Kitchen Catechism: Prayers
The Prayer of St. Brendan
At this season of our year, when so many young people are graduating and must embark on new and unfamiliar journeys, we print the Prayer of St. Brendan an ancient Irish voyager and saint.
The Prayer of St. Brendan
Shall I abandon, O King of mysteries, the soft comforts of home? Shall I turn my back on my native land, and turn my face towards the sea?
Shall I put myself wholly at your mercy, without silver, without a horse, without fame, without honour? Shall I throw myself wholly upon You, without sword and shield, without food and drink, without a bed to lie on? Shall I say farewell to my beautiful land, placing myself under Your yoke?
Shall I pour out my heart to You, confessing my manifold sins and begging forgiveness, tears streaming down my cheeks? Shall I leave the prints of my knees on the sandy beach, a record of my final prayer in my native land?
Shall I then suffer every kind of wound that the sea can inflict? Shall I take my tiny boat across the wide sparkling ocean? O King of the Glorious Heaven, shall I go of my own choice upon the sea?
O Christ, will You help me on the wild waves?
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To learn more about St. Brendan please visit:
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02758c.htm
