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October 26th - St. Cedd, Bishop of Essex, Abbot of Lastingham
Born: c. AD 620 in Northumberland
Died: 26th October AD 664 at Lastingham, Yorkshire North Riding
St. Cedd was the eldest of four holy brothers, born into a noble
Northumbrian
family at the beginning of the 7th century. With his siblings, Cynebil,
Caelin &
(St.) Chad, he entered the school at Lindisfarne Priory at an early age and
learnt the ways of the Irish monks under Bishop Aidan. They were eventually
sent
to Ireland for further study and all four subsequently became priests.
In AD 653, the mighty armies of King Penda of Mercia expanded their
monarch's
influence to the control of Middle Anglia (Leicestershire and parts of
Lincoln
and Derby), where his son Peada was appointed King. Soon afterward, the
young
king visited his neighbour, King Oswiu (Oswy) of Northumbria, at Walton (or
Atwell or Wattbottle) and, as his new kingdom had already been considerably
influenced by East Anglian Christianity, Peada agreed to be baptised in
return
for the hand of Oswiu's daughter, Alchflaed. Bishop Finan of Lindisfarne
therefore welcomed the King and a number of his nobles into the Christian
faith
and Oswiu provided him with four priests to instruct his people further. One
of
these was St. Cedd.
Within a year, Cedd returned home, having helped to convert much of Middle
Anglia to Christianity. He travelled to Lindisfarne to confer with Bishop
Finan,
who promptly sent this impressive young missionary out once more to
evangelise
the people of Essex, who were sorely in need of some spiritual guidance.
King
Oswiu, having imposed his overlordship there, had persuaded King Sigeberht
(Sigebert) Sanctus to adopt Christianity, in a general mobilization against
Penda of Mercia. Cedd thus turned south again to spread the word of God
amongst
the East Saxons. He baptised many of the locals and built several
churches-possibly Prittlewell and West Mersea amongst them-and is
particularly
noted for the foundation of monasteries at Ythanchester (Bradwell-on-Sea)
and
Tilaburg (East Tilbury).
The following year, Cedd made a brief visit to Northumbria once more, where
Bishop Finan had no hesitation in ordaining him as Bishop of Essex. Back in
his
southern province, Cedd pursued the work he had previously begun with more
ample
authority. He re-instated St. Paul's in London as the main seat of his
diocese.
He ordained priests and deacons to assist him in his work and gathered
together
a large flock of servants of Christ in his two monastic foundations.
Bishop Cedd always remained fond of his homeland, however, and was wont to
make
regular visits there. On one such occasion in AD 658, Cedd was approached by
King Aethelwald (Ethelwald) of Deira who had been instructed in Christianity
and
administered the Sacraments by the Bishop's brother, Caelin. Finding Cedd to
be
a good and wise man, he pressed upon him to accept a parcel of land at
Laestingaeu (Lastingham in Yorkshire) on which to build a Royal monastery
and
prospective mausoleum. Cedd eventually agreed, but would not lay the
foundation
stones until the place had first been cleansed through prayer and fasting.
This,
he undertook himself throughout lent, until his brother, Cynebil, took over,
when the Bishop was called to the Royal Court. Cedd was the first Abbot of
Lastingham and remained so while still administering to his flock in Essex.
Christianity had not quite been universally accepted in Cedd's southern
province
and, by AD 660, there was considerable discontent with the rule of King
Sigeberht of Essex. He was murdered by his brothers, Swithelm and
Swithfrith,
and the former took the throne as a pagan King. St. Cedd was forced to flee
north into East Anglia, where he settled at the Court of King Aethelwald at
Rendlesham (Suffolk). The East Anglians appear to have held some sort of
overlordship in Essex at this time and, within about two years, Aethelwald
had
persuaded Swithelm that it would be in his interest to become Christian.
Cedd
baptised him at Rendlesham, with Aethelwald as his godfather, and the two
returned to Essex.
It was around this time that, owing to the influence of St. Wilfrid who had
been
established at Ripon by King Alchfrith of Deira, that a great divide was
forming
in the Northumbrian Church. All the missionaries of the north had been
brought
up in Iona or Lindisfarne, and followed the Celtic ritual. Wilfrid, ordained
by
a French bishop, introduced Roman ways. The split even extended to the Royal
household where, each year, Oswiu celebrated the Celtic Easter feast and his
Queen, the Roman. To settle this difference, and prevent a rupture, the King
convened a religious synod at Whitby in AD 664. St. Cedd attended the
synod-probably with his brother, Chad-to act as interpreter and to speak on
behalf of his fellow Celtic ecclesiastics, Bishop Colman of Lindisfarne and
Abbess Hilda of Whitby. On the opposing side were Abbot Wilfrid of Ripon,
former
Bishop Agilbert of Wessex, Romanus, the Queen's chaplain, and James the
Deacon
who had remained in Swaledale after St. Paulinus had fled Yorkshire. After
much
debate, it was decided that the Roman usages should be adopted and Cedd,
along
with many others, reluctantly renounced the customs of Lindisfarne and
returned
to his diocese to spread the new Roman ways amongst the people of Essex.
The same year, Cedd visited his Abbey at Lastingham while a great plague
was,
unfortunately, raging through the area. Both he and his brother, Cynebil,
fell
sick and, after placing Lastingham in the charge of their youngest brother,
Chad, they died. Cedd was first buried in the open air and his funeral was
attended by some thirty monks from Bradwell who, sadly, also contracted the
plague and died. Eventually, a little stone church was built at the
Lastingham,
in honour the Virgin Mary, and Cedd's body was interred there, to the right
of
the altar. The latter remains intact in the Norman crypt that was later
built on
the site, though St. Cedd's bones were removed around the same time to the
cathedral founded by his brother, Chad, at Lichfield.
This Version Taken From:
http://www.britannia.com/bios/saints/cedd.html
Saint Quote:
Alas! we have not as much love as we need! I mean that it would require and
infinite amount to have enough to love our God according to His due; and
yet,
miserable that we are, we throw it away lavishly upon vile and unworthy
objects,
as if we had a superfluity.
-St. Francis de Sales
Bible Quote
14 He that taketh away mercy from his friend, forsaketh the fear of the
Lord.
(Job 6:14)
<><><><>
AN ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE HOLY FACE
O Adorable Face of Jesus, since Thou hast deigned to make special choice of
our
souls, in order to give Thyself to them, we come to consecrate these souls
to
Thee. We
seem, O Jesus, to hear Thee say : "Open to Me, My Sisters, My Spouses, for
My
Face is
wet with dew, and My Locks with the drops of the night." our souls
understand
Thy
language of love ; we desire to wipe Thy sweet Face, and to console Thee for
the
contempt of the wicked. In their eyes Thou art still 'as it were hidden . .
..
they esteem
Thee an object of reproach."
O Blessed Face, more lovely than the lilies and the roses of spring, Thou
art
not
hidden from us. The tears which dim Thine Eyes are as precious as pearls
which
we
delight to gather, and, through their infinite value, to purchase the souls
of
our brethren.
From Thy Adorable Lips we have heard the loving plaint : "I Thirst." Since
we
know
that this thirst which consumes Thee is a thirst for love, to quench it we
would
wish to
possess an infinite love.
Dear Spouse of our souls, if we could with the love of all hearts, that love
would
be Thine. . . . Give us, O Lord, this love ! Then come to thy spouses and
satisfy Thy Thirst.
And give to, us souls, dear Lord . . . We thirst for souls !-Above all for
the
souls
of Apostles and Martyrs . . . that through we may inflame all poor sinners
with
love of Thee.
O Adorable Face, we shall succeed in winning this grace from Thee !
Unmindful
of our exile, " the rivers of Babylon," we will sing in Thine Ears the
sweetest
of
melodies. Since Thou art the true and only Home of our souls, our songs
shall
not be
sung in a strange land. O Beloved Face of Jesus, while we await the Eternal
Day
when
we shall gaze upon Thine Infinite Glory, our only desire is to delight Thy
Divine Eyes by
keeping our faces hidden too, so that no one on earth may recognize us . . .
Dear Jesus,
Heaven for us is Thy Hidden Face! |
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