Bàs Chaluim Chille (1)
The famous saint, Columba, prophecied his own death four years before
he died. One day, he was in Iona and he was filled with joy. However,
after a few seconds, he was filled with sadness.
Two men were at the door of the saint’s bothy. They asked Columba what
caused his joy and sadness. ‘Don’t ask,’ said Columba.
The men went on their knees. They were crying. They wanted to find out
what caused the saint to be happy and then sad.
He told them in secret what happened to him. But he made them promise
they wouldn’t say anything about it to another person while he was
alive.
‘On this day,’ said Columba, ‘I’ve been in Britain for thirty years. I
was asking the Lord to call me to Heaven. I saw angels that came to
meet my soul. But they have stopped. They are on a rock on the far side
of the Sound of Iona.’
And what caused the angels to stop on Mull? Well, Columba told the two
others that God had changed his opinion on the matter. He had been
listening to church congregations. They were praying to keep Columba
alive. And God accepted the prayers.
Columba was ready to go to Heaven. That’s the reason he was happy. But
God told him that he would be alive four more years on Earth. And that
made Columba sad.
‘At the end of these four years,’ he said, ‘I’ll die suddenly. I’ll go
to the Lord in joy.’
Columba was alive for four more years. Near the end of that time, he went
to meet monks who were working on the west side of Iona. He told them he
was wanting to leave this world. Next week, I’ll tell you how Columba
passed away a few days later.
The Death of St Columba (1)
Rinn an naomh ainmeil, Calum Cille, fàisneachd air a bhàs fhèin ceithir
bliadhna mus do chaochail e. Latha a bha seo, bha e ann an Eilean Ì agus
thàinig aoibhneas air. Ge-tà, an dèidh beagan diogan, thàinig bròn air.
Bha dithis fhear aig doras bothan an naoimh. Dh’fhaighnich iad de Chalum
Cille gu dè dh’adhbharaich a chuid aoibhneis agus bròin. ‘Na faighnichibh,’
thuirt Calum Cille.
Chaidh na fir air an glùinean. Bha iad a’ sileadh nan deur. Bha iad airson
faighinn a-mach na thug air an naomh a bhith ri gàirdeachas agus an uair
sin ri bròn.
Dh’inns e dhaibh ann an dìomhaireachd na thachair dha. Ach thug e orra
gealltainn nach canadh iad càil mu dheidhinn ri duine eile fhad ʼs a bha
esan beò.
‘Air an latha seo fhèin,’ thuirt Calum Cille, ‘tha mi air a bhith ann am
Breatainn deich bliadhna fichead. Bha mi ag iarraidh air an Tighearna gun
gairmeadh e mi gu Nèamh. Chunnaic mi ainglean a thàinig airson coinneachadh
ri m’ anam. Ach tha iad air stad. Tha iad air creag air taobh thall Caolas
Ì.’
Agus dè thug air na h-ainglean stad ann am Muile? Uill, dh’inns Calum Cille
don dithis eile gun robh Dia air a bheachd air a’ ghnothach atharrachadh.
Bha e air a bhith ag èisteachd ri coitheanalan eaglaise. Bha iad a’ dèanamh
ùrnaighean airson Calum Cille a chumail beò. Agus ghabh Dia ris na
h-ùrnaighean.
Bha Calum Cille deiseil a dhol a Nèamh. ʼS e sin a bu choireach gun robh e
ri gàirdeachas. Ach thuirt Dia ris gum biodh e beò ceithir bliadhna eile
air an Talamh. Agus dh’fhàg sin Calum Cille brònach.
‘Aig deireadh nan ceithir bliadhna seo,’ thuirt e, ‘gheibh mi bàs gu
h-obann. Falbhaidh mi le aoibhneas chun an Tighearna.’
Bha Calum Cille beò ceithir bliadhna eile. Faisg air deireadh na h-ùine
sin, chaidh e a choinneachadh ri manaich a bha ag obair air taobh an iar
Eilean Ì. Dh’inns e dhaibh gun robh e ag iarraidh siubhal bhon t-saoghal
seo. An-ath-sheachdain, innsidh mi dhuibh mar a chaochail Calum Cille
beagan làithean an dèidh sin.
