Thoughts for the Day

God the True Shepherd

For thus says the Lord God: I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. As shepherds seek out their flocks when they are among their scattered sheep, so I will seek out my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places to which they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited parts of the land. I will feed them with good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel shall be their pasture; there they shall lie down in good grazing land, and they shall feed on rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord God. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

I have a lot of time for Saint Cuthbert and the island of Lindisfarne (Holy Island) off the Northumbrian coast in Britain, having spent long periods of time there on retreat or on holiday. So what do we know about Cuthbert who died on this day in 687 on the Farne islands? Well he was Prior and Bishop of the great Benedictine abbey of Lindisfarne, and one of the most venerated of English saints, who evangelized Northumbria.

Born around 640 CE, Cuthbert was a shepherd. After having a divine vision, seemingly "a dazzling light in the sky and angels carrying a soul up to heaven", he resolved to dedicate his life to God. In 651 he went to the monastery of Melrose and asked to be admitted as a novice monk under Abbot Eata. In 1661 he caught the plague, but recovered, and when the Prior died he succeeded him. In 664 the Synod of Whitby adopted Roman rather than Celtic church customs. Despite being Anglo-Saxons Eata and Cuthbert supported this move, and the former was subsequently consecrated as the Bishop of Lindisfarne with Cuthbert as Prior.

Cuthbert ran the Abbey, and was an indefatigable traveller and preacher, walking all over the area as an active missionary. However, he began to believe that he was being called to be a hermit, fighting the spiritual forces of evil in a life of solitude. After a short trial period on the tiny island adjoining Lindisfarne, he finally moved to the remote island of the 'Inner Farne' where he built a hermitage. But he was not left in peace, for many visitors sought his spiritual guidance. Finally he was asked by both Church and King to leave there and become Bishop of Lindisfarne. He was consecrated Bishop in 685 CE but after a year of travelling the Diocese ill health forced him to resign his office. He retreated to Farne where he died in the company of a few of his monks on this day in 687 CE.

Collect for Saint Cuthbert

Almighty God,
who called Your servant Cuthbert
from following the flock
to follow Your Son,
and to be a shepherd to Your people:
in your mercy, grant that we,
following his example,
may bring those who are lost
home to Your fold.
Amen.