Fr Peter Helman

Cross-inscribed carpet page (Lindisfarne Gospel, 8th Century)

+

"I have become all things to all people, so that I might be any means save some. I do it all for the sake of the Gospel, so that I may share in its blessing."
(1 Corinthians 9:22-23)

+

Dear beloved of Christ,

It wasn’t but a few years ago that I travelled with a group of Saint Philip’s youth on their summer pilgrimage to Scotland and England. We arrived and stayed in Edinburgh for a few days before driving south into England. Almost immediately as we crossed the border we passed near the small port town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, which is only a few miles north of the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, one of the most important centers of early English Christianity, founded by a Celtic monk named Aidan and several companions from Iona. They settled the Holy Island in 635 CE and founded a monastery. Aidan is known by tradition to have been a man of strict asceticism and also deep and abiding humility and devotion. He was consecrated bishop and given Lindisfarne for his episcopal See. Aidan is known to have spent much of his time on the road, establishing missions and baptizing newcomers to the faith.The fuller history of Aidan and the Holy Islandis remarkable, and I commend it to you as yet another opportunity to read in another's calling the same work to which we are all called by God in one way or another: to find in every instance the opportunity and invitation to sow seeds of grace in the world by loving others and showing them the way to Jesus.

Today the Church celebrates the Feast of Saint Aidan, Bishop and Confessor. I thought I would share with you below the sequence hymn we will say at this afternoon’s Mass:

The festival day is come which brings to us great joy, when holy church gives thanks acceptable to God. This day the heavenly host sings, Glory in the Highest, with voice and symphony melodious. This day the holy armies of the heavens unite with us in praise of God our King, Christ, of the holy virgin Mary born. Hail, noble prelate Aidan, thou flower of saints! With steadfast faith, Christ’s footsteps following; thou hast attained the everlasting kingdom; already to their courts the blessed welcome thee. To thee unitedly our suit we make, our frail life by thy blest protection aid. Praise, glory to thee, blessed, holy Aidan. Entreat for us, O blessed, holy Aidan, that in the heavenly temple we may stand, fullness of joy beholding in thy presence. Praise, honor, and thanksgiving pure be unto God, who doth for evermore endure. Let all things say, Amen.

Yours in Christ,
Peter+