Died c. 664. Comm. also January 23 and February 23.
Saint Boisil was the prior of the famous abbey of Melrose (Mailross),
situated on the Tweed River in a great forest in Northumberland, while
Saint Eata was abbot. Both were English youths trained in monasticism by
Saint Aidan. Saint Bede says that Boisil was a man of sublime virtues,
imbued with a prophetic spirit. His eminent sanctity drew Saint Cuthbert
to Melrose rather than to Lindisfarne in his youth. It was from Boisil
that Cuthbert learned the sacred scriptures and virtue.
Saint Boisil had the holy names of the adorable Trinity ever on his
lips. He repeated the name Jesus Christ with a wonderful sentiment of
devotion, and often with such an abundance of tears that others would
weep with him. With tender affection he would frequently say,
How good
a Jesus we have!
At the first sight of Saint Cuthbert, Boisil said to
bystanders,
Behold a servant of God!
Bede produces the testimony of Saint Cuthbert, who declared that Boisil
foretold to him the chief things that afterwards happened to him. Three
years beforehand he foretold of the great pestilence of 664, and that
hehimself should die of it, but that Eata the abbot should survive.
In addition to continually instructing his brothers in religion, Boisil
made frequent excursions into the villages to preach to the poor, and to
bring straying souls on to the paths of truth and life. He was also
known for his aid to the poor.
Again, Boisil told Cuthbert, recovering from the plague,
You see,
brother, that God has delivered you from this disease, nor shall you
ever feel it again, nor die at this time; but my death being at hand,
neglect not to learn something from me so long as I shall be able to
teach you, which will be no more than seven days.
So Cuthbert asked,
And what will be best for me to read which may be finished in seven
days.
To which Boisil replied,
The Gospel of Saint John, which we may
in that time read over, and confer upon as much as shall be necessary.
Having accomplished the reading in seven days, the man of God, Boisil,
became ill and died in extraordinary jubilation of soul, out of his
earnest desire to be with Christ.
During his life he repeatedly instructed his brothers,
That they would
never cease giving thanks to God for the gift of their religious
vocation; that they would always watch over themselves against self-love
and all attachment to their own will and private judgement, as against
their capital enemy; that they would converse assiduously with God by
interior prayer, and labour continually to attain to the most perfect
purity of heart, this being the true and short road to the perfection of
Christian virtue.
Bede relates that Saint Boisil continued after his death to interest
himself particularly in obtaining divine mercy and grace for his country
and his friends. He appeared twice to one of his disciples, giving him a
charge to assure Saint Egbert, who had been hindered from preaching the
Gospel in Germany, that God commanded him to repair the monasteries of
Saint Columba on Iona and in the Orkneys, and to instruct them in the
right manner of celebrating Easter.
The relics of Boisil were translated to Durham, and deposited near those
of his disciple, Saint Cuthbert, in 1030
(
Benedictines,
Delaney,
Husenbeth).