Monday, June 9, 2014 (St. Columba)

Monday, June 9, 2014 (St. Columba)

Galatians 4:12-20

Today we celebrate the life of St Columba.  One never knows where fact becomes fiction in the stories of the lives of saints, especially when thousands of years as well as theological embellishment stand between us and the saint. What we know is that Columba was born in 521 AD in northwest Ireland into a kingly family.  He could have become a king of his clan but instead chose to join the church where he used his leadership skills to establish a number of monasteries in Ireland.  According to the tradition, Columba’s downfall may have been his love of books.  Apparently he was quite skilled at copying manuscripts. When Columba’s Abbot, Finnian, returned from Rome with a copy of St Jerome’s psalter, Columbia coveted this book.  Finnian guarded the book closely because it was so rare, but Columba somehow secretly made a copy of it for himself.  When Finnian learned of the copy he claimed that the copy by rights should also belong to him.  Columba refused to hand over the copy so Finnian appealed to King Diarmaid.  The King ruled in Finnian’s favour:  “To every cow her calf,” said the king, “and to every book its son-book.”  

Angry at the King’s decision, Columba’s anger increased when Diarmaid’s men disrespected the sanctuary of Columba’s monastery by dragging out and killing a prince who had sought refuge in the monastery after accidentally killing a rival in a hurling match.  It is not clear how or if Columba’s anger contributed to the war that broke out between the clans but he seems to have felt great remorse for the deaths of 3000 men in the ensuing battle.  Deeply regretting the loss of life, Columba said “Men lie dead through the pride of a man of peace” and so he resolved to not rest until he’d won for God as many souls as had fallen in this battle.

At the age of 42 Columba and twelve monks sailed away from his beloved Ireland trusting that God would use wind and waves to land them safely on some distant shore.  They came ashore on the island of Iona where Columba built a monastery that became a centre of learning and evangelism as the Dark Ages descended upon Europe.  Thanks to Columba’s efforts almost all of western Scotland was converted to Christianity.  

Columba’s biographer, Adomnan, records many miracles performed by the saint, events that led to the conversions of many to Christianity.  Columba is said to have cast a demon out of a pail of milk and restored the spilt milk to the pail.  One of the more famous stories is an encounter with a sea monster (which may have been the Loch Ness monster) threatening the life of a Pict.  With the sign of the cross Columba banished the monster with a curse: “thou shalt go no further, nor touch the man, go back with all speed”, to the amazement of the Picts gathered to watch.  Apparently the Picts converted on the spot because Columba’s God had power over such frightful monsters.

During the last years of Columba’s life, when his health made it impossible for him to travel on mission trips, Columba returned to his first love, transcribing books.  On the day he died, June 9^th 597, Columba was supposedly working on a copy of the Psalter.

Whether as an act of penance because he had blood on his hands or as a punishment for his illegal copying of a psalter, Columba chose to live in exile as a pilgrim, leaving his kin and country for a new land.  God did not abandon St Columba.  Instead God picked up the pieces of his life and wove them into a spectacular life.  What may have felt like an ending for Columba, God fashioned into a life of remarkable missionary and educational achievements. 

Every one of us makes mistakes in our lives.  There are choices we deeply regret, loved ones we may have harmed with words or actions.  That makes us no different than St Columba or any of the heroes of our Christian faith.  Our Lord will use us and our unique life stories to bring the love of Christ to those who do not know this transformative love.  Each Christian is called to move from our comfort zones to unknown lands and people to spread the good news of Christ.  Those unknown lands and peoples may be as near as our neighbours across the street.  No matter how close or how far it takes faith in our Lord to lay aside our personal plans and to listen instead to our Lord’s invitation to follow him and to make disciples of Christ.  You and I follow in St Columba’s footsteps every time we step out in faith, basing our lives on something we cannot see, taking our place in a journey whose destination has no exact determination.  

The Prayer of St. Columba

Be a bright flame before me, O God

a guiding star above me.

Be a smooth path below me,

a kindly shepherd behind me

today, tonight, and for ever.

Alone with none but you, my God

I journey on my way;

what need I fear when you are near,

O Lord of night and day?

More secure am I within your hand

than if a multitude did round me stand.

Amen.

• Rev’d Julia Gill

(Priest-in-Charge, The Chuch of St. Columba, Waterloo)