August Edition
This month we have Compton Mackenzie, levitation and the Bread of Life.
Compton Mackenzie’s Catholicism and Scotland: For the Nation and for the Greater Glory of God. Luca Fumagalli writes on Compton Mackenzie, who we have previously published an article on, an avowed Scottish Nationalist, author and deeply Catholic. In this work he gives a history of how Catholic Scotland was Protestantized. See here for our other article on him.
Do we still levitate?: In a mid-month article I seek to find the history of the miraculous in Scotland and ask whether we still levitate?
Language of the Bible Part 3: Jack Heitman writes that by looking back through the lens of the Lord’s Table, and specifically through the linguistic and theological weight of the Greek word eucharistia—meaning “thanksgiving”—we discover a startling reality: every loaf baked, offered, or broken in the Old and New Testaments was whispering of Christ all along. This is the final part in his short series on language in the bible, part one and two here.
August Saints
Quite a few in this month of some importance, including St Aidan of Lindisfarne, the Pictish missionary St Erchard whose ministry centred around Banff; St Angus who for those getting married or baptised, would kneel at the stone of Oengus in Perthshire and say: ‘Beannaich Aonghais ann san Aoraidh’. St Angus was either a follower of St Columba or misnamed and was actually St Mochta of Louth - follower of St Patrick and one who had to make a defence of himself due to being from Ireland.
We also have some who are lesser known now but carried important devotions at different times including the Cistercian St Waltheof. St Waltheof is a picture of someone who could have had all the worldly goods and desires of his time (step-son of Scottish King David I), but instead chose the Cistercian way and became known for his humility and kindness. He died in 1159 the Abbot of Melrose Abbey and would become an important focal point for devotions not least because his body had been discovered miraculously preserved in 1171 and then again in 1206 by some curious monks. Jocelyn of Furness would write the vita which would help catapult him to Sainthood and create the conditions for a wider cult.
We also have St Berchan/Barchan which you will find information on in our calendar page for August from but more detail can be found on Omnium Sanctorum Hibernae which lists his feast as August 4th or possibly December 4th - so plenty of time to celebrate!
Just on collections of Saints and their history - we have our own Calendar which we update and amend from time to time but I could not recommend more Omnium Sanctorum Hibernae which has a vast archive of Saints mostly relating to Ireland but with obvious crossover to Scotland.
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About
St Moluag’s Coracle is an online Catholic magazine focused on and about faith in Scotland today. We have two aims; bringing you writing that will build and inform your faith and secondly, to bring to light Scotland’s hidden Catholic history.
Our writers come from all walks of life, some are Religious or in the Priesthood. Most are lay people with excellent knowledge and insight.
St Moluag’s Coracle was begun by Eric Hanna, with the help of Dominican Sisters, Bishops and the many wonderful and talented writers who have contributed to making this magazine a thoughtful and thought-provoking place for Catholic writing in Scotland.
St Moluag’s Coracle is part of the registered Scottish charity and apostolate Mary’s Well. In addition to publishing this magazine, Mary’s Well also oversees the Association of King James VII and II - a group dedicated to promoting the Cause of this Servant of God. Please find out more here, or email admin@kingjamesviiandii.org. We also put on retreats from time-to-time which we publicise here as well.