March 21 Enda, abbot, and Fanchea, virgin d. 530

Thommy and John,
Good morning, I love you….

Irish siblings, in the way you are the world’s best brothers. [I wonder how uncle ken would react to my saying that? He and I a brothers of an ilk, closer now than at your age; maybe closer a bit in grammar school, tho four years has almost always been an entire school apart. Unlike your sharing Montessori preschool, Overbrook for seven years, GDS for a couple… two years apart seems to have fit y’all very well. And now, college freshman and high school junior? Apart but still a part, yes?] (They also had a sister who married Oengus, the king of munster – must have been a high falutin family….)

Remember how you have taken care of one another to do what is right and good. [the mutual reinforcement of doing wrong is your bond run a bit amuck….]

Fanchea, no doubt an Irish princess warrior type, took great care of her brother – and her brother let her, listened to her, discerned the truth in her message [regardless of the messenger, it’s the Truth in the message that we seek, yes?], and did what was good and right….

I love that fantasticness of our Irish lore. The stories of our saints and heroes – always bigger than life, bigger, always, than the ones who came before. What’s the sense of telling an inspirational story if, well, it doesn’t inspire…. J

Fanchea was already the leader in the convent with the other maidens of the tribe who had consecrated themselves, body and soul, to God. There are many ways to consecrate ourselves to God, and it always includes body and soul, mind and spirit, emotions and thoughts – we either put ourselves into God’s hands or we don’t….

She heard the raiding party returning – we’ve seen enough movies, read enough stories, imagine the victorious Celts whooping up their triumphs! And Fanchea recognized her brother’s voice – of course… we know those who are our own, we recognize the voice, read the foot steps across the kitchen tile, sense the presence of those with whom we are forever a part…

Fanchea saw her brother’s vocation in serving God. Maybe it was just sisterly concern to keep the brother alive, out of harms way – a brother who clearly relished battle, like any blue blooded/faced Irishman worth his salt would. Maybe it was God’s way to get to Enda, through his sister’s love, a voice Enda would hear, listen to, even abide by. [of course, our buddy the devil knows the same trick; getting our loved ones to tempt us down the garden path with an apple in our hand…. Beware of Eve; be sure the loved one speaks, like Fanchea, with God’s will in her voice.]

Fanchea chided Enda for his blood lust and admonished him to channel his passions for victory as God’s soldier for souls. Cleaver [and horny] victorious warrior that he was, Enda said sure, I’ll take up God’s sword if you’ll give me one of your maidens for a wife; and I’ll settle down in peace and sanctity…. [a vocation to the military, to fight to defend our country, our beliefs, the lives of our family is a worthy calling – not only for the Great Generation, but mine – uncle ken’s service, my cousin Marty’s – and yours if you are so called…. My C.O. application notwithstanding, I encourage you to consider military service or, like Kelly, first responder service as an option, if not a career, an interlude of passing it forward, paying back….]

Fanchea selected a wife for her brother. But God had another plan for Enda – and the maiden, who died just before being presented to her husband to be. Enda took the hint and dedicated himself to a monastic life – ah the extremes of youth, channeled, shaped, in God’s hands. Our passions invigorating our service. Go all out.

Not that Enda was an easy convert to the monks way of life. The thrill of victory was still in his blood. He wanted to fight! Not unlike our own momentum of previous decisions, earlier habits, lingering preferred modus vivandi. Fanchea told Enda to rub the crown on his head, his tonsure, to remind him in whose army he now served and to thus direct his passions that way. In a similar way, we each need to find a way to give up the old habits, the wrong choices that have gathered inertia; to overcome the temptations of current and earlier activities that lead us away from God’s will – sure, pray hard that the unpleasantnesses will be taken away, avoided, minimized, and always end the prayer, not my will but Yours be done…. And, with luck, your sibling, as well as your father and maybe even your mother will pull a Fanchea for you and help you over the hurdles, keeping you on the right path.

Edna went to Rome – if you’re going to lead your tribe, your group, your profession, go to where the best are, where the top dawgs are, learn from the source, connect with the powers that be. Fanchea followed on – she and her maidens crossed the sea by laying their cloaks upon the water and walking. How else!? J She encouraged her brother to return – for her needs? For her family’s/tribe’s? for the good of the nascent church in Erin? Come on home, bro! [I wonder why Edna went to Rome in the first place? As a booster shot and then to return? Or was his plan to stay gone? Again whatever it was, he heard God’s voice in his sister’s and agreed to return ‘in a year’. [ok, sis, ok, I’m coming, really, I’ll be there….]

Fanchea preceded him and died before Edna arrived. [you never know when the last time you will see a loved one. Was it the time you walked by with a hardened heart ignoring the person? Was it the big hug of I’ll see you later? There is infinity; but here, we’re not promised a next time. This time, then, has to be our best time….]

On the way back to Erin, Edna stopped in Munster and asked his brother in law for the island of Aran to build a monastery. The good brother in law that he was, Oengus suggested several more fertile choices. Edna knew his will [and God’s?] and persisted in asking for the desolate isle – and the king acquiesced.

Edna built a great monastery – not the brick and mortar but the community which then built the brick and mortar. Edna’s holiness, his preaching, his teaching, his leadership if you will, attracted many to come, learn, sanctify themselves, and to carry the faith and the learning throughout Ireland and the continent.

Edna was the most penitential of the men in his community. And he exacted, in the irish monastic way, very strict discipline of the men who wished to follow him. Be the best model. And expect the best and most from those around you. It’s a simple formula. All will rise to the level of our expectations, support, and example. That’s why it’s important to find the right mentor – not the one who says it’s your choice, so avoid pursuing perfection if you wish, not the one who disdains the pursuit of perfection. And when you are in the lead, expect the most from yourself and by example and support and direction and teaching expect the best from those on your team.

Edna is, with Finnian, the father of Irish monasticism.
Kiernan was one of his disciples.

We are known by our disciples as much if not moreso than by what we do ourselves. We are known by what our children do. As you are known by who your parents are and what we do or don’t do…. We are forever a part, no matter how apart we might appear to be….

I love you
dad