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==Life==
===Birth and childhood===
St. Kevin was born in the year 498 in the Irish province of Leinster to noble parents, perhaps even descendant of the Kings of Leinster. Tradition holds that when he was born, his mother felt no labour pains, and the snow that fell on the day of his birth melted as it fell around the house. An angel is said to have appeared during the child's baptism, telling his parents that the child should be named "Kevin." St. [[Cronan]], the officiating [[priest]], said, "This was surely an angel of the Lord, and as he named the child so shall he be called." So the babe was [[baptism|baptised ]] Kevin, Coemgen in the Irish tongue, which means "He of Blessed Birth." He is the first person in history to be called Kevin. His childhood was marked by a horrible temper and dislike of other people, although he loved animals.
===The blackbird's nest===
At the age of seven, his parents sent him the to the [[monastery]] run by St. [[Petroc]] in Cornwall. While there, Kevin was kneeling, his arms outstreched outstretched in prayer, on the first day of [[Lent]] in a small hut in the wilderness when a blackbird landed in his palm and proceeded to construct a nest. Kevin remained perfectly still, so as not to disturb the bird, for the whole of Lent. Kevin was fed by the blackbird with berries and nuts. By the end of Lent, the last blackbird hatchlings had flown from the nest, which now lay empty in his hand, and Kevin returned to the monastery for the Paschal celebration.
===Kevin's isolation===
===Glendalough Monastery===
[[Image:Kevin of Glendalough.jpg|left|frame|St. Kevin of Glendalough]]
However, Kevin could not establish a monastery, since King O'Tool of Glendalough, a pagan, would not allow it. It happened that the king had a much beloved pet goose, which was now old and grey. As time passed, the goose also became so aged and weak that it was soon unable to fly. As a result, the king was very upset, for he loved the goose very much. Hearing of Kevin's sanctity and power, the pagan king sent for him, and asked that he make the beloved goose young. Kevin asked for a payment of whatever land the goose would fly over. As the goose could no longer take flight, O'Toole agreed. When Kevin touched the bird, it grew young, and flew over the entire valley of Glendalough, and on that site the monastery was established.
===Water to ale===
On a day in autumn, Kevin was working in the kitchen at St. Petroc's monastery. He was busy preparing meals for crop gatherers when a number of pilgrims called and asked for food. Kevin, filled with compassion, gave them the harvesters’ harvesters' dinner. He was rebuked by his superiors for his action. He then told the attendants to fill all the ale jars with water and gather together all the bare meat bones. Then he prayed alone and, it is said, the water turned to ale and the bones were covered with meat again.
===The otter===
==Hymns==
===[[Troparion]]===[[Tone ]] Eight
Thou wast privileged to live in the age of saints, O Father Kevin, being baptized by one saint, taught by another, and buried by a third. Pray to God that he will raise up saints in our day to help, support, and guide us in the way of salvation.
With hymns of praise let us all bless the noble Kevin, who by his godly love poureth divine grace into the hearts of those who honor him; for he dwelleth now with the saints and angels in heaven, where he standeth before the throne of the Most High, praying unceasingly for us all.
===[[Kontakion]]===
Tone Five
Forsaking thy noble inheritance, and shunning all the crooked ways of this sin-loving world, thou didst apply thine obedient feet to the straight and narrow path of Christ, eagerly hastening throughout thy life toward the heavenly Sion, where with all the saints and the bodiless hosts thou criest aloud in ecstasy: Let every breath praise the Lord!
===[[Ikos]]===
Ye lofty trees of Ireland, ever move your verdant branches, that with the rustling of your leafs, as with the strings of a multitude of harps, ye may make sweet music for the King of kings; for thus of old did ye delight His faithful servant, the venerable Kevin, with your melodious song, easing the severity of his ascetic life with the beauty of your hymnody, filling his soul with exultation, and causing him to cry aloud: Let every breath praise the Lord!
:''Composed by Reader Isaac Lambertson.''[http://www.orthodoxengland.org.uk/servkevi.htm] ==St. Kevin's Cross==According to legend, anyone who can wrap their his arms around St. Kevin's Cross at Glendalough will receive their his wish. St. Kevin's Cross is a fine example of a plain cross, and it was carved from a single granite stone. It is over one meter across the arms. Its ring is very unusual, as it is not perforated at the intersection of the shaft and the arms.
==Further reading==
==External links==
* [http://www.lionden.cominfo/st.htm St. Kevin's Day]* [http://www.orthodoxengland.btinternet.co.uk/servkevi.htm Services for St. Kevin's Day]* [http://www.faculty.de.gcsu.edu/~dvess/ids/medieval/glendalough/glen3.htm St. Kevin's Cross]*[http://logismoitouaaron.blogspot.com/2009/06/beauteous-shining-birthst-kevin-of.html 'Beauteous Shining Birth'—St Kevin of Glendalough]*[http://www.comeandseeicons.com/k/inp19.htm Icon of St. Kevin of Glendalough] by the hand of Nicholas Papas* [http://www.stthomasirondequoit.com/SaintsAlive/id232.htm Saints Alive: St. Kevin](Catholic)* [http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintk02.htm Patron Saints Index: Kevin](Catholic)* [http://www.hermitage.dublindiocese.ie/ Glendalough Hermitage in Ireland](Catholic)* [http://web.archive.org/web/20070106211611/http://www.saintkevins.org/stkevin.htm ''Archive of'' Life of St. Kevin] St. Kevin's Parish (Catholic): Life of St. Kevin]
[[Category:Saints]]
[[Category:Saints of the British Isles]]
[[Category:Pre-Schism Western Saints]]
[[Category:Monastics]]
[[Category:Celtic and Anglo7th-Saxon Saintscentury saints]]
