Bede was a humble English monk whose wisdom and scholarship were so well known and impressive that he was declared a saint while he was still living.
At the age of 7, Bede was abandoned at a monastery in northern England. He was taken in by the monks, and was made a deacon at the age of 19.
Bede had a deep love for liturgy. When he was young, a disease claimed the lives of every monk in the monastery except for him and the abbot. The two of them completed the regular liturgical services on their own until more monks joined.
This love of the church and its traditions prompted Bede to study the church fathers and the history of Christianity. In 731, he published Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum, or Church history of the English People. This masterpiece is the primary source today for early British history and was the first book to make use of the AD dating system.
Bede was a scholar through and through. His historical works are filled with detailed references and research. He also wrote books on astronomy, rhetoric, and chronology. However, his greatest passion was for Scripture, and it was for his many commentaries on Biblical books that he gained so much respect in his day. His commentaries are extremely logical, and show evidence of careful research. In them, Bede strived to un-earth the rich symbolism found in the Biblical stories.
He was also a prolific poet and musician. Many of his poems and hymns are still in existence today:
O risen Christ, ascended Lord,
All praise to thee let earth accord,
Who art, while endless ages run,
With Father and with Spirit one.
For all his learning, Bede lived a simple life. He left his monastery only one time—constantly refusing invitations from kings and bishops. He spent his time in quiet prayer and study.
In his final months, Bede undertook to translate the Gospel of John into English. On May 25, 735, on the very day of his death, Bede completed work on his translation that would, in his words: “break the word to the poor and unlearned.”
Bede died on the floor of his simple room. He is said to have died while praying his favorite liturgical prayer:
“Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As in the beginning, so now, and forever.”
Verse of the day: Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through him who gives me strength.
