De caeco per manuum ejus lavaturam sanato.
The Gift of Healing Grace
The text teaches from Paul about diverse gifts of grace and introduces King Edward's special gift of healing the blind, linking it to the purity of his inner life and illustrating it with the story of a blind man who receives a divine vision promising healing through the king's washing water.
We have learned, taught by the most blessed Paul, that there are different gifts of grace, and that not everyone has received all things. One person, he says, is given by the Spirit the speech of wisdom, another the speech of knowledge through the same Spirit, another faith, another the grace of healing. Although the most Christian king had received this gift of healings more fully through the Spirit of God, it shone forth especially in enlightening the blind, by a special grace, on account of the purity of his inner life, as it is believed—so that the gaze of his heart, cleansed by a singular purity, might drive away the darkness of the eyes in others. A certain blind man, well known among the people, who had long wept over the inconvenience of the light taken from him—it pleased the Savior by one and the same miracle both to make known the king's power and to relieve the poor man's suffering. The wretched man is therefore told by an oracle that he'll recover his lost light through the king's merits, if he's washed with the water with which the king himself had washed his face. Led by the hand, then, when he had reached the palace, he reported his vision to the chamberlains. When they had reported it to the most devout prince, he was astonished, and very much angered that the man had been mocked by phantasms, declaring that nothing of the sort was to be hoped for from a sinner, that this belonged to apostolic power, and that faith should not be given to dreams. They replied that faith should not be altogether taken away from dreams, since Joseph and Daniel learned future things through a night vision, and the foster-father of Christ recognized, when an angel appeared in his dreams, that he must flee with the boy or return.
The King's Humility and the Miracle
King Edward, torn between humility and piety, yields to the petitioners' urgency and washes his hands at the All Saints' vigil; the blind man is washed with that water during Mass, instantly regains his sight, and the community erupts in thanksgiving, though the healed man's transformed appearance causes confusion about his identity.
They add that God, to whom he is subject, when he wills, is able to, when he wills, by whomever he wills, through whomever he wills, bring help to the wretched; and that it is not for man to resist divine commands, nor for anyone to deny the remedy that he himself has provided. And so, when the king's mind had wavered for a short time between humility and piety, unless humility had yielded to the urgency of the petitioners and piety not served its own role, the hour was pressing — the one at which the king, about to go to the church for the solemn vigil of all the saints, would, as is customary, wash his hands. Water was poured into a basin, and while the king was present at the solemn rites of the Mass, the blind man was summoned by the attendants; they pour water over the circles of his eyes, wash his face, and through the merits of the holy king pray for divine power to be present. A wondrous thing: as if a new Siloes had flowed from the royal hands, the blind man, his eyelids opened, drinks in light, and amazed at the unfamiliar brightness of the sun, looks around at everything, and rejoices that the world has, as it were, been given back to him. The greatness of his joy drew forth tears; from the mouths of those standing by came the rendering of thanks and the voice of praise. The man enters the chapel to give thanks to God, and with the others was present at the divine services. He was seen but not recognized, with some saying that he was the man himself and others denying it, but that someone like him was there; he himself affirmed that he was who he was. They look at one another, one recognizes the other, while those between them are murmuring among themselves; the Mass is concluded, and when the king has left the chapel, he is received by the attendants who come to meet him.
The King Tests the Healed Man
After hearing of the miracle, the king returns to the church and tests the blind man three times, asking what he sees, and the man describes the king's gestures until he is told to embrace the king's beard.
When the miracle had been heard of, he turns back toward the church, and the man having been called to him: 'Do you really see, O man?' he says. He answered: 'Truly, my lord king.' 'And what do you see me doing?' he says. The man answered, 'You stretch out your beloved hand to me, my lord.' He said to him, 'And just now, what?' And the poor man to him: 'From the middle finger,' he says, 'you part the index finger, as if threatening with your eyes.' 'Now, now answer for the third time,' he says, 'and tell me what I should do.' He said to him, 'You will embrace the beard, king.'
Glory Given to God Alone
Saint Edward bursts into tears before the altar, prostrates himself, and gives all glory to God, quoting the Psalm: 'Not to us, Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory.'
Then the saint burst into tears before the holy altar and, falling down, poured out thanks to God, attributing everything to him and nothing to himself, as he proclaimed those words of David: 'Not to us, Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory.'
Read the original Latin
Diversa esse munera gratiarum, nec omnes omnia consecutos, beatissimo Paulo docente didicimus. Alii, inquit, per spiritum datur sermo sapientiae, alii autem sermo scientiae per eumdem Spiritum, alii fides, alii gratia sanitatum. Hoc praecipue munus curationum licet plenius per Dei Spiritum rex Christianissimus habuisset, in illuminandis tamen caecis speciali gratia praefulgebat, ob interioris, ut creditur, hominis puritatem, ut cui munditia singularis defaecaverat cordis obtutus, ipse in aliis exteriorum propelleret tenebras oculorum. Caecus quidam satis notus in populo, cum multo jam tempore ademptae sibi lucis flevisset incommodum, placuit Salvatori uno eodemque miraculo, et regis propalare virtutem, et calamitatem pauperis temperare. Docetur itaque miser oraculo lumen amissum se ejus meritis adepturum, si lympha, qua rex ipse, faciem perfudisset. Ad manum igitur tractus cum ad palatium pervenisset, cubiculariis retulit visionem. Quam cum illi piissimo principi suggessissent, obstupuit ille, plurimumque indignatus, illusum phantasmatibus hominem, nihil tale a peccatore sperandum, apostolicae hoc esse virtutis, nec fidem somniis adhibendam asseruit. Referunt illi non usquequaque fidem somniis derogandam, cum Joseph et Daniel nocturna visione futura didicerunt, et nutritius Christi fugiendum cum puero vel redeundum, angelo in somnis apparente, cognoverit.
Adjiciunt Deum cui subest cum voluerit posse, quando voluerit, quibus voluerit, per quos voluerit, opem ferre miseris; nec hominis esse praeceptis resultare divinis, nec cuiquam quod ipse providerit negare remedium. Itaque cum inter humilitatem et pietatem regis animus in parvo tempore fluctuasset, nisi importunitati petentium cessisset humilitas, nec partes suas pietas deservisset: instabat hora qua ob solemnem omnium sanctorum vigiliam processurus ad ecclesiam rex, ut fieri solet, manus ablueret. Recepta in pelvi aqua, cum rex sacris interesset missarum solemniis, citatur a ministris caecus, infundunt aquam orbiculis oculorum, lavant faciem, et per merita sancti regis divinam precantur adesse virtutem. Mira res: quasi nova nobis Siloes de regiis manibus profluxisset, reseratis palpebris haurit lucem, et ad insuetum solis splendorem stupefactus circumspicit omnia, et mundum sibi quasi denuo redditum gratulatur. Magnitudo laetitiae lacrymas excussit, in ore astantium gratiarum actio et vox laudis insonuit. Ingreditur oratorium homo acturus Deo gratias, et cum aliis, divinis astabat obsequiis. Videbatur nec agnoscebatur, et aliis dicentibus quia ipse est, aliis non, sed similis ejus est, ipse affirmabat se esse quod erat. Intuetur alter alterum, alter alterum convenit, cum illis inter se mussitantibus missa clauditur, egressusque oratorium rex ab obviis ministris excipitur.
Audito miraculo, retorquet ad ecclesiam gressum, vocatoque ad se viro: «Verene, inquit, vides, o homo?» Respondit: «Vere, domine mi rex. --Et quid, inquit, me vides facere?» Respondit ille: «Dilectam mihi manum tuam extendis, domine mi.» Cui ille: «Et modo quid?» Et pauper ad eum: «A medio, inquit, digito indicem dividens quasi oculis minitaris. --Jam nunc tertio responde, inquit, et quid agam edicito.» Cui ille: «Barbam, inquit, complecteris, rex.»
Tunc sanctus prorumpens in lacrymas ante sanctum altare decubuit, gratias agens, dansque Deo totum, nihil sibi, illud proclamabat Davidicum: Non nobis, Domine, non nobis, sed nomini tuo da gloriam.
Aelred of Rievaulx, Vita Sancti Edwardi Regis et Confessoris companion
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