Today, August
31, we celebrate the feast day of Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne (died 651), known as the Apostle
of the English (or the Apostle of Northumbria). Saint Aidan was the founder and
first bishop of the monastery on the island of Lindisfarne. He is credited with
restoring Christianity to the region. It is said of him, by Bishop Lightfoot, “Augustine
was the Apostle of Kent, but Aidan was the Apostle of the English." Saint Bede
the Venerablewould write of Saint Aidan in his biography:"he was a pontiff inspired with a passionate love of virtue,
but at the same time full of a surpassing mildness and gentleness."
Aidan was
born in Ireland, probably in Connacht, and studied as a monk at the monastery
on the Island of Iona in Scotland. While Christianity had spread into Britain
centuries earlier, during the invasion of the Romans, gradually paganism had
reclaimed the region. When Oswald of Northumbria regained the kingship, he
sought to re-establish Christianity, and bring the light of Christ to the
peoples living there. (Oswald is likely to have converted himself, upon a visit
to the monastery on Iona).
Based upon
his experience on Iona, King Oswald requested missionaries be sent to work
amongst the peoples. At first the monastery sent a new bishop named Cormán, but
he met with no success and soon returned to Iona, reporting that the
Northumbrians were too stubborn to be converted. Saint Aidan criticized Bishop
Cormán's methods and was sent as a replacement in 635.
Upon arrival
in Northumbria, Aidan established Lindisfarne—an island similar to Iona—as the
center of his diocese. Here Aidan established an Irish-type monastery of wooden
buildings: a small church, small, circular dwelling huts, perhaps one larger
building for communal purposes and in time, workshops as needed. The monks
lived a life of prayer, study and austerity, but spent the majority of time
preaching and engaged in activities of conversion. Through translation efforts
of the royal family—first Oswald, and then Oswine of Deira after the death of
Oswald—Aidan and his fellow monks preached the Gospel to all who would listen.
Over time, he came to be recognized for his piety and gentleness, and respected
by even the harshest critics of Christianity.
Gentle and
unassuming, Aidan traveled on foot from one village to another, engaging those
he met in polite conversation, and slowly raising their interest in
Christianity. According to legend, the king gave Aidan a horse so that he
wouldn't have to walk, but Aidan instead gave the horse to a beggar, modeling
the charitable love of Christ. Through patience and wisdom, Christianity took
root in these rural communities, and began to grow, fanned by the flames of
love and zeal of Aidan and his companions. To further the growth of the faith,
Aidan took in twelve English boys to train at the monastery, hoping to ensure
that the area's future religious leadership would be English. The monastery he
founded grew and helped found churches and other monasteries throughout the
area. By his death, it was widely recognized as a center of Christian faith and
learning throughout the regions.
Numerous
miracles were attributed to him while alive, including his intercession to save
the city of Bamburgh during attack by pagans. As holy legend tells us, when the
pagans attacked the city, they set the walls on fire. Aidan prayed for respite,
and the winds turned against the invaders, blowing the smoke from their own
fires over the invading army. They were forced to flee, and the city was saved.
After 16
years as bishop, Aidan died at Bamburgh. In his life we see the zeal and the
spirit of the first Apostles—a spirit based in generosity and dedication, in
passing along the gifts of grace one possesses to all encountered. The
Venerable Bede wrote of Saint Aidan: "He neither sought nor
loved anything of this world, but delighted in distributing immediately to the
poor whatever was given him by kings or rich men. He traversed both town and
country on foot, never on horseback, unless compelled by some urgent necessity.
Wherever on his way he saw any, either rich or poor, he invited them, if
pagans, to embrace the mystery of the faith; or if they were believers, he
sought to strengthen them in their faith and stir them up by words and actions
to alms and good works."
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| http://deborahvess.org/ids/medieval/celtic/celtic.html |
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