The Life of St. Mochuda of Lismore eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 72 pages of information about The Life of St. Mochuda of Lismore.

The Life of St. Mochuda of Lismore eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 72 pages of information about The Life of St. Mochuda of Lismore.

Next the glorious bishop, Mochuda, proceeded to the place promised to him by God and the prophets, which place is the plain called Magh-Sciath.  Mochuda, with the holy men, blessed the place and dedicated there the site of a church in circular form.  There came to them a holy woman named Caimell who had a cell there and she asked, “What do you propose doing here, ye servants of God?” “We propose,” answered Mochuda, “building here a little ‘Lios’ [enclosure] around our possession.”  Caimell observed, “Not a little Lios will it be but a great [’mor’] one (Lis-mor).”  “True indeed, virgin,” responded Mochuda, “Lismore will be its name for ever.”  The virgin offered herself and her cell to God and Mochuda for ever, where the convent of women is now established in the city of Lismore.

As Colman Elo, alluded to already, promised, Mochuda found his burial place marked out (consecrated?) by angels; there he and a multitude of his disciples are buried and it was made known to him by divine wisdom the number of holy persons that to the end of the world would be buried therein.  Lismore is a renowned city, for there is one portion of it which no woman may enter and there are within it many chapels and monasteries, and in which there are always multitudes of devout people not from Ireland alone but from the land of the Saxons and from Britain and from other lands as well.  This is its situation—­on the south bank of the Avonmore in the Decies territory.

On a certain day there came a druid to Mochuda to argue and contend with him.  He said:—­“If you be a servant of God cause natural fruit to grow on this withered branch.”  Mochuda knew that it was to throw contempt on the power of God that the druid had come.  He blessed the branch and it produced first living skin, then, as the druid had asked—­leaves, blossom and fruit in succession.  The druid marvelled exceedingly and went his way.

A poor man came to Mochuda on another occasion with an ill timed request for milk, and beer along with it.  Mochuda was at the time close by the well which is known as “Mochuda’s Well” at the present time; this he blessed changing it first into milk then into beer and finally to wine.  Then he told the poor man to take away whatever quantity of each of these liquids he required.  The well remained thus till at Mochuda’s prayer it returned to its original condition again.  An angel came from heaven to Mochuda at the time and told him that the well should remain a source of health and virtues and of marvels, and it still, like every well originally blessed by Mochuda, possesses power of healing from every malady.

Copyrights
Project Gutenberg
The Life of St. Mochuda of Lismore from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.