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Life of St Wilfrid

Eddius Stephanus, tr. Colgrave, 1927

35. How [Wilfrid] Encouraged His Comrades

Then Bishop Wilfrid the beloved of God spoke to his comrades and said, “Bear in mind and tell my brethren about the olden days, how we read in the Old Law that the patriarchs, beloved of God, and Israel His first-born, for four hundred years and more, went “from one nation to another, and from one kingdom to another,” looking for His promise and not despairing. Moses and Aaron too and all the prophets of God endured the persecution of man, trusting in the Lord. We read also in the New Testament that the great Shepherd of the sheep and Head of the whole Church, Jesus Christ, was crucified by the Jews and His disciples scattered. Afterwards, throughout the whole world, they and their followers after various temptations received their crown, yet not forgetting the words of consolation which are addressed to us, as though to sons, saying, ‘My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him: for whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth.’ So, my friends and helpers in Christ, in the words of the excellent teacher, ‘Seeing that we have so great a cloud of witnesses set about us, let us run with patience the race which is set before us.’”