Never Too Young

May/Discipline

6 May, 2010

One day Bishop Erc went to preach the word of God, and Brendan went with him in the chariot; he was then turned ten years old. Brendan was left alone in the chariot, while the cleric went to the preaching. He was seated in the chariot reciting his psalms by himself.

  - Anonymous, Vita Brendani (Irish, 12 century, from an earlier ms.)

And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her...and she brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh. And the child was young.

  - 1 Samuel 1.24

Brendan, it seems, was dedicated to the Lord's service from a child, just like Samuel. After several years at a school run by the nun, Ita, Brendan was fostered to Bishop Erc, his own pastor, and began to train for the ministry. This entailed more learning - especially the psalms, which had to be memorized and sung - and a kind of apprenticeship.

The episode introduced above has the flavor of real history about it. It goes on to relate that, as Brendan was working his way through the psalter, a little girl came up and wanted to play. She jumped up in the chariot and so agitated Brendan that he pushed her down and struck her with the reins. Turns out she was the daughter of the local king.

Ever have one of those days? What to do with Brendan? Bishop Erc confronted him with his sin - remember, he's only ten! - and commanded him to spend a night alone in a cave, singing his repentance to the Lord. Brendan did, singing his psalms from the depth of cave, which resounded his voice out throughout the countryside, to the delight and wonder of all who heard him.

It's never too early to begin teaching our children to practice the disciplines of grace - singing the psalms, memorizing Scriptures, praying with such focus and intensity that a sudden interruption can actually startle. Where are the parents who will raise their children like this today?

And just as we're never too young to begin learning such disciplines, we're never too old, either. Some of us have a ways to go before, in our own practice of piety, we catch up to that ten-year-old boy from the middle of the seventh century.

But it's never too late to begin.

Today in ReVision: How Much is Enough?

This Week's Download: A Personal Rule - Here's a free tool that can help you begin to customize your own practice of spiritual disciplines.

Like Brendan, you can sing the psalms by ordering a copy of The Ailbe Psalter from our book store.

T. M. Moore, nacurragh@aol.com