The storm on the lake

Columban Fr Colin McLean continues his reflections on events during his course in Tantur, an ecumenical Institute initially set up by Pope Paul VI in Jerusalem.

The motorized canoes. Photo: Fr Colin McLean

Motorised canoes are the most frequent and economical way to Tide Island. Photos: Columban Fr Colin McLean

During my final five years in Salvador, Brazil, 2015-2020, one of my regular duties was to go out to an island in the bay to celebrate Sunday and patron saints` masses in communities on the island. I usually travelled to Ilha de Mare by a small motorized canoe that held 7-8 people. In some cases, when the patron saint's feast was to be celebrated, many people from the parish of which the island was a part would also come, so the parish organized a larger boat that could accommodate about 50 people.

On most days, the trip to the island was enjoyable, but on other days it could be pretty scary. The sea could be quite choppy, so the small canoe often bounced around like it was going to overturn. Naturally, lifejackets were on board, but most people and I declined to use them. On one occasion, I celebrated the feast of Corpus Christi in two of the island communities. A strong wind blew up that afternoon, so all canoe travel was cancelled. I had to stay overnight on the island as I was informed that one of the larger boats would be travelling to the mainland in the morning. As directed, I headed for the jetty at 6 am while it was still dark. When the larger boat arrived, to my dismay, it wasn't all that big !! Since I hadn't brought a jacket, and the wind was cold, I decided to travel down some steps and sit in the more protected part of the boat with small portholes and the small opening leading to the steps. Ordinarily, I would sit on the open upper deck.

Big mistake! The sea was really rough, and at times the waves were just inches below the portholes. If we took in water and started to sink, the only means of escape was through the not so large opening at the top of the steps. The only consoling thing for me was that an elderly lady beside me from the island was fast asleep. She had obviously been through this before. But, I thought, there is always a first time!! It reminded me of Jesus fast asleep at the back of Peter's boat while the disciples were terrified. While I can swim, but not too far, and, hopefully, float on my back (other communities on the island were within reachable distance to rescue us), being in a canoe, one had more chance of survival if it overturned (but still an awful experience) than being trapped below deck in this "larger" boat. We finally made it close to the mainland when the engine cut out, and this "larger boat" boat drifted around 180 degrees before they got the engine going again. I was ever so happy to get off the boat and onto the jetty on the mainland. That was my worst and most frightening experience. I have had others that have caused me a bit of fear, even when sitting on the upper deck of the "larger boat".

The Larger Boat

Underneath the "Larger Boat". Photos: Columban Fr Colin McLean

When a fellow Columban asked me, "How many rosaries did you say when you were worried on the 'larger boat that day?" Having recently seen the film "Silence" about the sufferings of the Japanese Christian martyrs when Christianity was forbidden in Japan, all I could think about was not praying rosaries but what the martyrs had suffered through the ages. These boat trips were nothing in comparison!

A few weeks ago, I was celebrating a supply mass in a nearby parish when the gospel reading was "the storm on the Lake". Having been in a boat in the middle of the Sea of Galilee and seeing the distant shores, I can identify with Jesus' fishermen disciples when they faced that storm, and Jesus was fast asleep!!! Then, there is the other gospel text about Peter asking Jesus to let him also walk on water to Jesus. When I have seen threatening waves around the canoes and the "larger boats" on which I have travelled to the Ilha de Mare, I doubt I would have the faith of Peter even to try it!! All this forces us to question the following:

  1. How much faith do we have in Jesus? and
  2. Where are we in faith in the Catholic Church, which has been buffeted by so many storms (scandals and setbacks) over the centuries, and most recently, the child abuse scandal?

If happenings within the Church cause us to question our faith, we must always keep in mind the person of Jesus and his message revealed to us through the Gospels. Do we want to throw out the baby (ie. Jesus and his message) with the dirty bath water?

Columban Fr Colin McLean resides in Essendon after living and working in Brazil for 35 years.

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