Today is the feast day of St Aiden of Lindisfarne, one of the Saints of the British Isles for whom I've always had a fondness.
St. Aidan was born in Ireland in the
latter
part of the 6th Century. He was tonsured a monk at Iona
(Scotland) in the community that St. Columba had founded earlier
as a holy isle and staging ground for the evangelization of
Britain. St. Aidan was chosen to evangelize Northumbria, because
of his skilful and gentle manner of teaching. He was consecrated
bishop and sent to Northumbria. He arrived at Lindesfarne in 635,
establishing it as a second holy isle on the opposite coast of
Britain, which became his see. He evangelized the native pagans.
At times, he encountered rival gangs of young men, ready to do
battle. He instructed them in the Gospel of Peace and they laid
down their weapons, were baptized, and became monastics. St.
Aidan held to the eastern traditions, which were the norm in
Ireland. He taught and practiced the stricter fasting rules, the
eastern date for Pascha and the collegial nature of church rule,
giving preference to abbots over bishops. Many times, King Oswald
would accompany St. Aidan on his missionary trips through the
countryside, acting as an interpreter. St. Aidan was always
teaching, preaching and encouraging, but he led by example. He
was known by his asceticism and his almsgiving. King Oswin gave
him a fine horse to use in his ministry. Aidan gave it with all
of its fancy gear, to a beggar who asked for alms. He used some
of what was given him to redeem slaves out of their slavery. Some
of these became his disciples. St. Aidan sent missionaries out
across England and as far as the Netherlands, establishing
monasteries. He also tonsured the first nun in Northumbria, Hieu.
He also persuaded Hilda to stay in England and supported her work
of establishing monasteries for women throughout England. The
godly bishop accomplished all of this and more in just sixteen
years. He reposed in the Lord on August 31, 651. He was
immediately acclaimed as "the Apostle to Northumbria."
He was buried at Lindesfarne. In 664, when the Lindesfarne
monastery succumbed to the pressure from Rome and accepted the
Synod of Whitby, St. Colman took St. Aidan's relics and retired
to Iona, which remained a stronghold of Celtic Christianity.
Hymn to St Aiden:
O holy Bishop Aidan, Apostle of the North
and light of the Celtic Church, glorious in humility, noble in
poverty, zealous monk and loving missionary, intercede for us
sinners that Christ our God may have mercy on our souls.
This text taken from Come and See Icons
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