He is Chaplain at Marist-Sion College, Warragul, a member of Catholic Social Services Victoria council, Sale Diocesan delegate on Victorian Council of Churches and Area Co-ordinator of VCC Emergencies Ministry and former Secretary of the National Deacons Association. More importantly, husband of Hilary, father of four sons, father-in-law of three daughters-in-law (two of whom are former students) and grandfather of six.