From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   On the Contrary Workings of Nature and Grace  [IX]   
      
   Grace therefore teaches us how the senses are to be disciplined and   
   vain complacency avoided; how anything likely to excite praise and   
   admiration should be humbly concealed; and how in all things and in   
   all knowledge some useful fruit should be sought, together with the   
   praise and honour of God. She wants no praise for herself or her   
   doings, but desires that God may be blessed in His gifts, who out of   
   pure love bestows all things.   
   --Thomas à Kempis --Imitation of Christ Bk 3 Ch 54   
      
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   March 8th - St. Senan, Bishop   
   Also known as   
   Senames   
   Senan of Scattery   
   Senames of Inis Cathaigh   
      
   Memorials   
   8 March   
   6 January as one of the Twelve Apostles of Ireland   
      
   d. 560   
   St. SENAN of Scattery Island (Inis Cathaigh) was the most celebrated   
   of the twenty-two saints who, according to Colgan, bore the name of   
   Senan, and some of the episodes recorded in his life and certain of   
   the miracles with which he is credited may well have belonged   
   originally to one or other of his less well known namesakes. Senan   
   came of Christian parents in Munster, and the legends, as is often the   
   case, lay stress upon his youthful precocity. We are told that when he   
   was out with his mother and she began to pluck and to eat some   
   berries, the child gently reproved her for eating between meals. On   
   another occasion, when the family was moving home elsewhere, Senan was   
   told to get the house ready by arranging the furniture and cooking   
   utensils in their place. Absorbed in prayer he neglected to do so, and   
   was scolded by his mother. The boy told her to trust in God who would   
   repair his negligence, and immediately the pots and pans shot up to   
   their places on the shelves and the furniture began to move   
   automatically into position—to the great edification of all present.   
      
   After some time as a fighting-man Senan determined to enter upon the   
   religious life. He therefore betook himself to a holy abbot called   
   Cassidus, who trained him in monastic discipline. After a time the   
   abbot was told in a vision to send his young disciple to St. Natalis,   
   abbot of Kilmanagh in Ossory. In his new home St. Senan was soon   
   distinguished for his piety and docility as well as for many   
   remark­able miracles. One day he was sent to mind a herd of cows, and,   
   in order that the abbey might have enough milk, he sought to prevent   
   the calves from having access to the cows. At first he was   
   unsuccessful; but when he laid his staff on the ground between them   
   and retired to pray, the animals were unable to cross the barrier. On   
   another occasion he was working at the mill, and, as it was growing   
   dark, he asked the cook for some candles. He replied that he had none   
   for the moment, but ex­pected soon to have some ready. As Senan did   
   not return to him for a week, the cook was curious to know how he had   
   managed without candles or whether he was neglecting his work. He   
   therefore peeped through the mill-door and was amazed to see the   
   millstones working automatically, whilst the saint was reading in a   
   corner by the light of a candle which the cook recognized as being the   
   last one which he himself had supplied.   
      
   These and similar wonders spread Senan’s fame, and multitudes flocked   
   to him to be healed, to ask his prayers and to be instructed. Natalis   
   decided that he was now fit to be placed over others, but when Senan   
   asked where he was to go, Natalis replied that such direction must be   
   sought from God. St. Senan started out towards East Leinster, and was   
   directed by an angel to a place called Inis Conerthe, which is   
   probably identical with the present Enniscorthy. After some time spent   
   there, the saint journeyed to Rome, from which he returned through   
   France, England and Wales. He appears to have stayed with St. David,   
   and we are told that when they parted David presented his friend with   
   his staff, which St. Senan brought back to Ireland.   
      
   Landing on a small island off the coast of Leinster, he was warned by   
   an angel that this was not the place where he could rest and be   
   buried, but that he must go on and build many cells and churches to   
   God’s glory and must do much to promote the increase of monastic   
   discipline in Ireland before he could settle down. Accordingly he made   
   a foundation at Inishcarra, near Cork (where he was joined by some   
   Italian monks), and others elsewhere. At length he was -told that the   
   time had come for him to choose his final retreat. From the summit of   
   Mount Tese an angel pointed out Arnanaingel, the Hill of the Angels,   
   rising up in the distance, in the estuary of the Shannon, and promised   
   not only that he and his monks should possess the island on which it   
   stood, but also that other holy men should succeed them there. This   
   piece of land, which is now called Scattery Island, lies south of   
   Kilrush Quay, and contains a round tower which local tradition   
   attributes to St. Senan, and also a small church of St. Senan, part of   
   which is of great antiquity. Accompanied by the angel, the saint   
   afterwards made a circuit of the island, and when he saw the waves   
   dashing against the cliffs, he criticized the place as being too   
   exposed, but the angel gave him the assurance that none of his monks   
   would be drowned when crossing the water in obedience to their   
   superior.   
      
   The monastery soon became famous and many men came there, but it was   
   St. Senan’s rule that no woman should be allowed to land on the   
   island. Legend, however, relates that St. Cannera, knowing she was   
   about to die, greatly desired to receive viaticum and to be buried   
   there. An angel brought her across the water, but on the shore she was   
   met by Senan, who refused to allow her to proceed. If Christ will   
   receive my soul, why should you reject thy body?” she asked. “ That is   
   true,” replied St. Senan, “but for all that, I will not allow you to   
   come here go back and do not plague us. You may be pure in soul . . .   
   but you are a woman.”—“I will die before I go back”, retorted St.   
   Cannera and she gained her point, for she died on the shore and was   
   buried on the island.   
      
   At some period of his life, St. Senan appears to have been consecrated   
   a bishop but the chroniclers do not say when or where. As his last   
   hour was approaching, the holy man was moved to revisit the monastery   
   of St. Cassidus and the nunnery of St. Scotia, his aunt. On his return   
   journey, in a field at Killeochailli, he heard a voice saying, “Senan,   
   servant of God, thou art called to Heaven”, and that very day he   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)