OMNIUM SANCTORUM HIBERNIAE

Tag: Miracles

  • Saint Molua and Saint Munna's Angelic Visitor

    August 4 is the feast of the great Irish monastic founder, Saint Molua. Canon O’Hanlon has included in his account of the saint the story of a miracle at the time of Saint Molua’s death involving another Irish saint, Munna of Taghmon:

    The Angel of God was accustomed to make two visits each week—namely, on each Sunday and Thursday—to the holy abbot Munnu, of Taghmoon, in Hy Kinsellagh; but, he came not on the week when our saint died. Munnu had a revelation, that there was great rejoicing in Heaven, on account of our saint’s accession to the angelic choirs. After the interval of a week, that angel again appeared. Then Munnu said, “Wherefore, servant of God, have you not come to me as usual, during the last few days ?” The angel answered: “Because on those days the venerable servant of God, Molua, son to Coche, went to Heaven. Therefore, the angels did not visit the saints of Ireland, as usual; for, they rejoiced together, on the arrival of Molua among them.” Then, St. Munnu said :” Now doth it appear, he accomplished the will of God, in a manner superior to us all. But, go thou to the Lord, and learn for me, on what account the Almighty was more pleased with Molua’s approach, that he should in consequence neglect to visit me.” The angel obeyed. Within a short time he returned, saying: ” This is the reply to thy question. The face of no man was ever suffused with blushes through Molua, for he was mild to all, and governed his monks with great piety and gentleness. With moderation, he drew them to the right path. However, rejoice, also; for you shall find a similar honour in Heaven, since you must endure suffering in this life, and to the hour of your death.” On the following Thursday, Munnu was struck with a leprosy, which covered all parts of his body, and thus was he afflicted, for the remaining twenty years of his life.

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  • Saint Fechin at Poulaphouca Waterfall

    It was the afternoon of Sunday when Fechin and his monks arrived at Poulaphouca Falls, and the glorious Twenty-Eighth Psalm was part of the Lauds for Monday, which they were reciting that evening, and no other Psalm could so voice the feelings of the enraptured hearts of those “sons of God” in the midst of “the many waters” and “the thunders of the Lord” and “the cedars.”

    “Afferte Domino, filii Dei, gloriam et honorem : afferte Domino gloriam nomini Ejus : adorate Dominum in atrio sancto Ejus ! 


    Vox Domini super aquas, Deus majestatis intonuit : Dominus super aquas multas ! 


    Vox Domini in virtute : Vox Domini in magnificentia. 


    Vox Domini confringentis cedros. . . . 


    Dominus virtutem populo suo dabit : Dominus benedicet populo suo in pace.” 

    ” Bring to the Lord, O ye sons of God, . . . glory and honour ! bring to the Lord glory to His name ! Adore ye the Lord in His holy Church !

    The voice of the Lord upon the waters : the God of majesty hath thundered ! The Lord upon many waters !

    The voice of the Lord in power, the voice of the Lord in magnificence !

    The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars ! . . . The Lord will give strength to His people ; the Lord will bless His people with peace.” (Ps. xxviii).

    Not for a few minutes only but for hours did holy Fechin and his disciples pray here and sing their Psalms and hymns. At last some of the monks completely tired and physically exhausted said to Fechin that it was time for all to rest. “No,” answered the Saint, ” I cannot cease. The Falls never cease, but are continually offering the sublime melody of their music to their Creator. I must not be a debtor to my God.” Behold then God wrought a great wonder to reward His devout servant. The waters of the Falls ceased to flow down, and, piling themselves above, seemed to listen to the chanting of the Psalms of Fechin and his choir, a heavenlier music than their own! This prodigy lasted till the third hour. Then the Saint was given to understand that he and his tired brethren might themselves take a little rest and refresh their exhausted bodies, and so they ceased their psalmody.

    The Life of St Fechin of Fore: The Apostle of Connemara by Father J.B. Coyle (Dublin, 1915).

    Note: January 20 is the feast day of Saint Fechin of Fore and previous posts on his life can be found here and here.

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  • Saint Columba and the Woman Escorted by the Angels to Paradise

    June 9 is the feastday of Saint Colum Cille [Columba] of Iona.  As I have previously noted on the blog, Iona’s founder shares his feastday with his immediate successor and kinsman, Baithin. Canon O’Hanlon, however, has another feast to record for this day, one which comes directly from Book III of Adamnán’s Life of Saint Columba:

    Feast of a Holy Woman whose Name is unknown, and who was borne into Heaven by Angels. [Sixth Century.]

    At this date, we find introduced into a Calendar the festival of a beatified woman, whose name is not known, but whose soul St. Columkille beheld ascending into Heaven. After a great struggle with demons, the Angels came to receive her into the mansions of everlasting bliss. This festival is noted by the Bollandists, among the pretermitted saints. 

    The calendar to which Canon O’Hanlon refers is named in the footnotes as the ‘Gynaeceo Arturi’. I was unable to find out any further information on this source. Below is the text from the Life of Saint Columba from which this feast is drawn. It is interesting to note that the witness to this miracle was a Saxon monastic who worked as a baker at the monastery of Iona:

    [III 10] Of a vision, in which St. Columba beheld angels bearing to heaven the soul of a virtuous woman

    Likewise, on another occasion, when St Columba was dwelling in Iona, one day he suddenly looked up towards heaven and said:

    ‘Happy woman, happy and virtuous, whose soul the angels of God now take to paradise!’

    One of the brothers was a devout man called Genereus the Englishman, who was the baker. He was at work in the bakery where he heard St Columba say this. A year later, on the same day, the saint again spoke to Genereus the Englishman, saying:

    ‘I see a marvellous thing. The woman of whom I spoke in your presence a year ago today – look!- she is now meeting in the air the soul of a devout layman, her husband, and is fighting for him together with holy angels against the power of the Enemy. With their help and because the man himself was always righteous, his soul is rescued from the devils’ assaults and is brought to the place of eternal refreshment.’

    Richard Sharpe, ed. and trans., Life of Saint Columba, (Penguin Classics, 1991), 213.

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