It’s the Feast of II Sun of Epiphany, 2nd Class, with the color of Green. In this episode: the meditation: “The Miracle of Cana”, today’s news from the Church: “Holy Land: A Fragile Respite”, and today’s thought from the Archbishop.

• “The Miracle of Cana” – From Epiphany to Lent
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• https://fsspx.news/en/news/holy-land-fragile-respite-56571

• https://angeluspress.org/products/spiritual-life-archbishop

Saint Columba was one of the great missionary monks of the early medieval Church, a man whose intensity of faith reshaped Christianity in Scotland and beyond. Born in 521 into a noble Irish family, Columba was educated in the monastic schools that were transforming Ireland into a land of saints and scholars. From early on he was known for a powerful personality. He was deeply prayerful, fiercely loyal to the faith, and capable of both tenderness and severity. His love for Scripture and the psalms shaped his inner life, while his strong will pushed him toward leadership rather than quiet anonymity.

Columba founded several monasteries in Ireland, but a violent conflict changed the course of his life. After a dispute involving a copied manuscript escalated into bloodshed, Columba was devastated by the loss of life. Ancient sources suggest that he accepted exile as an act of penance, resolving to win as many souls for Christ as had died because of the conflict. Around 563, he left Ireland with a small group of companions and sailed north, eventually settling on the island of Iona off the western coast of Scotland.

From Iona, Columba built a monastic community that became a spiritual powerhouse. The monks lived a demanding life of prayer, fasting, manual labor, and missionary outreach. Columba himself traveled constantly, preaching to the Picts, advising kings, reconciling enemies, and strengthening Christian communities. He was known for moments of prophecy and deep spiritual insight, yet also for his compassion toward the poor and his loyalty to his monks. Those who lived with him described him as stern in discipline but gentle in personal care, a man who demanded much because he loved deeply.

Columba died in 597 after a lifetime spent pouring himself out for the Gospel. According to tradition, he passed away in the monastery church after night prayer, resting his head against the altar as dawn approached. His monks mourned him as a father whose authority had come from holiness rather than force. Through Iona, his influence spread across Scotland, northern England, and the Continent, shaping Christian culture for centuries.

Traditions surrounding Saint Columba remained strong in Ireland and Scotland. His feast on June 9 was marked with pilgrimages to Iona and prayers for missionaries, monks, and peacemakers. He became a patron of poets, scribes, and those called to leadership tempered by repentance. His legacy reminds us that God can transform even painful failure into a source of grace when it is surrendered in humility.

Saint Columba teaches us that true holiness is not the absence of struggle, but the courage to let God redeem it fully.

Saint Columba, apostle of Scotland and servant of reconciliation, pray for us!

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