Sure, almost everything we know about Cuthbert, we learned through the writings of Bede. Had Bede known that he would one day square off against Cuthbert in the saintly smackdown, perhaps he would have written a different tune? Nonetheless, these two face one another in a rare battle of contemporaries. The winner will go up against Molly Brant.
Yesterday we saw one of the greatest routs in Lent Madness history with Kamehameha spanking William Laud 84% to 16%. He'll go on to face David Oakerhater in the Round of the Saintly Sixteen.
Speaking of routs, our bracketologists did a bit of digging to unearth where Kamehameha's victory ranked among the annals of Lent Madness blowouts. In 2013 Florence Li-Tim Oi, the first woman ordained in the Anglican Communion, defeated Chad of Lichfield by the same percentage, 84% to 16%. Talk about your hanging Chad...
But the greatest blowout in Lent Madness history, percentage-wise, came in the very first year this devotional started. In 2010, Francis of Assisi defeated Aelred of Riveaulx 87% to 13% in the Elate Eight. For the record, Francis lost to Julian of Norwich in the Faithful Four that year and is now back in the bracket for the first time since.
The Venerable Bede
The Venerable Bede is among Christianity’s greatest scholars, having produced numerous commentaries on scripture, hagiographies of the saints, and studies of chronology and timekeeping. He is best known for his Ecclesiastical History of the English People, the premier source of information about the development of Christianity in England from the time of Augustine’s arrival in 597 until 731 CE.
Very little is known about the details of Bede’s life. He was his own primary biographer, offering the briefest annotations at the beginning and end of his Ecclesiastical History. Preferring to remain a simple “servant of Christ and Priest,” Bede traced the broadest outlines of his life: he entered the monastery at Wearmouth at age seven, and, when a new abbey was founded at Jarrow in 682, he transferred there. He was ordained as a deacon at age nineteen and a priest at age thirty and ultimately remained at Jarrow for the vast majority of his life. Over the course of his life, he joyed in “wholly applying myself to the study of scripture, and amidst the observance of regular discipline, and the daily care of singing in the church, I always took delight in learning, teaching, and writing.”
Bede’s delight in learning, teaching, and writing provides us with much of the history of the Church in England. Bede reported Pope Gregory the Great’s dispatch of Augustine to England in 597, and after the baptism of Ethelbert in 601, Augustine’s appointment as the First Archbishop of Canterbury. Bede’s Ecclesiastical History introduced us to the tale of Alban, the first martyr in England, and his faithful confession that “I worship and adore the true and living God who created all things.” Through Bede we learn much of our history of the various abbots of the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, most especially Cuthbert. And Bede introduces us to Hilda and the influence of her abbey at Whitby.
As one of the church’s saints, Bede’s witness shines brightest in his constant dedication in bringing the world to know the light of Christ shining in countless others, so that their witness may shine to the Church throughout all ages.
Collect for Bede
Heavenly Father, you called your servant Bede, while still a child, to devote his life to your service in the disciplines of religion and scholarship: Grant that as he labored in the Spirit to bring the riches of your truth to his generation, so we, in our various vocations, may strive to make you known in all the world; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Cuthbert of Lindisfarne
In the Venerable Bede’s The Life and Miracles of St. Cuthbert, Bishop of Lindesfarne, we read, “He was affable and pleasant in his character...he would introduce, in the meekest way, the spiritual benefits which the love of God had conferred upon himself. And this he took care to do in a covert manner, as if it had happened to another person.”
Cuthbert’s life, marked by miracles and adventure, was also a life of profound kindness. He grew up an orphan shepherd and spent days in quiet solitude tending flocks in the pastures of Scotland. He took holy orders at age seventeen after having seen a vision of angels bearing a saintly man toward heaven. This vision coincided with the death of Saint Aidan — ostensibly Cuthbert saw the saintly man being carried to heaven.
Cuthbert became the abbot of Melrose but was always more comfortable in the wild solitude of nature. He often went out to the sea, standing waist-deep in freezing waters to pray. His communing with the natural world was such that it was said that sea otters dried his legs when he finished prayers. He spent eight years as a hermit on the island of Inner Farne and the animals of the island came under his protection.
When the yellow plague hit the land, Cuthbert traveled extensively to minister to victims. Miraculous healings began to be attributed to him, and he was famed as the “Wonder Worker of Britain.” He saw his journeys as a time to not only comfort the afflicted but also to renew their Christian faith.
His adroit handling of church matters and administration were amply displayed in his work at the Synod of Whitby (664), which fixed the date of Easter and aligned the liturgy of the Celtic Church with the liturgy of the Church in Rome. This repair of the breach with Rome demonstrated his gifts for not only healing individuals but also in reconciling groups of people who disagreed vehemently with each other.
His fame for miraculous healings, his competence in ministry, and his kindness in personal relationships caused him to be elevated to the bishopric of Hexham in 684 while still maintaining his see at Lindisfarne. His life was cut short by illness, and he died in 687.
Cuthbert is the most revered saint of the early Anglo-Saxon Church. In honor of his memory, the Gospels of Lindisfarne were commissioned and a church was built to house his relics. Even after his death, he continued to be credited with all manner of healings and miracles such that Bede compiled a collection of the testimonies and penned his famous work on Cuthbert.
Collect for Cuthbert
Almighty God, you called Cuthbert from following the flock to be a shepherd of your people: Mercifully grant that, as he sought in dangerous and remote places those who had erred and strayed from your ways, so we may seek the indifferent and the lost, and lead them back to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Vote!
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314 comments on “Bede vs. Cuthbert”
This was a tough choice. But yesterday's was certainly an easy one. So it keeps the match-ups interesting. Today is like a baseball game that goes into multiple extra innings - both sides are just so good.
It was an incredibly hard choice! I totally agree that matching these guys up so early was cruel. They are both admirable men.
Even though I knew someone named Cuthbert, I went with Bede partly because I love books and worked in libraries for years, and mostly because at 7:45 PST he was behind.
I determine the tough decisions by asking which would be more interesting in the kitsch round? Cuthbert gets my vote today.
Although my initial inclination was to vote for Cuthbert, I've since been persuaded to think that to know Cuthbert is to know Bede. I now cast my vote for Bede.
Ordinarily, I would instinctively side with the person out in the world, sharing the love of God. I'm not inclined toward monastic living. But I agree with the others who have noted that we wouldn't even have known about Cuthbert were it not for Bede. And I can relate to taking "delight in learning, teaching, and writing." Thanks be to God for Bede!! (It was a tough call; my husband will be voting for Cuthbert!)
A tough choice, but I prefer those that do over those that write about those that do.
While I found both saints saintly, I voted for Cuthbert for 2 reasons:
1. For his fantastic name;
2. The icon of him reminds me of one of my mentors and teachers, the Rev. John Hall, who is a saint (sometimes) to me.
Today's was a tough choice!!
Amen, Jeanie Martinez! We need more Celtic and less Roman in Anglicanism. Sometimes compromise is not such a positive thing.
I can't possibly decide which of these is the "better" saint. They are both inspiring role models for us to each use our unique gifts to serve God and our neighbor, and they both made great contributions to the faith at a time when most people were struggling to just survive. However, I think Cuthbert may stand a better chance against Brant in the next round, so here goes . . . Sorry, Bede!
Without Bede the Venerable we would most likely know very little if anything of Cuthbert or of Cædmon, the **first** Anglo-Saxon poet to write in the vernacular. (Hey SEC how about Saint Cædmon appearing in next year's bracket?)
Bede's love of scholarly things and the fact that Cuthbert wouldn't even be in this without him makes this vote easy. The Venerable Bede (I also love anyone with a fun title) it is!
You guys at the SEC are killing me with this one. I will have to pray and cast lots.
As an extrovert I really admire the effort it takes when introverts lead and take decisive action. A hermit leaving his hermitage to aid victims of plague? A quiet, kind person who could heal an ecclesiastical breach? Someone who can make others believe they are brilliant? Com'on folks, this is a no brainer! Go Cuthbert for the next round!
This season we celebrate individuals who we primarily know through story - while I admire Cuthbert, and thank him for the Lindisfarne Gospels, it is Bede who gave us his story, and the story of our beginnings. He isn't flashy, and he isn't modern, so he likely won't adorn my mug this year. But I wish he could. This archivist votes for the chronicler!
So what we are learning here is that sea otters make one saintly ? Bede oh Bede you are truly a victim of LENT MADNESS !!!!
I am just doing the happy dance that I have found a community that is passionately arguing over Bede and Cuthbert!
Ha. I agree, it's great, though!
I agree. Continue to LOVE Lent Madness.
In liht of his "gifts for not only healing individuals, but also in reconciling groups of people who disagreed vehemently with each other", I have cast my vote for Cuthbert.
Cuthbert has my prayers, but Bede gets my vote today ... if not for his devotion and passion ... we would not have the history and stories to read and study and we would be having this conversation at all.
This was difficult! But going to the sick and the dying in "barbarity and squalor that daunted other teachers" got me -- what even qualified as squalor in the 600's? The mind boggles. That and reconciliation of deep divisions moved our history-loving household toward Cuthbert… but, as many have said, a painful choice.
Squalor indeed! You pose an excellent question, Jodi!
Reading the comments, it seems that I'm not the only one who almost resorted to a coin toss for this one! Cuthbert is a very appealing choice, but we know about him thanks to the writings of Bede. As one who loves history, Bede gets my vote today. Should he lose (and it looks as if he will), I'd have no problem voting for Cuthbert over Molly Brant.
Why not Bede? C'mon people vote for Bede.....
I thought what happened at Whitby led to the Roman branch of Christianity (masculine God, emphasis on sin, penance, punishment) rising and the Celtic branch (inclusion of the feminine nature of God, emphasis on the Gospel of John and love and the Spirit). Did we really "win" at Whitby? I agree this is a tough call, but if Cuthbert gets my vote it will not be because of Whitby.
The only real differences between the two churches at the time were the dating of Easter and the shape of tonsures. Both things were aidephoria well worth sacrificing for the sake of full communion with the rest of the Church (both Rome and Constantinople).
I agree that the dating of Easter and the shape of tonsure are good points for concession. Unfortunately, the victor has been writing the history here for too long. Many Celtic communities were conhospitales --where male and female religious, married couples lived in community and raised families in Christian community. After Whitby, these had to be disbanded and spouses were separated, sent to live in sexually segregated communities. Abbess Hilda was the head of one of these communities. A woman with authority over both men and women. Considered heretical in the Roman church. Also, before Whitby, ecclesiastical law did not supercede civil law except within the cofines of a given community. Whereas the Roman church claimed supreme authority--over secular and ecclesial matters. Rome embraced the Penitentials, and sought to impose them universally, not allowing individual commuities to choose--as was the case with the celtic church. These issues are most assuredly not adiaphora. Naming what happened at Whitby "reconciliation" is little more than Roman Propoganda. I love puppies and otters, kindness and caring for the sick. Cuthbert certainly has claim to a Christlike life with all those qualities. I just wish Cuthbert had cared a little more about those families that would be torn apart because he seems to have been conflict averse. I also wonder if he would have been as kindly to the woman at the well or the woman caught in adultery, or to Zaccheus as he was to otters.
And which historical sources are teaching us these monolithic characteristics about Rome and Celtic Christians again?
Today's trend of "Celtic Christianity" (which Celts?) is 2 parts historical, 8 parts the romantic image of their modern purveyors. Heck, the Penitentials first came from the Irish! And they were an act of pastoral care, sought out and requested, not acts of malice and oppression from religious tyrants. Cuthbert may have been a gentle and reconciling man, but many, many of the Celtic saints were terrifyingly ascetic with strict notions of sin and righteousness.
Two saints enshrined in the same Cathedral - but more pilgrims visit Cuthbert for the gift of healing while in Durham. Still, I voted for Bede. A historian over a healer? This was his prayer at Bede's tomb. "I implore you, good Jesus, that as in your mercy you have given me to drink in with delight the words of your knowledge,so of your living kindness you will also grant me one day to come to you, the fountain of all wisdom, and to stand for ever before your face. Amen"
I have to throw my vote in with kindness.
I love that name -- Venerable Bede! However, as a person who enjoys cave time to read, study, and be alone, I vote for Cuthbert!
Another tough one. My husband grew up in St. Cuthberts, Wells (how a church dedicated to Cuthbert showed up in Somerset is unclear), and Cuthbert is a charming character. But I'm a historian, and I think we're inclined to value the active saints above the contemplative. And for demonstrating the holy possibilities of a life of scholarship, study, and prayer, I vote for Bede.
Thanks for reminding me about St. Cuthbert's, Susan. It's a beautiful place. Wells was my home -- in another life. 🙂
(age 7) I voted for Cuthbert because he was funny. I liked the part about being dried by sea otters.
Good thinking, Martin! Keep on posting. I like the way you think!
It was a tough choice (especially since Bede introduced us to my namesake) but as a member of the Order of St. Luke, I must go with the healer St. Cuthbert.
The world needs more kindness! Going with St. Cuthbert and his example.