Abbot (d. ca. 563)
His life
+ Oran (who is sometimes called Odran or by his Latinized name of Otteran) was abbot of a community of monks at Meath and is said to have served as bishop of Waterford.
+ He was among the twelve monks who accompanied the great missionary and abbot Saint Columba to his foundation at Iona.
+ Following his death at Iona around the year 563, Oran came to be honored as the patron saint of the Diocese of Waterford and Lismore. The oldest surviving church on the Isle of Iona is dedicated to Saint Oran.
+ The life of this early Irish saint are shrouded in legends that sometimes hint at pre-Christian pagan customs, showing us that he was an important figure in the transition from local folk religions to the Christian Faith in the sixth century.
For prayer and reflection
“Abide in the Testament of God throughout all times.”—from the Rule of St. Columba, used by the monks of Iona
Spiritual bonus
On this day, we also remember Saint Abraham, a disciple of Saint Pachomius and one of the desert fathers. He lived as a hermit for 17 years and was known as Abraham “the Poor” or “the Child,” because of his simple way of life. He died in Menuf, Egypt, around the year 372.
Prayer
O God, who in your kindness called your servant blessed Oran to the following of Christ, grant, we pray, through his intercession, that, denying ourselves, we may hold fast to you with all our heart. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
(from The Roman Missal: Common of Holy Men and Women—For a Monk)
Saint profiles prepared by Brother Silas Henderson, S.D.S.
And today we celebrate...