CHAPTER 20: How the ravens said their prayers and brought the man of God a gift to make up for the harm they had done
CHAPTER 20
How the ravens said their prayers and brought the man of God a gift to make up for the harm they had done
THIS is the place to recount another of the blessed Cuthbert’s miracles similar to one of our father Benedict’s, in which human pride and obstinacy are openly put to shame by the humble obedience of birds. One day some ravens which had long inhabited the island were seen tearing the straw from the roof of the visitors’ house and carrying it off to build their nests. The saint reproved them with a slight gesture of the right hand and told them to leave the monks’ property alone. They merely scorned his command.
‘In the Name of Jesus Christ, depart forthwith!’ he shouted. ‘Do not dare remain to do more damage.’
They flew off shamefacedly almost before he had finished speaking. Three days later one of a pair of them returned, and finding Cuthbert digging, stood before him, with feathers outspread and head bowed low to its feet in sign of grief. Using whatever signs it could to express contrition it very humbly asked pardon. When Cuthbert realized what it meant, he gave permission for them all to return. Back they came with a fitting gift – a lump of pig’s lard. Cuthbert would often show this to his visitors, inviting them to grease their shoes with it.
‘What care should not men take,’ he would say, ‘to cultivate obedience and humility when the very birds hasten to wash away their faults of pride by prayers, tears, and gifts.’
The birds stayed on the island many years to set men a good example of reform, building their nests but never presuming to do harm to anyone. Let no one think it ridiculous to learn a lesson in virtue from birds. Does not Solomon instruct us: ‘Go to the ant thou sluggard, consider her ways and be wise’?1