I've been humming and singing some martial hymns again lately: "Help of Christians, guard this land" (see my earlier post), and -
"We Stand For God" - vv. 1,2 J.P. O'Daly, v. 3 John O'Brien, 1878-1953; tune: Noi Vogliam Dio
We stand for God! and for his glory;
The Lord supreme and God of all;
Against his foes we raise his standard;
Around the Cross we hear his call.
Strengthen our faith, Redeemer;
Guard us when danger is nigh;
To thee we pledge our lives and service;
For God we live, for God we’ll die,
To thee we pledge our lives and service,
For God we live, for God we’ll die.
We stand for God! Jesus our Master
Has died to save with love untold;
His law divine and truth unchanging
In this our land their place must hold.
Strengthen our faith, Redeemer;
Guard us when danger is nigh;
To thee we pledge our lives and service;
For God we live, for God we’ll die,
To thee we pledge our lives and service,
For God we live, for God we’ll die.
We stand for God! In ages olden
He placed "the Cross" our stars beside;
Oh may our land gracious and golden
Be faithful to the Crucified.
Strengthen our faith, Redeemer;
Guard us when danger is nigh;
To thee we pledge our lives and service;
For God we live, for God we’ll die,
To thee we pledge our lives and service,
For God we live, for God we’ll die.
While de Quiros, at Pentecost 1606, landed in what is now Vanuatu, not Australia, he did in a manner lay claim to the whole of Terra Australis Incognita for Christ (and Spain), naming it La Austrialia del Espiritu Santo (note the second word: the "Austrian" land - since his monarch was of the House of Austria), from which title comes the modern sobriquet for Australia as "the Great South Land of the Holy Spirit", over which for countless ages before Christ His starry Cross shone down upon the austral plains, as a silent prophecy of His coming to save: "The heavens are telling the glory of God" (Ps 18:1). While I haven't the full text of his rather florid proclamation to hand, nor the wonderful poem of James Macaualay based upon the tale of de Quiros and his quixotic hopes, I think this extract may be of interest:
'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.
'In these hitherto unknown southern regions where I now am, I have come with the authorisation of the Supreme Pontiff, Clement VIII, 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.'
It is noteworthy that various Protestant websites have seen fit to radically abbreviate this very Catholic statement, so as to render it more innocuous! De Quiros failed, of course, to establish a southern Catholic realm for Spain, but - in the true spirit of enjoying good liturgy - he and his crew at least kept Corpus Christi with great splendour before they perforce departed. I think the memory of what he tried to accomplish should, rightly appreciated, still fire Catholics in Australia.
"We Stand For God" - vv. 1,2 J.P. O'Daly, v. 3 John O'Brien, 1878-1953; tune: Noi Vogliam Dio
We stand for God! and for his glory;
The Lord supreme and God of all;
Against his foes we raise his standard;
Around the Cross we hear his call.
Strengthen our faith, Redeemer;
Guard us when danger is nigh;
To thee we pledge our lives and service;
For God we live, for God we’ll die,
To thee we pledge our lives and service,
For God we live, for God we’ll die.
We stand for God! Jesus our Master
Has died to save with love untold;
His law divine and truth unchanging
In this our land their place must hold.
Strengthen our faith, Redeemer;
Guard us when danger is nigh;
To thee we pledge our lives and service;
For God we live, for God we’ll die,
To thee we pledge our lives and service,
For God we live, for God we’ll die.
We stand for God! In ages olden
He placed "the Cross" our stars beside;
Oh may our land gracious and golden
Be faithful to the Crucified.
Strengthen our faith, Redeemer;
Guard us when danger is nigh;
To thee we pledge our lives and service;
For God we live, for God we’ll die,
To thee we pledge our lives and service,
For God we live, for God we’ll die.
While de Quiros, at Pentecost 1606, landed in what is now Vanuatu, not Australia, he did in a manner lay claim to the whole of Terra Australis Incognita for Christ (and Spain), naming it La Austrialia del Espiritu Santo (note the second word: the "Austrian" land - since his monarch was of the House of Austria), from which title comes the modern sobriquet for Australia as "the Great South Land of the Holy Spirit", over which for countless ages before Christ His starry Cross shone down upon the austral plains, as a silent prophecy of His coming to save: "The heavens are telling the glory of God" (Ps 18:1). While I haven't the full text of his rather florid proclamation to hand, nor the wonderful poem of James Macaualay based upon the tale of de Quiros and his quixotic hopes, I think this extract may be of interest:
'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. 'In these hitherto unknown southern regions where I now am, I have come with the authorisation of the Supreme Pontiff, Clement VIII, 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.'
It is noteworthy that various Protestant websites have seen fit to radically abbreviate this very Catholic statement, so as to render it more innocuous! De Quiros failed, of course, to establish a southern Catholic realm for Spain, but - in the true spirit of enjoying good liturgy - he and his crew at least kept Corpus Christi with great splendour before they perforce departed. I think the memory of what he tried to accomplish should, rightly appreciated, still fire Catholics in Australia.
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