And when they had been round the whole of it, on the fourth day they found a Mass chalice on a bench in the side of the column. Brendan took this gift to him as a sign, and bade the monks praise the Creator, because He had caused them not to miss food or drink, for the great delight which they found in the column.
– The Life of Brendan of Clonfert
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name
You are Mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
– Isaiah 43.1, 2
Courage and trust
I don’t want us to lose sight of the fact that Brendan and his monks were sailing over the north Atlantic in a leather boat (according to The Navigatio Brendani, that is; wooden boats in The Life). The leather boat that Tim Severin and his companions built required 46 ox hides, stretched, layered, and stitched over a wooden frame. The boat Brendan sailed in would have been much like this, only larger.
The journey was hard, but, as Severin reminds us, Irish monks were used to hardship: “As monks they were inured to hardship. Life in a medieval monastery with its meager food, seasonal shortages, stone cells, abstinence, long hours of tedium, self-mortification and discipline, was an ideal training for a long journey in an open boat.”
Yet, Severin continues, it was their “fearless trust in God” that enabled them to press on: “To venture out in a boat was by its very nature an act of faith in a God whose divine providence would show them wondrous sights and, if He so wished, bring them safely to journey’s end. Should adverse winds or currents beat them back, that too was His will. If their craft foundered underneath them and the crew perished, then they reached their divine reward doubly blessed because they had died in their God’s service.”
A little gift
In our excerpt for today, Brendan and his crew have been sailing four days around what the hagiographer refers to as a “crystal column.” It was probably a large iceberg, but then none of them had ever see an iceberg, and it just looked like a crystal column to them. It was an altogether wondrous sight, capturing their attention for four days.
And it was beautiful. The height—which reached to “the firmament”—together with the size, consistency, “tenuity” (yes, it’s a word), and the “rooms” in places around it, filled the crew with awe and gave them “great delight”. The finding of a chalice would again have been evidence to Brendan that monks had been this far before. And as some had obviously been here before him, he would have been encouraged to believe that he could accomplish his mission and fulfill his calling.
So, rather than be struck with fear at this awesome wonder, the monks praised the Creator Who made this immense column and Who had provided for them so that they did not “miss food or drink” to this point in their journey.
These two items—the iceberg and the chalice—gave Brendan and his crew renewed courage in their mission. God does the same for us every day. In the works of creation around us, He is always revealing His glory in the beauty, diversity, liveliness, colors, and wonder of creation. And from stories like Brendan’s we are reminded that others have made this journey of life before us. They have finished their course, and so shall we one day. But for now, like them, we each have a specific calling to fulfill, and that calling entails a variety of daily works for which we need the grace of God. We too should praise the Lord more than we do, for the many reminders He puts before us each day of His Presence, providential care, and perfect love.
The Lord inhabits the praises of His people. No matter how hard or uncertain your journey, He is with you. He has called you by your name, and you are His. He will never fail nor forsake you. Take courage, and sail on.
For Reflection
1. What can you do to keep your journey with the Lord fresh and fruitful each day?
2. How can you encourage your fellow believers in their journey with the Lord?
Psalm 95.1, 2, 6
(Tidings: O Zion, Haste, Thy Mission High Fulfilling)
Come, let us sing with joy to God, our Savior!
Let us with joy to Him, our Rock, bow down!
Come now before Him, grateful for His favor;
let joyful psalms break forth from all around.
Refrain v. 6
Come let us worship, kneel to our LORD;
worship our Maker: Father, Holy Spirit, Word.
T. M. Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest this week: Our Read Moore podcast is focusing on realizing more of our great salvation. Our current ReVision series, “The Kingdom Economy”, examines the role of commerce for the glory of God. And new in our bookstore, our workbook, The Ongoing Work of Christ, shows us how the book of Acts provides a template and footprint for all who take up the work of building Jesus’ Church.
Thank you.
Many of you are faithful and generous in praying for and supporting Crosfigell and The Fellowship of Ailbe. Thank you. May I encourage all our readers to seek the Lord about becoming a supporter of The Fellowship of Ailbe? It’s easy to give to The Fellowship of Ailbe, and all gifts are, of course, tax-deductible. You can click here to donate online through credit card or PayPal or Anedot, or send your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, P. O. Box 8213, Essex, VT 05451.
All Psalms for singing from The Ailbe Psalter. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
