Rescuers become ‘fishers of men’

Published: 09.26.08

Walt and Christopher Marino never expected to be the “catch of the day.” The father and son were swimming at Ponce de Leon Inlet and were swept out into the Atlantic Ocean by the tide. At first, Walt and his son, who is autistic, stayed together and kept each other alert and reassured, but eventually the waves separated them, and they ended up far out to sea. See, God In The Water.

Through the long night in the water and into the morning, Walt turned to God for guidance and hope. And yes, at some points, he even began to doubt God. Haven’t we all done this in times of trial? Not unlike the apostles, with Jesus in the boat during a raging storm, we feel we must awaken the Lord and ask, “Don’t you see what’s happening here?” And Jesus calms the waters and tells us that all is well.

Or like Peter, whom Jesus called out of the boat and told him to cross the water. At first, Peter walked on the water as the Master did. Then, he faltered. “Oh you of little faith,” Jesus chided. But the Lord was not angry; he knows our faith sometimes is tested. We’re not divine. We don’t always know the outcome. At times it is hard for us to accept that God is in control.

But through the struggle in the ocean, Walt Marino came back to his faith. He swam toward shore (God helps those who help themselves), and he settled back in the arms of God and the rescuers reached him 12 miles out. Salvation came through the sun glinting off a medal of the Mother of God around his neck, which caught the eyes of the men on a fishing boat. Setting out that morning, the fishermen never expected to be fishers of men. But as Jesus called his first disciples to be fishers of men, the Mother of God signaled these fishermen. They picked up Walt, and a helicopter found and saved Christopher.

Ironically, the Marinos were not the only catch of the day. There is another Scripture story, in which Jesus tells the disciples, who have been fishing all night and have not caught anything, to cast their nets again in deep water. “Simon said in reply, ‘Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.’ When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing (Lk 5:5-6).” The fishermen who picked up Walt got in touch with him later and said that day they had one of their best fish catches of the season. God helps those who help others, too, it seems.

There are so many lessons to be learned from this story. When you get swept away by the tide of anything that overwhelms you – work, family pressures, the pace of life – first, try to stay together and focus on your family, but if you end up alone, stay calm. Pray, ask for God’s guidance and aim for a guiding light. In Walt’s case it was the Ponce Inlet lighthouse; in your case, it might be the candle burning next to the tabernacle at church.

Second, if you’re in the middle of nowhere and you see something shiny that makes you curious, check it out; it might be something, or someone, precious. Be observant of your surroundings. For the fishermen, it was a reflection on the wide ocean; what will it take to jar you out of your daily routine? Don’t let yourself be so busy that you can’t take time to occasionally satisfy your curiosity, or help someone in need.

And third, trust your children and entrust them to God’s care. He made them unique and wonderful.

You may never completely understand how talented, how brave and how resilient they are until they are tested by some difficulty. Like Christopher Marino, they may surprise you at the strength they reveal.

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