From: trudie.Miller@cox.net   
      
   - Luke 9:23-25 -   
      
       Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny   
   himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save   
   his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What   
   good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his   
   very self?"   
   ______________________________________________________________   
      
    If this present life is most important to you, you will do everything you   
   can to protect it. You will not want to do anything that will endanger your   
   safety, health or comfort. By contrast, if following Jesus is most important   
   to you, you may find yourself in unsafe, unhealthy and uncomfortable places.   
   You will risk death, but you will not fear it because you know that Jesus   
   will raise you to eternal life. Jesus' disciples are not to use their lives   
   on earth for their own pleasure - they should spend their lives serving God   
   and people.   
      
      
   <<>><<>><<>>   
   February 11th - St. Caedmon   
      
   Died:11th February AD 680 at Whitby, Yorkshire North Riding   
      
   It was while St. Hilda ruled the monastery of Whitby as mother-Abbess, that   
   there was employed, on the estate, a simple cowherd, named Caedmon. He was   
   almost certainly of British origin, as his name is an Anglicisation of the   
   Welsh, Cadfan. Though advanced in years, this man had learned nothing of   
   verse: "Wherefore," says Bede, "being sometimes at feasts, when all agreed   
   for glee's sake to sing in turn, he no sooner saw the harp come towards him   
   than he rose up from the board and went homewards.   
      
   Once, when he had done this and gone from the feast to the stable, where he   
   had that night charge of the cattle, he laid himself down to rest at the   
   proper time and there appeared to him in his sleep one who said, greeting   
   him by name, "Caedmon, sing some song to me." "I cannot sing," he answered,   
   "and for that reason I left the feast and came hither, because I could not   
   sing." He who talked with him answered, "However that may be, you shall sing   
   to me."' "What shall I sing?" rejoined Caedmon. "Sing the beginning of   
   created things," said the other. Having received this answer, the abbey's   
   cowherd began to sing, to the praise of God the Creator, verses which he had   
   never heard before, and afterwards awaking from his sleep, he remembered all   
   that he had sung in his dream and added more to the same effect in verse   
   worthy of the Deity.   
      
   In the morning, Caedmon came to the steward, his superior, and, having   
   acquainted him with the gift which he had received, was conducted to the   
   Abbess. Lady Hilda ordered him, in the presence of many learned men, to tell   
   his dream and repeat the verses, that they might all give their judgment   
   what it was and whence his verse proceeded. They all concluded that heavenly   
   grace had been conferred upon him by Our Lord. They explained to him a   
   passage in Holy Writ, ordering him, if he could, to put the same into verse.   
   Having undertaken it, he went away and, returning the next morning, gave it   
   to them, composed in the most excellent verse. Whereupon the Abbess,   
   understanding the Divine grace in the man, instructed him to quit the   
   secular habit and take upon him the monastic life.   
      
   This being accordingly undertaken, Abbess Hilda associated Caedmon with the   
   rest of the brethren in her monastery and ordered that he should be taught   
   the whole series of sacred history. Thus he, keeping in mind all he heard,   
   converted the narrative into most harmonious verse and sweetly repeating the   
   same, made his masters in turn his hearers. He sang the Creation of the   
   World, the Origin of Man and all the history of Genesis; the departure of   
   the Children of Israel out of Egypt and their entering into the Land of   
   Promise, with many other histories from Holy Writ; the Incarnation, Passion   
   and Resurrection of Our Lord and his Ascension into Heaven; the coming of   
   the Holy Ghost and the preaching of the Apostles; also the terror of a   
   future judgment, the horror of the pains of hell and the delights of heaven;   
   besides many more about the Divine benefits and judgments. By all of these,   
   he endeavoured to turn away men from the love of vice and to excite in them   
   the love of good actions. Thus, Caedmon passed his days, dedicating his gift   
   to the glory of God. "He never," says Bede, "could compose any trivial or   
   idle song, but, as he recognised that it was God who had opened his lips,   
   therefore, till his dying day, did his mouth show forth his praise."   
      
   How long Caedmon lived after he had received his gift is not recorded; but   
   as he was already advanced in years, it was probably not long. His last   
   illness lasted only for a fortnight and was not deemed serious by those   
   about him. So slight it seemed that he was able to walk and talk all the   
   time. But, on the evening of 11th February AD 680, he begged to be carried   
   into the infirmary of the monastery, to rest there that night. His request   
   was granted and, far into the night, he sat talking with those around him.   
   Suddenly, he asked for the Eucharist. "What need of the Eucharist?" said   
   those around him, "you are not like to die, since you talk so joyfully with   
   us, as if you were in perfect health." "However," said he, "bring me the   
   Eucharist." Having received the same into his hand, he asked whether they   
   were all in charity with him, and without any ill will or rancour They   
   answered that they were all in perfect charity and free from all anger and,   
   in their turn, asked him whether he was in the same mind towards them. He   
   immediately answered, "I am in charity, my children, with all God's   
   servants." Then, strengthening himself with the heavenly food, he prepared   
   for the entrance into another life and asked how near the hour was when the   
   brethren were to be wakened to sing the nocturnal praises of our Lord ? They   
   answered, "It is not far off." Then he said, "It is well. Let us wait that   
   hour," and signing himself with the sign of the Cross, he laid his head on   
   the pillow and, falling into a gentle slumber, ended his life in silence.   
   And so it was, that as he had served God with a simple and pure mind, and   
   tranquil devotion, so he departed to his presence, leaving the World by a   
   tranquil death. The tongue, which had composed so many holy words in praise   
   of the Creator, in like manner uttered its last words whilst he was in the   
   act of signing himself with the Cress and recommending his spirit into the   
   hands of God.   
      
   Unfortunately, none of Caedmon's poems have survived for certain, save the   
   nine lines in Latin recorded by Bede and in the vernacular in an early   
   version of the Ecclesiastical History. He was buried at Whitby Abbey and, in   
      
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