[celt-saints] 26 September
Celtic and Old English Saints 26 September =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= * St. Colman of Lann Elo * St. Meugant of Cornwall =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= St. Colman, Abbot in Ireland, Nephew of Saint Columcille (Elo Colman, Colman Elo, Colmanel) Born in Glenelly, Tyrone, Ireland, 555; died at Lann Elo (Lynally), September 26, c. 611. The Irish martyrology names about 300 saints with the name Colman. In fact, it is said that when Saint Carthage (f.d. May 14) cried out to his monks working by a stream, "Colman, get into the water!" 12 monks jumped in. This Saint Colman, of a Meath family, was deeply influenced by his uncle, Saint Columba (f.d. June 9). After his ordination as a young man, he visited his uncle on Iona and spent some time at Connor in Antrim (c. 590). He is primarily known as the austere founder of Lann Elo at Offaly near Durrow in Meath. He also founded and became the first abbot of Muckamore and later was bishop of Connor. He is generally thought to have been the author of "Aibgitir in Chrabaid" or the "Alphabet of devotion." When Colman suffered for a time from a memory loss, he said it was a punishment for his intellectual vanity. Saint Colman had many wise sayings, but one of the best remembered is that the three things that are strongest under the sun are the Church, fire, and water. Irish children often see fire on the bog in early spring when men are clearing the spreading grounds and they know what a terrifying sight it is when it becomes a living wall of flame that no man could quench. Colman-Elo said that the Church was like that: no man could overcome it. And when he saw the river in flood, uprooting trees and carrying away bridges, he said the same thing, "See the strength of that water! The Church is like that" (Attwater, Attwater2, Benedictines, Coulson, Delaney, Encyclopaedia). "Saint Colman and Baithin": This is a story of how Saint Colman's prayers for one of his students was answered by God. The little boy's name was Baithin. It was said that Baithin could never, ever remember anything he learned and he never remembered an injury. He was a boy with a sunny temperament, which was nice to have around, but it was frustrating for his teachers that he couldn't remember his lessons. So Colman and the boy's teacher determined to do something to make him remember. First the ten-year-old was warned to pay attention. After several reprimands, Colman slapped the boy, who stormed out of the school and into the woods. The saint followed him, but knew it would be impossible to find someone who wanted to hide in the woods. When Colman returned to the monastery, he went straight to the chapel to pray for Baithin's safe return--and that he would learn his lessons. At first Baithin was happy to have escaped into the sunshine and away from the stifling classroom. Gaily he pranced through the woods until he reached a clearing where he found a man with a bundle of stakes on his back. The man threw his bundle to the ground, picked out one of the stakes and thrust it deep into the earth. Baithin was curious. "'What are you doing?' "'Building a house.' "'What,' cried Baithin, 'building a house with one stick! How silly! You'll never do it.' "'Oh, yes,' said the man, 'I can and I will. If you stay here with me, you'll see me do it.'" Glad to have a chance to rest, Baithin sat down and watched. "Now, let me tell you how they built houses in those far- off days. First a circle of stakes was made; then more stakes, or wattles, were woven across through the standing ones. This made a wall, which was later plastered over with clay that dried quickly. Then a thatched roof was put on. A man could sleep in this and be snug and warm. We build our houses in a different way today, with cement blocks or brick, but still you must remember that the grandest and finest house is begun with just one brick, or one block." Baithin sat there watching as little by little the man completed a circle of stakes. He could see how a great thing was made of many small steps. The idea came to him that maybe, just maybe, if he stuck to his lessons, he might slowly be able to learn them. He didn't welcome this thought, because he didn't want to return to the school. To erase it from his mind, he jumped up and continued on, looking for something more interesting. "All at once the sun went behind a cloud and it began to rain. The boy ran under an oak tree to take shelter. He leaned against the trunk and looked up at the green, leafy roof over him. Then he noticed that there was just one opening in the leaves where a heavy drop kept coming through on to the ground. For want of something better to do, he dug his heel into the ground and made a hole under the drop, quite a good, deep, round hole to contain the water. Then he leaned against the tree again and watched. The water dripped into it, _drip-drop, drip- drop_, stea
[celt-saints] 26 September
Celtic and Old English Saints 26 September =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= * St. Colman of Lann Elo * St. Meugant of Cornwall =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= St. Colman, Abbot in Ireland, Nephew of Saint Columcille (Elo Colman, Colman Elo, Colmanel) Born in Glenelly, Tyrone, Ireland, 555; died at Lann Elo (Lynally), September 26, c. 611. The Irish martyrology names about 300 saints with the name Colman. In fact, it is said that when Saint Carthage (f.d. May 14) cried out to his monks working by a stream, "Colman, get into the water!" 12 monks jumped in. This Saint Colman, of a Meath family, was deeply influenced by his uncle, Saint Columba (f.d. June 9). After his ordination as a young man, he visited his uncle on Iona and spent some time at Connor in Antrim (c. 590). He is primarily known as the austere founder of Lann Elo at Offaly near Durrow in Meath. He also founded and became the first abbot of Muckamore and later was bishop of Connor. He is generally thought to have been the author of "Aibgitir in Chrabaid" or the "Alphabet of devotion." When Colman suffered for a time from a memory loss, he said it was a punishment for his intellectual vanity. Saint Colman had many wise sayings, but one of the best remembered is that the three things that are strongest under the sun are the Church, fire, and water. Irish children often see fire on the bog in early spring when men are clearing the spreading grounds and they know what a terrifying sight it is when it becomes a living wall of flame that no man could quench. Colman-Elo said that the Church was like that: no man could overcome it. And when he saw the river in flood, uprooting trees and carrying away bridges, he said the same thing, "See the strength of that water! The Church is like that" (Attwater, Attwater2, Benedictines, Coulson, Delaney, Encyclopaedia). "Saint Colman and Baithin": This is a story of how Saint Colman's prayers for one of his students was answered by God. The little boy's name was Baithin. It was said that Baithin could never, ever remember anything he learned and he never remembered an injury. He was a boy with a sunny temperament, which was nice to have around, but it was frustrating for his teachers that he couldn't remember his lessons. So Colman and the boy's teacher determined to do something to make him remember. First the ten-year-old was warned to pay attention. After several reprimands, Colman slapped the boy, who stormed out of the school and into the woods. The saint followed him, but knew it would be impossible to find someone who wanted to hide in the woods. When Colman returned to the monastery, he went straight to the chapel to pray for Baithin's safe return--and that he would learn his lessons. At first Baithin was happy to have escaped into the sunshine and away from the stifling classroom. Gaily he pranced through the woods until he reached a clearing where he found a man with a bundle of stakes on his back. The man threw his bundle to the ground, picked out one of the stakes and thrust it deep into the earth. Baithin was curious. "'What are you doing?' "'Building a house.' "'What,' cried Baithin, 'building a house with one stick! How silly! You'll never do it.' "'Oh, yes,' said the man, 'I can and I will. If you stay here with me, you'll see me do it.'" Glad to have a chance to rest, Baithin sat down and watched. "Now, let me tell you how they built houses in those far- off days. First a circle of stakes was made; then more stakes, or wattles, were woven across through the standing ones. This made a wall, which was later plastered over with clay that dried quickly. Then a thatched roof was put on. A man could sleep in this and be snug and warm. We build our houses in a different way today, with cement blocks or brick, but still you must remember that the grandest and finest house is begun with just one brick, or one block." Baithin sat there watching as little by little the man completed a circle of stakes. He could see how a great thing was made of many small steps. The idea came to him that maybe, just maybe, if he stuck to his lessons, he might slowly be able to learn them. He didn't welcome this thought, because he didn't want to return to the school. To erase it from his mind, he jumped up and continued on, looking for something more interesting. "All at once the sun went behind a cloud and it began to rain. The boy ran under an oak tree to take shelter. He leaned against the trunk and looked up at the green, leafy roof over him. Then he noticed that there was just one opening in the leaves where a heavy drop kept coming through on to the ground. For want of something better to do, he dug his heel into the ground and made a hole under the drop, quite a good, deep, round hole to contain the water. Then he leaned against the tree again and watched. The water dripped into it, _drip-drop, drip- drop_, stea
