¹ Here begins the Life of Saint Finan, Abbot and Confessor

² There was a man of venerable life, named Finan, who was born of the province of the Mumenii, that is, of the people of Corco Duibne, which is in the western region of Ireland, toward the setting of the sun. His father was called Mac Ardhe; his mother, however, Beccnat, who saw in a dream as it were a fish of ruddy golden color flying from the rising of the sun and entering through her mouth into her womb. And when she revealed this to a certain wise and religious man, he said to her: “You have conceived, O woman, a marvelous offspring, who shall be the holy father of many, and who shall have favor before God and men” [Luke 2:52].

³ As long as Saint Finan was in the womb of his mother, not a single drop of rain or snow touched her wherever she went. And her saliva healed every sickness by the grace of God through her holy conception. And whatever she distributed of food, although it was little, satisfied whomever she handed it to. When Saint Finan was born, moreover, the grace of God appeared in him by many signs. And when Saint Finan was a very small boy, other boys used to play with him. And whatever pain they were afflicted with, they were immediately healed by the grace of Saint Finan. And concerning them the saint of God used to prophesy whatever was to come to pass for each one of them, and so it happened to them.

⁴ On a certain day Saint Brendan the abbot, who saw many miracles on the ocean, seeing Saint Finan, said to his parents: “Great shall your son be before God and men.” Afterwards, rejoicing at such a prophecy concerning their son, they sent him to Saint Brendan, that he might read and learn with him in monastic habit.

⁵ On another day the holy young man Finan brought with him from the forest a certain staff not yet prepared, without the questioning and permission of Saint Brendan. When the holy father Brendan saw this, he threw it into a furnace of fire, and that staff remained there for a long time; and not only did the fire not touch that wood, but the staff was fashioned there beautifully, just as Saint Finan wished.

⁶ At one time a loaf fell from Saint Finan into the fire; and Brendan said to him: “Your bread is being burned by the fire, my son.” But Saint Finan, occupied with another matter, did not quickly snatch the bread from the fire; but after an interval he boldly put his hand into the fire and took the bread from the midst of the fire, and the fire harmed neither the bread nor his hand.

⁷ At a certain time one of the brothers of Saint Brendan was weakened by illness and was near death; and he asked that Saint Finan give him the body of Christ. Saint Finan on that day was occupied in the service of the brothers’ meal. And he said to the messenger: “I cannot go to him until I have prepared the refreshment for the brothers. But from me, in the name of God, tell his soul not to depart from his body until I come to him. And God will make him live for that length of time, although his end has come.” And so it was done. For the soul of that man remained in his body from morning until the most blessed Finan came to him after the ninth hour. And when that brother had received the Eucharist from Saint Finan, immediately he rested in the Lord.

⁸ On another day Saint Finan was guarding the bread storehouse; and the brothers, hearing that the storehouse was burning, ran to extinguish the fire. To them Saint Brendan said: “Remain calmly; for the fire which you see is the grace of Saint Finan.” Then the brothers, seeing that the storehouse was intact and that Saint Finan alone was sitting in it, recognized that the grace of God was visiting him.

⁹ Afterwards, seeing that the grace of God appeared greatly in Saint Finan, and that great miracles were worked through him, the holy father Brendan said to him: “My son, you ought to be the head of monks. If therefore it pleases you, remain here with the brothers and rule them; and I will go to another place to be built up for God.” Blessed Finan answered him: “You will not leave your place, my father, on account of me; but bless my way and show me where I shall go.” And Saint Brendan said to him: “Go, my son, to Mount Smoir (which is now called Mount Bladhma), and where you find there a herd of boars, remain there. For God has appointed that place for you.” And having received the permission and blessing of the most blessed father Brendan, Saint Finan came with some disciples to the same mountain; and he remained in that place where he found the herd of boars according to the word of Saint Brendan. And that place is in the middle of Ireland, namely on the border of Munster and the region of Meath; yet it is situated in the land of Munster. And he built there a renowned monastery, which is called Ceann h-Etich. And when the fame of his holiness was heard, a great congregation of monks was gathered under him. And he built other monasteries and cells in his own region, namely Corco Duibhne. And he accomplished great virtues and wonders in that same region in the name of Christ.

¹⁰ At another time nine laymen came to Saint Finan, seeking food. At that time the holy father Finan was offering the sacrifice. And one of the brothers said to them: “Wait a little while, until our elder has finished the sacrifice.” They said: “It is necessary for us to hurry.” And that brother reported this to Saint Finan. He said to him: “Give to them, if you have.” Then the brothers did not have prepared food; but by the grace of the man of God at that time a certain woman offered nine loaves with butter as alms. And all this was handed over to those nine soldiers. As they were already eating, they were making much sport among themselves and were throwing pieces of butter from one to another. Seeing this, the monk who was master of the guests rebuked them, saying: “The Devil teaches you to do this, eating the alms of laypeople, which were handed over to the servants of God.” They, becoming angry, struck the face of that brother. But the monk fled from them into the church to Saint Finan and showed him his face. The holy elder Finan, coming to them, said to them: “You shall all be slain today before the setting of the sun, except only two.” For those two had not consented with the others in doing that evil. And so it was done. From that day until today soldiers do not dare to eat the meal of that monastery.

¹¹ At another time Saint Finan ordered his people to make a large and precious ship, and the man of God gave it to the king of Leinster, named Feidhlmid. That Feidhlmid sent three hundred men to bring the ship to the water, and they were not able to move it from its place. Seeing this, Saint Finan sought the help of God. And the angels of God came and carried that ship, placing it in a suitable harbor. And through this miracle the name of Christ was magnified through Saint Finan.

¹² When once the most blessed abbot Finan set out for his own homeland in the land of the Munstermen, namely Corco Duibhne, he came to the lodging of a certain man who loved God, who was the son of Gairbe; and he slaughtered a calf of a cow for the holy guests. When Saint Finan learned of this, he prayed to God that He would prevent the sorrow of the heart of that cow for her calf. And look, after the prayer of the saint, a calf like the calf that had been eaten came, sent by God in place of the calf that had been slain. When the mother saw it, she rejoiced and made a lowing in love for it.

¹³ Finan had two horses on that journey; but one of them was taken from him there. And look, Jesus Christ sent to Saint Finan a beautiful horse, bay-colored, with a white head, from the Lake of Leinster; and it remained with Saint Finan as a tame animal for three years. And after three years Saint Finan commanded it to return to its place. And that horse, immediately obedient to the command of the saint, entered the Lake of Leinster.

¹⁴ At another time, while Saint Finan was staying in the region of Corco Duibhne, in the settlement which is called Atrium Lappe, the inhabitants of that place asked him that they might see a contest which was being held far from them in the presence of the king. To them Saint Finan said: “Sleep meanwhile.” And after this word a deep sleep fell upon them. And while they were sleeping beside Saint Finan, they saw through a vision the contest, and the king sitting in it, and all the things which were being done there. And rising from sleep, they related to all what things had been done in the contest, just as they had been carried out, and how the king was sitting in his seat with his princes.

¹⁵ At a certain time a certain little boy, a paralytic, who could move neither hands nor feet, was brought to Saint Finan, that he might heal him in the name of Christ. The holy man, touching the limbs of the boy, said to him: “In the name of Jesus Christ, arise healed” [Acts 3:6]. And immediately he arose, freed from all his pains, and blessed God his Savior.

¹⁶ When once Saint Finan had fasted in the same settlement, that is, Atrium Lappe, after the fast, being thirsty, he asked that water be given to him. When the servant excused himself that water was not nearby, Saint Finan said to him: “Dig, my son, the turf that clings to you, and a spring of water will burst forth from there.” And when he dug, immediately a spring of most pure water flowed forth according to the word of the saint.

¹⁷ At another time the leader of the region of Uí Fidgente, named Nechtan, gathered a very great army, in order to lay waste the region of Corco Duibhne. And that same people of Corco Duibhne came to their patron Saint Finan, that he might pray to Christ for them. And Saint Finan said to his people: “Do not cross your boundaries; but wait there for the coming of the enemies.” And when the same leader entered the region of Corco Duibhne, that people, with their own leader, went out to meet the enemies, trusting in God through the prayer of Saint Finan. And when they fought with one another, thirty soldiers of the army of the proud leader fell there; but the people of Corco Duibhne came away unharmed from that battle, God helping them on account of His servant Saint Finan. And Saint Finan went to the leader and asked him to depart from his borders, granting peace. But the leader Nechtan was unwilling to listen to the saint. And again on the following day another thirty soldiers of the enemies fell in battle. Afterwards Saint Finan said to the leader Nechtan: “Today your strongest horse, in which you place great trust, will die. And tomorrow your own people, becoming angry against you, will take away your kingship from you, until you love the people whom you now persecute. In one gathered army you came here; but in scattered bands you shall escape from here.” And so all these things came to pass. After seven years, the leader Nechtan, doing penance with Saint Finan, made peace with the people of Corco Duibhne. And afterwards he held his kingdom firmly, just as Saint Finan had said to him.

¹⁸ At another time his brother, who was a layman from the region of Corco Duibhne, came to Saint Finan, who at that time was staying in his monastery of Cenn Etigh. And he told his brother Finan that he would lose his inheritance unless he repaid, on a fixed day after a short time, the price of seven maidservants. The most blessed abbot Finan, always intent on heaven and not anxious about that earthly matter, gave it no concern until the night came before that day on which it was necessary for his brother to repay the same price. When that brother realized that the day for repaying the debt was approaching, he became very angry with his brother Saint Finan. And Saint Finan said to him: “Rest, brother, this neart, and tomorrow you shall have the help of God.” And in the following night, which preceded the day of repaying the debt, while that brother was sleeping, he was carried off, without sensing it, as far as his own house in the region of Corco Duibhne. And when morning came and he awoke, he saw that he was in his own house, and that the price which he was obliged to repay was beside him. And he repaid his creditors, recounting what had been done for him through Saint Finan. And those who heard it gave thanks to God.

¹⁹ On a certain day, when the monks of the elder Finan were reaping the crop of wheat, a great rain fell on that very day. Seeing this, Saint Finan prayed to God that his brothers might not be hindered. And from then until evening not a single drop fell on the crop. And this was the sign of this matter: there was a cart placed in the hedge of that field, and the part which was in the crop was dry, while the part which was outside was wet. Seeing this miracle worked through their elder, the brothers glorified Christ.

²⁰ At another time Saint Finan, being asked by his people, came to the king of the Munstermen, named Fálbe Fland, who was reigning in his city of Cashel, and asked him that the king would lighten the tribute of his people. But the king’s proconsul swore against the saint that in no way would the tribute be remitted to him. To whom Saint Finan said: “If you prevent the tribute from being remitted to me, you shall suffer vengeance from God. For this very day your dwelling shall be burned, and you yourself shall be mute.” Then in the blink of an eye fire came from heaven and consumed that entire dwelling; and the proconsul himself immediately lost his speech and was mute, just as the saint had said. Seeing this, King Fálbe Fland remitted the entire tribute to Saint Finan; and the king asked him to heal his proconsul. And the proconsul was brought to them mute, and he healed him before the king, restoring his speech to him. And the saint blessed the king and returned with honor to his own place.

²¹ At another time Saint Finan healed a certain very sick man, named Carthach, who because of the greatness of his pains had been without sleep for one year, and whom physicians could not heal. And when he had been healed by Saint Finan, he slept for three days and three nights. But the root of the pain remained in his foot, as a cause for him to fear God. And Saint Finan gave him his own fig-stalk and said to him: “As long as you live, let this fig-stalk be daily about your foot, and it shall in no way fail; and the pain which remains in your foot, by the will of God, shall not burden you greatly. But know this for certain: on whatever day you are not able to draw it about your foot, know that the day of your departure from this world is near; and pray to God for the salvation of your soul.” And so it happened. For after that man was no longer able to put that fig-stalk on his foot, he soon rested in peace from this life.

²² One day the foot of the horse of Saint Finan was broken into two parts beneath his cart. But the holy man, praying to God, blessed the broken foot of the horse with the holy sign of the cross of Christ, and in that same hour the foot of the horse was healed. For the broken bones were joined together, as though they had never been separated. And when the horse was sound, he himself mounted his cart and pulled it strongly without hindrance, as if nothing had harmed it. The disciples of the man of God, namely Saint Finan, seeing such a miracle, were strengthened in Christ; and they venerated his servant, now an old man, as their own.

²³ At another time Saint Finan begged a certain king on behalf of a wretched hostage, because, although he was noble, he had been destined for death by the king; for he had been abandoned by those who had handed him over. And when the king was unwilling to listen to the saint of God, his son was made mute at that very hour. And Saint Finan said to the king: “If you release that hostage to me, O king, your son will be healed.” And rejoicing at this saying, he offered him that hostage. And the saint prayed for the mute son of the king, and he immediately recovered his speech. And those who were present gave praise to God.

²⁴ One of the monks of the holy father Finan was held by a great infirmity, so that he could neither stand nor walk for a full year. But on a certain day the holy old man Finan visited that brother, and seeing his great infirmity, he blessed him and said to him: “Rise, son, and come with me. For we are now going into the region of Kyarraghi, and you ought to come with us.” And at once that brother, released from his infirmity, rose up healed and went out with the saint, giving thanks to God..

²⁵ The most blessed abbot Finan at one time came to the holy old man Mocheallog, bringing with him as an offering two cows with one calf. For the calf of the other cow had previously been eaten by wolves. But Saint Finan, blessing the living calf, caused the cow whose calf the wolves had eaten to love him as her own mother would. And the holy old man Mocheallog said to his disciples: “Guard that calf well, lest the wolves eat him, as they devoured the other calf.” When one of the disciples of Saint Finan heard this, he said: “Your calf will not die as long as our old man Finan is here.” Nevertheless, in that night a wolf devoured that calf. Saint Finan said to the blessed old man Mocheallog: “Let your cows be milked.” And when the servant, according to the word of Saint Finan, went to milk the cows, look, that guilty wolf came meekly and humbly to the place of the calf and stood before the cows. And when the cows saw him, on this side and on that, out of affection for him they licked him. Afterwards Saint Finan said to the old man Mocheallog: “It is better for us to ask another calf from God than to have a wolf.” And after the prayer of the saints, a white calf with red ears came to the cows. And immediately, after the calf came, the wolf departed. Then the man of God Finan said to the holy old man Mocheallog: “This calf will not remain with us except for as long as these cows have milk before another birth.” And the same wolf did not depart from that place, but only from the cows. And Saint Finan said to the old man: “This wolf, moreover, will be the guardian of your calves until his death, and he will harm no living creature.” And thus all these things were fulfilled according to the prophecy of Saint Finan.

²⁶ On another day, while Saint Finan was sitting in a certain market place, a certain sick woman gave him a head of an onion that he might bless it, hoping that she would obtain health through the blessing of the holy man. And the holy man took it into his hand; but Saint Finan was not then at leisure, so as to bless it at once. But the woman, believing that it had been consecrated because it had been in the hand of Saint Finan, took it from his hand, confessing with a loud voice that she would find health through the grace of Saint Finan. And Saint Finan said to her before all: “According to the sentence of my Lord Jesus Christ, ‘O woman, your faith has made you well’” [Matt 9:22]. “For from this day until your departure you will suffer no pain.” And that woman was freed from her pains in that same hour, and she was well until the end of her life came.

²⁷ One day, when Saint Finan was in the region of Corco Dhuibhne, namely near the lake of Luighdheach, in which fish abound greatly and in which there is an island of religious men which is called Inis Ussailli, a certain man broke a small vessel near that place. And he, fearing his master, came to Saint Finan and made his complaint before the saint. And the man of God said to that man: “Lift the pieces of your vessel from the ground and hold them in your hands.” And Saint Finan, blessing it in that man’s hands, the vessel was made whole, as though it had never been broken. Afterwards that man, giving thanks, returned to his own people full of joy.

²⁸ On another day the blessed father Finan said to one of his disciples: “Today good guests will come to us, and we must prepare refreshment for them. Go therefore, son, into the field, and take from there fish for us for the arrival of the guests.” And in that field there was now no water. But the humble disciple, hesitating in nothing at the word of his elder, went into the field, and finding there three large fish, as though they had been taken from the water at that very hour, he brought them from there to his elder. And all who heard and saw this gave thanks to God and blessed His servant.

²⁹ The most holy father Finan at various times near the cross which is at the entrance of his monastery healed, in the name of Christ, five paralytics and five blind men, five deaf and five mute. Let these few things suffice for us, dearest brothers, concerning the life and miracles of the most blessed abbot Finan, which were done by God through him.

³⁰ When now the time of recompense of our most holy father Finan was approaching, he was afflicted in his whole body. And on a certain day, when his brothers had been gathered together, he said: “I know, my little sons, that it is fitting for me soon to depart from the body to my God. But nevertheless I shall not die until a certain sick girl, who is being carried to me on a litter from a distant land, shall come. And when she comes, the Lord will grant her health through me; afterward, however, I shall pass to Christ.” And when the same girl had been brought to the holy old man Finan, she immediately received health through the blessing of Saint Finan. And she returned healed with her own people, safe and sound, to her region. And immediately afterward, just as the holy father had foretold, he passed to the kingdom of Christ, on the seventh day before the Ides of April. And look, the angels of God came to meet his soul in choirs with songs and divine hymns; and they led him to the tribunal of Christ, where that same Saint Finan, our patron, shines like the sun forever, in the presence of the most glorious Holy Trinity. To whom be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

³¹ Here ends the Life of Saint Finan, Abbot and Confessor.