Bede was a monk-priest at Jarrow in England who spent his life in prayer and the study of Scripture and history. His Ecclesiastical History of the English People remains a priceless record, and he was named a Doctor of the Church in 1899.
Life
Bede was born around 673 in Northumbria in northeastern England. At seven he was entrusted to the monastery of Wearmouth, and for the rest of his life he prayed, studied and taught at the monasteries of Wearmouth and Jarrow. He was ordained a priest at about thirty.
He wrote many works on Scripture, the reckoning of time and history, and is called "the father of English history" especially for his Ecclesiastical History of the English People, completed around 731. His writings also helped spread the practice of dating years from the birth of Christ. He died in 735 and was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1899.
Spirituality
Bede's spirituality is the union of learning and prayer. He saw study as a service: knowing God more deeply and passing that knowledge on. In the quiet routine of the monastery he spent his life loving and teaching Scripture and serving the Church.
Reflection
Saint Bede spent his life studying and teaching Scripture. Will I read one passage slowly today and listen for what God is saying to me?