Insula Sanctorum et Doctorum; Or, Ireland's Ancient Schools and ScholarsHealy, John
History
Insula Sanctorum et Doctorum; Or, Ireland's Ancient Schools and Scholars
Healy, John
Education -- Ireland -- History
We gather from an incidental reference during his Welsh journey, that
Gildas had a missal written in Greek characters, which he himself had
probably got during his sojourn at the Greek monasteries of Marseilles,
and he invited Brendan to offer up the Body of Christ on the altar, and
make use of this missal. When Brendan saw the strange characters he prayed
to God for help, and "sang the Mass from this missal with the Greek
characters, even as if they were the Latin letters, which he had known
from his infancy." This seems to have taken place at Gildas' monastery of
Llancarvan, in South Wales, and it is remarkable that Gildas, David, and
Docus, or Cadoc of Llancarvan, are said to have given a new Mass, or
Liturgy, to the saints of the Second Order in Ireland.
It was perhaps after his return from Britain that Brendan spent some time
at the great College of Clonard, and visited the King of Tara. All
accounts agree in making the two Brendans--the one of Clonfert and the
other of Birr--disciples of St. Finnian of Clonard, who was known as the
tutor of the Saints of Erin. This does not imply that Brendan might not
himself be quite as old as his tutor, and he probably was so at the time.
The saints were not ashamed to become pupils even of younger men than
themselves, if they had anything to learn either of knowledge or holiness.
It is more likely, however, that he spent his time at Clonard before his
sojourn in Britain, and that it was after his return that he visited King
Diarmaid at Tara.
On this occasion it seems he came to Tara on an errand of mercy, which was
destined to have very important consequences.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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