Fastnet Lighthouse Schuill West Cork Ireland. Photo: canva.com
I heard an interview recently about lighthouses in Ireland in which they were described as “beacons of hope and safety”. The safety feature is obvious as lighthouses are positioned along the coast to provide a clear warning of where dangers to shipping are located. The hope factor has to do with how lighthouses served as an aid to navigation and pinpointing the exact location. For travellers, the sight of a lighthouse would have indicated that their journey was almost over as land was in sight. Or in the case of the Fastnet lighthouse, Ireland’s most southern point, it was often the last part of the country glimpsed by those leaving for new lands. It is known as Teardrop Island.
I was thinking of these things in the context of the celebration of Mission Sunday and this year theme of “Missionaries of Hope for all Peoples”. To be beacons of hope and safety seems to be a good way of describing the work of missionaries. We see the gospel as a guide to living that warns us of the dangers and helps us to find our way, especially when conditions are rough.
Conditions are certainly rough for many people in our world today. People’s safety is threatened on so many different levels. Columban missionaries work with people facing the effects of climate change by promoting sustainable ways to heal and nurture our earth and to safeguard biodiversity. In the face of political and religious tensions, they work in Inter Religious Dialogue (IRD) to create understanding and good relations between people of different religious traditions. For migrants and refugees, Columbans help to provide welcome and support. Often this is done in the face of growing hostility in countries that are struggling to deal with the flood of migrants and displaced people in our world. Columbans work to nurture and sustain faith in the hearts of those who are believers so that they do not become discouraged by the storms raging around them.
On October 1st, we celebrated the feast of St Therese of Lisieux, patroness of the Missions. She never left her homeland but carried a deep concern and love for the whole world in her heart. Her “little way” reminds me of all those people who practice daily acts of love and service. Raising families, caring for the sick, visiting neighbours, supporting those dealing with grief and loss, finding food for the hungry, and many other ways are beacons of hope and safety. They truly are missionaries of hope.
Columban Fr Patrick O’Shea, lives and works in Aotearoa/New Zealand.
Related links
- Read more from the current Columban eBulletin
