April 24th - Saint Egbert, Monk, Visionary
(also known as Ecgberht)
Saint Egbert (Ecgberht) was born in England of noble parentage in
approximately
the year 639. In his youth, he went to study at a monastery in Ireland
called
Rathmelsigi (Rathelmigisi, Rathmelsige) in Connaght. Soon after his
arrival at
Rathmelsigi, his traveling companion Æthelhun died of the plague and
Egbert
contracted it too. Egbert prayed that God might spare him, and vowed
voluntary
exile for life if he recovered. A vow of exile was considered a supremely
holy
act of self-denial and sacrifice, not unlike a vow of poverty or celibacy.
Egbert's prayer was answered, and in fulfillment of that vow he never
returned
to England, though he lived to the age of ninety.
After his ordination as a priest, Egbert was filled with zeal for the
conversion
of the pagan Germanic tribes in Friesland. The Frisians were early
empire-builders among the scattered tribes of the Dark Ages, controlling
an area
stretching from Denmark to Belgium. The Frisians so dominated sea-going
trade
that the North Sea was then known as Mare Frisi***. St. Egbert felt a
strong
call that the gospel should be preached to the Frisians and trained
several
bands of monks for these missions including St. Wigbert and St.
Willibrord.
Egbert wanted desperately to be their apostle in person and longed to make
the
trip himself, but his plans to travel there were repeatedly thwarted.
In 688, in the midst of his most determined attempt to make the voyage, a
brother monk who had been a loving disciple of St. Boisil breathlessly
re****ted
to Egbert that he had had a vision very early that morning. According to
the
Venerable Bede, St. Boisil, dead many years, appeared to the brother and
said:
"I am come to bring Egbert a message from our Lord and Saviour, which must
be
delivered to him by you. Tell him that he cannot perform the journey he
has
undertaken; for it is the will of God that he should rather go to teach
the
monasteries of Columba." Egbert initially expressed doubt about the
vision, and
asked the brother not to tell anyone else about it, but even after
additional
discernment persuaded him the vision was true, Egbert continued making
plans for
his missionary trip to Friesland.
The sacred messenger would not be deterred, and a few days later Boisil to
the
same brother, saying: "Why did you tell Egbert so negligently and after so
lukewarm a manner that which I enjoined upon you to say? Yet, go now and
tell
him, that whether he wants to or not, he must go to Columba's monasteries,
because their ploughs are not driven straight; and he must bring them back
into
the right way." "Their ploughs are not driven straight" was taken to be a
reference to the schismatic practice in those monasteries of celebrating
Easter
on the "wrong" date.
Egbert again asked the brother not to tell anyone about the vision, and
despite
believing the vision was true, he stubbornly continued his preparations,
loading
his ****p with many provisions for a long voyage. One day while the fully
loaded
****p was waiting for good sailing weather, a violent storm arose in the
harbor
that tossed the ****p to and fro, spilled most of the precious cargo, and
left
the vessel lying broken open on its side in the sea. Only the belongings
of
Egbert and his companions were spared. Egbert finally (!) got the message
God
did not want him to make the trip, cancelled the voyage, and gave up his
plans
for missionary work in Friesland forever. Many other Celtic notables
either
studied with Egbert or did missionary work with him in Ireland, including
St.
Adalbert, St. Swithbert, and St. Chad.
Egbert did not leave Ireland for Iona until the year 716. By his sweetness
and
humility over thirteen years he eventually succeeded in straightening
their
liturgical plough: Egbert is credited with inducing the Iona monks to
relinquish
their mode of Easter computation. He had the satisfaction of living to see
the
completion of his earthly mission: on the day of his death in 729, Easter
was
finally celebrated at Iona for the first time according to the Roman
reckoning,
even though Easter had already arrived earlier in the year according to
their
former rule.
St. Egbert is not to be confused with the Egbert who served as Archbishop
of
York for 34 years. References in the work of the great theological scholar
Alcuin, which refer to an Egbert with the Latin terms antistes and
episcopus,
both meaning bishop, probably refer to that Archbishop of York, who
founded a
cathedral school at York that Alcuin attended as a child. The dates are
also
wrong for St. Egbert to be the same Egbert who served as the 12th bishop
of
Lindisfarne; the latter Egbert's consecration to the episcopate occurred
in the
year 803, seventy-five years after the death of the Egbert we celebrate
today.
St. Egbert died, hours after serving as celebrant at a joyful Easter Mass,
on
April 24, 729.
Taken from:
http://allsaintsbrookline.org/celtic/saints/egbert.html
<><><><>
Whoever taketh not up his cross and followeth Me, is not worthy of Me.
-Matt.
10:38
"The Lord sends us tribulation and infirmities to give us the means of
paying
the immense debts we have contracted with Him. Therefore, those who have
good
sense receive them joyfully, for they think more of the good which they
may
derive from them than of the pain which they experience on account of
them"
-St. Vincent Ferrer
This Saint unfolded this same sentiment more fully in a sermon which
contained
this pleasing parable: There was a king who had in prison two men who both
owed
him large sums of money. Seeing that they were unable to pay because they
possessed nothing, he threw down a purse full of money upon each of them
with so
much force that they both felt the pain. One, angry at the blow, showed
his
impatience without making any account of the purse; but the other, not
regarding
the pain, recognized the favor done him, and taking the purse, gave thanks
to
the king and paid his debt with the money. "Now, precisely the same thing
happens with us" added the Saint. "We all owe heavy debts to God for the
many
benefits we have received from Him, and for the many sins we have
committed
against Him, nor have we anything of our own to pay them. Therefore, moved
by
pity for us, He sends us the gold of patience in the purse of
tribulations, that
we may use it to pay our debts. Whoever will not do this only increases
his
debts and renders himself, at the same time, more displeasing to God."
The example of the two thieves crucified with Christ confirms this truth.
By his
patience, one paid his debts and gained Paradise; while the other, by his
impatience, made himself more than ever a debtor, and obtained for himself
eternal pains.
(Taken from the book "A Year with the Saints". April - Patience)
Bible Quote:
7 And there are three who give testimony in heaven, the Father, the Word,
and
the Holy Ghost. And these three are one. (1 John 4:7)
<><><><>
Act of Faith
O My God, inspired by Your Divine Grace, and because You have revealed it
I
believe That the Holy Mass I am about to offer is the true unbloody
continuation of the bloody sacrifice of Jesus Christ on Calvary. That
Jesus
Christ is the true mystical victim of this holy sacrifice. That at the
words
of consecration the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ becomes
truly present on the altar under the species of bread and wine. That I
will
receive within myself the true Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus
Christ, the Son of God made man. With all my heart and soul I believe.
Lord
help my unbelief. - Amen.
|
