Happy Advent to one and all! How are you doing? I hope that you are well. As you can probably gather from the title of this eNewsletter there is something about today’s date in regards to Christopher Columbus and his international voyages. More specifically, it was on this date way back in 1492 that Columbus sailed the ocean blue and landed at the island of what is now Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
I realize that historical research has shown that there were some very regrettable things which Columbus said and did in regards to the indigenous people and their homelands. The poor choices that he and his crew members made cannot be excused nor should they be simply brushed aside. At the same time, it is undeniable that the travels of Columbus forever changed the history of the world and there are at least two valuable lessons that we can learn and apply to our own lives.
First of all, Christopher Columbus went on his travels with several companions. In the journey of our life we are blessed by God with family members, friends, acquaintances, co-workers, and other folks that we encounter along the way. I would imagine that not every one of the sailors and travelers with Columbus got along with each other. There were probably verbal disagreements, squabbles, rivalries, and other difficulties that came up. When that happens to us my hope would be that we could resolve those challenges with the Light of Christ and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to guide us.
A second lesson that we can learn and apply to our lives from the travels of Columbus is his mode of transportation. You might recall that the names of the boats which Columbus used to set sail from Portugal to the “New World” were the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. What you might not realize is that “Niña” means “Girl” in Spanish and the ship’s original name was Santa Clara for St. Clare. Pinta is another Spanish word meaning “The Painted One.” Finally, Santa Maria is the Spanish way of saying Holy Mary.
Bearing those names in mind it stands to reason that we too are accompanied in our travels by the prayerful intercession of holy women like St. Clare of Assisi and Our Blessed Mother. On the proverbial canvas of life we are “The Painted One” that God is continually working with and expounding upon. Just as we have fellow travelers with us here on Earth so too do our heavenly helpers, that is to say the angels and saints, journey with us in their prayers.
There are any number of lessons that could be learned from the travels of Cristobal Colón (Christopher Columbus in Spanish) including that of perseverance, fortitude, camaraderie, determination, and more but for now we shall end this brief reflection. Thank you for your time today. May God continue to bless you in the journey of your life and remember that you are not alone!