Wednesday, October 17, 2007

St. Columba

"Columba was unimpressed with the power of the Druids and he often beat them at their own game, crying "Christ is my Druid!" Broichan realized that he was facing a rival, so later, when Columba and the translators were on their way back to Iona, the Arch Druid conjured a great wind to frustrate their setting sail. Columba cried out "Christ is my Druid!" and sailed straight into the storm. The wind suddenly shifted and quickly propelled their craft on its way home. According to Columba's biographer, Adamnan, Columba was granted the gift of healing and prophecy. Water blessed by Columba had curative powers, and he also changed water into wine. When he celebrated the Holy Eucharist, an uncreated light was seen to shine down upon him. He went on many missionary journeys, to Northern Scotland and the Heathen Picts, to Aberdeen and the Orkneys and he even converted King Brude at Iverness. Columba divided his time between the communal life of the monastery and in the solitary life of a hermit. His bed and pillow were made of stone, and he often spent the night in prayer by himself in some solitary corner of the island."


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2 comments:

  1. I am awash in Columba tonight. first from your blog and from another, and tonight I am reading the history of Columba on the Isle of Iona for a paper I have to write for next week. There are no coincidences that you keep posting these nuggets of Celtic Christianity since your trip and my bringing up the subject.

    Is God talking to you too recently???

    There are no coincidences.

    Jeremy

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  2. You know Jeremy, there is so much from the lives of some of these people that I draw on for inspiration. I mean yeah, some of the stories are probably just that, stories. But some of the stories keep coming up again and again from different places, so I need to give them my attention and respect.

    Columba has become a source of hope to me.

    I've been looking for a good biography of the guy. Any suggestions?

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