Homily for Pentecost 2006

'Let the heavens, the earth, the waters with all their creatures and all those here present witness that I, Captain Pedro Fernandez de Quiros, in these hitherto unknown parts, in the name of Jesus Christ, Son of the Eternal Father and of the Virgin Mary, God and true man, hoist this emblem of the Holy Cross on which His person was crucified and whereon He gave His life for the ransom and remedy of all the human race, being present as witnesses all the land and sea-going officers; on this Day of Pentecost, 14 May 1606.

.... I take possession of all this part of the South as far as the pole in the name of Jesus. ...Which from now on shall be called the Southern Land of the Holy Ghost.'

Four hundred years ago this very weekend this Portuguese navigator made this declaration and Christians in Australia ever since have claimed it as prophetic for the future nation. Catholics even claimed it proved Australia was discovered by a Catholic not the Protestant Captain Cook! Unfortunately, in reality de Quiros was actually standing on one of the islands of the New Hebrides now known as Vanuatu. The particular island is still known today as “Espiritu Santo”. Nevertheless, it is a good dream to have, that Australians be a people who live by the Spirit.

And that is the theme this year of the Australian National Day of Thanksgiving which was celebrated in a small way by a community breakfast this morning held at the Baptist Church. That declaration of de Quiros was remembered. And it was good to hear three young people speak of the past present and future of Australia as they saw it. It is a day for thanking God for our blessed land and thanking all those who work for the community.

The days of competition for souls between Christian denominations should be over, but perhaps not entirely. I spend a lot of time with ministers of other churches for many of whom I have the greatest respect. There are real differences in theology and custom with which I am uncomfortable and some things with with I disagree in those traditions. But the impressive thing is that we have a lot to learn from each other. Those who might say that they do not have the truth so why bother with them are very wrong.

Our glory is our Sacraments into which we put a great deal of prayer and effort to ensure they are handed on and celebrated well to express the mystery they hold. Protestant Churches have learnt much about the value of sacraments because of the increased contact over the last 50 years.

Their glory is, I think, their ability to think and act beyond themselves. In short to evangelise. We do it too, of course, but for us it seems an extra. For them it is the whole reason they gather. In that respect we can learn much. We know that popes and councils have said as much but we, or should I say I, do not have all the gifts of the spirit to be like that. So as we rightly put our energies into the Sacraments we can at the same time tend to keep looking inward to our own needs.

Our Catholic history in Australian had its origins in opposition to others. Be they the Protestants or the government. Our Catholic school system rose out of that kind of conflict, The overt opposition is not there any more perhaps, but we still inherit a bit of a distance from the community in which we live. I am speaking of us as a community not as individuals. We do not always see ourselves as serving the world around us to which we were in opposition. We can be so intent on looking after ourselves we do not always see the main game.

Pentecost is remembered as the moment when the gospel was heard in many different languages as the apostles spoke. The apostles underwent an enormous change. A change from being fearful for their own welfare to being apostles. That was a real enough fear. In Roman times there were crucifixes everywhere as those opposed to Rome were executed. Jesus' fate could easily be theirs. Now they were courageous and filled with enthusiasm. This change was only possible because Jesus himself had to change. He had to leave them so they would know him through the Spirit and find a renewed life in the Spirit.

There are many people who do not hear us today in their “language”. They do not understand us. It might be the teenager or the 'twenty-somethings' who do not come to mass. It might be the drug addict or the or alcoholic or the person trapped in a materialist world not knowing how to change. I certainly find it hard to speak their language. We need the Spirit to help us to speak. And we should know what it means to change. We celebrate that in Reconciliation all the time. We may have the gospel but if we do not have the tongue to preach it then we need to pray that the Spirit come and enkindle in us the fire of his love.

Fr Graham

The full text of Pedro's declaration:

'In these hitherto unknown southern regions where I now am, I have come with the authorisation of the Supreme Pontiff, Clement III, and by order of our King, Philip III, King of the Spains, etc, promulgated by the Council of State, I, Pedro Fernandez de Quiros, in the name of the Most Holy Trinity take possession of all the islands and lands that I have newly discovered and shall discover as far as the pole.

'I take possession of all this part of the South as far as the pole in the name of Jesus. I take possession of all this part of the South as far as the pole in the name of St Francis and in the name of all his Order and members of it... I take possession of all this part of the South as far as the pole in the name of John of God and all the professed members of his Order...

'Finally, from this Bay of St Philip and St James and its port of Vera Cruz and from the place where the city to be known as the New Jerusalem is to be founded, in this latitude of full 15-1/3 degrees, and of all the lands that I have seen and I am seeing of all this part of the South as far as the pole.

'Which from now on shall be called the Southern Land of the Holy Ghost, with all its annexes and dependencies, and this always and forever, in the name of King Philip III, who bears the cost and expense of this fleet with which I came to discover the said lands, on whose power and will shall depend the foundation, government and maintenance of all that is sought both temporally and spiritually for these lands and their peoples, in whose name these flags are flown and I hoist this his royal standard, in the presence as witnesses of the commander, Luis Baez de Torres, and hoist his royal standard and the other flags, being further witnesses on this Feast of Pentecost, and on the said day, month and year.'