CHAPTER 11: How he promised a calm sea to some sailors cut off by a storm and how his prayer for food was answered
CHAPTER 11
How he promised a calm sea to some sailors cut off by a storm and how his prayer for food was answered
MEANWHILE the man of God began to grow strong in prophecy, foretelling the future and revealing to those near him events that were happening elsewhere.1 Once he had to go to the land of the Niduari, a tribe of Picts, to settle some business or other. Two of the brethren travelled with him by boat. (One of them, who afterwards became a priest, brought this miracle to general notice.) They arrived after Christmas, hoping to take advantage of the calm sea and favourable winds to return soon. For this reason they did not trouble about provisions, but matters turned out very differently from what they expected. No sooner had they landed than a violent storm arose, cutting them off completely, and they languished for some days, hungry and cold. Cuthbert, however, did not waste this leisure time in idleness, nor did he merely sleep through it. Night after night was spent in prayer. The Feast of Epiphany was approaching, and in his usual blithe and affable way he tried to raise his companions’ spirits:
‘Why do we remain listless and unresourceful?’ he asked. ‘We ought to be thinking over every possible way of saving ourselves. The land is bleak with snow, clouds lour in the sky, there is a gale raging and the sea is a fury of waves, we are dying of hunger and there is no chance of human aid. Then let us storm Heaven with prayers, asking that same Lord who parted the Red Sea and fed His people in the desert to take pity on us in our peril. I believe that, unless our faith falters. He will not let us go fasting, today of all days, the day which He has singled out for such wondrous proofs of His Majesty. Let us move on and look for the banquet He will surely provide for us to keep His festival with joy.’ He led them to the bank where he usually spent the whole night praying, and there they found three cuts of dolphin meat, ready to cook, as though prepared by human hand. They went down on their knees and thanked God.
‘You see,’ said Cuthbert, ‘what comes of trusting and hoping in the Lord. He has given his servants food, and in giving them three lots has shown how much longer they are to stay here. Pick up the gifts Christ has sent us. Come, let us eat and refuse to be daunted.’
Three days of fierce storm were followed by a calm sea and a blue sky, and they were wafted home with fair winds following.