A Source Book for Ancient Church History - Mirrors

642 A Source Book for Ancient Church Historysee DCB, “Jonas (6).” In the following, the divisions andnumbering of paragraphs follow Migne's edition. There is anexcellent new edition in the MGH, Script. rerum Merovin.,ed. Krusch, 8vo, 1905.Columbanus sets forth.Ch. 9. Columbanus gathered such treasures of divine knowledgethat even in his youth he could expound the Psalter in polisheddiscourse and could make many other discourses, worthy ofbeing sung and useful to teach. Thereupon he took pains to bereceived into the company of monks, and sought the monasteryof Benechor [in Ulster] the head of which, the blessed Commogellus,was famous for his many virtues. He was an excellentfather of his monks and highly regarded because of his zeal inreligion and the maintenance of discipline according to the rule.And here he began to give himself entirely to prayer and fastingand to bear the yoke of Christ, easy to those who bear it, bydenying himself and taking up his cross and following Christ,that he, who was to be the teacher of others, might himself learnby teaching, and by mortification to endure in his own bodywhat he should abundantly show forth; and he who should teachwhat by others ought to be fulfilled, himself first fulfilled. Whenmany years had passed for him in the cloister, he began to desireto wander forth, mindful of the command which the Lord gaveAbraham: “Get thee out of thy country and from thy kindred andfrom thy father's house unto a land that I will show thee” [Gen.12:1]. He confessed to Commogellus, the venerable Father, thewarm desire of his heart, the desire enkindled by the fire ofthe Lord [Luke 12:49]; but he received no such answer as hewished. For it was a grief to Commogellus to bear the loss ofa man so full of comfort. Finally Commogellus began to takecourage and place it before his heart that he ought to seek moreto advance the benefit of others than to pursue his own needs. Ithappened not without the will of the Almighty, who had trained