For Columbus, his voyage of discovery was a work of evangelization. On board his ships were missionaries; his first act upon landing in the New World was to plant the cross, claim the new lands for Christ and His Church, and ask the missionaries to offer Mass. In fact, upon first sighting land, he and his crew prayed together the Salve Regina.
On this Columbus Day, we began to read a new letter from St. Paul, who no doubt, Columbus modeled himself after. We’ll continue to read from Paul’s letter to the Romans until almost the middle of November. Samual Taylor Coleridge called Romans “the most profound book in existence.” It was not the first of Paul’s epistles to be written, though it is placed in most bibles first, only because it is the longest, but also because of its tremendous import. It was not however the first of Paul’s epistles to be written.
We heard today how Paul was called by God to be an apostle—one who would carry the message of Christ and proclaim the Good News beyond Jerusalem into the far reaches of the Roman world.
Like St. Paul and the Apostles who braved great dangers in fidelity to Christ’s great commission, to spread salvation to the ends of the earth, Columbus willingly endured the violent storms of the Atlantic to bring the Gospel to an unknown land.
Columbus utilized his Italian genius, his masculinity, his excitement and energy, to bravely venture into the unknown to fulfill the will of God. How dangerous, and yet, how authentic! How inspiring. In 2021, we need more Christopher Columbus’ don’t we?
Despite what our popular culture says, or what lies are spread about this great man by modernists in journalism and college campuses, Christopher Columbus was not racist or imperialist or sexist or genocidal for wishing to spread Christianity to an unknown land and foreign people. And neither are we. We do not need to apologize for believing that Christianity should be spread to all corners of the globe and to all people. Rather, we must allow great figures like Columbus, and St. Paul and the apostles to rouse us out of complacency and lend us courage to ensure we are doing everything we can to spread the gospel, to live the gospel, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
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That Catholics around the world will be ever more zealous in their preaching of the Gospel.
That young people be inspired to respond generously to God’s call to sanctity, and for vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
For those whose love for Christ has grown cold, for those who have fallen away from the Church, for those with unrepentant hearts, for their conversion and the deeper conversion of all people.
For the Knights of Columbus and all who look to the inspiration of Christopher Columbus, may they continue in good works and be examples of virtue and faith.
For the sick and the suffering, and all persecuted Christians, that they may come to experience Christ’s healing and peace amidst their illnesses and needs.
For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased clergy and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.
O God, you know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.
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