CHAPTER 36: How certain brethren who had disobeyed him were held back by a storm at sea
CHAPTER 36
How certain brethren who had disobeyed him were held back by a storm at sea
IN the second year of his episcopate Cuthbert knew that his end was nigh. He laid aside his pastoral duties and went back as soon as possible to his beloved life of solitary conflict, to give the flame of compunction time to burn away the deeply fixed thorns of worldly cares. Nevertheless he would often leave his dwelling to meet and talk to the brethren who came over to visit him.
Perhaps it would not be out of place at this juncture to insert an account of a miracle he worked about this time, to show you quite clearly that saints are to be obeyed in even their most casual commands. Here it is then:
One day some of the monks came over and Cuthbert went out to give them a few words of encouragement. He finished thus: ‘Now it is time to go back to my cell. You are ready to go too, but before you set off have something to eat. Take that goose hanging up on the wall, cook it and eat it, and then set sail in the Name of the Lord.’
He blessed them and went in. They ate as he had bidden them, but, since they had plenty of their own food with them, they could not be bothered to prepare the goose. When the meal was over they made to go aboard, but a fierce storm arose making it impossible to row, with the result that they were shut in on the island for a whole week with the seas raging round them, quite unaware of the fault for which they were kept imprisoned. They sought out Cuthbert and anxiously complained about the delay. He merely preached patience, but the seventh day very graciously came out to speak to them, thinking that a word of sympathy might soothe their pain. He entered the visitors’ house and, seeing the bird still hanging there uncooked, calmly upbraided them for their disobedience – he was, in fact, rather pleased.
‘What! Is that bird still hanging there uncooked? Do you wonder the sea will not let you go? Quickly now, put it in the pot, cook it and eat it, then the sea will calm down and you will be able to leave.’
They obeyed at once and, wondrous to relate, just as the goose began to boil in the pot, the wind died away and the waves lost their fury. They finished eating the goose, saw that the sea was smooth, and set off, arriving home with the wind behind them, overjoyed and not a little ashamed. They blushed at the thought of their disobedience and at their dimwittedness, which despite the chastisements of the Creator had kept them from realizing and correcting their fault. They rejoiced to see that God had such regard for His faithful servant that He would call up the elements to punish those who failed to respect him, and rejoiced also that He cared for them to the extent of performing a miracle to correct their errors.
This story did not come to me from any casual source but from one of that very party, the venerable monk and priest Cynimund. He is still alive and renowned far and wide for his great holiness and great age.