ON THE HOLY MARTYRS BLAITHMACUS THE PRIEST, AND OTHER MONKS OF IONA.
Eighth century.
PrefaceBlaithmacus, Priest Martyr on the island of Iona (S.) Other monks, Martyrs on the island of Iona
The island of Iona, called Hy by Bede and Hu, donated to Scottish monks by the kings of the Picts, sent very many ascetics, long exercised in the religious arena, to heaven, and some even distinguished with the laurel of martyrdom. The family of S. Blaithmacus. Among these is Blaithmacus the Irishman, who no more bravely renounced the earthly kingdom than he more gloriously seized the heavenly. His deeds were celebrated in hexameter verse at the beginning of the ninth century from Christ by Walafridus Strabo, a monk of Fulda, himself of German birth, but, the Acts, as may be gathered from this, not ignorant of Scottish studies and language. Hugo Menardus assigned the feast of Blaithmacus to this day, the feast, whether he found it recorded by anyone, which he does not indicate, or rather, lest he who had once been celebrated both by heavenly signs and by the writings of holy Fathers should be nowhere read in the recent calendars of the Saints. David Camerarius placed it on 6 December. The era. Menardus conjectures that he was killed around the year 793.
ACTS FROM WALAFRIDUS.
Blaithmacus, Priest Martyr on the island of Iona (S.) Other monks, Martyrs on the island of Iona
BHL Number: 1368
By Walafridus Strabo
1 If they who bore the ways and deeds of villains to fame so great for their own song have merited, lifting them skyward with their praise, by demon's art, weaving frivolous memorials of wicked men; why should we not more freely sing the Saints' great deeds, whom miracles proclaim as pleasing unto God, which by the power of faith, through Christ's own gifts, they do? For Scripture sings, the Lord pledging to lowly ones: Open wide your mouth; I shall supply the words. Ps. 80:11. Therefore, revered Father, dearest Felix, These Acts written at the urging of Felix. prepared in heart to follow your commands, I, Strabus, whom the Alemannic land sent forth by birth, have resolved to write about the life and death of blessed Blaithmacus, whom rich Hibernia bore unto the world, and whom the ensuing perfection of martyrdom sent to heaven, that through his merits I may win pardon through the ages. 2 Sprung from royal stock, possessing the supreme glory of nobility, this royal heir flourished, this Saint of God, leading a chaste life: and what is rarely done and seldom seen, the greater he was, the more lowly he went, S. Blaithmacus: his homeland, royal lineage, upright character. the hope of his country, his father's fortune, he who would be king. Just in judgment, prudent, chaste in body, sober, distinguished, cheerful, cautious, honest, noble in his illustrious birth, more noble still in deed, rich in service, better yet enriched by virtues, as a layman he practiced what a cleric would accomplish. His honorable name, in the Latin tongue, means Fair-born: and deservedly was he worthy of that name, Flight to the monastery. for he chose the almighty Father, and sought God with a beautiful love. Earthly things were vile to a mind seeking the divine, and the secret lay hidden in his breast alone, until the holy will advanced to its effect. He sought a certain monastery secretly, without a witness, and he who had once been Prince over the realm's governance was made, for the name of Christ, a servant of a lesser one: he who once in the midst of his retinue had terrified all, now, all of them dismissed, serves himself without a soldier. 3 When fame perchance on wings reached his father's ears, amazement and grief encompassed the parent's mind: he grieves for his lost heir, and sends the Senate, armies, governors, the people, orders, companies: duke and count went, the bishop hastily arrived, The enticements of his father and the nobles were rebuffed. only this one striving by hand, if by any art they might make the fugitive mind, having avoided dangers, return and take upon itself another path. O how blind such a will! He had barely extricated himself from the whirlpool of storms; and in a harbor long sought, his anchor stood, still wavering: he had not yet been able to loose the ropes of his cares, nor fix his foot on land; when a breeze stirred up by winds drove from the sea a ship with arrows aimed at him; and by its force the wave would dissolve the trembling keel, did not He who governs all the ages steer the prow. 4 Soon embraced with wondrous love by all, he strove to be and be called minister of all; Religious virtues: humble in mind, guardian of his tongue, a rule for the good, eagerly receiving the words of God with thirsting heart, bearing in his breast an eagerness for learning from books, Studies of sacred scripture. he thoroughly learned divine teachings with a keen mind. And thus flourishing in the splendor of learning and of morals, he governed the venerable hosts of many men, proving his words by examples, and counting vain praises The headship of the monastery. as nothing, for whom Christ alone was praise and glory, Christ his speech, Christ his teaching, peace his shield, prayers his armor, patience his warfare, the word of God his sword, hope and love his all. He detracted from none, he cast reproaches upon none. Why must single things be spoken in single words? When whatever is read of virtues he rightly held, and whatever of vice the Scripture shows he shunned, becoming all things happily to all, that he might make all bring their gains back to Christ; who at the certain time distributing the measure of goodly grain to his fellow servants, shone everywhere faithful. 5 And that nothing of merit, nothing of goodness might be wanting, he sought the palm of martyrdom with a benign mind, often for this reason striving to visit foreign lands, Desire for martyrdom. but the people holding him back from his intent, he rested. Whence he resolved in his mind for a while by a furtive path to attempt the desired way, with a company of disciples not large, bearing within him the precious jewels of virtues beneath their weight: and breaking through the darkness, taking flight by night, he hastened to depart. But behold, a crowd of pursuers overtaking the fugitives, The gift of prophecy. drags the sheep back to the fold, their shepherd captured. Nor should I be silent, that the Holy Spirit to him, in the manner of the Prophets, revealed the secrets of things. For when fame far and wide reported that the father of the blessed one himself had flown to the heights above while living, he declared that it was not yet so, but would be after a short time, taught by the holy breath. 6 A certain island is shown on the shores of the Picts, suspended in the wave-tossed sea, by the name of Eo, where the Saint of the Lord, Columba, rests in the flesh. This he sought with the vow of suffering Christ's wounds: He goes to the island of Hy, beset by Danish raids. for there the pagan host of Danes is accustomed frequently to come, armed with malignant furies. But the Saint of the Lord, disposing in his mind to provoke such lions, stripped his mind of vain fear, and fortified with the shield of faith and the helmet of salvation, he did not shrink from the weapons of wicked men. Who could sing with the eloquent Prophet: God is my helper; let base fear be absent. Ps. 117:6. Already he had learned through public wars to scorn the ministers of demons, he who had rightly laid low the very tyrant, and alone had conquered all in arms. 7 The time had come, when the great mercy of God resolved to unite His servant with the shining sheaves above the stars and to confer the certain crown upon the good victor: when the holy man's mind, foreknowing things, perceived in deep understanding that wolves were hastening to come, to divide the limbs of the pious sheep. He said: You, O companions, with keen mind consider within yourselves, whether it be your will He foretells their coming to his own. to endure torments for the name of Christ. I pray that whoever of you can wait with me, arm your manly senses: but those whose faint hearts tremble within, let them hasten their flight, to avoid the perils that are near, arming their vows to better things. The certain trial of death stands close to us. Let firm faith keep watch, suspended over things to come; let cautious safety of flight protect the less strong. At these words the stricken company, what it saw it could, this it resolved in mind: some with firm heart to behold the sacrilegious hands, and beneath the raging sword to have placed their heads, they rejoiced with serene mind: but others, to whom the confidence of mind had not yet persuaded this, took flight through familiar places by the known path. 8 Golden Dawn, dispelling the dripping darkness, He celebrates Mass. shone bright, and the gleaming Sun glowed with its fair orb: when this sacred Teacher, celebrating the holy rites of the Mass, stood an unblemished victim before the sacred altar, The rest of the company lay prostrate, with tears and prayers commending their souls, about to depart from the weight of flesh, to the Thunderer. Behold, the raging accursed band rushed through the open buildings, threatening dire perils to the blessed men. And with the rest of his companions slain with savage ferocity, His companions killed. they came to the holy Father, forcing him to surrender the precious metals in which the holy bones He is ordered to reveal the reliquary of S. Columba's relics; of holy Columba lie, which chest indeed from its seat they had lifted from the tomb and placed in an excavated hollow, beneath the thick turf, already knowing of the wicked pestilence. This plunder the Danes desired: but the Saint with unarmed hand resisted ... with the firm effort of his mind, taught to stand against the battle line and to provoke the fight, unaccustomed to yield, he flung such words at the barbarian: I know not at all where the gold you seek is placed in the ground, or with what coverings it is hidden. But if it were permitted me, with Christ allowing, to know, never would my lips tell this to your ears. Barbarian, draw your swords, seize the hilt, and now slay me: Refusing, he is killed. I commend myself, humble, to Your aid, O gracious God. Hence the pious victim is torn apart, his limbs severed. And what the fierce soldier could not compensate with treasure, he began to search for through the wounds in the cold flesh. Nor is it strange, for there always were, and always shall arise, those whom evil fury against the Lord's servants rouses, so that what Christ's judgment accomplished for all, all may do this for Christ, though by an unequal deed. 9 He therefore, made a Martyr for the name of Christ, He is renowned for miracles. where many miracles are given for the Saints' merits, where the Lord is worshiped with worthy and honored respect, with the Saints, by whose merits I believe my sins are loosed, to whom I have sent suppliant offerings of praise. Christ denies nothing to these, to whom they brought the greatest gains, who with the loving Father and the holy Breath through the ages reigns, and flourishes in eternal beauty without end.
AnnotationsThese three in Dunum are entombed in one tomb, Brigid, Patricius, and pious Columba.