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The letter of Cuthbert …( concerning the manner of Bede’s passing) – “To his most beloved in Christ, and fellow-reader Cuthwin, his schoolfellow Cuthbert wishes eternal salvation in our Lord. Your small present was very acceptable, and your letter gave me much satisfaction, wherein I found what I greatly desired, that masses and prayers are diligently said by you for Bede, the beloved of God, our late father and master. For the love I bear him, I send you in few words an account of the manner in which he departed this world, understanding it is what you desire.
He began to be much troubled with a shortness of breath about two weeks before Easter, yet without pain: thus he lived cheerful and rejoicing, giving thanks to Almighty God every day and night, nay, every hour, till the day of our Lord’s Ascension, which was the 26th of May. He daily read lessons to us his scholars; the rest of the day he spent in singing psalms; he also passed all the night awake in joy and thanksgiving, …( finally slept)…; but awakening , he repeated his accustomed exercises, and ceased not to give thanks to God, with hands expanded. O truly happy man! He sung that sentence of Saint Paul: It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God; and much more out of holy writ. Being well skilled in English verses, he recited some things in our tongue. He said in English: ‘No man is too wise to consider what good or evil he has done, before the necessary departure:’ that is, to examine the state of his soul sufficiently before his death.
He also sung anthems, according to his and our custom; one of which is: ‘O glorious King, Lord of Hosts, who triumphing this day didst ascend above all the heavens; leave us not orphans, but send down the Father’s Spirit of truth upon us: Alleluia.’ When he came to that word ‘leave us not,’ he burst into tears, and wept much; and an hour after he began to repeat the same anthem he had commenced, and we hearing it, grieved with him. By turns we read, and by turns we wept; nay, we always wept even when we read. In such joy we passed the fifty days, and he rejoiced much, and gave God thanks because he deserved to be so infirm. He often repeated, that God scourgeth every son whom he receiveth; and much more out of the scripture; also that sentence of Saint Ambrose: ‘I have not lived so as to be ashamed to live among you; nor am I afraid to die, because we have a good God.’
During these days, besides the daily lessons he gave, and the singing of psalms, he composed two works for the benefit of the church; the one was a translation of Saint John’s gospel into English, as far as those words: But what are these among so many? the other, some collections out of Saint Isidore’s book of notes; for he said, ‘I will not have my scholars read a falsehood after my death, and labour without advantage.’
On Tuesday before the Ascension he began to be much worse in his breathing, and a small swelling appeared in his feet; but he passed all that day pleasantly, and dictated in school, saying now and then, ‘Go on quickly; I know not how long I shall hold out, and whether my Maker will soon take me away.’ To us he seemed very well to know the time of his departure. He spent the night awake in thanksgiving.
On Wednesday morning he ordered us to write speedily what he had begun. After this, we made the procession according to the custom of that day, 9 walking with the relics of the saints till the third hour (or nine o’clock in the morning); then one of us said to him: ‘Most dear master, there is still one chapter wanting. Do you think it troublesome to be asked any more questions?’ He answered: ‘It is no trouble. Take your pen and write fast.’ He did so. But at the ninth hour (three in the afternoon) he said to me: ‘Run quickly; and bring all the priests of the monastery to me.’ When they came, he distributed to them some pepper-corns, little cloths or handkerchiefs, and incense which he had in a little box, 10 entreating every one that they would carefully celebrate masses and say prayers for him; which they readily promised to do.
They all wept at his telling them, they should no more see his face in this world; but rejoiced to hear him say: ‘It is now time for me to return to him who made me, and gave me a being when I was nothing. I have lived a long time; my merciful Judge most graciously foresaw and ordered the course of my life for me. The time of my dissolution draws near. I desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ. Yes; my soul desires to see Christ my king in his beauty.’ Many other things he spoke to our edification, and spent the rest of the day in joy till the evening. The above-mentioned young scholar, whose name was Wilberth, said to him: ‘Dear master, there is still one sentence that is not written.’ He answered, ‘Write quickly.’ The young man said: ‘It is now done.’ He replied: ‘You have well said; it is at an end: all is finished. Hold my head that I may have the pleasure to sit, looking towards my little oratory where I used to pray; that whilst I am sitting I may call upon my heavenly Father, and on the pavement of his little place sing, Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.’ Thus he prayed on the floor, and when he had named the Holy Ghost he breathed out his soul.
All declared that they had never seen any one die with such great devotion and tranquillity; for so long as his soul was in his body, he never ceased, with his hands expanded, to give thanks and praise to God, repeating Glory be to the Father, etc., with other spiritual acts. I have many other things I could relate of him; and I have a thought of writing more amply on this subject,” etc. " ( From Butler’s Lives of the Saints )
saints.sqpn.com/butlers-lives-of-the-saints-saint-bede-confessor-and-father-of-the-church/
673-735, Cannonized by Leo Xlll in 1899 and declared Doctor of the Church. The pride of England. Linus2nd
He began to be much troubled with a shortness of breath about two weeks before Easter, yet without pain: thus he lived cheerful and rejoicing, giving thanks to Almighty God every day and night, nay, every hour, till the day of our Lord’s Ascension, which was the 26th of May. He daily read lessons to us his scholars; the rest of the day he spent in singing psalms; he also passed all the night awake in joy and thanksgiving, …( finally slept)…; but awakening , he repeated his accustomed exercises, and ceased not to give thanks to God, with hands expanded. O truly happy man! He sung that sentence of Saint Paul: It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God; and much more out of holy writ. Being well skilled in English verses, he recited some things in our tongue. He said in English: ‘No man is too wise to consider what good or evil he has done, before the necessary departure:’ that is, to examine the state of his soul sufficiently before his death.
He also sung anthems, according to his and our custom; one of which is: ‘O glorious King, Lord of Hosts, who triumphing this day didst ascend above all the heavens; leave us not orphans, but send down the Father’s Spirit of truth upon us: Alleluia.’ When he came to that word ‘leave us not,’ he burst into tears, and wept much; and an hour after he began to repeat the same anthem he had commenced, and we hearing it, grieved with him. By turns we read, and by turns we wept; nay, we always wept even when we read. In such joy we passed the fifty days, and he rejoiced much, and gave God thanks because he deserved to be so infirm. He often repeated, that God scourgeth every son whom he receiveth; and much more out of the scripture; also that sentence of Saint Ambrose: ‘I have not lived so as to be ashamed to live among you; nor am I afraid to die, because we have a good God.’
During these days, besides the daily lessons he gave, and the singing of psalms, he composed two works for the benefit of the church; the one was a translation of Saint John’s gospel into English, as far as those words: But what are these among so many? the other, some collections out of Saint Isidore’s book of notes; for he said, ‘I will not have my scholars read a falsehood after my death, and labour without advantage.’
On Tuesday before the Ascension he began to be much worse in his breathing, and a small swelling appeared in his feet; but he passed all that day pleasantly, and dictated in school, saying now and then, ‘Go on quickly; I know not how long I shall hold out, and whether my Maker will soon take me away.’ To us he seemed very well to know the time of his departure. He spent the night awake in thanksgiving.
On Wednesday morning he ordered us to write speedily what he had begun. After this, we made the procession according to the custom of that day, 9 walking with the relics of the saints till the third hour (or nine o’clock in the morning); then one of us said to him: ‘Most dear master, there is still one chapter wanting. Do you think it troublesome to be asked any more questions?’ He answered: ‘It is no trouble. Take your pen and write fast.’ He did so. But at the ninth hour (three in the afternoon) he said to me: ‘Run quickly; and bring all the priests of the monastery to me.’ When they came, he distributed to them some pepper-corns, little cloths or handkerchiefs, and incense which he had in a little box, 10 entreating every one that they would carefully celebrate masses and say prayers for him; which they readily promised to do.
They all wept at his telling them, they should no more see his face in this world; but rejoiced to hear him say: ‘It is now time for me to return to him who made me, and gave me a being when I was nothing. I have lived a long time; my merciful Judge most graciously foresaw and ordered the course of my life for me. The time of my dissolution draws near. I desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ. Yes; my soul desires to see Christ my king in his beauty.’ Many other things he spoke to our edification, and spent the rest of the day in joy till the evening. The above-mentioned young scholar, whose name was Wilberth, said to him: ‘Dear master, there is still one sentence that is not written.’ He answered, ‘Write quickly.’ The young man said: ‘It is now done.’ He replied: ‘You have well said; it is at an end: all is finished. Hold my head that I may have the pleasure to sit, looking towards my little oratory where I used to pray; that whilst I am sitting I may call upon my heavenly Father, and on the pavement of his little place sing, Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.’ Thus he prayed on the floor, and when he had named the Holy Ghost he breathed out his soul.
All declared that they had never seen any one die with such great devotion and tranquillity; for so long as his soul was in his body, he never ceased, with his hands expanded, to give thanks and praise to God, repeating Glory be to the Father, etc., with other spiritual acts. I have many other things I could relate of him; and I have a thought of writing more amply on this subject,” etc. " ( From Butler’s Lives of the Saints )
saints.sqpn.com/butlers-lives-of-the-saints-saint-bede-confessor-and-father-of-the-church/
673-735, Cannonized by Leo Xlll in 1899 and declared Doctor of the Church. The pride of England. Linus2nd