We must open our eyes with Jesus

Published: 20 November 2011
By: Archbishop John Bathersby

Archbishop John Bathersby preaches at the annual service of Prayer for Reconciliation of the Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches of Brisbane and Toowoomba dioceses
Picture: Alan Edgecomb

This is a homily ARCHBISHOP EMERITUS JOHN BATHERSBY delivered at St John's Cathedral, Brisbane, on November 10 for the annual service of Prayer for Reconciliation of the Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches of Brisbane and Toowoomba dioceses. The service was held before Pope Benedict XVI had announced his acceptance of Archbishop Bathersby's retirement as Archbishop of Brisbane

MY dear brothers and sisters in Christ I am deeply blessed to be with you tonight as we come together Anglicans and Roman Catholics to praise and worship God and to recognise the fact that we are Christians who acknowledge the magnificence of Jesus Christ.

Together we share so much, the similarity and beauty of our liturgy, our proclamation of the Gospel, the fullness and power of our sacraments, our combined concern for the poor and needy of the world, and finally but not least the magnificent style and colour of our liturgical clothing and the sheer beauty of our music.

As a 75-year-old I remember being embarrassed and rightly so when Anglicans suggested with a smile that Roman Catholics were two-verse Christians.

They certainly were close to it, nevertheless our music has improved marvellously well over the years and, please God, will continue into the future.

Nevertheless coming together as Christians means a great deal for all of us.

Ever so slowly we are beginning to realise together how deeply we love Jesus and how much we will be able to contribute together to a better world.

This year I have been busier than ever. A large amount of that busyness is due to my very close approach to retirement. It can happen at any moment.

Nevertheless I went to Rome recently for the ad limina visit which happens every five years when the bishops meet the Vatican congregations, the pontifical councils, the Pope, and of course in this instance Pope Benedict XVI.

In each ad limina visit Pope Benedict brings seven bishops together for 45 minutes to ask the bishops individually to talk about their dioceses and archdioceses for five or six minutes.

Although it is only a short time, it is possible to speak to the Pope as he listens and questions situations rather gently.

I spoke of the fact that I had gone out to the parishes of the Archdiocese of Brisbane to preach the Gospel, and to do so with the Anglican Primate and other Heads of Churches.

The Pope seemed to be quite interested in the fact that Archbishop Phillip Aspinall and I went out together with other heads of Churches to proclaim the Gospel.

Perhaps his interest was focused on his decision to declare a Year of Faith for the Church, stating earlier that we needed proclamation and discovery to promote God's Kingdom.

Before I had arrived at the ad limina visit in Rome, I attended a gathering with other Christians on an island named Manado in Indonesia, at the request of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity.
The occasion was named the Global Christian Forum.

A large number of Christians, perhaps 500 or more, were present from different Churches and different countries.

If anything, it was an attempt to bring Christians together to change the world for the better.

Excellent speeches were made by different Christians. Prayer was prayed together and the Gospel preached.

For me the high point was the bringing together of different Christians to speak about their faith and their love of God, of the Holy Spirit and of scripture.

They were passionate about their faith which they admitted had changed their lives forever.

I was fascinated by them. As they talked they seemed to indicate the growth of Christianity in Africa, in China, in South America, without any slight desire of being proud.

At the same time they talked about the drift of Roman Catholics towards the Protestant Pentecostal Christians in South America and Africa. It may have been the same for the Anglicans.

There was no doubt they had a passionate love of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and scripture.

I believe we need to know more about other Christians, because there is so much to learn from them, and I'm sure them from all of us.

As Anglicans and Roman Catholics, old and young, we need to cope with the modern world.

Without losing our attitude and structure we need so much to understand the world in which we live today and the Church to which we belong.

But how do we communicate our faith in today's world?
• For one thing as Anglicans and Roman Catholics we need to stay as close together as we possibly can, in the future. We need to work together.

• In the second place we need to discuss theology together, but we must also seek to do so with the Pentecostals, Evangelicals and others, hoping that we can learn from them, especially by their passion for Jesus, for the Holy Spirit, and scripture.

A week ago a young lad who wished to become a priest told me that a young Pentecostal girl taught him a great deal about her faith. As a result he came back to the Catholic faith.

Perhaps all of us need to know more about what others believe and the good they do.

• Finally we must realise that we are living in a new world that is complex and fascinating.

Because of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus the Church will never disappear. We live in a new world established by Jesus, as well as being His new people in that world.

All we have to do is to open our eyes to see it around us. Our relationship with Jesus Christ today must never be distant but personal.

• Today all of our Churches are searching to share the Gospel with others. Surely as Anglicans and Roman Catholics we can work together with one another and with other Churches for the benefit of our world, our friends and ourselves. Above all we need to help people today who are searching, especially young people.

Please God, in these most interesting, not depressing, times, that God will continue to show us a way forward.

This year when I went to Israel and Egypt before moving on to Spain for World Youth Day it seems that the 50 young people who were travelling with me and walking in the footsteps of Jesus, became new people.

Wherever Jesus had been, they went and were deeply moved by the Carpenter of Nazareth.

One of their greatest moments was in the area of the wedding feast of Cana where Mary the mother of Jesus had said simply to the servants, "Do whatever He tells you". Such words had an amazing impact on all of us.

Tonight I'm delighted by our presence together in St John's Cathedral. The name is entirely suitable for the words mentioned in the Gospel of John.

We are friends because of the sameness we share even if there are differences important for us.

It would be marvellous if the Global Christian Forum about which I spoke earlier, may still bring Christians even closer in the years ahead.

It took God's Holy Spirit 70 years to help me understand the Gospel. I'm sure God will do the same for all of us.
We need only open our eyes.