¹ Here begins the Life of Saint Munnu, Abbot

² There was a man venerable in life, named Munnu, of a noble lineage of Ireland, that is, from the descendants of Niall. His father was called Tulchan, who was born of the stock of Conall son of Niall. The mother of Saint Munnu was named Fedhelyn, who was born of the same people, that is, from the line of the son of Diua, son of Niall.

³ Saint Munnu, indeed, was born upon a stone, which is held in great honor and veneration by the people of that region because of the grace of the holy child who was born upon it. For wonders are worked at that stone; from that day until today, snow does not remain upon that stone.

⁴ Now on a certain day, when Saint Columba came to the place where the holy boy Munnu was, he said to his companions: “Go there and bring to me the most beautiful boy whom you will find there.” And they brought him to Saint Columba. The man of God, Columba, asked whose son he was, and it was told him that he was the son of Tulchan.

⁵ Then Saint Columba, filled with compassion toward him and love for him at the same time, took him to himself and said: “Tulchan will find favor with God and with men because of his son [Luke 2:52]. This boy himself will be a distinguished man, and in the future his father will be honored because of his son.” And he said to the son: “You are full of the Holy Spirit, blessed son, and you will be called among the greatest saints of Ireland.” And he blessed the holy boy carefully; and as he departed on his way, he bore great witness concerning him.

⁶ At a certain time, when the blessed boy Munnu was still in his childhood, he alone was guarding his father’s flocks in the forests. Nearby there was a priest, Grellán, dwelling in a cell which is called Achad Bidam. But the holy boy Munnu would leave the flocks alone in deserted places and would go to the same holy man to read and to learn ecclesiastical customs from him. That holy abbot received him gladly, rejoicing in his heart, for he knew that he was full of the Holy Spirit.

⁷ When Tulchan, the father of the blessed Munnu, learned this, he reproached him, saying: “Why do you go to read, and leave the flocks alone to the wolves in the wilderness?” But his mother gently excused and defended him, piously saying: “Up to now nothing has been lost.” Then the blessed boy said to his father: “Do not be afraid, for as long as you are in this world, nothing of your flocks will be lost to the wolves, if you allow me to go to read with the servants of God.”

⁸ On the next day, Tulchan, knowing that his son had gone out to read, went to visit his flocks; and when he came to the place where the flocks were, he saw two wolves guarding his flocks like ordinary dogs. Then he knew that what his holy son had said to him was true, namely: “Nothing of your flocks will be lost to the wolves.” From that day, therefore, as long as Tulchan remained a layman, wolves guarded his flocks. For he himself, in the end of his life, became a pilgrim and a tested monk. And the holy boy Munnu, with the permission of his parents, was sent to study.

⁹ At another time, the holy abbot Comgall came near to the place where the devout boy Munnu was. And desiring from his boyhood to be under the instruction of great men, Munnu came to him, and the devout father Comgall received him joyfully. And when on a certain day they were walking on the road, celebrating the third hour near the ford of the Feine, the blessed boy Munnu asked for a drink of water, for the heat of the sun was very great. But Saint Comgall said to him: “Endure, son, until midday.”

¹⁰ And when they had celebrated the sixth hour near the streams of Assail, the boy again asked for a cup of water. And the holy father said: “Wait a little while until the ninth hour.” When they had completed the ninth hour near Comar Glas, Saint Comgall ordered the blessed Munnu to wait without drink until evening. Now on that day, blessed Comgall and his boy had nothing in the way of food, and no one invited them to a meal. But as evening was approaching, they found on the road a great supper prepared for them by the angels of God, with an excellent drink.

¹¹ Then Saint Comgall said: “Now what we did today is profitable; that is, that we disciplined an athlete of Christ by thirst, because for his thirst this excellent supper has been sent to us by Christ after great hunger.” And he said: “Fill the cup from which I drink and give it to the boy, so that he himself may first taste the supper sent to him by God; for by his grace this supper was prepared for us when we were hungry.” And giving thanks to God there, they took that supper and ate. And for some time blessed Munnu remained with Saint Comgall, reading with him and learning his rule.

¹² Then, having received permission from Saint Comgall, the blessed Munnu came to the school of Saint Columba, who at that time was teacher in a place which in the Irish language is called Ceall Mór Dhíthraimh, that is, “the great remote cell.” And there Saint Munnu read under the wise man Columba. Now on a certain day, according to his custom, Saint Columba was filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit, and for a great part of the day he sang of those things which the Holy Spirit dictated to him. And after the grace had ceased, Columba said: “Who was nearest to me at that hour when I sang the words of the Holy Spirit?” To him the blessed Báithene answered, saying: “At your right hand, the blessed Munnu, sitting there, was nearest to you.” Then Saint Columba said: “I tell you that he will be imbued with the Holy Spirit, and will be a spiritual master of many, and a pre-eminent teacher of this whole school.” And the blessed Munnu remained for a time with Saint Columba, living very religiously.

¹³ And having received the blessing and prayer of Saint Columba, the servant of God Munnu went out to a holy man who was the wisest of all Ireland Britain. His name was Silléll son of Miannaid, and he was abbot in the monastery of Daimh Inis, which is in Lake Erne, in the northern part of Ireland. And the saint remained there with the same man, reading diligently before him. There were also nine other young men, very religious, with him under a most severe rule, and they lived apart in a separate cell. And by this it is made clear how great the harshness of their life was. For they did not allow their flour to be sifted, but only mixed it with its chaff and water together in a basin, and thus cooked it with stones heated in the fire. And in this way the blessed Munnu lived with Silléll alone for eighteen years.

¹⁴ After these things Saint Munnu set out for the island of Hy, in order that there he might become a monk under Saint Columba. But Saint Columba, before his arrival, departed to heaven. And before his death he prophesied concerning Saint Munnu, speaking such words to the blessed Báithene: “After my death there will come to us from Ireland a certain young man, holy in conduct, distinguished in intellect, fair indeed in body, curly-haired, and ruddy in the cheeks, whose name is Munnu, whom I have often seen on earth, but more often spiritually in heaven among the angels of God. Now for this purpose he will come here, that he may become a monk here; but do not receive him, although it will greatly displease him. And you shall say to him: ‘Return, son, to Ireland, for there you will be the head of a great people.’ And let him go to the southern region of the Laigin, which is called Cennselach, for there will be his honor and his resurrection. And although my parish is greater on earth than his, nevertheless my love and my power with God are not greater than his.” And thus all these things came to pass.

¹⁵ Now Saint Munnu returned from that island to Ireland, grieving in his heart that he had not been received there. And he came to the island of Coirmrighi and established there a place which is called Ath Cáin, that is, “the gentle ford.” And on a certain day the holy man went out alone from his disciples onto a high mountain of that island to pray to God; and while he was praying there, he heard the cry of men crying out from the torments of hell. On that very day the great battle of Slane took place. Then Saint Munnu left that island, saying: “I will no longer dwell in a place where I have heard the cry from hell.” God did this so that He might lead His servant to the place of his resurrection.

¹⁶ And as he was walking on the road, a certain rich man met him, named Enanus, whose flocks were afflicted with a pestilence. Then the man of God, being asked by him, blessed a certain ford there, and from that water the flocks of the rich man were healed. And even to this day, by the working of divine mercy and by the grace of the man of God, the water of that ford heals both people and flocks from diseases. And that rich man offered that field to Saint Munnu in honor of God; and the holy man established a cell there named Achad Leicce, and left there seven brothers from among his disciples.

¹⁷ Then the holy man came to his own homeland to the people among whom he had been born. Yet he did not look upon the region, except only the road on which he was walking. For he did not wish to remain there nor to see the land; but it was necessary for him to pass through it. And he neither greeted any of his relatives there, nor his mother, nor his brothers, nor his sisters, who were then living. And he directed his journey toward the province of the Munstermen and remained in the region of Hely. And he built there a monastery which is called Tech Telli, and he was there for five years.

¹⁸ At some time his mother sent a delegation to Saint Munnu, who was dwelling in that same place, asking him to grant her permission to come to greet him. He sent word back to her, saying: “Come to the place which is called Lughmadh, and do not approach closer than that; and I will come to you at that place.” Therefore his mother came, and three daughters—two married women and one virgin—and others with them. And while that matron was waiting in the town of Lughmadh for the coming of her holy son, her virgin daughter, struck by pain, died and was buried.

¹⁹ But on the next day Saint Munnu came to the same place. And when he went first to the church for the sake of prayer, he saw a new grave; and being filled with the spirit of prophecy, he said to his brothers: “This grave is that of Conchinne, my sister.” Then his sorrowful mother came to him, saying: “I beg you, my son, in the name of the Lord whom you have served from your birth, that you restore my daughter to life, who came here because of you.” The holy man said: “Go away from me now, and come to me tomorrow, and you will see the power of God.”

²⁰ Now when night was approaching, the man of God sent everyone away from himself; and throughout the night he prayed alone beside the grave to God for her. And by divine power the grave was opened before the man of God; and the virgin rose up from it whole and unharmed, and returned safely with her mother. And the holy man said to them: “Take care that you do not come to me again; for if you do otherwise, I will leave all Ireland sail away to distant regions.” And after giving them wholesome admonitions, he dismissed them in peace, and returned with his own companions.

²¹ And when blessed Munnu had come to a certain cell, the inhabitants of that place craftily said to him: “O holy one of God, look, there is a sick man lying in a house, and he gives us no answer; come therefore, that in the name of the Lord you may bless him.” But that man was dead, and they concealed his death from him. Then the man of God went out with them to him, not knowing that he was dead; and he blessed him with a pure heart and simplicity, in the name of Jesus Christ, with the sign of the holy cross. And immediately that man rose up healthy, blessing God and bearing witness that he had been dead. Afterwards the servant of God, bidding farewell to them as they gave thanks to God, went on his way.

²² Now when blessed Munnu had dwelt for five years in the region of Hely, a certain virgin came to him, named Emher, with five other virgins. And the steward of guests went to greet her and to receive her into the guesthouse. But the handmaid of God said to him: “Go to your elder, the servant of Christ, and tell him to give me a place where I may serve God with my daughters.” When the man of God heard this, he said to his companions: “Brothers, this is not our resurrection; therefore let us leave this place of ours and our labor to the virgins of God. And you shall take nothing with you except what is necessary for the journey, and the service books and chrism books, and daily clothing; and of animals, only two oxen in a cart.”

²³ And when the handmaid of God had asked him for a blessing, he answered her: “May a blessing be upon this place, and it shall be blessed before God and men [Luke 2:52]; yet this place shall not be named after you.” She said: “In whose name, then, shall it be named?” Saint Munnu said: “That man who today has made three jubilations in the field of Midhluachra shall possess this place. He is Telli son of Segenus, who will later come to this place, and it shall be named after him.”

²⁴ Then Saint Munnu went out to the borders of the Laigin, and one night he stayed beside the crosses in the plain of Methe. And on that same night a chieftain of Fothard, named Dimma, came to that place with sixty soldiers. The man of God compelled them to eat, and ordered that one ox of his be prepared for them. And since they were not able to resist him, they ate. And the chieftain Dimma offered that place to God and to Saint Munnu, in which there is now a monastery in his honor.

²⁵ But on the next day one ox strongly drew the cart; and a certain man met them on the road with untamed oxen, who said to them: “Take one ox and place it in the cart.” And immediately one ox, having become gentle, was placed under the yoke.

²⁶ After these things Saint Munnu went forth, according to the prophecy of Columba, into the region of the Uí Chennselaig, and he remained in a place which is called Ard Cremha, among the descendants of Barraidh. That place is near the sea; there was a cell there in which were monks of Saint Comgall, and his foster-son, named Áed Gobbán, was the superior of that place. He piously invited Saint Munnu to himself and entrusted his place to him, himself going out on pilgrimage. In that place Saint Munnu remained for twelve years, and God gave him there an abundant yield of sea and land, such as had been neither before nor afterward in that place.

²⁷ Now on a certain day Guaire son of Eogan came seeking the kingship of Cennselach, and he devastated the people of the descendants of Barraidh and carried off their flocks and herds with him. Then the women and little children of the people came to Saint Munnu and wept before him. Seeing their misery, the man of God said to his monks: “Go and greet the tyrant Guaire, and ask him on my behalf that in the name of the Lord he release to me the plunder of these poor people. And if he listens to your prayers, tell him that he will be king until old age and will not be slain, and that his lineage will hold the kingship of Cennselach until the end of the world. But nevertheless I know that he is hard-hearted and will not listen to you, and will restore nothing to you, and will be tonsured arrogantly before you. And you shall say to him: ‘If you do not release to us for the honor of God what you have seized, you will not be tonsured again; but before your beard grows, you will be slain, and your head will be cut off.’”

²⁸ They went out therefore and did as the holy elder commanded them. But he despised them and their words, and on the fifth day, just as blessed Munnu had prophesied, that tyrant was killed by his enemies and beheaded.

²⁹ After the death of Saint Comgall, certain brothers from among his monks came, wishing to expel Saint Munnu from his place. To them the saint said: “I will do this if blessed Áed comes, who entrusted this place to me twelve years ago.” They said to him: “Go and seek him.” Then the man of God arose with five monks and set out. And when they had gone forward a little way, Áed met them, returning from pilgrimage after twelve years. After kissing and greeting one another, they returned together to their cell. Then the man of God said to them: “I will depart from here; but after my departure your place will decline, and it will have no parish, and the sea will not give it its fruit.”

³⁰ Then an angel of the Lord came to Saint Munnu, saying to him: “Rise, and go to the place which is called Achadh Liathdrom, for there is your resurrection.” And the saint went forth to that place and stood there. Now on a certain day, when Saint Munnu was there alone in the forest, working with his hands, he saw three men coming toward him, clothed in white. And immediately he asked a blessing from them. They said to him: “Come with us a little way.” And when they had walked, they said to him: “In this place your city will be.” And they pointed out before him four places, in which afterward the principal buildings of the city would be. And the man of God set up four crosses in those places.

³¹ On a certain night Duke Dimma son of Áed was rejoicing greatly in his fortress, which was near where Saint Munnu was. And they were rejoicing because they had then beheaded their enemy. That duke, pierced in heart, said to his soldiers: “Our joy is unlike the joy of Saint Munnu with his monks; our joy is according to the will of the devil, but their joy is according to the will of God.” And when morning came, that duke came to Saint Munnu and offered him the field in which his city now stands. And the duke said: “What will be given to me for this offering?” The man of God answered: “The kingdom of heaven will be given to you.” The duke said: “Along with this I desire length of this life, and that I not be killed, and that I be buried here among your monks.” The man of God said to him: “All these things will be given to you; where you now are, there you will be buried.” And that duke returned rejoicing.

³² There the holy man of God built his monastery, just as the angels of God had appointed for him. And a city was built round about it, which by one name is called the same as the monastery, that is, Tech Munna, which in Latin is called “the house of Munna.”

³³ Then the holy man asked these petitions of God, which God granted to him through His angel: namely, that a younger should not die before an elder in his monastery; and that no one of his lineage should be alive seven years before the day of judgment; and that whoever should be buried in the cemetery which he himself marked out would have eternal life; and that whoever should be buried within that boundary where the sound of his bell is heard—which always was in his company and is rung only at the departure of a soul—hell would not be closed over him after the day of judgment.

³⁴ There was a certain man doing penance in the city of Saint Munnu, named Bécán. When he fell ill, the man of God blessed his vessel; and from that day, for seven years, by the grace of God there was milk in his vessel, although water was drawn for him.

³⁵ The chieftain of the Fotharta gave one of his sons, who was called Cellach, to the monastery of Saint Cúan, but another, named Cyllenn, to Saint Munnu. On a certain day that chieftain came with his nobles to see his sons. And they saw the son who was with Cúan, with every honor and rejoicing, and it pleased the nobles greatly, saying: “This son of yours is well brought up.” Then they came to the monastery of Saint Munnu, and there they saw Cyllenn in a servant’s habit, leading a cart together with the other monks. And this greatly displeased the companions of the chieftain, saying: “In this place there is no honor for you, for your son is badly treated here.”

³⁶ Then the chieftain said to them: “You speak wrongly, for Saint Munnu truly hears this by divine power in his cell.” Then the man of God, having called the master of the guests, said to him: “Go and receive the chieftain with his men, and take good care of them; and say to them: ‘That son who is raised in pomp with Cúan will possess neither heaven nor earth, and the people of the Laigin will slay him. But the son who is raised here like a servant will be wise, and a scribe, an anchorite, a lord of a church and a bishop, and he will possess the kingdom of God.’” And so it was fulfilled. This prophecy both pleased and displeased them.

³⁷ After these things the chieftain himself asked some small gift from Saint Munnu. And the holy man gave him his tunic, which he himself had worn for one night, and he said to the chieftain: “Keep this tunic carefully, for a day will come when it will be necessary for you, and it will deliver you from great danger.”

³⁸ Afterward Cellach, the son of that chieftain, became a layman, and he slew Áed Sláine, son of Crimthann, king of Cennselach and of the Laigin. Crimthann, having gathered a very great army, surrounded the same chieftain with his son and soldiers on the island of Barra in Lake Eachtach. But that chieftain escaped from the island upon his horse, having the tunic of Saint Munnu about him; and thus he passed through the army, and no one saw him, because by the grace of God he was hidden through the tunic of the man of God.

³⁹ But when his soldiers had been devastated, eighty of his nobles were bound, and his son Cellach, as the man of God had foretold, was slain; and two of them were killed each day. And while that chieftain himself was pursuing the army of the king, he was captured. Then Saint Munnu said to his brothers: “We must go to the king, because the chieftain who offered us this place is held by him in chains, and the king wishes to kill him tomorrow.”

⁴⁰ And taking twelve monks with him, the man of God came to the camp of the king. When the king heard this, he said to his soldiers: “Lead the chieftain secretly out of the camp and kill him quickly, before Munnu comes to us.” Then the holy man came to the king and said to him: “Release the chieftain to us, for he is our friend.” The king said to him: “He has been killed.” The man of God said: “This cannot be, for he will not be killed forever.”

⁴¹ For indeed those men who had been sent to kill him were not able to lift their hands, nor were swords or spears able to wound him. When the king heard this, he gave that man with all his people to Saint Munnu. And the man of God made peace between them, and after blessing them, he returned to his own place.

⁴² A certain soldier, named Mael Morche, was with Cellach son of the same duke when he killed Áed Sláine, son of King Crimthann. He himself was seized by the king, and the king decreed that he should be put to death; and that man was a friend of Saint Munnu. At that time the king was on the island of Liachán. The man of God said to the brothers: “Go out, that you may free our friend who has been placed in danger.” Five monks went out and stood at the harbor of the island. When the king learned this, he said to the soldiers: “Lead the bound man into a boat, and kill him upon the waters before the monks.” And when they had gone a little way off, the boat stood in one place and could not be moved either here or there; and the hands of the soldiers dried up around their weapons. And so they stood there for half a day. Then the king, calling the monks, did penance and released that soldier to them unharmed.

⁴³ A certain woman, who had long suffered from a flow of blood, was led to the monastery of Saint Munnu so that she might be healed [cf. Mark 5:25–34; Matthew 9:20–22; Luke 8:43–48]. The master of the guesthouse told this to the man of God, asking that water might be blessed by him for the woman. The man of God said to him: “Do you wish to make me an exorcist for the women of the Leinstermen?” And the saint rose and went away from there, fearing that he might be defiled by the common crowd of the people. Then the master of the guesthouse secretly took his chasuble with him and placed it upon the woman; and immediately the bleeding stopped, and she was healed by the grace of the man of God, and she returned unharmed to her own home with her people.

⁴⁴ The Angel of the Lord used to come to Saint Munnu always on two days of the week, that is, on Sunday and on Thursday. It happened, however, that on a certain Thursday the angel did not come to him until the following Sunday. And Saint Munnu said to him: “Tell me whether it was through my fault that you did not come to me on the accustomed day.” The angel answered: “It was neither through your fault nor through my negligence that I did not come to you; but in these days a most beloved guest entered heaven, and at his coming all the angels, occupied in one rejoicing and joy during this week, did not come to greet the saints of Ireland.” The saint asked: “Who was that?” The angel said: “Molua, son of Coché; he is the one of Cluain Ferta.” The saint said: “It clearly appears that he alone, before us, fulfilled the commandments of God more truly.” And he said: “Go, therefore, and return to me with an answer, that I may know for what reason it was better to rejoice more at the coming of Molua than to come to me according to the usual custom.” And the angel again came to him, saying: “Hear your question resolved.

⁴⁵ For this reason the whole household of heaven rejoiced, occupied at the coming of Saint Molua: because he never blushed before the face of any man, and his monks are as many as yours, and he treated those servants of God piously and wisely, like a prudent father treating his sons. But you correct your monks more harshly in public shame; the servants of God are not to be treated in this way.” Then Saint Munnu said: “I know what I shall do. I will go alone into pilgrimage, and I will no longer exercise zeal in correcting and gathering monks.” But the angel said to him: “It shall not be so; rather, on Monday your body will be touched, and you will suffer patiently; and just as there was joy in heaven at the coming of Saint Molua, so there will be joy on the day of your departure.” Indeed, on that night the man of God Munnu was suddenly struck with leprosy of great pain, and he remained thus for twenty-four years. From that day, as those experienced report, the man of God neither shaved his body nor washed in a bath, except once a year, in honor of Easter.

⁴⁶ At a certain time there was a great assembly of the peoples of Ireland on the White Field, among whom there was contention concerning the order of Easter. For Lasreanus, abbot of the monastery of Leighlin, under whom there were fifteen hundred monks, defended the new order which had recently come from Rome; but others defended the old order. Saint Munnu, however, did not come at once to this assembly, and all awaited him; he himself already defended the old order. Then Suibne son of Donal, duke of the region of Uí M[a]rchi, said: “Why do you wait so long for that leprous man?” To whom Abbot Lasreanus said: “O duke, do not speak such a word of Saint Munnu; for although he is absent in body, yet he is present in spirit. And certainly what you say here, where he is, he already hears; and God will avenge the injury of his servant upon you.”

⁴⁷ On that same day, before evening, Saint Munnu came to the assembly, and the saints went to meet him. And when Saint Lasreanus and Saint Munnu greeted one another, the same duke Suibne also was present, asking for blessing from Saint Munnu. To whom the man of God said: “Why do you ask blessing from a leprous man? Truly I tell you, because when you spoke ill of me, Christ at the right hand of his Father blushed; now I am truly a member of Christ, and he is my head; and whatever injures a member, from that the head suffers. Therefore before this month is completed, your kinsmen will kill you, and they will behead you; and your head will be cast into the river Berbha, and beyond that it will not appear.” And thus it was fulfilled. For in that very month his brother’s son killed him near the little river Blathach; and his head was thrown into the river Berbha, according to the prophecy of the man of God.

⁴⁸ Afterwards Saint Munnu said to Abbot Lasreanus before all the peoples: “Now the time has come that this assembly be ended, so that each one may return to his own place.” While they were contending about the order of Easter, Saint Munnu said: “Let us dispute briefly; but let us do judgment in the name of the Lord.” “Three options are given to you, Lasreane,” he said: “that is, two books shall be cast into the fire, the book of the old order and the book of the new, so that we may see which of them will be delivered from the fire; or two monks, one of mine and one of yours, shall be shut up in one house, and the house shall be burned, and we shall see which of them escapes intact from the fire. Or let us go to the tomb of a dead righteous monk, and let us raise him, and he shall show us by which order we ought to celebrate Easter this year.” To whom Saint Lasreanus said: “We will not go to your judgment; for we know that because of the greatness of your labor and holiness, if you should say that Mount Mairge should be changed into the place of the White Field, and the White Field into the place of Mount Mairge, God would do this immediately on your account.” For they were then in the White Field, to which Mount Mairge is adjacent. Afterwards, the people consenting with the saints, returned to their homes.

⁴⁹ A certain monk of the race of the Britons was with Saint Munnu, and he had a cell apart, and he was like a hermit. And he knew the craft of woodwork, and he made wagons and other implements for the brothers. On a certain day Saint Munnu came at dawn to his cell; and there was then in the house a fire for drying the wood of the wagon. But that monk knelt before the holy man and said: “Father, for a little while sit on the chair near the fire, so that your feet may be warmed.” To which the man of God consented; and sitting near the fire, the monk took his shoes, and found in them damp sand.

⁵⁰ Taking it up, he bound it in his cloth; and he said to the man of God: “I beg you, father, in the name of God, that you would tell me what this sand is.” To whom the holy man said: “Promise me in your faith that you will not tell anyone in my lifetime.” And when he promised, the holy man said to him: “I have just now come from the land of promise; and Saint Columba was with me, and Saint Brendan, and Saint Cannicus; and by the power of God he led us there, and brought us back from there. And from there I brought this sand with me to my cemetery.” That monk afterwards, after the death of the man of God, narrated this parable and showed the sand, which was placed in the cemetery, just as the holy man had commanded while living.

⁵¹ A certain monk in the monastery of Saint Munnu, who was called Finanus, asked the man of God that he might send him to his own homeland to visit his friends. To whom the man of God said: “Go in peace; for I know that it is from God. But take care that you drink nothing else except water until we greet one another again.” And the man of God blessed the cup of that brother who was setting out. But after that he had departed, Saint Munnu departed to heaven.

⁵² Hearing of the death of his abbot, that brother decided not to drink anything except water until he too departed from this world. For he lived thirty years drinking nothing but water. On a certain day Abbot Mochoemhog tasted unwittingly from that cup, and found the flavor of very good wine in the water that was in it; and he told this to the brother. Then the brother said to him: “Father, give me the divine viaticum; for on the third day I will migrate to heaven. For the holiness of Saint Munnu and the mercy of God granted the taste of wine with strength in the water long beforehand; and it was shown to me by God that whatever hour another should know this, on the third day after I would migrate to heaven.” And while they were giving thanks to God, thus it happened.

⁵³ To a certain healthy brother Saint Munnu said on a certain day: “Look, the time has come for you to go to heaven.” Now that brother migrated to heaven on the third day. And then the man of God said to another brother, who had been very weak for a long time: “Rise, and do the works of him who is dead.” And immediately that strong and healthy man rose and worked with the brothers. Saint Munnu had this divine gift, that he knew the thoughts of all his monks, and he revealed to them all whatever was in their hearts; and he knew every word which the brothers spoke in his absence, because of which he either praised them or rebuked them, as if he had been present with them; and by blessing the hearts of the wicked, he expelled every evil from them by the grace of God. All the words and works of Saint Munnu were full of divine grace.

⁵⁴ One day, however, the holy man knowing that the day of his recompense had come, commanded that his people be summoned to him; and blessing them, he gave to all the divine commandments. Afterwards, having received the body and blood of Christ, he sent forth his spirit to the presence of Christ Jesus, with his disciples present, happily among the choirs of angels, on the 12th day before the Kalends of November [i.e., 21 October]. To Christ Jesus, who with God the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.

⁵⁵ Here ends the Life of Saint Munnu the Abbot.