“How wonderful it is to walk with God along the road which holy men have trod.”  Theodore H. Kitching

“Almighty Father, Son and Holy Ghost . . . allow that I may keep a door in Paradise; that I may keep even the smallest door, the furthest door, the darkest, coldest door, the door that is least used, the stiffest door, if only that it be in Thine house, O God.” Prayer of St. Columba

Do you know what Saints Day was observed this past Friday, June 9^th?  St. Columba.  The patron saint of Scotland.

I first met St. Columba, or Colum Cille as he was more commonly known during his day, in 2002.  I met him at Iona in Scotland. It’s the place where he landed as a refugee from Ireland in 563.  Yes, he had been dead for about 1500 years, but his spirit is still very much alive, and lives on to greet those who gather at that sacred place. 

A visit to Iona will have numerous reminders of Columba.  Most notable are the small hill near the modern-day Abbey where he slept on a stone (on display inside the Abbey church), the tiny chapel adjacent to the Abbey that served as his monastic cell, the hill of the angels, where Columba enjoyed heavenly communion, and of course St. Columba’s Bay, where he purportedly landed with his band of brothers.

Columba was described as a large man with a huge singing voice.  He was a scribe and the illustrator of biblical manuscripts.  The Book of Cells, which is now on display at Trinity College in Dublin, is an example of the ornate type of artistry that was employed by the monks on Iona.

There are many legends surrounding Columba, most notable being the one about him rescuing a man from the mouth of the great sea monster that inhabited the place called “Loch Ness.”  He was renowned for his healings and his missionary zeal. 

Columba died in 597, but he is still very much alive.  His name graces over 90 churches in Ireland and Scotland.  While living in Scotland in 2001 my family and I attended a Lutheran one in East Kilbride named “St. Columba.”  I am absolutely certain that when one steps foot onto that small island of Iona they are greeted by his spirit, as well as that of countless other saints.  I believe his spirit led me back there in 2015 to receive the healing that I was in need of.  And that his spirit led me to a small church called “St. Columba” located right here in Colorado.  And that his spirit lives in Father Les, pictured above, who was the priest there and who, in the spirit of St. Columba,  is a skilled iconographer.  He is the one who made the icon pictured below of Columba arriving at Iona in his coracle.  The original lives above the altar of St. Columba Orthodox Church.

Columba’s Rule for the monks that lived with and followed him at Iona was simple.  They were to own nothing and live on the barest of necessities.  Their domiciles were to have but one door.  They were to avoid gossip and commit themselves to studying the scriptures.  They were to always be ready to forgive anyone for any offense, and to prepare always for death.  And of course, they were to pray and worship constantly.

Imagine a life lived in such simplicity, devotion, and love.  Though it may seem too difficult to do today, it’s not impossible to tap into some of these faith parameters, simply by being more aware of the presence of God, and tapping into the faithful spirit of people we meet on The Way, like St. Columba.

I leave you with a blessing from St. Columba:

“See that you be at peace among yourselves, my children, and love one another.  Follow the example of good men of old and God will comfort you and help you, both in this world and in the world which is to come.”