CHAPTER 34: How he beheld being carried heavenwards the soul of a man who had been killed in a fall from a tree
CHAPTER 34
How he beheld being carried heavenwards the soul of a man who had been killed in a fall from a tree
CUTHBERT knew that he was soon to die and made up his mind accordingly to lay aside the burden of pastoral office and retire to a life of solitude. Once free from material worries he might be able to give himself undividedly to his prayers and psalms, to prepare himself for death or, rather, eternal life. But he wished to make a visitation of the diocese first and visit the homes of some other of the faithful in the neighbourhood to exhort them and give them the strength they needed. Then he would withdraw to the joy and refreshment of his longed-for solitude. As he was going the rounds, that most noble and holy virgin Aelfflaed, of whom we have spoken above, asked him to come to see her at one of the estates belonging to her monastery in order to converse with her and consecrate a church. There were a good number of people, servants of God, living on this estate. When they had sat down to dinner, Cuthbert suddenly turned his attention from the worldly feast to meditate on spiritual things. His limbs went limp and useless, his face changed colour, his eyes became fixed in amazement, and the knife fell from his hand to the table. The priest, his minister, who was standing near, lent over to the abbess and whispered: ‘Ask the bishop what he sees, for his hand did not tremble and let go the knife without reason. He is having some kind of vision which is denied us.’
She turned to him at once.
‘My lord bishop, I beg you to tell me what you have just seen – your hand did not slacken and let the knife fall for no reason at all.’
He tried to conceal the fact that he had seen anything extraordinary by merely laughing it off:
‘Well, I cannot eat all day. I must pause sometime.’
But she pestered him into telling.
‘I saw,’ he admitted, ‘the soul of some holy man being borne by the hands of angels into the joy of Heaven.’
‘Where did he come from?’
‘From your monastery.’
She wanted to know his name.
‘You yourself will tell me tomorrow in the middle of mass.’
She sent off at once to the main monastery to see whose soul had been so recently snatched from his body, but the messenger found them all safe and sound and set off back the next morning. On the way he came across a group of men bearing the body of one of their brothers on a cart to burial. He learnt, on asking, that it was one of the shepherds, a good-living man, who had climbed a tree too recklessly and had fallen. His injuries proved mortal and he had passed away at the very time Cuthbert saw him carried heavenwards. On being informed Aelfflaed hastened to the bishop, then in the middle of the dedication ceremonies, and, woman-like, acted as though stupefied, announcing, as if it were fresh news: ‘My lord bishop, remember at mass my servant Hadwald who died yesterday of a fall from a tree.’
Then everyone saw, as clear as could be, the extent and scope of Cuthbert’s prophetic gifts – not only could he see a soul being carried heavenwards at the very moment of death but also foresee what others would tell him about it later.