In my reflection I said:
As we reflected last week, the official withdrawal of Roman administration in 410 AD did not end Christian belief in England but it was to be almost two hundred years before the next significant phase of expansion. It was in this phase of expansion that St Paul’s Cathedral was founded and the two names most associated with the establishment of the first St Paul’s are Saint Mellitus (our focus last week) and Saint Erkenwald (our focus this week). Erkenwald was the Abbot of Chertsey whose consecration as Bishop of London in 675 AD, following the city’s brief return to paganism, confirmed the return of the Roman Church to London (https://www.stpauls.co.uk/history-collections/history/cathedral-history-timeline).
Believed to be an early convert of the mission led by St. Mellitus, Erkenwald founded two religious houses on either side of the Thames. The abbey Erkenwald built at Chertsey he presided over, as Abbot, but the other, at Barking, he gave to his sister St. Ethelburga, recalling St. Hildelid from France to train her in the religious life and to guide her in the governance of this double monastery of monks and nuns. His sister remained very close to him and later, when he was Bishop of London, used to accompany him on his journeys.
On the death of St. Cedd, in the plague of 664, Erkenwald, who was descended from the house of Uffa, the royal family of the East Angles, was recommended by King Sebbi, to Archbishop Theodore, as the new Bishop of London. His ministry for the next eleven years was to be one of reconciliation. His diocese still contained some Britons who had remained, when the land was overrun by the Saxons, but the invaders were the predominant population. They had received the Christian Faith first of all through the Roman clergy sent by St. Gregory, but the faith had been established by the monks from Lindisfarne under St. Cedd, who were of the Celtic Church, so the see had a mixed tradition. Moreover, there was a certain amount of resistance to the reforms being introduced by St. Theodore to the English Dioceses, and Erkenwald had a share in healing these divisions in the English Church as a whole, for the quarrel between St Wilfrid and Theodore was finally settled in Erkenwald's house just before Theodore's death (http://celticsaints.org/2012/0430b.html).
St. Erkenwald's sanctity and peacemaking earned him an enduring place in the hearts of Londoners, and there are also many stories of miracles. One curious tale has been preserved, in part in a poem in the Cheshire dialect, of how, during the rebuilding of St Paul's, a coffin was discovered containing the body of a man wearing a crown and with a sceptre in his hand (http://londinoupolis.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/saint-erkenwald-bishop-of-london-abbot.html). Adorned with gargoyles and made of grey marble, the tomb was inscribed with a series of golden characters; however, no scholar was able to decipher them. Once granted permission by the sextons, the mayor took control of the sanctuary and tomb for further investigation. As they opened the lid of the tomb, they found a preserved body and the garments of a king. Puzzled by the identity of the corpse and concerned about a royal, yet forgotten past, St. Erkenwald was summoned to the tomb. After Erkenwald prayed, hoping to learn the identity of the body, a "goste-lyfe" animated the corpse and revived it. Such a "goste-lyfe" most probably refers to the Christian Holy Spirit. As Erkenwald questioned the corpse, it is revealed that he is a pre-Christian Briton and once a just judge that lived during the Britain times—under the rule of King Belinus. His explanation for his royal attire is his impartial rulings throughout his time as a judge. Although he claims he was a fair and just judge, he was forced into a "lewid date". Such a term most likely refers to a state of limbo due to his existence before the salvation of Christ.
This reveals an underlying thread of theological questioning that pervades throughout the poem entitled St. Erkenwald: Did all before Christ go to hell? Erkenwald shed a single tear that baptized and consequently saved the corpse from his "lewid date." With this, the corpse immediately dissolved into dust, as the soul of the man finally entered eternal peace (https://www.revolvy.com/main/index.php?s=St.%20Erkenwald%20(poem)).
This poem therefore addresses the question of whether salvation is possible to persons who lived morally admirable lives without having had the opportunity to receive Christian baptism. The story of St. Erkenwald glorifies God’s grace through the sacrament of baptism. The poet regards the baptism scene as the key issue of his work, as the whole poem points towards this climax. The poet shows that God creates the circumstances for a pagan judge to be saved. God triumphs through the baptism of the judge, making it clear that he is in control of salvation. This teaching is to some extent in accord with that of Hebrews 11 which states that the Hebrew Patriarchs and prophets, though they were commended for their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better so that they would not, apart from the followers of Christ, be made perfect. The writer of Hebrews states that Jesus' death wasn't limited to redeeming future people, it also redeemed people in the past. Both the poem and the letter to the Hebrews suggest that the salvation won by Christ affects those who preceded Christ as well as those who lived after his life, death and resurrection.
Latterly, Erkenwald was incapacitated by gout and had to be helped into a wheeled litter, the fore-runner of the Bath-chair, and the remains of this was preserved in Old St Paul's and shown as a relic. Erkenwald died at his sister's abbey at Barking, and there was contention between the priests of St Paul's and the monks of Barking as to where he was to be buried. A great storm broke out, and there was flooding of the river, but then the sun broke through the clouds, seeming to point a golden path to the Cathedral. His body was interred in the crypt, but when the church was rebuilt in 1148 it was translated to a shrine behind the High Altar. It was a favourite place of pilgrimage until the sixteenth century and his feast day was kept on April 30th, the day of his death, with great splendour.
As the first leader of a monastic order for women in England, Ethelburga proved herself a sister worthy of such a brother and Barking became celebrated, not only for the fervour of its nuns, but for the zeal they displayed for the study of the Holy Scriptures, the fathers of the Church and even the classic tongues. Having refused an arranged marriage to a pagan prince, she was banished to a nunnery by Erkenwald. The Venerable Bede wrote of her: “Her life is known to have been such that no person who knew her ought to question but that the heavenly kingdom was opened to her, when she departed this world.” In the Anglican calendar her feast day is October 11th. She epitomises a strong woman who exemplifies the virtues of leadership and commitment to social action even to the point of self-sacrifice (https://stethelburgas.org/who-we-are/our-story/).
Ethelburga’s sanctity was shown when her community at Barking was hit by the plague. First the brothers there were struck. The sisters discovered that the life of prayer involved caring for those who are dying. Which most of the brothers then did. In her wisdom, Ethelburga realised it wouldn’t be long before the sisters too were struck down with the plague. So she took the initiative to prepare the community of sisters to face death themselves, by reflecting on where they’d like to be buried. The answer came as a result of a miraculous incident involving a powerful spiritual light. Then one of Ethelburga’s community had a day-time vision of a human body, bright as the sun, and wrapped up in a sheet, being lifted up into heaven drawn by cords brighter than gold. The nuns took this to a premonition that one of their number would soon die, and be lifted up into heaven, closer to the light. Shortly afterwards Ethelburga herself was struck down with the plague and died. The community took this as a fulfilment of the vision. Ethelburga was then succeeded by her tutor Hildelith as leader of the decimated community. Ethelburga’s life reminds us that true praying isn’t about saying the right words; but rather about living a compassionate life, caring for the sick and dying (Revd Alastair McKay).
Prayers
Almighty God, the light of the faithful and shepherd of souls, who set your servant Erkenwald to be a bishop in the Church, to feed your sheep by the word of Christ and to guide them by good example: give us grace to keep the faith of the Church and to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father, by the power of your Holy Spirit you give your faithful people new life in the water of baptism. Guide and strengthen us by the same Spirit, that we who are born again may serve you in faith and love, and grow into the full stature of your Son, Jesus Christ. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, by whose grace Ethelburga, kindled with the fire of your love, became a burning and a shining light in the Church: inflame us with the same spirit of discipline and love, that we may ever walk before you as children of light. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty God, you call us, like St Ethelburga, to be physicians of the soul: by the grace of the Spirit and through the wholesome medicine of the gospel, give your Church the same love and power to care and heal. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Blessing
God is the glory and joy of all His saints, whose memory we celebrate today. May His blessing be with you always. God's holy Church rejoices that Her saints have reached their heavenly goal, and are in lasting peace. May you come to share all the joys of our Father's house. May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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Samuel Barber: Heaven-Haven (A Nun Takes the Veil).
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