Welcome to the Round of the Saintly Sixteen! With Barbara's defeat at the hands of Thomas Ken 67% to 33%, we've collectively narrowed the field down from 32 saints to 16. Now the truly hard work begins on the journey towards the 2015 Golden Halo.
Lent Madness, like Lent, is part endurance race and we encourage those who have come thus far — both voters and contestants — to buckle down for the duration and, in the words of Saint Paul, to “Run with perseverance the race that is set before you.”
In this round, we move past basic biographies and delve into what we like to call “Quirks and Quotes.” We’ll learn some unusual facts about our saints and hear about them, either in their own words or in words uttered or written about them. Some of our holy men and women are quirkier than others and some are more quotable. As always, remember these matchups are neither fair nor for the faint of heart. If you want a bland Lenten devotion you’ve come to the wrong place.
The Saintly Sixteen begins today with Brendan the Navigator taking on Thecla. If you need a refresher from the first round you can do one of two things: consult your handy Saintly Scorecard or click the Bracket tab and scroll down. Our Bracket Czar, Adam Thomas, provides links to every previous matchup meaning you can, with just a few clicks, access the initial bios. Now go read and vote. There is work to be done!
Brendan the Navigator
Brendan lived a long a full life in service to God. His courageous and adventurous spirit led him to the ends of the world. The many hagiographies written to honor him speak to the inspiration he provided to the faithful. Even the most fantastic stories give a glimpse of his extraordinary character.
As Brendan and his friends set out to sea he insisted that they follow Jesus’ command to the seventy that they bring no provisions, trusting that God would provide all their needs. He encouraged his fellow travelers, “Fear not, brothers, for our God will be to us a helper, a mariner, and a pilot; take the oars and helm, keep the sails set, and may God do unto us, his servants and his little vessel, as he wills.”
A little later, they encountered a maiden of the sea. She was enormous — one hundred feet tall, nine feet between her “paps,” and a middle finger seven feet long. She had been pierced with a giant spear and had died. Brendan brought her back to life and baptized her into the faith. Upon baptizing her, Brendan asked if she would like to return to her home or if she would like to go to heaven. She answered, “To heaven, for I hear the voices of the angels praising the mighty God.” Brendan therefore gave her the body and blood of Christ and she died without distress.
In Brendan’s travels he saw both the horrors of hell and the glories of paradise. In one particularly poignant episode, he and his companions found themselves in a great storm of hail and snow. Some of the brothers complained to him, “Holy father, the cold in the infernal regions is not more intense than what we feel now.”
To this Brendan replied, “You speak like ignorant rustics. We have seen Judas, the betrayer of our Lord, in a dreadful sea, on the Lord’s Day, wailing and lamenting, seated on a rugged and slimy rock… Against the rock there rushed a fiery wave from the east, and a wave of icy coldness from the west alternately, which drenched Judas in a frightful manner; and yet this grievous punishment seemed to him a relief from pain, for thus the mercy of God granted this place to him on Sundays as some ease amidst his torments. What therefore must be the torments suffered in hell itself?”
For five years they traveled without injury or incident. At one point they needed to find land in order to properly celebrate the Easter Eucharist. Brendan encouraged his friends with the promise that “God is able to provide us with land in any place he pleases.” God’s good pleasure was the back of a whale named Jasconius.
After a long and full life, Brendan died. As he died, he raised his eyes to heaven, and echoing the words of Christ, uttered, “Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit; save me, O Lord my God.”
Thecla
Thecla is among the earliest saints of the church, and is often referred to as “Equal-to-the-Apostles,” for the fervor of her witness to Jesus Christ and the power of her example.
While the story of her life as documented in the Acts of Paul and Thecla may raise a few eyebrows – with its scintillating accounts of Thecla twice making miraculous escapes from martyrdom, including a notable self-baptism by throwing herself into a pool filled with ravenous seals – Thecla’s life and ministry made an undeniable and well-documented impact on the early church.
The great Cappadocian Father Gregory of Nyssa hailed Thecla as an example of holiness and asceticism in one of his homilies, writing that “she undertook the sacrifice of herself, by giving death to the flesh and practicing great austerities, extinguishing in herself all earthly affections, so that nothing seemed to remain living in her but reason and spirit.” His comments resonate with the Acts of Paul and Thecla, which intimate that Thecla belonged to a wealthy family of status and privilege, and that, as Butler noted in his Lives of the Saints, “She forsook father and mother, and a house abounding in gold and riches where she lived in state and plenty: she left her companions, friends, and country, desiring to possess only the treasure of the love and grace of God, and to find Jesus Christ, who was all things to her.”
Early Christians almost unanimously regarded Thecla as a protomartyr, even though she did not die a martyr's death. In the sense that the word martyr comes from the Greek word meaning witness -- one who bears testimony to their faith with the whole fullness of their life -- Thecla most certainly meets that definition.
Perhaps the great affinity for Thecla among so many came from the reality that in her, they saw a picture of themselves. In the portrait of a woman pursuing great risk to hear the gospel as preached by Paul, early Christians could see the risks they bore in order to hear and preach the gospel. In the vision of a woman who the powers of the world would have put to death many times over, they found an exemplar for what it means to be a witness to Jesus Christ, even at the cost of their own lives.
Thecla’s own confession of faith, recorded in the Acts of Paul and Thecla, are perhaps the most simple yet persuasive testimony to the power of her witness in the face of adversity: “I am a servant of the living God, and as to my state, I am a believer on Jesus Christ his Son, in whom God is well pleased. For that reason none of the beasts could touch me. He alone is the way to eternal salvation and the foundation of eternal life. He is a refuge to those who are in distress, a support to the afflicted, a hope and a defense to those who are hopeless.”
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205 comments on “Brendan the Navigator vs. Thecla”
Brendan, the Saintly monk from Fenet,Ireland was the very first to sail to the New World beating both the Norse and old Chris. Columbus actually studied Brendan's Navigatium (sic). Good on ya Brendan me lad.
I think the story portrayed here about Brendan is the hands down winner. However, I voted for Thecla because I stumbled upon her story while I was living in Turkey last year. I'd never heard of a St. Thecla and started researching and was drawn to find the town of Konya where she hailed from, and one of the towns she is reported to have died in the Mersin region called Silifke. Sadly I never did find the precise little spot of her death, though it is said that pilgrimages were made to the site for hundreds of years. I find her inspiring. Partially my inspiration comes from seeing where she came from and living in that (still) male dominated society. To break free from her father and her fiancee and LIVE, is a miracle in itself. That Paul's words so penetrated her heart that all she wanted was to bear witness to Christ in that rocky land, moves me indeed. Having seen the women there, I can only imagine how inspiring it must have been to them to have an independent woman come and talk with them about God and their worth. Someday I will return and find her. In the mean time I pray for her singleness of heart for that which is true.
Just out of curiosity, I went to Wikipedia and here's a different perspective on the so-called "ravenous seals" and I like this one better: "A nobleman named Alexander desired Thecla and attempted to take her by force. Thecla fought him off, assaulting him in the process, and was put on trial for assaulting a nobleman. She was sentenced to be eaten by wild beasts, but was again saved by a series of miracles when the female beasts protected her against her male aggressors." Wow, feminist fauna! Also can't resist the next sentence:
"Thecla gained a massive "cult-like" following, and became perhaps the most prominent figure for female empowerment at the time." Go Thecla!
The timing is rife with life despite hot and cold gales while perched on a slippery boulder. My 10 year old car died and I savoured my chance to buy a dream come true. I bought an astonishing new little white Mercedes. The model I chose is....The CLA....
Now I should explain that Brendan lives across the street and he is a sailor with great navigational skills, and he hangs out at the local Yacht Club to help the older crowd manage their tasks without carting around any provisions. Faith provides. But I remain devouted to "The CLA" ...one who is no less faithful. When fellow parishioners chide me " wonder how many families you could have fed with that dough" I smile and reply,
"not as many as this little car already did!" And then the nice people laugh.
I thoroughly support the importance of a powerful Faith, I like Brendon a lot, but in Faithful Confession I must admit "The CLA"
sets a most admirable standard!
Onward!
a very owerful faith.
Hard to lose either way with this one. I love Brendan so much that I almost named a son Brendan. But Thecla for me this time. Go, women mystics!
Today, perhaps in honor of the upcoming celebration of all things Irish, and for those who brave the seven seas I shall vote for Brendon.
Please ignore that last line. I don't know anything about its mystical origins, but do you think it really meams ow- erful? 😉
I seem to remember a joke with a punchline involving God providing the boat and the person not realizing that he had to row. Leaving for the trip with no food for the crew doesn't inspire me. Even Jesus started with a few loaves and fishes. Thecla it is.
While swimming with ravenous seals does have a certain appeal, Eucharist on a whale's back can't be beat. Brandon gets my vote today...and my first ever comment, too.
And my first typo as well...BrEndAn!
i have to concur with both, Marla and the above, one of these two will appropriately vie for the lesser title of 'legendary' saint. However mox nix to me which. I voted for travel, just because.
"Thecla remains among the most celebrated female saints of the earliest ages of Christianity" - vs. the guy who didn't bother with packing and couldn't stop to ask for directions? (I kid, I kid.) Thecla it is!
Hmmm. I want Thecla to advance - but I want to vote for Brendan. It's because of my seagoing ancestors; I just can't resist tales of wooden ships and long journeys.
I will wait till later and when I'm sure Thecla's far enough ahead, I'll vote for Brendan; it's the only way I can work this one out....
Despite the name similarity, I must go with Thecla. Brendan's adventures seem a bit foolhardy (who goes to sea without fresh water and food?!) And a whale's back is not my definition of land. Guess I'm just too practical.
Trusting in God's goodness to provide for a venture that God calls to seems foolhardy but leaping into a pool of ravenous seals is okay? I really don't get it I guess.
Spoken like a true Irishwoman (an assumption, given your last name!)! I don't get it, either, Donna. I still think there are a lot of votes for the ravenous seals rather than the person. : )
Don't I recall a story about Jesus sending out a bunch of disciples, 70 or so? and telling them not to take extra things but to trust God to provide the places to stay and the people who would feed them. I could be mistaken.
Exercising girl-power in the 1st century....she must have have had some great truths attached to her or else she would have been wiped out of history long ago. I also love the adventurous traveler, using Christ as his navigator, the ultimate adventure. Love both. Voting for Telco.
This match was very difficult to me. The main thing it has done is to inspire me to read more about both of these saints who trusted so completely in God's love and the provenance of Providence. That great trust is what I need most as I navigate the uncharted waters of retirement, not physically strong enough to continue the beloved work to which I was called, but still desiring to serve God and God's children with all that I am. I think I'll vote for Thekla, my sister in the faith, but with great love and appreciation for who Brendon was and what he did as well.
Sorry, I meant Brendan.
I did not vote for Thecla the first time around. I did this time, but not because I did not hold Brenden in highest regard. I have thought a lot about my previous vote and believe that I did not consider how much devotion Thecla had for Christ and what a cost she paid for her beliefs.
Just loving so much the stories of Brendan and his voyages...
Thecla is a very important saint in the Eastern churches!
Yes, and to everyone, or should be! I went with Brendan, though, but it was a tough call. Voted for her in the first round.
There was no explanation of why Thecla was standing between a lion and a snake (unless they were actually strangely shaped seals?). Nevertheless, my cats said, "That lady is standing next to a lion, and while she did throw herself into a pool of water, that's a lot less water than Brendan encountered." So they said I needed to vote for the lion.
Peace
Ha! Excellent!
Faith and Bagorah! Your assumption is right on! Donahay before I was Devlin.
I'm of Irish descent, myself! Looking forward to next Tuesday, except for all the American idiots who don't know what the day is really about. I tend to stay home and have people over for some colcannon and lamb or roast pork, watch The Quiet Man and/or Irish movies that I've collected. Tough break for Brendan today.
Got room for one more? My kinda man — we don't need to wear green cause we are.
Always room for one more! The only down side this year is I'm going out of town, so I'll be with friends in Indianapolis. Maybe next year!
Oh, and I almost always wear blue on St. Patrick's Day, since blue is the color that was first associated with him and is the official color of the Republic of Ireland. It's fun to let people know that when they as why I'm not wearing green (which I do, sometimes, on St. Patrick's Day and often during the rest of the year!).
Amen, Linda.
I'm going with Thecla, after much debate with myself. I think it is extremely important to remember that even Paul, who so many mistake for a misogynist, worked closely with women.
Still hoping for Brendan. Tired of hearing about ravening seals.
1st Bracket Stats: Total Saints: 32
Male Saints: 18 (56%)
Female Saints: 14 (44%)
Male Saint advances: 11 of 16 (69%), 61% of total Male Saints advanced
Female Saint advances: 5 of 16 (31%), 36% of total Female Saints advanced
Commenting voter gender percentages: 80% Female; 20% Male*
Total voter gender percentages: Unknown
* Estimated.
The power of St. Brendan was in daring to take the voyage God choose for him. My parish is a defining point - we have to get in the boat we have been called to and trust God! I remain surprised that people seem to believe the story of Thecla is in the canon of Scripture. It isn't.
Oh, it's almost St. Pat's Day and Brendan helped keep the faith and spread it afar.
Jane, I've been saying that for awhile, glad someone else thinks like that. I was personally hoping for a Brendan vs. Brigid final!
That would have been hellish!
A little later, they encountered a maiden of the sea. She was enormous — one hundred feet tall, nine feet between her “paps,” and a middle finger seven feet long. She had been pierced with a giant spear and had died. Brendan brought her back to life and baptized her into the faith.
ok- REALLY? i find this hard to believe or is it some kind of allegory? it's absurd. i think i voted twice. once early this morning when i was barely awake, and once now, but both for Thecla, you may remove a vote for Thecla, but I don't think it will make a diff at this point! and may i ask ...what is a "pap"? i am thinking breasts, but maybe not.
Yes, that's right, linda m.
Michael- Frances Perkins got the Golden Halo last year and a year or so before that Mary Magdalan got it.
Actually, last year it was Charles Wesley who got the Golden Halo. Frances Perkins the year before?
magdalen?
I voted for Thecla and Brendan in the first round. Deciding between them was a challenge.Went with Thecla. For what it's worth, it is very difficult to say Saint Thecla 5 times really fast.
Later, Navigator!
I went into this thinking I would vote for Brendan, but I was disappointed by his quirks and quotes. What about his sympathy for Judas? His arguing with demons to extend relief for the traitor? What about him telling his shipmates, “Pull in your oars and let down the sail. Let God take us where he will”? What about his conversations with birds – those same birds who would sing the Divine Office? And how about some more about him reaching the Island of the Saints, “where there is no shadow of night because Christ is the eternal light”? That same Island that some think might have been Canada? Ask Tim Severin about that!
Without all of that, Brendan is thin and can hardly stand up against she who is “Equal to the Apostles.”
P.S. I don’t understand all of these comments bashing legend and myth. When we talk about Christian saints, we are in the realm of hagiography. Without hagiography, Lent Madness would quickly become prosaic, tired and dull. Hagiography is part of what puts the “Madness” in Lent Madness. Without it, Lent Madness would just be Lent.
Really, Daniel? "What about his sympathy for Judas?" I seem to recall someone saying we should love our enemies, or some nonsense like that. : ) He just did what was expected of him, or else Jesus wouldn't be Jesus, would he? On to the next round!
Thanks, Robert. As you say, I thought we were supposed to do that sort of thing. I keep getting this stuff wrong.
had to go with Brendan today, living by the ocean....and loving to be out on the water........he gets my vote!!