3rd Day of Lent šš¦š¢ The Fantastical Stories of Saint Kevin of Glendalough, the āDr. Dolittleā of the Saints
Ā Ā Ā On this 3rdĀ Calendar Day of Lent, March 4th, 2022, we celebrate Saint Kevin of Glendalough, a patron saint of Ireland who has many whimsical stories.
Ā Ā Ā Saint Kevin of Glendalough is the patron saint of animals, animal lovers, and communication. We say Saint Kevin and āDr. Dolittleā have similarities because, ā¦. Well, because they do!Ā
Ā Ā Ā Hugh Lofting wrote "The Story of Dr. Dolittleā in the 1920ās and like Harry Potter and Star Wars, one tale was simply not enough so the stories continued well after that first book.Ā
Ā Ā Ā Dr. Dolittle was a physician who preferred being in the company of animals over people and he always sought to keep animals safe. Saint Kevin of Glendalough was an Irish Monk who preferred the company of animals and always sought to keep them safe.Ā
Ā Ā Ā Weāve nicknamed Saint Kevin the āAnimal Whisperer.ā There are countless anecdotes about the ways Saint Kevin was able to communicate with, talk to, and befriend the animals.Ā
Ā Ā Ā Kevin appreciated life in all its forms and he offers great life lessons of love, care, and compassion for all living creatures. Saint Kevin lived to be 120 years old!Ā Ā
Ā Ā Ā One of our favorite stories involves an otter who was friendly with Saint Kevin. The otter would catch salmon and bring the fish to Kevin who would then share the food with his fellow monks. One day, another Monk saw the otter and told his brethren at dinner that he would capture the otter the next day, skin it, and make himself a new wallet. Kevin listened intently and after supper, he went to find the otter to tell him of the other monks murderous plan. He did and the otter promptly moved to another town outside of Glendalough, and remained safe from harm, thanks to Saint Kevin.
Ā Ā Ā Another time, Kevin was outside and reflective in prayer. His arms were outstretched and his palms wide open. A raven flew by and landed on Kevinās forearm and decided to lay some eggs in the palms of Saint Kevin. When Kevin finished praying and realized the lives of baby ravens were literally in his hands, he chose to stand still in the same spot for days and days until the eggs hatched and the baby ravens were born.
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