A DIALOGUE
ON THE DEEDS OF
SOME HOLY FRIARS MINOR
by
Fr Thomas de Pavia
Edited by
Fr Ferdinand M. Delorme
OFM.
Translated by
Campion Murray OFM.
CONTENTS
Translator’s Preface
vii
Preface
ix
1. The title of the
work
ix
2. The integrity of
the work
x
3. The time of composition
xiii
4. Readers of the
Dialogue
xiv
5. The character and
nature of the Dialogue
xvi
6. The sources and
value of the Dialogue
xviii
7. The relation of
the Dialogue to the first Legend of St Anthony
xx
8. The relation of
the Dialogue to the Chronicle of Friar
Thomas of Pavia
xxi
9. The relation of
the Dialogue to The Ox of Friar Thomas
of Pavia
xxiii
10. The author of the
Dialogue
xxv
11. On the manuscript tradition
of the Dialogue
xxviii
12. The plan of the present
edition
xxix
Prologue
1
I. Of blessed
Anthony of Padua
4
Why God allowed Anthony to be frustrated in martyrdom
5
Spiritual persons are tempted in two ways to cease doing
good
8
Why some just persons die younger than others
11
On the nature of a miracle and why some suffer such pain
15
How useful it is to pray to the saints
19
On the power of miracles given to the Church
23
On four types of dead and the diversity among those
raised from the dead
25
On various effects of miracles
27
It is neither easy nor safe to compare the merits of the
saints 28
That the intercession of the saints benefits us in various
ways 29
On fidelity in observing vows
30
II. On Friar Benvenutus
who was from Gubbio and is buried in
Corneto
32
Not every gift
is due to the merits of faith
37
On the reason
for temporal punishments
40
On the power
of demons over the possessed
42
On the sin
of blasphemy committed in word or deed
45
On the ingratitude
of some sinners
47
Why saints
while alive are said to have worked none
or but few miracles
50
How the saints recognize the prayers and sufferings
of people praying
52
III. On Friar Ambrose who
is buried in Civitavecchia
56
Why the Church is so slow to canonize saints
59
On prayers answered
and prayers not answered
63
On words of cursing
rightly and wrongly uttered
66
That bodily punishments are often a sign and punishment
of
inner fault
69
On gratitude to God and whether health is always more
helpful for salvation
73
On Trajan and others called back to life after being damned
77
IV. On some other
friars
79
Friar Gratian who is buried in Osimo
79
That almost nothing wonderful is done without constant
prayer
81
Friar Matthew of Narni
83
It is wise to call on doctors when it is necessary
84
Friar Roger who is buried in Todi
85
That riches and delights
are rightly compared to thorns
88
Friar Paul of the Marche
89
That God sometimes uses a rod of correction to recall
a sinner
90
Friar Herman from Foligno
91
That the manna coming from the tomb of the Saint certainly
contains a mystical reason
93
Friar Martin who is buried in …
94
Friar Dominic who is buried in San Marino
94
Friar Bernard who is buried in Massa
95
Friar Peter from Mons-Ulmi
95
How heavenly gifts are said to be given because of
multiple requests
96
Friar Leonard who is buried in Priverno
97
Friar Tentalbene
97
Friar James of Assisi
97
Friar Peter of Tranum
98
That both ingratitude and suspicion of superstition are
displeasing to God
99
Friar Otho who is buried in Pula
100
The plan of God in choosing the simple and the wise
101
Friar Adam Rufus who is buried in Barletta
102
Friar William of Cordella
104
V. On visions
of friars
105
On guardian angels
105
On the multiple kinds of temptation
107
On the care
of angels for humans even sinners
109
On the necessity
of confession
111
How much one
gains from developing friendship with
the saints
by good works
115
How much the
saints are to be honoured
116
Miracles are
a support for faith
118
On a necessary
discernment of spirits
119
On the virtue
of perseverance
120
On love and
mercy for sinners
121
On the foundations
of the virtue of obedience
123
On discreet
obedience
124
Epilogue
126
TRANSLATOR’S PREFACE
The work entitled A Dialogue
on the Deeds of some holy Friars Minor [Dialogus
de gestis sanctorum fratrum minorum] was published by
Fr Ferdinand Delorme OFM in the College of St Bonaventure,
Quaracchi, Italy in 1923. It was published as the fifth
volume in the series entitled Bibliotheca franciscana
ascetica medii aevi.
The identity of the author,
the date of the work, its character and value are discussed
by Fr Delorme in the Preface which follows immediately after
this Preface.
The Bible used
in this translation is the New Revised Standard Bible (NRSV).
At times, however, this translation is markedly different
from the Latin Bible used by the author. When this occurs
the Douay Rheims Bible (DRB) has been used as it follows
the Latin text closely; whenever the Douay Rheims Bible
is quoted this is noted in the text. In the translation
the abbreviations for the names of the books of the Bible
are the abbreviations used in the New Revised Standard Bible.
Not all the
references in the footnotes of the Introduction could be
verified as not all the books quoted are available to me.
The references which could not be checked are reproduced
as they are quoted in the printed edition. The editor divided
the text with many headings, and while he put these headings
in his Index he did not include them in the text. In this
translation they have been added to the text.
I record my
gratitude to Sr Joanne Fitzsimons OSC for her careful work
in proofreading these pages and for her many suggestions
which have improved the translation. I record my thanks
also to Fr Angelo O’Hagan OFM and to Fr Maurice Carmody
OFM for assistance with some of the difficulties in the
text. The mistakes which remain are my own responsibility.
Campion Murray OFM
St Paschal’s College,
Box Hill
Victoria
Feast of St Francis, 2000
PREFACE
Already in 1902 in Rome,
Fr Leonard Lemmens O.F.M. had prepared a first but incomplete
edition of this work.
He says of the author,
‘in his work … he included some arguments of dogma and asceticism,
which even after several attempts we have not in any way
been able to decide on their meaning nor understand them;
hence we have edited fully and faithfully only and all of
the sections dealing with history; we have used the theological
sections only in so far as they are a help to understand
and group together the other material’. I did not want to
leave anything out of this new edition,. But one must treat
firstly of the title, final form, history, characteristics
and author, all topics which prepare the way for this edition.
1.
THE TITLE OF THE WORK
The title, Dialogue,
first used by the author in his Prologue, reflects the character
of the whole work, is sanctioned by historical tradition
and it would be wrong to omit it; to omit it would not make
it an independent work but a certain imitation and beautiful
copying of the Dialogues of Gregory the Great, to
which it could be joined as a fifth book. For in both there
are two persons ‘speaking to one another, one the speaker,
the other the listener’.
I have added on the deeds,
not on the lives, as has up till today been wrongly used
as the title.
The speaker did not intend to tell the stories of lives
for his purpose was quite different. The parts which are
strictly biographical are only introductions, and little
need be said of them. The author states:
It is my intention moreover in the beginning of each section
of the proposed work, to set out in summary form as a type
of preface some short facts about their life and character.
Little is said of the life
of St Anthony, less of the other two Friars, and almost
nothing of the rest. So in no way should the title refer
to a description of lives.
The work of the author clearly
indicates that he is speaking of deeds. After he
had honoured the deeds of the venerable fathers described
in the Annals,
the author begins to describe his own list of deeds, beginning
with those of his brothers ‘of whose deeds a celebrated
fame has spread’.
Therefore, he explains firstly the deeds of the famous
man, St Anthony, then he continues with the last deeds
of his life, those deeds, namely, which he can remember.
He then praises blessed Benevenutus, all of whose deeds
are not known; he speaks of what he remembers of the
deeds of others, especially of blessed Ambrose, leaving
out nothing of the deeds of so great a man. He had
heard of many deeds of Friar Matthew. In this way
he continues his list of deeds and developed more
on the deeds of our Friars. He concludes with the
statement that in no way does he envy those who know more
and greater things of the deeds of the Friars of
whom he will speak. In fact he has deliberately kept silent
on many things which he had heard and read of the deeds
of the Friars.
From what has been said,
the author did not intend to speak in a general way; he
worked always to speak of what he refers to so often as
the deeds, especially by committing to writing the
wonderful things or deeds of our heroes. He collected
and related these facts under the general but glorious name
of deeds, some of which concern Friars still living, but
by far the major part concerns Friars who have died. When
this is kept in mind, the book should be given a title which
reflects the style of writing, and is fully consonant with
its content.
2.
THE INTEGRITY OF THE WORK
The present edition of the
Dialogue without doubt should not be an ‘incomplete’
work or ‘only a fragment’ of the original work, but an edition
of the whole work. There is no force in quoting the contrary
assertion found in the Catalogus XV Generalium Ministrorm
in its reference to Friar Crescentius:
He searched out and collected many miracles of blessed Francis
and also edited a work on the lives of Friars in the form
of a dialogue: of which we still have parts but other parts
have been lost by carelessness.
These last words are true
provided they are read as referring only to the first part
of the sentence, that is, to the miracles, and this would
seem to be the meaning indicated by the grammar. The collection
by Friar Crescentius on the miracles of Francis has been
lost, although traces of it are to be seen in the work of
Thomas of Celano, in the Major Life by St Bonaventure,
and in the Chronica XXIV Generalium Ministrorum.
But given that the statement can also apply to the second
part of the sentence, that is, to the Dialogue, this
would prove no more than that the author of the Catalogus
knew only one or other fragment of the Dialogue,
not the whole work printed here. Had the author had before
him the whole work, he would not have referred so inaccurately
to ‘the lives of the Friars’. This author then has no authority
in this matter.
The Chronica XXIV Generalium
Ministrorum carries no weight in this question for it
repeats
the passage quoted from the Catalogus but adds in
the final section ‘of which we still have parts but other
parts have been lost by carelessness’; they have changed
the text. The same response, only stronger, is to be given
to the Chronica as was given to the Catalogus.
Indeed, one would expect
the Dialogue ‘to say something of the many Friars
who were famous for holiness and signs and who are now dead’.
However, it has to be proven, not supposed, that the author
wished to speak of these others. In fact, the contrary is
clear. After he said
that he would relate ‘the wonderful works of virtue’, which
the Almighty had shown ‘in certain holy Friars of our Order
in diverse parts of the world’, he immediately added the
prudent comment: ‘I have not set down in the present text
each single virtue of all those spread throughout almost
the whole world’. He concerned himself with deeds of Friars
of whom there was available an apostolic process or of whom
he possessed a genuine record. When he had spoken of the
three, he added:
‘I am happy to add the deeds of some other Friars’ to what
has gone before; and he explains what he means: it is my
intention to speak ‘especially of those known to have lived
in parts of Italy’. Later,
he decides ‘to come to Friars of our day’. Repeating why
he writes nothing of St Francis, he says finally:
‘I have consciously and prudently omitted deeds of other
Friars’. It is clear that he states several times he did
not wish to treat of all the holy Friars nor of each of
their single deeds.
What has been said concerns
the subject matter of the book. As regards the form of the
book, I realize the author made a certain promise in the
Prologue:
It is my intention moreover in the beginning of each section
of the proposed work to set out in summary form as a type
of preface some few facts about their life and character.
But this was not something
on which he insisted. While it is true of the first sections,
it is not at all true of the fourth and fifth sections.
This is evident for the fifth which deals with visions of
the Friars; it can also be said of the fourth if its structure
is closely examined.
The writer treats each of
the first three Friars separately, and undoubtedly he refers
to them when he says:
‘We begin by speaking of the Friars of whose deeds a celebrated
fame has spread’. These three are St Anthony, blessed Benevenutus,
and blessed Ambrose, whose life and wonders were set out
in apostolic processes. It is not surprising that the compiler
when dealing with these would make use of a succinct synthesis
already written before their deaths and based on the absolute
truth of their deeds;
this synthesis was most acceptable to the author because
of the forest of miracles reported therein. So he used copious
sources by which he could join the three into a homogeneous
whole.
There remained in his list
the acts of sixteen ‘more famous’ Friars who are described
separately but completely authenticated by juridical documents.
In a reply to his listener he says:
‘As you ask, I am happy to add the deeds of some other Friars
… especially those known to have lived in parts of Italy’.
But since these had been ‘hidden from the knowledge of the
faithful by a certain negligence’, he made a personal study
based on the memories of Friars still living, and published
under a common heading everything he considered to be more
sure.
Given this evidence and
knowing the intention of the author to relate wonders, it
is clear why in the fourth part there is no biographical
material; this cannot cast doubt on the integrity of the
book. The integrity becomes even clearer the more closely
one looks at the Dialogue where everything seems
to be close knit and well tied together so that there do
not seem to be any gaps. The acts of blessed Ambrose are
introduced with these words:
‘I acknowledge you have told me much about these two admirable
Friars’. After these and after a long discussion provoked
by some questions which arose over the alleged resurrection
of Trajan,
the listener continues:
‘Your clear reasoning has wonderfully satisfied my interest.
Now I ask you to continue as you began and tell of other
Friars of our Order’. In response the speaker immediately
begins a new list, which will contain the deeds of other
Friars so long neglected. At the end there is a natural
transition to the last part dealing with the visions of
the Friars; a general epilogue closes the work.
It can be added that whenever
the author quotes himself by referring from one text to
another, the reference is always evident and nowhere has
anyone been able to identify a gap.
Therefore, nothing can be
proved against the integrity of the text, rather the whole
work clearly indicates its integrity.
3.
THE TIME OF COMPOSITION
The author clearly indicates
the time when he wrote:
‘In obedience to the command of the reverend Father Minister
General, namely, Friar Crescentius … I am happy to establish
the truth of these deeds’. The work was undertaken then
at the command of Fr. Crescentius, the Minister General
(1244-1247).
In his work the author praises
the First Life of Celano. When the author speaks
of St Francis and gives his excuse for not speaking of his
deeds, he notes
that these deeds ‘can now be read as they are described
by another Friar with sufficient accuracy and care’. This
provides a rather fictitious reason for not speaking of
St Francis when on the contrary he related the deeds of
St Anthony at length even though they were first compiled
in the Legend Assidua;
the author could not have made a clearer reference to the
first work of Friar Thomas of Celano. The use of the adverb
‘now’ clearly could not refer to the Second Life
of Celano, especially when it is said that many miracles
are omitted there because they were unknown to the writer,
because they did not fit his style, because knowledge of
them could not have come to him; all these comments would
sound false if the Second Life of Celano already
existed.
The Dialogue is then
to be dated between the two lives by Celano. Since Crescentius
was elected in 1244
and the writings of the Companions, on whom the Second
Life of Celano certainly depends, were finished ‘in
Greccio on the thirtieth of August in the year of the Lord
1246’, the present work can rightly be thought to have been
written between these two dates.
4.
READERS OF THE DIALOGUE
Very few have read this
work. How better to prove this than the fact that the only
copy of the work, deposited in 1384 in the library of the
Sacred Convent in Assisi, was in our day discovered by chance
in the Vatican library. From the beginning of the fourteenth
century to today it was hidden, so that, except perhaps
for Marianus Florentinuus and Rodulphus Tossinianensis,
how many Franciscan historians, for example Wadding, have
there been whose information on holy early members of the
Order has been changed by intervening compilers.
Nevertheless, it was not
entirely unknown to early writers. It seems to have been
read by Friar Thomas of Celano when writing his Second
Life. He refers to the Dialogue clearly enough
when he warns
he also had received a command to write of the ‘deeds’ and
admits he includes ‘certain … wonderful things, which were
not included previously in the Life, since information about
these had not come to the author’.
Celano excuses himself using the same formula repeated in
the Dialogue. However, I do not believe that Celano
had the Dialogue when he wrote De Miraculis,
n. 117 and 60, describing two wonders concerning Zanchato
and Pesquitium since Celano describes them with different
circumstances from those found in the Dialogue.
One of the first readers
was the person who took a list of St Anthony’s miracles
from the Bollandists who had published it on the basis of
a codex from Ancona.
Besides the prologue and two additional miracles, which
come directly from the Legend Assidua, the whole
work is taken verbatim from the Dialogue, with some
small changes in the order of the material.
Another reader was the anonymous
author of the Legend of St Anthony, commonly called Benignitas,
which was published after 9 April 1317. Eight passages are
taken literally from the Dialogue….
Then there is the Catalogus
sanctorum Fratrum Minorum written about 1335. Speaking
of Friars outstanding in their fame for holiness,
he often uses expressions which are proper to our Dialogue,
and moreover some are not found in any other source:
it can be taken for certain that the Dialogue is
the source from which these were taken.
The fifth reader to mention
is Fr Dominic Bonaventure Fessis, the nephew of blessed
Francis Fabrianensis, the son of his sister Joanna; when
this nephew wrote a life of his uncle he copied the Prologue
of the Dialogue.
Together with the Bollandists, I suspect that here is ‘a
general prologue used not only for the miracles of this
blessed, but also for many blessed of the seraphic Order,
put together in one book with a brief synopsis of their
lives’. Fr Dominic, following the form of the Dialogue,
intended to prepare a new compilation of the miracles of
holy Friars. But only one portion of the writing has survived.
Except for the doctrinal
explanations, of which not even one is found and the chapter
on blessed Roger of Todi, Fr Bartholomew of Pisa rewrote
the Dialogue in detail often quoting literally, sometimes
abbreviating.
In relating the life of St Anthony, in which too often falsehood
is mixed with truth, some things were taken from the
Dialogue, as can be seen in the passages marked in the
footnote.
I cannot list the writer
of the Chronica XXIV Generalium Ministrorum, who
wrote many years before Bartholomew, among those who read
the Dialogue. He does refer to two ‘deeds’ recorded
in the Dialogue.
But these were certainly not taken directly from the
Dialogue; otherwise one could not explain why he
did not use other ‘deeds’ and how he was able to make such
a gross mistake on the name of the author.
5.
THE CHARACTER AND NATURE OF THE DIALOGUE
Were one to ask why the
Dialogue did not have a better fate, I think an answer
can be easily given. In the work there are outstanding literary
qualities such as are rarely met, but they are clouded by
defects: the type of work determines its fate.
Right from the start, the
author set himself a threefold purpose. He wanted the first
to be historical. As others had done in ‘commending in annals
the achievements of the ancients’, so he intended to hand
on to future generations something of the early days of
the Minors. He did this not to relate the common course
of life nor a general history, but to deal with persons
who had been honoured after their death; the great value
of this is that for the historian of Franciscan matters
they constitute a source which is often the only and primary
source. Would that many other Friars had written about the
deeds of the Friars!
He also tries to develop
a culture or teaching and the attention of the readers,
so that ‘by an experience of virtues’ they might ‘abandon
the drink of an earlier age’. Therefore, he cures the weak,
inspires the healthy and moves all to better things by giving
examples of men of virtue and the presentation of signs.
He consistently does this in two ways: first, by proposing
miracles but he sins in this by excess, believing he can
do more by this than if he had attempted to explain the
virtuous deeds of his heroes; second, in expounding solid
doctrine the attentive ‘listener’ often proposes ‘what is
surprising or dubious’.
At times he writes in an
apologetic manner before the heretics of his time who were
growing in their attacks on Catholic truth. He shows them
the great wonders which God does not cease to work through
the saints in the church which is the pillar of truth. He
relates so many ‘deeds’, enters into so many discussions
about the points under attack, eliminates by firm and solidly
developed arguments the many objections proposed to him
by the ‘listener’, that finally they ‘come to their senses’,
wondering at the holiness of the Christian religion and
contemplating its clear doctrine, or they remain silent
‘biting on what does not please them’.
All this is presented in
a polished and ornate style, with artfully elaborated sentences,
using the literary form at one time in use by the writers
in the Curia and called by the name of ‘the special style
of the Curia’; it proves that the author was well qualified
in this style of writing. He is shown to be a person outstanding
in his ability to solve difficulties, his insight in expounding
doctrine and biblical texts, and his prudence when giving
advice.
These qualities did not
prevent the book from having only a mediocre success due,
in my judgment, to three reasons. First, there is the excessive
number of miracles. Why fill the work with so many ‘deeds’?
Why burden the work with such long lists of miracles, 44
to St Anthony, 45 to blessed Benevenutus, 55 to blessed
Ambrose, and then generously adding those of the other Friars?
Nothing could be more immoderate nor, shall I say it, tedious.
This certainly did not escape the writer who to avoid monotony
which, to use his own expression, might be ‘taking away
the appetite of a fastidious reader’, he worked in the form
of a Dialogue thus hoping to create some variety.
There was also the little
space he devoted to the historical details of the lives
of his heroes. Certainly, our author did not have the ingenuity
of Thomas of Celano. Of the people of whom he wrote many
lived lives full of work, more than one holding public office,
engaged in journeys and in some history making chapters.
This applies to St Anthony, to Friar Adam Rufus and Friar
William from Cordella. But the writer omits all this. Everyone
can see how much more keenly and truly, even more usefully
and pleasantly, Celano wrote.
Moreover, the writer is
to be credited with excessive obscurity. The more he develops
a phrase it becomes sometimes more difficult to understand,
especially when he gives explanations which touch on theological
doctrine. Some of this obscurity can be attributed to the
inexperience of the scribe of the codex, as will be explained
later, but the main fault lies with the writer who, to preserve
the curial style, used too many inversions and twists in
his sentences.
I will willingly add
another reason why the Dialogue remained unread.
It was left among the anonymous writings so that even the
most scholarly collector of early Franciscan history, Friar
Bartholomew of Pisa, who more than others made use of the
work, left us nothing about the author nor even about the
title of the work. When some did refer to the work they
spoke wrongly on these matters, showing that they had not
seen the work. Hence, since the true or supposed name of
an author quite frequently determined the fate of a book,
it is not surprising, given the foregoing evidence, that
it fell into almost total oblivion.
6.
THE SOURCES AND VALUE OF THE DIALOGUE
When we, first of all, ponder
the doctrinal portions of the Dialogue, the author
shows himself to be sufficiently learned. He certainly had
an easy grasp of sacred Scripture and sometimes gave a keen
interpretation of a text. He had read some of the writings
of the Fathers, for example, St Ambrose and St Augustine
whom he quoted sometimes from original texts, sometimes
from liturgical texts and also from contemporaries such
as P. Lombard, Praepositinus and William Altissiodorensis;
he was more closely familiar with the Dialogues of
St Gregory whose style he tried to imitate both in the choice
of material and in the literary form. He quotes from these
authors using vague formulas such as ‘according to the opinion
of a saint’ (pp. 16, 50), ‘as a saint testifies’ (p. 4),
‘in the opinions of the Fathers’ (p. 25), ‘in accord with
the opinion of orthodox Fathers’ (pp. 40, 52) etc. He follows
the common opinions of theologians as can be seen, for example,
in the questions on prayer
(p. 63), on the knowledge of demons, on those recalled miraculously
to life, and on whether the sentence passed on the saved
and the damned is definitive
(pp. 25-26). He could conclude with truth that he taught
what he knew to be in accord with the opinions of his many
seniors, with the opinions of the saints and the statements
of the doctors (p. 126).
He knew and referred the
reader to some lives of the saints, such as St Nicholas,
St John and St Catherine.
But in the historical sections he has used excellent sources
which he indicates clearly from the beginning of his work:
I have not set down in the present text each single virtue
of all those spread throughout almost the whole world, but
those especially which are approved either by scrutineers
acting on the command of the Pope, delegated by the Apostolic
See, and which are kept in a faithful record based on a
diligent examination of witnesses and noted by public authority,
or by Friars of our Order who are still living and who have
confirmed them for me by their testimony.
He had then a double source:
one authentic and solemn, namely, the apostolic processes
which were available to him, and the other private and particular,
namely, the reports whether written
or verbal of Friars still living.
The process of blessed Ambrose
was kept in Civitavecchia, from where L. Fumi published
a summary of it;
this proves how faithfully our author worked from official
documents. It is to be presumed that he was nevertheless
circumspect, not recording everything he had heard but selecting
what was truer and writing what was more certain. He admits:
‘I have consciously and prudently omitted deeds of other
Friars which I have heard of and read’. Speaking earlier
about visions he said wisely:
Because it is common
for the deception of the demons to be active in these, I
have omitted many and various visions while the few which
I relate here, as you request, were given to me by most
sure reports of Friars.
Given such declarations
I would not dare to say that the facts he has related are
dreams or something worse. From among them Celano did not
hesitate to list two and St Bonaventure listed one as miracles
of St Francis.
In fact there is no reason for them to be doubted; otherwise,
as St Bonaventure
advises in a similar case, ‘with equal reason whatever is
read in the Legends of the other saints is cast into doubt’.
7.
THE RELATION OF THE DIALOGUE TO THE FIRST
LEGEND OF ST ANTHONY
I have already said that
the section of the Dialogue dealing with St Anthony
is based on the process of canonization. I do not intend
by this that the author used it personally, but that his
information is based ultimately on it. Its immediate source
is the first Legend of St Anthony which begins with the
word Assidua; this in fact was written following
the documents of the process of the scrutineers.
This
would be most certain if it could be established that the
Dialogue follows the Legend step by step, simply
by abbreviating it
and reducing its style to fit more strictly the rules of
the curial style.
With the exception of the miracles in n. 36 and n. 44 which
are not in the Legend, all the other miracles in the
Dialogue are found in the Legend; on the other hand
the Dialogue does not list many miracles which are
found in the Legend. Thus he omits the deeds of Forlivius
and the events in the field of St Peter, details of burial
and canonization, and many miracles while using the words
which introduce the section on miracles in chapter 27 of
the Legend from which they are clearly taken.
However, other miracles
which are treated at length in the Legend, he reduces to
a few pages, making clear more than once his intention of
touching only briefly on some matters:
‘I will turn, writing in summary form, to the last deeds
of his life’; and: ‘I have kept silent for the sake of brevity
about many and indeed great signs of holiness’. These quotations
are sufficient to prove the point about him who promised
to give ‘as a type of preface some few facts about their
life and character’.
Another intention of the
author was to polish the style of the Legend, because it
was deficient in its curial style, and he did this by rearranging
the phrases. Many clear examples of this are evident to
anyone who compares the two texts.
On closer inspection it
quickly becomes apparent that both are by the same author.
We read in the Dialogue:
‘I know many things from personal observation, but I recall
many others from having heard of them from witnesses worthy
of trust’; In the Legend it was said earlier: ‘I write of
some things which I have not seen with my eyes; I know of
them from the reports of the lord Sugerius the second and
from other Catholics’. Unless there is a case of blatant
plagiarism, one can see the one hand at work. This is stated
first in the prologue of the Dialogue in equivalent
words,
when the author asserts he is not intending to treat of
St Francis because his life had already been written by
another Friar. This in no way allows us to conclude that
he did not have the Legend of St Anthony, but the only solid
and logical conclusion is that this had not already been
written by another Friar.
If it is not from another hand, therefore, it is from the
same hand.
And in fact one and same person can be seen in both texts
in many ways:
a. in the most frequent
use of special words;
b. in formulas used with
equal frequency;
c. in some texts in particular;
d. in the prologues and
epilogues.
It is therefore as clear
as day that the same person wrote the Diaolgue who
had first written the Legend of St Anthony; in this he proves
that the books of the Dialogues of St Gregory were
then commonly available; he mentions them in his prologue
and more than once copies literally from them in both writings.
The same culture and literary style is evident in both,
the same psychology of the saints and the same clearly deficient
method in explaining their actions.
8.
THE RELATION OF THE DIALOGUE TO THE CHRONICLE
OF FRIAR THOMAS DE PAVIA
So far we have found nothing
about the author. Several names have been proposed and finally
excluded; the question was considered to be insoluble, since
neither historical tradition nor the two works themselves
offered any grounds for adequately resolving the question.
It was necessary to search in a different direction. This
direction was fortunately opened for me from the prologue
of Chronica imperatorum et pontificum,
written in 1278 by Friar Thomas de Pavia:
It has been our wish in writing the deeds of the emperors
and Roman pontiffs to avoid brevity and excess; too much
brevity brings on a covering of clouds and does not lessen
the hunger and desire for knowledge but increases it: just
as if someone who is very hungry takes a little food, the
hunger is not satisfied but rather stirred up and increased;
an excess of words, unrestrained by proper moderation, often
gives rise to dislike in the readers. It is proven that
an abundance of food eaten by one who is excessively hungry
causes sickness. Therefore, taking the middle way between
too little and too much, we will speak of things useful
as far as we see it to be expedient, and will leave aside
what is superfluous. Many have been too brief in writing
chronicles; but the vice of excess is common in those who
have written histories. We begin our story, after calling
on God, with Octavius Caesar, who was the universal lord
of the Romans, in whose reign the Saviour, Christ our high
priest, was born into this world from the most holy virgin.
Several things are noteworthy in this prologue:
1. the exact use of the
curial style which is commonly applied in the whole Chronicle
as in the Dialogue;
2. the word deeds
which appears right at the beginning and is so often used
in the Dialogue;
3. the same concern of the
writer not to burden the reader and sometimes the same words
used: he is concerned with ‘brevity’ (Dialogue, pp.
1, 4, 31, 55, 127), comparing a person desirous of learning
as being ‘hungry’ (Dialogue, pp. 38, 67), wanting
to avoid ‘annoyance’ (Dialogue, pp. 2, 55, 93, 127),
accepting something ‘as food’ (Dialogue, p. 93),
taking `superfluous food’ (Dialogue, p. 93); one
can add to these that the Dialogue on page 4 has
‘the beginning of your word [sermo]’ while the Chronicle
has ‘the beginning of the story [narratio]’.
A certain affinity is evident here and there.
It is necessary to search
out whether or not this is found also in the body of the
Chronicle. Happily this is proven to be so as can
be proven clearly from many texts from which I select some.
I do not deny that these
words or formulas can be found in other writers, but their
use or frequency in both works, especially of particular
words, is, I believe, new evidence not to be neglected and
gives a favorable indication to the identity of the author.
To be added to this is the
fact that Friar Thomas, faced with texts contrary to him,
quotes them and then tries to reconcile them with special
formulas.
In the last chapters of
his Chronicle, he is totally occupied with contemporary
events which he reports in his own style; in the Dialogue,
this is also present, precisely in the section On visions
of Friars, when the author relates his study of wonders,
and one finds at times the same terms.
Frequently then one sees
identical concepts, words, phrases and natural ability.
These do not indicate the kind of similarity which would
result from one work being a simple imitation of the other
or that one is only quoting from the other. One relates
to the other from common characteristics because, unless
I am mistaken, they have a common author using his own style
of writing which after 35 years he could not change.
9.
THE RELATION OF THE DIALOGUE TO THE OX
OF FRIAR THOMAS OF PAVIA
While what has been said
is of itself sufficiently convincing, I concede that, apart
from the two works themselves, the conclusion is not based
on any extrinsic evidence. However, I hope that the conclusion
is confirmed and supported by a new comparison between the
Dialogue and another work of the same Friar Thomas.
This comparison could take away completely any difficulties.
So I turn to the argument based on the great theological
collection which was written for the use of preachers and
is called the Ox.
If one studies the Ox
and Dialogue in detail, the same similarities and
affinities are found as were seen from a comparison of the
Dialogue and the Chronicle. In the Ox
the author does not often use an ornate style, since his
aim is not to produce a literary work; for the most part
the text is taken up with biblical quotations, but there
is no lack of words or phrases on which one can establish
the affinity of the works and the identity of the author.
I will propose a few examples,
while it is sure that were anyone to look through this voluminous
work many more would be found.
The style of speaking is
again so similar in both works that one is led to presume
there is one author. So many and such words and phrases
can be drawn from the two works, and in fact have been,
as would seem to be impossible were the works written by
different authors or if one depended upon the other.
My argument becomes more
detailed and stronger if I can show that the doctrinal content
of the Dialogue corresponds closely to parallel passages
in the Ox. And in fact this happens as will be immediately
apparent. The moral expositions, omitted in the first edition,
provide a most valid argument for solving the question of
the name of the author. How important it is at times to
have the complete text of old works! Certain examples follow.
I have no doubt there are
other passages I could quote,
in which it would be equally apparent that in both works
one finds the same author, the same themes treated in the
same way, similar sources quoted, similar concerns
thought out, and a like culture of mind. But these suffice.
10. THE AUTHOR OF THE DIALOGUE
It is time to conclude.
We do not have any external argument such as the testimony
of an ancient writer. But the works themselves, the Chronicle
and the Ox which are indisputably authentic, speak
without any doubt of Friar Nicholas de Pavia.
a. The chapters of the
Ox, in which the author writes in his own personal style,
contain special and characteristic formulas familiar and
as it were natural to him and these are found in the
Chronicle and are often found in the Dialogue.
b. The chapters of the
Ox in which his personal style is less evident, introduce
divisions of some subjects, quotations from the Bible or
other sources, and they frequently contain themes and biblical
texts used in the Dialogue, themes which are treated
in the same way and texts which are applied in the same
way.
c. The same moral personality
is evident in the three works, especially in the Ox
and in the Dialogue. The writer is at times severe,
good natured, solid in doctrine, most discreet in counsel
and judgment, and seems to be more prudent than any
other when concerned with miracles, prophecies and visions.
On the basis of what has
been presented, even though it be internal arguments based
only on the comparison of texts, I dare to say that with
strong probability the Dialogue is from the person
who wrote the Ox and the Chronicle. In many
places, certainly in my judgment, the author reveals himself,
and I am unaware whether there are many authors whose writings
with no external testimony have such a collection of presumptions
in their favour as is the case here.
Salimbene de Adam, a friend
of Friar Thomas, has left a testimony about him of much
importance and it is quoted here. After speaking of the
death of Philip, archbishop of Ravenna, (died in September-October
1270), whose last confession was heard by Friar Thomas in
Pistoia, he adds:
This Brother Thomas of Pavia was a holy, good, and very
learned man, who was lector in theology at Parma, Bologna,
and Ferrara for many years. He was in the Order of Friars
Minor for many, many years, a wise man of sound counsel.
He was a cheerful, friendly man, humble, blessed, and devoted
to God, and he was a pleasing and fruitful preacher. He
was Provincial Minister in Tuscany for many years. He wrote
a lengthy chronicle, for he knew many things and he was
very facile in writing. He also compiled a collection of
sermons. Moreover, he wrote a wide-ranging theological work,
which he entitled the Ox because of its magnitude.
As Minister, he did a good job of reforming the province
of Tuscany. He was a very good friend of mine, for I lived
with him for many years in the convent at Ferrara.
From this text it is clear
that, apart from the birthplace of Friar Thomas being Pavia,
that is, the old town of Ticinum in Lombardy, he was:
a. a theologian, not of
any kind but sufficiently eminent, who taught theology for
many years and wrote a large work on the subject;
b. an equally competent
historian, the author of the ample Chronicle;
c. a wise, discreet person
of sound judgment, who was rich and broad in ideas. All
of this is true of the author of the Dialogue, who
proves himself to be a theologian and historian, loquacious
and diffuse, but most prudent and showing right judgment.
A closer examination of
his Chronicle reveals many other details about his
life. He spent his childhood in Pavia:
‘What has been said up till now comes from the seniors of
the area as I heard in Pavia while I was still a boy.’ If
full faith can be put on his information about the earthquake
in 1222,
he was perhaps no more than fifteen years of age when Pope
Gregory IX was elected (19 March 1227). He was received
into the Order of Minors in 1229, he witnessed in Padua
the events at the time of the funeral of St Anthony, which
he could record as an eye witness.
In 1245, about the time when he wrote the Dialogue,
he was present at the council of Lyons as a companion to
Friar Bonaventuure de Iseo, Vicar to Cresentius, the Minister
General.
Later he travelled widely. He was in Romania in 1255 ‘when
it rained ash … as I saw with my own eyes’;
in Dalmatia where it seems he envied Salonae and Spatalus;
in Illyria where he saw the beginning of the walls built
by the Romans to keep out the barbarians;
Prague, where he read a history of the Bohemians;
Cologne, where he saw the tomb of the three great kings;
in the Monastery of St Maurice, or Agaunense, where he heard
much of the actions of the Burgundians.
As Minster Provincial of
Tuscany, which he ruled ‘for many years’ according to Salimbene,
that is, ‘from 1258 to 1270’ according to N. Papini,
he was present at the General Chapter held in Paris in 1266;
there he learnt much of Charles I, King of Sicily,
and perhaps also what he reports of Christianus, a canon
of Belvacensis,
a significant Bachelor of Theology, who was one of the adversaries
of the Mendicants and who taught the error of Cerinthus
while reading the Sentences. As Minister of Tuscany he had
much to do with the Charles mentioned above,
and he stayed sometimes in his camp; because this familiarity
developed between them he willingly reported his outstanding
deeds.
The probable list of his
treatises is:
a. the Legend of St Anthony
which begins Assidua;
b. the Dialogue here
edited;
c. the theological work
entitled the Ox;
d. a treatise of sermons;
e. the Chronica imperatorum
et pontificum.
Friar Thomas was then noteworthy
among the Friars of his time for his culture, doctrine and
the offices which he held, and worthy to be numbered among
those who have added lustre to the Order of Minors. He died
between 1280 and 25 June 1284 after which day Friar Salimbene
preached his eulogy.
11. ON THE MANUSCRIPT TRADITION OF THE DIALOGUE
The text of the new edition
of the Dialogue is based on the only known codex.
In fact, almost as soon as it was discovered in the Vatican
Library, there came a report that Dr Paul Sabatier had found
another. Fr Lemmens said:
‘The eminent Sabatier has informed us that he has found
another copy of the Dialogue’, and L. de Kerval
repeated this; but Fr Van Ortroy cast doubts on it.
However, P. Sabatier, when consulted by letter after the
text had been published, responded courteously saying that
in 1902 he had indeed seen another copy but he had not paid
much attention to it as it concerned a text newly edited,
and now he does not know where the codex is.
Codex 547 of the Museum
of Borgo now in the Vatican Library, is the text, as I have
said, which previously was in the Library of the Sacred
Convent of Assisi, as is clear from the inventory for the
year 1381.
The codex is described by Fr Lemmens as follows:
‘It is a codex of parchment (175 by 130 cm, fol. 152), written
in Italy about 1500 in the style used in books meant for
public use, by a scribe with but little skill in the Latin
language so there are many and irreparable mistakes in the
text’. There are hardly any corrections in the text. The
text and rubrics have been written by the same person. Other
hands have added in the higher margins the headings of divisions,
as: On blessed Anthony of Padua, On blessed Benevenutus
who is buried in Corneto, etc., as well as some biblical
references; much later hands have added on the first folio
the title which was lacking: A dialogue on holy Friars
Minor, and the marginal rubrics: On blessed Herman
from Foligno, and buried in Barulum.
From the lack of skill of
the scribe there are many and indeed most serious mistakes,
as will be clear to any reader, and these occur especially
in the sections concerned with doctrine so that at times
corrections are most difficult. There is sometimes such
obscurity coming from the omission of words or the
complex construction of phrases, that to determine the meaning
demands excessive effort. This difficulty cannot be overcome
without the help of at least one other copy of the work;
since this is not to be had, the kind reader will have to
excuse the imperfection of the work here offered.
12. THE PLAN OF THE PRESENT EDITION
1. I wanted to edit a complete
text, that is, with its historical and doctrinal passages
as they are found in the Roman codex.
2. I have changed the punctuation
and orthography according to modern conventions; I have
done this with the proper names, when known, otherwise they
remain as they are in the codex.
3. More than once the author
himself or the scribe has used an Italian form which I have
been careful to note where it occurs.
4. Errors not due to a question
only of orthography are corrected but with a note added.
5. For corrections I have
relied first of all on the context of the words; sometimes,
by studying the writing it was possible to discover how
the scribe had erred by not understanding or copying imperfectly
the paleographic signs or abbreviations: in such cases I
have used what is called a critical conjecture; otherwise,
and especially at the end of sections, it was helpful to
apply the rules of the curial style, which the author set
himself to follow strictly.
6. I have set myself to
keep these rules before me, as a whole and singly, especially
whenever it was necessary to supply a missing word: that
this has been done successfully on many occasions is abundantly
proven in the notes placed at the bottom of the pages.
7. Two kinds of notes often
occur at the bottom of the pages. Those using numbers refer
to quotations of the Bible, the Fathers, or matters relating
to history; those indicated by the letters a,
b, c, d, e, f, g,
refer to variations and corrections in the codex (= C) or
in the first edition of Fr Lemmens (= L); when om.
is added it indicates that a word had been omitted.
The text which up till now
few have read is available for anyone to go through. It
is certainly not of the weight and value first hoped for.
However, it was composed with a pious zeal and written with
a certain art, and merits to be regarded as one of the primary
sources of Franciscan history, to
be placed immediately after the early lives of St Francis
and those of St Anthony; compared to the Lives of
the Friars, written by Friar Gerard of Fracheto O.P.
which preceded it, it seems to be superior in method, sobriety
and authority.
I must not omit to thank
the dear Friars of the College of St Bonaventure who have
assisted me in various ways in preparing this edition.
Fr. Ferdinand M. Delorme,
O.F.M.
Quaracchi, 16 November 1922
A DIALOGUE
ON THE DEEDS OF SOME HOLY FRIARS MINOR
Prologue
In the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
To commend from a pious
zeal the deeds of the venerable fathers and the memory of
the worthy titles of the ancients normally brings much fruit
to the posterity of the faithful: firstly, so that the
Fashioner of all things [Wis 7:22] and the most high
Worker who is wonderful in his saints [Ps 67:36 DRB;
68:35 NRSV] is proclaimed; another fruit is that the weak
faith of small ones might be provoked by an experience of
virtues to abandon the drink of an earlier age and, using
the image of a more perfect life, be strengthened to eat
more solid food [see I Cor 33:1-2]; lastly, so that the
praiseworthy life of deceased fathers, attested by the wonders
of signs, might disperse heretical errors which try to darken
the rays of recognized truth with a cloud of darkness, and
might promote the unity of the Catholic faith, or certainly
might melt away what is locked in the confines of perfidious
blindness caught in the harmful bite of gaping envy.
Thereby, although I be an
unworthy servant of Christ [Lk 17:10], to the glory
and praise of the divine majesty, in obedience to the command
of the reverend Father Minister General, namely, Friar Crescentius,
and so that the pious devotion of the Friars might have,
in summary style, a list of the deeds and wonderful works
of virtue which in certain holy Friars of our Order in diverse
parts of the world the almighty power of the Creator deigned
to show, I am happy to establish the truth of these deeds
and to give a short, succinct report which might inspire
contemporary Friars to sentiments of divine praise and to
come to admire them all the more from a devout and closer
study. However, I have not set down in the present text
each single virtue of all those spread throughout almost
the whole world, but those especially which are approved
either by scrutineers acting on the command of the Pope,
delegated by the Apostolic See, and which are kept in a
faithful record based on a diligent examination of witnesses
and noted by public authority, or by Friars of our Order
who are still living and who have confirmed them for me
by their testimony. It is my intention moreover in the beginning
of each section of the proposed work to set out in summary
form as a type of preface some few facts about their life
and character in order that the declared evidence of perfection,
the example of virtue, might invite others to imitate them
and that the signs of faith which are known to be given
not for believers but for unbelievers [1 Cor 14:22]
might support the proven sincerity of life.
To lessen annoyance for
a fastidious reader and to bring a richer pleasure in hearing
to religious ears, we propose to have two Friars speaking
to one another in the form of a dialogue, one the speaker,
the other the listener. The purpose of this is that should
the truth of the deeds related cause any surprise or doubt
in the ears of the weak, in reply to a question of the listener
it can be shown to be in accord with the laws of sacred
Scripture that nothing is difficult to the all powerful
Creator, and that pious faith may become capable of the
discipline of divine grace.
*
Speaker.
Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and varied
ways by the prophets of the power of his great
majesty and the riches of his glory but in our
days [Heb 1:1-2; Rom 9:22-23], anxious to stir up the
sleep of dozing faith and after the wonders of bygone fathers,
God made a remembrance of their wonderful
works, renewed the signs and powerfully changed
what is to be admired [Ps 110:4 DRB; 111:5 NRSV]. Certain
persons of our time clothed like us in mortal flesh, while
others already taken to the place of happiness, have been
made to shine with unheard of miracles. What does the most
powerful hand of the Redeemer cause by this in the hearts
of the predestined, other than to strengthen and feed them
by a wonderful extension of present signs of the hope of
future things promised to the faithful? For to be sure,
although faith is the assurance of things hoped for,
it may become blind and empty of merits when it is based
on arguments of plausible words of wisdom [Heb 11:1; I Cor
2:4], or when it is more satisfied with signs provoked by
human effort than in the written truth once and for all
entrusted to us [Jude 3]; however, in this the providence
of divine clemency nourishes the weakness of an ageing faith
in little ones, according to a firm edict of an evangelical
promise by which the same power and grace of virtues preserve
faith in the stronger members of the church until the end
of time.
Listener.
Often, I confess, I regard by a high contemplation of mind
the glorious fathers of the new and old Testaments, whose
deeds antiquity transmits to us through Scripture, and while
I am deficient in the admiration of their virtues, I do
see in a certain way the traces of divine majesty in their
actions and power of words. But I would have you, dearest
brother, tell me something, even briefly, of the virtues
and miracles of the Friars of our Order. I ask this so as
to build up for those here present and to increase for the
future the tender faith of the reborn, so that having heard
the wonders of their way of life, I may acknowledge how
much perfection I lack, and so that I may aspire to imitate
their faith and virtue according to the limits of my ability.
Speaker.
Brother, I do not want you to delay me with questions about
the character and life of our most blessed father Francis
since I want to hurry on to other things. His life and the
works he did while living with us in the flesh, but also
those which he does not cease to do while now reigning with
Christ, can now be read as they are described by another
Friar with sufficient accuracy and care; although indeed
many of the miracles of the said father were hidden from
this writer, either because news of them could not reach
him due to the distance of the regions, or because he hid
them in accord with his style due to the exceedingly long
list already in existence, but in the meantime they are
known to us as to people who have examined them. We begin
by speaking of the Friars of whose deeds, although inferior
in the level of authority, a celebrated fame has spread;
what I relate is wonderful and greatly to be revered by
pious ears.
I
OF BLESSED ANTHONY OF PADUA
Listener.
If you are able, I wish to hear about the deeds and miracles
of the famous saint who is our brother Anthony.
Speaker.
Of what you ask, brother, I know many things from personal
observation, but I recall many others from having heard
of them from witnesses worthy of trust; I will restrict
what I say to some few of them for the sake of brevity,
provided you, as you assert, prove to be an attentive listener.
Listener.
Do not, I ask, keep me waiting for the beginning of your
word; my spirit is ready and strongly desires to hear what
you have to say.
Speaker.
This blessed Anthony of whom you ask was a native of Spain,
a citizen of the city of Lisbon where he was born into a
noble family. Almost from earliest childhood he adorned
his life with actions which were a sign of things to come.
He began the study of the liberal arts but, while still
young, felt himself urged strongly, more than was usual,
towards what is unlawful. The feelings of corruption increased
in his flesh, but going beyond the urgings of youth and
pleasure, he left aside the study of letters and went to
an Augustinian monastery near the same city where with humble
devotion he took the habit of a canon regular.
There, during a stay of
almost two years, the apprentice of Christ tolerated an
unwanted frequent contact with friends and family which
serves to enervate the strength of souls as a temptation;
he decided to leave his birthplace and happily transferred
to the community of the Holy Cross in Coimbra. But because,
as a Saint testifies,
what proves to be praiseworthy is not just staying in Jerusalem
but living rightly there, he took care to adjust himself
to regular discipline so that it could be seen he was concerned
not with the place but with a complete transformation of
his life. He occupied his mind always with a more than mediocre
study of sacred Scripture; nor did he cease at fitting times
of day and night from conversations with God. He stored
carefully in a strong memory what he had read, so that in
a short space of time he managed to abound in a wonderful
knowledge of all Scripture.
While, as we have said,
these things were happening, a man born of a royal family,
by name Petrus Infans, when the remains of some Friars of
our Order were carried from Morocco, was wonderfully cured
by the merits of these Friars; he later preached with great
fame through the whole of Spain. When this reached the ears
of Anthony, he immediately felt a zeal for martyrdom and
desired with all his strength to join the Order of Friars
Minor; he commended this desire of his heart to Christ with
frequent prayers and fasting. One day, some Friars Minor
who were staying in a neigbouring religious house came,
as was their custom, to ask for alms; the Friars assured
Anthony he would be sent to the land of the Saracens, and
they clothed him in the habit of St Francis, hardly delaying
to have the permission of the superior.
He, strong in his love of
martyrdom, was sent by the Friars to Morocco, but the supreme
Master had greater plans for him; he was struck by a severe
fever and forced, although unwilling, to return to the land
of his birth. When he took ship, intending to return to
Spain, his purpose was frustrated by God as strong winds
drove the ship to Sicily.
Listener.
I wonder greatly at what you say, namely, that the Omnipotent,
who knows the heart [Sir 7:5 DRB] and, as one who
is true and most benign, inspires the heart to such perfection,
would not only allow him to be frustrated in his joyful
seeking of martyrdom, but also send him abroad to unknown
peoples and lands.
Why God allowed Anthony
to be frustrated in martyrdom
Speaker.
If we were to discuss diligently the deeds of the Doctor
of the Gentiles we would find that what you say is causing
you to wonder is not a matter for wonder. Paul stated that
the brothers told him bands and afflictions wait for
him at Jerusalem [Acts 20:23 DRB], but he, firm in
the zeal of faith, set himself to go there to be crucified;
the Lord arranged that he was not able to find the glory
of martyrdom which he then sought, but instead he came by
land and after being shipwrecked reached the limits of the
Roman world. In this way God, the moderator of his will
and actions, accepted the holocaust of his pious intention
as a fragrant offering [Eph 5:2] and the offering
of an obedient spirit. That Paul’s life proved more useful
to the public life of his city is shown by the spreading
of his purpose and vows: he was busy before the tribunal
of Caesar as a most strong athlete for the defence of the
faith; he taught by word in a few parts of the world, and
how much this benefited the Church was confirmed by his
subsequent work; new seedbeds of his preaching were cultivated
by his healing warnings and letters, so necessary to those
young in the faith. Accordingly, writing to the Philippians
of himself, after knowing the will of God more clearly,
he said: I am hard pressed between the two: my desire
is to depart and to be with Christ, for that is far better;
but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you
[Phil 1:23]. Without a doubt, God discerned with righteousness
the decisions of holy Anthony and suspended his intention
for the benefit of others so as to sow for the future more
abundant fruit; his life in parts of Italy was to prove
more useful to the children of holy mother Church than had
he shed his blood for the faith in the land of the more
obstinate Gentiles.
Listener.
I see it is too dangerous for the unlearned and ignorant
to discuss the abyss of divine judgment; such people can
discern only the exterior actions and words observable by
the human senses, and do not examine the merits of the causes
with necessary weight. But because I see you have responded
to my doubt with a clear argument, I ask you to go on with
the story of the facts about this great person, not hiding
from me how afterwards his life proved useful to the Church
of Christ.
Speaker. At
the very time when, as we have said, the holy man arrived
in parts of Sicily, a General Chapter of the Order was to
be celebrated in Assisi. As was the custom, Anthony came
to the Chapter with other Friars and was appointed by the
Minister General to the province of Romagna. There, in the
place called Mons-Pauli, he subjected his flesh to the service
of the spirit, lived a solitary life for a long time, ate
bread by measure and also drank water by measure
[Ezek 4:16]; he curbed the jaw of his flesh with bit
and bridle [Ps 32:9], so that often when he wanted to
return to the other Friars at the sound of the bell, he
was unable to do so except when supported by the hands of
the Friars.
A careful devotee
of humility, he tried so much to curb the haughtiness of
arrogance, that while he had assiduously committed to memory
the books available to him, and was rich in the grace of
mystical eloquence, the Friars thought him to be more competent
in washing the kitchen utensils than in expounding the mysteries
of sacred Scripture. Nor did the Friars think he had any
knowledge of the divine Scriptures, for they held to an
opinion with confidence even when it rested on a single
observation, and rarely, except when necessity demanded
it, had they heard him speak of study. Finally, however,
the Lord so arranged matters that the Friars learnt of the
knowledge of the man of God, whom God ordered to be placed
on the lampstand as the light of grace [Mt
5:15], destined to evanglize as a devotee of the desert
the glory of God’s name [Ps 79:9].
Having taken on
the work of an evangelist he so effectively showed himself
to be a faithful and prudent servant [2 Tim 4:5;
Lk 12:42], totally denying rest to his body, that he passed
through cities, villages and hamlets, convincing
unbelievers, encouraging the pious, rebuking
the lazy [2 Tim 4:2], and all of this so effectively
and fervently that he gave suitable advice on doctrine to
all. He showed no partiality to persons [Rom 2:11]
sought no human favour or popularity, but according to the
word of the prophet, like a threshing sledge, sharp,
new and having teeth, with the ploughshare of his preaching
he threshed the mountains and made the hills,
that is, people of a lower status, like chaff [Isa
41:15].
Nor do I think it
should be passed over in silence that, when he preached
his first course of sermons in the city of Rimini, a heretic
by the name of Bonelli converted to the way of faith by
following Christ. In fact he brought out with fluent eloquence
so much from the hidden depths of Scripture, that the Vicar
of Christ gave him a title of special grace, namely, ‘the
ark of the testament of the covenant’.
Because it would require
much time to tell all his wonderful virtues and the many
provinces and parts of the world in which he sowed the word
of God, I will turn, writing in summary form, to the last
deeds of his life which indicate clearly the more evident
signs of his virtues.
At the time of the General
Chapter in which the relics of blessed father Francis were
transferred into Assisi, accepting from the Minister General
of the Order a general freedom to preach, he came, with
Christ leading the way, to the city of Padua. Discerning
during the season of Lent that the time was right to concentrate
on opening the door for the word [Col 4:3] and the
ministry of the word, for forty continuous days he proclaimed
to the people repentance for the remission of sins
[Mk 1:4]. He was burdened with a certain natural corpulence
and suffered continual sickness from his tireless zeal for
souls by preaching, teaching, hearing confessions from dawn
till evening; yet all this time he weakened himself by fasting.
The enemy of the human race,
jealous of virtue, is bent on preventing good actions and,
at the beginning of the Lent just mentioned, tried to divert
the servant of God from the way of salvation. On a certain
night while Anthony was sleeping the devil tried to suffocate
him by choking his throat. But Anthony, having called for
help on the glorious Virgin, the Mother of God, by name,
made the sign of the cross on his forehead; when he opened
his eyes wanting to catch sight of the one hastening away,
behold the whole cell in which he lay was lit up with a
heavenly light. We hold for certain that the light in the
cell of the man of God came from the divine authority, so
that from the presence of the infused light of Christ the
servant might recognize the one who would give him a high
gift, while the one who cultivates the rays of darkness
went away confused and afraid, unable to bear the light.
Listener.
It is clear that zealous souls to some extent are disturbed
by reprobate spirits; these spirits try to divert people
of virtue who long for spiritual benefits from their striving
for salvation; to this end they use the whole skill of their
malice to try and block by skilful schemes the souls of
believers redeemed by the blood of Christ, lest believers
come to their senses.
Spiritual persons are
tempted in two ways to cease doing good
Speaker.
Know that evil spirits often prepare obstacles in two ways
harmful to the good of souls, so as not to let these souls,
acting from a good intention, do anything of benefit for
their neighbours.
Firstly, by transforming
themselves into an angel of light [2 Cor 11:14] they
lead them away from some good work already started, under
the guise of a better good, so that they are cut off by
a vain distraction from what they intended, and do not pay
attention effectively to the good intended. The leaders
of the Jews, when they insulted the Lord on the cross, are
examples of this. While the Son of God was hanging on the
cross for the salvation of the world, they invited him to
get down off the cross in accord with the promise: He
is the King of Israel; let him come down from the cross
now, and we will believe in him [Mt 27:42]. As if they
were of the mind that Christ would do something greater
for the conversion of the Jewish people, whom he had come
to redeem, were he to come down from the cross alive, than
if by dying he were to gather under his arms spread out
on the cross, a multitude of people as a hen gathers
her brood under her wings [Mt 23:37]. While they were
persuading him in this way and he would in no way leave
the cross, we believe that our priest and host, Jesus Christ,
could not yield until the evening sacrifice [Ps 141:2]
was completed; Christ would not undervalue the price of
his blood shed for the redemption of all and accepted, by
the mercy of God, as the necessary payment.
Secondly, not under the
guise of virtue, but by an open dishonesty of evil, the
apostate spirits show the malice of their virus. They do
this now by threats, now by terror, and often God allows
them to afflict the just by bodily scourges, so that the
just might turn aside from the journey to perfection they
have undertaken or from the horror of persecution. Nevertheless,
holy people despise by an excellent way of thinking the
forces of evil spirits moving against them: the more strongly
they hold off the arrows of the enemy with the shield of
patience, the more powerfully do they make an end of the
plan attempted by the enemy and adapted to their glory.
This is the war waged against
the children of the captivity who were rebuilding the walls
of Jerusalem. Their enemies surrounded them with threats
and terrors aimed at making them stop the work begun; they
could get no rest from the persecutions. But, as it is written:
each laboured on the work with one hand and with the
other held a weapon [Neh 4:17], so that they might overcome
powerfully with the sword of the Spirit the imminent war
and complete with the desired success the building of the
walls of the city.
Listener.
I agree completely with what you say because the servants
of God have much need of prudence in the discernment
of spirits [1 Cor 12:10], lest they be cut off from
a good work by a kind of false virtue or give up their way
of life to the spears of temptations before completing the
work. But I ask you to return to the story you had started.
Speaker.
As I recall, I said that after the name of holy Anthony
became known to the people of Padua, because the watercourses
are dried up [Joel 1:20], they came from everywhere
in large numbers to hear his word. They came from the cities,
castles and villages around Padua, a large multitude of
people of every age, sex and station, all of them thirsting
devoutly for the word of life and confirming their salvation
by a most sure faith in the power of his doctrine. They
rose in the middle of the night, trying by various routes
to arrive first, and, carrying lighted torches, they hurried
most earnestly to the place where he was to preach. He restored
peace and unity to all in conflict, gave freedom to captives,
refunded by due restitution what had been gained from another
by usury and violence, to the extent that they laid
at his feet [Acts 4:35] the money from fields and
homes taken as payment to richer people, and, as has been
said, they restored with a prayer or the price whatever
had been plundered. Also, by salutary warnings he restrained
from shameful actions prostitutes well known for their dishonour
of shame; he converted effectively to penance famous robbers,
arsonists, thieves or those corrupted by any kind of evil.
He sent such a large number of both sexes to confess their
sins to priests, that neither our Friars nor other priests,
who frequently accompanied him, were able to hear them.
Many coming to penance assert they were moved by a divine
vision; after his death others came secretly to our Friars
testifying that while they slept he appeared to them; the
Friars to whom this information was given are known by name.
Listener.
I would like to know, if you can tell me, whether such a
great person knew beforehand the time of his death, or what
did the Lord deign to show him of future events.
Speaker.
I do not think the day of his death was hidden from the
confessor; but I think he kept it secret so that the Friars
would not be desolated by news of his death, the imminent
corruption of his body. On the fifteenth day before he was
freed from the burden of his flesh, when he was on a certain
hill from which he could see the lovely plain of the city
of Padua, he turned to the Friar who was his companion on
the journey and spoke with high praise of the situation
of the city and foretold that it would soon be honoured
with a great honour. What honour, indeed, to Padua were
the merits of his holiness, by which it was to be made famous
through its association with him; we see it adorned by his
merits with marvellous and singular praise. In the year
1231 from the Incarnation of the Lord, in the fourth indiction,
on Friday 13 June, blessed Anthony in the city of Padua
in which the Almighty increased the glory of its name through
him, in Celle, a residence of the Friars, he went happily
the way of all flesh to enter the dwelling of the blessed
spirits.
When he went at a
certain time to have some quiet in Celle, of which we have
just spoken, the hand of the Lord was heavy upon
him [1 Sam 5:6], and as the weakness of his body increased
he showed many times by his gestures a kind of anxiety.
When he had rested a little, he made his confession and
received absolution, and then, rejoicing in spirit, began
to sing loudly a hymn to the glorious Virgin, saying:
O glorious Lady,
Raised above the stars.
And immediately with his
eyes turned towards the heavens, he looked for a longer
time upwards. When asked by one of the Friars assisting
him what he saw, he replied: ‘I see the Lord Jesus Christ’.
When the attending Friars
saw the end was close, they decided to give the servant
of God the sacred anointing with oil. When, as was customary,
the priest approached him for the sacred anointing, holy
Anthony looked at him and said: ‘There is no great need
for you to do this for me: I have this anointing within
me; however, I am happy with this and well pleased’.
With hands joined, he sang
with the Friars almost to the end of the penitential psalms.
And while for almost half an hour he continued to hold on
to the spirit, his most holy soul, drawn out of the prison
of his flesh, was absorbed in the abyss of brightness. The
body of the one who had fallen asleep was completely unusual;
when he was still alive the limbs of his body showed a natural
pallor, but after his death they showed to those looking
at him the white glory of the future resurrection.
Listener.
These are wonderful things indeed, but I think they were
done by a special grace of the divine pity so that the one
who found joy on earth in nothing other that Jesus Christ
and him crucified [1 Cor 2:2], as death came closer,
might see by a bodily presence, as if it were a reward,
that the very goal of his desire was already secure. I confess,
this causes in me sentiments of deeper admiration. I see
why the merciful Lord, the kind protector of the labourers
who had the strenuous task of caring for the special vines
in the vineyard [Mt 20:1; 25:22] which the Lord had
planted, when they had doubled the talent given to them
by an effort of supererogation, the Lord drew them away
quickly from the present evil age [Gal 1:4] and in
no way allowed what was due to them to be taken away.
Why some just persons die
younger than others
Speaker.
Often divine mysteries are hidden nor can anyone, as Wisdom
testifies, learn the counsel of God [Wis 9:13].
We can conclude, however, on the authority of sacred Scripture,
that for different reasons holy people are sometimes mercifully
freed from the present unhappy condition. It often happens
that the souls of some of the elect, caught as they are
in the corruption of the flesh, feel an inclination toward
what is wrong. This can happen when they produce by a wrong
law in the limbs feelings hostile to the law of the Spirit,
or when an inclination of this deadly force serves what
is wrong from some attraction of crime to what is illicit.
Certainly, the prophet wished such things to be cleansed
in a just person when he said: Clear me from my hidden
faults. Keep back your servant also from the insolent
[Ps 19:12-13]. Nevertheless the merciful God often hears
the desire of the elect, when God takes them out the world
giving them rest from their labours in the glory of the
children of God [Rom 8:21]. The book of Wisdom says
of the just person: They were caught up so that evil
might not change their understanding or guile deceive their
souls [Wis 4:11].
Often the kind Redeemer
puts the life of certain perfect people as a model before
the eyes of sinners, so that by an increase in virtues they
might become like interior persons, or they might be inspired
to wipe away by tears of penance and exercises of piety
the blemishes resulting from evil actions. When it is clear
that the wicked and those obdurate in malice cannot be drawn
to amend their lives, the Lord sometimes decides justly
that the perfect ones be taken from the world to the dwellings
of the heavenly citizens. Paul says among other things in
praise of the faith of the ancestors: Destitute, persecuted,
tormented, of whom the world was not worthy [Heb 11:37-38].
Because the world rejects the life of the saints as a model
in life and actions, it shows itself to be unworthy to join
such company.
Sometimes, however, when
the enemy has been overcome and the span of this life is
complete, the bounds of which they cannot pass
[Job 14:5], the servants of God shall be admitted carrying
sheaves of justice with shouts of joy [Ps 126:6;
Mt 25:21], so that they might rejoice in never ending glory
due to the dignity of their virtues; in the time of their
pilgrimage they served God well with the perseverance of
faithful subjects. It was said to the angel of Sardis about
some perfect persons: Yet you have still a few persons
in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes; they will walk
with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy [Rev
3:4]. Those adorned with cleanness of life as they enter
the exile of this death are rightly covered with the white
stole of their immortality in the eternal happiness of purity.
Listener.
I ask you to open for me what you know of the miracles and
virtues of this saint, so as to condescend usefully to my
devotion as you had begun to do.
Speaker.
I have kept silent for the
sake of brevity about many and indeed great signs of holiness
of the man of God whose fame has been carried far and wide.
I put forward for the information of all in a surer style
those things especially which shone forth after his transfer
to the area of Padua, leaving out others. As is customary,
the examination of these wonders was committed by the Holy
See to the venerable bishop of the city and to the Priors
of the Friars Preachers and of St Benedict. The process
was completed with such maturity and juridical method that
the reports received from those enquiring so subtly into
the trustworthiness of signs, persons and the circumstances
of the facts were confirmed by oath; each fact was studiously
supported by evidence of what had been seen, heard, of times
and places, or any other circumstance requiring the testimony
of witnesses, and, destined for the reverence of the Apostolic
See, they were handed on by public authority as a testimony
of truth.
1.
On the day when the body of blessed Anthony was placed in
the church of the holy Mother of God with worthy praises
and due honour, a certain woman, by name Cuniza, who was
horribly bent, came to the place of burial supported by
wooden frames called splints; on her shoulder was a large
hump caused by a collections of fluids. She was so miserably
bent that she was unable to walk without the support of
the wooden splints. When she stayed for a little time before
the tomb of the saint, the hump disappeared before all who
were watching and, throwing away the splints, she returned
home.
2.
In the city of Padua, a certain woman, named Riccarda, was
known to almost all the citizens. For twenty years her legs
had been so withered and so deformed that a hard callous
joined her knees to her chest and her feet to her buttocks.
One day when she came, carried on a bench, to beg with other
poor people in memory of the holy father, she slept for
a short time weighed down by a deep lethargy, her head bent
to the ground. As she rested she heard a voice call out:
‘Thanks be to God, for she has been freed’. When the woman
woke she saw a girl, who had come as a hunchback but had
returned restored to health by the merits of the most holy
father. The woman rose so that she too might enter the place
of burial to seek a cure. When she approached the entrance
to the church, a seven year old boy went before her with
hands joined and invited her to enter saying: ‘Come, come,
in the name of the Lord because you will be set free’. Following
the footsteps of the boy, she dragged herself to the door
of the church, but when she was in the doorway the boy disappeared;
she, however, went on to the wall of the grave. While she
prayed, behold two egg-like globes broke between her thigh
and flank and a liquid ran out of the globes to come down
below her feet, and there was a noise heard by many like
a clapping of hands. Then her legs which had been dried
up for twenty years were extended before the eyes of all,
and as the skin softened the flesh grew back to its original
condition. Putting aside the bench on which she had been
carried, the woman returned home and walked with firm paces
through the center of the city to the amazement of the citizens
who knew her.
3.
A woman named Mary once followed the mares of her father
beside the river Brenz where she sat down under a walnut
tree. A black man came directly to her from the river and
taking her by the arms carried her quickly to another walnut
tree nearby. After carrying her, he wanted to force himself
upon her. When he threw her to the ground, he left her terribly
broken, her chest swollen, her knee broken, and the joint
of the hip pushed away from the hip so that she could return
home only with the help of her father. After remaining in
this broken condition for five years and more, she was taken
to the tomb of the most holy father Anthony, and by his
merits was restored to her former state of health. It seemed
to her, when she was being cured, that a hand had gently
come between the flesh and bone, and that the limbs previously
racked with such pain were soothed as if by a sweet anointing.
4.
Another woman named Gisla,
who had been bent over for eight years, her left leg dried
up and the sinews maimed, could not place the sole of her
foot on the ground. Her husband, by name Marchoaldus, carried
her on horseback and placed her before the tomb of the saint
to pray; immediately, lying prone in prayer she began to
be deeply distressed, to the extent that she was not able
to bear the excessive heat coming over her, her strength
deserted her, and she would restore her spirit by breathing
in cold air. Afterwards, when she begged for mercy before
the tomb of the saint, the woman felt the hand of a man
touching her womb and trying to lift her. She, anxious to
know whose hand had touched her, opened her eyes but could
see no one close to her. The woman understood then that
it was a divine help which she had felt, and there and then
she got up and, throwing her splints away, she departed
rejoicing with her husband.
5.
A girl named Agnes, with no strength in her whole body for
three years, suffered from the sickness called convulsions;
her intestines were restricted by excessive dryness, and
as soon as she ate, she immediately vomited the undigested
and hard food out of her mouth; the sickness developed to
the point that she could hardly swallow a drop of spittle
or anything soft. One day when she was brought and placed
on the tomb of the saint, she seemed close to death as she
was oppressed with extreme pain. When the pain which she
felt in her whole body had lessened a little, she said to
her mother who was close by that she was so hungry she would
be able to swallow a whole piece of bread. The joyful mother
brought her daughter home and straightaway gave her food
which she kept down.
6.
In Codigoro, a girl named Samaritana, in the company of
other girls entered the field of her father to collect vegetables,
but her knees were suddenly joined together, and she was
unable to return; carried by the others she returned to
her parental home. The sickness increased for three years
so that she was a sorry sight as she crawled on her hands
and drew herself along with her buttocks firmly on the ground.
One day coming to the tomb of the saint with her mother,
she made her confession and went as a suppliant to the coffin;
staying there for but a short time, she was restored to
her former health by the merits of the most holy father
and went home walking on her own feet. When news of this
came to the ears of the people of Codigoro, they sounded
the bells and went to meet her as she came; with the magnificence
of God made visible to the eyes of faith they praised God
with due reverence.
7.
Frederick, from the county of Concordia, once fell carelessly
from the church of Pulcignum and was then only able to go
forward or move himself about with splints on his damaged
limbs. Coming, however, to the tomb of the said father he
received back his former state of health after making a
vow; he then cast aside the splints and walking upright
returned to his home, to the wonder of all who had seen
him before.
8.
In the city of Venice there
was a woman named Caesaria who for two years and even more
had a withered hand and her left foot twisted diagonally;
when she heard of the miracles of the holy father she hastened
immediately to Padua. Unable to reach the tomb because of
the large number of people, she tried to touch the place
of the burial by stretching out her shin. When the people
around saw the anguish of the woman (for already she was
too weak to speak), they moved her from the tomb and placed
her beside the wall of the church to give her some quiet;
when she had been there for some time, she got up as her
tiredness lessened, and went away rejoicing and giving thanks
to God for the regained health of her hand and foot.
9.
Prosdoxima, wife of Mainerius from Noventa Padovana, whose
hand and both feet were withered, was carried in a shallow
frame to the tomb of the blessed father. When she was lifted
onto the tomb, her feet were straightened and she regained
their full use as all could see. Trembling she began to
open her hand a little, she held her hand out so that the
guards of the tomb noticed her carefully as she closed and
opened it again.
10.
Margaret, a citizen of Padua, while sleeping soundly one
night, felt that she had fallen from a height to the earth.
On waking, the woman found her neck twisted, her left hand
and one foot also bent, so that as she stretched out her
heel she could hardly touch the ground with the tips of
her toes. But when one day she was placed on the tomb of
the holy father, her head with the neck straightened returned
to its proper position and, with health restored to her
hand and foot, she got down cured through the merits of
the same father.
Listener.
My admiration is aroused by the tenor of your story for
two reasons, namely, how signs of such great virtues were
completed by such a quick and sudden manifestation of events,
and why some needing healing bore such bitter suffering,
as you relate.
On the nature of a miracle
and why some sick suffer such pain
Speaker.
The events we have related
are certainly great, inscrutable and wonderful if judged
only from what can be seen by the eyes. But if we look into
them with the subtler keenness of the mind, we know they
can be controlled exactly as the Creator who is over all
may wish; we know also that nothing can be difficult to
the creative power when it wishes to do something, nor will
the faculty to obey be lacking in nature when it is so desired
by the One above nature. By an absolute majesty of power,
God always and everywhere can do whatever God may want,
even though it may seem to be difficult when outside the
normal course of nature; however, the dispensation of grace
given by God
knows no restraining difficulty, provided there be no resistance
in the subject to whom the gifts of God’s goodness are given
in mercy. It has to be noted carefully that not everything
which is regarded by people as marvelous is judged by scientists
to be the work of a miraculous power. There is no small
difference in the concept of a miracle which is a dispensation
from the ordinary pattern inherent in things from the beginning,
that is, the ordinary course of nature, and something which
is above or even outside nature. For what, as we have said,
is in accord with the ordinary nature of something, the
ordinary course of nature, is not properly to be called
a miracle, wonderful or a wonder. However, those things
done with the permission of God but which are contrary to
the ordinary course of nature, for example, to bring the
dead to life, to give sight to the blind and such things,
these rightly are given the name of miracle; by a superior
power they bring back a state or faculty which persons,
once deprived of them, could never recover by themselves.
Things can be listed as above nature when nature obedient
to the Creator is raised beyond its capabilities so that
it extends the limits of its capability in a way greatly
distant from it by nature: such a wonder, not a miracle,
is the work of the Incarnation, because it perfects not
by a contrary course but by raising the nature benefited.
Those things can be said to be outside nature, which, although
hidden from the bodily senses, do have some foundation and
order in nature. That the magicians of Pharaoh turned their
staffs into snakes [Ex 7:12]
was not, according to the opinion of a Saint, a miracle
or a wonder, but a certain curiosity, something unknown
to the audience; they brought forth, God allowing, powers
hiding in the elements of the world and mastered by the
ministry of demons. Leaving aside the Incarnation, it is
often seen that, by the ministry of magicians and demons,
in accord with the order of nature, hidden powers come together,
given the right circumstances of time, according to their
own ways and purposes and something living is shown to the
senses.
You asked in the last part
of your question why some persons endured such suffering
to be cured. This is necessary for them either because of
a lack of faith or for the wrong of a prior guilt for which
they have not been fully punished; these may then be expiated
more effectively by other bodily punishments, which, as
I have said, a sluggish faith or the guilt of a crime committed
or both together at the same time show that they are less
ready to receive grace. So that what we have said may be
seen in the clearer light of discussion, we put forward
two people who were cured in the Gospels by the power of
our Redeemer. Of the blind person, as Mark says, to whom
Jesus gave sight with the use of spittle, the evangelist
adds: Jesus asked him: Can you see anything?; he
replied: I can see people, but they are like trees walking;
and he added: Then Jesus laid his hands on him
and his sight was restored and he saw everything clearly
[Mk 8:23-25]. Why is it that after the use of spittle and
the first imposing of hands the blind person could not see
clearly, other than a clear indication that imperfect faith
was followed by an incomplete illumination of healing? Jesus
cannot be thought to have been less powerful in the first
imposition of hands than in the second; from the method
of the cure the heavenly master showed that, as the merit
of faith increases, there is a more suitable effect of perfect
freedom in the sacrament. Mark says of the deaf and dumb
person healed by the word of our Redeemer: Jesus said
to the father: If you are able! - All things can be done
for the one who believes; the father answered: I
believe, help my unbelief [Mk 9:22-29]. As if to say
clearly, I understand from your words, Lord, that to obtain
the grace of healing for my son faith is needed; I see faith
is less evident in the one asking, so, you who are merciful
in the abundance of your kindness, by my prayer increase
faith greatly with merits, so that as a consequence I may
be able more effectively to beg for what I ask. And then
is said: After crying out and convulsing him terribly,
it came out, and the boy was like a corpse. It is clear
that to cast someone out of a house requires a strength
of more power than to stop someone from entering a house
to do harm. Could not, therefore, the one who had the power
in his body to evict with force the deaf and dumb demon
from the possessed person, have prevented the departing
demon from convulsing the one languishing? But the bitterness
of the suffering in the body of the one to be cured taught
that the health, merited by the piety of faith, was held
back somewhat by a guilt of past sin yet to be expiated.
Listener.
I ask you again, if you remember, to continue as you had
begun to do and tell me something about the miracles of
the said holy father.
11.
A youth named Tridentinus, had a bone growing out from the
spine on his back, and for a space of five years as the
hump increased he went forward by holding his hands on the
knees. Supported by a splint he came to the tomb of the
saint. When his mother full of faith had him lifted up a
little onto the coffin, the hump diminished immediately
and he threw away the splint, got down and stood upright;
with his mother he returned home joyful and full of praise.
12.
A man by the name of Veridotus, crushed by an extreme sickness
from broken limbs, developed a hump, to the extent that
he could move only with his head almost touching the ground
and when held up by supporting splints. Brought by his mother
to the tomb of the holy father he began immediately to be
distressed with such pain that, with his whole body so enervated,
he sweated all over. However, the sweating lessened slightly
and in front of a large number of people the man stretched
out his limbs and, through the merits of the saint, the
hump became flat and immediately disappeared.
13.
In the town of Treviso a woman named Venetiana for more
than two years had a hump like bread on her chest; when
it was necessary for her to move, her head rested on her
knees. She came to the tomb of the holy father where for
three days she persevered in prayer to the saint. The health
she asked for was restored, the hump was made flat and her
head raised up; she went away thanking God and blessed Anthony.
14.
Solangna of Montagana, enervated for a year and one month,
made a vow to the most holy father that she would have herself
carried to his tomb to ask for healing. One night when she
was asleep in her bed, the bed shook with a clattering noise
like the stamping of a foot; frightened she got up and kept
watch. After a little while the frame of the bed was shaken
for a second time; as she signed herself with the sign of
the cross, the woman called out: “Who is touching the bed?’
She heard a voice say to her: ‘Sign yourself boldly’. She
said: ‘Who are you, Lord?’ he said: ‘I am Anthony’. The
woman cried out to him: ‘Saint Anthony, free me!’ He answered:
‘Look, you are healed’. In the morning the woman got up
healed and, through the merits of the saint straightaway
felt no burden; she remained healthy.
15.
Bartholomew from Piove di Sacco had been dumb from birth
and for fourteen years was uncoordinated in his whole body
because of paralysis. He came as a suppliant to the tomb
of the holy father because of a vow he had made. Full of
faith and devotion he persisted there in prayer; when the
bond of his tongue was loosened he praised God, and he who
came carried on the back of another man, went home on his
own feet.
16.
In the area of Ferrara a woman named Mary for four years
had to endure a continuous shaking of her head due to a
breakdown in her whole body. She came to the place of burial
of the holy father and remained there in devout prayer.
Suddenly her nerves began to coordinate and her head rested
from its usual shaking; before many people the woman got
up, stood still on her own feet and, restored to full health,
went home praising God.
17.
A man named Sconitus from Befiore whose feet were decayed
and swollen from a growth of knotted gout, came to the tomb
of the holy father carried on the back of a man. He went
to confession and accepted his penance from the Friar who
sent him away and he was carried to the tomb of the saint;
there, when he had prayed devoutly to the saint, he was
immediately healed and went back to the Friar to whom he
had confessed; the Friar wondered at the extreme suddenness
of the cure and made him walk here and there through the
cloister.
18.
Ermerina from Vicenza for five years had no strength in
her feet; when she had to move herself for some necessity
she moved her body back and forth with shaking movements.
She came to the tomb of the holy father, stretched herself
out in prayer, and immediately merited on that day to have
the health she wanted.
19.
Another woman, by name Bilia, weakened in her whole body
for three years, came in distress with trembling steps to
the coffin of the holy father. When she had persevered in
prayer daily before the tomb, she fell sick with fever and
a frightening shaking came upon her. Seeing this, the men
and women with her wept; but when she was carried outside
the door of the church she regained her breath a little,
the fever lessened and the shaking also stopped; with her
former health restored she went home with joy.
Listener.
From what I hear, the faithful worthily and, what is not
less, usefully ask for the help of the servants of God from
whose mediation such wonderful gifts of benefits are often
invoked.
How useful it is to pray
to the saints
Speaker.
Clearly, as you say, it is fruitful for us to lift
the eyes of our mind to the hills from where help
comes to us [Ps 121:1], but it is in no way enough for those
caring for our requests by their intercession to grant what
we ask for, without also giving an abundance of piety more
useful to the petitioners than they would ever think to
ask for. Often we ask the saints for something temporal,
for example, for children, heirs, even moderate atmospheric
temperature, fertility of fruits and often also for bodily
health. When the saints by their intercession obtain what
is suitable for us, or more often when what we had hoped
to get through them is denied to us as being harmful, they
add the grace of working well, often also offering forgiveness
of sins from the Lord. Certainly a sign that one asking,
by the merits of the one praying and of the one giving,
often receives more than is asked for, is indicated by Peter
and John [Acts 3:2-10]. When the lame man begged at the
gate of the temple called the Beautiful Gate so that he
might receive as an alms something in the hand,
Peter and John gave him a bodily alms above what he expected
and a spiritual health of faith which he had not requested.
What does the lame person represent other than a sinner
who, by imperfect faith and work, is cut off from the state
of virtue as if by the loss of both feet? Hence Elijah says
of some sinners: How long will you go limping with two
different opinions? [1 Kings 18:21]. These sinners wanted
to please the Lord and Baal in both faith and work, but
they gave to neither the required worship as if they were
lame in both feet. In the opinion of some people, the lame
person is well described as a paralytic, that is, a sinner
who, thinking himself to be too weak to take hold of what
is above, does not fear to delight harmfully in what is
below. But such a one, provided he regards the flesh of
his imperfection as a loss, immediately shows compunction
in tears, sees what is lacking in his vows, and prays as
a beggar to perfect or holy people. This is indicated in
the text: And he fixed his attention on them expecting
to receive something in the hand from them. Peter
correctly said to him: I have no silver or gold, but
what I have I give you. This is as if Peter had said
openly about the request: You ask for the benefits of a
temporal gift, which, because such is regarded as nothing
by the saints in comparison with a spiritual good, I give
you gifts more useful than what you ask for, and I do this
in the presence of all who are passing by: In the name
of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk. Here
one should note carefully that when prayers are to be answered
the name of the Saviour is suitably put first: Jesus Christ
is the origin and end of all grace and health. Stand
up, he said, and walk; as if, he would say openly
in words: Lift yourself up by a firm decision of the mind
from earthly and temporal gains to what is eternal, and
going forward walk by doing more that is required in good
works. So it is aptly added: And he took him by the right
hand and raised him up; and immediately his feet and ankles
were made strong. Often in the task of going forward
they see reluctance in those whom they moved forward by
their prayers and multiplied intercessions; they raise the
right hand as a hand held out in intercession to the heights
of virtues, and make firm by a strengthening gift the ankles
of thoughts and the feet of the works of perseverance.
Listener.
I admit I am pleased with what you have said above of the
intercessions of the saints by which you have brought out
more openly their concern towards us and how useful are
their gifts. Now, therefore, do not delay to go on with
what you began so that what remains you may be able, as
I desire, to tell quickly.
Speaker.
20. A certain Friar of our Order, by name Theodoric,
who had lost the sight in his left eye for two years, came
from the area of Puglia as a suppliant to the tomb of the
holy father Anthony. After he had stayed for some time with
the Friars in Padua, he begged earnestly for the grace of
healing before the tomb of the saint. Finally, with his
sight restored he returned, rejoicing and full of praise,
to the area from which he come.
21.
A German woman named Caroline, for seven years deprived
of the use of both eyes, came devoutly to the tomb of the
holy father, where for a short time she remained in prayer
before the coffin; with her sight restored by heaven she
returned home joyful and full of praise.
22.
A girl named Auriema, deprived for a year and a half of
sight in her eyes, was brought to the tomb of the holy father
seeking the grace of healing. When the cloth covering the
coffin was applied to her eyes, her eyelids opened through
the saint’s merits and immediately she received the light
she had longed for daily.
23.
Leonard from Corniglanum for three years was totally deprived
of sight in one eye and was becoming so blind in the other
that he could only distinguish people he knew or did not
know by the sound of their voices. He came to the tomb of
the reverend father to ask for the favour of regaining his
health; when he had spent a short time in prayer before
the coffin be went away with the use of both eyes restored.
24.
Flos de Gemma from Loreto had for seven years lost completely
the use of her left eye; she came to the coffin of the blessed
father Anthony, was given the sight she longed for and went
back home giving thanks to God with joy.
25.
A woman named Alexia had been deprived completely of the
use of both eyes for five years; she spent time daily at
the tomb of the man of God and through his merits she received
her sight.
26.
A certain Rollandus, whose family name was Bolgarus, had
been deaf for twenty years from an extremely grave and developing
sickness of his head; standing devoutly before the tomb
of the holy father his former health was restored and rejoicing
he returned home.
27.
Leonard of Venice for four years was totally deaf due to
a drying up of the fluids in his ears; one day when he came
in humble devotion to the tomb of the man of God, he regained
straightaway the desired hearing.
28.
Another beggar, named …. , who had been deaf for two years,
came to the place of the grave of holy Anthony to beg for
the favour of a return to health; when he persisted there
asking for mercy, he was restored to full health and went
away joyful and praising God.
29.
A woman with the name of Michelota had been dumb for eleven
years, unable to say anything at all; destitute, she was
languishing in the energies of her whole body. When she
heard from others of the wonders shown through the merits
of the holy father, she had herself brought to his tomb
to ask for health; when she lay before the coffin asking
with the utmost devotion for mercy, she was freed by the
merits of the same father and departed.
30.
A man from Cividale dei Friuli, sad over the loss of the
use of his tongue, came to the coffin of the most holy father
with the assistance of his mother. When he remained devoutly
before the tomb, he regained that day the lost use of speech.
31.
A citizen of Padua, named Peter, had a daughter named Paduana;
at the age of four she could not use her feet, but, crawling
like a serpent she moved by using her hands. People said
that she often rolled about suffering from epilepsy and
fell over. One day, however, when the holy father was still
alive and was traveling through the area, the saint met
her father who began to ask him to deign to bless the girl
whom he was carrying in his arms; because of his faith the
saint stopped and blessed her, then went away. When the
father of the girl returned home he forced her to walk here
and there through the house supported by a small frame;
she so improved in a short time, that she needed no support
nor from the time when the saint blessed her did she experience
any suffering from epilepsy.
32.
A boy named Simeon, shaken severely with the sufferings
of epilepsy, often pressed his face flat on the ground:
shaking so miserably he seemed completely like a dead person
from the harm done. Anxious for the health of her son, his
mother brought him to the tomb of the most holy father,
and after praying there returned home with her son not suffering
even the least symptom of the sickness.
33.
In Padua, a woman named Michelota, suffered from epilepsy
and from the strength of her sickness lost her sight so
that often she seemed close to death. Her mother brought
her to the tomb of the saint for the gift of a cure and,
when she was lifted up for a short time on to the coffin,
immediately she regained the use of her eyes, and from that
time never suffered from epilepsy.
Listener.
It is certainly clear that the following prophecy of Isaiah
applies not only to the times of the Apostles and the martyrs:
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears
of the deaf unstopped; then the lame shall leap like
a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy
[Isa 35:5-6].
On the power of miracles
given to the Church
Speaker.
The prophet showed that this prophecy pertains especially
to the fulness of time when the mystery of the incarnate
Word effected the salvation of the world, for the prophet
said immediately before the prophecy you quote: He will
come and save you [Isa 35:4]. However, Jesus Christ,
the mediator of God and people, on the evidence of the Gospel,
promised the same power to the posterity of believers:
Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will
also do the works that I do [Jn 14:12]. It is clear
that not only to the beginnings of the infant early mother
Church, but also to the end of the world for a variety of
reasons, and according to the needs of places and times,
did he give, as we have said, the power of working miracles.
This power is given to those at least who show the dignity
of the name of Christian by a clear confirmation of their
fulness of faith, character and deeds. Greater also to some
extent than signs of visible virtues, the saints act in
accord with the guarantee of the promise of Christ. They
do this when by a convincing persuasion of the word of God,
by the example of a more perfect life, or sometimes by the
intercession of prayers, they enlighten those who are blind
in their mind to an understanding of the truth; they do
this when they open powerfully the ears of those condemned
by obstinacy to obedience to the commandments; when they
lift up those shut off from higher things by imperfection
of thoughts and actions; when they open in confession the
mouths of those who were previously silent; when they clean
lepers from the disease of such a putrid nature; when they
give the peace of meekness to those raving from a diabolical
cruelty; and when they change those dead and stinking from
the poison of sin to the hope of spiritual life, for
both the present life and the life to come [1 Tim 4:8].
All of these, when compared with wonderful signs, are in
no way thought worthy of admiration by the wicked and those
wise in the ways of the flesh. For the merciful judge, however,
the work of converting an impious person from sin is regarded
with higher esteem than to have created, even though equal
power is needed for both.
Listener.
We read in the Gospel that Christ the Lord raised
three people from the dead: I ask you to tell me if you
have been able to find anything similar about this saint
regarding the dead.
Speaker.
34. In the region of Padua, a woman went out near
her home to get firewood; when she returned home she found
her small daughter, who had been following her, in a ditch
full of water and mud, drowning with her face upturned.
The groaning mother hurried, pulled her out of the ditch
of sediment and placed her on the bank. Not a few people
came in sadness to see what had happened and a man among
the group lifted up her legs, with her head downwards, trying
to get her to spit out the water she had swallowed; but
this did not bring back her voice nor consciousness, because
her lips and cheeks were pressed together and hope of saving
her faded. Finally, the mother made a vow and promised that
she would bring a wax image of her daughter to the tomb
of holy Anthony. Immediately after this, in the sight of
all standing there, the girl moved her lips and when someone
put a finger in her mouth she spat out straightaway the
water she had swallowed, and through the merits of the holy
father came to life warmed by a life giving warmth.
35.
Something similar happened in the town of Commacchio. A
man there named Dominic left his house one day to do some
work and his small son followed his footsteps. When he had
gone a short distance from the house, he looked back but
could see no one. Stunned, he looked everywhere then saw
his son underwater in a ditch; he hurried and immediately
drew him out and gave him, suffocated as he was, to the
mother. Groaning, she immediately made a vow invoking the
help of the most holy father with all her heart, and was
gladdened to receive her son back alive through the saint’s
merits.
36.
In the town of Monopolis in Puglia, near the house of the
Friars, a youth was digging the ground when the bank caved
in from above, fatally trapping him; when another boy saw
that he was buried by earth, he ran, shouting out to his
mother what had happened. As soon as the mother heard this
she began to beat her face and tear her hair, and hurried
with tears to the house of the Friars calling out in a miserable
voice: ‘Hurry, Friars! Hurry! Help me because the earth
has covered my son’. On hearing this, the Friars hurrying
with mattocks and other tools began to dig where they saw
that the earth had caved in; all this time the mother of
the youth continued to call out: ‘Holy Anthony, give me
back my son!’ As they dug they found his feet turning black
and blue from the weight of earth, and his buttocks bruised
by the earth; others, however, with hoes reached the hat
he had worn and made three openings. When they lifted the
boy from under the earth he seemed to be alive but severely
crushed. To the Friars asking how he had been able to live
under the landslide, he replied: ‘Blessed Anthony held his
hand over my mouth’. Many bystanders heard this and gave
due thanks to God and to holy Anthony.
Listener.
Certainly, God is wonderful in his saints [Ps 67:36
DRB; 68:36 NRSV] by whose merits God mercifully calls back
to this present life those who have cast off the clothing
of flesh which, in accord with the quality of the works
of the saints, God kept in hidden places in distress or
rest.
On four types of dead
and the diversity among those raised from the dead
Speaker.
Although we read in the pages of the new and old Testaments
that many were raised from death, without wanting to prejudice
a sounder opinion, we believe one must acknowledge that
this is not so for every kind of dead person. It is clear
in the opinions of the Fathers that the merits of the deceased
are of four distinct kinds.
i. They point out
that the souls of some of the elect, because of the dignity
of their virtues, are already endowed with the blessing
of such happiness and the divine gift, that in no way would
they wish to be hindered from the close contemplation of
truth by a covering of some corruption; nor would they want
others to be able to force them because of the need of dear
ones or any necessity. Otherwise, were it possible for pressure
to be applied violently to the will of one freed and confirmed
in glory by grace, such a one would be deficient in the
perfection of beatitude. Accordingly, if we read that any
of these have appeared to someone, this is often an admonition
to the faithful by the merciful God, sometimes a compassion
on prayers offered by the devout, however, we remember none
who remained subject to the servitude of the present misery
or corruption.
ii. The Fathers declare
that the souls of some damned, after leaving the body, are
delivered with such security of justice to places of punishment,
because of the quality of their deeds, that in no way can
they any longer seek out remedies for themselves from anywhere;
while they were living they despised getting for themselves
future alleviation. These could be recalled to this present
life by the divine right hand with the majesty of power,
but inflexible justice blocks this, and we do not read in
the canonical Scriptures of this happening to any such person.
iii. Between these two extremes
there are others who are mediocre in good or mediocre in
evil.
Those who are mediocre in good retain some imperfection
of justice and are held back in purgatory from the heavenly
mansions, so that only by their own previous merits or by
the prayers of others are they able with complete freedom
to cross over. Only by the kindness of God granting mercy,
and sometimes by prayers offered, do I think that many of
this kind of dead persons have been called back to gain
a richer abundance of merits or a payment of a sacrifice
offered to wipe away with certainty the present punishments.
iv. Of those moderately
evil, some of the main Fathers feel that, for the mitigation
of their condemnation, the prayers of those dear to them
or also the prayers of the saints may be applied to them
after death;
without violating faith, however, this can probably but
piously be doubted. I do not know whether any such can be
brought back from hell to a condition in which they can
gain merit; but if my reasoning is sound, I hold that it
is to be completely denied, saving always the authority
of the infinite power.
Also among those brought
back to life it can be shown that there is a great diversity,
apart from what has been said already. Sometimes, from the
abundance of the grace of the merciful God, the souls of
some elect before the final judgment are so united to their
bodies, that in an inseparable bond of future union which
is the foretaste of glory for all after the judgment, they
can never be separated by any disturbance of strife. Many
of the main Fathers reasonably think in this way on the
basis of the witnesses to the risen Christ and as certain
of the saints affirm with due piety of the glorious Virgin,
the Mother of God. Often not simply but for a set time the
souls of some are called back to life, so that through the
greater merits of a holy person, as I have said, one may
pray for the benefit of others, and afterwards obtain release
from the sentence of death for a set time; this can be seen
in Lazarus and Tabitha [Acts 9:36] and in many others in
both the old and new Testaments, and it is something clearly
affirmed in the writings of many holy people. Lastly, the
bodies of some are raised for a time not for them to acquire
merits for themselves but to illustrate some purpose, such
as how the soul assists movement in the limbs of the body:
as Moses, after being with the transfigured Lord and having
given his witness, put aside the body he had taken up for
a time; and, according to some, Samuel the prophet by divine
will announcing to Saul his fate, after striking dismay
in a contemporary and a seer, left the body he had taken
up and went back to the hidden places.
Listener.
I like indeed, I like in my ignorance, in the judgment of
my opinion, what you have brought forward concerning the
risen dead, as I see you have compressed prudently the questions
and writings in a brief summary. But now I ask you to continue
and if you remember anything to be told add it to what you
have said.
Speaker.
37. A soldier from Pizzighettone, named Aleardinus,
from the age of reason was deceived by heretical teachings.
He had heard of the wonders of the said father and came
one day with his wife and family to Padua. While sitting
at table with others the conversation turned to the miracles
of Anthony. When the others affirmed that what was said
about the saint of God was true, he emptied the glass drinking
cup in his hand and said almost in these words: ‘If he whom
you call a saint will keep this cup unbroken, I will admit
that the other things of which you are trying to persuade
me about him are true’. He threw the drinking cup on to
the pavement from the seat in which he was seated for the
meal and, marvellous to relate, the glass resisted being
thrown on to the stone and remained unbroken, as those near
him in the room could see. On seeing the miracle, the glass
cup led him to penance; the energetic soldier sprang up,
took the unbroken glass with him and recorded in order what
had been said and done. After confessing his sins, he accepted
with humble devotion the penance imposed on him and firmly
clinging to Christ, constantly preached the power of the
saint.
Listener.
Since it is written: Do not put the Lord your God to
the test [Mt 4:7], I wonder greatly why the glass, which
the one mocking grace had thrown down, would remain unbroken.
On various effects of miracles
Speaker.
Often, contrary to the faith and merits of the wicked, God
permits or rather works many wonders which, although the
wicked are ignorant by whom they are done, become vessels
of mercy [Rom 9:23 DRB] and an edification of piety;
sometimes from the abundance of grace and the free gift
of righteousness of Christ [Rom 5:17] they mercifully
invite the tempters themselves to penance as is clear in
the example just given, or, by a secret judgment blind those
who mock grace and despise God’s power; often also they
cause a purging of the infidelity which was in them.
38.
A cleric from Anguillara Sabazia, named Guidotus, was one
day in the room of the lord Bishop of Padua when witnesses
were giving testimony on the miracles of the most holy father,
but he laughed privately. On the following night he began
to be distressed by an extreme pain in his whole body, so
he thought that without doubt the judgment of death was
imminent for him. Regarding himself unworthy of mercy, he
went to his mother and humbly begged her in her faith to
make a vow to the saint so that he might merit to receive
the grace of health. When this was done, the sick cleric
recovered before daybreak, and he who had laughed without
faith at the witnesses of truth, himself became a public
witness of the truth, and preached the glory of Christ.
39.
On a stormy day about twenty six men and women together
came to Saint Hilary sailing in a ship for Venice. At the
hour of Compline they reached an opening beside Saint George
of Alega, when a most severe storm began, and they tried
to take refuge in the place just mentioned. As the storm
raged, they were carried helpless to places unknown to them;
from above, darkness, wind and such heavy rain came upon
them that they despaired completely of reaching safety.
They confessed their sins to a priest among them and were
absolved; they lamented with shouts and tears and made vows
earnestly to God and to blessed Anthony. As soon as they
had made their vows the storm around the ship subsided;
however, in the surrounding darkness none of them knew where
they were or where they should go. Then a light shone out
from the ship and went ahead of the weeping travellers.
To their joy it led them to Small Saint Mark near Venice.
When they reached there, torn from the hand of death by
the merits of the most holy Father, immediately the light
which had led them disappeared from sight and no longer
led them as they had reached safety.
Listener. It
seems to me I have heard of something similar happening
to blessed Nicholas at a time of shipwreck.
It is neither easy nor safe
to compare the merits of the saints
Speaker.
I think it is difficult to compare the merits of the saints,
nor do I consider it to be safe. For if we base our judgment
of differences on the evidence of visible signs, we
often find that some saints worked lesser, even fewer or
no miracles at all before the eyes of people, and yet they
are known, according to common judgment, to have shown signs
of greater perfection in life and conduct. Therefore, if
you think worthy of admiration what we read to have occurred
at the time when blessed Nicholas was saved from shipwreck,
I report no less a miracle which, I recall, I found among
the approved deeds of the holy father.
40.
A woman of Mons-Silex journeyed to Padua with her husband,
in the company of other women, and showed the joy she expected
by her words and laughter; her husband had promised her
quite recently what she had requested, namely, to take her
and visit with her the shrine of blessed James. Wishing
to moderate her joy and laughter as well, he said to his
wife: ‘Why do you pour out in joy so many words and laughs,
since you are deceived by a vain hope and act in an unfitting
manner? Know that I have completely changed my intention
and in no way will I set out for where you want to go’.
When the husband persisted in annoying her greatly with
such words, the woman after long periods of silence, finally
with changed expression said to the one rebuking her: ‘Unless
you complete in deed the promised task of pilgrimage, know
that I am to be submerged in the name of Jesus Christ and
of blessed Anthony in these waters which flow by us’. But,
not taking her words seriously, he more forcefully called
her stupid to her face, denying constantly that he would
fulfill the promise. With her trust and hope completely
frustrated the unhappy woman on her own initiative threw
herself into the water, after calling on the name of blessed
Anthony. The women travelling with her saw her turning over
in the middle of the river, and although astonished at the
very strong current, forgetting feminine modesty, with limbs
and all their clothes soaked, they drew her, already submerged,
out of the water. She was brought out and placed on the
bank, and certainly what I tell is wonderful! The other
women wrung their clothes to get rid of the abundance of
water, while on the bank of the river she was found without
a thread of her clothes wet. While we attribute such an
action to stupidity rather than to virtue, we believe the
merits of the most holy father before God had been able
to ensure that the woman was kept unharmed in the middle
of the river; we know Anthony had always been a friend of
true simplicity even though the simplicity of the woman
was stupid.
Listener.
It is clear that the merits of the saints sometimes direct
the vows of the simple; the saints often grant petitions
made for the usefulness or correction of the powerful, with
God working through them.
That the intercession of
the saints benefits us in various ways
Speaker.
As you state, I am not in doubt that the requests of the
saints are always carried out for the benefit of those asking,
whether by denying or doing what is asked. Often however,
when it is not expedient, for reasons of place or time,
to grant to the one praying what is asked, God allows, for
the correction of those asking indiscreetly, that many things
be given. Among examples of this, I remember one example
granted to a woman and I include it with other deeds of
the saint.
41.
A servant sister, by name Oliva, of the Order of Poor Ladies,
before the body of the most holy father was buried, came
to pray and kissed his hand; among other things she asked
that all the punishments merited by her sins be inflicted
on her now by God and that no further punishments be kept
for later. After praying, the woman returned to the monastery;
immediately through her whole body she was tormented most
severely and was unable to bear the immensity of the pain;
she greatly disturbed the other sisters with her cries.
About nightfall on the following day, when she had recovered
a little, she went to the refectory together with the other
sisters; seated at the table with the others she began to
be distressed with repeated pain to the extent that no one
could eat their food; like a woman giving birth she writhed
this way and that on the table and shouted. The Abbess ordered
her to be taken to the infirmary and she who had asked in
her vows to be afflicted with pain, now begged with many
prayers for a remedy from the pain. Finally, remembering
a woman who had hidden away in her home a piece of the habit
of the saint, the woman came and placed it on her body,
and without delay all the pain went away.
42.
A woman named Iuvitta, from Trimegon, heard of the wonders
done at the tomb of the holy father and was stirred with
the strongest desire to go there. She was not able to go,
because she had to put to flight sparrows insistent for
a little of the white bread which she made for the harvest;
she had been appointed the guardian of the bread. Coming
one day to the castle in which the small breads were prepared,
she made a vow to Saint Anthony that, if he would keep the
bread safe from the sparrows, she would visit his tomb nine
times. When she had made the vow, straightaway a large flock
of the said birds in one column left the castle, nor could
she see even one of them upon the willows; in fact none
remained searching for bread.
Listener.
Do you not think that the saints grant the vows and offerings
made to them because the saints themselves do not need temporal
gifts?
On fidelity in observing
vows
Speaker.
Since it is written: When you make a vow to God, do not
delay in fulfilling it; for he has no pleasure in fools.
Fulfill what you vow. It is better that you should not vow
than that you should vow and not fulfill it [Eccl 5:4],
I believe one must hold that, what the saints know is displeasing
to their Lord, could not be pleasing to them. For often
by withholding a cure they are investigating what is clearly
promised in the vows of the faithful and what should be
done.
43.
A boy named Henry from Padua endured for fifteen days extreme
pain from a swollen neck. In her anxiety his mother vowed
to the saint to bring a waxen head and neck to his tomb.
On a certain day she brought her son to the tomb of the
most holy father, and immediately on his return home health
was restored to his neck. However, the mother neglected
to fulfill the vow she had promised, and the boy’s neck
began to swell again and he was distressed with the former
pain; the mother conscious of her guilt was sorry and brought
the waxen head and neck to the tomb of the saint. On doing
this, the tumour in the neck suddenly went away as did the
pain, and within a few days the boy was restored to full
health.
Listener.
Truly, you relate many and wonderful things; but I ask,
do not be reluctant to tell anything else which you remember
of such deeds.
Speaker.
44. Bartholomew, a soldier from Champrond-en-Perchet,
had a daughter who was troubled with sickness from a stone;
at certain times of the year she barked like a dog from
the severity of the pressure. Her mother, hurting with compassion
for the extreme pain of her daughter, made a vow in humble
prayer to blessed Anthony, asking him to deign to restore
health to her daughter. Once the vow had been made, the
daughter immediately passed a small stone and experienced
no further pain from the former sickness.
What I have said and many
other signs which the Lord of majesty deigned to work through
his servant Anthony are not written in this book
[Jn 20:30]. I have selected these from the many and written
but little so as to add to his praise and provoke an interest
in reading by the brevity of the style. For if every
one of his signs were written down [Jn 21:25],
I fear it might produce a scruple of doubt in the minds
of the weak from the considerable difficulty and the unaccustomed
size of the work.
II.
ON FRIAR BENEVENUTUS
WHO WAS FROM GUBBIO AND IS BURIED IN CORNETO
Listener.
I have heard often of the fame of other Friars of our Order
who have done deeds worthy of admiration; not wanting to
be uncertain of these I beg you to go on opening up for
me anything you know for sure of such deeds.
Speaker.
There was a person, by name Benevenutus, from the region
of Gubbio who, in accord with the meaning of his name, was
endowed with the blessing of a divine gift; his was the
grace of a venerable life, outstanding in the uprightness
of his conduct, and he left to those who came after him
an eminent example of a holy way of life. While he had not
been educated in school [see Lk 7:15], he showed the power
of words in actions rather than in speech, for he lived
blamelessly according to all the commandments and
regulations of the Lord [Lk 1:6 and see 24:19]. Finally,
faced with a perfect opportunity for salvation, he affirmed
clearly in what he did, that what he cherished in his pious
heart was to put aside the delights of this world, and to
strive with the whole force of his mind to join himself
to the footsteps of glorious father Francis.
What things? Received into
the Order of Friars Minor, immediately the man of God showed
evidence of his humility. On the command of holy father
Francis he humbly subjected himself to serve lepers, offering
the duties of human decency to them, often washing with
his hands their feet and bodies and, putting aside any disgust,
wiped away the discharge flowing from the ulcers on their
diseased limbs. He had the highest regard for the virtue
of obedience so that ready and energetic he hastened to
carry out without delay all the commands of his superiors,
nor would he ever refuse an obedience imposed on him, as
stated by those who saw it.
In sickness he showed a
wonderful virtue of patience to all who saw him, to the
extent that in no way did he show the least sign of disturbance;
rather, according to the statement of Paul [2 Cor 12:10],
he considered it to be something glorious to be sick in
the external body, asserting he was then stronger in action
and powerful; he showed that he held the power of Christ
remaining as a guest continuously in his heart.
In his zeal for most holy
poverty he made use only of the barest necessities of food
and clothing and in his pious observance of what is right
he kept the quiet of silence. He abounded in feelings of
pity for the afflicted, the poor and the sick; in a sympathy
of brotherly love he deplored the faults of others as if
they were his own. Committed to holy contemplation he tried
to change his efforts at prayers into the concerns of tears;
and although he often spent the night in prayer, he kept
the custom of not appearing in public until the third hour,
lest the delights of the sweetness he had experienced might
be changed by work or seem to be lessened. As affirmed by
others, the servant of God was so upright that there was
no childish thing [Tob 1:4 DRB] in his words or actions
nor did he show any sign of shallowness; on the contrary,
he progressed with a grace of wonderful seriousness, and
edified all who saw him as a mirror of virtue in praiseworthy
speech and as an example of edification.
I do not know all the deeds
done by this admirable person but, from the trustworthy
testimony of worthy Friars and the truthful depositions
of sworn witnesses, I have understood the few deeds here
presented for the sake of brevity as a foretaste. How great
his merit was with God, is evident from the wonders of his
actions so that, as will be clear from what follows, the
power of the Creator does not cease to act in Corneto in
the province of Puglia.
To provide readers with
a fuller trust in miracles, I have presented in these pages
the names of the examiners recorded by the Apostolic See
and at the same time I have shown the form of the commission,
so that, like a lamp giving such bright light on the lampstand
[Mt 5:15] of the Christian religion, the truth of his deeds
might shine for all gathered in the unity of faith within
the home of the Church, and that no grounds of suspicion
of deceit be left for those outside the Church.
In the year
1236 from the Incarnation of the Lord, in the month of May,
we, by the grace of God humble bishops, namely, R.
of Melfi, Risandus
of Molfetta, and Bonus
of Venusia, received the following commission from the Apostolic
See:
‘Gregory bishop, servant of the servants of God, to my brother
bishops of Melfi, Molfetta and Venusia health and apostolic
blessing. God is wonderful in his saints [Ps 67:36
DRB; 68:35 NRSV]. To make clear the power of the divine
might in a wonderful way and bring about in mercy the work
of our salvation, God frequently honours on earth his faithful
who after the completion of their work have been crowned
in heaven; God does this by working signs and wonders in
their memory, and so heretical perversity is confounded
and the Catholic faith confirmed. We, therefore, as we should
but not as much as we should, thank the omnipotent God for
what has been done in our day to confirm the Catholic faith
and confound heretical perversity by God giving new signs
and powerfully working other wonders [Sir 36:6],
by adorning with miracles those who held to the Catholic
faith in heart, speech and actions. The beloved clerics
and people of Corneto have indicated to us in their messages
and letters through the beloved sons, namely, the deacon
Bealsamus, the judge James, and also some bishops and religious,
that the Lord has given so much glory to the pious memory
of Friar Benevenutus of the Order of Friars Minor that his
tomb shines with many and great miracles; it would then
be unworthy not to invoke him as one of the saints. For
this reason we humbly ask for evidence to be sent to us
of the miracles the Lord works through him. Because in such
a holy business one may not proceed unless endowed with
due maturity and seriousness, and because in the Lord we
have full confidence in your discretion, we commission you
by this letter to select religious and God fearing persons
so that together you can enquire more diligently into the
virtue of life and the truth of the signs, namely, of the
deeds and miracles. You are to keep under seal the depositions
of witnesses interviewed so that when asked for by us you
may send them faithfully to the Apostolic See; if all of
you are not able to do this work, at least two of you are
to do it. Given at Viterbo, 22 March, in the tenth year
of our pontificate.’
Therefore, for the sake of the work of God whose business
we were to be concerned with and out of reverence for the
person delegating us, we went in person to Corneto where
with careful attention and diligent study we set ourselves,
as we should, to carry out the command of the Apostolic
See. In Corneto we enquired diligently from certain religious,
namely, Friars Minor who had lived with Benevenutus, and
with many other trustworthy persons about the virtuous life
and praiseworthy way of life of the said Friar; the witnesses
were put under oath by us both singly and as a group; their
names are listed below, and they put before us all they
knew of the aforementioned signs of his sanctity and the
miracles to be examined.
1.
Friar Nicholas, guardian
of the friars in Corneto, was sworn to speak the truth regarding
the miracles of Friar Benevenutus. After taking the oath
to ensure the truth of what was said, he stood before the
tomb of the said Friar and, lest he err in his testimony,
humbly asked the Lord to reveal to him by some clear prophetic
sign what he should testify about Friar Benevenutus with
certainty and without scruple in his heart. He looked towards
heaven, opened a certain book and as the sign shown to him
from heaven placed his finger on the page where the text
under his finger read: Indeed this was a just man
[Lk 23:47].
2.
A soldier named Dactus from Corneto, while speaking of his
belief in the miracles, said under oath that in the month
of October he was supervising grape pickers in a certain
vineyard, when he heard a loud shouting and wailing of women
and children; surprised, he went to enquire solicitously
what had happened, and they answered that a girl barely
three years old had fallen into a well. The soldier quickly
went down into the well. Because of the depth of water of
water he could not reach her with his hands but, using his
foot, he managed to lift her from where she lay at the bottom
of the well. When she had been brought up and placed on
the ground, he began to test whether any breath of life
remained in her. After completing his careful examination
and finding that the girl was dead, completely cold, livid,
and without any feeling or movement in her limbs, he began
to discuss with those around him about the burial of the
body. Because her parents were not present, a definite decision
was left until they arrived. Meanwhile, the soldier and
the others standing around encouraged all present to pray
devoutly to Friar Benevenutus, that he might intercede with
God for the return to life of the virgin. While all were
praying and uttering tearful groans in their sorrow, the
girl finally spoke in a weak voice but audible to them.
The soldier took hold her of her feet and lowered her head
so that not a small amount of water came out of her mouth;
she showed she was restored to life by opening her eyes.
When her parents arrived and heard what had happened, they
took their daughter and, with the crowd of people who had
gathered, went to Corneto to thank Friar Benevenutus in
a fitting manner for the miracle worked. But because the
girl did not seem to those watching her to be fully alive,
they put her in front of the tomb of the said Friar. When
she had been there for but a short time she received full
life through his merits, so that she walked through the
church in the sight of all, and with many accompanying her
went home with her parents .
3.
Another soldier named Tirellus,
from Corneto, whose wife had borne seven daughters, prayed
earnestly with his wife to Friar Benevenutus to give them
a son; they promised that they would give the name Benevenutus
to any son born should the saint mercifully carry out their
wish. But when a son was born they did not give him this
name as they had vowed. It happened that the child was covered
with sores so that ugly blisters appeared all over his body;
for this reason the parents out of shame and fear delayed
having the child baptized. After almost three months, when
the mother one night wished to feed the baby she lifted
him up from the cradle, and after feeding him put him beside
her in the bed. When she had been asleep for a short time
the father woke up suddenly and saw the cradle; surprised
that he could not see the child he began to look for him
at the side of his sleeping wife. Not finding him, he quickly
got out of bed and anxiously asked the wet nurse where she
had put the child; informed that she had not touched the
child, he woke his wife and anxiously asked her what she
had done with the their son. The woman was amazed at this
mention of her son and when she did not find him beside
her, she quickly got out of bed and as anxious as her husband
looked for him and finally found him already dead beside
the wall. When they had picked up the boy they discussed
in their grief what should be done with the child who had
not yet been baptized as they had promised. They shouted
out this fact with wailing and tears to the priest of the
church, to their friends and relatives who had been called.
The father was scolded by all there for not permitting the
boy to be baptized; all unanimously decided that on this
very day the child should be buried secretly lest people
who got to know of it might deride the parents of the child.
All agreed to this decision except the father who called
out and said: ‘In no way is that to be done, but I will
give back my dead son to the one through whom I received
him living’. After saying this he quickly took the child
into his arms and accusing the others went in the middle
of the night to the tomb of the Friar. The mother, dressed
in rough clothes, followed as she cried out and wept and
many people accompanied her; the father placed his son on
the tomb of the Friar and said: ‘Holy Benevenutus, behold
I offer my dead son to you and beg you by your merits to
give him back to me alive’. Those present in sympathy for
his sorrow, with laments and tears prostrated themselves
on the ground and persevered in prayer until morning. And
behold, as the morning bell sounded in the house of the
Friars, the boy began in the sight of all to wake up as
if from a sleep and to murmur; when his mother saw that
he was brought back to life she hurried and, praising God
with great joy, had her son solemnly baptized that very
day.
4.
A certain Peter with the surname Taccarus said, when speaking
under oath of the reliability of the miracles, that once
while standing in a part of Corneto with some others he
saw a person driving a cart loaded with wheat. The person
could not control the cart or restrain the horse with the
reins so that the cart gathered speed down a slope just
as a boy of twelve riding an ass happened to be in the path
of the cart at the entrance of the gate. The cart struck
the ass strongly, the boy fell in the path of the cart and
because he was unable to move he went under a wheel. All
present began to weep on seeing this and calling out with
strong shouting said: ‘Holy Benevenutus, help, help, lest
the boy be crushed by the force of the cart’. The driver
fled in fear of his life, since the right wheel of the cart
was seen to pass over the legs of the boy. Many hastened
to the spot to lift up the boy whom they thought had been
fatally crushed but the boy began to say to those approaching:
‘Do not be afraid. The cart did not hurt me as it passed,
because Friar Benevenutus whose help I asked, saved me from
its force as it passed over me’. The boy then entered Corneto
with many others and went to the tomb of the Friar and gave
thanks for the gift given by God.
5.
Roger John Ferrarii from the village of Saint Agatha said
under oath that one day out of reverence for the death of
Friar Benevenutus he had climbed up a poplar tree to cut
branches for providing shade; he carried a cutting tool
which was fixed securely with a cord. While he was engaged
in cutting the branches it happened that a small branch
supporting his whole body broke. He took hold with his left
hand of another branch but feeling weak and thinking that
the judgment of death was near, he called out in a loud
voice: ‘Holy Benevenutus, help me’. The branch which he
held as he was hanging broke and he fell on a branch of
the tree striking his chest on it with such force that all
who saw the accident completely despaired of his life; but,
by the action of God through the merits of the Friar, the
one who had fallen immediately got up unharmed and walked
home praising God with due reverence.
Listener.
Clearly the power of Christian faith is great and powerful
before God since by it the body of a dead boy was restored
to life from contact with the tomb of the man of God, as
I recall you said above.
Not every gift is due to
the merits of faith
Speaker.
The power of faith is thoroughly praiseworthy and to be
admired for its merits. But I am of the opinion that in
truth not every display of gifts is to be ascribed to the
merits of faith. Often the dignity of what is asked for
exceeds the smallness of faith. The heavenly Creator from
the presence or contact with holy pledges may want to develop
a more worthy regard for the glory of God’s name or the
memory of the saints in the faith of weak people; to do
this God gives the gifts asked for; these gifts would not
otherwise be given to the ones asking in view of the poverty
of their faith which God sees is small and weak. This was
prefigured in the Book of Kings [2 Kings 13:21]. After the
death of Elisha undertakers were burying a dead person,
but fearful of a marauding band of Moabites threw
the dead body into the grave of the man of God;
as soon as the man touched the bones of the prophet,
he came to life and stood on his feet. The undertakers
bury the dead just as many people hide their sins using
the excuse of the necessities of an earthly life. The Prophet
asked that this be far from him as something harmful which
blocks justice, when he prayed: Do not turn my heart
to any evil, to busy myself with wicked deeds in company
with those who work iniquity [Ps 141:4]. But often these,
while their sins are perhaps unknown to their neighbours,
are aware that they are known to demons, and while they
despair on the basis of their own merits to go in prayer
to the saints, they are fearful that the thieves of hell
might throw down the lifeless corpse of their mind because
of an imperfect confession, yet they certainly try to apply
the relics of the saints to the sicknesses of their bodies.
From contact with these relics sometimes a grace of spiritual
life or even a bodily health which they wanted, all beyond
the merit of their faith, is given through these relics;
often because of the gift thus obtained, they progress,
as if by walking on their own feet, to more useful merits
of virtues in both affection and deed.
Listener.
I confess that what you say satisfies a hunger of the soul
and always renews the affection of the heart by a prudent
response to what is heard. Hence I ask you to keep to your
former promises and open up without delay what remains.
Speaker.
6. A woman named Stellentia from Corneto stated under
oath that she had a son who for ten years suffered from
the sickness of epilepsy; he was disturbed both day and
night for the ten years, often being forced by the sickness
into water, fire or other diverse dangers. Having heard
of the wonders which were happening, the mother, solicitous
for the health of her child, made a vow and brought him
to the funeral of Friar Benevenutus who was as yet unburied.
While they near the body, the sickness attacked him in a
stronger way than usual and many, unable to bear to see
the horror of his suffering, went out from the church. Finally,
however, by the merits of the holy Friar priest the boy
was freed from his sickness to the extent that never again
did he experience the usual symptoms of his suffering. The
woman added also that one morning the son had been suddenly
attacked by the illness as he was getting up, and from the
balcony where he was lying he was thrown down onto the lower
part of the house. When this happened the mother, struck
with horror, began to feel this same illness which exhausted
her miserably for all of five years; but when, as I have
said, she stayed near the body of the Friar with her son,
on the same day and in the same place she was completely
cured.
7.
Likewise Solimbria, wife
of Palmerius from Corneto, said under oath that for five
years she had experienced the sickness of epilepsy which
sometimes urged her into fire, often though into water,
and sometimes horribly affected her even at table or in
church, in bed, in the marketplace or while making a journey.
When she heard of the death of Friar Benevenutus she hurried
to the place where already mass what being celebrated for
his soul. When she approached the body just before its burial,
she heard a voice in the air above saying: ‘Say Holy,
Holy, Holy, and what follows after these words’. Hearing
this, she knelt, humbly holding his feet, and with attention
and devotion begged him to pray for her effectively to God.
As she prayed, the illness began to disturb her more gravely
than usual, striking and tearing her to such a degree that
many left the church out of a sense of deep horror. Later
the suffering ceased and the woman got up totally free of
her illness. When the inhabitants of Corneto heard of this,
they hurried to the house of the Friars in a large procession;
they took the body of the Friar for burial with due reverence
in the church of St Peter in spite of the objections of
the Friars.
8.
Margarita of Dordogne testified under oath that after suffering
continuously from epilepsy for six years she came in devotion
to the tomb of Friar Benevenutus and promised that if God
would free her by his prayers and merits, she would paint
an image depicting the face of the Friar and place it near
his tomb in memory of the fact. As soon as the woman made
this vow the sickness began to trouble her, but before she
left the place she was so completely cured that never again
did she feel this suffering.
9.
Bella, a woman from Corneto, exhausted for a space of three
years from the disorder of epilepsy, and in this whole time
finding no remedy for it, went to the body of the Friar
before he was buried; as she prayed before him the sickness
affected her gravely, so that twenty four times it prostrated
her on the ground; those present saw this and in sympathy
for her suffering most insistently asked Friar Bene-venutus
for help. About the tenth hour she was so cured that never
again did she experience this suffering.
10.
A noble lady named Amillina, the widow of the soldier Roger
from Corneto, testified under oath that while she was lamenting
her widowhood after the death of her husband, signs of leprosy
began to be clearly evident on her body. From the sole of
her feet to her head she was covered in ulcers which produced
thick scales with a discharge. She was so affected by heat
in the middle of winter that she could barely tolerate even
an under garment. Her eyebrows were completely bald of hair
while a discharge from her eyes deprived them of their usual
light. Also the breath from her nose was very foul, her
head was covered with sores and could not retain its hair;
her voice became harsh and the nails fell from her fingers.
She seemed so horrible to all that even her own sons and
daughters wanted her to live with the lepers, completely
cut off from other people. It happened that Friar Benevenutus
while still alive came to her house to borrow a mare which
the Friars needed for carrying thatch. She devoutly commended
herself to his prayers and was consoled when he said: ‘Be
patient, daughter, and trust because the Lord will soon
show mercy to you’. A short time later when the Friar was
already dead and his body was lying in the church of Saint
Peter where he was to be buried, the woman, not a little
bashful and reverent, came to the coffin; there she prayed
all night and with faith put the hand of the Friar on her
face and limbs. When she did this the sores on her head
began to disappear, the ulcers on her face and limbs began
to dry up so that her flesh was freed completely from the
disease of leprosy.
11.
William, a son of Forcedis, when aged twelve, for a year
and a half before the death of Friar Benevenutus was covered
with ulcers on his whole body, his voice was harsh and the
disease of leprosy left no hair on his eyebrows or eyelashes;
beside this he had a foul smelling mouth and could not retain
hair on his head; his eyes were red from continuous weeping
of warm tears; his hands were distorted, and the same boy
lost the nails off his fingers and feet; for these reasons
his parents completely withdrew from his company. As the
Friar lay in the church of Saint Peter his mother and sister
humbly reported on his leprosy before the coffin of the
unburied body. When they had persisted in prayer there for
three days and nights, the leprous boy began to touch the
hand and feet of the Friar with his mouth and other limbs
similarly infected. When he did this his mother and sister
saw that his flesh was restored to its earlier state of
health.
Listener.
What do you think is the reason for such dire suffering
in a human body, such as you relate of epileptics and lepers,
in those particularly in whom no clear harm of actual sin
has been added to original sin?
On the reason for temporal
punishments
Speaker.
According to the diverse ways of looking at this question
an equal number of causes or reasons can be given to the
proposed question. If we want to follow the opinions of
the orthodox Fathers, we would say with certainty that sometimes
the crime of a father is handed on as temporal punishment
to succeeding generations. For example, those unwilling
to refrain from embraces forbidden by law in the time of
menstruation, by a just decree of God leave to their children
the sickness of leprosy, often also the illness of epilepsy
or other illnesses, so that seeing the suffering of their
children they waste away from compassion for the ulcers;
they did not fear to beget children during a time stated
to be unlawful by a clear sanction of public law. This is
what we read of a possessed person in Mark [Mk 8:16-29].
From his infancy a boy was possessed by a demon who tormented
him, and in no way would this have been put in the Scriptures,
had not a guilt of original sin or the guilt of a paternal
crime preceded it. Sometimes the suffering is incurred from
the merits of the adults mentioned. When, for example, God
in mercy sends a severe, final warning to correct the insanity
of transgressors for the purpose of forgiveness, or if they
persist in evil by a stubborn judgment of mind, God forms
an image of eternal punishment showing the same strictness
of justice. Often, as seen in the general rule for those
to be punished, to test some, to humiliate others, sometimes
to show divine virtue, these and similar things most kindly
come from God, who knows to whom or how or to what degree
it is expedient to pursue people.
Listener.
What you say is most pleasing. But I ask you to continue,
lest it be annoying that I often delay your story with my
words; for I know for sure my words should give way to the
development of your story.
Speaker.
12. A woman named Munelis stated under oath that
when one night her brother had whipped her, she went outside
in indignation and in the middle of the night she called
out saying: ‘Come, devil, come into my body that I may be
free from the hands of my brother’. When she had repeated
this many times, she saw nearby two small bodies like Moors;
on seeing them she died in some way from fear and fell to
the ground as if dead. Her brother brought her inside and
put her on a bench and there for two days she lay lifeless.
She came back to life on the third day and was lucid for
periods of time; for five years she was insane for most
of the time and did strange things in words and deeds. Her
husband and brother often carried her bound by chains to
different churches of the region; since this brought about
no change in her they did not take her any more. On hearing
of the wonders worked by Friar Benevenutus, they went there
and with tears placed her still bound in the customary way
with chains in front of his tomb. When she had been in the
church for five days and was troubled more than usual by
the demons, many people came to speak with the demoniac.
The demon entered into discussion with all; he disputed
with clerics and laity sometimes in plain words, sometimes
in a vulgar way. On top of this he changed his voice, now
singing, now shouting, now hissing, now barking, and he
moved the hearts of those present to compassion for her.
Standing with the others was an archpriest, named Peregrinus,
who strongly exorcised the demon commanding him to state,
should he intend to leave the woman, on what day or what
hour or in what place this was to happen, and with what
signs. The demon said:
On the next Sunday after the ninth hour in front of the
tomb of Benevenutus I will leave the body of the woman;
in the hour of my departure the sky will be disturbed, and
from it will appear lightning and rain, and thunder will
resound.
At the time announced and
when all the signs were evident, many of both sexes came
from Corneto and, after a solemn procession with the clerics,
the habit of Friar Benevenutus was placed over the demoniac;
at the touch of the habit the demon so cruelly threw the
woman to the ground that all the bystanders thought she
was dead. In the evening, as she emitted a foul odour and
spat blood from her mouth, by the merits of the most holy
Friar she was freed, and from that time never again was
she troubled in the same way.
13.
Friar Robert, a lay brother in the Friary of the Holy Spirit
in Salsola, said under oath that when he suffered from a
most severe pain his face began to swell so much that the
severity of the pain caused him to lose his hearing and
sight; sleep so eluded him that he had not fallen asleep
for twelve days; he became angry to the extent that should
anyone approach him incautiously he tore at them with his
teeth; he threw stones at people passing by, and strongly
struck a servant of the house on the forehead with a stick.
For these reasons his superior to restrain his insanity
had his hands bound tightly with rope. One day during a
lucid interval he made a vow that he would visit the tomb
of the said Friar in the hope of regaining his health; when
he made the vow he regained his hearing and sight immediately.
However, an almost intolerable pain developed in one of
his arms; but going, as he had vowed, to the tomb of the
Friar he received through the merits of the most holy Friar
a complete restoration of health.
Listener.
Since I remember having often heard that no created thing
of substance can be introduced into the rational soul, I
wonder greatly how the devil taught an illiterate women
to dispute in plain words, and how was she able to forecast
the signs of events which happened in the future.
On the power of demons
over the possessed
Speaker.
In truth and without any doubt, as you state, we are taught
by Catholic doctrine that, apart from the uncreated Spirit,
no spiritual or corporal substance can enter substantially
the human soul. But when the devil’s harmful prompting is
given entrance through carelessness, the poison of his evil
joins itself to our affections; while he is not able to
put harmful thoughts in our mind, he does not cease to foster
such thoughts which lie in the depths of a heart. The Prophet
says correctly of this: See it is I who have created
the smith who blows the fire of coals [Isa 54:16]. The
smith is the devil, because with many blows he shapes
the objects of mercy [Rom 9:23], unconscious of their
divine purpose, and transforms them by a thorough cleansing
in successive bakings; he also puts fruit
in a fire to blow upon it, for example, when he succeeds
in provoking by a flame of suggestion intentions already
formed in the soul. God can sometimes allow this smith not
only to enter but also to annoy the human body, as we read
happened to Saul [1 Sam 19:9], to the fornicator in Corinth
[1 Cor 5:5] and to not a few others listed in the Gospels.
Why, therefore, do you wonder,
whether the devil was able to move the tongue of the woman
to say what he wanted, since it was deservedly handed over
to him and created for the purpose of uttering words, and
since God allowed the devil to be able to adapt the tongue
of a serpent as an organ for uttering the sounds of words?
Just as the serpent was in no way capable of understanding
the words it spoke, so too in the work and ministry of the
certainly good angel the ass of Balaam spoke ignorant of
what the purpose of the divine will might be achieving through
its mouth; often by means of a possessed body the devil
does and says many things of which the ignorant and simple
are in admiration, while not knowing from whom the words
and actions of the demoniac come. Demoniacs do not remember
what has been done when experiencing a lucid period or when
they come to themselves [Bar 2:30] restored to perfect
freedom by the grace of the merciful God.
Nor to one looking critically
at the nature of the devils is there anything miraculous
or wonderful in their knowing beforehand and announcing
the signs of future times. Humans weighed down with corruptible
bodies and thereby slower in understanding have worked out
from the nearness or distance of stars and from the normal
course of events how to foretell future storms or disturbance
of the atmosphere. It is not surprising then if evil spirits,
whose senses are by nature more subtle and who know which
elements and qualities of the atmosphere are compatible,
can foresee or announce to humans future changes of times
in the near or distant future, or can deceive with lies
or warn the faithful, according as by divine permission
they are allowed or forbidden to do what they intend.
Listener.
I still request that you continue faithfully with your story
as you had started.
Speaker.
14. A deformed girl testified under oath of the truth
of the miracles of Friar Benevenutus and said that when
her shins had been contracted for more than a year, she
became deranged from the severity of the pain. She, during
a lucid interval and persuaded by her sister, made a vow
to God and to Friar Benevenutus that, if she were to be
freed from her illness, she would preserve her virginity
for the Lord and each year, on the anniversary of the burial
of the Friar, she would fast humbly going without bread
and wine. When she had made the vow, the contracted tendons
and the shin bones attached to the buttocks began to be
extended with clattering and a noise of breaking so that,
after a short space of time, she got out of bed and with
her sister hurried to the tomb of the Friar and returned
completely cured.
15.
A priest named Clusanus from Baudelo stated under oath that
while lying awake in his bed one night, without seeing any
person, he felt a blow on his cheek and his mouth became
so twisted that his deformity caused horror in all who saw
it. His left eye also became so troubled with the eyebrows
turned back that he constantly shed a flood of tears. On
the advice of a woman from Corneto, who at the tomb of Friar
Benevenutus had been cured of a flow of blood, the priest
went to the tomb and devoutly kneeling before it meditated
on the penitential psalms as best he could. When the priest
reached the verse of the fourth psalm which reads: Hide
your face from my sins [Ps 51:9], it seemed to him that
a hand touched his cheek, his mouth was brought back to
its former shape and when the tears dried up from the disturbed
eyes he merited straightaway to have full health.
16.
Bonusinfans Corveseri from Corneto said under oath that
when his wife Normanda had been deformed in both feet for
two years she had to lie down without any strength in her
limbs; she moved herself with her hands while held by a
rope to a wooden frame. After the death of Friar Benevenutus
she was brought to his tomb three times, and on the third
visit her feet were completely cured and she returned home.
17.
A woman named Iusiana from Corneto testified under oath
that her husband Gisus Buccerius suffered for nine years
from a most serious illness; his hands and feet were so
dried up he would lie on the bed like a piece of wood, and
from the beginning of the fifth year he lost the sight in
his eyes. At the death of the holy Friar and before his
burial, Gisus was carried to the body. William, one of the
bystanders, while holding the foot of the Friar placed it
on all the limbs of Gisus in the hope of a cure. On doing
this, all the bystanders saw that the sick man was immediately
healed and, with his lost sight restored, he returned home
immediately without any help. But because many doubted that
his sight had been restored, he was led through the streets
of Corneto, so that they could test if he was able to avoid
the potholes in the streets; Gisus however not only avoided
the potholes, but also warned those following to be careful.
18.
An adolescent named Ianellus from Mons-Mairani was crippled
in the feet, shins and shoulders and crawled on his stomach
and hands along the ground. He was brought to the tomb of
Friar Benevenutus where he kept vigil at night until one
Sunday morning his strength was restored and he regained
all his health.
19.
Chura Maria from La Montagne testified under oath that for
six years her hands and feet had been so deformed that she
had to be carried by others to meet her needs. On the day
of Friar Benvenutus’ death she was carried to his body.
A bystander moved the foot of the Friar all over her limbs
and by his merits the soles of her feet, her feet and her
hands were strengthened and restored so that she returned
home praising God.
20.
Thasura from Foggia, the wife of Matthew Rubeus from Corneto,
said under oath that when troubled with a strong pain in
her left knee, she came, sceptical as she was of miracles,
to the place where the body of Friar Benevenutus lay. While
talking with the women in the church the conversation turned
to the miracles of the Friar but she answered:
What are these miracles of your saint? Even if he were to
show some miracles, I would believe nothing of them; you
make much of him so that he will remain in your parish.
As soon as she said this
she was immediately struck in the same knee and her right
foot was twisted from its normal position with the shin;
falling to the ground she called out full of repentance:
Holy Benevenutus help me before God and if you will be merciful
to me in this matter then every Friday I will fast on bread
and water for as long as I live.
When she had made the vow,
the pain in her knee went away and restored to health she
left praising God.
Listener.
It is clear there is much temerity and great danger in blaspheming
the saints of God, when indeed God is wont to punish those
blaspheming with the severe equity of the judgment of divine
judgment.
On the sin of blasphemy
committed in word or deed
Speaker.
Since the Saviour said to his disciples: Whoever welcomes
you welcomes me [Mt 10:40], and: Whoever rejects
you rejects me [Lk 10:16], it is clear that any injury
or honour done to ministers is done rather to the Lord of
these ministers. Therefore, who in their right mind does
not see that often most serious and fitting punishments
are inflicted on detractors of the saints who do not fear
to insult the Lord of all when they imprudently blaspheme
against the servants of God?
In this matter it has to
be recognized that the crime of blasphemy is committed not
only in word but also by indiscipline in action. God is
often blasphemed by a word of sinners when his omnipotence
is besmirched by the crime of envy. Some heretics and those
wise in the ways of the flesh are accustomed to say, if
God could have made human nature so that it could never
consent to evil, and God did not do this, then God can rightly
be said to be envious. And as the Apostle says speaking
for those who upbraid God: Why have you made me like
this? [Rom 9:20]. Sometimes in a presumptive bold rashness
the justice of God who punishes is blamed, as some did in
Revelation: They were scorched by the fierce heat, but
they cursed the name of God, who had authority over these
plagues [Rev 16:9]. Sometimes a quality of improvidence
is attributed to the inscrutable wisdom of God, as the Psalmist
says of some who rebuke God: They set their mouths against
heaven [Ps 73:9], and what they said is shown when he
adds: How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most
High? [Ps 73:11] and again: The Lord does
not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive [Ps 94:7].
Often the mercy of a patient God is called powerlessness,
as when some feel themselves to be suffering from the malice
of evildoers and ask God to have vengeance on their persecutors;
they mutter all the time as they ask for it to be unleashed.
It is rightly said of such people in Revelation: People
gnawed their tongues in agony, and cursed the God of heaven
because of their pains and sores [16:10-11]; the same
things are found in Jude:
But these people slander whatever they do not understand
… They are grumblers and malcontents; they indulge their
own lusts; they are bombastic in speech [10 and 16].
The name of God is blasphemed
by an indiscipline in action, as we have said, when pastors,
kings or lords of the Christian people besmirch the good
name of the faith by a public transgression; in doing this
they are not afraid when others in a false sense of security
follow the steps of those who go before them. The Lord complains
of this in some people through the words of the Prophet:
My people are taken away without cause, the rulers howl
and my name is despised [Isa 52:5]. Likewise, God is
blasphemed by proud persons who arrogate the worship of
God to themselves; we read in the Acts of the Apostles 12:21-23
that this was done by Herod. When Herod had been reconciled
with the people of Tyre and Sidon he announced in his royal
robes to the people that he had received from them the praises
due to God and not to a man; immediately he was struck by
an angel, was eaten by worms and died. He who did
not reject the glory of God offered to him by a blaspheming
crowd, was subjected rightly by divine judgment to be eaten
by worms just when he was about to leave the earth.
Listener.
I am pleased, indeed, to see how you have explained in a
reasonable and useful way the cause and the types of punishments
inflicted on the guilt of blasphemers. But now take up again
the theme of your story so that you may hasten without delay
to other things for which I long.
Speaker.
21. Arsenda from Lusianum, wife of Ressemandus, stated
under oath that for three years her eyes had been covered
with a very thick film; she was afflicted with such blindness
that she could move about only when someone led her by walking
before her. Before the burial of the body of Friar Benevenutus,
she was led by relatives and friends to his body, and there
praying through the night she wept abundantly and prayed
that he might deign to cure her by his merits. In the morning,
all present could see for themselves that the film over
her eyes had been taken away by the tears; with the film
gone from her eyes, she got up immediately and with sight
restored returned home without the help of a guide.
22.
Dactus, a soldier and constable from Corneto, said that
his son Siginolfus developed a sickness in his eyes which
left him without sight for six months. Towards the end of
the sixth month his father vowed that if the Lord would
cure him by the merits of the Friar, he would offer to the
Church of St Peter two oxen for carrying stones. When he
made the vow he had the boy lie on the tomb of the Friar
where within a space of eight days he regained his lost
sight.
23.
Venerella, a daughter of Rogerius Fornarius, was troubled
with a discharge coming from her right eye so that it was
totally impossible for her to open either of her eyelashes.
Her mother brought her to the tomb of Friar Benevenutus
in search of a cure and kept her there for three continuous
days; on the third day she rubbed her eyes and said to her
mother: ‘Mother, look my eyes are cured because the piece
of flesh which I carried has now gone as well as the film’.
Many people from Corneto saw this and gave due thanks to
God and to Friar Benevenutus.
24.
Tematica Transilgardi stated under oath that one day she
lost all hearing in her ears; she remained in this condition
for three years during which time she could respond to what
was said only by nods and signs. On the day after the death
of the holy Friar she went to his body and in tears asked
for mercy; when in trust she had touched her ears and face
with his feet, she felt a strong spirit leave her ears and
she immediately regained her lost hearing.
25.
A woman named Atra from Molfetta testified under oath that
for a year and three months she had been afflicted with
deafness; she was so troubled that she went humbly to the
tomb of the holy Friar and devoutly asked for mercy; when
she had been there for a little time she regained by his
merits a hearing better than previously.
26.
Domina Amfelisa said under oath that she mourned the loss
of two sons and in her great sorrow struck her head with
her fists and the palms of her hands; as a result she suffered
for six years from continuous head pain and from total deafness
in her ears. People dear to her brought her to the body
of the Friar which was still unburied, and touched her head
and ears many times with the hand of the most holy Friar;
once this was done all pain disappeared from her head and
with her hearing totally restored she gave thanks to God.
Listener.
Apart from the general benefits given to the human race
by the coming of Christ, not to recognize the gifts of healing
received through the merits of the saints would seem to
be a wrongful robbing from God.
On the ingratitude of some
sinners
Speaker.
What I say does often happen, for example, that the sick
or those suffering from a defect in their limbs, while they
are suffering from the torments of the sickness or the defects
of nature, busy themselves with bent necks to divine worship
and works of piety in the hope of a better good. A good
example of such people is Antiochus of whom we read in the
books of the Maccabees:
He was seized with a pain in his bowels, for which there
is no relief, and with sharp internal tortures. ‘It is right’
he said, ‘to be subject to God; mortals should not think
that they are equal to God
[2 Macc 9:5.12].
Also he promised to adorn
the temple with excellent gifts and to give back offerings
suitable for sacrifice from what he had taken; in addition
to this he promised he would become a Jew to proclaim the
power of God [2 Macc 9:17]. But when such people do
not get the mercy of God which they wanted, forgetful of
the past pains and defects they suffered, they are ungrateful
and forget equally the grace of their benefactor. Wisdom
says rightly of such: Do not forget the kindness of your
guarantor [Sir 29:15], and further on adds: A sinner
wastes the property of his guarantor, and the ungrateful
person abandons his rescuer [Sir 29:16-17]. A sinner
runs away from the guarantor when the sinner does not carry
out the vow promised after being given the health asked
for; moreover, an ungrateful person deserts the one healing,
since by an evil deed the ungrateful person contradicts
the work of healing grace. Often the just God, on seeing
in some people the fault of such ingratitude, by a just
decree allows them to fall back into a condition similar
to that from which they escaped or even to more serious
dangers. I will give one example.
27.
After her marriage, Morena, a woman from Gaudianum and a
daughter of Constantine, developed a terrible swelling from
dropsy; for this reason her husband despised her and greatly
confused she went back to her father’s house. At the time
of the death of Friar Benevenutus the woman stood before
his body and began to feel a healing in parts of her body.
The following day she went back again to the tomb and felt
in herself a similar blessing of further healing. Returning
on the third day for the same reason she fully regained
perfect heath. On her return to the guest house her relatives
came to congratulate her on the recovery of her health,
and, moved by shallowness of soul she said to her mother:
‘I prefer now to feel in my body the previous sickness to
which I was accustomed than to be covered with such shame
in the presence of these women’. When she said this, in
the sight of all present, the swelling of dropsy returned
as before. Immediately, she was brought to the tomb of the
holy Friar since she could not get there on her own; there
with great devotion she begged the Lord that the stupid
words she had spoken not be held against her for punishment
but that God might in mercy receive her as a penitent for
a fuller proclamation of God’s glory. After her prayer the
woman merited to receive a full healing from her relapse.
After a few days her mother said to her that she should
go to the examiners of miracles to record the wonders she
had experienced; stirred by anger and shame she replied
that she would never go into their presence. On the following
night such sickness and pain filled her whole body that
she thought she would die from the excessive discomfort.
In the morning, feeling sorry for her boldness, she asked
for mercy that the former sickness might go away and, hurrying
to the presence of the examiners spoken of above, related
all in order.
28.
Something similar happened to Robert of Armento who for
three months was enfeebled with paralysis, his mouth was
horribly twisted to an oblong shape, he lost the use of
his tongue and he could not use his hands to feed himself.
When he made a vow to Friar Benevenutus there appeared to
him during the night while he was asleep a person dressed
like a Friar. When the paralytic saw what he believed to
be Friar Luke, a lector among the Friars in Puglia, with
all his heart he asked his protection. The Friar standing
there replied: ‘I am not Friar Luke but be confident because
you will recover from your illness’. In the morning, the
paralytic raised the right hand of which he had lost the
use and, as the feeling of paralysis went away, he knew
that his other limbs were somewhat strengthened. An old
lady, named Maralla, came and asked him how he felt. When
he replied that he was feeling better the woman said: ‘Do
you want me to exorcize you with my incantations?’ He answered:
‘Yes’. Then, as she had promised, she sang over him and
he lost once again completely the benefits received in his
limbs. Finally, influenced by a priest and prompted by sorrow
he vowed again to Friar Benevenutus, promising that he would
bring a wax image to his tomb; having done this, by his
merits he obtained a total healing of his limbs and rising
from his bed he visited the tomb in person with the promised
gift.
29.
Thomas Nicodemi whose son was named Peter, described under
oath the cure of his son Peter who for six months endured
the heat of fevers from which he became deaf, paralysed
and epileptic. His mother made a vow and carried him to
the tomb of the most holy Friar; when he had been there
but a short time, immediately he was so restored to his
previous state of health that no sign of the sicknesses
remained in him.
30.
Palma Simonis from Corneto stated under oath that for fourteen
years she was exhausted from a flow of blood which no medical
opinion had been able to cure. At the death of Friar Benevenutus
she came with some other women to the church of the Friars;
going up to the unburied body she took hold of and placed
the arm of the Friar on her body and on all her limbs with
confidence. After praying she left with her companions,
and never again had to suffer the flow of blood as before.
31.
The master, Petracha of Minervinum, stated under oath that
while in the villa of Dordogne busy in the imperial service,
he was attacked by a sickness called by doctors sqinancy;
this sickness blocks the entrance of the throat so that
for five days he could not eat, drink or sleep; if some
liquid was put with force into his mouth, with the gullet
completely blocked, it came out his ears or nose. He made
a vow that if the Lord by the merits of Friar Benevenutus
would cure him of this abject sickness, he would visit his
tomb with gifts. Straightaway the abscess began to be somewhat
mitigated and from then on he took food and on the ninth
day was totally cured.
Listener.
Since, as you assert, this Friar was of such holiness, I
wonder why the Lord is said to have worked none or but few
miracles through him while he was alive.
Why saints while alive
are said to have worked none or but few miracles
Speaker.
Following the opinion of a Saint
an answer can be given, namely, that for a double reason
it is much more useful to give praise to the memory rather
than to the life of people; this is so when neither the
adulation might benefit the one praising nor the honour
test the one praised. But I think there is one special reason
among others why God often makes the saints shine with miracles
after their death more frequently than when they are alive:
namely, to strengthen in the minds of the weak their faith
and glory in the resurrection, when from touching the holy
ashes, regarded by the carnal mind as useless and spent,
various healings and even sometimes bodily life are mercifully
and powerfully given. Scripture promised this to the saints
approach-ing home from exile when it said:
And brightness like that of the noonday, shall arise
to you at evening; and when you shall think of yourself
consumed, you shall rise as the day star. And you shall
have confidence, hope being set before you, and being buried
you shall sleep secure. You shall rest and there shall be
none to make you afraid; and many shall entreat your face.
But the eyes of the wicked shall decay, and the way to escape
shall fail them, and their hope the abomination of the soul
[Job 11:17-20 DRB].
No one thinking as a Catholic
is ignorant how clearly and without enigma this is fulfilled
literally with the relics of the saints. The light poured
out from the signs sometimes directs the enemies of the
Christian faith to the way of truth and life, while the
impious and those who rebel against the light are overwhelmed
and confused by a just judgment of blindness. We acknowledge
some wonderful signs worked by the living saints in the
flesh, some of which we have seen with our eyes
and touched with our hands [1 Jn 1:1]; I relate one
of these, taken from the middle of the list, in which we
read that the Lord worked this wonder while Friar Benevenutus
was still alive.
32.
A woman named Catania from Pescopagano testified under oath
that her son Galterellus had lacked the use of his tongue
from birth until his seventh year. She sent wine and bread
to Friar Benevenutus who was lying sick in bed and the same
boy humbly offered the gift she had sent. While he stood
dumb before the bed of the Friar, Friar Nicholas the guardian
of the house said to Friar Benevenutus: ‘The boy is dumb
and has not spoken in his seven years; teach him something
so that he might speak’. Friar Benvenutus took the bread
and asked the boy what it was. Since the boy could not express
with his tongue an idea which was in his mind, Friar Benevenutus
said to him: ‘Say bread’; immediately with his tongue freed
the boy said: ‘Bread’. Then showing him the wine he said
to him: ‘Say wine’; the boy replied: ‘Wine’. When the boy
returned home he who had been dumb spoke before his parents
and neighbours; greatly and rightly joyful of this they
thanked God and Friar Benevenutus.
33.
Claritia Iacobi from Guisileum said under oath that after
giving birth on the fifth of March her right breast with
which she was feeding her child suddenly became swollen
like a small inflated bottle as hard as stone and black
and blue in colour. When she had despaired of the doctors
being able to reduce the swelling in the breast, two ulcers
appeared on the breast and gave her continuous pain. When
the holy Friar died she went to the body and placed on her
breast her hand which had touched his body; at this touch
the tumour began to grow smaller accompanied with noise,
as if the nerves of her breast were being torn violently;
straightaway she regained her health, and no scars remained
of the ulcers on her breast. She added that eight days after
regaining her health, since she had no milk in this breast,
she humbly begged the holy Friar to show mercy towards her
also in this matter. After making the vow the woman immediately,
as she stated, had abundant milk.
34.
Bartholomew Gubianus testified under oath that when Palma
his daughter had suffered for four years from the pain of
ulcerated dropsy in her hands and feet, he despaired completely
of doctors. When Friar Benevenutus died, bearers carried
her in their hands to his body. One of the bearers named
Basilius who was standing nearby placed on the Friar the
right hand of the girl’s injured limbs and then her diseased
feet; after he did this, in the evening of the following
day, by the merits of the Friar the discharge of the girl’s
ulcers dried up and she regained total health then and there.
35.
Pasca, a woman from Dordogne, stated under oath that her
mouth and nose were covered with an ulcerous dropsy so that
from the ulcers she ceaselessly gave out a foul smelling
discharge. Her friends and parents would have preferred
her dead rather than the disgust of having her alive. She
came to the tomb of the Friar where she prayed; she suddenly
began to sneeze, and from the shaking the foul smelling
ulcers were loosened and she passed a number of bones with
rotten flesh through the openings of her body; when these
had passed as all present could see the ulcers began to
be made whole, and she received complete healing then and
there through the merits of the Friar.
36.
Ulixes Falconis stated under oath that his daughter, named
Caratenuta, suffered for four years from glandular swellings
on both sides of her throat. The only cure available was
surgery. However, her father, fearing the danger, would
not give in to the doctors who said this. He made a vow,
went to Corneto and humbly carried his daughter to the tomb
of the holy Friar; there the girl passed the night in prayer
and in the presence of her grandmother she was cured in
the morning by the merits of the Friar.
37.
Donna Maria, with the family name of Cica, testified under
oath that she had two daughters, one of whom for four years
suffered from a swelling in the throat, while the other
endured such pain in a hip that for a space of six months
she could neither stand upright nor move. The woman took
her two daughters and went humbly to the tomb of the holy
Friar. There she hastened to fulfil her vow, put her daughter
with the swollen throat on the tomb, the other she placed
before it. While she prayed earnestly for the health of
her daughters, she merited immediately by the intercession
of the most holy Friar the cure of both her daughters. The
same woman added that a thumb on her hand had been so full
of pain that she could not do any work with the hand. She
touched the tomb with her thumb and then and there it began
to sweat; as the sweat lessened so did all the pain.
38.
Galudibilia Fortunati testified under oath that she had
suffered for four years from an arthritic gout in her hands
so that she could neither bring them to her mouth nor do
any work with them. She went to the body of Friar Benevenutus
before his burial; when she had prayed, she was immediately
restored to full health by his merits.
Listener.
When souls are stripped of flesh it is clear they lack the
organs of the senses with which they were able to see or
hear the bodily troubles of people. How then are they able
to be aware of the prayers of those praying or even their
sufferings so as to offer them to the ears of God?
How the saints recognize
the prayers and sufferings of people praying
Speaker.
The question you ask is indeed difficult and beyond my ability.
However, I think it can be said in accord with the opinion
of orthodox Fathers that it is clear the souls of the saints
in the shelter and the light of God’s presence
[Ps 31:20; 89:15] look with clear vision on God’s truth;
in the mirror of eternity they recognize whatever needs
to be understood in what concerns their joy and what concerns
being of help to us. They offer what we ask for but not
as if it were unknown to God; when God has to make a judgment
on our vows, they consult God’s truth, and come to know
what God should give, and they often suggest in a clear
way or more often secretly what is to be done. Therefore,
I think the saints present to the divine ears the necessities
and prayers of people in this way; clearly they intercede
for us, which they would never do unless they learnt of
it by listening to the spotless mirror of the working
of God [Wis 7:26]. They are so at one with the truth
and justice of the divinity that they could want nothing
at all other than what they know is pleasing to the divinity.
We are to pray then so that their merits help us poor people
and so that they may desire what is good for us, because
when they want it clearly they are able to do whatever they
have in mind. Hence things visible announce to many the
gently given grace of the divine dispensation, and either
mercifully direct those praying or confirm by the evidence
of what is done that what was asked for in prayer had been
granted by God. To make this clearer, note what I said in
the double example.
39.
Friar John of Altopassus stated under oath that while preaching
with a companion in the province of Puglia he collected
a large sum of money and came finally to Corneto to ask
for an annual alms from his fellow friars. While the Friars
were travelling through Corneto on this business, it happened
that his companion who carried in a purse the money referred
to above, lost it without realizing his loss. On the next
morning when both needed the purse with the money it could
not be found and so they began to feel greatly saddened.
When they had remained in this anxiety for three days, and
out of shame did not tell others the reason for their anxiety,
they went humbly to the tomb of Friar Benevenutus where
they prayed most devoutly that by his merits he might be
able to recover the lost money. The following night someone
in the habit of the Friars Minor stood beside this Friar
John and said to him:
Get up and go to the swine herd of the Abbot of Venusia.
His name is John and you will find him leaning on a staff
beside a pig pen; he found this money in such a place and
hid it in a different place in a pig pen. If he denies having
found it say to him: Friar Benevenutus stood beside me this
very night saying that you had found the guest’s lost money
and have hidden it secretly in a pig pen.
In the morning the Friar
got up joyfully and told the vision to his fellow Friar;
together with his companion they hurried to look for the
swine herd as they had been advised. When they found the
person leaning on the staff as it had been told to them,
they demanded in flattering words that the lost money be
handed back. When this person continued to deny it, Friar
John said to him:
Miserable person, you will not be able to deny this, because
Friar Benevenutus on this very night appeared to me and
said that you had found and hidden it beside the pig pen.
Hearing this the person
was amazed at the knowledge of his secret and then and there
confessed the truth; hurrying to the place where he had
put the money he gave back to the Friars all the buried
money in the purse just as he had found it.
40.
A Friar of the Order of Friars Minor, named Giles, said
under oath that while Friar Benevenutus was still alive
he had lived with him for almost eight years. After the
death of Friar Benevenutus, the same Friar was worn out
from a severe temptation of the flesh from which neither
by prayers nor other spiritual exercises was he able to
be freed. Remembering his former friendship, he commended
himself humbly in prayer to Friar Benevenutus. When he had
prayed, Friar Benevenutus with a cheerful and joyful expression
appeared to him in a dream as he slept and said: ‘Friar
Giles, give me your cord and take mine which I give to you’.
When he had done this, Friar Benevenutus put his cord on
him which he then wore. From this contact the temptation
left the Friar who from the protection of divine grace never
again experienced this temptation.
41.
Sabinus of Adimola stated under oath that he had a field
full of cumin
all of which at the time for harvesting was invaded by locusts
which gnawed it. When he heard of this he ran to the field
with his wife. Seeing the crop completely covered with locusts
he vowed to both God and Friar Benevenutus that, were God
in mercy by the merits of the Friar to defend the cumin
from the plague of locusts, he would give a measure of cumin
to the church in which the Friar was buried. As soon as
he made the vow the locusts disappeared; on the following
day he reaped the field which was fresh in appearance and
he faithfully dedicated one part to Friar Benevenutus; when
on the third day he went to collect it, he found it intact
and unharmed, even though the plants around it were completely
gnawed and eaten.
42.
An archpriest, Peregrinus from Corneto, swore that with
six priests he came at certain times over the period of
the three days during which the body of Friar Benevenutus
lay in the church of St Peter before his burial; the three
days were for the devotion of the people. He touched the
limbs of the Friar which seemed to him to be not the limbs
of a dead but of a living person. The veins of his hands
seemed to be full of blood and the nails of a reddish colour;
the fingers also appeared to be smooth. He said that all
the limbs of the Friar were firm but soft and gave off a
perspiration with a pleasant odour.
43.
Friar Nicholas of Traictum, guardian of the Friars in Corneto,
testified under oath that when he and the other Friars washed
the dead body of Friar Benevenutus with warm water, his
limbs were getting as stiff as one dead for some time; because
of this stiffness they were hardly able to clothe him in
the habit of the Friars. However, by evening of the same
day, when the body had already been carried to the church
of St Peter, and Friar Nicholas with the other Friars went
to give due honour to the corpse of Friar Benevenutus, his
limbs which before were rigid were now soft when touched
by a hand, as if they were the limbs of a youth. Nicholas
could then, as he might choose, turn the head forward or
backwards, to the right and to the left. The fingers of
his hands could be moved and the other limbs appeared to
be more those of a living person than of a dead person,
while all his flesh remained moist as of one perspiring.
The truth of the above works
of divine majesty which concern the glory of God and the
praise of the most holy Friar, but of which many have been
passed over in silence for the sake of brevity, has been
examined according to the limits of my ability. To avoid
burdening the reader I have selected these few from many
which are more certain so that the pious devotion of the
Friars may be upheld and that their devotion may hold them
to the praise of the Lord; whoever knows other and similar
deeds may relate them for the building up of the faith,
and may they always be well able to add what concerns the
honour of the divine majesty.
III.
ON FRIAR AMBROSE WHO
IS BURIED IN CIVITAVECCHIA
Listener.
I acknowledge you have told me much about these two admirable
friars; I now ask you, as you have promised, to add something
about others of whose deeds you have knowledge.
Speaker.
Friar Ambrose who came from the town of Massa, was outstanding
for his praiseworthy life and virtuous actions and renewed
the ancient glory of Civitavecchia with heavenly signs.
From infancy he entered the way of simplicity and, although
involved in secular duties, was happy to keep his soul immune
from those vices in which the world abounds by a general
corruption in its children. From a youthful age he showed
by his pious actions an admirable nobility. As a boy in
the first flowering of youth he gave himself to the study
of letters. When he saw some of his siblings heading for
the slope of vice, as is wont to happen at that age, he
judged that he should from now on prepare a home for the
Holy Spirit; he embraced celibacy and adorning the beginnings
of puberty with the glory of purity, consecrated himself
to the Lord as first fruits.
When Ambrose reached maturity
he could feel the snares of enticing prosperity ready for
him; disdaining the pleasures of the flourishing world he
became one who dedicates himself to the evangelical promise,
exchanging riches for poverty and temporal for eternal gains.
In the same town of Massa he took on with humble devotion
the life and habit of the Friars Minor, so as to buy
the pearl of great price [Mt 13:46]; he put aside all
his possessions which were to be distributed to the poor,
and going with bare feet he wrote a statement of his aim,
namely, to separate himself from the scorned world.
By divine clemency
he pursued the grace of conversion, putting the virtue of
obedience before sacrifice [1 Sam 15:22], going wherever
holy obedience commanded to serve the needs of the Friars
even when hungry and thirsty, cold and naked [2 Cor
11:27], and he offered himself to the Lord as a sacrifice
full of marrow [Ps 65:15 DRB; 66:15 NRSV]. Frequently giving
himself to prayer he moistened the bed of
conscience with tears [Col 4:2 and Ps 6:7]. Often
content with bread and water, he tempered the promptings
of carnal concupiscence.
As one who was devout, ready
and moved by feelings of compassion towards the unfortunate
and sick, he dedicated to them a needed ministry. He ministered
the service of human kindness not only to Friars but also
more zealously to seculars known and unknown to him, mercifully
visiting any confined to bed and with courteous zeal getting
medicines he knew to be suitable for wounds or illnesses.
He frequently prepared meals
for the Friars, gladly washed the plates and did other lowly
services. And if sometimes from the defect of the weakness
of human nature, as is common, he spoke against someone,
immediately with his cord hung over his shoulders and prostrate
on the ground he humbly asked pardon of the Friar. Putting
up patiently with annoyances done to him, he was happy not
to hurt the offender, rather, quickly putting the offence
aside, he drew from the one offending a full affection of
heartfelt love.
The servant of God, Ambrose,
persevered in such exercises for almost fifteen years after
his entry into the Order; then it pleased the Lord to put
an end to his work, and the Lord deigned to send an angel
messenger to inform him of his imminent journey from this
world. On one of the last journeys of his life to the Church
of Saint Peter of Mechera, he was accompanied by a Friar
of our Order named Tobias at whose suggestion he agreed
to tell him the mystery of the revelation made to him; but
then he put off telling this, either from being pressed
by the difficulty of the journey or perhaps from the certainty
of the awaited result, namely, the end of his life. However,
later, before the debt of the flesh was loosened, he did
tell it.
The day before he began
to suffer, as he was about to leave the world, and mindful
of the Friar seated beside him he spoke to him privately
as follows:
An angel told me that I was in obedience to be buried in
Saint Peter so that when brought there the illness from
which I am now burdened might run its course. The angel
also indicated that the sick person was to be transferred
to Civitavecchia where our Friars are preparing to build
a church. The angel also showed me terrible and horrible
punishments of purgatory, stating that from the illness
which I suffer I am to be brought from the world to Christ.
All these things were predicted
by the servant of God to take place in the way he had described,
so that from the evidence of the subsequent events seen
in faith we know they were fulfilled.
Nor do I think it should
be passed over in silence that on the day on which he died
at about the morning hour he, joyful in appearance, made
a sign that he had seen something. When one of the friars
assisting him asked if he had seen St Francis, he replied:
‘Not at all’. When asked if an angel had appeared to him
he gave no answer to the one asking. He foretold the death
of a citizen known to him and whose name had been divinely
revealed to him; he said that Guillelmus had died, and he
told those assisting him that he Friar Ambrose was to follow
him between the ninth hour and evening. And so indeed did
it happen.
It is clear that the merits
of the servant of God were highly regarded by the Almighty
who deigned to adorn him not only with a spirit of prophecy
but also with virtues and clear miracles. These acts of
divine power occurred especially in parts of Civitavecchia
and while the evidence of a miracle could not be hidden
from those living nearby because of its brightness, his
fame reached even those living far away. For the sake of
all who are envious of the faith, all who become blind in
the light, I have taken and noted in these pages a few from
the forest of miracles, adding the names and the task set
for the commission of delegates who were scrutineers of
the Apostolic See. The names and task are as follows:
Gregory bishop, servant of the servants of God, to my venerable
brother bishops N. of Civitavecchia, N. of Soana and to
my beloved son N., Prior of Saint John of Piazza Armerina,
a member of the Order of St Augustine in Civitavecchia,
health and apostolic blessing.
By the wisdom of God, Jesus Christ always renews his Church
with wonderful signs to show clearly the power of his might
and to bring about in mercy the cause of our salvation.
Frequently also Christ works signs and wonders on earth
in memory of the faithful whom he crowns in heaven. By these
signs and wonders heretical obstinacy is confounded and
the Catholic faith confirmed. Therefore, we thank as much
as possible the Son of the eternal Father who, in our day
to the honour and glory of his name and to increase devotion
in all the redeemed by his precious blood, gives new
signs and works other wonders [Sir 36:6], powerfully
making those shine with miracles who have held the Catholic
faith in heart, speech and deed. As indicated to us by the
advice of our beloved son and by the people of Civitavecchia
in their letters, the Lord of all power conferred with glory
on Friar Ambrose of pious memory, a member of the Order
of Friars Minor, that he should shine with so many and such
great miracles as to be worthy to be prayed to as one of
the saints. This is the reason why they have asked and begged
us to listen to the evidence of what divine kindness did
through him. In such a holy business one must proceed only
with maturity and due seriousness and in the Lord we have
full confidence in your discretion. We commission you by
apostolic letters to summon before you religious and other
persons worthy of trust, and to enquire diligently about
the deeds and miracles of the said Friar. You are to do
this following the procedure we send you in our Bull. As
we have indicated, you are to keep under seal the statements
of the witnesses summoned. The procedure for your commission
is as follows: The genuine witnesses you summon are to be
examined carefully under oath on the life, character and
miracles of Friar Ambrose. You are to question them about
their statements: how do they know this, at what time, on
what day, where? If they speak of prayers offered through
him they are to be asked what words were used, the names
of those of whom miracles are said to have been worked,
did they know them previously, how many days before did
they become sick, for how long were they sick and for how
long have they been healthy, also from where they came?
They are to be questioned carefully on all the circumstances
and on each point by using set questions designed to be
helpful. The detailed evidence and the words of the witnesses
are to be consigned faithfully to writing.
Given at the Lateran, 22 May in the fourteenth year of our
pontificate.
Listener.
Since, with due respect to the faith,
it seems right and fitting
to take part in ceremonies praising the merits of the saints
and to venerate them with every worship of good will, why
is it that holy mother Church, as if jealous of these saints,
so subtly examines and investigates the truth of the wonders
reported about them?
Why the Church is so slow
to canonize saints
Speaker.
In truth, slow and necessary
is the process dealt with here, so that in no way does the
Church believe every spirit, but rather probes by
testing to see whether they are from God [1 Jn 4:1].
For according to Scripture: One who trusts others too
quickly has a shallow mind [Sir 19:4]; and whoever would
believe does not hurry because one who moves too hurriedly
misses the way [Sir 19:2]; the spouse of Christ, in
the washing of water [Eph 5:26ff.], must clearly
avoid staining with a spot or by a false wrinkle
of duplicity the glory of miracles given to her; were the
Church to approve as true what is false it would stain the
purity of the faith by this ambiguity. Were this to happen
by accident, outside the intention of the Christian Church,
which could be an occasion for the enemies of the Church
to speak against it, this could easily stir up for the weak
a stone that makes them stumble and a rock that makes
them fall [1 Pet 2:8]. Holy mother Church does well
and acts prudently when, mindful of the difficulty in believing
and the risk of alienating other children of her womb, it
supports the piety of the Catholic faith by broadening the
consent of faith; it does this when the truth shines out
more clearly from a public testimony which in no way can
become an occasion for perfidious suspicion.
Listener.
Because I see you have answered my doubt with a clear reasoning,
I beg you now to go on with the rest of the story.
Speaker. 1.
Christopher, from the guest house of the Holy Angel of Posterula
in Civitavecchia, spoke under oath of the miracles of Friar
Ambrose and affirmed that when his right hand had been shrunken
for ten years and his shoulder dehydrated, he came to the
tomb of the said Friar to beg for a return to health; when
he had persevered there in prayer together with scourging,
he returned home with his health restored through the merits
of the Friar.
2.
A woman named Avenante, wife of Ugolinus Melchinus from
the village of Saint Andrew, testified under oath that she
gave birth to a son whose right hand was so shrivelled that
in no way could it be held out or bent. She vowed to God
and Friar Ambrose that if the Lord would free her son in
mercy through the merits of the Friar, she would bring a
waxen image to his tomb and each year on the anniversary
of his burial she would provide the food necessary for two
poor people. After making the vow, then and there her child
received the health for which she had prayed.
3.
Ryldebraldinus Ranutii from Corneto stated under oath that
on doing something wrong his right hand was raised high,
the bone of his shoulder remained displaced so that he could
do no work with it especially since it began to be totally
dehydrated. Tortured in this way he invoked humbly the help
of Friar Ambrose who appeared to him in a dream during the
quiet of night and said to him: ‘Do not be afraid, from
now on you will be healed’; and taking his extended hand
straightaway he was restored to health.
4.
Domina Aldbrandina, wife of Odo Napolleus, testified under
oath that she had a daughter who for two years was so dehydrated
that she was like a skeleton; whatever she ate or drank
was straightaway vomited up undigested. Seeking help she
made a vow and had her sister take the girl to the tomb
of Friar Ambrose. Brought to the tomb in search of a recovery
to health, the girl immediately got up, as all present could
see. When she returned home, she took food and drink which
she kept down and began to put on weight.
5.
Gegorius Peneriae from Civitella stated under oath that
one of his legs had been shrivelled for two years; he also
so suffered from an abscess that he could neither get out
of bed nor move. He promised God and blessed Ambrose that
if he were to get help through Ambrose’s glorious merits
he would personally bring a wax image to his tomb. On making
this promise, he was cured from the suffering of both the
contraction of his leg and the abscess. With many companions
he walked on his own feet to the tomb of the holy man.
6.
Domina Amata, wife of Andrew from Paterno Calabro, testified
under oath that her son John had been deprived completely
of the use of the limbs on his left side for more than a
year. She made a vow to Friar Ambrose and with many neighbours
brought her son to his tomb. She passed a whole night there
in prayer and on the following morning the boy, fully cured
through the intercession of the most holy Friar, returned
home with his mother praising God.
7.
Benincasa from the village of Saint Stephen stated under
oath that when one day he wanted to go to Adglianum a person
asked him pressingly to return his shoes just when he was
hurrying to get on with his journey. It so happened, that
his left foot was broken so that from the tightening of
the nerves the sole of his foot was turned upwards. He vowed
to Friar Ambrose that if the Most High would in mercy deign
through the merits of Ambrose to free him, he would remain
always in his service. Immediately the bones of his foot
began to clatter a little and the sole of his foot turned
back. He was restored then and there to health, and the
next day visited on his own feet the shine of the holy man.
8.
A woman named Peace reported under oath that when for ten
years her whole body had been tormented and her legs so
constricted that she was unable to get up, a man moved by
pity for her carried her in his arms to the tomb of Friar
Ambrose. When she was put down at the tomb she made a vow
and said: ‘Blessed Ambrose, I beg your mercy promising you
that if through your merits I obtain health, I will
serve you as a devoted servant all the days of my life’.
On invoking the Friar the woman was so restored to health
before all present that she was able to return home by herself,
healthy and sound.
9.
Bonagura, a citizen of Perugia, affirmed under oath that
he was carrying a wine-vessel with some companions who,
oppressed by the weight, fled unmindful that the whole burden
would come on to him. He was left useless for ten months
and afterwards, forced by poverty, began to beg crawling
on his hands. He made a vow to God and to Friar Ambrose
that if in mercy he could be cured through the Friar’s merits,
each year on the anniversary of the Friar’s death he would
provide what was needed for two poor people; in the presence
of many standing around he regained his full health.
10.
Domina Balseverina from the village of Saint Dominic said
under oath that her son Nicoletus was smitten in his left
arm, neck and throat with a tumour which was reddish in
colour so that all despaired of the health of the child.
She took her son and hurried to the tomb of the said Friar
so that she might present him in the hope of getting a cure
from him. When she could not touch the tomb because of the
large crowd there, she asked humbly to be given some of
the ground on which he had been washed. When a Friar gave
her this, she hung it around the neck of her sick son who,
through the merits of the most holy Friar, regained his
longed for health.
11.
A woman named Urbevetana stated under oath that her son
Belbrunus for two and a half years had become so shrunken
that his knees were inseparably joined to his chest, and
he was so dehydrated that he seemed to be only skin and
bone. The anxious mother seeking the health of her son brought
him to the tomb of Friar Ambrose. Asking for mercy she placed
the child on the tomb; his bones began to rattle, the sound
being heard by those standing nearby, and shortly after
being lifted from the tomb he was able to return home with
his former health restored.
12.
Domina Richa from the village of Saint Iuvenalis testified
under oath that her daughter had been lame for two months,
was bent towards the right because of gout, and her right
eye was so covered by a film that she could see nothing
with the eye. When Friar Ambrose died she came to his tomb
humbly asking for mercy for her daughter; on invoking the
Friar the girl was freed completely from the suffering of
such torments.
13.
Domina Tramandata, wife of Benevenutus Montanarius from
the village of Saint Constantius, stated under oath that
when her husband laughed at the miracles of Friar Ambrose,
ironically calling him a saint, his right hand became so
painful that it was useless for work and he could not even
use it to bring food to his mouth. Persuaded by his wife
he made a vow to God and to Friar Ambrose and through the
merits of Ambrose regained his longed for health.
14.
Beatrix, wife of Simon from the village of Saint Saviour,
testified under oath that for six years her right side had
been so paralysed she could not get up from bed nor do any
work. One day a relative named Clara brought her a small
piece of the habit of Friar Ambrose. Taking it devoutly
and humbly, she put it on her paralysed limbs and made a
vow to the Friar that if through his merits the Lord would
look on her in mercy she would visit his tomb bringing a
wax image; when she made the vow the woman regained full
health in the presence of many people standing nearby. Early
on the following morning she walked on her own feet to the
tomb of Friar Ambrose to carry out her promise.
Listener.
As stated in Wisdom, the
Lord made himself both small and great and he takes thought
for all alike [Wis 6:7]. What then can we think is the
reason why such a speedy recovery is given to some, while
to others neither their own prayers nor those of others
nor even works of piety have this effect?
On prayers answered and
prayers not answered
Speaker.
If you ask me for an understanding
of the divine will, I can aptly reply on the basis of the
same authority of Scripture which you quoted: You are
righteous and you rule all things righteously, deeming it
alien to your power to condemn anyone who does not deserve
to be punished, nor can anyone say ‘What have you
done?’ [Wis 12:15 and 12]. And the Apostle says:
Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the
same lump one object for special use and another for
ordinary use? [Rom 9:21]. I can reply to this adequately
in a way in agreement with Christian piety. If God gives
one thing to a person and denies the same thing to another,
what God does will be just. Whatever merit is seen to be
ours, the whole is formed by preceding grace, and anything
of ours apart from the gifts of the divine bounty God accepts
with the gift of helping grace and completes its perfection
in this life or in glory. Therefore, whether or not God
has given a grace it is a mark of generosity that God’s
hand gives a blessing which is evidence of hidden justice.
Now, however, if you ask about the cases of those receiving
gifts, I remind you I have answered this question before,
when treating of lack of faith and a need for sin to be
taken away as a double barrier to grace. Now, because you
pursue even further the question of prayers and works of
piety not answered, I see I have to reply with words and
arguments from the saints. If one of these saints says that
someone praying was not heard, as you propose in the question,
know that the reason for this is that this person has not
prayed as faithfully, devoutly, with perseverance in prayer
and the habit of prayer as is necessary; or the person was
interrupted by some distraction; or the person was praying
for grace for a person refusing grace; or lastly either
consciously or unconsciously the person asked for something
which would not be helpful for salvation. When these conditions
are found in a person, namely, piety, perseverance, praying
for oneself and for salvation, the saints state one is to
hold that, according to the warrant of God’s liberality
and the fittingness of the one asking, what is asked for
is obtained by the devout, or, if perhaps the request is
not fitting, what is asked for is given always in an equal
or even greater blessing.
Listener.
It is sufficiently clear from what you have said that often
sin is the reason why the vows of people asking are not
heard, for the God who in the Gospel encourages the tardy
to ask is always ready to bestow gifts. But now I ask you
to get back to the list of deeds so as to continue in the
same order with the wonders of the man of God.
Speaker.
15. Domina Gratia, daughter of Damien, from the village
of the Holy Apostles, testified under oath that for five
years she had suffered from epilepsy. In time as the sickness
developed, her neighbours would be horrified as her tongue
would burn like fire. She prayed to God and to Friar Ambrose
and on invoking the name of the Friar she was straightaway
cured so that from then on she never suffered from the same
pain.
16.
Marcus Abbasarius, from the village of Saint Iuvenalis,
confirmed under oath that when his son Mercuinus was suffering
from epilepsy, he made a vow to Friar Ambrose that if the
Lord would in mercy free him from this sickness, for the
rest of his life he would provide on the anniversary of
the Friar’s death what was needed by four poor people. After
making this vow the boy was immediately cured so completely
that no sign of the illness remained.
17.
Domina Diamante, wife of Clusius from the village of Saint
Faustinus, stated under oath that for the past eleven years
she was so totally blind that sometimes on nine occasions
in a single day she would be horribly disturbed. She made
a vow to Friar Ambrose and came to his tomb humbly and devoutly
begging for mercy. From the time the woman returned home
she was completely cured through the merits of the most
holy Friar.
18.
Pellis, from the village of Saint Mustiola, stated under
oath that his brother Leonardus had suffered for two months
from epilepsy and would become disquieted up to forty times
within the space of a day and a night; he twisted his mouth
as if he were possessed, and disturbed people with his loud
cries. On one occasion he said among other things: ‘Bring
me to the tomb of Friar Ambrose’. With a covering placed
over Leonardus, Pellis himself with six companions carried
him to the tomb of the Friar where Pellis made a vow and
said:
I promise you, holy Ambrose, that
if through your merits you free my brother from the terrible
sickness which afflicts him, I will visit your tomb with
a wax image and devoutly serve you for the whole of my life.
He made the vow and spent
the whole night in prayer; on the following morning, through
the merits of the Friar, Leonardus was completely cured
and returned home on his own feet.
19.
Sibilia, wife of Odo, confirmed under oath that her son
Guido suffered from the illness called madness so that when
disturbed he seemed truly to be possessed. On the advice
of a solider named Tinatius she made a vow to God and to
Friar Ambrose saying: ‘Saint Ambrose, help me as I pray
to you for the health of my son, and if you do this I will
visit your tomb bringing a wax image’. When she made the
vow, through the merits of the most holy Friar, the boy
never again suffered from this illness.
20.
Ventura, son of Yldeprandus Crassus from Montorio nei Frentane,
testified under oath that when a woman named Gratia had
been troubled by demons for four years to such an extent
that she could hardly be restrained by four men, her dear
ones brought her often to visit holy places but not even
there were the demons expelled. Finally, while Friar Ambrose
was still alive and staying in the Church of the town called
Saint Victoria, others brought her to this place. As requested
by the bystanders, Friar Ambrose commanded the demons to
leave, and in obedience to his command they left without
causing any harm.
21.
Palmeria, daughter of Albasia from Viterbo, stated under
oath that while on a journey she came thirsty to a well;
she asked a youth there to give her a drink as he drew water
for travellers. As the youth offered water to the thirsty
woman, another woman arrived wanting to snatch the water
for herself. Palmeria refused to give her the water, and
she angrily cursed Palmeria saying: ‘Drink the water and
may a thousand demons enter your body’. Palmeria drank the
water from the well and left. Eight days later she gave
birth to a son who died; she lamented excessively and began
to tear herself strongly with her hands and to shout out.
Often priests came to exorcize and drive out the demons
which tormented her in this way; as they read over her in
the customary way from the Gospels or other prayers, she
began to be more violently troubled by the demons. One of
the demons called himself a judge and no one was able to
better him in argument. Palmeria added that before Friar
Ambrose died, the demons shouted out: ‘There is one born
and still alive who will make us flee’. After the death
of Ambrose they called out saying: ‘Let us go to Ambrose
who drives us from our dwelling’. Then her husband Blasius
took her to Civitavecchia and placed her at the tomb of
the holy father. When he had prayed there with fervour and
devotion imploring mercy for his wife, through the merits
of the most holy Friar she regained her health. Listener.
According to my understanding, it is a rashness to be punished
when the mouth of a person given to cursing is at fault,
especially when, as you state, the demons were given such
power over the body of the woman from another’s curse.
On words of cursing rightly
and wrongly uttered
Speaker.
The habit of cursing is to be avoided by the just, lest
it happen that a curse against someone, uttered without
a just reason, makes the person subject to equitable punishment
before the face of God. Hence Isaac the patriarch when blessing
his son Jacob who represents the just said: Cursed be
everyone who curses you [Gen 27:29]; as if he had said
clearly: Whoever, wishing to harm without a reasonable motive,
hurls a spear of cursing at an innocent person, is guilty
and liable to a similar punishment now; the person also
sometimes takes on the fault of wrongdoers which as the
Apostle warns is to be avoided: Wrongdoers will not inherit
the kingdom of God [1 Cor 6:10]. By this word the wonderful
preacher condemns the custom of cursing and preaches that
those addicted to this habit will incur a punishment to
be paid. The Psalmist also speaks of those who curse:
Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness [Ps 13:3
DRB];
those who pour out words of cursing from this evil habit
and vomit out these words, show what bitterness of anger
thrives within them. But in truth such people do not get
off scot-free, because often it is allowed that, from the
merits of the person against whom the curse is directed,
the desired misfortune happens as in the example under discussion;
a curse may be sent out but by a just judgment of God it
sometimes will be turned back against the very ones who
uttered the curse not mindful of a zeal for justice. Solomon
was right in saying: Like a sparrow in its flitting,
like a swallow in its flying, an undeserved curse goes nowhere
[Prov 26:2]. A bird flying in the sky and a swallow restlessly
moving in giddy swoops return to rest in the nests which
they left; and a curse uttered against an innocent person,
since it does not find a home in this person, goes back
to and remains in the person who uttered the curse as a
bird goes back to the nest. It is written: Whoever digs
a pit will fall into it, and a stone will come back on the
one who starts it rolling [Prov 26:27].
The just from a zeal
for good are accustomed to direct the spear of a curse on
sinners as they deserve; the just desire to inflict on sinners
the suffering of a temporal punishment or the rigour of
a divine censure so as to bring them by penance to health.
I can say with prophetic certainty that the punishment will
never be taken away when called down upon detractors. Paul
directed that the fornicator in Corinth be handed over
to Satan for the destruction of his flesh so that
his spirit may be saved [1 Cor 5:6]. Eliseus the prophet
on his way to Bethel cursed those jeering at him and exposed
them to bodily death by being mauled by bears, so that anyone
confused by demonic troubling might also look to penance
for salvation. Those jeering at Eliseus were a figure of
the derision of the Jews by which they insulted Christ the
Lord asking him to come down from the yoke of the cross.
These people just mentioned prefigure by a temporal death
that an everlasting punishment is to remain with the perpetrators
of a perfidious action.
Listener.
What you say is very pleasing, but to one hungry in the
stomach of the mind please continue to feed me with the
dishes of your story.
Speaker. 22.
Domina Margarita, wife of Albonetus, stated under oath that
her son Daniel had suffered for seven months from a rupture
which medical skills could not cure. On the day of the death
of Friar Ambrose she went with her son to be present at
the funeral rites of the Friar; the woman took the hand
of the Friar and with it traced the sign of the cross on
the place of the rupture asking for the grace of healing;
as soon as she did this, the swelling decreased and the
boy returned home with his mother and felt no further pain.
23.
Palmerius, a farmer from the village of Saint Laurence,
affirmed under oath that from lifting a heavy object he
had suffered from a rupture for seven years and his intestines
came down into the bladder. Despairing of doctors, he made
a vow to Friar Ambrose through whose merits he regained
his health. He also added that when warned by the Friars
to come on a certain day to testify to the miracle, he did
not come at the prescribed time and fell back into a more
severe suffering. Repeating his vow to God and Friar Ambrose
he promised that, if they deigned in mercy to spare him,
without delay he would testify to the truth. As soon as
he said this his intestines, which had fallen again, were
brought back to their right place.
24.
Cinchius Odonis from the village of Saint Faustinus stated
under oath that his son had been ruptured for two months.
After getting remedies for him from many doctors but making
no progress with any of them, he arranged with a doctor
to cure him with surgery; however, fearing the death of
the boy, the doctor would not enter into the contract. One
day towards evening the man and his wife made a vow
to Friar Ambrose and on the following morning they found
the boy fully cured through the merits of the holy Friar.
25.
Domina Laetitia testified under oath that her son Andriotus
had suffered a blow in the genitals from which he was swollen
in his chest and bladder. Because of inclement weather she
did not dare to bring him to be treated by doctors, but
she made a vow and brought the boy to the tomb of Friar
Ambrose. She continued to pray there for the health of her
son and, in the sight of all the bystanders, the boy was
healed; he put away the bindings from around him and returned
home healthy and active.
26.
A woman named Riccadonna, mother of Henry Roculus from the
village of Saint Iuvenalis, stated under oath that her daughter
Benenata so suffered from a large tumour caused by an abscess
in the neck and shoulder that she could not turn or move
her neck. The woman made a vow to Friar Ambrose that if
in mercy the Lord might look upon her she would visit the
Friar’s tomb bringing a waxen image; next morning the tumour
broke and after a foul discharge had come out she was excellently
cured. The woman added that when her son Henry suffered
from pain in the heart and she could find no one who could
give an effective remedy for this, she made a vow to the
most holy Friar and placed her son on his tomb; she had
prayed there for a short time asking for a cure and at the
invocation of the servant of God the boy was then and there
cured.
27.
Beneamata, daughter of Bonsignolus from the village of Saint
Iuvenalis, affirmed under oath that she had suffered from
a most dangerous tumour in her head and could neither sleep
nor rest her head in bed even a little. When she made a
vow to the most holy Friar, in the presence of her sisters
the tumour broke through her nose and immediately through
the merits of the Friar the woman received complete health.
28.
Seramina, wife of Arvinus from the village of the Holy Angel
of Posterula, testified under oath that her husband was
close to death from a large tumour which made his limbs
cold as if he were dying. She made a vow to Friar Ambrose
that if her husband in mercy was cured, for the whole of
her life she would give substantial alms to the poor. When
she made the vow the tumour broke immediately and he vomited
a discharge mixed with blood through his mouth; getting
up from his couch he was completely restored to health.
29.
Gemma, wife of Rainaldus Floremans from the village of Saint
Christopher, stated under oath that she had a tumour in
the chest and suffered such acute fevers from the stress
of the pain that she seemed to be completely deranged in
her mind. The doctors despaired of her life but her husband
promised Friar Ambrose that if his wife was restored to
health he would offer devoutly a wax image and have a lime-kiln
built for his church. When he made the vow straightaway
the tumour broke and she vomited a discharge mixed with
blood from her mouth, the fever subsided, and on the following
day she walked to visit the shrine of the blessed Friar.
30.
Domina Supercla, wife of Acomandus from the village of Saint
Constantius, testified under oath that she was afflicted
with many illnesses and moreover had a tumour on her thigh
which prevented her from getting up from her bed or bending
her legs. On the anniversary of the day on which Friar Ambrose
of blessed memory left this world she made a vow to him
in her many troubles, promising to bring a wax image to
his tomb. When she had made the vow, immediately she felt
a lessening of the pain; she asked for her clothes, got
up from her bed and hurried to the body of the Friar. On
her return home through his merits she stayed free of any
illness.
31.
Divitia, wife of Benetendus from the village of the Holy
Angel, testified under oath that her daughter Ficta Montagna
for fifteen days had on her neck an awful tumour which discharged
a large amount of liquid, and because of this she felt much
shame. One evening her mother made a vow to Friar Ambrose
and by the following morning the girl got up restored to
her former health.
Listener.
Women from an unhappy custom are commonly proud of their
bodily beauty often, even when it is lacking, seeking it
by false appearances, and so by a just judgment they are
afflicted sometimes bodily in this life by grave punishments;
they suffer punishment in the very thing in which they represent
the fault of pride present in themselves and are an occasion
of ruin to others by a harmful appearance.
That bodily punishments
are often a sign and punishment of inner fault
Speaker.
We know that not only women
but men also, although not so generally, take pride in the
appearance of the body and they should thank the
Creator generously for giving such gifts of grace, and should
defend them more strongly. Hence Ezekiel said to the prince
of Tyre: Your heart was proud because of your beauty
[Ezek 28:17]. The justice of this remark is added:
I brought out fire from within you; it consumed you,
and I turned you to ashes on the earth, in the sight of
all who saw you [Ezek 28:18]. Because he was proud over
the bodily beauty given to him, it was right that a punishing
fire should come from his very flesh, so that he might bear
punishment in the very thing which he stupidly claimed as
his own while it was God’s glory. So the last words are
apt: I turned you to ashes on the earth, in the sight
of all who saw you. He was reduced to ashes on the earth,
because of oneself a person has only rottenness and is a
worm, and one is turned from the puffing up of pride by
any humiliation. All watching see this as an example of
unhappiness, namely, that they have to bear a serious shame
of punishment before those to whom certainly they have been
harmfully an occasion of scandal. Isaiah says of the vanity
and punishment of women:
The Lord said: Because the daughters of Zion are haughty
and walk with outstretched necks, glancing wantonly with
their eyes, mincing along as they
go, tinkling with their feet; the Lord will afflict with
scabs the heads of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will
lay bare their secret parts [Isa 3:16-17].
One can often see an apt
proportion between the infliction of bodily punishment and
the fairness of the one punishing. What other meaning has
a tumour in the body than to indicate a tumour of pride
in the mind? Pride of the mind is often hidden from the
eyes of others, but it is opened for all to see when the
Lord judges a suitable punishment has to be inflicted. Hezekiah,
king of Israel, after the total defeat of the Assyrians
by divine power, felt pride in his heart and did not give
due thanks to God for the victory; he was rightly afflicted
by an ulcer in his body which showed clearly to everyone
the pride hidden in his heart.
A further text says of proud Israel: Israel’s pride testifies
against him [Hos 5:5]. Through the punishment of exile,
the sin of pride hidden in the heart of a proud people,
was brought into the open; but the fault of the heart was
taken away by the laments of penance, just as the humbled
king was cured by a poultice of figs. To those bent under
the bitterness of penance the merciful Lord gives a sweet
infusion of consolation. This is what the Father of mercies
and the God of all consolation [2 Cor 1:3; see Lk 15:11ff.]
did on meeting his prodigal son; the father not only received
the penitent but fell upon his neck as a sign of former
familiarity and was consoled in kissing the one freed by
the judgment of perfect reconciliation.
Listener.
I admit willingly that it
is completely right for you to stray a little from the order
of your story when I see that sometimes you reply at length
to my words in a way of much value to me.
Speaker.
32. Ranerius Christiani from the village of Saint
Iuvenalis stated under oath that for twelve years he suffered
from a channel of gout in his left foot for which no remedies
had been able to cure him. Other people could hardly bear
to be near him because of the stench and his sister encouraged
him to commend himself humbly to Friar Ambrose. On invoking
the Friar he began to feel better, and three days after
making his vow he was totally cured of his illness.
33.
A woman named Iacoba from the village of Saint Andrew testified
under oath that her daughter Claravisu clearly suffered
in her head from the sickness called lupus. One evening
while Friar Ambrose was still alive, the woman met him as
he passed through the area. The woman humbly and devoutly
begged him to give her advice and help on the sickness of
her daughter; the Friar looked at the sickness, touched
it with his hand and made the sign of the cross over
it. Next morning when the
girl got up the mother looked at the place of the sickness
and saw imprinted there a sign of the cross; on the third
day the girl was completely cured from the sickness.
34.
Stephen Herman from Hylglanum stated under oath that for
two years the sickness called cancer was evident in his
shin-bone so that a large part of the whole leg seemed to
him to be infected. He had not been cured by doctors even
though he had paid them much money. He made a vow to Friar
Ambrose and within two days was cured totally of the dried
up sickness.
35.
Berta, wife of Scannus from Pisa, testified under oath that
her son Maximianus had suffered for a year and a half from
the sickness called rabies which caused a horrible swelling
of his whole neck and head. One evening she made a vow to
Friar Ambrose and on the following morning when the boy
got up from his bed he was seen to be cured most excellently.
36.
Theodora, wife of Manens a carpenter from the village of
Saint Andrew, stated under oath that her daughter Morvida
had been afflicted for three months with a hardened gout,
but had been cured totally when the mother made a vow and
invoked the help of Friar Ambrose. When her husband returned
home, the mother told him that their daughter had been cured
through the merits of the holy Friar. Her husband acted
unworthily and began to curse the saint of God. Hence it
happened, so it is thought, that the daughter fell back
more seriously into the illness. Lying on her sick bed and
hearing that a girl from Montepulciano had been healed through
the merits of the Friar, Morvida said:
Holy Ambrose, do you free strangers and abandon your own
household? I ask you in frequent prayers to free my unfortunate
self through your merits; if you do this, then each year
on the anniversary of your death I will give to one poor
person whatever is needed.
After
making her vow the woman immediately recovered so fully
that never again did she feel any trace of this pain.
37.
Mathaliona, wife of Rainutius a merchant from the village
of the Holy Apostles, confirmed under oath that when Friar
Ambrose was near the end of his life she went to where he
was with her daughter Massana who for four years had a tumour
in the throat which was horrible for anyone to see; she
asked the Friar to make the sign of the cross over the sickness
of the girl. He did this and the girl was fully cured on
the following day.
38.
Tornambene a butcher from Civitavecchia stated under oath
that he had suffered for four years from heart trouble,
during which time no remedy was effective. A neighbour encouraged
him to make a vow to Friar Ambrose that if he, Ambrose,
would look on him in mercy, he would visit his tomb with
a wax image. After making the vow, he immediately got up
from his bed and never again felt any such pain.
39.
Domina Iacoba Aldobrandi from Lubrianum testified under
oath that she so suffered for four days in her throat from
the sickness called livid that she could neither eat nor
drink, and as she weakened, she lost the use of speech and
fully despaired of health. She was taken quickly to Civitavecchia
where she made a vow to Friar Ambrose that if he would free
her from this grave illness, she would walk on her own feet
to bring a wax image to his tomb. In the morning the woman
got up from her bed and found herself fully restored to
her earlier state of health; she returned home with joy
and took care to carry out diligently what she had promised.
40.
Domina Gisla Devica
Canutii confirmed under oath that for twenty four years
she had been deprived of the sense of hearing. She went
to the tomb of Friar Ambrose where she made a vow and then
immediately heard the divine office being celebrated and,
as many in the church could see, she showed by gestures
and signs that she was fully cured.
41.
A woman named Sclaralda, wife of Aegidius from Vallis Platta,
testified under oath that her son suffered from a flow of
blood so that his life was totally despaired of; she promised
Friar Ambrose that if he would in mercy free her son, she
would visit his tomb with a waxen image; having made the
vow the boy was then and there cured of the flow of blood.
42.
Caradonna, wife of Girardus from Vallis Platta, stated under
oath that for four months she carried in her womb a dead
foetus which could not be expelled by any art or skill.
Distressed for three days and nights she lost the use of
speech and her husband made a vow to Friar Ambrose that
if he would in mercy cure his wife, he would bring her with
a wax image to his tomb. After he had made this vow, the
woman gave birth to the dead foetus and was freed immediately
from her pain through the merits of the Friar.
43.
Gilius from the village of the Holy Apostles stated under
oath that for six years he had suffered from such severe
dysentery that no one could bear to be in his presence because
of the smell. He invoked the name of Friar Ambrose and merited
to receive immediately full health.
44.
Bonacursus Rainaldi from the village of Saint Faustinus
affirmed under oath that the mouth of his son had an unbearable
odour, much of his tongue was gnawed to pieces and also
some ulcers horrible to look at broke out on his cheeks.
When no doctor could be found to care for him, the boy asked
his father to take him to the tomb of the holy Friar. The
father agreed and did this and through the merits of the
Friar the boy was cured that very day.
Listener.
The merits of this Friar are certainly great in the sight
of God for by his intercession so many kinds of healing
are obtained; there are many who owe him thanks, people
for whom mercifully the lifting of such suffering was obtained.
On gratitude to God and
whether health is always more helpful for salvation
Speaker.
I agree with what you say,
namely, that those so cured are obliged to give much back
to God, but I also think that we are bound to no
less a debt of gratitude, we who, although we have not felt
such sufferings in our body, could well have borne such
or even worse, had we not been saved by the preserving effect
of grace. It is written: The steadfast love of the Lord
never ceases, his mercies never come to an end [Lam
3:22]; and the Psalmist says: If the Lord had not been
my help, my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence
[Ps 94:17]. As if by joining the two sentences it was said
clearly: It is only the mercy of God which guards us from
the dangers of the present life lest we be overcome, only
this mercy in the same way preserves us when we fall by
holding us up lest we be held by the teeth of hell. Isaiah
says: If the Lord of hosts had not left us a few survivors,
we would have been like Sodom, and become like Gomorrah
[Isa 1:9]. For:
Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which,
in the same manner as they, indulged in sexual immorality
and pursued unnatural lust, serve as an example by undergoing
a punishment of eternal fire [Jude 7].
So we from our youth always
have a tendency to move to what is evil, to turn to the
depths of evil; unless we be protected by the seed of grace
we would pass into being fuel and food for the eternal fire
because of our sins. Therefore, if you think those whom
you know have received gifts of healing are debtors of grace,
believe also that those preserved free by mercy from falling
into similar situations are bound by bonds of deep gratitude.
What person can prove
conclusively whether or not health of body or limbs always
serves as a benefit to the soul, since often we see strength
taken away from just people without clear reason while on
the other hand we see strength given to sinners as instruments
of wickedness for sin [Rom 6:13]. It was more
beneficial to the future doctor of the Gentiles to lose
his eyesight, for while held in the night of ignorance and
persecuting the members of Christ he was led to be watchful
in prayer. Perhaps also it was a more useful gift of grace
to Tobias senior to lose the light of his eyes after so
many works of mercy, so that from the disturbance of deeds
and the distraction of his worries he was recalled to the
inner life of contemplation. In contemplation he could recognize
how much sweetness he lacked because of the disturbance
of being worried by many things [Lk 10:41]. Or certainly,
as it is written, this trial the Lord permitted to happen
to him, that an example might be given to posterity of his
patience [Tob 2:12 DRB]; he who was anxious to show
a perfection in works of mercy, was to provide also an example
of patience by bearing manfully his blindness. Therefore,
no one is exempt from giving praise to God or is immune
from a debt to grace; either one shares in gifts of health
or other graces, or has taken gifts already given, or in
consideration of our fragility God has exempted us from
punishments lest we be punished violently for a fault. Whatever
happens to us is of benefit to pious minds, and the example
of Paul and Tobias inspires in us a love of our generous
Father and due acknowledgment of graces given.
Listener.
What you say is pleasing. But I still ask you to go on as
you had begun and not omit anything of what you remember
of the deeds of this man.
Speaker.
45. Domina Guilgla, wife of Franculus from the village
of the Holy Apostles, stated under oath that when she ridiculed
the miracles of Friar Ambrose, her neighbours claim that
she lost her eyesight on returning home. She was immediately
sorry for her scepticism and ridicule and vowed to the Friar
that were her sight to be restored she would publicly proclaim
the fault of her blindness and his holiness. On doing this,
through the merits of the Friar her health was restored
and she made a public confession praising God and the most
holy Friar.
46. Francesca,
wife of Compagnus from the village of Saint Faustinus, testified
under oath that her son Francis had his right eye so covered
with a disease that he could see nothing and he continually
rubbed the eye with his hands. His mother made a vow and
brought him to the tomb of the man of God where she placed
him on the tomb; when he had been there for a short time
he got down and immediately by the prayers of the holy man
was fully cured.
47.
Domina Godivilla, wife of Peter from Holy Cross, confirmed
under oath that one day she left her son Angelo healthy
and safe at home while she went to a nearby river to wash
his clothes; on her return she found her son deprived of
hearing, sight and speech. He remained in this condition
from afternoon until early morning, when the mother made
a vow and brought him to the tomb of Friar Ambrose. The
mother spent the night there in prayer and in the morning
the boy received his sight, hearing and, before all present,
began to speak.
48.
Domina Franca, from the
village of Holy Mary stated under oath that she set out
during Lent for Rome to pray there and to visit the station
churches as was her custom; because her sight was failing
she would not have been able to return to Civitavecchia
unless her son had guided her. When she returned home she
was not able to visit the tomb of the holy Friar on her
own but, guided by her neighbours, she came to the tomb
where she spent the night in prayer and around the middle
of the night she regained her lost sight.
49.
Ligerius, treasurer of Civitavecchia, stated under oath
that his son Benevenutus and several others went to the
river Palea to swim; as Ligerius had advised, they climbed
down and swam close to the bank of the river. When Ligerius
left them for a little while to go to other places, his
son went into deeper water and sank in the fast flowing
river. Another boy who saw this ran quickly to Ligerius
and told him what had happened to his son. Ligerius ran
to the whirlpool but drew back on not finding his son; tearing
his hair with loud cries and tears [Heb 5:7] he called
out: ‘Holy Ambrose, give me my son!’ Gualterius, one of
the bystanders when shown the place of the whirlpool, dived
into the depths, found the boy and carried him already dead
from the river. When the boy had been placed on the bank
of the river, suddenly against all hope the boy came alive,
opened his eyes and called out: ‘Holy Ambrose, help me!’
When Ligerius heard this he took his son and returned quickly
to the town with many accompanying them, and he brought
his son safe to the tomb of the holy Friar.
50.
Montaria, wife of Ugolinus a saddler from the village of
Saint Christopher, stated under oath that Clara Zaldonis
gave birth to a boy but to the women present the child seemed
to be premature. The midwives, wanting to see if the child
was alive, put him in warm water to test whether by breathing
or moving, the child would prove to be alive; when it was
clear that he could neither speak nor use any of his senses,
in fact his colour belonged more to a dead person, they
all together began to call out in tearful voices:
Holy Ambrose, humbly we beg your mercy, that you would deign
to show the glory of divine power on this child, so that,
until he receives baptism his life may be returned to him.
At this prayer immediately
the boy revived and after receiving the grace of baptism
lived a further four weeks.
51.
Altagratia Ioannis from the village of Saint Mustiola stated
under oath that her son Francis would lie in his cradle
and once when she was overcome by sleep for a long time,
the infant turned this way and that and fell from the cradle;
rolling on the ground he died from the cold. When the mother
woke she looked in the cradle and not seeing her son called
her husband saying: ‘Where is our son?’ When the husband
heard this he was surprised, got out of bed, and weeping
he too looked for the boy whom they found cold and without
any sign of life beside the cradle from which he had fallen.
Instantly, calling on the help of Friar Ambrose they prayed
humbly for their son; the boy immediately began to move
and through the merits of the Friar regained his health.
52.
Leonard from Montepulciano affirmed under oath that his
son John while looking carelessly from a window in the palace
of Dominus Ugolinus fell from a height of five paces and
four feet; the men and women who were close by in the street
found a whitish liquid coming from the ears of the boy.
When his father arrived he took his son in his arms and
carried him, wanting to find out if any breath of life remained
in him; but in the judgment of all the bystanders his brain
had come out of his head, hence all affirmed that he was
dead. The father made a vow to Friar Ambrose, and the boy
immediately came to life as one woken from sleep and in
the sight of all present was given back his health.
53.
Balduinus, son of Barthelotus, suffered shipwreck near the
island of Lilium, and was submerged in the water from the
third to the ninth hour. Men and women ran to the shore
hoping to save the drowning man; Lupicinus dived naked into
the sea, found the submerged man and brought him from the
sea already dead. They lifted him up by the feet so that
the water he had swallowed might come out of his mouth;
when this proved of no avail they prepared to bury the dead
man. Montagna, one of the women standing there, advised
them to invoke the help of Friar Ambrose. They did this
and immediately the dead man came back to life and gave
due thanks to God and to Friar Ambrose.
54.
Domina Rosa Magaloti from the village of the Holy Apostles
stated under oath that one night she put her young son to
bed but while she was sleeping Friar Ambrose appeared to
her and said: ‘Get up, get up, because your son has fallen
between the cradle and the wall’. The woman awoke, called
out to her husband, told him about the vision and they looked
in the cradle for the child. Not finding him, they hurried
to the place indicated by the holy Friar, found him and
lifted up the boy safe from the place where he had fallen
as the Friar had said.
55.
A clerk, Guido Petri Brunae, affirmed under oath that one
night he was too sick to sleep. There appeared to him a
venerable man like a shining star dressed in the habit of
the Friars Minor. He presumed this man was Friar Ambrose
and he asked him about his glory and condition. The Friar
replied: ‘Blessed son, do not delay to wake your wife from
sleep because your son is dying; he fell and is caught between
the bed and the wall’. He woke his wife and both of them
quickly got out of bed and found the boy dead in the place
indicated. Without delay they bound themselves by a vow
to Friar Ambrose and joyfully held their child now restored
to life for which they gave due thanks.
Listener.
Gregory says: ‘when a good or bad spirit takes a soul leaving
a dying person, the spirit will keep this soul unchanged
for all eternity’.
How then can what we read be true, namely, that a Roman
emperor was taken from hell in view of prayers offered and
later admitted to eternal life?
On Trajan and others
called back to life after being damned
Speaker.
If you remember what was
said earlier,
you will recognize what I say now in answer to your question.
On the matter of the final divine judgment one must hold
what blessed Gregory defined about deceased persons, namely,
as already stated, that those saved by a definitive sentence
do not benefit from prayers offered, nor do those subjected
to eternal punishment rise again because of prayers offered
to snatch them away. So it is written: Whether a tree
falls to the south or to the north, in the place where the
tree falls, there it will lie [Eccl 11:3]. For a tree
to fall to the south means that the soul of a deceased person
is assigned already to the possession of eternal joys, or
to be in purgatory with a sure hope of future freedom; to
fall to the north
indicates a soul irrevocably
destined for eternal flames because of the quality of their
sins.
You need to examine more carefully the calling back of Trajan
through the merits of blessed Gregory. I think what we read
of people called back to life by the many prayers of saints
can be applied to him without prejudging a better opinion.
A better opinion could be that, although beyond faith based
on charity they were taken from this present life and assigned
to hell, the condemned accepted that they were not sentenced
by God definitively to remain there permanently.
It could be that in the eyes of the Judge they developed
at the moment of death some disposition of deep faith or
good works while still alive or punishment of the heart,
which certainly according to the pleasure of the merciful
God in due time could lift one to better things, that is,
to the effect of grace gained by the merits of the saints.
The Psalmist says of the irrevocable moderation of divine
judgment towards some, and of the wonderful mercy of God
towards others: The Lord is king forever and ever; the
nations shall perish from his land. O Lord, you will hear
the desire of the meek; you will strengthen their heart,
you will incline your ear [Ps 10:16-17]. Who are more
correctly called the nations than lost infidels or
sinners, even Christians, who act like the nations?
Those, namely, who despise the riches of his kindness
[Rom 2:4], who while still on earth did not want to put
an end to sin, will certainly by a just judgment be made
to perish from the land of the living while the Lord
will reign forever and ever.
However, other sinners who
acknowledge their poverty in virtues and good works, seek
the Lord from a desire for correction and prepare their
hearts for grace, even if they do this less than they should,
the intention of their inner disposition will not fail to
reach the ear of the merciful Father. God gives mercy beyond
their merits to all who are led to pray to the saints, but
God does not deny justice, which God would clearly do if
those persisting in sin were to be freed from the punishment
due to sinners. We have said that through the prayers of
the saints a person may be brought back to gain merit, so
as to balance the evils of a past time with the newness
of a spiritual life, and they then produce more fruit from
the root of charity. This is not contrary to the truth of
the Judge, who does not act in an unworthy way, but who
by sparing makes clear the glory of omnipotence, who by
declaring strongly an abundance of piety and abundant sweetness,
chooses to show mercy rather than be angry.
IV
ON SOME OTHER FRIARS
Listener.
Your clear reasoning has
wonderfully satisfied my interest. Now I ask you to continue
as you began and tell of other Friars of our Order.
Speaker.
Although I know from Scripture that it is good to conceal
the secret of the king, but also that it is good
to acknowledge and reveal the works of God with fitting
honour [Tob 12:7], I freely admit that your interest
prompts me and your attentive listening moves me to do what
you ask. Hence, as you ask, I am happy to add the deeds
of some other Friars so that the works of divine praise,
even though spoken in plain language by the faithful, may
increase devotion. The signs of holiness which shine through
our Friars the servants of God, especially those known to
have lived in parts of Italy, cause wonder to all near and
far; so it is my intention, with the help of God’s
grace, to shorten the record and to bring out in a surer
style what now for a long time has been hidden from the
knowledge of the faithful by a certain negligence.
FRIAR GRATIAN WHO IS
BURIED IN OSIMO
There was a priest born
in the region of Romagna, by name Gratian, who developed
wonderful simplicity; while still alive and with Christ
leading the way he did deeds to be admired in the whole
world.
1.
When a woman of the town of Osimo lost the sight of one
eye she came to the man of God to ask for health and she
brought her son who had lost the sight in both eyes; she
humbly asked the man of God in front of many people to make
the sign of the cross both on her eye and on the eyes of
her son. Friar Gratian in pure simplicity and full faith
came to the centre of the group and in the sight of all
present made the sign of the cross on the eyes of both of
them. When he did this the mother and son returned home
blessed with the health they had requested and gave due
thanks to God.
2.
A youth from Vectice suffered from such delirium that he
disturbed his neighbours with hissing and howling and he
tore his clothes with his hands and teeth. His mother brought
him to Friar Gratian. When the Friar made the sign of the
cross over him,
immediately the boy was
cured and from then on was never again subject to this sickness.
3.
A man from Ripa Transonis
carried a heavy load of wood on his shoulders but fell so
seriously that he suffered a rupture and developed a lump
like an egg on his flank. Relying on the merits of Friar
Gratian to be cured, he asked the Friar to make the sign
of the cross on the place of the rupture. The Friar gladly
did this and said: ‘Have faith, my son’ and he touched the
place of the wound, blessed him and sent him away. When
the man returned home he found the lump had gone completely.
4.
Leopardus Salvi suffered for a long time from a most serious
ailment in his feet so that he could not walk at all. He
had himself carried to a place where he knew Friar Gratian
was stationed. When he asked the Friar to make the sign
of the cross over the place of his pain, the Friar before
all present humbly agreed. The sick man also asked for his
feet to be washed with the water used to wash the feet of
the Friar; when this was done, immediately the pain went
and he was cured so that he never again felt this pain.
5.
A man from the hamlet Castagno Secco had been so deformed
for ten years that he could not get out of bed. He was carried
to the place where the Friar of Osimo lived. He earnestly
asked Friar Gratian to lay his hands on him, and the Friar
took his hand and encouraged him to get up. Immediately
through the merits of the Friar he got up and on his own
feet returned to the bishopric of Osimo where, to the glory
of God, he told both those he knew and did not know about
the miracle done to himself.
6.
A boy from Castrum-Ficardi lost the sight in both eyes and
was brought by his father to Friar Gratian. Before
many people present there the Friar made the sign of the
cross on his eyes and he regained his lost sight.
7.
Another totally blind boy was brought to Friar Gratian while
he was still living. When the Friar made the sign of the
cross on his blind eyes, the boy, as he had requested, immediately
was able to see the light of the sky, so that before all
present he could put a thread through the eye of a needle
on his own.
8.
A boy in Osimo, born with shriveled and closed hands, was
brought to the tomb of Friar Gartian, who through his merits
opened his hands in an instant; before other Friars of our
Order who were standing there, he opened and held out his
hands restored to right health.
9.
A woman from the diocese of Osimo did work not allowed on
a feast day and suddenly by a divine judgment her arm was
shriveled. She went to the tomb of the Friar, invoked his
help, and immediately merited a cure of her hand.
10.
A woman from Osimo had both hands shriveled so that she
could do no work. She was brought to the tomb of the Friar
and after she had stayed there for a short time she returned
home healthy and safe through his merits.
11.
One day in Trabes Bonantis,
when Friar Gratian was preaching to people who had come
together, lightning began to flash, loud thunder was heard,
and a violent wind mixed with rain fell on them so that
the people who had come hurried to get away from the place.
But Friar Gratian exhorted all who ran and said to them
confidently: ‘Do not run away, my brothers and sisters,
because the Lord will provide suitable weather now for the
word of God’. The Friar prayed and, to the wonder of all
who saw it, the rain divided into two parts and like a stone
thrown away the rain did not touch any of those who stayed;
in fact over the large crowd of people seated in the place
of preaching the sun shone so that the men and women who
saw what happened attributed it to divine power.
Listener.
Clearly the words of James are seen to be fulfilled:
The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective
[Jas 5:16]. When the elements obey a human voice, the
great power of the prayers of the saints is made manifest.
That almost nothing wonderful
is done without constant prayer
Speaker.
Since the Lord made the
world for people and everything which God created is subject
to the will of God, it is clear that for a person who persists
in the good of obedience things below the person will also
obey. But because humans became disobedient towards their
Creator, they lost justly the power given them over lower
things. Therefore, if the just long for the former dignity
of their first condition and conform themselves, as much
as possible, to the freedom of the divine will, is it surprising
if changes in weather obey in some way a will conformable
to God? The prayers of the elect derive their power from
God who certainly wants to happen whatever the saints desire
usefully or justly. So Moses in rescuing the people at the
Red Sea changed it into dry land by his prayer and by a
just judgment he brought back the water again on the pursuing
Egyptians [Ex 14:21ff.]; Moses overcame Amalek not by arms
but by prayers [Ex 17:9ff.]; and frequently Moses averted
by prayer a plague, often even death, which God threatened
to bring on the stiff necked people. Joshua also, as he
was taking revenge, delayed by prayer for the span of a
whole day the sun and moon in the sky [Josh 10:12ff.]; Gideon,
as a sign that the people of Israel would be freed, used
fleece wet with dew and then used dry fleece while the earth
around was wet [Judg 6:37ff.]. Samuel closed the lips of
the idols by the judgment of his prayer, and by his plea
brought rain and thunder from the sky at the time of harvest
[1 Sam 7:5ff. and 12:18ff.]. Elijah obtained from God that
for three years and six months no rain would fall on the
earth, and after another prayer obtained that rain would
fall and germinate the proper fruit in the earth [1 Kings
17:1 and 18:42ff.]; by the constancy of his prayer he called
back from the dead the son of the widow [1 Kings 17:17ff.]
and often called down fire from the sky [1 Kings 18:34 and
2 Kings 1:12]. Elisha received a double spirit by the prayers
of his ascending master, namely, prophecy and the power
of working miracles [2 Kings 2:9ff.]. Elisha by his prayers
brought to life from bodily death the son of the Shunammite
woman and struck with blindness the Arameans who were pursuing
him [2 Kings 4:32ff. and 6:18]. Hezekiah by prayer added
fifteen years to his life and forced the sun to go back
ten intervals to the east [2 Kings 20:6 and 9ff.]. Tobias
senior removed blindness by prayer and took away the shame
of barrenness from Sarah the daughter of Raguel [Tob 12:8ff.
and 8, 3ff.]. The three youths in the furnace put out the
force of the enclosed fire [Dan 3:23ff.]. Daniel, the man
of desires, closed the mouths of lions lest they touch him
[Dan 6:16ff.] and obtained freedom for the people by constancy
in prayer [Dan 9:1ff]. So too Susanna refused the licentious
priests and by the shield of prayer and the arguments of
the prophet turned a sentence of death into the law of revenge
[Susanna, chapter 13]. Judith by prayer atoned for the ignorance
of the people tempting the Lord and with a dagger cut off
the head of Holofernes [Judith, chapters 8 and 13]. By prayer
Esther averted a disaster threatening the people and had
Haman, the enemy of her people, hung from a gallows [Esth
4:16 and 7:9ff.]. The Maccabees overcame the force of the
enemy by humility in prayer [1 Macc 7:36 and 2 Macc 8:2ff.].
So too Peter cured the paralytic Aeneas and released Tabitha
from the bonds of death [Acts 9:33ff.]. Paul blinded for
a while the magician Elymas and also by prayer brought Eutychus
back to life when he slept and fell to his death [Acts 13:8ff.
and 20:9ff.]. Why need I go through the single examples
in the holy Gospel since hardly ever was a wonder worked
without constancy in prayer? The one master Christ the Lord
advises all of us to get everything through prayer: Ask,
and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock,
and the door will be opened for you [Matt 7:7]. Christ
is teaching us the power and value of prayer, his generous
readiness to give, warns us of laziness in not asking and
comforts us with a certain promise that whatever we will
ask for in a proper way will be given unless we block it.
FRIAR MATTHEW OF NARNI
Listener.
I would like you to tell
me what you know of Friar Matthew of Narni. He was a person
approved among the Friars for his virtues and he clearly
shone with signs of wonderful holiness.
Speaker.
I remember hearing of many of his deeds but I will relate,
as you ask, but a few which are connected to things concerning
the Friars.
1.
Friar Concordius was afflicted for three years with a paralysis
which left his whole body so useless that with much discomfort
he had always to be carried by the hands of the Friars for
all the needs of nature or custom. When he was brought one
day to the tomb of Friar Matthew he begged earnestly for
mercy and recovered immediately with such speed that he
got up in the group of Friars standing there, and could
move his hands and other limbs as his will directed and
could walk on his own feet.
2.
A most noble lady of Narni on returning home from the country
was struck so amazingly by a burning wind that her face
was burnt and her hair hung down dried out. The woman could
not rest or sleep because of the pain and disturbed her
whole family with her tears and cries. Mindful of the holiness
and merits of Friar Matthew she prayed humbly to him in
the presence of her household. In the morning she was so
fully healed by his merits that no trace of the burning
could be seen on her body.
3. Ugolinus
from the town of Narni had suffered from paralysis for ten
years. He commended himself with devout prayers to Friar
Matthew. During the following night while he was asleep
in his sick bed he saw Friar Matthew carrying a flowering
rose in his hands which, it seemed to him, the Friar gently
placed on the paralyzed limbs like an anointing. At daybreak
he was made strong and got up from his bed. Grateful to
God for the gifts received in his cure he went joyfully
to the tomb of the Friar.
4.
A woman from the hamlet Laion had been paralyzed for many
years and was brought to the tomb of the man of God on an
ass; when she had prayed there for a short time in the presence
of Friars and seculars she got up immediately; strengthened,
she walked around the house of the Friars with joy, giving
due praises to God.
5.
The relatives of another woman, who was worn out from most
difficult disturbances by demons, brought her bound to the
tomb of the Friar. When she was crying out before the tomb
with loud screams, the covering fell from her head and in
it the bystanders found a most foul scab; the woman lay
down on the ground and began to sleep sweetly in full quiet.
She woke from sleep, saw the Friars who were present and
began to sing due praises to the Lord.
6.
In the town of Narni a woman tortured by a tumour and fever
despaired of the doctors and everyone thought that she would
die on the morrow. But she committed herself in prayer to
Friar Matthew whom she saw speaking to her that same night
as she slept. The Friar ordered her to lie on the place
of the tumour and in the morning, when all her neighbours
waited for her to come out, the woman through his merits
was found to be fully cured from both illnesses.
7.
A youth named Marcoaldus
had his mouth twisted horribly on to his neck. He prostrated
himself before the tomb of the Friar and called on his help;
when he had been there for a short time, through the Friar’s
merits his mouth immediately returned to its proper place.
8.
A similar thing happened to another youth from the town
of Narni who fell asleep while guarding his vineyard; on
waking he found his mouth had become terribly distorted.
When his mother saw this she began to call out loudly: ‘Holy
Matthew, I beg you deign to free my son’. She hurried with
her son to the tomb of the Friar, and immediately, as all
present could see, she merited to obtain the cure of her
son so that the boy called out praises to God in a high
pitched voice.
9.
A woman of Narni while walking in the solarium of her home
fell down so severely that her leg was completely fractured.
When a doctor, by name Gregorius Cyterhii, came to her and
saw the fracture, on account of the prevailing inclemency
of the atmosphere, he covered the wound with medicines until
such time as he had fulfilled a vow to visit the tomb of
blessed Francis; he did this and then returned to Narni.
But the woman, more than a little tortured, committed herself
in the meantime to Friar Matthew and put a relic of the
Friar which she had on the wound. When she did this, in
the presence of Friars whom she had asked to come to console
her, she immediately got up and, walking back and forth
through the home, related to the returning doctor the miracle
done to her.
Listener.
It is sufficiently clear that often we call on doctors of
the body needlessly, while, as Scripture states: All
things can be done for the one who believes [Mk 9:23],
as can be seen in the woman just mentioned.
It is wise to call on
doctors when it is necessary
Speaker.
Certainly, according to a word of the Saviour, it is quite
true that by faith one may receive a favour which sometimes
God gives from a sure cause and at a suitable time. While
the faithful feel they have experienced this or have administered
it to others by a ministry of cooperation, it is not without
value, as you may think, to consult often experts in medicine
about the cure of disorders, so that they can bring us their
needed skill. Indeed, with the help of Christ they are able
to judge with their physical skills human conditions and
the causes of pain which, once identified, they are competent
to tell us many useful things, to warn us against things
harmful, and by suitable medicines prepare the way to health.
Otherwise to spurn remedies which God has placed in the
talents of the human race for its benefit and to seek health
from God by means of faith is not to worship God in a piety
of faith but rather to tempt God. Hence it is written:
The Lord created medicines out of the earth, and the
sensible will not despise them [Sir 38:4]. Therefore,
if God put the power of medicines in what grows on the earth
for the benefit of people it is stupid or a kind of presumption,
as we have said, to despise them. The same wise person said:
Honour physicians for their services, for the Lord created
them; for the gift of healing comes from the Most High
[Sir 38:1]. To honour physicians for their work and
efforts on behalf of the sick is to respond to a temporal
gift. According to the warning of the wise author we must
never neglect this but rather go to the physician when necessary;
when skill cannot find a remedy nor nature heal, we have
recourse to the merits of one powerful in faith and to the
offering of prayers for the grace of healing, which presumes
a sincere piety of faith in the Creator. Scripture says:
We are powerless … We do not know what to do, but our
eyes are on you [2 Chron 20:12]. For as long as human
fragility with its lesser powers can do what is needed,
it is quite imprudent, relying on the merits of faith of
oneself or of another, to test higher powers or to force
the freedom of divine grace by a judgment of human presumption.
However, the just correctly and even sinners faced with
a final necessity often have recourse to the help of the
name of the Saviour and the prayers of saints. Provided,
as we have said, this be done not from a kind of presumption
of faith or the worth of one’s own merits, but relying on
the goodness of God and the merits of the saints, they can
be confident they will obtain what they ask for in humble
prayer.
Listener.
As I hear it, much caution in discernment is needed for
understanding Scripture, so that in one rule of faith the
single passages might come together, for what is placed
here and there through the pages of Scripture is regarded
by some as being in conflict. But now forgiving my ignorance
I ask you to go on to further deeds and what you know to
be beyond your promise, you will not burden me to solve.
FRIAR ROGER WHO IS BURIED
IN TODI
Speaker. 1.
Sabina, wife of Petrus Bonifilii from Forgnola, suffered
from a most serious illness for two years and as she weakened
she came close to insanity; she cried out with terrible
shouts and breathed out with continual sobbing. She came
to the tomb of Friar Roger in Todi and was restored to her
former state of health through his merits.
2.
Another woman named Verzera, from the town of Blasius, stated
under oath that she had been troubled for three and a half
years by deceptions of the demons. Finally she invoked the
help of Roger and was fully freed through his merits, never
again experiencing the suffering of this illness.
3.
Maria Ioannis Berardi from the hamlet Megium suffered from
madness, striking her head with the palms of her hands,
beating her breast, and all the time tearing her clothes.
Her husband brought her to the tomb of Friar Roger where
with terrible howling she sometimes barked like a dog, at
other times she bellowed like cattle. When she was worn
out and fell asleep for a while in front of the tomb, she
was immediately cured by his merits, and gave due thanks
to God.
4.
Ferracellus from Todi had a eye so covered with a type of
web and a pupil covered with a film that he could see nothing
for three years. Standing humbly before the tomb of the
Friar he obtained his long lost sight, as stated by one
who deprived of the light of sight later got it back.
5.
A boy named Valentine for
five years had no sight in his left eye. In front of a large
number of people who had gathered, he came to the tomb of
the Friar and was immediately cured.
6.
A girl by name Maria, from
Todi, for eleven months was much troubled by an ulcer in
her left eye which continuously discharged fluid. Her parents
brought her to the tomb of Friar Roger and in the presence
of her mother and father and many others she was
fully cured through his merits.
7.
Polus Georgii Bancotelli had been deaf for five years and
could hear nothing. He came to the tomb of the Friar and
immediately regained his long lost hearing.
8.
Martin from Pralon testified under oath that when his son
Martin became paralyzed he lost the use of speech and was
deprived completely of the use of his right arm. When the
father made a vow to Friar Roger, his son through the merits
of the Friar obtained the use of his limbs and the ability
to speak.
9.
Friar Conservus testified that he had seen a woman broken
down with paralysis. When Friar Roger died she came to his
tomb and asked for mercy with much emotion and tears. When
she had been there in prayer for a short time, in the presence
of Friar Conservus, other religious and lay people, she
was wonderfully cured through the merits of the most holy
Friar.
10.
From when she was an infant, a holy woman had been crippled
and shrunken so that her feet were twisted back, her hands
joined and her mouth twisted in an ugly manner. On the evening
of the day of Friar Roger’s death she came to his tomb where
she was excellently healed on the following night before
many witnesses.
11.
Friar Simon from Narni publicly declared he had seen a youth,
lame from his mother’s womb, come to the tomb of the Friar
and was so cured in a moment that, as three Friars and other
lay people who were present saw, he leapt up praising God
and blessing his servant through whose merits he had received
the health for which he had so longed.
12.
Dialta, wife of Bonapressus Rupetus from Todi, for many
years was bent over and deprived of the use of all her limbs
below the waist. Her loved ones brought her to the tomb
of the Friar and through his merits she received fully the
grace of her longed for health.
13.
Sibilia from Aqua Laureti was bent over for eighteen years,
suffered from an ulcer in her kidneys and could in no way
get up nor extend her limbs. She came to the tomb of Friar
Roger and was immediately so fully cured that, as the companions
who had come with her saw, she straightened her body in
an upright position, got up and stood by herself.
14.
Laetitia, daughter of Tudinus from Todi, for three years
had her knees bent up to her throat and her feet also deformed.
She came to the tomb of the Friar where she stayed for a
little time and begged for the grace of healing; immediately
she extended both her feet and knees at the same time and
most excellently cured gave thanks to God and to the most
holy Friar.
15.
Gualfredutia Philippi was totally deprived of the use of
her feet and her left hand for eight years. She was so healed
in front of the tomb of the Friar that she walked to and
fro before groups of people.
16.
Master Paul confirmed the truth of his testimony before
many, that, when he could not rest or sleep from being weighed
down with sickness, he dreamed he had three spherical bodies
so arranged around a kind of sun that no matter where they
turned they could not rest. The Friar appeared to him in
his dream and said: ‘Do you want to be cured, Master Paul?’
He replied: ‘I do so want’. The Friar said, ‘Hold on to
what does not allow you to sleep’. When he awoke from sleep
he found in his hand a silver spoon which he said he now
owns; and immediately he recovered with such speed that
never again did he experience any trouble or upset from
this suffering.
Listener.
In your explanation of the statement of the Saviour it is
indeed apt that riches in this world should, on the evidence
of the Gospel, be called thorns [Matt 13:22; Lk 8:14].
That riches and delights
are rightly compared to thorns
Speaker.
Words of truth may seem
to be absurdities to lovers of the world and to all who
are wise in the way of the flesh. However, they are confirmed
as true from the outcome of events without an explanation
by another interpreter, and show as clear as light how rightly
they are likened to thorns from the multiple stings of anxiety
and unease of mind by which they cause distractions. So
Solomon says of the acquirer and lover of money: For
all their days are full of pain, and their work is a vexation;
even at night their minds do not rest [Eccl 2:23]. Indeed,
to meet the desires for earning money today’s trouble
is enough for today [Matt 6:34], but at night the care
of worry is doubled for the avaricious who are more disturbed
in the quiet when those resting after work have at least
the benefit of sleep; the fear of robbery rightly tortures
one whose heart is excessively immersed in transitory things.
So it is written: Terrifying sounds are in their ears;
in prosperity the destroyer will come upon them [Job
15:21]. By the strength of the affection by which one clings
to what is loved, the thought of loss stirs up a sadder
ringing in the ears, so that sometimes such a one thinks
any sound along the wall is due to thieves breaking in.
Stirred by an unnecessary suspicion at a time of peace and
security, when there is no threat, in the heart of such
a one is a thought of violence. Or if one thinks but rarely
in this life of heavenly things, then suddenly fearful of
a plot by an invader, the mind goes back to the usual unnecessary
cares to save money. For where his treasure is,
there his heart necessarily will be also
[Matt 6:21], as if this is the place of quiet
for the heart to stay.
I will also call thorns
the delights of carnal persons, which, when present, sweetly
touch the taste of the flesh. Such delights never give satisfaction
to the concupiscence which they incite. The care of the
flesh is satisfied with the desire for harmful pleasure
but it causes a disturbance in the person, because it certainly
changes these delights into torments by disturbing in superfluity
the fragility of nature. Hence, the cause of the pain of
an indulgent person is rightly discerned by Solomon, when
the paucity of rewards in the present and
the punishments for superfluity
are made clear. For he says: Healthy sleep depends on
moderate eating; he rises early, and feels fit. The distress
of sleeplessness and of nausea and colic are with the glutton
[Sir 31:20]. Excess in superfluity hinders digestion
in the stomach, for it necessarily produces harmful gases
and dangerous fluids. And through this an immoderate person
rightly endures also colic and other pains during the time
for rest, so that from the subsequent punishment such a
one may experience how harmful to oneself is carnal pleasure.
The frugal person who uses these for a just reason and not
for the sake of pleasure escapes this trouble. It is abundantly
clear why the Saviour compared riches and pleasures to thorns
which certainly wound their followers with innumerable stings.
Listener.
What you say is most pleasing, but I ask you again to continue
and console me with the customary order of your story.
FRIAR PAUL OF THE
MARCHE
Speaker. 1.
Rosa, daughter of John, at the age of twelve, suffered a
most severe illness so that many believed she was a demoniac.
She claimed that three black persons in human form troubled
her greatly. When she was kept at home she hid herself in
most narrow places; when she could escape from her parents
she went through hedges and caves into deserted and inaccessible
places; brought to churches she was in total dread of things
spiritual but said that a certain Paul, and no other, would
cure her. On hearing this her father brought her to the
church of St Paul; but when they got there she said to her
father: ‘This is not the Paul of whom I spoke; another Paul
who is a long way away will cure me’. She was brought to
the monastery of the Saviour where some relics of the servant
of God were kept and when these relics were placed on her
she immediately regained her former health.
2.
Deotama, a sister in the monastery of the Saviour, suffered
intense pain in her hands and feet. When the relics of the
man of God, which were in the monastery, were applied to
her she quickly regained her health, and was happy to give
thanks to God and to Friar Paul.
3.
Domina Blanzaflor, wife of Marcoaldus from Holy
Angel, was tormented gravely for a long time with kidney
stones and other illnesses. She was brought to the tomb
of Friar Paul and through his merits immediately obtained
full health.
4.
Flora, daughter of Albert Barilus from Mons-Melonis, had
for a long time lost her sight. Brought by some women to
the tomb of the man of God she asked there for the grace
of healing. When she had persevered there in prayer asking
for mercy she received her lost sight.
5.
Berta, daughter of Bentivolius from Camerinum, had for a
long time been unable to speak. She came humbly and devoutly
with her sister Bona to the tomb of Friar Paul. When she
had stayed in front of the tomb for some time, suddenly
she began to speak praising God and blessing his saint.
6.
A man from Mons-Ciari was so crippled with paralysis in
his feet and hands that he could not lift his hand to his
mouth or even walk. He was brought to the tomb of Friar
Paul through whose merits he was immediately straightened
and walked home unimpaired.
7.
John from Mons-Ulmi for a long time could not use his feet
to the extent that he could not in any way walk even supported
by a walking stick. He was carried on an ass to the body
of Friar Paul before his burial and in front of the corpse
he humbly asked for the grace of healing. He was cured through
the merits of the Friar and he who was carried to the body
returned walking on his own feet.
8.
Bonus Ioannes testified under oath to the truth of the miracles.
His left leg had been contracted from infancy and moreover
he suffered greatly from epilepsy. He came to the tomb of
Friar Paul and when he had persisted in prayer there immediately
the shriveled leg was restored and fully cured; from that
time on he never again felt the suffering of epilepsy.
Listener.
Certainly, the outpouring of divine goodness is evident
in such easy cures of diverse sufferings; but perhaps they
provide no less value for sinners who see them, because
few fear to offend God when terrified by bodily suffering
or even by the fear of death which no one can escape.
That God sometimes uses
a rod of correction to recall a sinner
Speaker.
Clearly, the great goodness of our God in showing mercy
is multiple and skilful for salvation. God uses a wonderful
argument in recalling people not only in a spirit of
gentleness [1 Cor 4:21], but also with a rod of correction
when God gathers the flock of the pasture
[Ps 79:13] and keeps them in virtue when brought back. To
soften the stubbornness of persons who are brought to amendment
only by the rod and to invite those fleeing, sometimes God
stirs us with sufferings which God inflicts; sometimes,
however, by other misfortunes God castigates and teaches
the obstinate. God says through the Prophet of the troubles
which God sends to recall us mercifully to God: I will
hedge up her ways with thorns; and I will build a wall against
her [Hos 2:6].
Because often after our sinfulness God sees us drifting
away, God stings the heart interiorly with the thorns of
spiritual trials and with a wall of external bodily suffering
hems in the way of sinners, so that taught by punishment
and recognizing from an actual experience the sweetness
of grace and the bitterness of sin, we may finally return
in health to God even if reluctantly. Hence the Prophet
rightly adds speaking for penitents: ‘I will go and return
to my first husband, for it was better with me then than
now’ [Hos 2:7]. Job says: Bold as a lion you hunt
me, you repeat your exploits against me [Job 10:16].
For a proud lioness cannot be tamed from its violent
ways by blows, but should it see its cub being whipped it
puts aside its ferocity of spirit; what did not happen because
of suffering in its own body, is wonderfully achieved by
blows on another. Like a lioness, a proud sinner is captured
when, even though the sinner does not accept the discipline
of personal troubles, he or she is turned to repentance
at the sight of the sufferings of others. Solomon says further:
I passed by the field
of one who was lazy, by the vineyard of a stupid person;
and see, it was all overgrown with thorns; the ground was
covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down.
Then I saw and considered it; I looked and received instruction
[Prov 24:30-32].
A sinner, known as lazy
and stupid, remains inactive instead of cultivating the
fruit of the vineyard in this life as if it were the cold
of winter; the sinner combines signs of stupidity with not
using the ability to work, and in the summer of the eternal
retribution the sinner must beg as did the foolish virgins
[Matt 25:1ff.]. As the sinner is empty of works, so the
sinner lacks a reward from the divine Judge. Lustful feelings
overrun the field of the sinner’s body, and thorns of stinging
thoughts drive from the vineyard of the mind the fruit of
spiritual justice, because where sin exists the sinner is
curbed by external difficulties and interior trials in the
present life. This is indeed a breaking down of the wall
of spiritual protection. But from reflecting on these things
a wise person profits by accepting discipline because, while
a wise person considers the punishment we have mentioned
as a just wage earned by sin, from the example of correction
imposed on another the wise person concludes how useful
it is for turning the faithful away from sin. Hence it is
written: Strike a scoffer, and the simple will learn
prudence [Prov 19:25].
Listener.
Although often I force you by my words to deviate from the
path of your story, I am usefully enriched by your replies
and I see the fruit of this feast doubled, since I await
not only a series of deeds but also your subtle teaching
on the meaning of these deeds. But not to burden you needlessly
with unnecessary questions, when you are ready continue
what you have begun and by going on stifle the verbosity
of my speech.
FRIAR HERMAN FROM FOLIGNO
Speaker. 1.
Bonaventura Florentii was so crippled for almost two years
that he could not get out of bed or move. One evening he
had his relatives bring him on a stretcher to the tomb of
Friar Herman. Immediately, through his merits, as his relatives
and many others watched, he was so cured that when given
shoes for his feet he walked everywhere before all
the people of Foligno.
2.
A man named Iuncta from Foligno for two years had his tibias
so shriveled and joined to his rump that forced by hunger
he crawled with his hands on the ground and begged publicly.
He came in faith to the tomb of the Friar where he prayed
and was immediately cured; his shriveled tibias were so
restored he could move freely wherever he wished.
3.
A girl, daughter of Correctus from Foligno, for two years
had her tibias and feet horribly twisted. On the advice
of a friend she got herself to the tomb of the Friar; when
she had been there quietly for a little while, she began
to get hungry and asked a woman friend for food. When the
woman had said to her several times: ‘Get up, and we will
go to eat’, her disfigured tibias and feet were healed,
the girl got up and, after presenting herself to the bishop
of the town, returned home on her own feet.
4.
Bonafemina from Foligno while eating the vegetable known
as leeks unknowingly swallowed a bone with the vegetables;
when the bone reached the opening of her throat it so completely
blocked the gullet, that she thought she was to die. In
her heart she called humbly on the help of Friar Herman,
and it seemed to her that a woman struck her a blow on the
neck so that the bone sprang out from the passage of the
gullet and with her own hand she brought the bone to the
tomb of the Friar as a sign of gratitude.
5.
Petronus from the hamlet of Trebium, while working on the
building of the Church of Saint Felicianus, was lifting
with companions some wood using a capstan. Owing to the
heavy weight one of his companions let go of the capstan,
a beam of which struck Petronus heavily; the beam swung
around on the wall and hit him with force. He fell from
a height of sixty feet to the ground and all presumed that
he was irreparably shattered. When all of them with much
wailing and shouting reached him, he who had fallen said:
Do not weep over me because
I feel no damage in my body; while I was falling, a dove
seemed to fly under my feet and it softened the blow to
my falling body.
What happened was taken
as a sign of the divine virtue of Friar Herman for Petronus
fell on top of his tomb; till this happened the Friar was
unknown to the people. Hence, after his body was discovered
by this divine revelation, it became known to all that Petronus
who fell onto the tomb of the Friar was kept unharmed.
6.
Those who saw it claim that from an uncut rock, serving
as an altar beside the monument to the man of God, in the
middle of summer drops of water came out like manna. Some
thinking that this was done artificially often wiped up
the water; but when no fissure was found in the rock they
attributed the water to the merits of the most holy Friar.
Listener.
Brother, what do you think was the reason for the drops
of water coming like manna from the tomb of the man of God?
That the manna coming
from the tomb of the saint certainly contains a mystical
reason
Speaker.
If you expect me to give a natural explanation for the water
coming out, I state I am completely ignorant of this since
I do not know the place but I am not ignorant that in the
ordinary course of nature water can be exuded. But if your
question concerns the mystical reason, I think the reason
has something to do with the bodily purity of the Friar.
This is indicated by the water which ran out from the rock
beyond the law of nature, because in his body the moisture
of grace abounded and anointed the virtue of temperance
beyond the rule of natural corruption. This is said to be
quite similar to the heavenly manna, because to live in
the flesh but beyond the flesh is not to bear the image
of the man of dust, but the image of the man of heaven
[1 Cor 15:49]. We read
of the apostle and evangelist John that from his tomb manna
was seen to flow, so that the one who by a special prerogative
of chastity was loved by Christ, remained a virgin in his
flesh and was endowed with a gift of perpetual incorruption.
Similarly, from the tomb of the glorious bishop Nicolaus
a flow of oil seeped out as affirmed by those who saw it,
so that he who while living poured over the afflicted the
oil of compassion and kindness [Col 3:12], even when dead,
did not cease from preparing healing ointments for the limbs
of the sick. So lastly, as some affirm,
from the limbs of St Catherine an oil of many uses for health
came out, so that the purity of her life and doctrine provided
a spiritual condiment for the minds of the sick; she showed
herself abundant in steadfast love [Ps 130:7] and
strenuous in her intervention on behalf of the faithful
from her already dead body.
Listener.
Dear brother, I ask you again that if you know of any deeds
of our Friars, beyond those you have already described,
do not delay to add them to the others.
Speaker.
I know of many deeds done by many Friars in various places
which, although fewer in number, I think what I have to
say is wonderful for all who saw them and very pleasant
for all who accept them. But in case I may be thought to
burden the stomach with superfluous food I will continue
in summary fashion, in the style of a compendium and go
on as you ask.
FRIAR MARTIN
WHO IS BURIED IN …
1.
A mentally sick woman named Marsenda came one day during
a lucid interval to Friar Martin while he was still living
and asked for the grace of healing. When the Friar sprinkled
her with holy water and also burnt incense, immediately
through his merits she was cured but the Friar strongly
ordered her not to tell anyone what had happened for as
long as he lived.
2.
A woman by name Thomasina from the diocese of Urbinum was
weighed down with paralysis and for many years many people
regarded her as a demoniac. While Friar Martin was still
alive she was brought to him; she accepted from him in the
name of Christ a bunch of grapes to eat, and immediately
cured she returned free of both sufferings.
3.
A boy named Theobaldus from Mons-Albonus suffered from an
ulcer in his leg and another in his body. He came in humble
devotion to the tomb of the Friar. He began to call on the
Friar and immediately both ulcers dried up, and after a
short time through the merits of the Friar he obtained full
health.
4. Another
boy named Guidutius suffered from dysentery and fever for
seven weeks. Brought to the tomb of the holy Friar he persisted
in prayer there and at the one time was cured of both illnesses
so that he went home praising God and his servant.
5.
A certain Bonaspes from Curra Cabilini for many weeks suffered
from a haemorrhage from the anus. Humbly he made a vow to
Friar Martin whereupon he was cured straightaway through
his merits and praised the servant of God with due reverence.
6.
A woman named Matalia had for a long time been blind in
both eyes and she came to the tomb of the Friar to fulfill
a vow. As the woman stood in tears before the tomb, she
received the grace of the desired sight and without help
from anyone returned home.
7.
Another woman named Gastaldella, paralyzed on one side and
without sight on the other side, was brought by her loved
ones to the tomb of Friar Martin. She persevered there humbly
asking for mercy before she fell down and merited to obtain
her sight and to be cured of the paralysis in her side through
the merits of the most holy Friar.
FRIAR DOMINIC WHO IS
BURIED IN SAN MARINO
1.
Berengarius, an archpriest from Mons-Feltrum, had a leg
seriously ulcerated which no skill or effort of doctors
could cure. Given up by the doctors, he made a vow to Friar
Dominic and was fully cured after he had visited his tomb.
2. Boncompagnus
from San Marino had been so bent over for twenty years that
he could not walk without the support of a stick. He commended
himself humbly to Friar Dominic and through his merits could
immediately stand upright.
3.
A boy from the region of San Marino had one foot so shortened
that he could not place it on the ground. He strongly limped
along, called on the help of the Friar and merited to be
restored to health so that he could walk with his foot reaching
the ground.
FRIAR BERNARD WHO IS
BURIED IN MASSA
1.
A youth of Massa suffered from an illness of the bladder,
was unable to pass urine and, with his whole body bloated,
seemed close to death. He was brought to the tomb of Friar
Bernard where he immediately felt better and asked for bread;
when he ate the bread he immediately passed blood and was
cured.
2.
Another youth from Massa had an ulcer in his leg which in
its shriveled condition was joined to his buttocks. He commended
himself humbly to the Friar and within four days was fully
cured.
3.
The body of a woman named Beneventa was ulcerated for which
the skill or advice of doctors was of no help. She made
a vow to Friar Bernard humbly asking for mercy. After calling
on his help she was in a short time so cured that with the
ulcer dried up she never again felt pain from the fistula.
FRIAR PETER FROM MONS-ULMI
1.
A woman from Firmum was so bent at her buttocks that she
was incapable of walking by herself. She came on horseback
to the tomb of Friar Peter from Mons-Ulmi where she prostrated
herself in prayer on the tomb and through his merits was
immediately straightened and returned to her home on her
own feet.
2.
Another woman from Lafrenum came to the body of the Friar
before his burial carrying in her arms her daughter who
was close to death. When she approached the corpse devoutly,
she placed the hand of the Friar upon the face of her daughter
asking for healing. At the touch of the hand the virgin
was immediately cured with such speed that all present saw
the miracle and were astonished.
3. A man from
Monte Robiano shriveled in one leg, in an arm and tibia,
came to the tomb of Friar Peter and asked him humbly and
devoutly to get mercy for him from God. When he had been
at the tomb for some time he could not feel that the help
he wanted for himself had been given, so he called out in
a loud voice and said: ‘Saint Francis, give Friar Peter
the strength to free me!’ On saying this, he stayed quietly
for a short time on the tomb, when suddenly he was healed
and returned home rejoicing.
Listener.
Do you think this man was given the health he asked for
because of the prayers of this Friar or rather those of
our holy Father Francis?
How heavenly gifts are
said to be given because of multiple requests
Speaker.
You have asked about a difficult matter, hidden from human
senses and perhaps not to be solved fully by the words of
my answer. However, I may say from a similar case what I
think about the question, always ready to yield to a better
opinion and conscious it is safer to learn than to teach.
It is clear that a sick person with strong hope of a cure
and with piety of faith came to the tomb of the dead Friar
and, as the outcome of the incident teaches, obtained the
grace asked for by perseverance in prayer; but when it was
not given as quickly as he wished, he asked more insistently
for the desired gift of healing by increasing the number
of people to whom he prayed. Therefore, it can happen that
a delay in answering prayers could increase the devotion
of a sick person and when the appeal to one person was not
enough to obtain the gift of health, it was obtained by
adding a prayer to the master. With due respect to the piety
of faith, it would rightly be thought that the merits before
God of blessed Father Francis would be more effective in
curing this person than the merits of Friar Peter whose
help was sought; however, no honour is being denied to the
disciple when more abundant praise is given to the master.
So it was with a prophet, a disciple of a prophet, who when
he struck the waters of the Jordan with the cast off mantle
of his master did not find a way across; but remembering
the power of his teacher whose name he was in no way ashamed
to call on, he said: Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?
[2 Kings 2:14].
The one who had just received a double share of the spirit
of the master, could not effect the crossing by his own
merits, but did it by calling on the merits of his master.
Also when Gehazi placed the staff of his master on the dead
child he did not succeed in restoring life; he returned
to his master, admitted the uselessness of his weakness
and not being envious increased the glory of his master
[2 Kings 4:29ff.]. Therefore, whether we had said that the
person was healed by the merits of one or both of them,
it matters little to the piety of faith provided we do not
take anything away from their glory by comparing one with
another.
Listener.
I am happy to have asked what I did not know so that
while I have given you matter for thought, I recognize your
teaching on the order to be observed in giving honour without
injury to the saints. But now I ask you to remember your
promise and go back to what you began without delay so as
to finish what remains.
FRIAR LEONARD WHO IS
BURIED IN PRIVERNO
Speaker. 1.
In the hamlet Mons-Fortinus in Campania a boy named Jordan
was born lame. He was carried by his parents to Friar Leonard
of Foligno who at that time was living in Priverno and the
Friar because of the devotion of his parents traced the
sign of the cross on him; immediately as all could see the
boy was given perfect health.
2.
Giles of Mons-Fortinus had been blind for four years and
was brought to Friar Leonard by a person walking ahead of
him. When the Friar traced the sign of the cross on his
eyes he received his sight through the Friar’s merits, and
gave thanks to God and to God’s servant.
FRIAR TENTALBENE
1.
Friar Damien of Todi testified that he himself had seen
a blind person come to Friar Tentalbene for healing; the
Friar made the sign of the cross on the person who received
his lost sight as he went away.
2. The same
Friar testified that when a young paralytic was brought
to Friar Tentalbene, Tentalbene made the sign of the cross
over him and in the presence of Friar Damien the youth was
fully cured.
3.
Friar Damien testified further that he had seen a person
suffering from extreme pain in the hands. Friar Tentalbene
humbly made the sign of the cross over the person who was
immediately cured in a most excellent way.
FRIAR JAMES OF ASSISI
1.
A woman of Salsa Burgensis, when she suffered intensely
from the illness of a fistula, humbly made a vow to Friar
James of Assisi who is buried in Foggia. She made the vow
before many people and by the merits of the Friar merited
immediately to regain her longed for health.
2.
Phillip, a money changer from Foggia, suffered for a long
time from a quartan fever which no doctor could cure. He
made a vow to Friar James whom he heard speak to him in
a vision on the following night: ‘Do not worry any more
about the quartan fever because I will cure you from this
hour’. In the morning the man got up from his bed and never
suffered again from this fever.
3.
A citizen from Troianum suffered severely from a cancer
in the tibia. He made a vow humbly to the Friar and when
his full health was restored the devout person did what
he had promised.
4.
Matthew, a citizen of Foggia, suffered from a most grave
illness in his leg and could not be cured. After spending
much money on doctors he made a vow to Friar James and immediately
by his merits regained his long lost health.
FRIAR PETER OF TRANUM
1.
A boy from the hamlet of Cangianum was oppressed with such
a burden of illness that frequently livid in his whole body
he seemed to be near death; often he would shout and cry
out from the pain both day and night, and from the strong
restraint of an inflamed thigh remained immobile like a
trunk of a tree; he looked more like a dead than a living
person. He was brought to the tomb of the Friar of Tranum
through whose merits he obtained full health.
2.
Bartholomew from Lucca but living in Cangianum climbed up
an oak to collect oak-apple. The branch on which he was
seated broke and he fell on to a wall of stones and broke
his whole body on two stakes. He was brought by some people
to the tomb of the Friar. There he made a vow and obtained
swiftly and fully complete health.
3.
A woman from Cangianum, daughter of the official Rainaldus,
was so withered on one side of her body that she could feel
no movement of life in it nor was she able to use it. Her
father made a vow to Friar Peter and promised that he would
have built in the church where the Friar was buried whatever
structure the Friars should decide would be more useful.
When he did this, immediately the woman was restored to
perfect health.
4.
A boy from Cangianum was washing himself in the lake named
Baranum when a leech entered his body. He carried the leech
in his body for many days and at times vomited up so much
blood that often he seemed to be half dead. He made a vow
to Friar Peter and immediately the leech passed out through
his anus. With no further loss of blood, he was restored
to health.
5. A deacon from the hamlet Capelum was so gripped
each day by an illness that he could not get out of bed.
He had himself carried on the shoulders of some men to the
tomb of the Friar. Through the mediation of the Friar he
recovered so quickly that immediately he returned home on
his own feet. Fearful of a recurrence of the sickness, on
the advice of a woman, he had a bath prepared for himself;
immediately on getting into the bath he experienced the
pain of his former illness. Finally, moved by repentance,
he had himself brought back to the tomb of the Friar where
he made a vow and was so cured that never again did he feel
the pain of the illness.
Listener.
Since as I recall you have said, it is not a sin to use
medicines for the body, why did he who took a bath to guard
the health of his body fall back into the very illness from
which he had been cured?
That both ingratitude
and suspicion of superstition are displeasing to God
Speaker.
To spurn bodily medicine and ask God or the saints for health
on the basis of faith or the dignity of their virtues is
a kind of presumption or certainly is recognized as the
sin of tempting God. Not to give due thanks for health given
is the sin of ingratitude which will rightly be punished.
A person bound to give thanks for a gift bestowed is guilty
of ingratitude not only in not giving voice to praise or
expressing it interiorly in devotion of the heart, but also
in being at home because of a gift freely given and yet
doubting the permanence of the gift. The person who suffered
a relapse because of the sin of doubt showed the extent
of ingratitude by seeking healing in a bath. Hence it is
written: Ask in faith, never doubting [Jas 1:6].
One asks while doubting in faith who, although kneeling
down in prayer in piety of faith, does not have full confidence
in the goodness of the person to whom one is praying. It
may well be regarded as ingratitude to be tempted to use
such a remedy on the advice of an old woman; since indeed
God often allows enchanters to provide many bodily benefits
of this kind by their spells or experiments; however, on
account of the fictions of their superstitions and the suspicion
of heathen error, they are condemned by the Church as enemies
of a Christian Catholic cult and are in all ways to be avoided.
Hence the legislator give an explicit warning:
If prophets or those who divine by dreams appear among
you and promise you omens or portents, and the omens or
the portents declared by them take place … you must not
heed the words of these prophets or those who divine by
dreams, to know whether you indeed love the Lord your God
with all our heart and soul [Deut 13:1-3].
To take the name of a prophet is to make judgments in ignorance
about the future which belongs only to God. While occasionally
such a prophet may speak what is true without being aware
of it, this must be ignored by the faithful, because God
allows us to be tempted to test or make us know or to make
clear to others whether or not we love God by doing what
is commanded, namely: You shall not practise augury or
witchcraft [Lev 19:26]. Whoever does such a thing shows
himself or herself to be an enemy of God and a transgressor
of the Catholic faith.
Listener.
Your clear argument has satisfied my doubt. Now, however
it is time to go on as you began because by your words so
pleasing to me I am drawn to listen.
FRIAR OTHO WHO IS BURIED IN PULA
Speaker. 1.
Peter from Pula, a town
in Istrian, had an abscess in his throat of which doctors
gave up hope. He humbly implored the help of Friar Otho.
The Friar appeared to him in a vision and moving his hand
over his face said: ‘Do not be afraid, because you will
be cured’. Peter in joy began to call his companion at which
the Friar saluted him and disappeared. The sick man shortly
afterwards was fully cured of his illness.
2.
John, Prior of the church of Saint Mary of Orsaro, had a
dried up shoulder and a withered hand. He rejoiced at receiving
back the health of his arm and shoulder at the tomb of the
Friar.
3.
A noble girl named Chemota from the town of Pula had one
leg so withered that she could not walk at all. Brought
to the tomb of Friar Otho she prostrated herself there in
tears and divine grace was so poured out so that she left
healthy and upright.
4.
Aliotus from Duo Castra had feet horribly twisted back.
He came supported by walking sticks to the tomb of the Friar
and through his merits obtained straightway full health.
5.
Martin, son of Maza from
Pula, was paralyzed and withered from the waist down. His
mother arranged for him to be taken to the tomb of the Friar
where for many days he lay asking for mercy; suddenly one
day while he was calling on the holy Friar in a most devout
way, he was fully cured and went away standing upright.
6.
A boy, son of Mark a builder of walls from Pula, had his
mouth twisted back towards his ear. He offered most devout
prayers at the tomb of the Friar through whose merits he
regained his former health.
7.
A blind girl whose name was Maria came to the tomb of the
Friar and there received the sight she longed for; she promptly
gave due thanks to God and to the most holy Friar.
8.
A totally blind boy remained for many days before the tomb
of the Friar asking for healing. He received sight in both
eyes and made known to all the miracle worked in him.
9.
A woman named Avinata, wife of Alesius from Pula, had been
dumb for many days unable to form any words with her tongue.
She came with tears and devotion to the tomb of the man
of God and through his intercession regained the long
lost use of speech.
Listener.
From what you have said the wonders related are known to
have been worked by simple Friars, but little skilled in
letters, with the exception of St Anthony; so I want to
know if you know of any similar deeds done by learned Friars
of our Order.
The plan of God in choosing the simple and the wise
Speaker.
It is sure that all devoted to simplicity have from the
beginning been pleasing to God for God has confidence
in them [Prov 3:32], and God chose what is foolish in
the world to shame the wise [1 Cor 1:27]. For the wisdom
of this world is hostile to the wisdom of God
[Rom 8:7] and it was refuted by our Saviour who chose the
simple so that no one might boast in the presence of God
[1 Cor 1:29]. Nonetheless, from heaven God called the wise
Paul that he might build for the growing Church a house
of living stones [1 Pet 2:5] on the foundation which is
Jesus Christ [1 Cor 3:11]. Likewise Peter, John and the
other Apostles, called by Christ when he chose uneducated
and ordinary men [Acts 4:13] whom the Spirit taught
so that they quickly merited to go beyond the wisdom of
the wise of this world. In the wisdom of Paul was there
a lack of the grace of healing? Hear what he says:
For I will not venture
to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished
through me to win obedience from the Gentiles, by word and
deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of
the Spirit of God
[Rom 15:18-19].
Did not the glory of working
signs smile upon Peter and the other Apostles as needed
by the early Church? But because, as it is written, the
wise will inherit honour [Prov 3:35], it is not for
the powerful Lord to give glory to the wise, unless the
piety of faith needs it, especially since works of power
do not create holiness but show it.
However, in my opinion, the Lord often gave this glory to
simpler members of the Church so that, as Paul says,
there be no dissension within the body [1 Cor 12:25]
and so that none of you will be puffed up in favour of
one against another [1 Cor 4:6]. For whereas our
more respectable members do not need this, God so arranged
the body, giving the greater honour to the inferior members
[1 Cor 12:24]. But if knowledge of letters be compared
to ignorance, all else being equal, you can apply the words
of Solomon: Wisdom exceeds folly as light exceeds darkness
[Eccl 2:13]. If you join holiness to knowledge then
the advantage of knowledge [Eccl 7:12] joined to
the riches of love is that it shines more clearly like
a seal of emerald in a rich setting of gold [Sir
32:6] on necklaces set around with virtues. But not to delay
too long on examples or arguments, I come to Friars of our
day and I will not hide the wonders the Lord has shown through
them.
FRIAR ADAM RUFUS
WHO IS BURIED IN BARLETTA
1.
A girl named Pasca, daughter of Nocetus, drank milk one
day which had been given to her by a neighbour, when suddenly
the milk turned black in the container, and what she had
drunk she rejected in amazement. Astonished, she searched
everywhere in the house with lights and saw a very black
person with a large head but small in stature who said to
her: ‘You are dead, and it is now necessary for me to plunge
you into a well’. Immediately the girl left the house uttering
horrible sounds. Her womb started to swell and she began
to be turned around and severely disturbed by a demon so
that she could hardly be restrained by two or three men.
Her father heard that the kindness of the Saviour was shown
through Friar Adam Rufus, and with many neighbours he brought
her to the tomb of the Friar. She kept vigil there with
her parents from evening on through the whole night until
six o’clock in the morning and through the merits of the
Friar was fully cured from the attacks of the demons.
2.
Maria, a resident of Rapolla, worn out by demons, came humbly
and devoutly to the tomb of the Friar in Barletta. She stayed
with other sick people before the tomb where she was suddenly
struck dumb. When the Friars got up for Matins, she cried
out horribly with the demon troubling her, she twisted about
for as long as the demon disturbed her and with her eyes
and other limbs deformed she appeared to be dead rather
than alive. Finally, on the third day she vomited and was
cured before many people and never again felt the pain of
this illness.
3.
Verdiana from Perugia for twelve years was so worn out with
pains from the belly down that she could not help herself
at all and often disturbed her neighbours with her shouts.
She kept vigil at the tomb of Friar Adam and on the third
night was cured so that from then on, walking upright, she
suffered no more from this pain.
4.
Philip endured pain for more than a year in his hip. At
the time when Friar Adam was to be transferred to the tomb
prepared for him, Philip humbly begged him to free him mercifully
from his pain. When he invoked the Friar he so recovered
in a moment that the neighbours who knew him were amazed.
5.
Matthew, a judge in Serviens, when visiting the home of
blessed Nicholas, before coming to Barletta, became so swollen
in his leg and knee that without assistance he could not
mount his horse. When he reached the town worn out with
pain he was not able to get to the tomb of the Friar, so
his wife with companions went there in his place. She put
the wallet of her husband on the tomb and returned to the
guest house; when she touched the knee of her husband with
the wallet, the tumour on the knee broke instantly and in
a short time he was cured. He came with his wife and companions
to the tomb and before many people standing there related
the miracle worked in him to the glory of God and of the
most holy Friar.
6.
Parisius from Sancta Sophia was weakened in the middle of
his paralyzed body, had his mouth so twisted that his hand
and arm hung useless, and without the help of others he
could not lift himself even a little or walk without a stick.
He came to the tomb of the Friar and prayed there. He was
so cured that from a straight mouth he could talk without
impediment and before all present he lifted his hand and
arm above his head and walked without a stick wherever
he wanted to go.
7.
Margaret, wife of Paul a doctor, suffered pain both from
giving birth and from a great fear of death which seemed
to be close. Her husband gave his daughter a ring with which
he had touched the body of Adam, and the daughter tied it
on to her mother’s necklace and the mother immediately gave
birth and was cured of her pains.
8.
Gemma, wife of Maraldus a coppersmith, troubled for eighteen
years from a sickness called poisoning and worn out from
a flow of blood for four months, could not be cured by medical
help. When she was in the church where the body of the Friar
lay she kept vigil for three days and three nights; she
was cured from both illnesses, gave thanks to God and to
his servant and left gifts for the church.
9.
Gisus from Atrium Penne had been without sight for five
years.
He came to the tomb of Friar
Adam and through his merits gained immediately to be able
to see the light of the sky.
FRIAR WILLIAM OF CORDELLA
1.
Friar Gentilis from Deruta testified he had seen that, when
on a certain day Friar William from Cordella was preaching
to the people in an open space in the town of Tuscania,
a blind man came to Friar William and asked him to make
the sign of the holy cross over his eyes. The Friar humbly
agreed to do this in front of the people and immediately
with sight restored the man gave thanks to God in a loud
voice.
2.
The same Friar stated that on the same day a man so twisted
in his shoulders for six years that he could not stand upright
came to Friar William; when Friar William made the sign
of the cross on him, as requested, in front of all present
the man stood erect and giving glory to God returned joyfully
to his home.
V
ON VISIONS OF FRIARS
Listener.
As you promised you have told of sufficiently many and greatly
to be admired charisms of graces shown to the devout through
the intercession of Friars; but since many Friars in the
Order were dedicated to holy contemplation, I would like,
if you know of any, to hear of any divine revelations given
to them.
Speaker.
I have heard of many such things of which you ask, many
of which do not seem doubtful to me, things which have often
happened to our Friars dedicated to the pursuit of contemplation;
but because it is common for the deception of the demons
to be active in these, I have omitted many and various visions
while the few which I relate here, as you request, were
given to me by most sure reports of Friars.
1.
In a hamlet called Pesquitium where Friars of our Order
were building a church it happened that two of the Friars
helping both with the work and with the workers were enlightened
from above by a divine vision. One night when they had gone
to sleep, one of them woke up; he called out to the
other to get up and invited him to say the hours. The Friar
got up from sleep and began to say the hours when he heard
a noise like the sound of stones crashing, and he asked
the other what could it be? He replied: ‘We will go together
and see what it is that we heard’. Both went and together
saw a large group of people carrying stones on their shoulders,
all dressed in white clothes, moving in silence, and they
carried such a quantity of stones to the place that the
workers were able to complete the church in eight days.
Listener.
Brother, do you think it was humans or rather angels who
gave this help to the Friars who were building?
On guardian angels
Speaker.
I think they were not humans
but angels who are ready in accord with their usual ministry
of giving counsel to help needy humans by showing the design
of the merciful God. This is fittingly indicated by the
clothes they wore since the white clothes illustrate angelic
purity and cleanliness. So it is written: And the armies
of heaven, wearing fine linen, white and pure, were following
on white horses [Rev 19:14]. This is also represented
by the silence in which the things of which we have spoken
are said to have been done; this teaches us that works of
fraternal assistance are never to be done to promote a praise
of human applause, according to the warning of the Saviour:
So whenever you give an alms, do not sound a trumpet
before you [Mt 6:2]. Therefore, as I have said, I think
that often angels, while being invisible to human eyes,
provide help from heaven in doing what is useful or also
in avoiding what is harmful; because, certainly, human weakness
is never safe, hemmed in as it is by the affliction and
plots of the adversaries, without the protection of angelic
approval and help. The servant of a Prophet aptly expressed
this meaning when he saw the Syrians pursuing his master
and surrounding the city on every side and he said in amazement:
Alas, master! what shall we do? But the Prophet not
forgetful of protection from the angels said: Do not
be afraid, for there are more with us than with them.
The Prophet in prayer asked the Lord to open the eyes of
his servant so that he might be able to see the army of
heaven coming to help: So the Lord opened the eyes of
the servant, and he saw; the mountain was full of
horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha [2 Kings
6:15-17]. The Prophet asked in prayer that the terrified
servant who saw the visible enemies, might also see the
invisible lines of angels coming close ready to help those
fighting lest they despair entirely.
Listener.
I conclude that it is a great providence of divine wisdom
that the spiritual powers of evil [Eph 6:12] hostile
to us cannot be seen by bodily eyes; because often fear
swamps a person in the pit of despair, if the savage enemy
in pursuit and the number of pitfalls are seen clearly.
Speaker.
Truly, as you say, divine kindness looks mercifully on people
according to the quality of each. Some are forgiven as weak,
and the savageness of hostile forces and their ability to
harm is hidden from them. Others are offered the opportunity
to be crowned with fuller merit from the struggle with temptation;
as stronger soldiers they are engaged many times in the
conflict and in a visible confrontation with the ancient
enemy.
2.
Friar Clement from Tuscany, a man to be admired for his
wonderful religious observance and life, while living in
the hermitage of Garderia and remaining constant in payer,
was frequently attacked by the ancient enemy who was jealous
of his virtue; the devil attacked
him under the form
of diverse animals and tried to divert him from the purpose
of salvation. One night, tired and exhausted from the long
conflict, he entered his hut to sleep and went as was his
custom to rest beside the fire. When he began to sleep the
devil touched his hand with a burning stick. The Friar woke
up and seeing who was standing there, took the stick and
tried to strike back at the one wounding him, but immediately
the enemy vanished from his sight; however, on the next
day a burn from the fire appeared on his hand.
Another time, when the same
Friar was in parts of Spain, he went out at night-time to
pray and on a beam of wood genuflected incessantly. But
the devil standing there struck him on the mouth and cheek
at each genuflexion. When the devil kept this up for a long
time he finally put out his hand to take hold of the one
striking him; but as the devil fled he touched and struck
the hand of the Friar and in it five wounds appeared so
that for many days he could not use the hand at all.
Listener.
The works of the evil spirits, especially the evil of envy,
against the perfect are amazing; they do not cease to attack
the perfect with such varied skills for causing disturbance.
It also proves the great solicitude of the spiritual guardian
necessary for those resisting; with this help one can break
the stratagems of these temptations or even be able to flee
safely.
On the multiple kinds
of temptation
Speaker.
Many indeed, are the plots of the hidden enemy and they
are known only by the most perfect; nor can one in any way
avoid being caught except by careful protection not only
human but also from the care of angels. Who is able to list
how many snares the enemy places as he moves around, in
how many ways he deceives by the use of deadly persuasion,
with what promises he entices the unwary by deceptive promises,
with what threats he frightens one away from serious
work, in what ways he oppresses by bold moves of savageness,
often stealing not only bodily but also spiritual goods,
in what ways he bends the citadel of the mind with a threat
of despair? But all these evil lies are less to be feared
by holy people, for they are able to control or cause harm
only to a willing and consenting soul. For a person to turn
from all such plots of the devil, one needs the help of
the person who can give freedom, so that one will be aware
that strength is not in or from oneself, and that one must
turn to the One
who gives power
to the faint [Isa 40:29], and so learn how one may resist
wisely the plots of the evil spirits. The variety of temptations
to a just person is more a sign of effort than a sign of
great power; if someone could be overcome by one spear of
evil, the enemy would be needlessly working to find so many
ways and plans for conquering. However, because one sees
that there are many ways by which one can resist and overcome
any one type of temptation, by turning oneself away from
the variety of deceits one shows that any temptation can
be overcome unless one allows oneself to be overcome. So
James says: Whenever you face trials of any kind, consider
it nothing but joy [Jas 1:2]. When a just person meets
temptation it is normally regarded as a reason for danger
not joy; but when the variety of temptations is experienced,
a certain hope of victory is seen with the end result
of future joy.
I recall having heard of
something which happened to a Friar of our Order and which
can illustrate quickly in a brief example the things we
said about the great variety of temptations and at the same
time also about the help of grace.
3.
There was a Friar Simon from Populona in Tuscany who was
committed to the ways of holy contemplation and who saw
daily a bright star to the right of his head. When he moved
his lips in prayer without stopping, whether he be resting
or working, he saw clearly blackbirds, a kind of thrush,
flying many times around his head, after which various temptations
came and wonderfully afflicted him; when he persisted more
attentively at prayer, very white birds came over the black
birds which they chased away as well as the temptations.
He claimed he had seen this same phenomenon in many other
Friars according to what the Lord revealed to him.
Listener.
Certainly, it is clear from what you have said how much
we are watched over by the love and solicitous care of the
angels, who not only procure and guard good merits for us
by their intercession, but also restrain and powerfully
conquer the hostile powers lest they conquer.
On the care of angels
for humans even sinners
Speaker.
Were I to try to collect from the texts of Scripture the
benefits the holy angels confer on us by their ministry,
I know I am incapable of finding all of them, since I think
they are known only to God. How they usefully and powerfully
help us meet obstacles, whether we be sinners or tempted,
I will set out in a few examples from Scripture. As we struggle
in temptation the angels help us effectively as we read
in Exodus in a fitting example.
The angel of God who was going before the Israelite army
moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved
from in front of them and took its place behind them
[Ex 14:19].
What is represented by the
camps of the Egyptians and Israel other than the struggle
between vice and virtue? In this fighting Israel as it fled
would have been devoured many times by the thought of Pharaoh
and the obstacles had it not been assisted by a pillar of
grace and the protection of angelic power. It is expressly
noted there: And so the cloud was there with the darkness,
add by day, and it lit up the night [Ex 14:20]. Day
represents the temptation of prosperity while night represents
the coming of hardship. In a temptation of prosperity clouds
bring darkness so that we will not stupidly take glory at
seeing what is prosperous, and the mind blinded goes on
ignoring one’s own virtues; but in hardship the fire of
grace illuminates and comforts us, lest thinking only of
evil things the mind slips into the pit of despair.
Again, if one despising
the protection of angels gives in to the tempter with evil
will, not even then does the angelic goodness desert the
delinquent but tries to bring the person out from the prison
of sin and prepare ways of avoiding it. Peter illustrated
this when an angel brought him out free from the prison
of Herod. For what is Peter in prison other than
a sinner held in a tormenting conscience, a sinner bound
with two chains and sleeping between two soldiers,
namely, accused of the guilt of commission and omission;
the sinner rests in the mire of sin hiding the longing to
escape. With an angel assisting, a light shines
in the cell when by the ministry of an angel one accepts
the lighting up of sins, so that one might reflect on sin.
Secondarily, however, the
angel taps Peter on the side when an angel moves
a sinner to be sorry for what was done; wakes the sinner
to the need for confession, and invites the sinner to
get up quickly. An
angel leads one to the exercise
of bodily penance, when the angel warns the sinner to
fasten your belt, to protect your feet with sandals
by an affection of love, to wrap the cloak of virtue
around you, and to follow the angelic journey by
heavenly desires [Acts 12: 5-9].
When the sinner is brought
out of the prison of sin by the ministry of an angel, the
angel by interceding for the sinner also tries to free or
at least mitigate the punishment merited and demanded by
the sins. This is well illustrated in Daniel when an angel
who appeared to the three young men locked in the furnace
drove the fiery flame out of the furnace [Song of Thr 26].
Here it is clear that the bitterness of our punishments
is either taken away altogether by the mediation of angels
or, if justice demands that we be not fully freed from them,
angels inspire relief in our mind so that we can bear them
with profit. Hence there follows: The angel of the Lord
…made the inside of the furnace as though a moist wind were
whistling through it [Song of Thr 26-27].
I will relate, as you request,
a vision revealed to a Friar concerning this care
by which the angels watch over us.
4.
Friar Peter from Assisi lived in the house of the Friars
which is called Subpentonia
in Saint Leonard. One night when he was constant in prayer
he saw a bright star of wonderful clarity and heard a voice
three times calling him by his own name. He replied: ‘Here
I am’, and the voice said: ‘Do not be afraid, come with
me, get up and I will show you what you have not seen before’.
As the voice was speaking a youth appeared dressed in silk;
the Friar immediately got up, whether in the body or
out of the body he did not know [2 Cor 12:2], and followed.
When they had gone a little way he saw in front of him a
well from which came a terrible stench, and from its depths
issued fiery water in which many people seemed to be immersed.
Some were being put into the pool with head turned around,
some from the side, some in the chest, some backwards, and
a foul smoke with much harsh sound and shouting was seen
to come out from the well. When he begged his guide not
to lead him any closer they went by another path and came
to most pleasant surrounding; here all present were praising
God in a wonderful harmony of voices as joyful in heart
they sang with sublime voices. He saw Friars of our Order
standing in the middle of them, clothed in white garments,
their flesh even brighter than the others. Since he knew
that some living Friars and some who
had died were here,
he desired to be separated from his body so as to remain
with these Friars. His guide said to him: ‘Come, we are
to go from here’. They went outside and walked along
a lane [Acts 12:10]. Immediately the angel said to him:
‘Do you know why you have been allowed to come and see this?’
He answered: ‘No’. The angel said: ‘Go and confess the sin
you committed in the world’. Suddenly the angel left
him [Acts 12:10].
The Friar came to himself [Acts 12:11], saw himself
standing in a church, and from fear of the sin or rather
of the revelation made to him was comforted with joy and
began to weep most bitterly. On hearing his voice the other
Friars woke up and were filled with much consolation in
the Lord when they heard the full report of the vision.
Listener.
From this story one can deduce not only the love of the
angel’s care for us but as well the necessity of confession.
On the necessity of confession
Speaker. I do not think it is beside the point to
say something on the necessity of confession, since in fact
one can hardly deduce from the canon of Scripture that anyone
is bound by a command of the Lord to confess to a priest
the quality of individual sins. Solomon indicates to a sinner
how necessary is confession when he says: No one who
conceals transgressions will prosper, but one who confesses
and forsakes them will obtain mercy [Prov 28:13]. Those
who do not confess but hide sins are turned from the way
of salvation, so that they do not guide their
feet into the way of peace [Lk 1:79] where the covenant
of perfect reconciliation with God is reached and justice
is revealed as the wicked are justified by his grace
[Rom 3:24]. By being penitent and uncovering one’s situation
in confession, a person shows he or she has reached the
limits of justice; according to the Prophet: Set forth
your case, so that you may be proved right [Isa 43:26],
and Solomon says that the one who first states a case
seems right [Prov 18:17], so that having confessed and
spurned what one remembers one has done, the mercy of God
follows. That individual confession of sins to a priest
can be held to be necessary, is fittingly hinted at in Leviticus
where through sacrifices ordered by law the forgiving of
sins is distinguished. For we read:
When any of you sin regarding any of the various things
that one may do and sin thereby, when you have sinned and
realize your guilt, you shall bring to the priest, as your
guilt offering to the Lord, a ram without blemish from the
flock, or its equivalent, for a guilt offering. The priest
shall make atonement on your behalf before the Lord, and
you shall be forgiven for any of the things that one may
do and incur guilt thereby [Lev 6:2-7].
The horns of a ram stand
for the stubbornness of disobedience by which we resist
the divine precepts in sinning. Rightly then must a ram
without blemish be offered in expiation, so that a disobedient
person who knows from the prompting of conscience that wrong
has been done, can have the stain of sin genuinely silenced
or certainly immolated on the altar of penance for salvation.
One is commanded to place before a priest a ram in accord
with the measure and judgment of the sin, because a priest
necessarily has to know the substance and circumstances
of a sin, so that he may judge with due discretion between
one kind of assault and another [Deut 17:8]; for
the single sins which the penitent has committed, the penitent
may intercede by offering to God worthy prayers more or
less useful for the penitent.
If you so wish I will tell
of a vision, concerning things worthy of belief about the
need for confession, which I heard was revealed to a woman
through a Friar of our Order.
5.
Friar Gismundus, buried by the Friars in a deserted part
of a forest in Melfi, appeared to a woman from the same
area as she slept and said to her:
Get up and go to the Monastery of Saint Stephen in Ripa
and say to a monk named Tristagnus that he is to move my
body from the forest where it now lies.
The woman did not bother to do what he asked so on another
night he came and said to her: ‘If you will not go to the
monk, as I asked, I will make you unable to move from place
to place’. She pretended to do what he had asked of her,
when behold he came on a third night with some others and
had her fiercely whipped. Taught by the lashing the woman
took the message to
the monk as she had been told to do. When the monk heard
the message he went quickly to the Friars whom he asked
to be allowed to transfer the body of the Friar for burial
in another decent place. Out of humility the Friars refused
not wishing to agree with the request of the monk lest they
take steps by which presumption might be attributed to him
as if the dead Friar had made his fringes long [Mt
23:5].
Meanwhile Friar Gismundus appeared to the woman a fourth
time as before, and with him was a very large group of Friars
who filled the whole sky. When she asked who they were he
replied: ‘These are my brothers who are freed and by the
mercy of God will now enter paradise’. The woman looked
to the side and saw a lake full of blood in which a large
group of people were being tortured, among whom she saw
Tristagnus the monk sunk up to his throat. In sympathy she
said to the Friar:
Why do you not help your friend?’ He replied: ‘I cannot
because he neglected to confess a sin for which without
a doubt he will come to this place of torments unless he
wipes out by confession what he did’.
When the woman asked him
the name and kind of sin he replied:
Say to brother Tristagnus to confess the perjury which he
committed at such a time and such a place on behalf of a
woman while he was still in secular dress.
The woman came to the monk
and said to him:
This is how I saw you, namely, being suffocated with others
in a lake of blood for a sin of perjury which at such a
time on behalf of a woman you committed against the Lord;
and Friar Gismundus said to me that unless you take away
this sin by confession you will not escape the punishment
prepared for you and which I have seen with my own eyes.
The monk was immediately
sorrowful on hearing this, remembering that what the woman
said was true. He confessed this sin not only to a priest
but also before the people to the glory of God and also
so that the holiness of the Friar might be made known.
As the Friars were discussing
about the transfer of the body of the Friar and thinking
to bury him in a more decent place before the altar, a voice
was heard from heaven saying:
What are you thinking of so uselessly? The Friar does not
want to be buried where you have prepared a grave but would
like to rest in the church of Saint Stephen in Ripa.
When the Friars heard this,
immediately they sent for the monk and gave permission for
the transfer of the body as he had asked. The monk in haste
brought an outer garment he had carefully prepared in which
to wrap and carry the body of the Friar. Meanwhile the Friar
of whom we are speaking appeared to the woman saying to
her:
Go and say to brother Tristagnus that he is not to wrap
my body in the cloth he has prepared but he is to go to
the forest to collect leaves of laurel and myrtle, with
which to transfer my body humbly wrapped.
When the monk went to carry
out carefully what the woman had said, a Friar, a companion
of Friar Gismundus, secretly took and hid one of his teeth
and a bone of a finger. Friar Gismundus appeared yet again
to the woman and said: ‘Go and say to the monk that he has
not carried my whole body; one tooth and a bone of one finger
are missing’. When the monk told this to the Friars, all
were surprised and the guardian ordered all the Friars under
obedience that whoever had done this should give them back
without delay. The Friar was afraid to go against obedience
which he accepted out of devotion and reverence for the
Friar, and immediately gave them to the monk. The monk accepted
them and with much joy returned to the monastery with the
rest of the body which he had received and buried the Friar
with due honour.
Listener.
I note that it is of benefit
to the faithful to foster for themselves familiarity with
friends of God by works of charity in the present life;
these friends show many gifts to the faithful not only while
in the body, but also before God after their death they
take care usefully of their needs.
How much one gains from
developing friendship with the saints by good works
Speaker.
In the Gospel the Saviour warned the sons of light with
the words: Make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest
wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into
the eternal homes [Lk 16:9]. These words clearly indicate
how profitable it is to win the friendship of the servants
of God with zealous service, which the Saviour announces
is the entrance to the eternal home and is to be asked for.
However, it is clear that if this is what the needy seek
to share eternally by the mercy of God, it will come especially
to those who were dedicated in this life to works of mercy
and so merited mercy for themselves, as the Lord says:
Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy
[Mt 5:7]. That you may know this from a clear example
I relate, as I heard it, something which happened to blessed
Francis through a certain soldier.
6.
In the hamlet called Zanchato in Champagne, a soldier by
the name of Girardus, had lost fully the use of his eyes
for four months. It happened that two Friars were passing
through the hamlet and turned aside to the home of the soldier
where they were received by his family with much courtesy.
On the following night, blessed Francis appeared in a vision
to one of them and said:
Get up, brother, and return to the home of the soldier in
which you were received with courtesy, and say to him that
for the sins he has neglected to confess he now suffers
the pain of blindness, but what is worse, a punishment of
eternal torment awaits him, unless he does penance for his
sins.
The Friar woke up, told
his companion the whole vision, and in the morning without
delay returned with his companion to the home of the soldier.
When their arrival was known, the soldier asked them the
reason for their journey, and the Friar to whom the saint
had appeared said:
We recently came here ignorant of certain facts, but blessed
Francis last night appeared to me and revealed the reason
why you are suffering blindness; you committed such and
such sins which through negligence you have so far delayed
to confess.
Hearing this, the soldier,
quite disturbed and remorseful, wept copiously and humbly
confessed his sins to the Friar. When he had made his confession
and received a penance, he vowed to God that if he might
be spared in mercy through the merits of blessed Francis,
he would visit his tomb with gifts and with due honour.
On making this vow before many people present, through the
merits of Francis he immediately regained the light of his
eyes lost for four months.
Listener.
Rightly was the soldier bound to give much veneration to
the memory of the holy father, whose interest brought such
sight to the whole person of the soldier for his salvation.
How much the saints are
to be honoured
Speaker.
As the Psalmist says [Ps 138:17 DRB; 139:17 NRSV] the friends
of God are to be venerated with much honour, even if we
have received no benefits from them; we know they are friends
of God and both reason and the authority of the Gospels
teach us to give them reverence and devotion: Whoever
welcomes you welcomes me [Mt 10:40]. Is it surprising
then if you think, because of their prayers for needy mortals,
they are worthy of honour whom God makes wonderful? The
saints themselves give tributes of veneration to one another.
Lest you doubt this I will relate, provided you listen patiently,
a fact most worthy of admiration in which, as I have said,
the saints show reverence to one another.
7.
A Friar Rainaldus from the area of Rieti, a person of wonderful
perfection and life, was going one day to the town of Rieti
with a companion when he met a blind person; thinking to
offer to guide him by walking ahead, the blind person knowing
already that the Friars were close by, greeted them on bended
knee on the ground and humbly asked that they trace the
sign of the cross on his eyes. Friar Bernard, his companion,
conscious of the faith of the blind person and the holiness
of the Friar commanded Friar Rainaldus under holy obedience
to do for the blind person what was requested. As soon as
the sign of the cross was traced on the eyes of the blind
person, he received his sight and followed the footsteps
of the departing Friars
kissing the earth and shouting
out: ‘These are truly holy men and friends of God for when
I was blind they gave me back my eyes’. After a short time
when Friar Rainaldus seemed close to death, many Friars
from his Province who loved him dearly gathered to guard
him when he died. When heaven seemed close, his body began
to be covered with sweat and there appeared on his face
and habit flowers like snow falling from above. The Friars
present were greatly surprised at this often wiping away
the sweat; but it came back again and lasted on his body
until after his death when it went with him into the tomb.
When he had lain there in
quiet for three whole years, it happened that another Friar
of great perfection passed from life in this same place;
at his death the house of the Friars was filled with perfume,
so that not only the Friars living in the house but also
people at a distance smelt the fragrance. They opened the
tomb of Friar Rainaldus since they had decided to put the
body of the other Friar with it, and they found his body
already three years dead with hands crossed but incorrupt
as if it was buried only on this day; when the undertakers
tried strenuously to move his body so as to make room for
the other body to be buried, they could not. When one of
the Friars preparing the burial announced this, they decided
to place one body on top of the other in the tomb. When
the Friars came in funeral procession to the tomb, the body
of Friar Rainaldus, which had been buried for three years,
moved as if it were alive, and made room for the Friar on
the western side of the tomb; he sat up and for as long
as it takes to say the Lord’s prayer, remained in this position;
also, as all the Friars and others standing there could
see, he leaned on his side towards the eastern side and
remained so until the body of the other Friar was enclosed
in the same tomb. On seeing this the people and Friars present
praised the power of the Creator mixing songs with tears.
Listener.
These things which I hear are most wonderful, and from the
significance of the fact they raise a strong support for
Christian faith, when, namely, the body of a man buried
for some years indicates the glory of future resurrection
and through clear signs effectively invites one to attain
the state of the first people.
Miracles are a support
for faith
Speaker.
It is proper to those weak in faith and an indication of
an adulterous generation to ask for a visible
sign [Mt 12:39]. Yet, while such people consent to signs
more readily than to the testimony of Scripture, the Author
of faith puts before those seeking such the sign of Jonah
lest anything which might help faith is omitted. By increasing
innumerable signs of virtue scattered through the field
of evangelical endeavour, what is being done other than
to draw our consent to believe in the invisible aspects
of our faith and to place in the hearts of the elect the
glory to be revealed in the children of God’s kingdom [Rom
8:18]? Often however, it is done lest the merit of faith
be allowed to be frustrated, according to the text, the
light of future brightness is covered in God’s
hands [Job 36:32ff.]; and lest hope tired out becomes
dulled, God commands the light as a clear sign to strike
again, and by this tell God’s friends of a future possession
and that they can rise to it at a stated time.
8.
Hence it is that a Friar from Florence named Roland, dedicated
to holy contemplation, entered a church one day to pray
when suddenly while striving intently at prayer, there appeared
a ray of the sun coming down on the altar, and behold he
saw a boy adorned with wondrous beauty standing in the ray
on the altar, holding a golden crown in one hand, and with
the other carried on his head a similar crown adorned with
precious stones. The boy spoke to the Friar by name and
said: ‘Friar Roland, strive to persevere to the end in what
you have begun, because this crown which I hold in my hand
has been prepared for you’. Immediately the vision disappeared
from his eyes, and the surprised Friar left the church;
he went to a priest of the Order and asked him with much
contrition: ‘Help me, Father, because I am afraid that the
Lord has allowed me to be deceived; for I saw such and such
and the Lord promised me what I saw’. The priest, understanding
the vision, tried to comfort the Friar to persevere in doing
good in the Lord, and in accord with the promise made to
stand in awe and not become proud [Rom 11:20].
Listener.
Since the Lord, as you relate, deigned to reveal, through
what I judge to have been an angel, a grace of such close
familiarity and a crown of future glory already prepared,
I wonder why he was afraid of the vision when he should
rather have rejoiced in the Lord and given thanks.
On a necessary discernment
of spirits
Speaker.
If, according to the opinion of Paul, even Satan disguises
himself as an angel of light [2 Cor 11:14] to draw careless
people with him into ruin, it is not a cause for worry that
the Friar was afraid; perhaps already he had experienced
deceptions of the devil and was not in ignorance of his
cunning. Those accustomed to the devil’s torturous artifices
know never to believe his promises nor yield to his threats,
but with the same constancy of mind to bear his flattering
and laugh when he causes fear. Otherwise, if the perfect
were to believe quickly in every spirit or
not test the spirits to see whether they are from God
[1 Jn 4:1], the flattering tongue of the serpent would often
lead many away in an error of presumption, while others,
clinging in their minds like stars to heavenly things, would
be drawn down to the depths of despair by the tail of the
poisonous dragon [Rev 12:4]. Meanwhile, if God sees that
human ability is not equal to the task of such discernment
God often teaches by an angelic teaching what we should
do in such circumstances.
9.
Friar Andrew lived in Andria in the diocese of Penne and
was completely dedicated to the development of holy contemplation
and devotion. One night when he was busy as usual with the
delights of his meditation he heard a voice say to him:
Why, poor Andrew, do you mix up for no reason vigils, fasting
and other penances when you surely know you are to be handed
over to eternal damnation, and no matter how much you try
you will not be saved.
Disturbed by what he heard,
crying and uttering strong sobs from his heart he began
to think for a long time what it could be. And while caught
between hope and fear he fluctuated with worried thoughts,
he heard a voice from heaven say to him:
Do not be afraid Andrew, nor let the first voice you heard
terrify you; he who was the father of lies from the beginning
could not speak the truth [see Jn 8:44]. Take comfort in
the Lord to whom you are faithfully attached, and persevere
in the good you have begun, because your salvation, if you
continue, is soon to come; on the fifth day of the first
week of Lent now close you will be called from this vale
of misery to a crown.
As the determined time came
closer, he called the Friars who were there, asking them
to assist him as he died, confidently announcing to them
the hour when his death would happen. When he told the Friars
of his vision he showed them also a written record of it
which he had made in a book in his own writing. He made
a general confession and began to recite the office for
the commendation of the dead in which the other Friars joined
him; after doing this he paid the debt of nature and before
them went happily to the heavenly kingdom.
Listener.
As you have shown in a double
example, the virtue of perseverance is to be crowned with
a significant reward of praise for it reaches out only for
the prize of the heavenly call [Phil 3:14].
On the virtue of perseverance
Speaker.
Truly, as you say, perseverance deserves much praise, for
when it is present attacks of adversity can in no way overcome
virtue; when it is absent no matter what height the building
of good works has attained it suffers the damage of ruin.
Not everyone who competes but the one who competes according
to the rules, will be crowned [2 Tim 2:5]; nor
do all the runners receive the prize but only
the one who perseveres without tiring is crowned with
the prize [1 Cor 9:24]. So, as you notice, the weapons
of the Christian army taken up more fervently in no way
benefit the perfection of spiritual victory, unless one
persevere in a healthy way to fight to the death for
truth or obedience. However, often when the Lord sees
some weak or unwilling persons ready to throw away their
weapons and go over to the other side to serve the enemy
under the burden of battle and an inertia of fear, the Lord
with an abundance of piety and grace forces them to remain
by calling back the ones fleeing, as I will relate.
10.
A Friar John from Foligno, in the area of Saint Terentianus
beside the mountain Socrate, was worn out from the great
distress of a daily temptation so that prompted by temptation
he was thinking in many ways of returning to worldly
passions [Tit 11:12]. One day overcome by the constancy
of temptation he undertook a journey to Foligno; he
arrived at the hamlet of Magliano Alpi which is beside the
river Tiber and overlooks a large valley. Standing on a
hill which sloped down to the valley he looked and saw that
the whole valley seemed to be like a lake filled with blood;
surprised at this the Friar was greatly afraid, nor did
he presume to go any further, and immediately threw himself
to the ground. The Friars of that place
pondering the departure
of the Friar gave themselves continuously to prayer, and
sent two to call back the wanderer if the Lord had in mercy
in some way touched his soul. The two followed the track
of the one who had gone ahead and saw him sitting alone
on the top of the hill. Hurrying to him they took hold of
the wanderer and brought him back with joy to the place
he had left. He, immediately moved by remorse, humbly confessed
his sin and related to the Friars how the Lord had frightened
him.
Listener.
It is clear what great kindness and love existed among the
early Friars, who not only consoled those troubled in spirit,
but also recalled by constancy in prayer those despairing
under the weight of temptation, and they tried to take them
back in a spirit of gentleness [Gal 6:1].
On love and mercy for
sinners
Speaker.
Since the Saviour says: The good person brings good things
out of a good treasure [Mt 12:35], necessarily then
each person must be careful in his or her conduct and interests.
If it is clear from the fruit of their work that the early
school of blessed Francis was fully concerned with a great
spirit of love and devotion. How could these works of piety
and compassion have been there unless they had germinated
in the soil of a good treasure? We, however, follow more
the appearance of justice than virtue and sound off against
the sins of delinquents with pharisaical presumption; we
empty the bowels of mercy imprudently, while often we push
to ruin the crushed reed of weakness with a storm of disapproval
from a merciless heart as if it were a leaning wall,
a tottering fence [Ps 62:3]. This is not the type of
justice the master Christ set up for he recommended not
a restriction of censure but an effort to save. For Christ
struck with a whip made of cords those doing things not
fitting to be done in the temple of the body. The obstinate
who dare to resist in themselves are lingering in incorrigible
malice, and certainly signify they ought to be punished
with more severe punishments. However, the kind Judge absolved
the sinful woman stained with many sins including adultery
for which she was to be punished with bodily death; he said
to one person be at peace, and to another instead of a penance
he gave a warning against sinning again. But you say we
avenge the injuries to Christ and scandals to people, when
in fact we are allowing one sick sheep to infect by the
vice of its corruption the whole flock of Christ. But if,
as
you claim, we make the same
judgments as Christ, why does Christ receive a penitent
while we on the contrary condemn such a one with no hope
of forgiveness? Or if we are seeking to build up the people,
why do we not admit a sinner to due penance, so that just
as the sinner was an occasion of harm to people, so also
by public penance the sinner may teach others to be sorry
for sin? But if, what I think is truer, we defend our reputation
in this matter and provide a security against scandals happening,
we should remember, because no one thinks more of virtue,
no one is more devoted to it than one who has lost the reputation
of being a good person; such a person does not want to lose
his or her conscience, nor the conscience of others. But
you say: How can I lose my conscience, the very thing which
is able to save me? Clearly, although you cannot be a necessary
cause for the loss of another’s conscience, it often happens
you have been an occasion to a weak person, a neighbour
in despair, especially when such a person becomes used to
these things and is ready to follow the common law of your
judgment. You may know that one who has promised amendment
has become hardened to scandals, is often found caught up
by falling back in like things, or perhaps there is no amendment
in the heart, but rather you judge that the person is probably
forced by necessity to commit worse things in their soul;
if such a person asks to be reconciled, while you do well
in showing mercy from a strong desire for the salvation
of such a person, for the reasons given above, if you do
not accept back such a one on his return, with due respect
for a better opinion, I do not think you have sinned.
I said earlier that this
matter concerns the love and mercy of the Friars for sinners.
I heard something which happened to a Friar while blessed
Francis was still alive.
11.
There was in the Province of Penne a Friar Peter from the
hamlet of Saint Heritius, who had a strong desire to visit
his paternal home. But when he frequently asked his minister
for permission to do this, and never getting what he wanted,
he said: ‘I will go, indeed I will go, and I will see who
can hold me back any more from this resolve’. Immediately
he left the house and began his journey with Friars following
him, trying to dissuade him from the journey with compliments.
When they had no success in this, they set themselves to
pray and sent two Friars to follow the fugitive so as either
to bring him back or to bring news should anything happen
to him. The Friar came to the exit from the vineyards and
was strongly overcome by sleep; not being able to go any
further he fell to the ground and fell asleep. However,
blessed Francis who was still living appeared to him as
he slept and said to him: ‘Why have you broken your yoke
[Jer 2:20]? Go back to your Friars’. When the Friar concealed
his intention of not wanting to return, Francis beat him
strongly with the stick which he had in his hand. Keenly
stirred by the pain from the blows which he felt in his
body he immediately returned to the Friars; he was received
with brotherly compassion and related what had rightly happened
to him through the vision.
Listener.
From the sting of the pain inflicted one may learn how much
danger there is in going beyond the limits of obedience.
On the foundations of the virtue of obedience
Speaker.
From many examples in Scripture it is easy to show the punishments
inflicted on disobedience which the Lord almost never allows
in this present life to pass completely unpunished. This
becomes clearer by a comparison. In the knowledge of this
fact the children of obedience find the reason why it is
necessary for us and in agreement with the divine disposition
to obey the precepts of the leaders who according to Paul
keep watch over our souls for which they will
give an account [Heb 13:17]. This so necessary matter
of obedience is clear at least to all who think and who
are aware of the laws which govern a creature, laws which
teach us to obey superiors. For, according to the opinion
of a Saint, the virtue of obedience is in harmony with a
well founded nature, by which any creature obeys the will
and wishes of its Author; by this one does one’s duty guided
by a rational soul for as long as one remains in this condition,
being ready when it is fitting to be subject to lesser creatures.
That you may understand a sign from an example of this truth,
I will relate two most wonderful events which I learnt from
witnesses most worthy of trust.
12.
A Friar named Benincasa from Todi who lived in parts of
Spain, through holy obedience procured the necessities for
the Friars and carried in a basket some of the eggs he had
procured. On his journey he crossed the top of a hill and
tired out from climbing the hill he sat down on a side of
the hill which was close to a very deep valley. He carelessly
put down the basket with the eggs which began to slide quickly
down the rounded and slippery hill without meeting any obstacle.
The Friar, regretting his carelessness and negligence in
losing the alms, ordered the basket under obedience to stop
its
movement and not go
any further towards the valley. As soon as he said this
the basket, as if attentive to the force of the Friar’s
command, remained on the slope of the hill until the Friar
could come and collect the basket with all the eggs unbroken.
13.
Another Friar from Assisi, named Tebaldus,
while staying in Saint Laurence near the town of Ortona
across the Tiber, was given an obedience by his superior
to go immediately to a certain town for some necessities.
He reached the Tiber anxious to carry out the command of
the Father. When he could not find a boat, mindful of obedience,
forgetful of danger, he lifted his habit and walked onto
the water while the men and women standing near the river
called out to him in wonder not to cross. But where the
water would have been deep, where the Friar crossed, the
river reached hardly to his knees.
Another time when
the same Friar was sent to ask for and bring back fish but
could find none either by prayer or money, he bent over
and put his hand confidently in the river. He searched under
the sand twice and both times drew out a fish the length
of a hand and brought them back to the Friars.
Listener.
The heart of this Friar who was not afraid for the sake
of obedience to cross a river of such depth obtained much
from having confidence in divine help,.
On discreet obedience
Speaker.
Although, as Scripture says,
we know to obey is better than sacrifice [1 Sam 15:22]
and an obedient person shall speak of victory
[Prov 21:28 DRB], it is important that in acts of obedience,
no matter how perfect they may be, one has to be attentive.
Those things which go beyond the laws of nature, or are
judged to be impossible because they are outside the course
and order of nature, unless perhaps the piety of faith demands
it, I call by its right name not so much a confidence of
obedience as a stupidity of tempting God. In matters also
which concern conduct, to do under the pretext of obedience
things which are judged to be either a clear cause of danger
to oneself or an occasion of scandal to a neighbour, excepting
truth of life, of justice and doctrine, does more to increase
the anger of annoyance
than to acquire the atonement
of the grace of the Saviour. However, often for simple people
doing such things out of fervour of spirit and purity of
faith the merciful God from the abyss of judgments pursues
for a praiseworthy purpose their vows which are hidden from
us. But in no way do I think such things can be done by
the disciples of truth who know the secret of the kingdom
of God [Mk 4:11], unless it be by chance or rarely,
as we have said, when the truth of Christian faith is required
by adversaries. This is especially true when danger to the
weak is likely, lest usurping uselessly the clearness of
glory due only to God, they rightly fall into derision or
put on themselves a hand of rash presumption or certainly
impel their neighbours by an obstacle of indiscreet work
to the ruin of death.
Listener.
The great depth of faith of the Friar was evident when he
looked for fish with his hand under the sand of the river
and brought them to the needy Friars.
Speaker.
As you state it, I agree that the faith of the Friar was
clearly great; but who would dare to state for definite
whether his faith or the necessity of the Friars merited
this? For often by the ministry of one person something
is done which was asked for by the merits of another. Thus
when Israel was fighting with Amalek, the victory of war
was not attributed to its efforts or power, but there is
added expressly: Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel
prevailed; and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed
[Ex 17:11]. As if to say openly, that if Israel had overcome
the Amalekites fighting against them, this was in no way
due to their power, but was done by the prophetic prayer.
So also when the servant of Elisha placed a few loaves before
the people, the prophetic prayer multiplied them to meet
the needs of many [2 Kings 4:42ff.]. Either factor could
have obtained from God the grace of this provision, namely,
the faith of the Friar taking hold of a fish with his hand
under the sand, or the need of the Friars praying in the
house. Lest you doubt the presence of the great care of
God for the poor, I will relate the avarice of a woman towards
the Friars for which she was justly punished by a remarkable
event, which I remember happened in the area of Rome near
the sea.
14.
In the hamlet of Priverno during a time of need a woman
by the name of Romana was unwilling to give a portion of
bread which she had baked that day to Friars begging alms
from her; she said she had nothing which she could give
to the poor. The Friars left in their customary way and
the woman sent the bread to her son working at the cultivation
of the grape vines. When the youth received the bread
to eat after work he found
that the bread was mixed with blood. On his return home
from work he complained to his mother and showed her the
bread mixed with blood which she had sent to him as he worked.
The woman had wanted to buy fennel with this bread but when
it was found, as we said, to be stained with blood, which
was due to her mistake, she confessed before everyone and
firmly resolved in her heart as far as possible never to
deny anything to Friars begging.
Epilogue
So, brother, while I have
tried to meet your requests in a spirit of love, by the
increase in the number of words, as is usual, I have exceeded
the limits of a collection. However, I think I am to be
forgiven more easily since you often put the point of view
of the listener so earnestly that I was forced to digress
from the proposed course of my story. I have tried to the
best of my ability to draw out like a stalking beast the
answers from a study of the paths of arguments everywhere
through the closely planted shrubs of Scripture. Just as
a dog set on hunting does not always direct its course by
walking straight ahead, but either by following the tracks
of a preceding animal, or alerted by the spilling of blood,
sometimes from noticing with a keen nose the wafting of
one smell, it hunts its desired prey now ahead, now through
devious paths, now to the left, now to the right, now before,
now behind with panting steps. In the same way it is necessary
for one penetrating the hidden points in an argument, to
meditate on what is true, what is false, what is similar,
what is contrary, sometimes even on what went before and
what came after, and finally on what has happened, so that
one might be able to make clear that what is covered as
it were with a cloud of slow understanding can be drawn
out by the light of truth or that from the slowness of a
weaker ability wrapped as it were in clothes of a child
the stings of arguments might be dissolved.
Nor do I think there is
anything great or profound in the course of what I have
said to you with diligence or effort, but according to my
ability I have tried to answer your questions by following
the streams of opinions of older people, which, as I have
said and unless I am mistaken, I recall having read of the
opinions of the saints or doctors. Therefore, I make an
end of these words, so that whoever knows I have said less
about any point in what has gone before, should correct
the mistakes. I put a definite
end to our conversation with these words, and in no way
do I envy anyone knowing and telling more or greater deeds
of the Friars but rather I am happy to have offered by my
study some occasion for the glory of the Friars. I want
readers of these pages to be warned of one thing, namely,
as I said at the beginning of the work, the deeds of holy
father Francis were committed to a sharper ability and more
worthy style, while I have consciously and prudently omitted
deeds of other Friars which I have heard of and read, lest
the sameness or the repetition of like deeds or the number
of stories might in some way annoy the ears of readers.
If it be thought opportune
to write something about any of the deeds of which scant
notice came to my attention, or for future deeds of Friars
for the building up of faith, I will be content to have
found someone to fill in my defects. I embrace any companion
working to praise God by the increase of the glory of other
Friars of our Order, and I will not think it unworthy to
have found a fellow worker.
The end.
Thanks be to God.
Amen.
