A Catholic Fairy Tale-Blog Tale Six "Until the End of Time"

The fireball streaked across the sky and the small girl saw it. It flare like a red arc and fell into the sea near the girl's home. The girl's name was Fial and her mother and father had left her long ago to go to a far land to find money, as they were so poor, That was so long ago, that Fial had forgotten how many years ago they were gone.

They had left Fial on their cold, rocky island with three brothers, three cats, three barrels of dried fish and dried kale, some crockery and a sacred book. The mother and father had taught the children how to fish and make kale soup. But, that was long ago. The island had seen many people leave because of lack of work and poor fishing. Fial and her brothers were the last ones on the island.

One day, the oldest brother, Lit, came to the others and said that he was making a coracle out of reed from the back of the island to look for his parents. Fial was afraid. She had lost her mother and father, and she did not want to lose her eldest brother, a strong, tall boy of fifteen. But, Lit was determined to go. One day, when the sun was shining, Lit said goodbye to his two brothers, and Fial then pushed his coracle into the sea. That was many years ago, and Fial had forgotten how many in her grief. Lit's face was the first she had remembered as a baby, and now she would not see his black hair and brown face again.

After a few years, Dona , the second son, came to his brother and Fial and stated he could no longer eat fish and kale soup. He wanted a bride and to have his own thatched cottage. Fial cried and told him that he could not leave the two youngest on their own. They had already lost their parents to the sea, as well as Lit. But, Dona was determined. He made a coracle out of the reeds at the back of the island and when his craft was done, he pushed it into the sea and left. Fial watched him until her eyes could no longer make him stand out from the waves on the horizon. She slowly went back to the cottage and made soup for herself and the youngest boy, Gare. A few years went by and Gare grew restless. He wanted to make things, like bridges and larger buidlings than what the two could do with the rocks and reeds on the island. But, Gare did not want to leave Fial. He knew it would be wrong to leave his sister on her own on the harsh island. He would think of a way to convince her to move.

As Gare was planning a way to convince Fial to go with him and leave the island, a strange thing happened. On a sunny day, a very large bird flew over Gare three times in a circle. He watched it and noticed that it had black markings on the top of its head. Gare thought “This is Lit” and he watched and waited. The bird, which looked like an albatross, perched itself on a jutting of rock near the small bay which lapped up to the door of the cottage. Gare watched the bird. And suddenly, it flew low over him and dropped a packet at Gare's feet. Gare picked up the packet and watched as the albatross flew higher and higher into the air, out over the sea, and then far away.

Fial saw this and ran out to Gare. They stared at the packet, which was made of seal's leather. Fial told Gare to open it and as he did three things fell into his hand. The first thing was a bright, golden key. It was about six inches long and simple, like a simple house key.

The second thing was a loose diamond, so bright it hurt their eyes in the sunlight. It was finished, not rough, but not in a setting. The third thing was a seal, like one uses for wax. The seal had the shape of a leaping dolphin and strange words around the edge, like runes. Neither Gare nor Fial could read the words.

Just as they were staring at the objects, a second, very strange thing occurred. A large fish, like a small whale, temporarily beached on the sand, and then, it leapt back into the waves and was gone. Where it had landed, was a small map with an island and a compass showing directions. Fial gasped. It was a page missing from the sacred book of her parents she had kept in her room in a drawer. She recognized it as the page which was ripped out of the front of the book. And, as she was holding it, a third strange thing happened. Over the sea, Gare could see a coracle coming. It was tossing on the waves, as if empty. Then, suddenly, it crashed, and was caught on the rocks where the albatross had landed so many minutes ago.

Gare and Fial rushed over to the small craft and there, at the bottom, was an old man. He was very large, for the size of the coracle and he looked healthy, but he was not awake. Kial and Gare reached down quickly, as the coracle was sinking under the rough waves and pulled the man onto the sand. The man began to cough, then he opened his eyes, and looked at the two young brother and sister. The man began to speak, but neither Kial nor Gare could understand his language.

They helped him into the house as a gale was rising and Kial made soup. The man sat by the fire. He tried to speak, but the brother and sister let him know that they could not understand him. Then, the man, who had the whitest of white hair and bright blue eyes, took some damp paper and a pencil like instrument out of his shirt pocket and drew this picture.

He drew a castle with a battle raging in the front, of a large army. He drew a holy priest saying Mass in front of the castle. He drew the priest being killed and the army destroying the castle. The old man stopped and wept quietly. Then, the man pointed to the dead priest and then to himself. Fial and Gare then knew that he too was a priest. The man drew an island with no people. He drew a church and then showed it burning. When he drew, the two youth's understood that the man was the last priest of all, the last priest of the island

Gare gave the priest his bed and then the older man fell asleep. Gare and Fial talked into the early morning and decided to give the objects to the priest and then they fell asleep.

When the two awoke, the priest was setting up to say Mass. Fial and Gare had memories of being taken to Mass as children, but it was so long ago, they could hardly remember. The priest made a sign asking if the coracle was gone. The three then went out and could see it half under the waves. The priest strode out and swam to the coracle, now being tossed here and there. He dove down and came up with a medium sized black box. Fial and Gare watched him take it back to the house. When he could not open it, Gare gave him the key. The priest looked a long time at Gare and then took the key. In the box was wine and some white, small hosts, a cross and long piece of linen marked with purple designs.

Fial and Gare watched as the priest set up a little altar. Then, he began to say Mass,.

Introibo ad altare Dei

Gare knew the words. He was so excited he began to weep. Fial, who had never remembered the words of the Mass watched. Then, the two, priest and server, said the Mass.

Fial felt a warm happiness fill the cottage. She felt like a new girl. She did not understand what was happening, but she knew it was good.

After Mass, all three were quiet for a long time. Then, Fial made soup. Gare then gave the priest the  second thing from the seal pouch. It was the diamond. The priest looked at it and then took a ring without a setting out of his pocket. The diamond fit exactly into the ring, and Gare knew the priest was a bishop. Fial stared as the bishop squeezed the diamond into the ring and watched as Gare knelt down and kissed the ring. She could not believe her eyes.

The third item in the pouch was the seal. Gare's hands were trembling. Fial watched him give the seal to the bishop and she understood. The man was the Pope. The Pope took the seal and placed it on his finger. He then read the words on the side, and Gare for the first time recognized them as Latin, but in an odd form. The words were said by the man, “et ego dico tibi quia tu es Petrus et super hanc petram aedificabo ecclesiam meam et portae inferi non praevalebunt adversum eam.”

Gare fell to his knees as did Fial. They did not know what to do but kneel. The old man took them by the hand and made them stand up. Then, he said in Latin to Gare, that he was not only the last priest in the world, but the Pope. That all of Christendom had been destroyed by many enemies and he alone escaped. Gare, who had learned Latin many years ago from Lit, asked the Pope if he had seen Lit, describing him. The Pope said yes, that Lit had joined the last army of Christendom and died in front of the castle. Then, Gare asked the Pope if he had seen Dona and the Pope said yes, that he had been the steward of the king and now, all were dead.

Fial and Gare did not cry. They had known that their brothers who left so long ago, were dead.

But, then, the Pope asked Gare a question. Would Gare study to be a priest, so that there would be two on earth? Gare, his eyes shining, said yes, with all his heart. Fial was amazed at her youngest brother. But, she was silent.

The last thing to give the Pope was the paper from the sacred book. Gare gave it to the Pope and he looked at it. He laughed a little and said this was a map of the Vatican but the Vatican was no more.

Gare and Fial could not understand why the page was torn out of their sacred book.

The Pope looked at them and said slowly so that Gare could understand, that his parents had left to find the Vatican, not to find money. That people had come from all over the world to defend it from her enemies, but all now was lost. Gare and Fial then knew their parents had been martyred.

They cried for a long time and then, they were peaceful. Night came and the stars shone. The Pope explained that the next day Gare would begin to learn Latin. Fial could learn as well. Then, when Gare's Latin was good enough, the Pope would teach him the Tradition and Truths of the Church.

That night, Fial stared at the stars as she lay on the beach. She could hardly imagine that her world had changed so quickly. She knew what had become of her missing family and she knew that Gare would be a priest. But, what of her. She prayed and asked that God would show her and then, she went back to her room and went to sleep.

After a week, Gare could begin to discuss things with the Pope in Latin. Fial came to him and asked him is he would ask the Pope what she was supposed to do.

Gare brought soup to the Pope after Mass and asked him. The Pope said that Fial would be married, have many children and then die an old woman, in a convent which her daughters would found.

Gare could hardly believe this, as there were no men within hundreds of miles of their island. But, the Pope said this would be so.

Six months and then a year passed. Gare knew how to speak Latin and read so well what the Pope wrote that they would talk for hours. The little cottage was peaceful and happy, with Mass, the simple suppers and conversation.

Then, one day, the Pope said to Gare, “Fial must be made a coracle, and she must leave us here to  find her husband. She will find him on another island and bring him back here. But, she must leave.”

Gare was afraid, but he trusted the Pope, and together they made the best small strong coracle they could. In a week, Fial was kissing the hand of the Pope and her brother's brown face goodbye. Then, she pushed her boat into the waves and was gone.

Fial used her oar, but then let the currents take her. She was going East, into the sun, and the wind was hot. She floated for a long time, several days, until she saw the thin line of a low island. A large bird flew above her and the sky was clear. In two weeks she had been in the small boar, with fish and soup and water. Now, the waters pushed her onto the empty beach of this low island.

It was hot, much hotter than her island. It was almost bare, and rocky. It was dry and windy, not green and rainy like her island.

Fial got out and pulled her coracle up onto the beach. The island was so quiet. She could hardly believe there would be anyone there. The large bird flew over her three times and she followed it up a small cliff. The sun against the rocks almost hurt her eyes. Then, she saw something which surprised her. It was a small church, made out of white stone.

A strange cross which resembled a flower was painted on the rock of the church. She walked towards it and suddenly, there were three men. Fial  became frightened, but one called out in her own language. “Wait, do not be afraid” Fial was about to run away, but when the men approached she saw they were kind and worried.

“Do not be afraid. We are ship-wrecked. We have been hoping for someone to take us to a place where there are people. We escaped from the slaughter of the war.” Fial began to cry. She did not speak of the Pope, but told of her own brothers. One man cried. “I knew Lit. Yes, he died. He was brave”. Fial began to cry so hard that the three men grew more silent. Then, they told her to sit down. They came back with honey, flat bread, mussels and oysters. Fial ate while they told her of the wars. They were a father and two sons. The father was Ambrose and the sons were Paul and Mark. Fial asked them if they were Christians. They said of course, and they were the last soldiers of Christendom. Ambrose explained that he had tried to save the priest who died and could not, the enemies were so fierce. Then, Paul said he was upset at the death of the bishop, the last one, as he had wanted to be priest. Fial listened, and Mark stared at her while she ate.

After awhile, Fial sad slowly, “I know of a bishop.” Paul was so excited that Ambrose told him to be quiet and listen. Fial did not tell the men that the Pope was on her island, but she did tell them that she had met a bishop.

Then, the wind grew hotter and the men offered the little church for Fial to rest in. They stayed outside in the heat and sandy storm which came off the island. Fial awoke. It was the next day. 

Mark had caught and cooked fish, while the others were packing their goods and taking down the church, stone by stone. “If you will let us, we will build a small ship from the driftwood and leave in a week to your island where we can meet this bishop.”

Fial agreed. In one week, all four were in a small boat with a sail, full of fish, nuts, olives, and water. The men cast off, and Fial was on her way home.

The trip took less time and in days, the small boat was putting into the bay in front of Gare and Fial's cottage. The men, especially Paul grew excited as they approached, as he could hardly wait to meet the bishop. But, when Ambrose, Paul and Mark saw Gare and Peter coming towards then, they were struck with silence. All three knelt down in the sand and kissed the Pope's ring. Mark said softly, “Your Holiness.”

Within the year, Mark and Fial were married by Peter. Paul was studying with Gare to be a priest. Ambrose took simple vows to be a monk and hermit. Soon, he went to the other side of the island to pray and be by himself.

In the next year, Mark and Fial had their first baby girl, named Mary, and Gare and Paul were made deacons.

The Church was growing again.