The night, moreover, of Brendan’s birth, Bishop Erc saw [his village] all in one great blaze, as never seen before, and an attendance of angels in shining white garments all round that land. Then Bishop Erc rose early on the morrow, and came to the house of Findlug, and took the child in his bosom, and said: “O man of God, and destined servant of God, accept me as thine own monk; and though many are joyful at thy birth, my heart and my soul are yet more joyful,” said Bishop Erc.
- Life of Brendan of Clonfert[1]
It is easy to dismiss such tales as worthless and childish when they are viewed from the commanding heights of twentieth-century knowledge.
- Tim Severin, The Brendan Voyage[2]
Now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bulls, one ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the LORD in Shiloh. And the child was young. Then they slaughtered a bull, and brought the child to Eli. And she said, “O my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood by you here, praying to the LORD. For this child I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition which I asked of Him. Therefore I also have lent him to the LORD; as long as he lives he shall be lent to the LORD.” So they worshiped the LORD there.
- 1 Samuel 1.24-28
A Literary and Devotional Challenge
Of the various forms of literature surviving from or just beyond the period of the Celtic Revival (ca. 430-800 AD), Irish hagiography—lives of great saints—is by far the most difficult genre to interpret.
These records consist of a uniquely Irish blend of real people and events laced with episodes of miracles and wonders which, to our way of thinking, sound highly exaggerated, if not completely false. The challenge is twofold: First, to know which is history and which is fantasy, and, second, to derive some meaning from the latter. The story of Brendan of Clonfert offers an opportunity to engage both these disciplines.
Historians do not doubt that Brendan existed and that he was, in many ways, a remarkable man. His story is one of the most beloved of all medieval tales. More than 120 copies of this story, in three languages, have survived. So our forebears in the faith were encouraged by Brendan’s story, and this leads me to believe that we can be, too.
Born to Serve
The story begins early in the 6th century in Ireland. Brendan’s birth is embellished by a variety of miracles. What is probably historical is that his father was named Findlug and his pastor was Bishop Erc. The good bishop seems to have sensed something special and wondrous about Brendan, as he set him apart unto the Lord from the day of his birth.
Lest that seem extraordinary, let’s remember that each of us who knows and loves Jesus was set apart to His service from before the foundation of the world. We may not have had a bishop or a pastor present at our birth, but the Lord Himself, having formed us in the womb, saw to our successful entrance to this world and has kept us for Himself until now.
Let’s pray that He will grant us some insights from the example of Brendan as to how we may serve Him better.
For Reflection
1. Believers are “saints”—“set apart ones”. But set apart for what?
2. How do you expect to serve Jesus today?
Psalm 139.15-18
(Ripley: Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah, O My Soul)
All my unformed frame You witnessed
when You destined all my days.
Precious to me, LORD, Your precepts;
all Your wondrous Word I praise.
More than sand, Your thoughts to me, LORD,
far too vast their sum for me!
When the morning breaks upon me,
in Your Presence I shall be.
Give thanks
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).
If you’d like to see some other examples of the lives of Irish saints, download the PDF of our free book by that title by clicking here.
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”, teaches us how to pray for the ministries of our church. Read recent installments in this series by clicking here. And new in our bookstore, our workbook, 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.
Thank you.
Many of you are faithful and generous in praying for and supporting Crosfigell and The Fellowship of Ailbe. Thank you. May I encourage all our readers to seek the Lord about becoming a supporter of The Fellowship of Ailbe? It’s easy to give to The Fellowship of Ailbe, and all gifts are, of course, tax-deductible. You can click here to donate online through credit card or PayPal or Anedot, or send your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, P. O. Box 8213, Essex, VT 05451.
T. M. Moore
All Psalms for singing from The Ailbe Psalter. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[1] All quotations are from The Life of Brendan of Clonfert in Charles Plummer, tr. and ed. Lives of Irish Saints Volume II (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1922, 1997).
[2] All quotes from Tim Severin are from Tim Severin, The Brendan Voyage (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1978), here, p. 261.
