ST COLUMBA (521-597) Columba was a monk at the monastery of Moville in Ireland. The Abbot there was named Finnian and he had been to Rome and returned with a copy of the Gospels. At that time religious manuscripts were very rare because they were all written by hand. Columba asked Finnian if he could make a copy of the manuscript but Finnian refused. Columba, however, was a prince of the O’Neills and thus was a proud and independent-minded man so, undeterred, he got up in the middle of the night and copied a small piece of the manuscript. He repeated this act every night, copying a small piece of the manuscript each time. On the last night Finnian walked in on Columba and flew into a rage. He demanded the copy from Columba who refused and retreated to the country of his tribe. Finnian appealed to the High King of Ireland who ruled in his favour, but Columba was not to be put off. Once again he ran home to his tribe and raised an army and marched south. The High King, angry that his judgment had been defied, raised his army and marched north. There was a huge battle. Columba won but 2000 men were killed. Columba, seized with remorse, took some men with him and sailed for Scotland in a small boat called a ‘coracle.’ He reached the island now off Southend on the Mull of Kintyre but he found that when he climbed to the top of the hill he could still see Ireland. As a result he sailed on to the island of Iona and established a monastery there. This was the year 563. Columba succeeded during the following 34 years in reviving Christianity amongst the Scots and in the north of England. Amongst his many accomplishments, Columba was a skilled sailor. He sailed far amongst the islands and travelled deep inland, making converts and founding little churches. He also wrote many prayers, including our College Blessing, ‘Deep Peace.’ Columba died on Iona on the 9th of June, 597. He left behind a spiritual legacy in the Celtic tradition that recognises God as present in all his creation and embraces God in peaceful contemplation. Iona itself remains a place of the greatest beauty, a serene island set in seas that take on brilliant colours in the sunshine. It later became the site of a Benedictine Abbey and of a little cathedral.
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B O O K M A R K
O Lord, Grant us that love which can never die, which will enkindle our lamps but not extinguish them, so that they may shine in us and bring light to others. Most dear Saviour, Enkindle our lamps that they may shine forever in Your temple. May we receive unquenchable light from You so that our darkness will be illuminated and the darkness of the world will be made less. Amen.