The Bishop and the Three Brothers on the Island
This is a story I learned from Anthony De Mello many years ago. Please forgive any paraphrasing I've done, as I am rewriting it from memory. I read the story from a book lent to be me by one of his disciples years ago.
Once there was a beautiful lagoon with a island far out in the middle of it. Missionaries often went out into the areas around the lagoon primarily for the beauty. One day, the Bishop came to visit. As his ship passed the island, he was saw three fisherman who waved at him as his boat passed. Curious, the Bishop asked the local priests and brothers why he saw no shrines as he passed, yet the fishermen seemed to know him.
One of the brothers replied, "Some of us have been out there to teach them, but they seem unable to remember even their own family names. How are we teach them the greater prayers that we know?" This stuck in the Bishop's mind as he visited the missions and shrines the missionaries and their congregations built.
Finally, it weighed on the Bishop's mind enough that he resolved to go out to the island and teach them himself. He got a local pilot to take him out to the island and drop him off. The boat pilot looked at him oddly, but agreed to come back out in four days to pick the Bishop and bring him back. That would give him enough time to make his return voyage to his headquarters.
As the boat neared the island, the Three Men began waving. Immediately, he noticed that they barely wore any clothing. The weather was agreeable year round out here, or so his boat pilot indicated. Still, their lack of modesty bothered him a little. He would make a mental note to deal with that issue after teaching them some prayers. The pilot traded them rope for fish, coconuts, and other things on the island. They had all the other materials they needed. He also learned that they were brothers whose mother and father had died in a storm many years earlier.
When the boat hit the beach, the Three Brothers greeted them all with the wonder of children. They marveled at the clothing the Bishop wore and the books and things that he brought with him. They traded with the boat pilot, then he left, promising to return in four days.
The Bishop explained to the Brothers that he had come to teach them how to pray. But, first, he wanted to know how they prayed, to which they replied, "We are three. You are Three. Have mercy on us. Our mother taught us that before she died." The Bishop was dismayed. The Brothers became dejected over this countenance. He smiled and said, I will teach you how our Lord taught us to pray."
He began, "Our father, which are in Heaven, hallowed by thy Name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth and in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." He went to say, "There is a beautiful benediction you can add at the end as well, "For Thine is the Kingdom and Power and the Glory, forever and ever."
The Brothers wept. The oldest spoke up, "That is pretty prayer compared to us. Please teach."
Unfortunately, none of them could read. So, the Bishop had to help them memorize each word. They kept tripping over words, or leaving out entire lines, or getting verbs wrong entirely. Throughout it all, the Bishop was gentle and patient with them. He never got angry with them about their mistakes. The hours quickly became a day, then two days. By the end of the third day, they seemed to be getting it right. He decided to leave them with just the Lord's Prayer, resolving to return in a few months to teach them more prayers. On the fourth day, he held a mass with them, which they clearly loved, enjoying listening to him chant the prayers.
They said goodbye, and together, they prayed the Lord's Prayer with the Bishop before he got in the pilot's boat. They waved as he left. He was quite happy with himself, congratulating himself for succeeding as he had in his youth.
Two days after the Bishop left the island, he boarded his ship for the return voyage. As he passed the island, the ship abruptly stopped and dropped anchor. Coming out on deck to see what had happened, the Bishop was amazed to see the Three Brothers walking on the water toward the ship. The captain had stopped, fearing that he would hit them.
As they came up on deck, the Bishop asked them what was wrong. "We kept messing up pretty prayer. We walk out to your boat so you can teach us to pray again," they replied.
So, the Bishop began, "We are Three. You are Three. Have Mercy on us."
Once there was a beautiful lagoon with a island far out in the middle of it. Missionaries often went out into the areas around the lagoon primarily for the beauty. One day, the Bishop came to visit. As his ship passed the island, he was saw three fisherman who waved at him as his boat passed. Curious, the Bishop asked the local priests and brothers why he saw no shrines as he passed, yet the fishermen seemed to know him.
One of the brothers replied, "Some of us have been out there to teach them, but they seem unable to remember even their own family names. How are we teach them the greater prayers that we know?" This stuck in the Bishop's mind as he visited the missions and shrines the missionaries and their congregations built.
Finally, it weighed on the Bishop's mind enough that he resolved to go out to the island and teach them himself. He got a local pilot to take him out to the island and drop him off. The boat pilot looked at him oddly, but agreed to come back out in four days to pick the Bishop and bring him back. That would give him enough time to make his return voyage to his headquarters.
As the boat neared the island, the Three Men began waving. Immediately, he noticed that they barely wore any clothing. The weather was agreeable year round out here, or so his boat pilot indicated. Still, their lack of modesty bothered him a little. He would make a mental note to deal with that issue after teaching them some prayers. The pilot traded them rope for fish, coconuts, and other things on the island. They had all the other materials they needed. He also learned that they were brothers whose mother and father had died in a storm many years earlier.
When the boat hit the beach, the Three Brothers greeted them all with the wonder of children. They marveled at the clothing the Bishop wore and the books and things that he brought with him. They traded with the boat pilot, then he left, promising to return in four days.
The Bishop explained to the Brothers that he had come to teach them how to pray. But, first, he wanted to know how they prayed, to which they replied, "We are three. You are Three. Have mercy on us. Our mother taught us that before she died." The Bishop was dismayed. The Brothers became dejected over this countenance. He smiled and said, I will teach you how our Lord taught us to pray."
He began, "Our father, which are in Heaven, hallowed by thy Name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth and in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." He went to say, "There is a beautiful benediction you can add at the end as well, "For Thine is the Kingdom and Power and the Glory, forever and ever."
The Brothers wept. The oldest spoke up, "That is pretty prayer compared to us. Please teach."
Unfortunately, none of them could read. So, the Bishop had to help them memorize each word. They kept tripping over words, or leaving out entire lines, or getting verbs wrong entirely. Throughout it all, the Bishop was gentle and patient with them. He never got angry with them about their mistakes. The hours quickly became a day, then two days. By the end of the third day, they seemed to be getting it right. He decided to leave them with just the Lord's Prayer, resolving to return in a few months to teach them more prayers. On the fourth day, he held a mass with them, which they clearly loved, enjoying listening to him chant the prayers.
They said goodbye, and together, they prayed the Lord's Prayer with the Bishop before he got in the pilot's boat. They waved as he left. He was quite happy with himself, congratulating himself for succeeding as he had in his youth.
Two days after the Bishop left the island, he boarded his ship for the return voyage. As he passed the island, the ship abruptly stopped and dropped anchor. Coming out on deck to see what had happened, the Bishop was amazed to see the Three Brothers walking on the water toward the ship. The captain had stopped, fearing that he would hit them.
As they came up on deck, the Bishop asked them what was wrong. "We kept messing up pretty prayer. We walk out to your boat so you can teach us to pray again," they replied.
So, the Bishop began, "We are Three. You are Three. Have Mercy on us."