The Seas We must Sail

Sunrise with Seamonsters (Joseph Mallord William Turner)

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Prayer of St. Brendan the Navigator

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 honor?
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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Navigatio*
by Jeff Johnson

I've earned my sin
nearly spent my soul
I've lost my way until now
On the world's edge
I have found a door
On the world's edge
I can see again

So let my ship sail like Brendan's
Let it carry me home
May the three guide my passage
Toward the Island of Light

So let my ship sail like Brendan's
Let it carry me home
May the three guide my passage
Toward the Island of Hope

I've earned my sin, nearly spent my soul
I've lost my way until now
On the world's edge
I have found a door
On the world's edge
I can see again
I can see again
I can see again
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Gulf Stream (Winslow Homer)

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*The song, "Navigatio," by Jeff Johnson appears on his album, Prayers of St. Brendan: The Journey Home.

*For further reading: The Voyage of St. Brendan