St. Columbus Day of Ireland
Description:
St. Columbus is one of the most “living” early Irish saints. Perhaps even more so than St. Patrick, who, because of his immense popularity, has almost completely disappeared into folklore.
The estimated date of birth of St. Columba varies between 521 and 523, his place of birth is Gartan in Northern Ireland. He belonged to the royal family of the Ui Neils and from the very beginning was considered by his relatives as a possible candidate for the throne of the Supreme King. However, he chose a different path, devoting himself from early youth to the service of the Church.
A disciple of St. Finnian, a monk, poet and scientist, he was distinguished by ardent energy and active anxiety, while at the same time prone to prayerful contemplation and mental concentration.
In Life, it is said that Columbus was “completely like an angel.” The same "Life" paints a more detailed portrait of him - tall and thin, "like a crane", bony, but well-built, athleticly strong and "with such a loud voice that you could hear it for a mile" (obviously, this was how the angel looked in the view of a medieval Irishman).
Passionate and impetuous, vengeful and tender, hot-tempered and kind-hearted, he was no less willing to interfere in all kinds of worldly quarrels than he indulged in contemplation. Obviously, these features of his nature are associated with a rather confusing history of his exile.
He was already famous and revered by everyone, founded several monasteries (Derry, Durrow and Kells), performed “many other feats and miracles for Christ’s sake” – when he suddenly left his homeland and went as a missionary to Scotland. One of the legends calls as the reason for such a sudden pilgrimage quarrel with King Diarmaid.
When the king ordered the burning of the church in which his enemy was hiding, Columbus, outraged by this, raised his clan against the king. And there was a battle at Quill Dremne, in which three thousand people died, and the blame for their death was laid on Columbus. A Local Council was hastily convened at Telltun, which was to excommunicate Columbus from the church, and so it would have been had it not been for the intercession of St. Brendan.
Tormented by repentance, Columbus decided to atone for his sin and went to Scotland with the intention of staying there "until he converted as many people as died in that battle to Christ." This is the most romantic and considered least credible version of his exile. Whatever it was, Columbus with twelve companions arrived on the island of Iona (in another pronunciation - Iona), where he founded one of the most famous "his" monasteries - the Aion monastery, the future center of the Christianization of Scotland.
From the works of St. Columba, several hymns and poems in Irish and Latin are preserved, as well as the Old Irish Psalter (Cathnach), which was revered as a relic and served as a talisman for kings during battles.
Colm Kille is one of the most famous Celtic saints revered in both Ireland and Scotland. In Ireland, the worship of Colm Kille in the North (in Donegal and Ulster) is traditionally strong, he is credited with authorship of many spiritual songs and a number of perfect miracles.