Produced by Michael Gray, Diocese of San Jose
THE
LIFE OF ST. COLUMBA
ABBOT AND APOSTLE OF THE NORTHERN PICTS
THE LIFE OF
SAINT COLUMBA, OR COLUMKILLE,
ABBOT,
APOSTLE OF THE PICTS,
AND PATRON OF THE MONASTIC ORDER IN IRELAND.
"Iste est qui ante Deum magnos virtutes operatus est, et de
omni corde suo laudavit Dominum."
"This is he who before God operated wonders, and with all his
heart praised the Lord."
CHAPTER I.
BIRTH AND HOLY DISPOSITIONS OF ST. COLUMBA--HIS ECCLESIASTICAL
TRAINING AT ST. FINNIAN'S--HE RECEIVES THE HOLY ORDER OF
DEACON
AFTER having attempted to write the life of our illustrious
St. Patrick, with that of his spiritual daughter Bridget, the
saintly patroness of Ireland, it is but meet, and may be
expected, that we should also endeavor to furnish the
biography of the holy Columba, or Columkille, who, living
almost in the same era, filled with the same spirit, and
enclosed in the same shrine, has ever been deemed with them
one of Erin's chief patrons, his name being interwoven with
theirs in the reminiscences of Irish piety.
This glorious saint was born about the close of the year 521,
so that as a spiritual star, he began to rise in the firmament
of the Irish Church, just as St. Bridget had disappeared
therefrom to shine in heaven. His birth and future eminence
were predicted during the lifetime of St. Patrick, perhaps by
the holy apostle himself. By his father, Mancanava, the blood
of the Nialls, princes of Tyrconnel, flowed in his veins,
while by his mother Aethena, who drew her origin from an
illustrious family in Leinster, he was connected with Caithir,
the reigning monarch of all Ireland.
Previous to his birth, a dream or vision of singular import
admonished Aethena that her child was to be specially blessed
by the Most High. While asleep one night, it seemed to her
that an angel approached, bearing in his hand a robe of
unparalleled beauty, which having presented to her, he after a
short interval withdrew, and spreading it forth suffered the
wind to carry it away. Disappointed at this strange
proceeding, Aethena anxiously inquired why she had not been
permitted to retain this beauteous garment, and her
interrogatory was met by the reply that it could not be
allowed to remain with her. Meanwhile, and as the angel spoke,
Aethena kept her eyes steadfastly fixed on the mantle which
was now balanced in the firmament; and as it ascended towards
the heavens she perceived that its dimensions became so
expanded, as that it extended over mountains, forests, and
distant plains. The novelty and grandeur of the spectacle
increased her regret for the loss of so extraordinary and
magnificent a costume; but while feeling thus sadly, a voice
consoled her with those words: "Woman, grieve not, for you
shall bring forth a son, who will guide innumerable souls to
heaven, and be counted among the prophets of the Most High."
This promise must surely have brought comfort to Aethena; our
business is now to show how it was fulfilled. In early youth,
or we might perhaps say infancy, Columba, owing to the piety
of his parents, was committed to the tutelage of the venerable
priest by whom he had been purified in the waters of baptism.
Even then, the whole tenor of his conduct showed how strongly
imbued he was with religious principles, for even then did he
furnish presages of his future sanctity. "From his very
childhood," says Adamnan his biographer, "Columba was devoted
to those exercises of piety which befitted his tender years;
and so holily solicitous was he for the preservation of
spotless purity of mind and body, that by the superior
sanctity of his manners, though dwelling upon earth, he was
already ripe for heaven." But it was not alone by the pious
life of the saintly Columba that the special predilection of
heaven in his regard was made manifest; by the exercise of His
omnipotence, too, did the Lord display the extraordinary love
with which He cherished him. It happened, that while still
abiding with Cruthenan, the holy priest who, as we have said,
superintended his education, the good ecclesiastic returning
home one day after the discharge of some sacred function,
beheld as he approached his dwelling, the house illuminated
with a pure and serene light, and as he entered he saw over
the head of his pupil Columba, a luminous globe of fire as if
suspended in the air, from which there was emitted a clear and
steady radiance. Filled with amazement at this marvellous
scene, the venerable man prostrated himself on the floor and
admired in profound silence this expressive indication of the
spiritual effulgence with which the soul of his favored charge
was illuminated by heaven. Indeed, Columba was singularly
favored in various ways; even when still a little boy, he
recited the Psalms together with Brugacius, bishop at
Rathenaigh, whither he had accompanied his preceptor, whom the
prelate had invited to spend with him the Christmas festival.
[1]
But the time had now arrived when it became necessary to
direct more particularly the attention of the young saint to
those studies in which candidates for the sacerdotal ministry
should be skilled, and to afford him an opportunity of
pursuing such learning with advantage, he was transferred from
the house of Cruthenan to the school of Moville, whose
president was the great St. Finnian, renowned among his
countrymen for learning and sanctity. In early life he had had
the good fortune to be placed under the care of Colman and
Clan, two ecclesiastics of whom there is honorable mention in
the ancient annals of Ireland; by their advice he passed over
into Britain in order to profit by the lectures which were
delivered by Nennius at his seminary of Whitethorn, and after
some time, he returned to Ireland and began to impart to the
youth of his own vicinity, in a building appropriated for the
purpose, that learning which he himself had journeyed so far
to acquire. The fame of this new teacher soon spread through
the island, and drew to his school numbers of the youth who
aspired to the service of the altar. Columba, among others,
here devoted several years to sacred studies, and with all the
success which had been anticipated. His proficiency in
evangelical perfection was equally rapid, so that he was soon
raised to the holy order of Deaconship. While officiating in
that character on one occasion, his ministry was honored by
heaven in the following extraordinary manner, the miracle of
Cana being renewed at his instance. The bishop of the diocess
on a certain morning being about to celebrate the Eucharistic
sacrifice, Columba, who was charged with the care of the
altar, by his office, found "_they_" had "_no wine_" in the
monastery, and moreover, that it could not be procured until
after considerable delay. Without more ado, he went to a
neighboring fountain, and having filled a vessel, which he had
brought with him, from its limpid source, he prayed that the
name of the Lord might be once more magnified by a renewal of
the wonder effected at the marriage feast. He was heard; for
on the instant, the liquid element again felt the power of the
Divinity, and Columba, full of rapture at the sight,
exclaimed, as he returned to the assembled clergy, "Here is
wine, which the Lord Jesus has furnished for the celebration
of His Mysteries!" [2]
When the period arrived which terminated the holy deacon's
residence in the monastery of St. Finnian, feeling desirous of
becoming still more perfect in virtue and learning, he did not
on leaving Moville at once return home, but for some time
placed himself under the tuition of a certain master named
Germanus, who had recently come from a foreign country, and
had already acquired a high reputation in Ireland for piety
and literature. The same special Providence who had hitherto
watched over and illustrated the opening career of our saint,
still continued its loving care of him. His new preceptor
clearly saw that Columba was a cherished object of the divine
predilection, having among other proofs less equivocal,
evidence that the Almighty on a certain occasion revealed to
him the judgment which he was about to visit on a guilty
individual.
[1] Dr. Lanigan, ch. 11, vol. 2, Eccles. Hist.
[2] Adamnan, Book 1st, chap. 1st.