De conversione cujusdam Sudowite et mirabili facto.
A Noble Forbidden at the Door
The Sudowite noble Russigenus is barred from divine services, setting in motion his journey toward baptism.
At this time, a certain nobleman from Sudowia called Russigenus came with his entire household to the commendator of Balga, and when he wished to attend the divine services, he was turned away.
Baptism and the First Instruction
Russigenus and his household are baptized, and he immediately falls ill and asks a brother-priest to instruct him in the faith.
When the reason for this became known, he was baptized with his entire family, and immediately afterward he fell ill. Having taken to his bed, he sent for the brother-priest from Balga who had baptized him, humbly asking to be instructed in the faith of Christ.
The Hidden Sign of the Cross
The priest discovers a wooden cross at the sick man's feet, prepared by the Sudowita himself before baptism.
The priest carried this out with all diligence, and looking around he saw at the man's feet a wooden sign of the cross, which the Sudowita himself had ordered made.
The Priest's Wonder and Inquiry
The priest marvels at the grace shown to a newly baptized man and asks whether he had done any good deed before receiving the faith.
The priest marveled at this — that a man baptized that very day had received so great a grace of faith in Christ — and he began to ask whether, before receiving the faith, he had done anything good.
The Image of the Virgin and the Dream
The Sudowita recounts how he once rescued an image of the Virgin Mary from desecration, and how she appeared to him in a dream promising repayment in her Son's kingdom.
In response he said that he had killed many Christians and knew of no good deed he had done, except this alone: while he had entered Poland with a great army, a certain Sudowita carried off an image of the blessed Virgin Mary with her son in her arms, and on the return journey, while his men were shooting arrows at that image, he himself, grieving over this, seized it by force and gave it to a certain Christian, saying: 'Take this image of your God, and carry it back to the place where it may be held in due reverence.' After this was done, the blessed Virgin appeared to him in a dream, in appearance and attire most beautiful, and said: 'This act of devotion which you did for me in my image will be repaid to you in the kingdom of my son.'
A Happy Death in the Lord
Having shared his story, the Sudowita falls asleep happily in the Lord that very day.
When the Sudowita had reported this to the priest, he immediately, as it were that very day, fell asleep in the Lord in peace.
Read the original Latin
Hoc tempore quidam nobilis de Sudowia dictus Russigenus cum omni domo et familia venit ad commendatorem de Balga et cum vellet interesse divinis, prohibitus fuit. Cujus prohibicionis causa cognita baptizatus fuit cum omni fa milia sua, et statim post baptisma incepit infirmari, positusque ad lectum misit pro quodam fratre sacerdote de Balga, qui ipsum baptizaverat, petens ab eo humiliter, ut ipsum in fiele Cristi informaret. Quod ipse sacerdos cum omni diligencia adimplevit, et circumspiciens vidit de lignis factum ad pedes ipsius signum crucis, quod ipsec Sudowita sibi jusseratd preparari. De quo sacerdos admirans, quod talis eodem die baptizatus tantam ad fidem Cristi graciam haberete, cepit inquirere, utrum ante susceptam fidem aliquid boni egisset? Re spondit, quod multos Cristianos interfecisset, de aliquo bono facto nihil sciret, preter hoc solum, quod dum ipse cum magno exercitu intrasset Poloniam, qui dam Sudowita imaginem beate virginis Marie cum filio in gremio gereutem deportavit, et in reditu dum cum lanceis suis ad dictam imaginem sagittarent, ipse de hoc dolens, violenter rapuit, et cuidam Cristiano dedit dicens: accipe imaginem istam dei tui, et reporta ad locum, ubi in reverencia debita habeatur; quo facto apparuit ei beata virgo in specie et habitu pulcherrimo in somnis et dixit: hoc obsequium, quod mihi fecisti in imagine mea, tibi in regno filii mei refimdetur. Quod cum ipse Sudowita sacerdoti retulisset, statim quasi eodem die in domino feliciter obdormivit *.
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