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The Very Reverend Doctor R
E McIntyre M.A., D.D.
In the early 1920's, when my late father was a very
young minister of the Church of Scotland, his first charge was to the
United Free church in Callander, Perthshire, Scotland.
My father believed in
visiting the parishioners, and any others to whom he could give guidance
or help.
With a wide spread
parish, and no car, therefore visiting was mainly carried out on foot.
One day he went to
visit an elderly parishioner who lives in a small house in the country.
The lady was bed-ridden and relied on friends for help. The ladies name
was Mrs McIntyre, but of no relation to our family.
My father was vexed to
find the lady very sad, and depressed at her state of health.
Just what could the
young minister do that would give her strength..... well at her bedside
he noticed a Gaelic Bible, which he lifted up and opened to Mathew
chapter 13 and read aloud verse 55
From a Gaelic Bible of
1879
Mat 13:55 Nach a so
mac an t-saor? nach e ainm a mhathar Muire?
nach iad a bhraithre, Seumas, agus Ioses, agus Simon, agus Iudas?
The lady could hardly
believe her name was written in the Holy Book, her spirits returned, and
after a little chat my father left her house.
On making another
visit some weeks later, the lady was still very cheerful, something that
gave my father great joy. He did however learn that everyone who
subsequently paid a visit, was handed the Gaelic Bible to read for
themselves the name 'mac an t-saor'.
For those not
conversant with the passage in the present day Bible, it has not change
since the Self-Interpreting Bible 1778 (?) (Same as in those printed in
1966)
MAT 13:55 Is not this
the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren,
James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
And the general
translation: mac an t-saor = son of the carpenter = macintyre.
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