“History is more or less bunk,” according to Henry Ford. On the other hand, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” said George Santayana. So, which is it? Do we need history, or can we skip it? St. Bede the Venerable would probably disagree with both statements. St. Bede was the author of the Ecclesiastical History of the English People, a book about how the Church was established in England. This work established his claim to the title, “The Father of English History”.
St. Bede, who became known as the Venerable Bede for his holiness, was educated in a monastery in the north of England, in the 7th century. He became a monk and then a deacon and priest. He wrote volumes on theology, including commentaries on the Old and New Testaments, as well as educational works and poetry. He knew science, philosophy, astronomy, arithmetic, and more. He is patron of scholars. He died in 735 and was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1899 by Pope Leo XIII.
History is more than just a remembrance of things past. For Christians, history is about remembering where we came from and why. We came from men and women who followed Jesus. During the Mass, we respond to the Mystery of Faith: “We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection, until you come again.” Or, “When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death, O Lord, until you come again.” Or finally, “Save us, Savior of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection, you have set us free.” Each of these is an “anamnesis”, which means “remembering” of the mystery of our faith. History is a good thing. We remember that Jesus saved us and continues to save us each day because he loves us.
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