Adamnan

ON ST. ADAMNAN, PRIEST, AT COLDINGHAM IN SCOTLAND.

At the end of the seventh century.

Adamnan of Coldingham, Priest in Scotland (St.)

[1] Mercia is a region of modern Scotland, on this side of the Firth of Forth, near Berwick, the outermost stronghold of England. Here is Coldingham, which Bede called Coludi urbs ("the city of Colud"), and which some think is the Colania of Ptolemy, book 2, chapter 3. A monastery of the most holy Virgin Ebba existed there, The monastery of Coldingham. born of the Kings of Northumbria. When it was consumed by flames, it was afterward restored; a second Ebba governed it a century later, who, in order to preserve her chastity inviolate from the lust of Danish pirates, cut off her own lips and nose, and was crowned with martyrdom together with the other Virgins who followed her example; her feast is on April 2. The memorial of the first Ebba is consecrated on August 25, from whom a nearby promontory took its name, commonly called St. Abb's Head.

[2] In that monastery there dwelt at one time sacred Virgins, and also — as was often the case in that age — Priests and monks who administered the sacred rites for them, though dwelling separately, as was fitting. Among these was Adamnan, whose sanctity Bede commends in book 4 of his History of the English, chapter 25, which we shall give here. Feast of St. Adamnan. Henry Fitz-Simon, one of our own, recorded his feast on this day in the Catalogue of the Saints of Ireland, calling him Adomnan; but he incorrectly makes him an Abbot and perhaps confused him with Adamnan, Abbot of Iona. John Wilson likewise has him on this day in the first edition of the English Martyrology, calling him Adaman. But in the later edition of the same Martyrology he moved it to March 16, for what reason we do not know; in both places he calls him Prefect of the monastery of Coldingham — not correctly, for both men and women were under the governance of St. Ebba.

[3] David Camerarius records him on January 27 in these words: On this same day, St. Adamannus, Abbot of Coldingham, for whom see the Westminster historian at the year 701. He was not an Abbot: But neither was this Adamnan an Abbot, as we have just said, and the Westminster historian treats of the other Adamnan: In the year of grace 701, he says, there flourished a good and lettered man, Adamnan, Priest and Abbot of the monks who were on the island of Iona. Of him we shall treat on September 23. At which date, in his Notes, Ferrari thus mentions the Adamnan of Coldingham in his general catalogue of Saints: There was also an Adamnan, a Priest, a Scot, in the town of Coldingham, likewise distinguished for sanctity. On December 11, in a certain recent manuscript Calendar of Saints of the Order of St. Benedict, he is thus celebrated: Of St. Adamantius, monk and Prefect of the nuns in England, at the place called Coludi urbs.

[4] perhaps a monk. That Adamnan was a monk is asserted, besides Hugh Menard in book 2 of his Observations, at August 29, also by Leslie in book 4 of his History of the Scots, writing thus: Adamnan of Coldingham flourished at this period. Him, a Scot by nation, a monk by profession, subtle in intellect, eminent in sacred letters, illustrious in ancient manners, and most remarkably gifted in the charm of speech, all Britain uniquely observed and venerated. Nicholas Harpsfield also treats of him at length in his seventh century, chapter 37; as does John Capgrave in the Life of St. Ebba. Trithemius, book 3, On the Illustrious Men of the Order of St. Benedict, chapter 124: Adamnan, a monk and Priest, Prefect of the monastery of nuns in England called Coludi urbs, a Scot by nation, a man of austere life and holy conduct — so much so that besides Sunday and Thursday he ate absolutely nothing in the week, and often spent whole nights awake in prayer — shone with great virtues. He flourished in the year of the Lord 670.

LIFE

By St. Bede, book 4 of his History, chapter 25.

Adamnan of Coldingham, Priest in Scotland (St.)

From the Venerable Bede.

[1] In these times the monastery of Virgins which they call Coludi urbs, which we also mentioned above, was consumed by flames through careless negligence. Coludi urbs burned. Yet all who knew could very easily perceive that this happened because of the wickedness of those dwelling in it, and especially of those who seemed to be the leaders. But the admonition of divine mercy was not lacking to those about to be punished, by which, corrected through fasting, tears, and prayers, they might avert the wrath of the just Judge from themselves, after the manner of the Ninevites.

[2] For there was in that same monastery a man of the Scottish race, Adamnan by name, There Adamnan leading a life of continence and prayer very devoted to God, lives with wondrous abstinence, so that he never took any food or drink except on Sunday and Thursday, and often spent whole nights awake in prayer. This strictness of a more austere life had at first come upon him from the necessity of correcting his own depravity; formerly as expiation for sin, but in the course of time he had turned necessity into habit. For in his youth he had committed some sin, which, when committed and when he came to himself, he abhorred most grievously, and feared that he would be punished for it by the strict Judge. Coming therefore to a Priest from whom he hoped the way of salvation could be shown to him, he confessed his guilt and asked that he would give him counsel by which he might flee from the wrath of God to come. The Priest, hearing his confession, said: A great wound requires the care of a greater remedy; and therefore apply yourself to fasting, psalms, and prayers as much as you can, so that by anticipating the face of the Lord in confession, you may deserve to find Him merciful. But he, whom the excessive pain of a guilty conscience held fast and who desired to be absolved more quickly from the inner bonds of sin by which he was burdened, said: imposed by his Confessor upon the willing penitent, I am young in age and vigorous in body; whatever you impose upon me to do, I will easily bear it all, provided I may be saved on the Day of the Lord — even if you should command me to spend the whole night standing in prayer and to pass the entire week in fasting. The Priest said: It is too much to endure the whole week without bodily nourishment; it is enough to observe a fast of two or three days. Do this until, returning to you after a short time, I shall show you more fully what you ought to do and how long you should persist in penance.

[3] Having said this and prescribed for him the measure of his penance, the Priest departed; afterward voluntarily retained: and an urgent cause arising, he withdrew to Ireland, whence he had come, and never returned to him according to their agreement. But Adamnan, remembering both his precept and his own promise, gave himself entirely to tears, penance, holy vigils, and continence — so that, as I have said, he took food only on Thursday and Sunday, and on the other days of the week remained fasting. When he heard that his Priest had gone to Ireland and had died there, he always from that time onward observed the aforesaid measure of continence according to their agreement; and what he had once received out of divine fear, being stung with guilt, he now performed out of divine love, delighting in the rewards, with untiring zeal.

[4] he foretells the conflagration of the monastery; While he had been diligently pursuing this for a long time, it happened that one day, having gone some distance from the monastery in the company of one of the Brothers, when they had completed their journey and were returning, and as they approached the monastery and beheld its buildings loftily erected, the man of God burst into tears and betrayed the sadness of his heart by the expression of his countenance. His companion, observing this, asked why he did so. And he said: All these buildings, both public and private, that you see, fire will shortly consume and turn to ashes. When his companion heard this, as soon as they entered the monastery he took care to report it to the Mother of the community, named Ebba. She, justly disturbed by such a prophecy, summoned the man to her and inquired of him more carefully about the matter — whence he knew it. He said: Recently, occupied at night with vigils and psalms, I suddenly saw standing beside me one of unknown face, [which, having been foreshown to him at night as he prayed, he relates to the Abbess St. Ebba,] at whose presence I was terrified. He told me not to fear, and addressing me as if with a familiar voice, said: You do well, he said, who at this hour of nightly rest chose not to indulge in sleep but to be intent upon vigils and prayers. But I said: I know that I have great need to persist in salutary vigils and to beseech the Lord earnestly for my sins. And he added: You speak truly, he said, for both you and many others need to redeem their sins by good works, and when they cease from the labors of temporal things, then to labor more freely for the desire of eternal goods. But very few do this. For just now, having gone through this entire monastery in order, I have inspected the cells and beds of each one, and have found no one among them all, except you, occupied with the health of his soul; but all, both men and women, either lie torpid in idle sleep or are awake for the purpose of sinning. For even the little houses that were made for praying or reading have now been turned into dens of feasting, drinking, gossiping, and other allurements. The Virgins also, dedicated to God, despising the reverence of their profession, whenever they have leisure, devote their efforts to weaving finer garments, with which they either adorn themselves like brides, to the peril of their state, or acquire the friendship of strange men. Therefore a heavy vengeance from heaven, with raging flames, is prepared against this place and its inhabitants.

[5] The Abbess said: And why did you not wish to reveal this to me sooner, when you discovered it? He answered: which came to pass after her death, I feared, out of reverence for you, lest you be too greatly disturbed; yet have this consolation: that in your days this plague will not come. When this vision was made known, the inhabitants of that place began for a few days to fear and to restrain themselves from their crimes, ceasing their iniquities. But after the death of the Abbess, they returned to their former filth — nay, committed even worse crimes; and when they were saying, Peace and security, they were suddenly visited with the punishment of the aforesaid vengeance.

[6] the inhabitants dispersed elsewhere. All these things were told to me as having indeed happened by my most reverend fellow-priest Edgils, who at that time was living in that monastery; but afterward, when many of the inhabitants departed on account of the desolation, he spent a long time in our monastery and died there. We have thought it fitting to insert these things into our history to admonish the reader of the works of the Lord, how terrible He is in His counsels over the children of men, The judgments of God are to be feared. lest at some time, serving the allurements of the flesh and fearing the judgment of God too little, the sudden wrath of God should seize us and either justly afflict us with temporal punishments, raging fiercely, or remove us to eternal perdition, examining us most strictly.