ST AIDAN OF LINDISFARNE

A Homily on St Aidan by Fr Daniel Codreanu

Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne - the great apostle of England

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. God is One!

In today’s epistle from Saint Paul, we read: “Brethren, be watchful, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. Let all that you do, be done in love… If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.” – 1st Corinthians 16:13-34.

All the Holy Apostles of Christ preach exactly the same message, and in turn their disciples did likewise, and in their turn centuries later a Celtic community of monks was founded on the Scottish island of Iona by Saint Columba, a 6th century Irish abbot and missionary, who preached the gospel of Our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ in these beautiful islands.

Saint Columba founded the important abbey on Iona, which became a dominant religious and political institution in the region for centuries. Amongst the monks who came to Iona was Our Father among the Saints, Aidan. Our patron and protector.

Our dear father Emannuel writes about Saint Aidan in one of his sermons saying that: “He was an Irish monk in the 7th century, living and working and praying on the Scottish island of Iona. He was happy and peaceful there, seeking to be at one with the Lord, not seeking advancement, not seeking fame. An important trait of his personality and his prayer life was discernment—that is the ability to have and show good judgment, good awareness of how to tackle the challenges of life, good awareness of the will of God for his own life.”

Also, Saint Bede or Bede the Venerable, an 8th century English monk, author and scholar, best known for his most famous work, “Ecclesiastical History of the English People” and the Father of English History, wrote about Saint Aidan that: “The best commendation of his (Aidan’s) doctrine was the fact that he together with his followers taught no otherwise than they lived. For he never thought about or cared for any amenities or comforts of this world, but at once handed over the gifts he received from kings and noble men to the first pauper that he encountered. Everywhere—in town or village—he travelled on foot and never on horseback. In all things his course of life was so different from the slothfulness of our time… Neither respect nor fear prevented him from exposing the sins and vices of the rich of this world whom he sharply rebuked. Whatever gifts of money he received, he either distributed them to the use of the poor or bestowed them on ransoming those who had been wrongfully sold for slaves. He afterwards made many of those he had ransomed his disciples, and after having taught and instructed them, advanced them to the order of the priesthood.”

Saint Aidan was a gentle, moderate, wise and discrete man. He spoke to all he met. He strengthened the faith of the baptised, and spoke the Gospel message to those who were not baptised. The regularity and order of the worship in his monastery was exemplary, as was his education of local boys, who became missionaries. He encouraged the monastery fellowship of women, among them Saint Heiu, in 7th century who founded monasteries at Headland in Hartlepool and at Healaugh near Tadcaster, as he also encouraged Our venerable Mother Saint Hilda as abbess of the great Whitby Abbey in northern England, where she ruled a double monastery of monks and nuns with great success. Saint Aidan faithfully visited both communities on a regular basis.

In the year 635, when holy King Oswald of Northumbria wanted to convert his people to Christianity, he turned to the Celtic monks of Iona, rather than the Roman clergy at Canterbury. The first monk sent from Iona was of austere disposition, and soon returned to Iona saying that the English would not listen to him, and added that they were an ungovernable people of an obstinate and barbarous temperament. On the monk’s return to Iona, Saint Aidan listened to him and then said that he should have begun as the apostles did, giving the Northumbrians the milk of simple teaching, and so gradually nourishing them with the word of God. Therefore, was decided that Aidan should take on the mission instead. He was then consecrated bishop and sent to instruct the ignorant and unbelieving of Northumbria.

Saint Aidan chose Lindisfarne, now known as Holy Island, for his base, a mile or two off the mainland and only accessible on foot at times of low tide. Like all the monks of the Celtic tradition Aidan needed a quiet place where he could be in touch with the natural world. But only a short distance away lay Bamburgh with the royal palace, which provided protection for the monastery on Lindisfarne.

From Lindisfarne, Saint Aidan travelled all over Northumbria, visiting his flock and establishing missions. Saint Oswald, who knew Gaelic from the time he and his family were exiled to Iona, acted as an interpreter for the Bishop Aidan, who did not speak English. It is correct to believe that Saint King Oswald himself played a key role in the conversion of his people.

Saint Oswald was killed in battle against the superior forces of King Penda on August the 5th, 642 at a place called Maserfield. He was only thirty-eight years old. Saint Aidan was deeply grieved by the king’s death, but his successor Saint Oswin was also very dear to him, but unfortunately, he too was murdered at Gilling on August the 20th, 651.

Saint Aidan fall asleep in the Lord on August 31st, less than two weeks later. He died at Bamburgh, by the west wall of the church. The beam on which he was leaning to support himself still survives, even though the church was twice destroyed by fire. The beam may still be seen in the ceiling of the present church, above the baptismal font.

On the day Saint Aidan died, Saint Cuthbert was a young man tending his master’s sheep in the hills above Leader Water, near Lauderdale in the Scottish Borders. Looking up, Cuthbert saw a vision of angels bearing someone’s soul to heaven in a sphere of fire. Later, he learned that Bishop Aidan had died at the very hour that he had seen the vision.

At first, the holy bishop Aidan was buried at Lindisfarne on the right side of the altar in the church of Saint Peter. In 664 the Synod of Whitby declared that all the churches of Britain must follow Roman practices, and that Celtic customs were to be suppressed. Saint Colman, the third Bishop of Lindisfarne, was unable to accept this decision. Therefore, he decided to retire to Iona, taking the bones of Saint Aidan with him. Celtic customs survived on Iona until the eighth century.

All of us present here today in Saint Aidan’s Church give thanks to God for the remarkable witness of our patron and protector, Bishop Aidan of Lindisfarne, for his continuing influence on monastic life, in Whitby and all Northen England, and for the example he set for continuing apostolic teaching and life. So, help us God!

And so, we ascribe as is justly due all might, majesty, dominion, power and praise to God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, always now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen!

An article on St Aidan by Fr Lawrence Farley

"For many in that first century, there was no place more remote than Britain. It was, as G. K. Chesterton says in his Short History of England, "lost in a night of northern seas, and finally lit up by the long search-lights of Rome, more for pride than for possession." In bringing Britain within the orbit of the Roman world, "it was felt that the remotest remnant of things had been touched." Britain was indeed "ultimata Thule-the other end of nowhere," the end of the earth.

Even here, in the other end of nowhere, God would leave witness of His love in the persons of His saints. And one of the first and most beloved of these saints was Aidan of Lindisfarne.

Aidan lived in the early days of the Church's missionary expansion into Britain, when pagan kings still fought to exterminate Christianity and the soul of Britain hung in the balance of that struggle. In our day, when people are appreciating fantasy and fairy tales once again, it is interesting to reflect that in those far-off days Christian men were living out fairy tales, in that the Christian Faith looked to many like a dream come true. The epic struggle between light and darkness-the subject of so much modern fantasy-was the daily adventure for Christians in that time.

Aidan, born in Ireland in about the early seventh century, became a monk on the famous monastic island centre in Hii ("Iona" in Latin), off the west coast of Scotland. Monks from Iona went out to bring the Gospel to the pagans of Northumbria (in northern England) at the invitation of Oswald, the king of Northumbria, himself newly converted to Christ.

One such monk made an attempt, but returned to Iona unsuccessful. He complained that the pagans of Northumbria were too resistant to the Gospel, too hard-hearted. As the monks were deliberating what to do next, Aidan spoke up. He said, to their surprise, that the fault was not with the pagans, but with the preacher sent to them, and that his methods were too rough and inflexible. The pagans must be treated with gentleness, fed with the milk of mild teaching and encouragement before they could be ready for the meat of the Gospel.

The monks there recognized a true pastor and evangelist when they saw one. They appointed Aidan to return to Northumbria in the stead of the other monk. As Aidan did not know the language of the Northumbrians, King Oswald travelled with him as his benefactor, translator, and friend. The year was 635.

Aidan received consecration as bishop so that he could better establish churches wherever he went. King Oswald gave him Lindisfarne, an island off the east coast of England (just south of today's Scottish border), as his episcopal headquarters. As the early English historian the Venerable Bede says, "As the tide ebbs and flows, the island of Lindisfarne is surrounded by sea twice a day like an island, and twice a day the sand dries and joins it to the mainland." It was the perfect place to find monastic solitude, being both accessible to the world and inaccessible too. On Lindisfarne, the monk-bishop Aidan could seek God in uninterrupted holy stillness, and then go forth easily on his missionary journeys. Eventually Aidan established on Lindisfarne a school for monastic missionaries, training young English boys to preach the Gospel to their countrymen in their own language.

Though travelling with the bounty of the king, Aidan humbly went on foot on his many long journeys in the north of England. He would not come in royal splendour, riding on his high horse (either metaphorically or literally). Rather, he met the people where they lived, both geographically and spiritually, and would walk the weary miles to meet them in their homes as an equal, a friend bringing Good News from afar.

Aidan lived a life rooted in the Scriptures, and he encouraged those travelling with him to spend their time reading the Scriptures and committing the Psalter to memory. He found his delight in God and would often slip away quickly after a meal to spend time in solitude, reading the Scriptures and praying. God prospered Aidan, and he had great success, making converts to Christ and establishing monastic centres throughout northern England.

One secret of Aidan's success was the humble love and compassion he had for all people. He refused to acquire wealth, but gave away all that he could. If someone gave money to him or his monks, they used only what they needed for their necessities, and gave away the rest to the poor or used it to free slaves. St. Aidan's heart belonged to the poor and suffering of the earth.

In 642, Aidan's friend King Oswald died in battle in his thirty-eighth year. Aidan grieved greatly at the loss of his friend. However, King Oswin succeeded Oswald, and Aidan came to love him just as dearly.

Bede tells the story of how King Oswin gave Aidan a fine horse to ride whenever he had to cross a river or travel quickly on an urgent errand. Not long after receiving this bountiful royal gift, as Aidan was riding somewhere on the king's horse, he met a poor man asking for alms. Bishop Aidan immediately sprang from the horse and ordered that it be sold with all its rich trappings, and the money given to the beggar.

When news of this reached the king, he was shocked and perhaps a little irritated. When next he and Aidan went in to dine together, King Oswin asked Aidan about it: "My lord bishop, why did you give away the royal horse which was necessary for your own use? Have we not many less valuable horses which would have been good enough for beggars without giving away the one which I had especially selected for your personal use?"

Aidan at once replied, "What are you saying, Your Majesty? Is this child of a mare more valuable to you than this child of God?"

The king, a man of piety himself, humbly received the gentle rebuke, turning it over in his mind as he stood warming himself by the fire. Pricked in his conscience, he impulsively went over and knelt at Aidan's feet, saying, "I will not refer to this matter again, nor will I ask how much of our bounty you give away to God's children." Aidan, deeply moved, raised him to his feet, assuring him of his love and begging him to sit down to his food without regrets. Later on, during the meal, Aidan grew sad and began to cry quietly. Speaking in his own language, which the king did not understand, Aidan's chaplain asked his bishop why he wept. Aidan replied, "I know that the king will not live long. He will soon be taken from us, because this nation is not worthy of such a king."

Aidan's words proved to be prophetic. King Oswin was soon afterwards murdered by his rival and successor. Aidan departed this world a mere eleven days later, dying, some said, from grief over his beloved royal friend, on August 31, 651. He was buried in the cemetery at Lindisfarne.

Aidan was, even in his earthly life, a wonderworker. The faithful told stories of how he predicted a storm at sea, and gave the sailors who would be caught in it some holy oil to pour on the water and calm the storm. Others told the story of how his prayers shifted the winds, diverting the flames that threatened to burn down a city and so saving its inhabitants.

But the real wonders of Aidan were his loving simplicity of spirit and his ability to touch men's hearts with the love of God. In little over sixteen years of missionary work, Aidan left as a legacy a northern England well on the way to becoming Christian. As the historian Bede said, "He cultivated peace and love, purity and humility. He took pains never to neglect anything that he had learned from the writing of the evangelists, apostles, and prophets, and set himself to carry them out with all his powers. I greatly admire and love all these things about Aidan, because I have no doubt that they are pleasing to God." Working in a time of great upheaval, violence, and uncertainty (a time rather like our own), Aidan spread God's peace by word and deed. Truly, even in a land at the other end of nowhere, God is wonderful in His saints."

Archpriest Lawrence Farley

Archpriest Lawrence R. Farley is pastor of St. Herman of Alaska Orthodox Mission (OCA) in Surrey, B.C., Canada. He received his B.A. from Trinity College, Toronto, and his M.Div. from Wycliffe College, Toronto. A former Anglican priest, he converted to Orthodoxy in 1985 and studied for two years at St. Tikhon's Orthodox Seminary in Pennsylvania. He is the author of the Orthodox Bible Study Companion series, published by Conciliar Press.

This article originally appeared in AGAIN Magazine Vol. 27 No. 4, Winter 2005.