" , I II ' I ' n III III r Ilfl I If I I ' IIhl I I I II il II I II I 1IIII I IIII I III III I III 1111\11111\1 1: 11111 I I III I I III 1111111111111111 I I 1:11 1 1 111 III II 1IIIIII !ill I i'i!i ! II! t I 1111:1;11 ; I I I I I III! I I II' l i lt :, t I 1' , I ' 1 111 I I' r 1.1111 I \ 111 1 111 I I II I 1111111;: 1111 11 1111 :11 I Ii II III } II :\I II I I III II II II II I IIU I I' I Illr II II I' I II II I 1111 11 II I It 'h III, IIUII I I Iii IIII II '111111 1111111 II II I. 11 11 "11 III III II II II I II I I I II " II II 'I I III I I II II HIIIIII' 1: 11 I III I I I I I II 1\ II I I :1\1' I I I II ' '111\1 ,I II 1 111 1 111 IIIIII 1111111 HIIIIII II 1 11 , 1 11 IIIII IIII I t I I " I II I ' I I lilt 11 1 1\ I 1 ' 1 \ III I 1II I I II III 11111111 II I I III" I II I II 'I I II I I III Illmlll! I I I I ; II,: I I II ", II II \lllIb I II I I I I 1111111 I I II I I III III iilll I II I h !"III: i III 11111 I\ I __ II 8 --- r- =C\J == C\J IH C\J I \ <( ::::=::::: I :1:-= L{) - o ::t ==== I t;; 0 u.=T"'"" o CD > r- ....=T"'"" - (\") w== > Z ::::) - I' JOlIN M. KELLY LIBRARY " Donated by The Redemptorists of the Toronto Province from the Library Collection of Holy Redeemer College, Windsor University of St. Michael's College, Toronto , mttMtR H8RARY. W'N P LIFE 0. ST. BENEDICT SURNAMED '"'THE MOOR," ht ".on .of .a "I.a11t. CANONIZED BY POPE PIUS VII., MAY 24th, 1807. TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH OF M. ALLIBERT. Canon oj the Primatial Ohurch oj LyO'T/.$. P. J. KENED\- & SONS lIub1tøl1trø 10 Ille .01y !\poølo1tr err 4 BARCLAY STREET I NEW YORIt: Q .. ,..pAr l ' t.\\Ji11',L;', S ,. wr-. C o ' . -.. ?: \ it" .. . ...' ':'-1 -/ . .!"-l, -t.- ....t.. to, . '':)1 t (1 V .. ..... ,.. . \., " ;: ? r : I} ' ; V: ' " "', ' ' ' . J fØ/4 . ... ::.", /: ",.:""'_ð'",t;f,.\' ;( -.:.z ,-4r:OO. " '") -' A , _ _......- . . - . -=- ". 'O-- 4 O:C- , OO-. ....,,,. ' ,J".. ft ""-- ,0 .. r . '> _....' ,. ,, r, .r .f . _ f (.J . :,;1.;. ":" : .::. . . .... - :'0 , _".. '" :::-: ::;. . '_ c. , . .. .1'- :. . . . ;;. ..... .... . . -..,.. TO THE SERAPHIC PATRIARCH. ST. FRANOIS. : : CANNOT do better, 0 holy Patriarch, ! than dedicate to thee this Abridgment of the Life of St. Benedict, thy Son, who now enjoys e ternal h a ppiness in the arms of his- Father. I do this the more readily, since I need not recall thy glory, which shines from age to age, al- though we may celebrate it without incur- ring the reproach of flattery, which may usually be made against dedicatory epis- tles. It is true, nevertheless, that the 5 6 Øedication. merits of children \vho \valk in their father's footsteps, and the glory they win, always redound to the father's greater honor. Our Saint is a striking proof of this. When we read that the countenance of St. Benedict of Sanfratello became bright and shining when he was in prayer, during the night, we are immediately reminded of the wonderful brightness thou didst shed around thee, in so much, that the cell in which thou wast praying seemed all on fire, and the deceived beholders ran in haste to extinguish the flames. The same may be said of those fundamental virtues, by which our Saint walked in thy blessed footsteps, tinged with the blood of those seraphic wounds which had pierced his heart also. Thou wast accustomed, during prayer, to take refuge under the wings of S1. Michael the Archangel. St. Benedict was faithful to the same practice. (/)edication. 7 That we may not make too many compari- sons, we shall content ourselves with recall- ing his veneration for the ecclesiastical hierarchy which he had drawn from thy Testament, in which thou dost say, speak- ing of the sacerdotal order :-" It is my desire to fear the prl:ests, to love and honor them as my superiors. 1 am unwilling to see any sin in them, because in each I con- sider the Son of God, and regard them as my masters." What may render this Abridgment still more agreeable to thee, 0 venerable Father, is, that thy son Benedict zealously applied himself to imitate and honor thee perfectly; I, then, enter into his views by dedicating to thee this short account of his life, composed on the occasion of his canonization. There is, then, reason to hope that it will be agreeable to both father and child; happy shall I be, if I 8 medication. obtai:t hereby. from either, that protection which I, with all the reformed religious, implore, prostrate at thy feet. :F. JACQUES. PostulaloT-Ge-wrtll. ->> \I ''' .' , v _ :f (PO , JI 4 APPROBATION By the order of the most reverend Mas. t r of the Sacred Apostolic Palace, I have read the Life of St. Benedict of San fratello, surnamed the .Moor': not only have I found therein nothing contrary to the holy Catholic faith or to good morals, bu t I have been led to admire the order and clearness with which the author has drawn the picture of the heroic virtues and excel- lent gifts which. our Lord had so generous- ly poured out on the soul of his servant. Consequently, I judge the publication of this work conducive to the spiritual good of the faithful. Convent of the Minerva, the 3d of August, 1805. FR. THOMAS M. MANCINI, Of the Order of Preachers, Professor of Theo)ogy, and Con- sultor of the Sacred Congregation of Rit .s. 9 PERMISSION OF THE ORDINARY. WE, Vicar-General of his Grace the Archbishop of Amasia, Apostolic Admin... istrator of the Diocese of Lyons, having read the manuscript entitled "Life of St. Benedict of Sanfratello," translated liter- ally from the Italian by M. Allibert, Canon of Lyons; having seen the very respecta- ble approbations already given the work; after the testimony of a theologian as pious as enlightened, who has read this transla- tion, and has judged its publication useful to the faithful, do permit the Life of St. Benedict of Sanfratello to be given for publication. CHOLLETON, Vz"car- Genera/. LYONS, January 3 0 , 183,St 10 - ",u LIFE OF ST. BENEDICT OF SANFRA TELLO, SURNAMED THE NEGRO. CHAPTER I. COUNTR.Y, PARENTS, AND BIR.TH OP ST. ÐENKDlcr. UR Saint was born at Sanfratello, in Sicily, on the northern coast near the Tyrrhene Sea, which place was for- merly known under the name of Château de St. Philadelphus. We think this name dates back to the translation into that place of the relics of three holy martyrs, Alpheus, Philadelphus and Cirinus. By an idio- matic change, the name St. Philadelphus II 12 Life of St. rßenedict. has become Sanfratello. Christopher, our Saint's father, and Diana, his mother, were descended from negro slaves; they were themselves negroes and born at SanfrateIlo: both were Christians, adorned with evan- gelical virtues. Acc9rding to the Chronicle of the Reformed Friars Minor, the mother was free; this benefit she doubtless owed to the Chevalier de Lanca, whose slave she had been. After her marriage with Chris- topher, she took with him the name of Manasseri, their master, according to the custom of the slaves. Vincent Manasseri, who was rich, entrusted to Christopher the cultivation of his fields and the care of his flocks, and the slave's fidelity found its recompense in the affection and confidence of his grateful master. Although Christopher was endowed with many good qualities, he excelled in love of the i>oor; following the example of the f:ountry, 'Parents, tlnd rßirth. 13 aints, he never refused alms to anyone, and he gave so much the more generously, as he attached to the merit of charity the benediction which our Lord deigned to shed on the goods confided to his care. But his companions, animated by a contrary spirit, not content with turning his alms to ridicule, and blaming them as more injuri- ous than advantageous to Manasseri's inter- ests, denounced Christopher as a waster of the goods he administered. That prudence which examines accusations by the light of judgment and wisdom is very rarely found in the world. The jealousy of the accusers seemed to their master a well-founded zeal; and he deprived the slave of his office of superintendent. But far from increasing his revenues by this means, as he had hoped, he found them diminish ng day by day; his flocks decreased, his out-houses became in a ruinous condition; the pro- . J 4 Lift 01 St. (Benedict. ducts of his fields, formerly so plentiful, grew visibly less, and his revenues far below what they had formerly been. It is but just to say that Manasseri was not one of those, who, disdaining to occupy them- selves with the primary cause of events, attribute them always to secondary causes. Being a true disciple of the Gospel, he recognized his error, reinstated Christopher in his office, and, consequently, in the posi- tion of giving his alms; from that time abundance and the blessing of Heaven returned to him. Among other mora1 virtues, our Saint's parents possessed chastity in an eminent degree: this virtue, always admirable, is much more so in persons of their class. To their love of purity was joined a repug- nance to having children in their state of servitude; hence, by mutual consent, they lived separate. Their master hearing this, Country} Parents} and rJ3irth. IS and being assured of it by themselves, wished to remove one of the causes, and promised that he would declare free the first fruit of their marriage. Influenced by this promise, the pious couple consented to live together. God blessed their resolu.. tion ; Diana conceived; and, during the time of her pregnancy, she incessantly recommended her child to God and also to the Blessed Virgin, to whom she, as wçll as her husband, had a great devotion. According to the opinion of several writers, the child was born in 1524 ; he was baptized in the Church of Sanfratello, and received the name of Benedict. Man- asseri gave him for god-father William Pontremoli, one of his relations, and the child being black, like his parents, he became commonly called by the name of Benedict the Negro. But under this dark exterior he possessed gifts which won him J 6 Life of St. rßenedict. everybody s love, so that, observing his happy natural disposition, everyone applied to him the words of the Spouse of the Can- ticles: I am black, but beautiful. Manasseri kept his promise, and immediately declared the child free; happy presage of that child's future consecration to God alone, who had chosen him for HimseI and had destined him solely for His service. - \ ,. ,. '- 1 1 m . L l . .., . ' CHAPTER It IT. BENEDIcr'S CHILDHOOD. BEAUTIFUL flower exposed to the . rays of a sweet and beneficent light, and careful1y cultivated, develops its charms from day to day, and sheds around it a delicious perfume; thus it was with the youthful Benedict. We may easily under- stand what was his education, in his tender- est years, if we consider the piety of his parents, and even of their master, and the assiduous care they bestowed on this child of benediction. His beautiful soul, the object of the special predilection of the Most High, cultivated by holy instructions and virtuous exampl s, developed itself day by day, and formed itself upon the model 2* 17 18 Life of St. fJ3enedict. of his father and mother>> and according to the heart of God. The devotion, recol- lected deportment, and obedience of the little negro excited general admiration; again we are told that he, from his earliest years, advanced in the spiritual life, and that he was regarded as one already enlightened in the ways of God, and emi- nently virtuous. The inhabitants of Sanfratello beheld with emotion. the good Christopher and his pious wife conducting their child regularly to the foot of the Holy Virgin's altar, where he, with as much fervor as innocence, offered himself and the homage of his lib- erty, and supplicated the Queen of Angels not to permit him to fall into the horrible slavery of the demon. Benedict, with as much ardor as humility, united in the prayers of his parents; with his whole heart he repeated the tender aspirations sug- St. rßenedict's Childhood. 19 gested by his mother. At this touching spectacle, Manasseri could not restrain his tears, remembering that he had contributed to this work from which God, it seemed, would draw so much glory. Manasseri was not the only admirer of Benedict; whoever attentively regarded his gravity and con- duct, conceived the hope that, ia him, the heavenly city should have one more inhabi- tant. The result showed that they were not deceived. Our Saint, like .nother Tobias, gave, even in his tenderest years, no sign of childishness or levity; like his virtuous parents, he advanced with joy and courage, in the evangelical way; like them, he practised fasts and mortifications, an d frequently approached the sacran1ents; conseq uently, the purity of his morals con- demned libertines and covered them with confusion, while it animated the good and 20 Life of St. fBenedict. fer\'ent. N either public praises nor felicita- tions, nor the caresses of Manasseri himsel could inspire the holy youth with thoughts of vanity. Another in his place, would have wished to profit by the general esteem, and, above all, by the benevolence of the wealthy master, who had given him his liberty, to improve his condition. This would have been only natural, for we daily see shep- herds, workmen, and servants setting great value 01' '}eing the first, and having power over others; but the young Benedict, free from ambition, kept his flocks, contented himself with frugal fare, employed his hours of rest in pious exercises, and had no other guides but the law of God and the wishes of his parents. What does greater honor to the young negro is, that, with his ready n1ind and lively imagination, he thought so little of advancing himsel and engaging in a less painful state, that, having attained St. rBenedlct's Childhood. 21 his eighteenth year, and being possessed of the necessary strength and vigor for the most laborious occupations of a farmer, he esteemed himself happy in that condition. Being master of hig own wages, he pur- chased a pair of oxen, and engaged in agriculture; thus he became, in the super- natural order, another protector of that honorable and useful profession. Worthy rival of St. Isidore in his birth, he imitated him, also, by glorifying God in the same condition. If the holy Spaniard, while guid- ing the plough in the fields watered by the Tagus, always kept his heart elevated to God, our saintly Sicilian, while cultivating the lands of Val demone, ceased not to bless the all-powerful hand which draws man's food from nothingness, and preserves, in a manner so constant and admirable, the fruits of the earth, for the benefit of his creatures. Hence, when the rain Inoist- 22 Life of St. (J3enedict. ened the earth, when the rays of the sun caused the seed to sprout, or when a gentle wind dried the furrows of the fields, Bene- dict always returned thanks to the Author of nature. In the short intervals of rest, he used to raise his eyes towards heaven, and in those moments of delight, he appeared to enjoy a foretaste of the blessed life; the peace of his soul was reflected on his countenance, and amidst his poverty, he found all he wished of worldly goods, and possessed in a high degree that true happiness which worldlings neither know nor desire. The hard bread he eat, the wild fruits he found in the fields, were more savory to him than would have heen the delicious viands that loaded the sumptuous tables of Lucullus and Vetellius. CHAPTER IlL IT. BBNEDICf IN THK H&UlITAO&. T the time of which we speak, Father Jerome Lanza, originally of St. Mark's, occupied, with several of his brethren, the hermitage of St. Dominic, a short dis- tance from Sanfratello. This father was a knight allied on the maternal side to Cardi- nal Rebiba, a Sicilian. With the consent of his wife, he had retired into a monastery, had sold his rich patrimony, and abandoning his country, had finally established himself in the hermitage, where he imitated the an- gelic life of the ancient solitaries of Egypt. One day, as he was walking in the country, he cast his eyes upon some reapers who were resting, and amusing themselves, in the 23 24 Life of St. rßendÏQ. meantime, at Benedict's expense; they were even indecently mocking him. Lanza, hav- ing for a few moments attentively regarded the negro, who was then about twenty- one years old, discovered under that black exterior a soul of extraordinary purity, and said to the reapers: " You are ridiculing this poor workman, but in a few years you will hear something of him." Those uncul- tivated laborers listened with astonishment to the words of such a venerable personage; those words remained deeply engraven on Benedict's heart, although he did not com- prehend their meaning: not so his master, who understood it perfectly, especially when the good hermit added to him: "I recom- mend the young Benedict to you, for he will first come to live with us, and afterwards become a religious." Some time later, Lanza, meeting Bene- djçt in the fields, said to him: "Benedict, St. rBenedict in the H ermitag. 25 what are you doing there? Sell your oxen and come to my hermitage." The young man obeyed, and although he was fond of his little team, which he had purchased at the price of his sweat, he heard the hermit's voice as that of Jesus Christ, sold his oxen, and gave the price to the poor. Then he asked his parents for the required permis- sion, which they gave with their benediction, weeping, meanwhile, with joy and emotion, and Benedict set out immediately for St. Dominic's hermitage; there, consumed with zeal, he placed himself under the guidance of his master. Thus Benedict gave an earnest of his future sanctity by his prompt obedience and ready correspondence to grace. Scarcely had the good hermits beheld Benedict at the feet of Father Jerome, ere they conceived the most happy hopes of him. The Holy See had permitted them J 26 Life of St. (Benedicl. to profess the rule of St. Francis, and add thereto a fourth vow of perpetual Lenten abstinence, and three days' fast every week. Hence they had obtained the faculty of receiving novices, giving them the habit, and admitting them to profession,' after a year's novitiate. Thus commenced that new and rigorous institute. Certainly those rules were calculated to lead them to an eminent perfection; everything in them was conformable to the most austere penitence; their food was confined to hard and coarse bread, begged in the country; sometimes they added thereto a few herbs and vegetables badly prepared; they drank only water; their cells were small, badly built, and incommodious; their clothing was suited to the poverty they professed, and was insufficient to preserve them from the inclemency of the weather; they spent the greater part of the day and night in St. (Benedict in the Hermitage. 27 prayer; they enjoyed no agreeable society. and to all this, they added manual labor. A life so austere, rendered them objects of holy astonishment to the inhabitants. The novice Benedict, although among the last, was the first to attain the end. He learned from each of his brethren les- sons of sublime virtue, and like a river, which in its course receives one brook, then another, until, enriched by so many streams, it overflows its banks and ferti- lizes the fields, he surpassed all his com- panions in solitude; they respected him as an angel on account of his truly angelic virtues; thus he became their chief and their model. Even this extraordinary kind of life could not satisfy his exalted views, and his inexpressible ardor for acquiring those heavenly treasures inaccessible to moths and thieves. In his laudable ambi- tion, he ran in spirit over the deserts of 28 Life of St. (Benedict. Nitria, Syria, and the Thebaide, to learn the wonderful penances of the most aus- tere anchorets. He discovered that St. Paul, the first hermit, had worn only a tunic of palm leaves, which St. Anthony afterwards inherited. Benedict would make such a garment for himself; to which he added a woollen capouche; he thought this would be a sufficient precaution against the rigors of winter, but the intensity of the cold obliged him to add another gar- ment to his dear tunic, which he never cast away. In virtue of the apostolic brie( our Saint, after a year's novitiate, made his profes- sion in this austere institute. From that time, he redou bled his macerations, morti- cation of the senses, prayers, and above aU, his love for God, which wonderfully inflamed him. To a profound humility and contempt of himselt which he opposed St. (Benedict in the H ernutage. 29 to his superior's delight and his compan- ion's praises, he added blind obedience and rigorous observance of the rule. His fasts became continual, and the ground was his only bed. His countenance bore the Im- print of candor, modesty, and penance. He frequently chastised his body, even to blood. His quest of the hard bread, which, with some herbs, constituted his food, caused him to acquire abundant treasures of patience, by the aEfronts he received from some persons, who regarded the voluntary poor of Jesus Christ as vaga- bonds and idlers, and who were not able to distinguish between vice and virtue 51. Anthony, Abbot, and other anchorets were accustomed to change their residence, as much to go courageously to combat with the enemy of their salvation, as to triumph the more readily over him by the continual oains of long journeys over rough and diffi- 3- 30 Life of St. (Benedict._ cult ways. They also found therein matter for sacrifice, by leaving their country and renouncing the conveniences they had acquired even in their solitudes. In imita- tion of this example, St. Benedict and his companions, under the conduct of Father Jerome Lanza, their superior, quitted the Hermitage of St. Dominic in the province of Val Demone, and passing into that of Val di Mazzara, traversed Sicily from north to south, since the river which bears the name of Sanfratello discharges its waters into the Tyrrhene Sea, and the rivers of Platano and Rifesio, near which our hermits arrived, flows into the African Sea. Our solitaries took up their abode in a hermit- age near Cattolica, where they lived for eight years, as our Saint himself told his friend, John Dominic Rubbiano. Among other inconveniences presented by this soli- tude, the roads were almost impassable, St. fBenedict in the H ermitags. 31 when they wished to go in quest of neces.. sary nourishment for their bødies, enfeebled by fasting, or to walk or take some recrea- tion. Father Jerome and his religious were laymen; in this they imitated those ancient solitaries, who, before the year 385, in which POþe Siricus sat in the Chair of St. Peter, were not ecclesiastics, although they were superiors and abbots. In their new retreat, the hermits were deprived of the advantages they had enjoyed in their first desert, which took its name from the Church of St. Dominic, near which it was situated. After eight years, those servants of God, returned from the southern coast to that of the Tyrrhene Sea, but at great distance from the place in which they had first dwelt. This hermitage, twenty-six leagues from Sanfratello, was called Mancusa in Parte- nica, near Carini, five leagues from Palermo. Thither our Saint retired with his brethren, 3 2 Lifð of St. (Benedict.. Into caves that had been inhabited by wild beasts, to apply themselves tð prayer, and conceal, at the same time, their long vigils, their fasts and penances, not less severe than continual. But the shadows of night were dissipated and gave place to the aurora. It was said that the famished wolves, which are very numerous in that desert, respected the negro's grotto, al- though it was in the most exposed place; the people of Carini began to speak of him with veneration as of a saint. Drawn by confidence in his merits, they began to visit his retreat and implore his succor in their maladies. God, who wished to be known in His servant, blessed the people's faith by operating a thousand cures, and bestow- ing many graces. The sanctity of our saint began to shine abroad. Once, when, through obedience, he went to Carini, he met a poOT woman long affticted with St. (Benedict in the Hermitage. 33 Clncer in the breast, which all human reme- dies had failed to cure. Knowing Bene- dict's virtue, she said: "0 servant of God, in thy charity, make the sign of the cross on my disease, which is incurable." Com- passion did violence to our Saint's humility; he elevated his mind and heart to heaven, made the sign of the cross, as the sick woman had requested, and she was healed. The fame of this miracle recalled other graces obtained by the prayers of Brother Benedict; the whole country resounded with his name, and the concourse to the grotto increased so much, that the prayers and retirement of the good hermits were interrupted. Hence, after having fulfilled the obligations of patience and charity in regard to the inhabitants of Carini, the her- mits, seeing that they abused it, judged proper, in concert with their superior, to abandon that spot, and seek elsewhere that 34 Life of St. flJenedict. cherished solitude \vhich was the basis of their institute. The choice of a new her- mitage was speedily made, on account of the proximity of Mount Pellegrino, which seemed to invite our solitaries to conceal, in its wild thickets, the virtues and austere penances by which those servants of God adorned their souls, and rendered them more agreeable to their Divine Master. "" - I/!" _". ' · . T" ,,'. ' ::' .. It .,. A CHAPTER IV. ST. BENEDICI' OM MOUNT PELLEGa.IRð. BOUT a league from the celebrated city of Palermo, rises, majestically, Mount Pellegrino, formerly known under the name of Ereta or Erta. At the foot of the mountain there is excellent water, the medicinal virtues of which are attributed to the mines through which it flows. But what renders it most distinguished is that there is the tomb of St. Rosalia; this fact was not known at the time of which we speak; it was discovered one hundred years after the birth of our Saint, on the 15th of July, 1624, while the pestilence was raging in Palermo. Its devastations ceased through the invocation of the Saint. The people of 35 36 Life of St. fBenedict. Palermo, in gratitude, erected a statue of St. Rosalia on the summit of the mountain facing the sea j this statue is so immense that the sailors can perceive it from the sea, and they salute it as that of their patroness. In the time of our Saint, it was only known by tradition where the holy virgin haà retired, and in particular, the grotto in which she had dwelt; all Sicily held this sanctuary in veneration. According to the Roman Martyrology, Saint Rosalia was descended from Charlemagne; she lived towards the end of the twelfth century, in solitude, on Mount Pellegrino, hiding her virtues and penance from the eyes of the world. Our Saint and his companions fol- lowed their Superior along this venerated mountain, and stopped on a plain covered with shrubs, which formed a thicket, directly opposite St. Rosalia's grotto, which was d1én uninhabitable and entirely closed. The St. fJ3enedict on M J Pellegrino. 37 holy hermits built for themselves, on a rock near the holy grotto, little cells like those of the first solitaries of Egypt. They were very anxious to have also a small chapel for divine service; such as the disciples of Pachomius and Hilarion had, but whence were to come the means? From Divine Providence, which, watching over those poor ones of Jesus Christ, wished to realize their just desires. The Duke of Medina- Cæli, then Viceroy of Sicily, and his pious consort, won by the sanctity of those good hermits, and especially by the well-estab.. lished reputation of Brother Benedict's vir- tues, caused a little chapel to be erected at their expense, contiguous to the venerated grotto, in which they placed a picture of Saint Rosalia, that the solitaries might con- template the image of their holy patroness. They then caused little separate cells to be constructed all around the chapel, for the 4 38 Life of St. fJ3enedict. servants of God. The ruins of these are still to be seen; they show the cell of Father Lanza and that of our Saint, which are on the western side of the hill, opposite the grotto of the holy penitent. In confer- ences with his Superior and brethren, Bene- dict learned that the Apostle St. Paul, being at the house of Aquila and Priscilla, made tents for the soldiers j whence he says in the Second Epistle to the Thessalonians: Net--ther did we eat any man's bread for 1IOthing, !Jut ,:n lalJor and zn toil we worked night and day, lest we should !Je chargeable to any 0/ you. He also learned that we read in St. Epiphanius that the monks were like bees; they put their hand to the wax, and their mouth to the honey, by singing the praises of God; that St. Jerome wrote to the monk Rusticus: "In the monasteries of Egypt they have the laudable custom of su bsisting only bv the fruits of their labor, St. (Benedict on M t. 'Pellegrino. 39 not so much because of their want of resources, as for the salvation of their souls, for fear of giving entrance to bad thoughts; and to escape idleness, that formidable enemy so much detested by the Fathers of the Church, and which the very pagans held in horror." Also that St. Chrysostom says, in the twenty-ninth homily on St. Matthew: cc Youth which has leisure to satisfy its curi- osity in games and festivities, is accustomed to rebel, and becomes more ferocious than the beasts;" and finally, that St. Bernard says, in the Second book of Considerations: "One cannot be too muck on one's guard agaz"nst idleness I' we must fly from it tIS being- the source of vanity and the tomb of 1Jzrtues." Penetrated with these holy maxims, our Saint, after the example of his Seraphic Father, divided his time between interior exercises of piety and manual labor. Like the rest of his brethren, he Inade baskets 40 Life of St. æe1 edict. and brooms, without ever relenting from his ardor for prayer, passing, like the Apostle, from exterior occupations to recollection, and the most perfect exercises of the spirit and the heart. Our Lord having called to himself Father Jerome Lanza, the Superior of those holy solitaries, our Saint was immediately elected in his place, with as much sa.tisfaction to the community as pain to Benedict's humility. The prudence of his government was pro- portionate to the eminence of his virtue. He gave the habit to a man named Gar- gano, originally of Paula in Calabria, who took the name of Brother Francis; he was a man of pure morals and solid virtue. The new Superior spent some time with him, in the convent of Diana, in Marinco near Montreal, and then returned to his dear solitude at Mount Pellegrino. There they dwelt until Pope Julius III, in 1550, the St. fjjenedict on .M t. 'Pellegrino. 4 1 first year of his pontificate, desired them to leave their particular cells, to live together in a monastery that had been built for them near the church, by some pious souls; of this monastery some vestiges still remain. Things remained in this condition under the pontificates of Marcellus II and Paul IV. Pius IV, being seated on the chair of St:. Peter in 1559, was informed of the austeri- ties practised by those hermits; he dis- pensed them from the fourth vow of per- petual Lenten abstinence and then of the three days' weekly fast. Afterwards think- ing, perhaps, that the waters, by prolonging their course, are sometimes troubled, he ordered that each of those solitaries might accomplish his vows in any convent he should choose. The first cause of Pius IV's wish is to be attributed to the will of the Almighty, who wished to draw Benedict's virtue forth from obscurity, to place it on a .- 4 2 Life of St. rBenedict. candlestick, that it might shine over all the world. Our Saint knew not, at first, which of the Franciscan orders to choose. His first idea was to enter among the order of the Capuchins, which he thought resembled most his manner of life; but being on his knees in the metropolitan church of Palermo, before the altar of the Blessed Virgin's chapel, he prayed for light from God and the prompt succor of his most holy Mother. He then felt himself inspired to enter the order of the reformed Minor Observantins. Through motives of prudence, and for fea of being deceived, or yielding, perhaps, to human complaisance and self-satisfaction by being among the first members of that laudable reform, he resisted the first and second inspirations of his holy protectress. Finally, as he persevered in prayer for the success of an affair on which depended his eternal salvation, he felt himself inspired, St. (Benedict on M t. Pellegrino. 43 for the third tinle, and having no longer any doubt, he returned thanks to the I-Ioly Spirit, the source of light, and to his divine Mother; then he arose, full of courage, and going to the convent of the reformed Minors in Palermo, he asked for the Father Guar- dian, and cast himself at his feet. "-: ,...... \ /'. i;J . r- . .. ill.. i ê . 114' "'6.>... . .. -"/ I :' t \. -c i/ ìr -- r ipì \:' ... ..I.. 't, , -, c' 't :. j\.c ...,z".l' .: \" p= ? __:'::"r.. "" .., .. _ A ; 1_ ;:,..,.., --.:...::'-':" .; - :'-Y .I!(ll .;j; CHAPTER V. .. KNT&1lS THB OllDER OF THE REFORIIBD KINO" OBSD. V ANTINS. "1 MAN of such extraordinary virtue, } whose sanctity, confirmed by prodi- gies, was celebrated throughout Sicily, could not but be received with as much veneration as joy, when he presented him- self at the convent of St. Mary of Jesus, near Palermo, and begged to be admitted to the habit. Benedict's arrival seemed to those holy religious a striking proof of the divine protection over their new-born reform, since the Lord sent them at the same time, one of his most beloved ser- van ts, and a man long skilled in the diffi- cult paths of retreat and penance. Hence 44 (Reformed Minor ObserfJantins. 4S the religious joyfully hastened to greet Benedict, and Father Archangel of Scicli, then Guardian, embraced him. This good Superior and his community recognized the finger of God and His paternal providence, in the entrance of that hermit, already well known to inmates of the convent. Our Saint brought with him Brother Francis of Calabria, to whom, while guar- dian of the hermits, he had given the habit on Mount Pellegrino. Both were admitted to the new habit, without again taking vows, because, in virtue of the authorization or the Holy See, those they had made in the her- mitage, were valid and sufficient; they had, then, only to submit to their new superiors. Some days after Benedict had been invested with the habit, he was sent, without further novitiate, to the convent of S1. Anne- Julienne, where he passed three years in celestial delights, because he there found 4 6 Life of St. rB en edict. that solitude so dear to his heart. Tl ere, without hindrance, he gave himself up to the contemplation of eternal happiness, and the numberless benefits that God bestows upon men. Everything in that desert re- minded him of the Divine Omnipotence; the plants, herbs, flowers, the beau tiful jasper that abounded in the neighboring mountains, the precious agate which was dug up near the convent, and which has been thus called, because the first was found on the borders of the river Achates. After three years, Benedict was recalled to the convent of St. Mary of Jesus, in Palermo, where he spent the rest of his life; for the community was very careful not to lose so good a model. Benedict there practised virtues and corporal au steri- ties, as rigorously as he had done in his hermitage. Always full of the love of holy poverty, he put on over his tunic of palm... fReformed Minor Observanttns. 47 leaves, which he always wore, the coarsest and most threadbare habit, made of that wool called by the Sicilians Arbaxo, and he never changed this garment except by his Superior's order. He went barefoot, as he had done in his desert, however severe the cold might be. He called his cell leis palace,. its furniture consisted in a coarse . coverlet spread on a board, which served him for a bed, a few pictures of his patron saints, and a cross drawn on the wall with charcoal. This extreme poverty, which Benedict loved so ardently, and kept so faithfully from his entrance into religion, being the firm support of virtues, and the best remedy for the ordinary defects of our corrupt nature, reigned sovereignly in his heart. After the example of his seraphic Father, he wished neither to possess nor appropri- ate the least thmg, and he continually urged 48 Life of St. rßenedkl. bis brethren, both by word and example, to the practice of this beautiful virtue. So strict was he on this point, that he feared he would fail in the perfection of religious poverty, if he made use of the condiments served in the refectory, to stimulate the appetite. But while he so heroicaUy practised universal detachment, the Lord showed by evident proofs, how agreeable it was to I--lim. St. Benedict was going one day from St. Anne-Julienne to Palermo with a brother clerk named Anthony of Coniglione. When they arrived at St. Agatha, the clerk, who was fasting and much fatigued by the length of the journey, decla ed. that it was impossi- ble for him to proceed further. Through love of poverty, our Saint had not brought any provisions with him, and there WdS no opportunity of getting any where they were. Benedict then encouraged his companion 'Reformed Minor Obser'lJantins. 49 to make a few steps more, and exhorted him to have confidence in our Heavenly Father, who feeds the very insects. He had scarcely finished speaking, when a handsome young man presented himself before them; he seemed to know the wants of the two religious, offered them a loaf of warm bread, and disappeared. The clerk, overwhelmed with astonishment, tasted the miraculous bread; a little sufficed to restore his strength, and he carried the rest to the convent at Palermo, and distributed it among the religious, who, informed of the prodigy, carefully preserved those precious fragments for a better occasion. The same thing happened to our Saint when travelling with three religious of his order. In the midst of the journey, becom- ing fatigued and exhausted, they complained of having nothing to refresh themselves, but our hero of poverty unhesitatingly .. 50 Lifs of St. fBenedict. assured them that Divine Providence would provide. At that moment a traveller gave them bread and wine without having been asked for it, and while the religious were refreshing thenlselves, he conversed with Benedict, who knew him perfectly. The three religious having eaten and drunk sufficien t, returned the remainder to their benefactor; the bottle was full, and the loaf en tire, as if they had never been touched I All were astonished at this, except the good negro. These prodigies increased his repu- tation for sanctity, as well as the respect for the poverty of the reformed Minors. A similar occurrence took place in a. journey which the Saint made from Palermo to Girgenti, with three religious, who were almost dead with hunger and fatigue. Vito Polizzi, an inhabitant of Palermo, was return- ing thither from Girgenti, and seeing their s3d condition, he alighted from his horse", rReformed Minor Observantins. 51 and gave them a package of biscuits and a bottle of wine. The religious accepted a succor which came so opportunely, and tiley made such good use of the provision, that scarcely anything remained. They thanked the charitable cavalier, who, when he arrived at the barony of Fontaine, again alighted from his horse to partake of what had been left by the religious. To his great surprise, he found the packet full of biscuits and the bottle replenished with wine. Amazed at the sight of this miraculous multiplica- tion, he published it everywhere, and swore to it, at the process instituted at Palermo in 1595, on the virtues and miracles of our Saint The wonder we are about to relate, will prove, still more clearly, St. Benedict's love for poverty, and his zeal for its perfect observance. We may also see by it, how God loves the voluntary poor, whom the 52 Life of St. rBenedict incredulous affect to despise and insult. The Saint, while watching over the lowest employments of the convent, perceived that the religious clerks, in washing the dishes, as usual, after dinner, threw in the water the remnants of bread and other food, which the sobriety of the religious had made them leave in the refectory. At this sight, Benedict's zeal for poverty was in- flamed; he approached the clerks and said: "My brothers, for charity's sake, do not throwaway those fragments. Let us give them to the poor, for it is the blood of those who have given them to us for the love of God." Those young men would not listen to him; they even laughed at him, treating what he had said as the tiresome scrupu- losity of an ignorant lay-brother. The Saint then took up one of those little brushes used for cleaning the vessels, and pressing it in his right hand, said; u Look, tRefor1ned Minor Observantins. 53 children;" at the same moment, blood flowed abundantly from the brush under his pressure, and all were penetrated with terror at the sight of such a prodigy. The clerics, much confused, repented of and corrected their fault; the news of the prodigy was spread abroad, and made a profound impression on the minds of those who heard it. After the death of our hero, the Apostolic Inquisitor, coming from Spain to 'Sicily, caused a picture of the memora- ble occurrence to be painted. This may still be seen in Portugal in a chapel erected by the negroes in that kingdom, in honor of blessed Benedict, and also in other places. Several witnesses,'.heard at Rome during the process of his Canonization in 1715, averred that, in America, they had often seen little pictures representing this marvellous occurrence. To his heroic love of poverty, our Saint r 54 Life of St. rßenedict. joined an angelic chastity, which he pre- served unspotted from his cradle to his en trance in to religion, and from his religious vocation until his death. For this end, he employed the most severe penances. He was too well aware of the fragility of the vessel in which is preserved our baptismal innocence, to neglect the care of such a precious treasure; he fortified his spirit by enfeebling the flesh; he preserved it from every stain by continual austerities; he watched rigorously over his senses, princi- pally over his eyes, thinking, with reason, that it is by them that sin and corru ption penetrate most surely into our souls. Hence, when he went to meet in his con- vent those who desired to speak to him, or when he begged in PaJermo, he never fixed his eyes on persons of the other sex, not even the most modest. The Duchess Louise di Montalto, who had often held rReformed .Minor Observantins. 55 tong conferences with him, for the strength and consolation of her soul, could never boast of having seen the color of his eyes. This singular modesty, which he showed to all in general, united to a sincere charity which made him always ready to render a service, far from repelling others, or making him appear rude, won him everybody's affection and respect. He was not less reserved in his words than in his looks. Far from allowing him- self to say anything improper, he was care- ful to avoid the least raillery, the slightest levity. A tongue whoIly consecrated to the honor of God, and the good of the neighbor, could be employed only for those two ends, and not in idle words. The ser- vant of God was equaIly careful in the custody of his ears, and we shall find him speaking against the abuse of the sense of slne1t When people wished, according to S6 Life of St. fBenedlct. the custom of the country, to kiss his nand, he would adroitly withdraw it, and humbly present his habit, to avoid the dangers of the touch. We have already seen his mor- tification in his food. This purity, so care- fully guarded, won him singular homage from the city of Palermo, which, when tak- ing him for its protector, gave him in its pu blic acts, the glorious title of Virgzn,. he is named therein :-temþle of the Holy sþz.Yt:t and of virginity,. yet more, he is repre- sented in an old picture in the sacristy of his convent, with a lily in his hand, an emblem reserved to the heroes of chastity. His obedience was so universal, that he sought the will of his Su perior, even in the least things. A sign was as much to him as an express command, and was sufficient to make him leave even prayer, which was, nevertheless, his delight. It would be impossible to know the number of those 'Reformed MinOt Obser'lJantins. 57 who came to him to implore favors, coun- sels, or consolation. His superiors decided that he should be called by three strokes of the bell; those sounds, which, to him, were the voice of obedience, were so fre- quent that scarcely would he have reached his cell, or gone to his employment after having dismissed a visitor at the convent door, when he would be called again; yet, without the least dissatisfaction, he would return to the door, through obedience. This religious virtue was crowned by a singular prodigy. Don Laurence Galletti, Count of Gagliard fell so dangerously ill at Palermo, that the doctors were in mo- mentary expectation of his death. The parents hastened to recommend the dying man to the prayers of the servant of God, and engaged his superiors to command him to pray for him. Benedict, ever ready to ob y, went to the church, and, prostrate 58 Life of St. rBenedzct. before tbe a.ltar of the blessed Virgin, begged her to intercede for the sick man's cure. As he prayed, he beheld the Mother of God coming forth from her niche, and, at the same time, a tomb open near the altar, while he heard Mary utter the follo\v- ing words: Laurence Galletti dead a;"d risen agaÍ1z. After thanking the l\lother of mercy, Benedict returned to the Guar- dian, and related his vision. The sick man's parents, hearing it, returned hOlne full of joy, where they found their son per- fectly cured. Every voice attributed this miracle to our saint's obedience. . CHAPTER VL BIlOTHER BENJtDICf IS EMPLOYED IN THB KITCHEN OJ' THB CONVENT. HE lowest and most painful employ- ments were always Benedict's choice. Obedience imposed on him that of cook. Certainly there could be found no one better suited to this function, or more proper for the interest of the house, since he brought to it, not only that active charity \vhich animated all his actions, bu t al the power of obtaining from God the succors rendered necessary by religious poverty, and even prodigies, when occasion required. Hence we are not surprised to find him twenty-seven years in this employment, from which he ,va drawn at intervals, only to fill the most important places. 59 60 Life of St. fJ3enedict. That kitchen was sanctified by the prayers of Benedict, and the favors of God. We read in the acts of his canonization, that one day, the holy cook made the soup out of salt pork or bacon, because the meat had not come in time; when it was brought, Bene- dict put it on the fire immediately. A few moments later, some religious, obliged to go to Palermo, asked Brother Benedict for some meat. The Saint replied that it had not been on the fire longer than one might be in saying the Miserere, but that they might look at it. The religious, knowing the cook's virtue, went boldly to the hearth, and, to their great astonishment, found the meat thoroughly cooked On one occasion, when the Provincial Chapter was being held in that convent, the number of strange religious greatly increased the labor and the amount of Len- ten provisions needed, as the chapter was In the Convent BJtchen. 61 held in Advent. But the snow was faIling heavily, and not even the ordinary provi- sions could be obtained. In this extremity, Benedict, calling his companion, took with him some of the kitchen vessels, filled them with water, and retired, as if to sleep. But the Saint, full of confidence in Divine Pro- vidence, spent the whole night in prayer. Next morning, when he and his companion returned to the kitchen, they found in those , vessels a quantity of fish sufticient for all the religious. A still more admirable prodigy took place (n that kitchen, once on Christmas Day. The Inquisitor of the kingdom, Don Diego de Ahedo, who was also Archbishop of Palermo, wished to be present at the Offices and Solemn Mass, celebrated in the house of the reformed Minors, and for his conso- lation, desired also to dine there, that he might taste the cooking of Messi're, a SOU- 6 62 Life of St. rBenedict. briquet given to St. Benedict. Anxious, at the same time, to regale the poor commu- nity, and to be no charge to it, he sent to the kitchen a sufficient quantity of provi.. sions, which the cook was to prepare. The day was far advanced, and High Mass had already been commenced, yet though they sought Benedict all over the convent, to urge him to hasten with the dinner, they could not find him. The Father-Vicar, Dom Ambrose de Polichi, complained of this so much the more bitterly, ai he found there was not even any fire in the kitchen. The Gospel of the Mass had just been sung, when the thurifer, while moving the censer, felt a little resistance at one side; he turned and beheld Benedict kneeling behind a cur- tain, which hung from the tribune. The clerk shook him, and told him that the vicar was looking for him everywhere. The saint made a sign for him to be silent, In the Convent Kitchen. 63 and continued his meditation until the end of Mass. Then he arose, took a candle, and went to light the fire in the kitchen. Father Ambrose, hastening thither, found Benedict on his knees and immovable, with the light in his hand. The father scolded, and the other religious joined in his reproaches. Benedict, rising, bade them give the signal for dinner and go to the refectory, because everything was ready. The religious looked at one another; the Father Vicar asked how it could be possi- ble; Benedict replied that the Lord would provide. At that moment, in presence of them aU, and of the Inquisitor himself, who had entered, there appeared two young men, clothed in white from head to foot, who, rolling up their sleeves, began to pre- pare the meal. Again the Saint begged his brethren to go to the refectory, because everything was ready to be served. They 64 Life of St. rßenedict. sat Qown to table, the dishes were served, but what were the viands? . . . . . Those "iands prepared by angelic hands! The religious dined, full of surprise at a prodigy of which they had been eye-witnesses. What a lesson of confidence in God! Our Lord showed clearly by this miracle, that the confidence of His servants is not the arrogance of presumption, and that they are faithfully accompanied and assisted by His angels, whom the greater number of Chris- tians honor but slightly, or not at all. We have, then, good rflason to believe that the angels aided Benedict on many other occasions, and supplied by their aid for human weakness. This must have been the case, when they were building a new dormitory in the same convent. On that occasion, the masons, on account of the poverty of the Friars, and in virtue of a special permission, went there to work In the Convent Kitchen. 6S gratuitously on holidays, asking only their dinner. Once, when they were expecting them on an approaching feast, the overseer of the work informed Father Peter of Tra- pani, then Guardian, that the masons could not come on that day. Consequently, no provision was made for them. But on the morning of the festival, thirty men came to work at the dormitory. When the Guar- dian learned the fact, it was too late to pro- vide for them, and he went to the kitchen in the greatest anxiety. Our Saint, who was not the least troubled, seeing the Superior's uneasiness, told him to be calm and trust to Divine Providence; the Guar- dian shrugged his shoulders, and went away. The dinner hour being arrived, the cook repeated that the workmen might go to table, adding that the grace of God was there in abundance for all. The thirty masons dined, and never had they gone 6tt 66 Life of St. r.Benedict. away better regaled or more satisfied; they even left much food after them. In such circumstances, the liberality of heaven is always to be admired. The religious who beheld these marvels, knew, from that time, the value of Benedict's confidence in God, who aided him so efficaciously in every necessity. But inasmuch as our Saint was anxious to provide for the nourishment of others, so much was he neglectful of his own. He persevered in his primitive abstinence; he would scarcely taste of his portion, and gave the larger share to the poor. Obliged by his employment to taste the food, he took very little, through a motive of morti- fication. The following instance proves how advanced he was in the practice of that virtue. Brother William having abstained from the first cherries of the season, the Saint told him that true abstinence COD- In the Convent Kitchen. 67 sisted, not in leaving a thing entirely, but in only tasting it, and that by this means one deprives one's self of sensible pleasure, and mortifies the appetite which has tasted it. On account of this interior light, he tasted, without difficulty, whatever was brought as an alms to the refectory, either in testi- mony of his gratitude, ør for the consola- tion of the donors; but out of the refectory, his abstinence was rigorous. A gentleman of Palermo having offered him an early wal- nut to eat, he refused it, saying that a religious should never s\verve from the common life; an excellent maxim, which he faithfully kept throughout his life. ... '" , .; t;,;,. i . II f .' ... " {....."-i 1 CHAPTER VIL .... nNKDICI' IS MADE G17üDUW. 0 remarkable were the virtues or i Brother Benedict, that the reformed .. "' Minors, although very fervent reli- gious, could not see among them one more proper to govern than he, although he was but a lay-brother. When Benedict found he had been elected Guardian of the con- vent in which he was cook, it may be imagined what a contest arose in his heart between humility and obedience. He addressed himself to the Superiors of the Observantins in the province of Sicily, and full of sadness and humility, he, like another Moses on the mountain, exaggerated his imperfections and incapacity. He was sin- 68 St. fßenedict is made Guardian. 69 gularly eloquent in exposing before the chapter of the religious, the meanness of his birth, his condition as a lay-brother, the weakness of his mind, and, finally, his igno- rance, which was so great that he knew not how either to read or write,-qualifications which he said were indispensable to a Superior. He added, that although he had, for a short time, governed the hermits of Mount Pellegrino, it was by an error, excu- sable on the part of lay-brothers, whose government did not require great capacity. Finally, he strongly opposed to his defects, the merits of so many religious in the monastery, more capable than he. But his representations were useless; while he was humbling himself as much as possible, the reIigi, . I--- ., . " ' ""' f--X X!. , . : 4., ,1:' 11( " ... t\ )Z CHA i\"IKl<. XVI. aooft 011' BBNEDIcr'S VlIlTUBS. I î HE first distinguishing characteristic or -1 the Christian, is his practising the three theological virtues, which are so intimately connected, that one is not perfect without the others. 51. Paul says, that "faith without charity is dead,'" and St. Augustin, speaking of hope, adds, "How can one hope who does not believe ?" St. Benedict's faith shone on his countenance when he approached the Holy Eucharist, that. mystery in which virtue inflamed by love triumphs, according to the Angelic Doctor. To consider these three virtues united in Benedict, it suffices to recall those marvellous multiplications of bread and 176 iPYOOfS of fJ3enedict J s Virtues. 177 wine, in favor of the poor and hungry, that food prepared by the hands of angels, and that blood squeezed from the little brush that had cleansed the vessels ;-what more calculated to renew our admiration? If we contemplate his faith in particular, withou t taking into consideration the mira- culous production of fishes before men- tioned, we have another proof of it in the following example. Once, when passing along the banks of the River Ûreto, St. Benedict met a poor fisherman, the father of seven children. This man, who lived by the sale of his fish, had labored all day and caught nothing. Moved by the father's distress, Benedict, with lively faith, blessed the net, and it immediately became so full that they could not draw it up. Thus was renewed the miracle wrought by our Lord at the Sea of Tiberias; thus were verified the divine 1 78 Life of St. rßenedict. promises of the Saviour, who said that faith should have His power on earth. Let us here add, for our own advantage, what the Saint said to a professor of the- ology, who had recourse to him to be delivered from temptations against faith: Father, you are Q, theologian and þroftssor, but I anS'Wer you in charity, when you are assailed by that tentþtation, make OIl. your heart the Stgn of the Cross, and say the Credo; God will deliver you from it. The religious followed his advice, and was freed from trouble. The virtue of hope holds the middle place. Two extremes are opposed to it, viz., presumption and despair. Let us here give an example of both, since we have had in his prophecies and promises many proofs of Benedict's heroic hope. A noble- man recommended to the Saint a very pressing affair, having great confidence in Proofs of rßenedictJs Virtues. 179 the power of his intercession before God. Inspired by heaven, Benedict thus ques- tioned him: What is the state oJ your soul before God? The nobleman was offend- ed, and excusing his presumption on the grounds of human frailty and the goodness of God, was not disposed to moderate it. The saint reproached him, and added a salutary correction, counseling hiln to pro- portion his hopes to his merits, and sending him away thus humbled, promised to recom- mend his affair to God. On the contrary, when a poor country- woman once came disconsolate about a theft she had committed, and said: "Alas, my Father, my sins deserve hell! . . . . . I fear for my salvation..... Ah! there is no mercy for me. . . . If you but knew"-here the Saint interrupted her and encouraged her to put her confidence in the goodness of God; then he led her to the church, I 80 Life of St. rßenedict. begged a confessor to hear her, and that soul recovered the virtue of hope. Thus it was that our Saint knew how, by banishing presumption and despair, to show the sure path that avoids both extremes. We have already remarked, in all his actions, the marvellous effects of his ardent charity towards God and the neighbor. Love, either divine or human, is always distinguished by the same characteristics. To speak frequently of the object beloved, to change color, to be inflamed, to mourn, to be offended when it is offended, to see after it with anxiety,-such are its indubita- ble signs. We find all these in St. Benedict with regard to God; everything in him manifested the fire which inflamed his heart for the Divine Majesty; he spoke only of God, and his countenance often became so inflamed, that its radiance illuminated the darkness of the night. He sought God in fPYOOfS of f}Jenedict's Virtues. 181 everything, and resented the offences com- mitted against Him. This interior fire was so ardent, that it sometimes deprived the Saint of the use of his senses. On one occasion, some persons came to the convent to enjoy a little innocent recreation, and wishing to prepare some food they had brought with them from the city, they sent a young man, one of their company, to the kitchen to ask for some live coals. The Saint, whose heart was inflamed with fire of a very different kind, put his hands into the grate, and took therefrom as much fire as filled a vessel which he presented to the young man. It is easy to imagine the astonishment of those who beheld the action, and of those, also, who heard of it. His charity for the neighbor led him to be ever occupied in favor of the unfortunate and the distressed. He gave salutary advice, distributed alms, often taken from his OWD 16 182 Life of St. fBenedict. scanty nourishment; he gave instructions; the learned themselves receh:ed light from him; he consoled the unfortunate, served prisoners and the sick in hospitals; he blessed the fields, dispersed insects, cured the sick, and his love for his fellow beings led him even to recall the dead to life, by his efficacious prayers. Among a thousand spiritual maladies healed by him, we may speak of a young debauchee, who was the sorrow of his parents, the disgrace of his family, the scandal of his friends, and a scourge to society. Although one so deeply wounded generally complains of the sur- geon, and impatiently rejects the cure of his wounds, nevertheless, Father Benedict acted with so much tact and delicacy, that he stopped the young man on the brink of the precipice; the sinner acknowledged himself vanquished, conceived a horror of libertinism, abandoned balls and dances, Proofs OJ r}3enedict's Yirtues. 18 3 and became a good son and a useful citi- zen; he always protested that he should Dwe his salvation,. under God, to the good religious, Father Benedict. We shall say but a word about the car- dinal virtues, which our Saint possessed in perfection. On account of his prudence he was first appointed Guardian, and after- terwards, Vicar and Master of Novices. This virtue directed his words, his designs, his deliberations. He exercised it more especially in conversation, and when there was question of correcting or preventing disorders. Being one day in company with a person of distinction, who was addicted to detraction, and finding that he was speaking ill of another, Benedict inter- ru pted him, saying, " Excuse me, Sir, excuse me if I go now, for were I to remain here longer, I should not be able to prevent an evil which might happen." It 184 Life of St. fßeneåÏS#. was easy to know what he meant, namely. that the evil he dreaded was the detrac- tton already begun, and the bad habit was Eorrected. Benedict's justice was not less heroic. This it was that cast nim on his knees, when vicar, before a novice whom he had severely reproved, when he afterwards learned that the fault had not been such as he had been informed. But the greatest proof of his heroism in this virtue, was given when his brother Mark, having committed a homicide, was in prison awaiting the death due to his crime. Among the many persons who felt deep sorrow on this account, not the least were the Reformed Religious. It may be easily understood that it would be no slight pain to them to see a person, who, although a secular, was brother to ne of their members, led to execution. 'Proofs of (Benedict's Virtues. 185 As Mark Anthony Colonna, then Viceroy of Sicily. was very fond of Benedict, the Guardian commanded him to go and recommend the condemned Mark to his mercy, and beg the favor of his protection. Benedict obeyed and went to the palace of the Viceroy, who asked what he thought he ought to do. The Saint replied: My lord, althoug/z, Mark is my brother. I tell you to do justice. The Guardian having reproved him for this answer, Benedict calmly re- plied, that one should never ask anything contrary to justice. The Saint's companion, who had heard all, assured him that the Vzeeroy, much edified at recognizz"ng zn Bene- tlzet a frofount! sz"ncerz"ty and great zeal ftW J.ustice, granted Mark his pardon. Our Saviour has depicted justice to us in the following sentence: Render to Cæsar the thzngs that ars Casar s, and to God tlte 'kinKs ars God's. These divine words ... 186 Life of St. rBenedict. condemn those, who, like the unprofitable servant, having received talents, do not employ them for God, and live in useless- ness; so that, of such a one it might be said at his death: He had not a long lift, but he existed a long lime. It was not so with St. Benedict; he lived for everybody, he made everybody a sharer in his heavenly gifts of healing, knowledge, prophecy, pene- tration of hearts, tears and prayers. Justice inspired his exhortations to respect and obedience towards legitimate superiors. He felt great pain at hearing any serious complaint against the sovereign and his ministers, he closed his ears against unjust complaints, sustained authority by his dis- courses, showed that the imputations were.. perhaps, uncertain and without foundation, or, at least, excusable through some un- known motive, and that, consequently, the lle ation was unjust. 'Proofs of fJ3enedict's Virtues. 187 T elnperance, so familiar to St. Benedict, is, according to the holy Fathers, the pre- server of all virtues; and according to this sentiment, the ancient philosophers said, The temþerate man conceives nothing evil. We have seen this in our Saint's life; but what gives a better idea of his perfection in this virtue, is the gentle reproach \vhich he, one day, made to a religious cleric, who, in placing on the altar some vases of fresh and odoriferous flowers, was continually smelling them, and with such a passion that he evidently failed in temperance. St. Benedict reproved him, and showed him how easy it is to pass from an innocent enjoyment to a vicious sensibility. He afterwards confirmed this, when two of the religious disputed whether Oile could sin grievously by the sense of smell. Although this does not alvTays happen, one may, nevertheless, say with St. Augustin: It zs (I 186 Lift 01 St. fBtnedict. littlø thing, but he who desþises small thinffs, says the Scripture, shall fall by little anå l,:ttle. N ow, temperance prevents that fall. St. Benedict practised fortitude from the time that he sold his oxen, distribu ted the price among the poor, bade adieu to his parents, and withdrew into the desert. How surprising it was to behold his joyous appearance, not only amidst fatigue, fasts and penances, but also when overwhelmed by tribulations, injuries, and ill-treatment.! The sacristan, weary at having to call him so often by the bell to attend to the demands of the afflicted, finally began to insult our Saint, and load him with injuries. On the first occasion, which was not long in presenting itsel the same sacristan, more indignant than ever, dared to call him, in the presence of several persons, a dog of a slave. But Benedict always pre- served a serene countenance whether he 'Proofs of (Benedict's Virtues. 189 called him an ass or slammed the door in his face with a thousand affronts; he did even more; although he was the injured party, he humbly asked the sacristan's pardon for the trouble he had unwillingly given him. The Saint was not of a cold and insensible temperament, and if he bore everything, it was only through his heroic humility. On one occasion, a young liber- tine, passing from insolence to affronts, loaded our Saint with insults, which the modesty of the historians would not allow them to set àown in detail; such was the violence our Saint did himself to repress his just indignation, that his eyes became inflamed, he was seized with trembling, and blood burst from his nostrils, but he kept silence. But it was from the demons that he endured the worst assaults. Their attacks dated from his entrance into the hermitage, 19 0 Life of St. rBenedict. and the most dangerous proceeded from the public eulogiums and homages which were drawn upon Benedict by the prodigies which Heaven operated by his hand, and the singular gifts and favors bestowed on him by God. But his profound humility, sus- tained by the virtue of fortitude, was always victorious over the enemies of his salvation He himself acknowledged to some religious that the infernal spirits discharged their rage by injuring his body, appearing to him in time of prayer, and cruelly ill-treating him. Far from being troubled, he con- quered them and covered them with shame. SOlnetimes, he was seen, when in prayer, to stretch out his hands, to resist violently, and to spit in contempt: when asked his reason for doing so, he replied: It is against the demons who temþt us. Such was the empire he obtained over them, that several times, during his life, he expelled (Proofs of' (Benedict J s Virtues. 19 t them from the bodies of the possessed. He exercised the same power after death, according to the testimony of two excellent writers: Father Tognoletto, and Father John Alphonsus of Mandrisio, Definitor General. " Not only," say they, "was this servant of God the scourge of the demons after his death (for it would take too long to relate how many possessed he has delivered, and does still deliver) but during life he operated those cures, in proof of the victory he had ,yon over the infernal spirits." That virtue of fortitude, the mother of eleven millions of martyrs, as the Church counts, according to Génébrard's calculation, is founded on that NO which the martyrs uttered when tyrants urged them to idolatry. That NO which the mar- tyrs expressed by a negative gesture, according to Seneca, Benedict also said without opening his lips. His life, so just 19 2 Life of St. fJ1enedict. and regular, closed the entrance to every unlawful demand. To him might be applied Cicero's eulogy on Cato :-0 happy mortal, of whom no one may demand that which is evil '" .,!!\; ) ,I · I ""F'"' -'" """,-''I ''' " ., . ' .2) --. \ .i. . t: . H. .... . '- .. ,.""1 t : I' . \' ill ',. -==t ' " .. -" -t ; ,. .,. 'lJ' ' I ' 9" "'7 . J ' -.' i-'-.. '" . _ ( v _ . ì:\ ' . -- ,- . , -, .....J \._ , " ,.... ""''''_ CHAPTER XVII. OP THE BUIT THAT KAY BE DRAWN FROM THIS LIFE. HE first object we should propose to ourselves in reading the Lives of the Saints, is to render glory to God, and procure our own spiritual advantage. To obtain this second end, for the first is evi- dent, it is necessary to compare our actions with those of St. Benedict, and to correct the great difference we find between them; but such a comparison would lead us far beyond the limits we have prescribed our- selves. Lèt us, then, confine ourselves to one single product of the evangelical seed: it is that, the want of which makes itself most deeply felt in our age,-it is Faith. We do not speak now to those who wholly ., 19.1 194 Life of St. fJ3enedict. abstain from this necessary nourishment of the faithful, but to those who, through their own fault, have allowed it to become weak. We speak to those who should hear us, in this time when that virtue is most necessary. Let us now imitate the holy apostles in that point in which we fail to resemble them. Their bark was assailed by a violent tempest, yet Jesus slept tranquilly at the stern; greatly troubled, they awoke Him, and with pallid countenances and terrified hearts, they crowded round their Master, crying: Lord, save us,. we perish. The Lord awoke, and before appeasing the fury of the winds and waves, addressed them a reproach, upon which St. Basil, Bishop of Seleucia, comments in the following beauti- tiful terms: What then is that terror whicA casts you down, which 'reduces you /0 tlu extreml,"ty in wirick I behold you? Your fear Fruits Ørawn from this Life, 195 accUses the want of faith which produces 1:/. Troubled interiorly and exteriorly by the agitation of the sea, you liken yourselves to inanimate things which surrender them- selves to the first occupant. Your bark is still on the waters; she is still in tact, yet your faith has already suffered shipwreck, it is already submerged! Hence you only think where you are, and not with WhOl1l, you are. O! why is not your faith strong enough to render you intrepid in the midst of the waves, and firm as a rock in the midst of the waters? 0 words worthy of the Soverezgn Master! concludes the holy bishop, He desz.res that faith be stronger than all created things, and that z:n the þresence of faith the soul never gives way to desþair. When we read and reflect on sacred, and even on profane history, we clearly dis- cover, in the ocean of human revolutions, that God presides over all, as a Pilot sove- I 96 if8 of St. fJ3enedict. reignly qualified, who makes the partial disorder conduce to the general order. But very few persons comprehend this. Our mind is so feeble, says St. Chrysostom, the evils that trouble us are so great, that, instead of placing our confidence in the infinite wisdom of God, we, under His very eyes, regard ourselves as lost and swallowed up, although, frequently, it hap- pens that a turn of the helm brings us into port. Have faith, said our Saint. The Saviour sometimes seems to sleep, but He never sleeps; He beholds the tempest, and, at the prop r time, will dissipate its fury. He desires that, in the meantime, the sailors disburden themselves, and cast into the sea whatever might submerge the vessel. It is true that our faith must not be separated from hope and charity. Con- fidence should animate our prayers, divine love must accompany our thanksgiving fot Fruits fJ)rawn from this Life. 197 the benefits we have received. According to the explanation of St. Chrysostom in the Sixth Homily on the Philippians, Saint Paul does not wish that in our þrayer s 'lve confine ourselves to a single demand,. but he also recommends that we add thereto thanks and acknowledgments for the favors we havl' already received,. for hO'W can one 11zake 11e1CJ requests, when he has not acknowledged graces already conferred? This virtue, the first among those caned theological, should always, but particularly in our days, be accompanied by the virtue of fortitude. To obtain this fortitude, St. Benedict, after the example of the Patri- arch St. Francis, especially invoked the Archangel St. Michael. And as this arch- angel, in warring against the powers of earth and hell, incessantly repeats, Who tS IZÆe to God' Quz.s est Deus? so should we constantly confess our faith in God, fly .,. 1 98 Life of St. f}jenedict. fronl the impious, from the assemblies of vanity, from pestilential discourses and con- versations. If we be faithful to do this, with the help of grace, we shall merit .to have applied to us that oracle of our Divine Redeemer: Whoever shall confess me before men, I will conftss him bifore my Father who tS in heaven. To obtain from the divine goodness, these virtues and all others, our Saint implored the protection of the most holy Virgin, through whom, he acknowledged, he had received all graces. He attributed to the merits of Mary the prodigies which God operated through his means, and gave her all the glory of them; he referred to her all those who desired to obtain favors; to relieve the afflicted he used the oil frorn the lamp lit before her image. But it would be doing an injury to our readers to ngage thenl, by Benedict's example, to Fruits rDrawn fi'om this Life. 199 have recourse, in their necessities, to the Mother of God. Who is it, among the faithful, \vho does not take refuge in the bosom of his Mother? We may recommend the invocation of the Prince of the Apostles, to whom our Sain t had a particular devotion, because the Church was founded on hiln, and our Lord Himself prayed that Peter's faith should never fail. To devotion to those powerful interces- sors to obtain that firmness \vhich we have admired in our Saint's life, and his perse- verance in flying the venemous bite of the declared enemies of religion, let us add devotion to 51. Benedict himself, to gain this precious gift. He continually implored God that His holy law might be spread throughout the Indies; ce1-tain Iy, he will not refuse his intercession for what we desire. We will then invoke him in tempta- 200 Life of St. r.B&nedict. tions, doubts, trials of mind, and dangers to which we may be exposed through the frailty of our flesh. And as our misery makes us sometimes (God grant it be not always) have recourse to the saints, only in our telnþoral necessi- ties, making little account of those that are spiritual, it is well to recall to our minds what we have seen in this history. St. Benedict's first occupation \vas agriculture. Afterwards, when invested \vith the habit of St. Francis, we have seen him bless the fields and the fruits of the earth, \vith great advantage to those who had asked that benediction. In him, then, we behold an- other protector of cultivated fields, who will banish therefrom whatever might be hurtful to the fruits that are for our nour- ishment. But that 51. Benedict may hear the fer- vent prayers we address him before the Fruits fj)rawn from this Life. 201 altar, let us frequently remind him of his good father, who brought such a blessing on the goods confided by Manasseri to his care. In the Memoirs, there is no mention of the death of our Saint's father and mother; the blamable negligence of those times has deprived us of much knowledge on this and many other points relating to our Saint. Nevertheless, prudence leads us to hope that those good parents, so pious and so virtuous, are enjoying the sight of God with their son; and what fully persuades us of this is, that, if the Saint prayed daily for sinners and for distant countries, with how much greater ardor would he have prayed for those to whom he owed his life and holy education I He will hear more willingly the prayers ad- dressed to him in public and particular necessities, if we remind him how his father lost his employment through the malice of 202 Life of St. fßenedict. others, and how, when reinstated, he caused the renewal of those divine blessings that had been suspended. Let us learn, thence, to suffer patiently the effects of men's malice, and not to doubt that we shall receive the crown of our patience: let us also hope that we shall see dissipated, even in this life, the clouds that obscure virtuous actions. We have already seen, that when St. Benedict threw holy water over the gardens and vines attacked by destructive insects, .which threatened their total ruin, not only were those insects killed or dispersed, but the farmers beheld the ruined plants revive and bear fruit. To augment the confidence of the faithful in our Saint's intercession, for a benefit as important as the fruitfulness of the ground, we shall prove from the processes what we have said, and shall choose for this end, the testi- mony of a lay-brother, also call d Brother Fruits Ørawn from this Life. 20 3 Benedict. In his deposition he says "I know that many proprietors of gardens, contiguous to the Convent of St. Mary of Jesus, suffered, according to the seasons, much loss in the fruits and vegetables injured by the worms; those persons came to the convent and begged the superiors to send Father Benedict to bless their gardens. I accompanied him several times, and ,vas witness to the welcome that both masters and laborers gave him. Father Benedict went everywhere sprinkling holy water; I heard the thanks that were rendered him. They gratefully acknowledged, that, thanks to his blessing, not only were the worms destroyed, but the productiveness of the ground was increas d and the harvests were more abundant." We may also remark, that the animals obeyed and re- spected our Saint, and when he dwelt in the hermitage, the wild beasts fled from it, 20 4 Lift of St. fßenedict. leaving the field free to the demons, who tormented him during his whole life. Those persons, then, who possess prop- erty subject to the irregularities of the seasons, and the ravages of insects, would do well to place their lands under St. Benedict's protection. Thus may they hope to obtain, by his merits, the benedic- tion of Heaven; but that they may be the more certain of gaining it, let them imitate his excellent father, who never refused alms to anyone, and who, by this means, multi- plied the goods confided to his care, which goods also diminished when he ceased to give alms. From this fact, spoken of in the beginning of this work, we may draw another fruit, which is, after the example of the pious Christopher, our Saint's father, to suffer the attacks of envy and malignity, and to count securely on the just recom- pense of our Christian actions, especially Fruits fJJrawn from this Life. 20 5 of our effective compassion for the poor, as also to hope that calumnies shall be cleared up, even in this life. The sick persons healed by this servant of God, during his life, were innumerable, as we have already shown. But as God, in His goodness, grants to some of His elect a special virtue for curing certain diseases belonging to this vale of tears, as we see in 5ts. Anthony, Blaise, Andrew Avellino and many others, so He was pleased to attach the cure of certain mala- dies to the particular in tercession of St. Benedict the Negro. These are sciatica, catarrh, hernia, and headache, which the Saint healed by prayer and the sign of the cross. To justify and increase the confi- dence of those thus afflicted, we shall quote the testimony of Father Andrew of Calta- girone, who deposed in the process at Palermo in 1594, in the following terms: .1 o6 Life of St. (Benedict,; '.Father Benedict laid his hand upon them, and they were instantly cured, particularly those who had hernia, sciatica, catarrh, headache, etc. Those sick persons begged Father Benedict to recite a prayer over them; he did so, and their cure was effected on the instant." To engage our Saint to aid us, and obtain the graces we need, we must follow the advice he gave to all the afflicted: Have faith in the Blessed Virgin, I. she will cure you ,. doubt not but she will console )'OU. Thus it was, that, as we have already remarked, he attributed to the Mother of God all his marvellous cures, and concealed himself from the sight of those who were witness of the most striking wonders, lest they should refer the honor thereof to him. Finally, we should imitate, as far as in our power, the virtues of this Christian hero. To this end let us propose to Fruits fiJrawn fro'l.n this Life. 207 strengthen solidly our faith, at this time when Lucifer redoubles his efforts for the destruction of the only true faith, which, despite, all his endeavors, shall subsist for- ever. Let us also, like St. Benedict, pray for infidels. Alas! in order to find them, it is not necessary to go to the Indies; they are around us, and may be easily recog- nized by their exterior: hence the gift of penetrating hearts, which our Saint pos- sessed, would be almost useless now, since the fool says not in his heart alone thai there lS no God, but says it with uplifted head, as he looks for applause from his blinded proselytes. Addressing ourselves to them, yet from a distance, so as to avoid their poisonous breath, let us ask them for those social goods so vaunted by the delightful system of nature, and in which they place man's happiness; let us compare them with the 208 Life of St. (Benedict. benefits produced by the piety of one ser4 vant of God, of that God, whom the philo- sophers of our day, so plunged in the mire of materialism as to be like almost to the brutes,-dare to treat as a cruel and malevolent spirit. In fact, refusing all relations with the infinite goodness of God, they are not ashamed to rank themselves with the brutes, either by raising these to their material sphere, or by debasing themselves to the animal sphere. But, since they make themselves equal only to dogs or cows, how can they judge of the miracles which God, by means of His ser- vants, operates for the good of the neigh- bor? In the system of matter, or, what is just the same, of men-brutes, those miracles would be esteemed only the effects of nature, still unknown. We may say to those materialistic philosophers: Your zeal Is directed ønly to the advantage of Fruits fJ)rawn from this Life. 209 bumanity. You attribute to nature aU those precious advantages, which we Chris- tians call mzracles, but you are not con- cerned about your ignorance of their causes. In our human nature there is no lack of evils and necessities, which your zeal should made it your province to remedy. Why, then, in the wish to soothe those sorrows, why do you not seek to acquire the know- ledge of which, according to your own avowal, you are destitute? why do you not employ for the public good those means, which, according to you, nature indicates? Let us come to detail. If our Saint, either by the sign of the cross or by the imposi- tion of hands, restored sight to the blind and cured the lame, why do not you do the like, through those happy combinations which you are pleased to call natural? Why do not you go through cities and hospitals, contradicting St. Benedict's mira- IS- 2 10 Life of St. fBenedict. cles by setting nature at work? I inde= pendently of the sign of the cross and the imposition of hands, it is necessary also to be Christians, for reasons of which you are ignorant, you should become such, in view of the public good, the object of your zeal. But remark that there are no true Chris- tian materialists. Consequently, instead of restor ng sight to the blind, through those causes which are concealed from you, you would lose your own. Most certainly you will not deign to reply to an historian, who is not a philosopher like yourselves. There- fore, with my equals, I go to ask of St. Benedict a miracle more striking than those he has effected, which is to give you all reasonable minds and right sense, such as God restored to Nabuchodonozor; and cer- tainly the doing so will not be an effect of nature. "'lIB mm. l- '" - LITANY OF ST. BENEDICT OF SANFRATELLO. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. o Father, who art the God of heaven, o Son, Redeemer of the world, o Holy Spirit, who art God, Holy Trinity, one God, Holy Mary, Mother of God, St. Benedict of Sanfratello, St. Benedict, who wast consecrated to God in thy youth, St. Benedic Dlodel of sweetness, 211 c:. .. ;t E ;! . 2 I 2 Litany of St. fJ3enedict. St. Benedict, who didst despise an temporal goods, St. Benedict, devoted to the cross of Jesus Christ, St. Benedict, ravished in Jesus cruci- fied, St. Benedict, endowed with discern- ment of spirits. St. Benedict, who, in the name of God, and by thy faith, didst heal all mala- dies, St. Benedict, faithful observer 01 pov- erty of heart, J; St. Benedict, victim most agreeable to God, St. Benedict, ever devoted to fasting and mortification, St. Benedict, patron of farmers, St. Benedict, ever attentive to those who invoke thee in their pressing necessities, Litany 01 St. (Benedict. 2 I 3 St. Benedict, perfect lover of silence, solitude and retreat, St. Benedict, endowed with the sci- ence of the saints, ;: St. Benedict, burning with charity for thy neighbor, Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, spare us, 0 Lord. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, hear us, 0 Lord. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. PRAYER. o Lord, who hast rendered St. Benedict of Sanfratello illustrious by the admirable penance he practised, and by the favors thou hast bestowed upon him, grant us, by his mediation, that, imitating his exam- ple, and mortifying ourselves for love of thee, we may, through thy mercy, participate In the glory he DOW enjoys in heaven. Amell. BX 4700 .B356 C3713 1895 SM( Carletti, Giuseppe. I Life of St. Benedict surnamed "The Moor" 47232922 . 1 I I I I' II .1 ,I I I .. II