SERMON AT ST COLUMBA’S ISLE

Thanks to Fr Ronald for inviting me to Eilean Chaluim Chille (St. Columba's Isle), Loch Snizort for this special celebration during the 1,500^th anniversary year of the birth of St Columba which highlights the legacy of St Columba here in your own parish and which spread from here and nurtured the Medieval Diocese of the Isles and beyond, a legacy that endures and inspires right down to the present day. I want to thank you, the parishioners, for coming and organising this event. This celebration is exactly the type of pilgrimage I used to organise for my parishes and I want for our diocese which is so rich in its Christian heritage. We live in small scattered communities and it is good to gather together from various parts of the diocese and to learn about the past but not for history lessons or nostalgia but primarily to learn from it and so become better disciples for today and the future.

As most of you will know our modern diocese of Argyll and the Isles was originally two distinct dioceses – one consisted only of islands which stretched from Lewis to the Isle of Man - and was called the Diocese of Sodor (Norse Southern Isles as opposed to their northern Isles of Orkney and Shetland) while the other diocese consisted mainly of the Argyll mainland which was called the Diocese of Argyll. The Mother Church of a Diocese is the Cathedral and in 1079 the decision was made to build their Cathedral, where the bishop would be based, the centre of ecclesiastical life in Skeabost.  I have two questions: why choose here and what does it mean anything for us today?

Why?

Today’s First Reading teaches that God is present and active in the world although God often chooses to work through people. Disciples of every age, to the extent they allow the Holy Spirit to work in them, are transformed and continue Jesus’ ministry as instruments of God’s love.

One powerful example of a person transformed into an instrument of God was St Columba. Columba gave his entire life to God. In Celtic culture family was everything and Columba left his native land. The simplicity of the monastic life, the regular worship and study of the scriptures. He shared what he received: he offered formation in the Christian life, he dialogued with pagans, provided hospitality and reconciled sinners.

Columba’s legacy – and this is normally understood as the influence of Iona - is monumental, consistently impressive over several centuries. I believe that there was something strongly attractive about Columba because he inspired not just his contemporaries but new followers over successive generations who repeatedly and courageously strove to embrace the Christian life and it was that very continuous, communal openness to God that enabled Iona and the Columba family Christ’s light wide and far for many centuries and indeed still does so today.

Which brings me back to why build here? Traditionally Christians wanted to be near sites associated with Jesus or the saints. Our forefathers recognised that the saints were close to God and so if a person went to a place associated with a saint (e.g. where he lived or died) the bond with that saint helped you to be in some way closer to God. This is why people go to Jerusalem or Nazareth; to Rome, to Santiago de Compostella, St Andrew’s and Iona AND HERE! When St Columba visited Skye he preached the Gospel here, celebrated the Sacraments here and founded a monastery here. Columba was such a towering giant of Christianity that subsequent generations wanted to worship where he worshiped and be inspired by him to see themselves as a continuation of Columba’s legacy of faith. (It is also why 28 MacNicol Chiefs were buried here). So we remember here not just St Columba but countless Skye people since who strove to imitate him here in this place and how grace flowed out from here.

What Does this Mean for Us?

By our worshipping today at Skeabost during this anniversary year we are also saying I am part of Columba’s story of faith. The Faith that Columba brought is my Faith too! Just as Columba loved God so do I want to love him too! Just as Columba witnessed to God so do I want to today! Just as Columba served the poor so do I want to today! Just as Columba was an instrument of God’s grace so do I want to be today. And we mainly do this in the ordinary ways of life – prayer, family, work, neighbours, poor etc.

Of course, transformation is not easy. Columba struggled. His involvement in a battle (perhaps caused by pride) certainly caused scandal.  So did Paul. So did rich man in the Gospel (failed), Jesus recognised this and offered help (impossible without it) and reward now and in heaven. All disciples have internal struggle with sin but also external pressures. For us we live in a changing world which is very secular. There is nothing new under the sun. The people of the Isles also knew difficulties. Iona was devastated by the pagan Vikings and all seemed lost. New life came with this Cathedral and life flew our for 400 years until it relocated to Iona. The Church complex here subsequently declined but then was destroyed at the Reformation. Again all seemed over but your modern parish now has two Churches. Nothing is impossible to God.

Today in this holy and ancient site we celebrate our beloved St Columba 1500 years after his birth. We are encouraged by his transformation, ask for his prayers for our own so that we too will offer ourselves completely to God so that Christ’s love will shine forth from us as it did from Columba and countless generations in between.