Road Trip for Saint Bede the Venerable

Today in the calendar of the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite and (perhaps more importantly for me) on the Benedictine Calendar is the feast of this blog’s patron, Saint Bede the Venerable. For no reason that I understand, in 1970 his feast was moved to the day before yesterday.

This sort of silly confusion should really be cleared up. One calendar for the Roman Rite!

The amazing Saint Bede was a monk, priest, historian, and a Doctor of the Church, all while dealing with Viking attacks.

I took this saint’s name when I made my final oblation as a Benedictine. I suppose that properly in Benedictine circles my name is Oblate Brother Bede.

Bede occupies an important niche in Church history by bridging the gap between patristic and early medieval times, the era when the Germanic nations had just been Christianized. Through him Christian tradition and Roman culture came to the Middle Ages.

He is also honored as the “father of English history.” His writings were read publicly in churches while he was still alive; but since he could not be called “Saint,” the title of Venerable was attached to his name, a usage which continued down through the centuries.

True Benedictine that he was, his life revolved around prayer and work.

(Pius Parsch, The Church’s Year of Grace)

Saint Bede is the patron of lectors and historians, both of which I am to some small extent. As an historian and writer himself, he seems the natural choice for a patron of blogs.

Before the unavoidable journey there, no one
becomes wiser in thought than him who, by need, ponders,
before his going hence, what good and evil within his soul,
after his day of death, will be judged.

(Saint Bede the Venerable, “Death Song”)

Today is also the start of a road trip to Spokane, to attend the Sacred Liturgy Conference. I’ve attended twice before, in 2016 and in 2018, and on both occasions, it has been a balm to my heart.

I’ve learned a lot, and I suspect this year will be no different. Stay tuned!

Although I went alone last year, this year my friend Father Maurer and I are road-tripping with a number of local Choir directors. I pray the venerable Saint Bede will watch over our journey.

In our absence, a series of meetings for my parish of Holy Rosary will be held that will no doubt decide its future. Please pray for us.

O God, Who hast glorified Thy Church
by the learning of blessed Bede,
Thy Confessor and Doctor;
mercifully grant to Thy servants
that they may ever be
enlightened by his wisdom
and aided by his merits.

Through our Lord, Jesus Christ, Thy Son,
Who with Thee liveth and reigneth
in the unity of the Holy Ghost,
God, world without end.

Amen.