Then his family took him with them, and he was with them for a year being nurtured. At the end of the year Bishop Erc took him to his foster-mother, Ita, and he was with her [five] years. And the nun loved him exceedingly, because she saw the attendance of angels above him, and the grace of the Holy Spirit evidently abiding on him. And Brendan was always smiling whenever he saw her.
– Anonymous, Life of Brendan of Clonfert
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
– Hebrews 11.1
Grounding in Grace
A year after his birth, Brendan was sent to be cared for by a renowned nun named Ita. It was not uncommon for Irish parents to seek foster-parents for their child, especially if they felt the child had some holy purpose to fulfill.
The goal of such fostering was to provide the child a safe environment in which to grow, learn, and observe the example of holy people.
Like Hannah, after she had taken Samuel to live with Eli, Brendan’s parents undoubtedly visited him frequently. But he was safe with Ita, and under her tutelage he would be well-grounded in the Word of God and the disciplines of faith.
Ita was the first stage of Brendan’s preparation for ministry, and she would not be the last.
Seeing the Unseen
The writer remarks the kind of holy spiritual environment in which Brendan was nurtured. He mentions that Ita could see angels attending him. That may have been literally true; more likely, however, is that she saw the evidence of God’s constant care and nurture of the child—part of which work is entrusted to angels in ways we do not fully understand.
But she also, like Barnabas in Antioch (Acts 11.23), saw the evidence of grace at work on and within the young boy. The Spirit of God was “abiding” on Brendan at this time. He had not yet come to faith or to know the indwelling of the Spirit. But a foundation was being laid under the direction of Ita. Grace was flowing to Brendan day by day, and the evidence of God’s attending to him was palpable—ready obedience, a peaceable spirit, gratitude and love, a happy disposition, and doubtless more.
Which makes me wonder whether people see or experience the grace of Jesus at work in me? Do the fruit and power of the Holy Spirit flow from me like rivers of living water to refresh the souls of those to whom God sends me day by day? Is it evident that Jesus is being formed in me from glory to glory (2 Cor. 3.12-18)?
Those, like Brendan, whom God uses for His Kingdom and glory seek the filling of His Spirit and all the spiritual blessings that come with and by Him. Let this be so of us as we continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
For Reflection
1. How do you know when the Spirit of God is at work in and through you?
2. How should we prepare each day so that the evidence of God’s grace will be visible in us?
Psalm 121.5-8
(Duke Street: Jesus Shall Reign)
You are our Keeper and our Shade;
You have our debt of sin repaid!
You will preserve us by Your might;
naught shall afflict us day or night.
LORD You will guard our lives from ill;
You will our trembling souls keep still.
All our endeavors You will guard.
Eternal praise be Yours, O Lord!
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest this week: Our Read Moore podcast is concentrating on praying the psalms to seek revival—why we should and what we might expect. Our current ReVision series, “Pray for Your Church”, enters the home stretch now by leading us to pray for our church’s impact. In our daily Scriptorium column we are looking at ways Old Testament expectations of Jesus were fulfilled in the Gospels. Such as the fact that He was born a king. And new in our bookstore, our book, The Ongoing Work of Christ shows us how the book of Acts provides a template and footprint for all who take up the work of building Jesus’ Church.
And please prayerfully consider supporting The Fellowship of Ailbe with your prayers and gifts. You can contribute online, via PayPal or Anedot, or by sending a gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, P. O. Box 8213, Essex, VT 05451.
Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
