The Story of St Columba of Iona
St Columba the Patron Saint of the Knights
Columba was born in Gartan in County Donegal in Ireland on Thursday 7th December 521. His father, Phelim, was a prince of the Scotti in Ulster, and his mother, Eithne, a princess from the illustrious house of Leinster. He was baptised Colum - which in Latin becomes Columba - and means dove.
As a boy, his constant visits to a nearby little church earned him the nickname of Columcille - which means "Colum of the Church" . . . and that is the name by which he is affectionately known today throughout Scotland and Ireland.
He was sent to the famous school of St Finnian at Moville and left there as a deacon to continue his studies under another St Finnian at Clonard. When he was twenty five and ordained a priest, he began travelling all over Ireland, teaching and founding churches. When St Finnian of Moville returned from Rome with a number of precious books, possibly among them a copy of St Jerome's new Latin version of the Bible called the Vulgate, Columba was very anxious to see them. As a trusted friend, he was allowed to study them alone and worked through the night making a transcript for himself. Finnian was angry, and when Columba refused to surrender his copy, he appealed to the King, who gave the celebrated judgement on which all modern copyright depends, "To every cow its calf; to every book its copy"
. Columba's friends and relations felt the honour of the clan had been impugned, and a great battle took place at Culdreimhue, in which three thousand men are said to have died. In reparation, Columba banished himself from Ireland, resolving to win as many souls for Christ as had been slain in the battle.
In May 563 Columba set out with twelve disciples across the Irish Sea towards Scotland. Twice their coracle touched land but Columba could still see the green hills of Erin from both places. It was on May 12th, the Eve of Whitsun, that Columba and his followers landed on the Island of Iona. Even from the highest hill on the island, Ireland could no longer be seen. So Columba began his exile from Ireland ... and his task of bringing the Gospel to Scotland.
The monks buried the coracle where they had landed in Port a Chuvaich and, on the east coast of the island, they began to build their monastery. The first two years were devoted to building work but also to establishing the life of prayer and routine of the monastic community, including the work of making the library. At last Columba felt ready to begin his mission, and taking two of his monks, Kenneth and Columban, with him he set off for King Brude's fort at Inverness.
Most of the journey would have been made by water across the Sound of Loran, up Loch Linnhe, then overland carrying their coracle up the side of the River Lochy, through Loch Lochy, Loch Oich and finally Loch Ness. St Adamnan, Columcille's great biographer, records a meeting between Columba and the Monster - was this Nessie or her ancestor!.
She had bitten a Pict in the river Ness who had subsequently died. While he was being buried St Columba asked one of his companions, Lugne Mocumin, to swim over the river and fetch the boat that was moored on the far bank. Without question the monk stripped down to his tunic and plunged into the water.
In the words of Adamnan: "The monster suddenly rushed out and giving an awful roar, darted after him with its mouth wide open, as the man swam in the middle of the stream." Columba raised his hand, made the sign of the Cross and "commanded the ferocious monster saying, "Thou shalt go no further, nor touch the man; go back with all speed." Then at the command of the saint, the monster was terrified, and "fled more quickly than if it had been pulled back with ropes."Eventually the little party arrived at Inverness. Columba led them in vespers outside the entrance to the royal palace. The druids were angered by the sound of chanting and against all the laws of hospitality, the fortress gates were bolted. Then Columba raised his powerful voice and himself sang Psalm 46: "God is our hope and strength; a very present help in trouble. The Lord of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge."
St Adamnan recorded: "The king, elated by the pride of royalty, acted haughtily;" and refused to open his gates. "But Columcille approached the folding doors with his companions, and having first formed upon them the sign of the Cross, he then knocked and laid his hand upon the gate, which instantly flew open of its own accord, the bolts having been driven back with great force."
Once they were inside, the king and his court "advanced to meet with due respect the blessed man ... and ever after from that day, so long as he lived, the king held this holy and reverend man in very great honour, as was due."
St Adamnan, mentions several incidents that occurred when he was travelling in Pictland, though whether these all happened during his journey to visit King Brude is not made clear.
The Picts were drawn to faith in God as much by miracles as by the words of St Columba. The Sign of the Cross was constantly employed to cleanse and sanctify. Another incident involved a well. When some sacred spring became polluted, the local druid watched Columba bless it, then wash himself in its waters and drink from it. He came to no harm however, and thereafter the water was famed for its healing properties.
For thirty years this great apostle laboured in his missionary journeys, always returning to Iona for rest and renewal. When it became evident that his earthly work was drawing to a close, he went round the island saying farewell, most memorably to the white pony which had drawn his cart in his latter years.
Towards the end of his life he told his friends that he had seen a vision of angels standing on a rock beyond the narrows between long and Mull. They had come to take his soul to heaven but, because of the prayers of the churches, God had granted him four more years of life.
When the four years were over, one beautiful day, full of light and colour, in late May, he began his farewells. The following Sunday as he celebrated Holy Communion in his chapel his face seemed to be filled with a "ruddy glow" of rapture. He had again seen an angel and knew his time was near.
The following Saturday, Columba asked his servant Diarmaid to take him to the barn where he congratulated the monks there for having enough corn to last until harvest. On his way back to the monastery he sat down to rest when the white horse which carried the milk pails from the byre nuzzled him in the breast, whinnied and shed tears. It knew that its master was dying.
He then climbed a rocky hillock and blessed his monastery, prophesying. "On this place, small and mean though it be, shall not only the kings of the Scots and their people, but also the rulers of foreign and barbarous nations and their subjects confer great and unusual honour: the saints also of other churches even shall regard it with no common reverence." Returning to his cell, he continued to work on a transcription of the Psalter until he could do no more.
When the bell rang for midnight he rose and "running faster than the others" to be first in church, he fell on his knees. Suddenly the whole church was bathed in a brilliant light which surrounded the kneeling figure. The light vanished and Columba died peacefully, lying before the altar, in Diarmaid's arms.
The day of Columba's passing to glory was Sunday 9th June 597 AD.
As a boy, his constant visits to a nearby little church earned him the nickname of Columcille - which means "Colum of the Church" . . . and that is the name by which he is affectionately known today throughout Scotland and Ireland.
He was sent to the famous school of St Finnian at Moville and left there as a deacon to continue his studies under another St Finnian at Clonard. When he was twenty five and ordained a priest, he began travelling all over Ireland, teaching and founding churches. When St Finnian of Moville returned from Rome with a number of precious books, possibly among them a copy of St Jerome's new Latin version of the Bible called the Vulgate, Columba was very anxious to see them. As a trusted friend, he was allowed to study them alone and worked through the night making a transcript for himself. Finnian was angry, and when Columba refused to surrender his copy, he appealed to the King, who gave the celebrated judgement on which all modern copyright depends, "To every cow its calf; to every book its copy"
. Columba's friends and relations felt the honour of the clan had been impugned, and a great battle took place at Culdreimhue, in which three thousand men are said to have died. In reparation, Columba banished himself from Ireland, resolving to win as many souls for Christ as had been slain in the battle.
In May 563 Columba set out with twelve disciples across the Irish Sea towards Scotland. Twice their coracle touched land but Columba could still see the green hills of Erin from both places. It was on May 12th, the Eve of Whitsun, that Columba and his followers landed on the Island of Iona. Even from the highest hill on the island, Ireland could no longer be seen. So Columba began his exile from Ireland ... and his task of bringing the Gospel to Scotland.
The monks buried the coracle where they had landed in Port a Chuvaich and, on the east coast of the island, they began to build their monastery. The first two years were devoted to building work but also to establishing the life of prayer and routine of the monastic community, including the work of making the library. At last Columba felt ready to begin his mission, and taking two of his monks, Kenneth and Columban, with him he set off for King Brude's fort at Inverness.
Most of the journey would have been made by water across the Sound of Loran, up Loch Linnhe, then overland carrying their coracle up the side of the River Lochy, through Loch Lochy, Loch Oich and finally Loch Ness. St Adamnan, Columcille's great biographer, records a meeting between Columba and the Monster - was this Nessie or her ancestor!.
She had bitten a Pict in the river Ness who had subsequently died. While he was being buried St Columba asked one of his companions, Lugne Mocumin, to swim over the river and fetch the boat that was moored on the far bank. Without question the monk stripped down to his tunic and plunged into the water.
In the words of Adamnan: "The monster suddenly rushed out and giving an awful roar, darted after him with its mouth wide open, as the man swam in the middle of the stream." Columba raised his hand, made the sign of the Cross and "commanded the ferocious monster saying, "Thou shalt go no further, nor touch the man; go back with all speed." Then at the command of the saint, the monster was terrified, and "fled more quickly than if it had been pulled back with ropes."Eventually the little party arrived at Inverness. Columba led them in vespers outside the entrance to the royal palace. The druids were angered by the sound of chanting and against all the laws of hospitality, the fortress gates were bolted. Then Columba raised his powerful voice and himself sang Psalm 46: "God is our hope and strength; a very present help in trouble. The Lord of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge."
St Adamnan recorded: "The king, elated by the pride of royalty, acted haughtily;" and refused to open his gates. "But Columcille approached the folding doors with his companions, and having first formed upon them the sign of the Cross, he then knocked and laid his hand upon the gate, which instantly flew open of its own accord, the bolts having been driven back with great force."
Once they were inside, the king and his court "advanced to meet with due respect the blessed man ... and ever after from that day, so long as he lived, the king held this holy and reverend man in very great honour, as was due."
St Adamnan, mentions several incidents that occurred when he was travelling in Pictland, though whether these all happened during his journey to visit King Brude is not made clear.
The Picts were drawn to faith in God as much by miracles as by the words of St Columba. The Sign of the Cross was constantly employed to cleanse and sanctify. Another incident involved a well. When some sacred spring became polluted, the local druid watched Columba bless it, then wash himself in its waters and drink from it. He came to no harm however, and thereafter the water was famed for its healing properties.
For thirty years this great apostle laboured in his missionary journeys, always returning to Iona for rest and renewal. When it became evident that his earthly work was drawing to a close, he went round the island saying farewell, most memorably to the white pony which had drawn his cart in his latter years.
Towards the end of his life he told his friends that he had seen a vision of angels standing on a rock beyond the narrows between long and Mull. They had come to take his soul to heaven but, because of the prayers of the churches, God had granted him four more years of life.
When the four years were over, one beautiful day, full of light and colour, in late May, he began his farewells. The following Sunday as he celebrated Holy Communion in his chapel his face seemed to be filled with a "ruddy glow" of rapture. He had again seen an angel and knew his time was near.
The following Saturday, Columba asked his servant Diarmaid to take him to the barn where he congratulated the monks there for having enough corn to last until harvest. On his way back to the monastery he sat down to rest when the white horse which carried the milk pails from the byre nuzzled him in the breast, whinnied and shed tears. It knew that its master was dying.
He then climbed a rocky hillock and blessed his monastery, prophesying. "On this place, small and mean though it be, shall not only the kings of the Scots and their people, but also the rulers of foreign and barbarous nations and their subjects confer great and unusual honour: the saints also of other churches even shall regard it with no common reverence." Returning to his cell, he continued to work on a transcription of the Psalter until he could do no more.
When the bell rang for midnight he rose and "running faster than the others" to be first in church, he fell on his knees. Suddenly the whole church was bathed in a brilliant light which surrounded the kneeling figure. The light vanished and Columba died peacefully, lying before the altar, in Diarmaid's arms.
The day of Columba's passing to glory was Sunday 9th June 597 AD.