Brendan asked Paul how he came to that island and place, and where he dwelt previously, and how long he had endured that life. Paul answered him, and said: “My father, I was nourished in the monastery of Patrick…”
– The Life of Brendan of Clonfert
Now this is the genealogy of Perez: Perez begot Hezron; Hezron begot Ram, and Ram begot Amminadab; Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon; Salmon begot Boaz, and Boaz begot Obed; Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David.
– Ruth 4 18-22
Paul the Hermit
It’s not hard to believe that Brendan and his company would encounter a hermit living on a barren island just a bit north of Ireland. As we know, from the days of Patrick—100 years prior to Brendan—Irishmen had been going as missionaries to many parts of the ancient world, and even to places previously uninhabited by men.
Some went as hermits, living off the land and devoting themselves to prayer, meditation, and serving—by word or deed—any strangers who may wander by. Frequently, one who had gone out as a hermit would begin to collect students, some of whom stayed, and soon enough, a new monastic community would be founded. A lovely anonymous poem from this period depicts the joy of this life. An excerpt focuses on the devotional life of a hermit:
Treading the paths of the Gospel, singing psalms every Hour;
an end of talking and long stories; constant bending of the knees.
My Creator to visit me, my Lord, my King,
my spirit to seek Him in the eternal kingdom where He is.[1]
It’s unlikely the hermit’s given name was Paul. He probably took that name to identify with the apostle, who spent the first three years of his ministry as a hermit in the wilderness, being visited and taught by the Lord (Gal. 1.15-18).
In the second and third centuries, concerned that churches were losing their way and becoming too much like the surrounding world, thousands of faithful men fled to the deserts of the Roman world, seeking God and His Kingdom in solitude and meditation among wild creatures. Many of these “desert fathers”, as they are called, became counselors and teachers to great saints.
Connect the dots
This hermit, Paul, reported that he had his groundings in Patrick’s monastery—not necessarily under Patrick himself, but with one of the many monastic enclaves in Ireland that identified with or honored Patrick. Paul would report a vision of Patrick that was instrumental in his coming to the island, but we need not try to place him in the same time frame as the great saint.
I take this encounter as a true historical episode. It’s very likely this occurred, though some of the ongoing story will be embellished as a way of showing divine providence in all things. Brendan, a mystic and theologian himself, would have been greatly encouraged in finding Paul. Like the line drawn from Perez’ through Boaz to David, meeting Paul would have given Brendan three points in a line to believe that he was on course as he should be: the apostle Paul, the desert Fathers, and Patrick. Brendan and his company would be refreshed by their visit with Paul and strengthened for the next leg of their journey.
The writer, by including this story, seems to want to remind us of our heritage. We are saints in a long line of saints, and keeping in touch with our forebears in the faith—by their writings and stories about them—can help us stay on course with the Lord in our own lives.
We have a rich heritage to inform and guide us on our way. Why not allow it to refresh your walk with and work for the Lord today?
For Reflection
1. Which great Christians of the past give input or guidance to your life?
2. How are you continuing that “line” for the future? What of value for God’s glory are you seeking to leave behind?
Psalm 45.7, 8, 16, 17
(Manoah: When All Your Mercies, O My God)
Your God has thus anointed You with oil of gladness great.
Your robes are rich with sweet perfume; sweet music gilds Your gate.
When we at last Your palace gain, and others take our place,
then let our children with You reign, a legacy of grace!
T. M. Moore
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.
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] Anonymous, “The Hermit” in Kenneth Hurlstone Jackson, tr. and ed., A Celtic Miscellany (London: Penguin, 1971), p. 281.
