Library › Eddius Stephanus › Life of St Wilfrid
Life of St Wilfrid
Eddius Stephanus, tr. Colgrave, 1927
62. [708?]
But the joy of this world will be mixed with grief, and all things look toward their end. When the time drew near that the Archangel Michael had foretold, our holy bishop was on his way to Hexham; he was suddenly struck down with the same disease as had afflicted him in the town of Meaux, but his sickness was much greater than then. Then the whole household in the deepest grief of heart seized their accustomed weapons of prayer, and day and night they chanted without ceasing, praying to the Lord to grant him an extension of life, at any rate so that he could speak to them, and dispose of his monasteries and divide his possessions, and not leave us as it were orphans, without any abbots. The report of this mournful calamity spread far and wide and all his abbots and anchorites came hastening from their homes by day and by night; not hesitating on account of the rumours about his death, they gathered together from every side, and although those present with him had no hope, yet they reached him while he was still alive. They entered the house, and, kneeling down, with one accord they all prayed to the Lord in their grief that He would fulfil to them His promise that, “wherever two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them,” saith the Lord, and that He would grant our bishop a longer space of life. And by God’s permission it came to pass that he arranged the lives of all of us in various places according to his desire, under the superiors chosen by himself, and shared his substance both within and without between God and men according to his judgment; for he had not yet done these things.
From that day, as though roused from sleep, he received back his intellect and memory and his power of speech, and was restored to complete health. We gave thanks to God and rejoicing with great joy each one went his way.