Sure, almost everything we know about Cuthbert, we learned through the writings of Bede. Had Bede known that he would one day square off against Cuthbert in the saintly smackdown, perhaps he would have written a different tune? Nonetheless, these two face one another in a rare battle of contemporaries. The winner will go up against Molly Brant.
Yesterday we saw one of the greatest routs in Lent Madness history with Kamehameha spanking William Laud 84% to 16%. He'll go on to face David Oakerhater in the Round of the Saintly Sixteen.
Speaking of routs, our bracketologists did a bit of digging to unearth where Kamehameha's victory ranked among the annals of Lent Madness blowouts. In 2013 Florence Li-Tim Oi, the first woman ordained in the Anglican Communion, defeated Chad of Lichfield by the same percentage, 84% to 16%. Talk about your hanging Chad...
But the greatest blowout in Lent Madness history, percentage-wise, came in the very first year this devotional started. In 2010, Francis of Assisi defeated Aelred of Riveaulx 87% to 13% in the Elate Eight. For the record, Francis lost to Julian of Norwich in the Faithful Four that year and is now back in the bracket for the first time since.
The Venerable Bede
The Venerable Bede is among Christianity’s greatest scholars, having produced numerous commentaries on scripture, hagiographies of the saints, and studies of chronology and timekeeping. He is best known for his Ecclesiastical History of the English People, the premier source of information about the development of Christianity in England from the time of Augustine’s arrival in 597 until 731 CE.
Very little is known about the details of Bede’s life. He was his own primary biographer, offering the briefest annotations at the beginning and end of his Ecclesiastical History. Preferring to remain a simple “servant of Christ and Priest,” Bede traced the broadest outlines of his life: he entered the monastery at Wearmouth at age seven, and, when a new abbey was founded at Jarrow in 682, he transferred there. He was ordained as a deacon at age nineteen and a priest at age thirty and ultimately remained at Jarrow for the vast majority of his life. Over the course of his life, he joyed in “wholly applying myself to the study of scripture, and amidst the observance of regular discipline, and the daily care of singing in the church, I always took delight in learning, teaching, and writing.”
Bede’s delight in learning, teaching, and writing provides us with much of the history of the Church in England. Bede reported Pope Gregory the Great’s dispatch of Augustine to England in 597, and after the baptism of Ethelbert in 601, Augustine’s appointment as the First Archbishop of Canterbury. Bede’s Ecclesiastical History introduced us to the tale of Alban, the first martyr in England, and his faithful confession that “I worship and adore the true and living God who created all things.” Through Bede we learn much of our history of the various abbots of the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, most especially Cuthbert. And Bede introduces us to Hilda and the influence of her abbey at Whitby.
As one of the church’s saints, Bede’s witness shines brightest in his constant dedication in bringing the world to know the light of Christ shining in countless others, so that their witness may shine to the Church throughout all ages.
Collect for Bede
Heavenly Father, you called your servant Bede, while still a child, to devote his life to your service in the disciplines of religion and scholarship: Grant that as he labored in the Spirit to bring the riches of your truth to his generation, so we, in our various vocations, may strive to make you known in all the world; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Cuthbert of Lindisfarne
In the Venerable Bede’s The Life and Miracles of St. Cuthbert, Bishop of Lindesfarne, we read, “He was affable and pleasant in his character...he would introduce, in the meekest way, the spiritual benefits which the love of God had conferred upon himself. And this he took care to do in a covert manner, as if it had happened to another person.”
Cuthbert’s life, marked by miracles and adventure, was also a life of profound kindness. He grew up an orphan shepherd and spent days in quiet solitude tending flocks in the pastures of Scotland. He took holy orders at age seventeen after having seen a vision of angels bearing a saintly man toward heaven. This vision coincided with the death of Saint Aidan — ostensibly Cuthbert saw the saintly man being carried to heaven.
Cuthbert became the abbot of Melrose but was always more comfortable in the wild solitude of nature. He often went out to the sea, standing waist-deep in freezing waters to pray. His communing with the natural world was such that it was said that sea otters dried his legs when he finished prayers. He spent eight years as a hermit on the island of Inner Farne and the animals of the island came under his protection.
When the yellow plague hit the land, Cuthbert traveled extensively to minister to victims. Miraculous healings began to be attributed to him, and he was famed as the “Wonder Worker of Britain.” He saw his journeys as a time to not only comfort the afflicted but also to renew their Christian faith.
His adroit handling of church matters and administration were amply displayed in his work at the Synod of Whitby (664), which fixed the date of Easter and aligned the liturgy of the Celtic Church with the liturgy of the Church in Rome. This repair of the breach with Rome demonstrated his gifts for not only healing individuals but also in reconciling groups of people who disagreed vehemently with each other.
His fame for miraculous healings, his competence in ministry, and his kindness in personal relationships caused him to be elevated to the bishopric of Hexham in 684 while still maintaining his see at Lindisfarne. His life was cut short by illness, and he died in 687.
Cuthbert is the most revered saint of the early Anglo-Saxon Church. In honor of his memory, the Gospels of Lindisfarne were commissioned and a church was built to house his relics. Even after his death, he continued to be credited with all manner of healings and miracles such that Bede compiled a collection of the testimonies and penned his famous work on Cuthbert.
Collect for Cuthbert
Almighty God, you called Cuthbert from following the flock to be a shepherd of your people: Mercifully grant that, as he sought in dangerous and remote places those who had erred and strayed from your ways, so we may seek the indifferent and the lost, and lead them back to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Vote!
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314 comments on “Bede vs. Cuthbert”
Did you know that the Bishop of Lindisfarne allowed the elevation of Cuthbert's relics to take place on the 11th anniversary of his death, in 698? When the body was raised, it was found to be incorrupt!!! Certain proof of sainthood!
With a record so far of 0 for X (have stopped counting) any vote I cast is likely to doom the votee to hit a low cloud ceiling on the way to the next round.
Don't agree that this match-up is worthy of a "Meh!;" his is a diabolical choice the SEC has stuck us with (and aren't most of them?). I'd vote for both Cuthbert and Bede today if I could. But, as a former j'prof, scholar and editor who has toted Bede's work around for the past decade without reading it, I'm going to dig in for more insight into Cuthbert and his times. So Bede it is, hoping I've not condemned him to the Lent Madness Recycling Bin (given my nullrecord thus far).
I always seem to go for the underdog, it's Bede for me. He told us about loads of special Christians, and anyone that humble and keen to put forward the gifts of others deserves a bit of limelight for themselves especially when the don't much like it.
Go Bede
I suspect that Kamehameha's win received the most total votes.
There'd be no lent madness without BEDE!
I did a project in seminary on Bede, and was all set to vote for him. But after reading about Cuthbert, I had to go with him. I appreciated his gift for healing, from the yellow plague to the breach between the Celtic church and Rome. I also appreciated his communing with nature. Kind of fell in love with him from one blog post. May Bede forgive me!
love the nature boy!!! easy pick - just look at the pic of our friend The Venerable Bede - scary!!! one tough lookin dude!
In the answering of the question, "Which Saint is more mad?", Cuthbert had me at "miracles and adventure."
As much as I appreciate Cuthbert's dedication to the physical and spiritual well-being of his flock and his ability to lead others to reconciliation with God and each other, I had to vote for the Venerable Bede. How could I not? He collected, organized, and beautifully presented so much wonderful and invaluable information, and was so very humble throughout his life: a perfect saint for a librarian.
And a major figure in English literature.
Our rector's son's name is Cuthbert, so even though I like both guys; I remember reading "Ecclesiastical History" on my walk to seminary class so Bede's got a soft spot in my heart, but I've got to not only vote for Cuthbert but encourage it on the church FB page.
Hardest choice yet. I love John Heath-Stubbs poem about Cuthbert and the otter.
Lord, the North Sea reaches my Adam's apple.
I gargle prayer. It bubbles up
To the unanswering stars. It is Your love
Keeps them in orbit. ...' ...
'Master, I do not know
What you are doing in the sea. It was not for fishing....'
His is a remarkable story and example... but Whitby... and Hilda....
Otters notwithstanding I had to vote for the scholarly Bede.
My great grandmother Emma Thirsk came across from Yorkshire in the 1850s so these two worthies are in my DNA.
As a historian and cradle Episcopalian I love them both, but have to go with Cuthbert. The hIstory of the English church would be very different without his leadership at the Council of Whitby.
I gotta go with the nature loving, kindhearted fellow!
The biographical sketch of Cuthbert paints a distressingly rosy picture of his "work at the Synod of Whitby." There is another perspective: that this so-called "repair of the breach with Rome" was in fact a capitulation of the native Ionan church to the growing power of the papacy, a concession that would not be reversed for another nine centuries, and resulted in the marginalization of the Columban tradition and the waning of Celtic influence in the English church. Godly man though he undoubtedly was, I cannot bring myself to vote for him.
Cuthbert had me at the otters.
So a vote for the doer or the person who wrote about the doer? Culthbert tips the scales by 'fixing' the date for Easter.
I agree with the previous posts who said this is a very tough one, love them both. Having spent a month at the Nether Springs house of the Northumbria Community, I learned much about St. Aidan, St. Cuthbert, and Celtic Christianity, We went to Lindisfarne several times and to the beautiful Durham Cathedral, where Bede and Cuthbert lie. Gotta go with St. Cuthbert, though, since I felt close to him during my time there, and since. Plus, he's Scottish!
I agree with all the posts that said this was a really tough one. I have to love a scholar and teacher but someone who went out to minister to the "sick, the friendless, and the needy" is hard to ignore (the otters helped as well). So I ended up going with Cuthbert. I love reading the comments almost more than the blogs about the saints. 🙂
O cruel contest! The SEC is probably reveling in our pain. I ask, however, did Cuthbert sell out the Celtic Church rather than "reconcile" it with Rome? This is a wrenching decision: my Scottish blood vs. my profession and passion as a historian of Christianity.
Cuthbert vs. Bede-- Which do you like better, books (Bede) or animals (Cuthbert)? I think most Episcopalians would find it hard to choose between them. So why not a good Anglican response, "both/and" rather than "either/or"?
nicely stated Mr. Lawyer! books vs. animals ... I say both/and!
You must read the book, it is very funny. Maxwell says at the beginning the otter is all wet and the human is dry, and when he is done the otter is nice and dry and the human is soaking wet. If Cuthbert started out wet, I guess he would end up wetter, but less cold. Remember otters' fur is not waterproof.
Love Bede but am voting Cuthbert today for entirely personal reasons - for Jack and the otters and the Ring of Bright Water.
Just an observation: I find it quite interesting that so many comments retroject our 21st c. ideals and sensibilities and biases onto people who lived more than a millennium ago and then vote in accordance with those retrojections, with the effect of rejecting the one who, back in the 5th, 6th, 7th, or 8th c. didn't fit in with our 21st c. enlightened thinking!
It always seems a touch disorienting when 6th century saints are made to sound, act, and think just like 20th century liberal protestants...
Here's a link to Gavin Maxwell's explanation of St. Cuthbert being "dried" by otters (scroll up to p. 87 to get the whole thing):
https://books.google.com/books?id=9PLdOtR-ZfAC&pg=PT100&lpg=PT100&dq=gavin+maxwell+cuthbert+dried+by+them&source=bl&ots=1YlYnbIU-5&sig=RvI4iEQFf6GTZgP2AG9fNwD0XBc&hl=en&sa=X&ei=HM3vVNz5BYiXyATvjIGwDg&ved=0CCsQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=gavin%20maxwell%20cuthbert%20dried%20by%20them&f=false
And eider ducks too! (But I still voted Venerable Bede.)
This is perhaps not the best set of reasons for voting, but here goes: Cuthbert's remains are in Durham Cathedral, and I have been there. And my grand-kitten is named Cuthbert. Bede is wonderful, and he is why we know about Cuthbert, but personal sentiment dictates today's vote. Cuthbert all the way!
What in the tarnation is the YELLOW plague? Worse than the Black one?
The yellow plague is, I believe, yellow fever, which is a hemorrhagic fever for which there is still no antiviral treatment, although there is an effective vaccine. The vaccine + mosquito control are fairly effective in preventing major outbreaks.
Thanks, Linda. That makes sense! I just don't associate malaria with the British Isles...
I think I identify most with Bede. I want to work behind the scenes: I want to bring the world to know the light of Christ which is shining in others: "[he] shines brightest in his constant dedication in bringing the world to know the light of Christ shining in countless others.
Aligning Celtic Christianity with Rome may not have been the wisest choice, in my opinion ... the Celts had far more grace and understanding of the interconnection between the mystic spirituality and the ordinary daily life than Rome ever has, and so, because I'm not so sure that Cuthbert was truly adroit in his handling of the matters at the Synod of Whitby, my vote goes to Bede. There it is!
I would be inclined to agree - Celtic Christianity is much cooler than Roman. More mystical. Much cooler crosses. But for the fact that the Celts and the Franks insisted on killing each other over the date of Easter.
Fezzes ARE cool but it was still Cuthbert for me. His story just spoke to me more!!:)
The tombs of both are claimed to be buried in Durham Cathedral.
And who put these two opposite each other in the first round? Either one could easily be in the final four!
For those who found the pairing unfair for one reason or another, in that you could not easily make a decision as to who moves on: Several alternatives: (1) vote for both of them. That would most probably mean that you are done for this year (SEC rule). But you would make your point, if felt strongly enough. (2) Don't vote at all. Why should you be forced to make a decision that you, in good conscience, would not make. They both deserve your vote (see #1), but that would ground you and end the fun, etc. It is a "safer" way out for you, and preserves you from a sort of Sophie's Choice. (3) Research what criteria are listed for someone elevated to Sainthood--if such a list exists (if not, formulate your own such list). Compare each of the paired Saints to the criteria. The Saint who wins is the Saint who meets more of the criteria in each such match-up, and relieving you of much irrelevant input. If tied in criteria, formulate a tie-breaker that will produce the "winner." If the tie-breaker doesn't work, Return to #1, #2, or, (4) toss a coin. If it's that close fate has a role here, as it does in life at large. Good luck. New player.
Both nice enough, although I am inclined to go for the guy who was able to help heal disagreements.
And besides, ten thousand sea otters can't be wrong.