This Day in Christian History: Death of St. Columba

This Day in Christian History: June 9


June 9, 597: Death of St. Columba


Saint Columba was born in Ireland in 521. On his father's side, he was the descendant of a High Irish King. His mother was the sister of Saint Martin.
He is best known for his missionary work in Scotland. After studying under many well-known church leaders, Columba crossed over to Scotland with 12 of his followers and founded a church in Iona. He is credited with being the leading figure to introduce and spread the Christian faith in Scotland.
Columba had many miracles occur during his ministry. Once, he was attempting to evangelize one of the Scottish towns when they threw him out of the city, closed the gates, and tried to drown out his preaching with music. His voice miraculously raised above the instruments and was heard to the entire crowd. Then the gates came open, so he walked in and won many converts to Christ.

He died in Iona at the age of 77 on June 9, 597. According to the Catholic encyclopedia:
In the spring of 597 he knew that his end was approaching. On Saturday, 8 June, he ascended the hill overlooking his monastery and blessed for the last time the home so dear to him. That afternoon he was present at Vespers, and later, when the bell summoned the community to the midnight service, he forestalled the others and entered the church without assistance. But he sank before the altar, and in that place breathed forth his soul to Cod, surrounded by his disciples. This happened a little after midnight between the 8th and 9th of June 597. He was in the 77th year of his age. The monks buried him within the monastic enclosure. After the lapse of a century or more his bones were disinterred and placed within a suitable shrine.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Interview with Stephanie Landsem With #giveaway!

Image
I'm so excited to introduce you to Biblical Fiction author, Stephanie Landsem. She is the author of The Living Water series, and the third book just came out YESTERDAY!  Welcome Stephanie! Tell us a little bit about yourself. I’m a wife, mother of four, and author of The Living Water Series. I love to travel, and am lucky that I’ve been able to see many parts of the world and have visited 4 continents. At home, I love to cook, especially new ethnic cuisines from places where I’ve traveled. When I can’t go to new places, I like to be outside hiking, taking walks, or even snowshoeing during our long Minnesota winters. If it’s too cold, my favorite place to be is inside, reading a good book with a cat in my lap. What is your favorite time in History? It will come as no surprise that I’m most drawn to ancient civilizations. In college, I studied a great deal of Greek and Roman history, and perhaps that why I love researching biblical times. There’s somethin
Read more

Cave of the Winds: Historical Colorado Cave & Giveaway! Part 1

Image
Cave of the Winds: Historical Colorado Cave & Giveaway! One of the blessings of having out of state family and friends visit, is the opportunity to see the sites in your own area! Earlier in January, we took family to visit Cave of the Winds, which is only about 45 minutes from my home. It has some fascinating history, and I have some pictures and a giveaway to share with you as well! Cave of the Winds is tucked away in the foothills outside of Colorado Springs next to the cozy town of Manitou Springs. It was first discovered in 1869 but didn't become a tourist attraction until 1881. It has since become the 2nd most commercial cave in the United States. At the bottom of the cavern you see here, is where the original entrance was discovered. Two brothers, John and George Pickett, were exploring the area for caves when they heard a low howling noise. They came to investigate and climbed through a small entrance into a large cavern. Before long, the howling noise returne
Read more

When Reads the Heart with Amanda Cabot

Image
Today I am honored to welcome Amanda Cabot to our When Reads the Heart series as she shares a heartwarming letter from one of her readers.     What made me I think I should write this story?   What made me think I could write it?   Those questions bounced through my head countless times as I was working on Scattered Petals , the second of my Texas Dreams trilogy.   Yes, it’s true that I write stories of healing.   Yes, it’s true that I begin each day by praying that my words will touch readers’ hearts and deepen their faith, but why did I feel compelled to create a heroine who’s raped on her way to a wedding?   The research was painful.   So, too, was the actual writing.   I wept as I wrote the scene where Priscilla’s parents are murdered and she’s attacked.   I wept as I wrote the scenes where she tries to deal with the trauma.   And all the while, I kept asking why ?   Why was I writing this story? The answers began to come soon after the book was published in early 2
Read more