Saints This Month -16 May St. Brendan the Navigator

Saint Brendan had a boat,

They proved it could be done.

Sailed off to find America,

before it had begun......

-From St Brendan Had a Boat by The Elders

Saint Brendan of Clonfert was one of the great early Irish monastic saints. One of the twelve Apostles of Erin, who studied under St. Finian, he was born in County Kerry in 484. He was ordained Priest in 512 and began to construct monastic cells in Ardfert. In 530, it is believed he began his famous seven year voyage to the west, in search of Eden or the Isle of the Blessed.

It has been suggested that his voyage was prompted by an angel, after Brendan had doubted that God was the creator. He set sail with sixty pilgrims in a leather clad boat. During his voyage he encountered many strange and wonderful sights, the most famous being the Jasconius. On Easter Sunday the group spotted and landed on an island to say Mass. After Brendan had lit the Easter fire the island began to shake and it transpired that it was actually an enormous whale. As the pilgrims tried to escape the beast tried to encircle the boat by putting its tail in its mouth but Brendan, invoking the Lord, banished it to the depths.

One of the most interesting elements of the legend is their final destination. The Isle of the Blessed or as it came to be known, St. Brendan’s Island. It has been suggested that this island might have been America. Columbus used the manuscript Navigatio sancti Brendani abbatis when plotting his own voyage, remarking later "I am convinced that the terrestrial paradise is in the Island of Saint Brendan, which none can reach save by the Will of God". Recently this legend prompted the Irish explorer Tim Sherwin, to demonstrate that it was possible to cross the Atlantic in a leather clad boat.

However St. Brendan is not a saint because he had a marvellous journey. On his return to Ireland he attracted much interest and began a programme of building monasteries across the country. In 550, he made a less eventful journey across the Irish Sea, established a house in Wales and visited the holy island of Iona. He returned to Ireland and preached through the province of Leinster. He died in 577.

It is impossible to verify the events of St. Brendan’s life but there is an important message from the legend. Heaven is not, as Belinda Carlisle said, a place on earth, it is not a location we can find on a map or by exploring; and yet the kingdom is here, it is in the Gospel and in the person of Jesus Christ. In the Church we experience the Kingdom and through the Church we are led to the Kingdom.

Ministries, Charisms, Fruits - 2 Prophets

Throughout the history of Israel there were many prophets and the stories of their lives and their writings have been handed down to us in the Old Testament. These venerable figures were inspired by God to perform a task, namely to prepare the people of Israel for the coming of God in the person of Jesus Christ. We also have an account in the Gospel of the most important of all of them, John the Baptist, whose mission was to 'prepare the way of the Lord'. All the prophets had a common task: they were sent by God as messengers to the people, bringing God's message to them. In the writings of Paul, we see however that prophecy continued to have an important role. This role was different to that of the Old Testament prophets and John the Baptist. It is not one of preparing the people for the coming of God as man. That event has already happened.

Prophecy is, according to Paul, one of the charismata, gifts given through the grace of God. The grace that comes to us by the Holy Spirit justifies and sanctifies us, but also makes us useful in doing God's work. The exercise of this gift is spoken of as a specific role or ministry in the Church. Prophets have a role in building up the Church, the Body of Christ. Paul thinks that prophets are people who have a particularly strong faith, a close relationship with God. They are able to be responsive to the movement of the Holy Spirit, and are able to discern the will of God for the believing community, and proclaim it (Romans 12:6). Prophets were important in the early Church, precisely because they spoke words that came from God. This had a beneficial effect not only on the dynamics of the Christian community, but also in the development of mission and outreach to those who did not believe.

In today's Church, the need for the prophetic ministry is every bit as important as in the early Church. Listening to the voice of the Lord, speaking especially through those who proclaim and preach the Gospel, is essential in building up the Church, and helping its members to live as one body in the truth of Christ. It is also important in making sure that the message of the Gospel is heard by all those who do not believe, that they might come to Christ.

Ministries, Charisms, Fruits - 1 Apostles

The term apostolos in Greek is one that denotes a “sent one,” a messenger who comes with a message from another. But the word is applied in a particular way when it speaks of those who are “Apostles of Christ”. It refers to those who have received the gift of apostleship, personally chosen and sent by Christ Himself to bear witness to Him to people in a personal way. In this sense, all Christians may be said to be apostles, but the gift of Apostleship was one given only to a few.

Paul repeatedly identifies himself as an Apostle. In the First Letter to the Corinthians, Paul defends his apostleship, showing that he has the various qualities of an Apostle: “have I not seen the Lord,” he asks (1 Cor 9:1). A personal encounter with the Risen Lord was a criterion for the appointment of Judas’ replacement, as we read in Acts of the Apostles 1:21-22. When we read of the commissioning of the Apostles in Matthew’s Gospel, we learn that Jesus also gave them power to perform miracles in His name. In the same letter, Paul also claims this as a mark of the authenticity of his Apostleship: “truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds” (1 Cor 12:12).

When constructing an ecclesiology, Paul places the Apostles in a position of unique honour. In 1 Corinthians 12:28, they are listed as “first” in importance. This is in keeping with the prophecy made by the Lord when we read of the commissioning of the Apostles in Luke. Here the Lord says that in the coming Kingdom, they will “sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Luke 22:29-30). In the Book of Revelation their names are on the twelve foundation stones of the New Jerusalem.

Those who were granted the gift of Apostleship hold a prime place of honour in the new life we have in Christ. As the personal messengers of Christ, they share in his ministry of preaching and healing. In their ministry, conducted with the anointing of the Holy Spirit, they are the foundations of the Church.

A Lack of Moral Authority?

Over the last week the Daily Telegraph has revealed the details of the expense claims made by British Members of Parliament. The claims have ranged from the petty, such as 88p bath plugs, to the outrageous, such as the upkeep of a "pergola cross beam". It is an understatement but the public’s respect for our elected representatives has dissolved. The House of Commons is now perceived as being full of arrogant and detached individuals who, due to their position, feel that they are entitled to milk the tax-payer for as much as possible. In most cases, House rules have not been broken. It is quite obvious that whilst the letter of the law has been followed the spirit has certainly been ignored. Expenses are available so that citizens may be served as fully as possible by their representative to parliament. It is very difficult to see how having a sauna installed or a moat cleaned enables this.

Stephen Fry, commenting on the recent scandal, said "it's not that important, it really isn't." He argued that being imaginative with expenses is a reality of life and normal behaviour. The problem with this however is that Mr Fry forgets that our earthly authorities have to set a higher standard. Governing is a sacred duty. St Thomas, writing on kingship, compares the role of the authority in society to that of the soul in the body and of God in the universe. It is the head of a body and has a duty to lead it to its end. The end of human society, which our government should be leading us to, is the virtuous life. The higher end of the virtuous life is to attain the happiness of God which is the ultimate end. However, if the head of the body-politic is not leading by example, if it is rotten with greed and arrogance, this will pollute the whole society.

The vocation to public office is built on service; serving God, society and our fellow human beings. If our representatives lose sight of this and adopt a perverse self-serving attitude how can citizens find any moral authority in their leaders? How can an authority, lacking this moral authority, lead society?

The Year of Paul - Ministries, Charisms, Fruits of the Spirit

To mark the final weeks of the Year of Paul, Godzdogz will offer a series of reflections on the ministries, charisms and fruits of the Spirit identified by St Paul in his letters and frequently referred to by him. We will treat of the ministry of apostles, prophets, teachers, healers, administrators and 'servers'; of the charisms of wisdom, knowledge, faith, love, miracles, tongues, interpretation and discernment; and of the fruits of joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

In this way we will together recall the rich vision of the Christian community presented by St Paul, his understanding of the many parts that go to make up the one body, the many gifts of the one Spirit, the varieties of service to the one Lord, and the varieties of working inspired in every one by the one God. Each of us finds ourselves somewhere among these ministries, charisms and fruits. Our hope is that by meditating on them together we will gain a richer sense of our call and live it out more confidently from day to day.

Please post your comments to these reflections to ask for further clarification or to fill out what we say from your meditation on Paul's writings.

Studentate Trip to Mapledurham

On Saturday 25th April the Dominican students, accompanied by Fr David Goodill O.P., took a trip to Mapledurham, a Catholic recusant house just outside Reading. Built between 1588 and 1612, the house is very unusual in that, unlike most recusant house that were simply adapted. it was purpose-built to be a place where the Catholic Blount family could hide priests and where Mass could be celebrated in secret.


The owner, Mr John Eyston, a descendant of the Blount family, was kind enough to welcome us to celebrate Mass in the family chapel, built in the 18th century, and then proceeded to give us a fascinating and informative tour. The house has several hiding holes in which priests would hide from the authorities during penal times, and we were all most impressed at how cleverly constructed these hiding holes were. They boasted many ingenious features that allowed the priest, among other things, to look out into the grounds of the house and to escape when the coast was clear. The hiding holes must have served their purpose for there is no record of a priest ever being captured at Mapledurham!


The house boasts many other interesting features, including a bureau that hides an altar, complete with tabernacle and candlesticks inside. All of this made for a very enjoyable day, particularly as we were blessed with fine weather. The house is well worth a visit, it would interest anyone but is of particular interest for Catholics of course, being such a good reminder of how much our ancestors in the faith suffered and struggled to remain true to the faith of the Catholic Church during those dark years.


After we toured the house, we shared a meal together in a local pub. The fact that we could now openly enjoy our fraternal life together, and visibly as Catholic friars, was a sign of how times had changed. And so, we thanked God for the witness of those recusants who had gone before us, and pray that we will be faithful to their memory by bearing witness to the Gospel in these lands.

Mapledurham house is located in the village of Mapledurham, Reading and is open to the public from April to September on Weekends and Bank Holidays. More information can be found at www.mapledurham.co.uk

EUDONET Meeting

During Easter week the European Dominican Network (EUDONET) organised a weeklong conference on the institutions of the European Union in Brussels. The event aimed to demystify some of elements of the leviathan-like EU and explore how the Church can minister to it. The occasion also allowed members of the Dominican family, including student-brothers from Poland, England, Germany and the Spanish provinces, to meet and get to know each other.

Based in the International Priory in Brussels (a shining example of European co-operation), we were privileged to be located within walking distance of most of major offices of the Commission and the Brussels’ chamber of the European parliament. Over the week we had numerous meetings with high-ranking civil servants of the Directorates-General, including two serving Director-Generals. All our hosts were very welcoming and very willing to answer our questions as honestly and as fully as they could.

As well as meeting officials of the commission and parliament of the EU we were fortunate to meet with a Deputy Assistant Secretary General of another great example of European co-operation, NATO. One of the highlights of the week was a meeting with the Deputy-General Secretary of COMECE, the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Community. This provided opportunity for a lively debate and discussion on how the Church should formally work with the EU and on the Christian roots of Europe.

The week was a great success. There was a marvellous sense of fraternity among the members of the group and many friendships were formed (as well as many fine Belgian beers tasted, especially in the Dominican-run pub The Blackfriars). At times it occurred to me that whilst the EU seems to struggle in its endeavour to increase European co-operation it forgets that the Church has allowed this type of relationship to flourish for over a millennium, not only in Europe but throughout the whole world. This certainly can be seen in the Order of Preachers, as this week itself demonstrated