Index
A 1. A Pattern for Spiritual Journeying 2. The One Who Went Before 3. Brendan’s Preparations 4. God is the Helmsman 5. Patterns / Liturgies 6. The Community of St. Ailbe 7. Jasconius 8. The Fiery Isle 9. Voyaging 10.Judas’ Respite 11.Finding the Promised Land 12.The Final Journey
All quotations taken from:
“The Voyage of Brendan.” Celtic Spirituality. Trans., Ed. Oliver Davies. The Classics of Western Spirituality Series. Ed. Bernard McGinn, Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1999. 155-190.
Except* Johnson, Jeff. “Navigatio” Navigatio. Compact Disk. Tigard, OR: Ark Records/Sola Scriptura Songs, 1997.
1. A Pattern for Spiritual Journeying So let my ship sail like Brendan’s let it carry me home May the Three guide my passage towards the island of hope …towards the island of light.* In the sixth century a group of Irish monks undertook a great voyage upon the ocean. They were led by their abbot, Brendan the Navigator. Being told by another monk about a journey that took him to the Promised Land of the Saints, an earthly paradise to the west, they set out in search of this holy wonder. Spending seven years at sea, Brendan and his companions came across many wonders such as icebergs, volcanoes, a vast fog, a giant whale on whose back they celebrated Easter each year as well as numerous other sights. This holy and amazing voyage possibly shows that monks in the sixth century traveled across the northern Atlantic and came to America one thousand years before Columbus in boats made of leather. Many have spent time looking at the Navigatio Sancti Brendani or The Voyage of Saint Brendan to see hints of an explorer who went amazing places on this earth. The possibility of this being the case boggles the imagination and changes history books quite drastically. But the real voyage is not so much a physical one across an ocean, but a spiritual one across each person’s life. We can read of the seven-year adventure that Brendan and his companions took and apply the things that are seen in that voyage to the voyage that each of us is on. We can wonder at the marvelous, shudder at the horrendous and know that if God is the helmsman on the voyage we will reach the destination at the end, though it might not be what we expected. We, like Brendan and his companions are peregrinati: voyagers on pilgrimage for the love of God; travelers seeking the Holy and the Other in the face of the unknown. Therefore we can look at those who have journeyed before us to see what we might learn from them…
2. The One Who Went Before But St. Brendan lifted him to his feet and kissed him, saying: “Father, why does your arrival make us sad, when you came to comfort us? Rather, you should give joy to your brothers. Proclaim the word of God to us and refresh us with an account of the many wonderful things you saw when at sea.” (155) Before we even begin the voyage we are told that Brendan and his companions are not the first to journey to the Promised Land of the Saints. We are introduced almost immediately to Barinthus who relates his journey to the Promised Land to Brendan. Barinthus is not the first to find this place, either. He tells of someone who has gone before him, his son (in a spiritual sense), Mernoc. This is an important starting point for a story like that which we are about to encounter. There is a hubris, a pride in people causing us to want to think that we are the first to voyage to new places and the first to experience God in certain ways. This could not be farther from the truth. Many have gone before us, many have walked with God and lived with the Holy Spirit throughout their whole lives. There is much we can learn as we listen to their stories, as we discover how it is that they have experienced God. Brendan would never have set out on such a voyage if he did not have a mentor (such a weak word for such a powerful role) pointing him in that direction. And Barinthus would not have set forth on his journey without his own mentor… The chain goes on and on as the one who is inspired to step out in faith later is able to share their own story with others, inspiring those to step out. This is what allows us to read something like the Navigatio with the expectation that we have something to learn from it. For we do learn from each other. We are able to use each other’s experiences on our great journeys to bring truth and meaning to our own journey. We are inspired, moved and challenged by the journeys that others are on. We are encouraged to go in a direction that we were not planning to go in, or we are warned away from a detour that moves people away from God’s presence. At the same time we are not to live vicariously through others’ journeys. Brendan was not a spectator only. He was inspired by Barinthus’ story and he acted upon it. Today’s world encourages spectatorship. We watch others have great adventures on the movie and television screen. We watch others exercise and cheer them on. But we are not only to be spectators in the journeys of others. We cannot allow hearing about another’s journey to replace the experience for ourselves. Instead we can learn from them and start on our own journeys for and with God.
3. Brendan’s Preparations “My most beloved fellow-warriors, I look to you for advice and help, for my heart and all my thoughts are united in a single desire. I have resolved in my heart, if only it be God’s will, to seek that Promised Land of the Saints, of which St. Barinthus has spoken. How does this seem to you, and what advice do you wish to give me?” (157) Brendan did not take up his voyage on his own. Not only did he include others in the voyage itself, he included others in the preparation for the voyage as well as the decision as to whether to make the voyage. Brendan was inspired greatly as he heard of the Promised Land of the Saints and he decided that he must journey there himself. But Brendan did not just hop on a boat and set out. Instead he questioned himself and searched for counsel as he prepared for his voyage. Brendan spent time in fasting and prayer to prepare himself and his companions for the voyage. Brendan also made sure that the monastery that he was in charge of had everything in order before he left. Brendan consulted with those closest to him, the monks who he lived with and trusted. He was sure that they felt God was calling him to this journey. But this was not enough for Brendan. He then went to St. Edna, his spiritual father to seek his advice and blessing. Only after receiving this did Brendan go with his companions and build a boat to set out on the journey. When undertaking new things we often like to jump right in. This is particularly true when it seems that the direction in which we are heading is the direction on which God has led us. But there is something to be said for patience and careful contemplation. Brendan tested the direction he felt he must go in three ways. He asked those in his faith community their advice, he spent a large amount of time in prayer and fasting to seek God’s will and he went to his mentor and sought his blessing. This flies in the face of the individualism that we find in our own Christian communities. Brendan had no delusions of grandeur. He was careful, knowing that sometimes we can be following our own will and try to convince ourselves and others that it is God’s will we are following. As mentioned above, Brendan also made thorough preparations as he set out on his journey. He made sure that the place he was leaving (for what would be seven years) was in good and safe hands. He prepared the boat with enough extra leather for three more hulls, knowing how dangerous the voyage would be. When God calls on someone to undertake a journey, be it physical or spiritual, preparations must be made. These preparations are to be made as completely as possible, but these preparations are also to be made with the understanding that God will be on the journey with you as helmsman and captain of your vessel.
4. God is the Helmsman “Pull in your oars and let down the sail. Let God take us where he will.” (172) “Don’t row so hard, or you will exhaust yourselves. Is almighty God not the helmsman and captain of our ship? Do not strain yourselves, since he guides us where he will.” (172) There is a ruthless trust seen in Brendan throughout his voyage. Brendan knows his own capabilities and the capabilities of those around him. He knows that when he and his companions reach the edge of their abilities God will be seen to work wonders. Brendan and his companions, the peregrinati, spent long times on their voyage allowing God to guide them, consciously giving up all control of their boat so that God might take them where God wills. This is a scary place to live. We so like to feel in control that it is very difficult to give up any control that we might have. Yet Brendan at times had his companions take down the sail, pull in the oars and let the current take the boat where it will. What is amazing is that this trust was rewarded. Because Brendan did this the boat was able to travel from island to island throughout the Northern Atlantic. That is the way the currents flow. If Brendan had tried to push his own direction towards where he believed he should go he would have found himself lost for he had never been there before. I am particularly touched by an incident in the Navigatio where Brendan and his companions sight an island after having been at sea for months. They ran out of food three days before and they now see land. They had been drifting, letting God guide them to this place. They see the land and pull out their oars to come to shore as fast as possible. Brendan chastises his companions. They had trusted God in the unknown, allowing God to take them where the Spirit willed, but as soon as they moved back into the known they longed to take control again. They trusted God when they had no control, but as soon as they saw that land was within their power again they forgot about the power of God, they forgot the very God who had brought them this far. Brendan reminds his companions that God had delivered them this far, God would take them the rest of the way. They did not need to strain themselves trying to get to shore on their own strength. It seems much easier to trust in God when there is nothing else to trust in. It is helpful to have no other options. Yet God wants our trust in our whole lives and sometimes, even though we can do things under our own strength, we need to rely on the strength of God to get us to our destination.
5. Patterns / Liturgies “God has appointed four places for you for each season of the year where you shall stay until the seven years of your pilgrimage are over. You shall spend Maundy Thursday with your steward who is there each year, the Easter vigil on the back of a whale, the Feast of Easter until the octave of Pentecost with us, and the Nativity of the Lord with the community of Ailbe. At the end of seven years, after great trials of different kinds, you will find the Promised Land of the Saints which you seek and there you shall live for forty days before God shall lead you back to the land of your birth.” (174) An adventure is a journey to a new place. Brendan and his companions were traveling to a new place… the Promised Land of the Saints. Yet throughout their journey they made regular stops each year at four different places. Some of these places were scary to them (the back of a whale), others were places they did not want to leave (the community of St. Ailbe). But all of these places became regular for them. There was a pattern to their voyage. There was a regular movement. In the midst of the unfamiliar and awesome was that which they knew. Humans are creatures of pattern. We are liturgical people whether we like it or not. We find comfort, safety and peace in that which we know. As we gaze outward at the unknown and as we trust in God to lead us forward on our journeys, we also have patterns, we have liturgies that protect us, that keep us safe. These patterns, these liturgical movements not only give us peace in the face of the unknown, they help us to better see the unknown. Liturgies and patterns give us a place of reference to help us understand that which is around us. They also give us a language helping us to better be able to describe the journey on which God has led us. It is no accident that Brendan’s regular stops on his voyage centered around the liturgical calendar. There was meaning in the fact that Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter and Christmas were celebrated the same each year for Brendan and his companions even when the rest of the year was spent in drastically different ways. The liturgies, the patterns, have been given to us as a gift from God. The celebrations throughout the year have given us the opportunity to better comprehend the voyage that each of us are on. We can rejoice, in the midst of change and upheaval, in what does remain the same. For the God that is beyond our understanding also remains the same, and thankfully allows us to do so at times in our lives as well.
6. The Community of St. Ailbe St. Brendan said: “May we too stay here?” But the abbot replied: “No, you may not, for that is not God’s will. Why do you ask me that, father? Did God not reveal to you what you should do before you came to us?” (170) Throughout his voyage, Brendan seems to be focused forward and focused on the goal. He knows where God is leading him and he desires with his whole heart to follow. Then he comes to the Community of St. Ailbe, a place of liturgy and peace and a place where people are free to worship God through the daily offices without interruption. This is the ideal that the monks of Brendan’s day sought and Brendan found a piece of himself that did not want to leave. Brendan’s heart was turned away from his voyage and he found himself longing for something that he could not have. This is the one place in the Navigatio where Brendan himself is chastised. He asks St. Ailbe if he might stay with him, for he has found a place where he is comfortable. St. Ailbe makes it clear that this is not to be and that Brendan must continue on his voyage. St. Ailbe also confronts Brendan with his desire. There are times and places on our spiritual journeys that we would like to remain in forever. These moments are special and are worthwhile. But if we choose to remain in them the journey will end and we will become complacent and comfortable. Brendan was not banned from the community of St. Ailbe. It was one of the places that he spent time each year at. He found strength at this place, he found comfort, and he was sustained for the journey ahead. But Brendan was not allowed to remain with this community either, for it was just a stop upon his journey, not the destination. It is worth noting that the island of St. Ailbe is where Brendan and his companions celebrated Christmas. We often like to remain at Christmas. We enjoy the carols, the cookies the joy and peace that moves across the world. But Christ’s birth is by no means the end of the story. Angels sang and praised God, shepherds witnessed an amazing birth, but if the church remained at Christmas we would miss the power of what God did in sending Christ to this earth. The celebration of Christmas can be a wonderful time, but it is just the beginning of the story, it is just a part of the journey. We, like Brendan, can find sustenance in it, but we must also look forward and continue upon the journey that Christ has placed before us.
7 Jasconius “My little children, do not be afraid, for last night God revealed to me by a vision the meaning of this thing. The island that we were on was nothing other than a sea animal, the foremst of all that swim in the oceans. It always seeks to make its tail and head meet, but cannot do so on account of its length. Jasconius is its name.” (163) There are moments in each person’s life where their understanding completely changes, where things come into focus and they realize that what they thought they understood they did not. Brendan and his companions came to a rocky isle and set upon it. They went ashore, built a fire and prepared to eat together. Suddenly the island that they were on began to move, to sink. Brendan’s companions were scared out of their wits and hurried to the boat so that they might be safe. They did not understand what was going on at all until Brendan was able to explain to them what it was that they experienced. They actually had not been on an island at all, rather they had been on the back of a giant whale named Jasconius. Everything that they had thought they had known about what happened ended up being untrue. There was a drastic shift in what they believed they knew about the world and this frightened them immensely. And even in knowing what the truth was they found themselves frightened. What is interesting is that the whale’s back was one of the places that they were to travel to each year. They revisited the fear, they revisited the wonder, they revisited the knowledge that they might not know everything there is to know about the world around them. This acknowledgement of the unknown was the place where they celebrated the Easter vigil each year: Easter is the celebration of the unknowable. It is the acknowledgement that God is able to do the miraculous and change the way each of us sees the world around us. It is the center of our faith, Christ resurrected from the dead. It is our celebration of the moment that we realized that our God is so much greater than what we expected God to be: more powerful, more loving, more merciful. We stood at the cross thinking that it was the end… then the earth shifted and we discovered that what seemed to be the ultimate defeat was actually the ultimate victory. Like Brendan and his companions, we are right to be a bit fearful at the majesty and wonder of God. But then we can celebrate and rejoice, for Christ has risen from the dead… and that changes the way we see everything.
8. The Fiery Isle “Truly, brothers, this island frightens me. I do not want to visit it or even approach it, but the wind is driving us straight in that direction.” (181) Brendan and his companions did not only see the amazingly wonderful on their journey. They had many hardships and often found themselves out of food as they followed God’s leading. Most of the times that they came to a place where something was amiss, Brendan would comfort his companions and point them in the right direction… this right direction was always pointing towards God. But there was one point in the voyage where even Brendan began to worry. After having allowed God to be captain and helmsman throughout the voyage, Brendan found himself coming to a place that was too much for him. As the wind blew Brendan’s boat close to shore, giants came out and began throwing smoldering rocks at the boat. Brendan had his companions row away from shore with all their might as they were bombarded with lava. The perigrinati were able to make it away from the isle of giants, but came upon another fiery isle where one of their number was lost to eternal torment. When we accept the challenge of following God on our own spiritual journey, there is no promise made that it will be easy. As in all life, there will be times that are very uplifting and that encourage each of us, and there will be times of great difficulty and even suffering. What we are promised, though, is that God will be with us in the midst of the suffering as God was with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the midst of the fiery furnace (Daniel 3). Brendan and his companions did not allow the fiery isle to be the end of their voyage. Instead they continued on towards their goal. There was one of them who did allow the fiery isle to be his final resting place. All people go through points in their lives where they are on the shores of the fiery isle. Some people are not willing to turn away and begin rowing. Some people are unable to see that God is with them in the midst of their suffering. Some people are overwhelmed by the pain. That is where the community, the group comes in. We can be there in the fiery furnace with each other, to strengthen each other and to help each other pull through it. We can row with each other, and when one loses strength, another can take their place. As Christ is with us in the midst of our pain and suffering we are called to be with each other. We are called to strengthen each other and support each other to bring each other through the dark time.
9. Voyaging Sometimes by the power of sail and sometimes by their own efforts, they voyaged from one place to another until the beginning of Lent. (171) Brendan and his companions traveled throughout the ocean during their seven-year voyage. They traveled great distances in a small, leather boat. At times the journey was easy. They put up the sail and a wind took them where they needed to go. There was not much work involved. Though it is not mentioned in the Navigatio, they probably trailed a fishing line behind the boat and were able to catch fish to keep them healthy throughout their time at sea. During these times the journey seemed to move of its own accord and the peregrinati were along for the ride. But there were other times that were much more difficult. During these times there was no wind, there was no current, and Brendan and his companions were forced to work if they wanted to go anywhere. It should be mentioned that the Irish oars of the day were basically poles with one side cut strait. They did not displace the water in the way that modern oars do and were much more work than modern day oars. One can also see that these wanderers were in northern waters (they came in contact with icebergs) so it was probably quite a cold journey at times. Brendan and his companions journeyed on. Sometimes as they journeyed it was easy and sometimes it was difficult. Sometimes it took little or no effort and sometimes they needed to put all their effort into the voyage just to survive. Our spiritual journeys are very diverse. Each person’s journey will take them to different places by different paths. There are some common threads throughout each of them, especially if one allows God to be both helmsman and captain of the ship. One of the common threads in each person’s voyage is that during the voyage much will happen. There will be storms at sea. There will be difficult times. During these times those on the journey will work themselves to exhaustion, they will be short of sustenance and wonder whether they should have set out on the journey in the first place. These are the times where people are tested and tried and stretched to their limits. These are also the times that growth happens. There will also be times where each person is able to sit back, enjoy the wind and be amazed at the journey that God is taking them on. One without the other would be dangerous, it would be unhealthy, it would either lead to sloth or people would end up working themselves to death. It is important to enjoy the times where God is doing the work just as it is important to work hard when it is your time to do what needs to be done. Both are gifts from God as both move us forward on the voyage.
10. Judas’ Respite “I am here not on account of my own merits but because of the mysterious mercy of Jesus Christ. For me this is not a place of torment but rather a place of respite granted me by the Savior in honor of his Resurrection.” (184) This part of Brendan’s voyage is the part that seems so foreign to our understanding and sensibilities. Brendan and his companions come across a man on a rock being buffeted by the waves. This man seems to be in torment. When they approach him they find that it is Judas Iscariot, and he is not being tormented, rather, he is being shown mercy. Judas tells Brendan and the readers that he longs for the opportunities to be on this rock as he is every Sunday in honor of Jesus’ resurrection. Demons wait at the periphery to take Judas back to hell to torment him, but on the day of Jesus’ resurrection the punishment for Judas’ betrayal is taken away. This is the power of resurrection. This is the power of mercy. This is the power of God. Jesus’ resurrection is more powerful than his death. And God's mercy is greater than the greatest sin. Even Judas, the one who betrayed Jesus and was considered in the day to be the worst of sinners, is seen to receive mercy, not only from God but also from Brendan and the monks. How much more might we find ourselves in that irrational mercy of God? And how much more might we find ourselves able to share that mercy with those around us? You see, we learn something else in this strange event. We learn it when the demons come to claim Judas, that God has given power to God’s followers. The demons long to take Judas back with them, but Brendan speaks up on behalf of God, offering Judas a longer respite. The demons question Brendan’s authority and Brendan makes his authority quite clear. Brendan does not claim to be God as the demon suggests. Instead Brendan claims to be a servant of God. And as a servant of God, he is able to speak in God’s name. This is the power that is invested in each of us, and it is an awesome and holy power. It is a power that holds with it much responsibility. We have the power to speak in God’s name. This is not because of classes that we take nor is it because of an education that we have been given. Instead, it is because we are servants of God. But there is a responsibility that comes with this. People who speak in God’s name but are not seeking God’s will do so to their own destruction. If we are to speak in God’s name; be it from a pulpit or a lectern, be it in the church or at our jobs, we are to remember we do so not from our own power but as servants of God.
11. Finding the Promised Land “This time I shall be your companion and shall guide you, for without my help you will never find the Promised Land of the Saints.” (189) There are some things that no matter how long we search, we will never find on our own. We like to believe in our own independence. We like to believe that if we search hard enough we will eventually find what it is we are looking for. But as we journey for and with God we discover that this is just not true. Throughout Brendan’s journey it was made clear to him that though the sights were new to him and his companions, they were not new sights. Brendan regularly came in contact with a number of guides, stewards or even talking animals to tell him about what he was seeing and to point him in the right direction. Without these others to guide his way Brendan would not have known what to do, nor would he have found the strength to continue on. Finally, after seven years of journeying, the steward who spent time with Brendan each year tells Brendan that he is going to go with him in the boat and direct his path. The steward reminds Brendan that Brendan is unable to find the way on his own but needs help. A great fog surrounds the boat and neither Brendan nor his companions are able to even tell which direction they are traveling. Yet the guide, the one who has gone before and knows the way, is able to keep their course true. With this guide showing the way, Brendan and his companions finally come to the earthly paradise. They come to the Promised Land of the Saints and are amazed at what they see. Journeys do have destinations, though often the destination is not as important as the voyage itself. Sometimes we let our expectations grow to such a point that we are under whelmed by the actual destination. Other times we can focus so much on the journey that we miss the destination altogether. The Promised Land of the Saints seemed to be a holy and magnificent place. It was worth a journey that took seven years. As we set out upon the oceans of our own adventures we can be sure that through the good sections of passage and through the difficult times, we know that the destination is well worth the journey. We can see the paradise that Brendan found and know that we have a Paradise waiting for us at the end of our own journeys. And we can rejoice in this knowledge.
12. The Final Journey “Return now to the land of your birth, taking with you fruit from this land and as many gems as your boat can carry. The day of your final journey is approaching, when you shall sleep with your fathers.” (189) The story of Brendan’s voyage does not end at the Promised Land of the Saints. People talk of mountain top experiences. There are points in people’s lives where they would be happy staying forevermore. But we are creatures living in time and we must move on. Jesus took some of his disciples to a mountaintop where they witnessed a small sliver of paradise (Matt. 17:1-13). Peter wanted to stay there forever more with tents built to remember the moment. But Jesus knew that the journey must continue, and along with the disciples, he descended the mountain and continued upon his own journey, a journey that led to the cross. So Brendan travels home after his voyage and comes back to the community that sent him out. The time in the Promised Land of the Saints was a time that he would remember and hold dear. It was a time of miracles and holiness. But Brendan was told that he could not stay there, so he journeyed home to the land of his birth. But neither is this the end of Brendan’s voyage. Brendan’s journey ends upon his death, where he comes to the true Promised Land, where he finds the true Paradise. Brendan’s final journey is into Christ’s loving embrace. This is the hope that we each have, this is the joy that we each look forward to. Brendan stood on an earthly paradise, how could he ever leave it unless he knew a heavenly Paradise was waiting. I encourage each person reading of Brendan’s voyage to think upon their own voyage. Think of the low points. Think of the high points. Think of everything between. God has been journeying with you as your guide, your helmsman, your captain throughout the voyage. And the final destination has not been reached yet. The final destination awaits you in the end. But this is not something to be dreaded as it is by most of those around us. It is something to rejoice in. Let us rejoice that we serve a God who offers us such high points on earth, yet these are nothing compared to that which awaits us in heaven.
About the Author:
A
Pastor Gavin is ordained to Word and Sacrament in the Evangelical Covenant Church of America. After spending ten years in the Midwest pastoring a small church, he has moved back to his hometown in Northwest Washington State with his wife, Lisa, and his two kids to be close to his parents as his father struggles with cognitive issues. He is a graduate of Lutheran Bible Institute in Issaquah, WA (now Trinity Lutheran College in Everett, WA) and North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago, IL. Along with over two decades spent studying Celtic spirituality, Gavin enjoys spending time in creation, sailing, reading and art. Gavin also lead contemplative retreats in the Pacific Northwest, giving people an opportunity to slow down, be still and know God. Gavin can be reached by email at pastorgavin@hotmail.com.