De sancto Dominico
The Name and Early Life of Dominic
The chapter introduces the etymology of Dominic's name and his early life, including his birth, signs of his future holiness, and his initial dedication to prayer and study.
Dominic is so named either because he is the guardian of the Lord, or because he is guarded by the Lord. Or, following the etymology of the name, he is called Dominic because it means 'of the Lord'. He is called a 'guardian of the Lord' in three ways: as a guardian of the Lord's honor in relation to God, as a guardian of the Lord's vineyard or flock in relation to his neighbor, and as a guardian of the Lord's will or commandments in relation to himself. Secondly, he is called Dominic as if he were 'guarded by the Lord,' for the Lord guarded him throughout his three states of life: first as a layman, second as a regular canon, and third as an apostolic man. In the first state, the Lord guarded him by helping him make a praiseworthy beginning; in the second, by helping him progress fervently; and in the third, by helping him attain perfection. Thirdly, he can be called Dominic through the etymology of the word 'Lord.' For 'Lord' is said to mean one who gives threats, one who gives less, or one who gives a gift. Thus, blessed Dominic was a giver—he forgave threats by dismissing injuries, and he gave less by mortifying his body. This is because he always gave his body less than it craved, giving a gift through the generosity of his freedom, and because he not only gave his own possessions to the poor, but even wished to sell himself many times over. Dominic, the leader and illustrious father of the Order of Preachers, traced his physical origin to the parts of Spain in a village called Caleruega, in the diocese of Osma, born to a father named Felix and a mother named Joan. Before he was born, his mother dreamed she was carrying a puppy. In the dream, she saw the puppy in her womb carrying a burning torch in its mouth, which set the whole world on fire once it emerged. It also seemed to a certain noblewoman, who had lifted him from the sacred font, that the boy Dominic had a brilliant star on his forehead that illuminated the whole world. While he was still a young boy and under the care of his nurse, he was often caught leaving his bed to lie on the bare ground. Sent at last to Palencia to study, he did not taste wine for ten years out of a love for wisdom. When a severe famine occurred there, he sold his books along with all his belongings and gave the money to the poor; as his reputation grew, he was made a regular canon in his church by the Bishop of Osma, and later, having become a mirror of life for everyone, he was ordained subprior by the canons. He, however, spent his days and nights in reading and prayer, constantly begging God to deign to pour into him the grace by which he might one day devote himself entirely to the salvation of his neighbors.
Preaching Against Heresy
Dominic begins his mission against heresy, marked by miraculous signs, his unwavering courage in the face of death, and his profound spirit of poverty and charity.
He also read the Conferences of the Fathers with great diligence, and from them he gained a vast store of perfection. While traveling to Toulouse with the bishop mentioned earlier, he discovered that his host was corrupted by heretical depravity; he converted him to the faith of Christ and presented him to the Lord as a kind of first sheaf of the future harvest. It is recorded in the deeds of Count Montfort that when blessed Dominic had preached against the heretics on one occasion, he wrote down the authorities he had cited and handed that document to a heretic, so that he might deliberate on the points raised. That night, with the heretics gathered around a fire, he brought out the document he had received. His companions told him to throw it into the fire, saying that if it burned, their faith—or rather, their perfidy—would be proven true, but if it could not be burned, they would preach the true faith of the Roman Church. So, the document was thrown into the fire. After it had remained in the flames for a little while, it leapt out from the fire, completely unburned. While everyone was stunned, one man, more stubborn than the rest, said, “Throw it in again, and in this way we will find out more fully and experience the truth more completely.” It was thrown in again, and again it leapt out unburned. He said again, "Let it be thrown in a third time, and now we'll know the outcome for sure." It was thrown in a third time, and again it leaped out unburned and unharmed. But the heretics, remaining in their hardness, bound themselves with a very strict oath that no one would make this public. Yet a soldier who was there, and who held somewhat to our faith, later made this miracle public. This happened at Mont-Victoire; a similar event is said to have occurred at the temple of Jupiter during a formal debate held there against the heretics in those days. When the others returned to their own lands and the Bishop of Osma had died, Saint Dominic remained there alone with a few others, constantly preaching the word of the Lord against the heretics. But the adversaries of the truth mocked him, throwing spit, mud, and other such vile things at him, and tying straw to his back in derision. When they threatened him with death, he replied, undaunted: "I am not worthy of the glory of martyrdom; I haven't yet earned such a death." Because of this, as he passed through a place where traps had been set for him, he wasn't just fearless; but he even walked along singing and cheerful. Amazed by this, they asked him, "Aren't you afraid of death?" "What would you have done if we had caught you?" But he replied, "I would have begged you not to kill me quickly with sudden wounds, but to cut off my limbs one by one, slowly and in order; then, after showing me the severed pieces before my own eyes, and even gouging out my eyes, you could have left my half-dead, mangled body to roll in its own blood, or simply killed me however you pleased." When he found a man who had joined the heretics because of the extreme poverty he was suffering, he decided to sell himself so that, with the price he received, he could both cut off the occasion of his poverty and free the man who had been sold under error. And he would have done it, too, had divine mercy not provided otherwise for the man's need. On another occasion, when a woman was lamentably complaining to him that her brother was held captive by the Saracens and that she had no advice on how to secure his release, he was moved by deep compassion and offered to sell himself for the captive's redemption; but God, who had foreseen that he was more necessary for the spiritual redemption of many captives, did not allow it. While staying in the region of Toulouse with certain matrons who had been deceived by the heretics' show of religious life, he fasted for the entire Lent on nothing but bread and cold water with his companion, to fight fire with fire, as it were. At night, when necessity forced him to rest, he would lay his weary limbs on a bare board, and it happened that he brought those matrons to the knowledge of the truth.
Founding the Order of Preachers
Dominic seeks and receives papal confirmation for his new Order, guided by visions of the Church's need for preachers and the intercession of the Blessed Virgin.
After this, he began to think about establishing an order whose duty would be to travel throughout the world preaching and to strengthen the Catholic faith against heretics. Since he had remained in the region of Toulouse for ten years—from the passing of the Bishop of Osma until the time the Lateran Council was to be held—he went to Rome with Fulk, the Bishop of Toulouse, for the general council, and asked Pope Innocent to confirm the order, which was to be called and to be the Order of Preachers, for himself and his successors. When the Pope hesitated, he saw in a dream one night that the Lateran Basilica was suddenly on the verge of collapsing. As he watched in terror, the man of God, Dominic, appeared from the opposite side and, bracing his own shoulders underneath, held up the entire structure that was about to fall. Waking up and understanding the vision, he gladly accepted the request of the man of God, urging him to go to his brothers. He was to return to them, choose an approved rule, and then come back to him to receive the confirmation he wanted. Upon returning, he shared the Pope's words with the brothers. There were about sixteen brothers who, after invoking the Holy Spirit, unanimously chose the Rule of Saint Augustine—a doctor and preacher who was exceptional, and who were themselves to be preachers in both reality and name—and furthermore adopted certain customs of a stricter life, which they established for themselves to observe according to the form of their constitutions. However, in the meantime, Innocent died and Honorius was raised to the papacy, and in the year of our Lord 1216, he obtained confirmation of the order from the aforementioned Honorius. While he was praying in the church of Saint Peter in Rome for the approval of his order, he saw the glorious princes of the apostles, Peter and Paul, coming toward him; the first, Peter, seemed to be handing him a staff, while Paul seemed to be handing him a book, and they added, saying, "Go, preach, for you have been chosen by God for this ministry." And in a brief moment, it seemed to him that he saw his sons scattered throughout the whole world, walking two by two; for this reason, returning to Toulouse, he dispersed his brothers, sending some to Spain, some to Paris, and others finally to Bologna, while he himself returned to Rome. Before the institution of the Order of Preachers, a certain monk, having fallen into an ecstasy, saw the Blessed Virgin on her knees with hands joined, pleading with her Son for the human race; he, having often refused his devout mother, finally, as she insisted, said to her, "My mother, what more can I do for them, or what ought I to do?" "I sent patriarchs and prophets, and they have amended themselves but little." "I came to them myself, then I sent the apostles, and they killed both me and them." "I sent martyrs, confessors, and doctors, and they did not listen to them. But because it isn't right that I should deny you anything, I will give them my preachers, through whom they may be enlightened and cleansed; if they do not amend, however, I will come against them." Another person saw a similar vision at the same time that twelve abbots of the Cistercian Order were sent to Toulouse against the heretics. For when the Son had answered his praying mother as stated above, she said, "Good Son, you ought to act not according to their malice, but according to your mercy."
Visions of Mercy and Judgment
Dominic and Francis are revealed in visions as the instruments of divine mercy sent to temper God's judgment against a sinful world.
Then the Son, won over by her prayers, said: "In answer to your wish, I will show them this mercy: I will send them my preachers to warn and instruct them, and if they don't correct themselves, I won't spare them any longer." A friar minor, who had been a long-time companion of Saint Francis, told many brothers of the Order of Preachers that when blessed Dominic was in Rome pressing the Pope to confirm his order, he was praying one night and saw in spirit Christ hovering in the air, holding three spears and brandishing them against the world. His mother quickly ran to him and asked what he intended to do, and he replied: "Look, the whole world is full of three vices—pride, lust, and greed—and so I intend to destroy it with these three spears." Then the Virgin fell at his knees and said: "Dearest Son, have mercy, and temper your justice with mercy." Christ asked her: "Don't you see how many injuries are being inflicted upon me?" She replied: "Temper your anger, Son, and wait a little while; I have a faithful servant and a tireless fighter who will go everywhere..." ...running through the world, he will conquer it and bring it under your rule. I will also give him another servant to help him, who will fight faithfully alongside him." The Son said to her: "Look, I am appeased and have accepted your request, but I would like to see whom you wish to appoint for such a task." Then she presented Saint Dominic to Christ. Christ replied to her, 'He is truly a good and tireless fighter, and he’ll diligently do what you’ve said.' . She also offered Saint Francis, and Christ commended him just as he had the first one. Saint Dominic, however, having carefully considered his companion in the vision—whom he hadn’t known before—recognized him the next day when he found him in the church, based on what he had seen that night, without anyone pointing him out, and he embraced and kissed him. He rushed to him affectionately and said, 'You’re my companion; you’ll run with me, we’ll stand together, and no adversary will prevail.' He also told him the vision he had seen in order, and from that moment they became of one heart and one soul in the Lord. domino. They commanded that this be observed by their successors forever.
Miracles and Spiritual Warfare
A collection of miracles and spiritual encounters demonstrates Dominic's authority over the demonic and his power to heal both body and soul.
After he had received a certain novice from Apulia into the order, some who had been the novice's companions led him so far astray that he began to think about returning to the world and demanded his old clothes back by every means possible. When Blessed Dominic heard this, he immediately turned to prayer. Then, once they had stripped the young man of his religious habit and dressed him in Dominic's own shirt, the man began to cry out in a loud voice, "I am burning, I am on fire, I am being completely consumed! Take it off, take off this cursed shirt that is burning me up!" He couldn't find any peace until he had taken off the shirt, put his religious habit back on, and been brought back to the cloister. While Blessed Dominic was in Bologna and the brothers had already gone to sleep, a lay brother began to be tormented by the devil. When Brother Reynerius of Lausanne, his master, heard of this, he made sure to tell Blessed Dominic, who then had the man carried to the church before the altar; and when he had been brought there with some difficulty by ten of the brothers, Blessed Dominic said, "I adjure you, wretch, tell me why you are tormenting a creature of God, and why and how you entered into him." The spirit replied, "I am tormenting him because he deserved it; he drank in the city yesterday without the prior's permission and without making the sign of the cross." So I entered into him in the form of a bug, or rather, he drank me in along with his wine. It was later confirmed to be true that he had indeed drunk it. During this, the first bell for Matins rang, and hearing it, the devil who was speaking through him said, "I can't stay here any longer, since they're getting up for the hood," and he was forced to leave at the prayer of blessed Dominic. When he had crossed a certain river in the region of Toulouse, his books, having no protective case, fell into the water; but on the third day, a fisherman casting his hook there thought he had caught a large fish, only to pull out the books themselves, completely unharmed, as if they had been kept with the utmost care in a cabinet. When he arrived at a certain monastery and the brothers were resting, he didn't want to disturb them, so he prayed and entered the monastery with his companion through the locked doors; the same thing was found to be true when he was with a certain Cistercian lay brother during the conflict with the heretics, for when they arrived at a certain church late at night and found it locked, after a prayer was offered by blessed Dominic, they suddenly found themselves inside the church and spent the whole night in prayer. After the labor of his journey, before he reached his lodging, he was accustomed to quench his thirst at a spring, so he wouldn't incur any reproach by drinking too much in his host's house. A certain student, suffering from the lusts of the flesh, came on a feast day to the house of the brothers in Bologna to hear Mass. It happened, however, that blessed Dominic was celebrating Mass at that time; when it came to the offertory, the aforementioned student approached and kissed his hand with great devotion. When he kissed it, he felt a fragrance come from it such as he had never felt at any time in his life. He was tested, and from that moment the heat of lust within him cooled miraculously, so that he who had previously been vain and lecherous became thereafter continent and chaste. Oh, how pure and clean his body was, whose scent so miraculously cleansed the filth of the mind. A certain priest, seeing how fervently blessed Dominic and his brothers applied themselves to preaching, decided to join them, provided he could obtain the New Testament he needed for his preaching. While he was thinking about this, a young man appeared carrying a New Testament for sale under his cloak, which the priest bought immediately with great joy; but while he was still hesitating a little, he prayed to God, made the sign of the cross over the outside of the book, opened it, and immediately cast his eyes on the chapter that first presented itself, and he encountered the passage in Acts that was said to Peter: 'Get up, go down, and go with them without hesitation, for I have sent them.' He got up at once and joined them. When a certain master, famous for his knowledge and reputation, was teaching theology at Toulouse, one morning before daybreak, he was reviewing his lectures when he was overcome by sleep. He rested his head for a moment on his chair, and it seemed to him that seven stars were presented to him. While he was marveling greatly at the strangeness of such a gift, suddenly the light and size of those stars grew so much that they illuminated the whole world. When he woke up, he was very puzzled about what it could mean. Then, when he had entered the school and was lecturing, blessed Dominic and his brothers, wearing the same habit, came to the master humbly. Explaining their purpose to him, they said they wanted to attend his classes. Recalling the vision, he didn't doubt that they were the seven stars he had seen.
The Vision of Reginald and the Habit
The miraculous healing and vocation of Master Reginald, along with the revelation of the Order's habit by the Blessed Virgin, are recounted.
While the man of God, Dominic, was in Rome, a certain master named Reginald—the dean of Saint Anian in Orléans, who had also taught law in Paris for five years—arrived in Rome, intending to pass through on his way to Orléans with the bishop. He had long intended to devote himself entirely to preaching, but he hadn't yet figured out how he could actually go about it. However, after he learned about the founding of the Order of Preachers from a cardinal to whom he had expressed this desire, and after he had called for blessed Dominic and revealed his intention to him, he decided to enter the Order; but without delay, he was seized by a severe fever and all hope for his recovery was lost. He had read: 'They offer, you see, and I will give to you.' As he was deliberating on what he should ask for, one of the aforementioned maidens suggested that he shouldn't ask for anything, but rather commit himself entirely to the Queen of Mercy. When she had done this, she extended her virginal hand and anointed his ears, nostrils, hands, and feet with the healing ointment she had brought, adding the appropriate words for each anointing. As she touched his loins, she said: 'Let your loins be girded with the belt of chastity.' At his feet, she said: 'Anoint your feet in preparation for the gospel of peace.' She added: 'On the third day, I will send you a flask for your complete restoration of health.' Then, showing him the habit of the Order, she said: 'Look, this is the habit of your Order.' Blessed Dominic saw this same vision while he was deep in prayer. When morning came, Saint Dominic went to him and found him healthy. He heard the whole story of the vision from him and adopted the habit the Virgin had shown, as the brothers had previously been wearing surplices. On the third day, the Mother of God appeared and anointed Reginald’s body so thoroughly that she extinguished not only the heat of his fever but also the fire of concupiscence. As he later confessed, not even the first stirrings of lust ever sprouted in him again. A certain religious of the Hospitaller Order saw this vision repeated with his own eyes while Blessed Dominic was present, and he was struck with wonder. After his death, Blessed Dominic shared this vision with many of the brothers. Reginald was then sent to Bologna, where he worked ardently at preaching, and the number of brothers grew. After this, he was sent to Paris, and not many days later, he fell asleep in the Lord. A certain young man, the nephew of Lord Stephen, Cardinal of Fossa Nova, had fallen with his horse into a pit and was pulled out dead; when he was brought to Blessed Dominic, he was restored to his former life through prayer.
Signs of Divine Favor
Further miracles, including the multiplication of bread and exorcisms, confirm Dominic's sanctity and the devil's fear of the Order's discipline.
In the church of Saint Sixtus, a certain architect hired by the brothers was crushed by a collapse of the crypt above him; he was finally killed, lying under a pile of falling debris, but the man of God, Dominic, ordered his body to be brought out from the cave to him, and by the power of his prayers, he was immediately restored to both life and health. In that same place: When about forty brothers were staying there and had found very little bread on one occasion, blessed Dominic ordered that the little bit of bread they had be divided into portions on the table; and while everyone was breaking a piece of bread with joy, behold, two young men of similar habit and appearance entered the refectory, carrying the folds of their cloaks, which hung from their necks, full of bread. They were at the head of the table. Dominic’s men, the servants of God, left so quietly after their offering that no one could tell where they had come from or where they had gone. Then Saint Dominic, stretching his hand out toward the brothers all around, said, "Eat, my brothers." And when blessed Dominic was once on a journey and a heavy downpour of rain occurred, he made the sign of the cross and pushed back all the rain from himself and his companion in such a way that, as if a pavilion had been made from the cross, while the whole earth was soaked by the dense downpour of rain, not a single drop touched them for a space of three cubits. On one occasion, while he had crossed a certain body of water by boat in the Toulouse region, the ferryman demanded a penny from him as the price of the crossing; when the man of God promised him the kingdom of heaven in return for the service rendered to him, adding that he was a disciple of Christ and did not carry gold or money, the man grabbed him by his cloak and said, "You will give me either the cloak or the penny." Then the man of God, lifting his eyes to heaven and praying briefly within himself, soon looked down at the ground and, seeing a penny lying there provided by a divine and unmistakable nod, said, "Behold, brother, take what you ask for, and let me go in peace." It happened once that a man of God, while traveling, was joined by a certain religious brother who was indeed holy in his way of life, but completely foreign in speech and language; the man of God was saddened that he couldn't refresh himself with him through mutual conversation about divine matters. He finally begged the Lord that one of them might speak the other's language, so that by alternating their words, they could understand each other for the three days they were to travel together. Once, when a man possessed by many demons was brought to him, he took his stole, placed it first around his own neck, and then wrapped it around the neck of the possessed man, commanding them not to torment that man any longer. They, however, immediately began to be tormented within the body of the possessed man and cried out, "Let us go! Why do you force us to be tortured here?" But he said, "I won't let you go unless you give me a guarantor that you'll never return." "What kind of guarantors," they asked, "could we possibly give you?" And he replied, "The holy martyrs whose bodies rest in this church." And they said, "We cannot, because our own merits contradict it." "You must give me a guarantee," he said, "otherwise I won't let you go free from this torment." They answered him, promising to do so, and after a little while they said, "Look, we've obtained it, though we're unworthy, for the holy martyrs have stood as guarantors for us." When he asked for a sign of this, they said, "Go to the chest where the heads of the martyrs are kept, and you'll find it turned over." They searched and found it just as they had claimed. Once, while he was preaching, some noblewomen who had been corrupted by heretics threw themselves at his feet and said, "Servant of God, help us." "If what you preached today is true, the spirit of error has blinded our minds for a long time." He told them, "Be steadfast and wait a little while, so that you may see what kind of master you've been clinging to." Immediately they saw a most hideous cat leap out from among them; it was the size of a large dog, with huge, flaming eyes, a long, wide, blood-stained tongue hanging down to its navel, and a short tail that it kept extended to show its shameful parts wherever it turned, and from it an intolerable stench exhaled. After circling those women for some time, it climbed the bell rope into the belfry and vanished, leaving behind foul tracks. Those women, therefore, gave thanks and were converted to the Catholic faith. When he had convicted certain heretics in the region of Toulouse and they were sentenced to be burned, he noticed a man named Raymond among them and said to the guards, "Keep this one, so that he is not burned with the others in any way." Turning to him and speaking gently, he said, "I know, my son, I know that even if it is late, you will yet be a good and holy man." Once released, he remained in heretical depravity for twenty years, but eventually he converted, became a Dominican friar, lived his life in that order in a praiseworthy way, and finished it happily. While he was in Spain, accompanied by some brothers, a monstrous dragon appeared to him in a vision, trying to swallow those brothers with its open jaws. The man of God, understanding this, urged the brothers to resist strongly. Afterward, all of them left him, except for Brother Adam and two converts; however, when he was asked... a certain one. When one of them asked if he also intended to leave, he replied, "God forbid, Father, that I should abandon the head to follow the feet," and he immediately gave himself over to prayer. He converted nearly everyone in a short time through his prayer. While he was staying with the brothers at Saint Sixtus in Rome, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly came upon him; he called the brothers to chapter and announced that four of them would die shortly—two in the body, and two in the soul. Soon after, two brothers passed on to the Lord, and two left the order. While he was in Bologna, there was a certain Master Conrad the German, whose entry into the order the brothers were hoping for with great wonder. But when Blessed Dominic was speaking with the prior of the monastery of Saint Mary of the Cistercian Order on the vigil of the Assumption of the Blessed Mary, a certain familiar confidence compelled him to say among other things, "I confess to you, Prior—something I have never revealed to anyone, and you must not reveal it to another as long as I live—that I have never asked for anything in this life that I did not obtain according to my prayer." When the aforementioned prior said to him that perhaps he would finish his life before him, Blessed Dominic said with a prophetic spirit that the prior himself would live for a long time after him. And it happened just as he had predicted. Then that prior added, "Pray then, Father, that he may give you Master Conrad for the order, whose entry the brothers seem to desire so much." But he replied, "You have asked for a difficult thing, good brother." Once Compline was finished and the others went to rest, he remained in the church and spent the night in prayer, as was his custom. As the brothers gathered for Prime and the cantor began just as the day was dawning, Master Conrad suddenly appeared; he threw himself at the feet of blessed Dominic, urgently asking for the habit of the Order, and he received it with perseverance. He was a man of great religious discipline in the Order and a highly gifted lecturer. When he was dying and had already closed his eyes, and the brothers thought he had passed on, he opened his eyes, looked around at them, and said, "The Lord be with you." When they replied, "And with your spirit," he added, "The souls of the faithful, through the remembrance of God, rest in peace," and with that, he immediately passed away in peace. The servant of God, Dominic, possessed a remarkably steady temperament, except when he was moved by compassion and mercy; and because a joyful heart brightens the face, he revealed the calm composure of his inner self through an evident outward kindness. During the day, while with his brothers or companions, no one was more approachable, provided he maintained his sense of dignity; yet during the night hours, no one was more diligent in vigils and prayer, as he gave his days to his neighbors and his nights to God. He had turned his eyes into a kind of fountain of tears. Frequently, when the Lord's Body was raised during Mass, he was caught up in such an ecstasy of mind that it was as if he were seeing Christ himself, incarnate and present there. For this reason, he didn't hear Mass with the others for a long time. He had a very frequent habit of spending the night in the church, so that he rarely seemed to have a fixed place for resting; and when the need for sleep came upon him from exhaustion, he would rest a little with his head reclined either before the altar or on a stone. Each night, he would take up a discipline with his own hand from a certain iron chain: one, clearly, for himself; another for the sinners who live in the world; and a third for those who are being tormented in purgatory. When he was elected bishop of Cotoronense, and at other times of Citaviense, he refused entirely, protesting that he would sooner leave the earth than consent in any way to an election made regarding himself. When asked at one point why he would not rather stay in Toulouse and the diocese of Toulouse—that is, in his own diocese—than in the diocese of Carcassonne, he replied: 'Because in the diocese of Toulouse I find many who honor me, but at Carcassonne, everyone opposes me instead.' When someone asked him which book he had studied the most, he replied: 'In the book of charity.' On one occasion, while the man of God, Dominic, was staying at Bologna and spending the night in the church, the devil appeared to him disguised as a brother; thinking he was a brother, Dominic gestured for him to go with the others to get some rest. But he, as if mocking him, replied to him with gestures. Then Saint Dominic, wanting to know who was ignoring his command, lit a candle from the lamp, looked him in the face, and immediately recognized that it was the devil. After he had rebuked him quite sharply, the devil immediately began to taunt him about breaking the silence. But Saint Dominic, asserting that as the master of the brothers he had permission to speak, forced him to say how he tempted the brothers in the choir, to which he replied: "I make them come late and leave early." Next, he led him to the dormitory, asking how he tempted the brothers there. He replied: "I make them sleep too much and get up late, so they miss the Divine Office and sometimes have impure thoughts." Then he led him to the refectory itself and asked how he tempted the brothers there. The demon then leaped across the tables, repeating over and over: "More and less, more and less." When Saint Dominic asked him what he meant by this, he said: "I tempt some brothers to eat more, so that they fall into sin through excessive consumption of food; others I tempt to eat less, so that they become weaker in the service of God and in the observance of their order." From there, he led him to the parlor, asking how he tempted the brothers there. Then, rolling his tongue repeatedly, he let out a strange, confused sound. When Saint Dominic asked him what he meant by this, he replied, "This is my place; for when the brothers gather to talk, I make it my business to tempt them so that they speak confusedly, mixing themselves up in useless words, and no one waits for the other." Finally, he led him to the chapter house. But when he reached the door of the chapter house, the demon stopped completely. He refused to enter, saying, "I will never go in there, because it is a place of cursing and hell for me, and I lose everything there that I gain in other places; for if I have made some brother commit a fault through some negligence, he soon purges himself of that very negligence in this place of cursing and proclaims himself before everyone." For here they are warned. Here they are accused, here they are corrected, here they are absolved; and so I grieve that I have lost everything that I was happy to have gained elsewhere. And with these words, he vanished.
Death and Posthumous Miracles
Dominic's final days, his testament to his brothers, his holy death, and the subsequent miracles performed through his relics and intercession.
Finally, as his journey neared its end. the time arrived. While staying in Bologna, he became seriously ill. The dissolution of his body was revealed to him in a vision. He saw it. For he saw a most beautiful young man calling him with these words. And he said, "Come, my beloved, come to the joys, come." Having called them together. He wrote a testament for the brothers of the Bologna convent so he wouldn't leave them disinherited and orphaned, saying: "These are the things I leave for you to possess by right, as if you were my heirs: have charity, keep humility, and possess voluntary poverty." . That. He also used all his authority to strictly forbid anyone from ever introducing temporal possessions into his order, calling down the curse of Almighty God—and his own—upon anyone who would dare to stain the Order of Preachers with the dust of earthly riches. dare. to stain. . To the brothers, however. To those grieving inconsolably over his departure, he said gently, "My sons, don't let my physical departure trouble you; don't doubt for a moment that I'll be more useful to you dead than alive." And so, reaching his final hour in the year of our Lord 1221, he fell asleep in the Lord. His passing was revealed that same day and hour to Brother Guala, who was then the prior of the Dominican friars in Brescia and later became the bishop of that city. For while he was resting in a light sleep in the bell tower, with his head leaning against the wall, he saw the heavens opened and two white ladders being lowered to the earth; Christ and his Mother were holding the tops of them, and angels were ascending and descending, rejoicing as they went. In the middle of the ladders, at the bottom, a seat was placed, and a friar was sitting on the seat with his head veiled; Jesus and his Mother were pulling the ladders upward until the one sitting was lifted into heaven and the opening of heaven was closed. The aforementioned friar, coming to Bologna, learned immediately that the father had passed away at that very same day and hour. A friar named Rao, stationed at Tivoli, had approached the altar to celebrate Mass on the same day and at the same hour the father departed from his body. When he heard that he had been ill in Bologna, and as he came to the place in the Canon where it is customary to make mention of the living... ...and wished to pray for his health, he was suddenly caught up in an ecstasy and saw the man of God, Dominic, crowned with a golden crown and shining with wonderful splendor, accompanied by two venerable men, walking along the royal road outside Bologna. Noting the day and hour, he discovered that the servant of God, Dominic, had indeed departed from his body at that time. Since his body had lain underground for a long time and his holiness could no longer be hidden as miracles continued to multiply day by day, the devotion of the faithful judged it right to move his body to a higher place; when the tomb was opened—the cement having been broken with difficulty by iron tools and the stone removed—such a fragrance of the sweetest scent burst forth from it that it seemed not so much a grave as a storehouse of spices that had been opened. This scent surpassed all spices and didn't seem like the scent of anything natural. It was present not only in the bones, the dust of the sacred body, or the casket, but even in the earth piled all around, so that even when carried to distant regions, it kept that same scent for a long time. It clung so firmly to the hands of the brothers who touched any of the relics that, no matter how much they were washed or even scrubbed, they continued to bear witness to that fragrance for a long time. In the province of Hungary, a nobleman traveled with his wife and young son to visit the relics of blessed Dominic, which were kept in Silon. But his son fell ill there and reached the end of his life, dying. The father, placing the boy's body before the altar of blessed Dominic, began to lament: "Blessed Dominic, I came to you joyful, but look, I return sad; I came with my son, and I leave bereft. Give me back my son, I beg you; give me back the joy of my heart." And behold, around the middle of the night, the boy came back to life and walked through the church. A young man, a servant of a certain noble lady, while fishing in a river, fell into the water and disappeared, having drowned. After a long time had passed, his body was pulled from the depths of the river. The lady, invoking blessed Dominic for his resuscitation, promised that she would travel to his relics on bare feet and would set the revived servant free. Immediately, the one who had been dead came back to life in the midst of everyone watching, and the aforementioned lady fulfilled her vow as she had promised. In that same province of Hungary, when a man was mourning his dead son with great love and invoking blessed Dominic for his resurrection, around the time of the cock's crow, the one who had been dead opened his eyes and said to his father: "Why is it, father, that my face is so wet?" And he replied: "They are the tears of your father, my son, because you had died and I was left alone, stripped of all joy." He replied, "Father, you have wept much, but blessed Dominic, feeling compassion for your desolation, has obtained through his merits that I should be restored to you alive." A certain invalid, who had been blind for eighteen years, wanted to visit the relics of blessed Dominic. He got out of bed as if to walk, and suddenly felt such strength poured into him that he began to walk with a quick step. As he traveled each day, he continued to improve in both his physical recovery and the restoration of his sight, until at last, arriving at his destination, he was fully healed in both. In that same province of Hungary, a matron wanted to have a Mass celebrated in honor of blessed Dominic, but she couldn't find a priest at the right time. She wrapped three candles prepared for the occasion in a clean cloth and placed them in a vessel. After turning away for a moment and returning, she saw the candles burning with visible flames. Everyone who ran to see such a sight stood there trembling and praying for a long time, until the candles burned down completely without damaging the cloth. At Bologna, a student named Nicholas was so troubled by severe pain in his kidneys and knees that he couldn't get out of bed, and his left thigh had withered to the point that all hope of a cure had vanished. Commending himself to God and blessed Dominic, he measured his entire body with the thread from which the candle was to be made, and began to wrap his body, neck, and chest. When he had finally girded his knee with the encircling thread, having invoked the name of Jesus and blessed Dominic for every measurement, he felt relieved and immediately exclaimed, "I am set free!" Rising up and weeping for joy, he walked without any support to the church where the body of Saint Dominic rested. In that same city, God also worked many and almost countless miracles through his servant Dominic. In Sicily, near Augusta, a girl suffering from a stone was about to undergo surgery. Because of the imminent danger, her mother commended her daughter to God and blessed Dominic. The following night, blessed Dominic stood by the sleeping girl, placed the stone that had been tormenting her into her hand, and departed. The girl woke up, found herself freed, and gave the stone to her mother while explaining the vision in detail. The mother brought the stone to the friars' house and hung it before the image of blessed Dominic in memory of such a great miracle. In the city of Augusta, when some matrons who had attended the solemn Mass in the friars' church were returning home and saw a woman spinning before her door, they began to rebuke her charitably, asking why she did not stop her servile work on the feast of such a great father; but she, indignant, replied: "Who are you?" They replied, "We are devotees of the friars; keep the feast of your saint." Immediately, their eyes turned into a swollen, itching mass, and worms began to crawl out of them at once, so that a neighbor pulled eighteen worms out of one of their eyes, one by one. Compunctious, she went to the friars' church, confessed her sins, and made a vow that from then on she would never speak ill of God's saint, Dominic, and would keep his feast devoutly; she was immediately restored to her former health. A certain nun named Maria, in the monastery at Tripoli called the Magdalene, was suffering from severe illnesses and had been tormented for five months by a miserable pain in her leg, so much so that her death was feared every hour. Gathering herself together, she prayed like this: "My Lord, I am not worthy to pray to You or to be heard by You, but I ask my lord, blessed Dominic, to be a mediator between me and You, and to obtain for me the gift of health." After she had prayed for a long time with tears, she fell into an ecstasy and saw blessed Dominic entering with two friars through the open curtain that hung before her bed, and he said to her: "Why do you desire so much to be healed?" And she replied: "Lord, so that I may serve my God more devoutly." Then he brought out from under his habit an ointment of wonderful fragrance, anointed her leg, and she was healed at once. And he said, "This ointment is very precious, sweet, and difficult." When the woman asked why he said this, he replied, "This ointment is a sign of love, which is precious because it can't be bought for any price; it is the best of God's gifts, because there is nothing better than love; it is sweet, because there is nothing sweeter than charity; and it is difficult, because it's quickly lost unless it's carefully guarded." She also appeared to her sister, who was resting in the dormitory at night, saying, "I have healed your sister"; and she ran and found her healed. When she felt that she had been anointed with this tangible ointment, she removed it with cotton and great reverence. After she reported everything to the abbess, the confessor, and the sister, and presented the ointment on the cotton, they were struck by such a great and novel fragrance that no perfume could compare to it, and they kept the ointment itself with great reverence. As for how pleasing to God the place is where the sacred body of blessed Dominic rests, although it has been made famous by many miracles, it is enough to have mentioned one here. Master Alexander, Bishop of Vindonissa, relates in his postils on the verse, "Mercy and truth have met together," etc. that a certain student living in Bologna, who was given over to the vanities of the world, saw such a vision. It seemed to him that he was standing in a large field and that a huge storm was descending upon him. While fleeing from the face of the storm, he reached a certain house; when he found it closed and, knocking at the door, asked to be taken in, the hostess who was inside replied, "I am Justice, and I live here; this is my house, but because you are not just, you cannot live in it." At her words, he left, grieving deeply. Seeing another house further on, he went to it and knocked, asking to be let in; but the woman inside replied, "I am Truth, and I live here; this is my house, but I won't take you in, because truth doesn't set free the one who doesn't love it." Leaving there, he looked toward a third house beyond that one, and coming to it, he asked in the same way to be taken in against the onslaught of the storm; the mistress who was inside replied, "I am Peace, and I live here; but there is no peace for the wicked, only for people of good will." "But because I think thoughts of peace and not of affliction, I will give you useful advice: beyond me lives a sister who always provides help to the wretched; go to her and carry out her instructions." When he approached, the one inside replied, "I am Mercy, and I live here; if you wish to be saved from the coming storm, go to the house where the Friars Preachers live. There you will find the stable of penance, the manger of self-control, the fodder of doctrine, the donkey of simplicity with the ox of discernment, Mary illuminating, Joseph perfecting, and the child Jesus saving you." When the student woke up, he went to the friars' house, recounted the vision in order, asked for the habit of the order, and received it.
Read the original Latin
Dominicus dicitar quasi domini custos vela domino cnstoditus.
O Vel dicitur Dominieus, quantum ad etymologiam hujus nominis, quod est dominus. Dicitur autem custos domini tribus modis, scilicet custoshonoris domini quo ad Deum, custos vineae domini vel gregis domini qno ad proximum, custos voluntatis domini sive praeceptorum domini quo ad seipsum. Secnndodicittr Dominicus quasi a domino custoditus, dominus enim custodivit ipsum quantum ad triplicem statum suum, in quorum primo fait laicus, in secundo regularis canonicus, in tertio vir apostolicus. Nam in primo eum custodivit faciendo eum laudabiliter incipere, in secundo ferventer proficere, in tertio perfectionem apprehendere. Tertio potest dici Dominicus per etymoloriam hajus nominis dominus. Dominus namque dicitur quasi donans minasvel donans minus vel donans munus. Sic beatus Dominicus fuit donans, id est, condonans minas per injuriarum dimissionem, donans minus per corporis macerationem. quia corpori suo semper minus dabat, quam appetebat, donans munus per libertatis largitionem, quia non solam sua pauperibus tribnit, sed eliam se ipsuin pluries vendere voluit.
— Dominicus ordinis praedicatorum dux et pater inclitus ex Hispaniae partibus villa, quae diciturCallarega, Oxoviensis dyoecesis patre Felice matre vero Johanna nomine secundum carnem originem duxit. Cujus mater ante ipsius ortum vidit in somniis se catulum. gestantem in ntero, ardentem in ore faculam bajulantem, qui egressus ex utero tofam mundi machinam incendebat. Cuidam etiam matronae, quae ipsum ex sacro fonte levaverat, videbatur, quod puer Dominicus stellam perfnlgidam haberet in fronte, quae totum orbem illustrabat. Dum adhuc esset puerulus et sub nutricis custodia constitutus, deprehensus est saepe lectum dimittere et super nudam humum jacere. Missus tandem Palentiam ad studinm amore sapientiae vinum per decennium non gustavit. Ubi cum fames valida esset, libros cum omni supellectili vendidit et pretium corum pauperibus erogavit, Crescente jam ejus fama ab Uxoniensis, episcopo Oxoviensi in sua ecclesia canonicus regularis efficitur et postmodum factus omnibus vitae speculum a canonicis supprior ordinatur. Ipse autem die ac nocte lectioni et orationi vacabat, assidue Deum exorans, ut sibi hane gratiam infundere dignaretur, qua se totum aliquando saluti posset impendere proximorum.
In libro quoque de collationibus patrum studiosissime legens magnum perfectionis cumulum apprehendit. Pergens autem cum praedicto episcopo Tolosam deprehendit hospitem suum haeretica pravitate corruptum, quem ad fidem Ghristi convertit et quasi quendam primitiarum manipulum futurae messis domino praesentavit. Legitur in gestis comitis Montisfortis, quod, cum beatus Dominicus quadam vice vel die adversus haereticos praedicasset, auctoritates, quas in medium produxerat, redegit in scriptis et cuidam haeretico schedulam illam tradidit, ut super objectis deliberare deberet. Illa autem nocte ad ignem haereticis congregatis schedulam, quam receperat, produxit in medium. Cui socii dixerunt, ut in ignem illam projiceret et si comburi contingeret, eorum fides, imo perfidia vera esset, si vero comburi non posset, veram fidem Romanae ecclesiae praedicarent. Quapropter schedula in ignem projicitur. Quae cum aliquantulum moram in ignibus fecisset, incombusta ab igne protinus prosiliit. Stupentibus cunctis unus caeteris durior ait: projiciatur iterum et sic experentia plenius reperietur et plenius experiemur veritatem, Projicitur iterum et iterum prosiliitincombusta.
Iterum ille dixit: tertio projiciatur et nunc sine dubio rei exitum cognoscemus. Projicitur tertio et iterum incombusta prosiliit et illaesa. Haeretici autem in sua duritia permanentes districtissima inter se juratione firmaverunt, ne hoc aliquis publicaret. Quidam tamen miles, qui ibi aderat et nostrae fidei aliquantulum adhaerebat, istud miraculum postmodum publicavit. Factum est autem hoc apud montem Victorialem, Simile quoddam dicitur accidisse apud fanum Jovis ' indicta ibidem in diebus illis contra haereticos quadam disputatione sollemni. Caeteris igitur ad propria redeuntibus et episcopo Oxoviensi defuncto solus ibidem sanctus Dominicus cum paucis remansit contra haereticos constanter verbum domini annuntians. Irridebant autem eum adversarii veritatis, sputa, lutum et hujusmodi vilia projicientes in eum et a tergo pro derisu sibi paleas alligantes. Cum autem sibi interitum minarentur, imperterritus respondehat: non ego martirii dignus sum gloria, nondum merui istam morlem.
Quapropter locum transiens, in quo sibi paratae 30 ferebantur insidiae, non solum intrepidus. verum etiam cantans et alacer procedebat. Quod illi admirantes dixerunt illi: numquid non tu mortis hogbre concuteris? Quid acturus eras, si comprehendissemus te? At ille: rogassem vos, ne repentinis me subito perimeretis vulneribus, sed paulatim et successive membra singula mutilantes deinde ostensis coram oculis meis detruncatis membrorum particulis, ipsos etiam oculos eruentes ad ultimum semivivum laceratumque corpus sic permittentes in suo sanguine volutari, vel prorsus ad libitum me necaretis. Cum quendam reperisset propter nimiam, quam patiebatur, inopiam haereticorum consortiis adhaesisse, decrevit se ipsum venumdare, quod ex accepto pretio de se ipso et egestatis simul occasionem praecideret et sub errore venumdatum liberaret. Quod et fecisset, nisi inopiae ejus divina misericordia aliter providisset. Alias etiam, cnm quaedam mulier fratrem suum in Saracenorum captivitate detentum lamentabili sibi onquestione exponeret nullumque sibi ad ejus liberationem fatere tur consilium superesse, ille intima compassione commotus se ipsum pro redemtione captivi vendendum obtulit, sed Deus, qui ipsum necessariorem ad redemtionem spiritualem multorum captivorum praeviderat, non permisit, Hospitatus in partibus Tolosae apud quasdam matronas ab haereticis per ostentationem religionis deceptas per totam quadragesimam, ut sic clavum clavo retunderet, in pane solum et aqua frigida cum adjuncto sihi socio jejunavit, nocte vero evigilans, cum necessitas cogebat, lassa membra super nudam tabulam reclinabat, sicque faetum est, ut illas matronas ad agnitionem veritatis perduceret.
Post hoc autem eoepit de institutione ordinis cogitare, cujus officium esset, per mundum praedicando discurrere et contra haereticos fidem catholicam communire. Cum igitur in partibus Tolosanis mansisset per X annos, a transitu Oxoviensis episcopi usque ad tempus, quo Lateranense concilium debuit celebrari, eum Fulcone Tolosano episcopo Romam ad eonsilium generale adiit ac a summo pontifice Innocentio ordinem, qui praedicatorum diceretur et esset, confirmari sibi suisque successoribus postulavit. Qui cum aliquantulum se difficilem exhiberet, nocte quadam idem pontifex videbat in somnis, quod Lateranensis ecclesia gravem subito ruinam ininaretur. Quod dum tremens adspiceret, ex adverso vir Dei Dominicus occurrebat humerisque suis suppositis totam illam casuram fabricam sustentabat. Evigilans antem et visionem intelligens petitionem viri Dei hilariter acceptavit hortans, ut ad fratres. suos rediens regulam aliquam approbatam sibi eligeret et sic ad ipsum rediens confirmationem ad libitum impetraret. Regressus igitur verbum summi pontificis fratribus patefecit. Erant antem fratres numero circiter XVI, qui invocato spiritu sancto regulam beati Augustini doctoris et praedicatoris eximii ipsi pariter et re et nomine praedicatores futuri unanimiter elegerunt, quasdam quidem artioris vitae consuetudines, quas sibi per formam constitutionum observandas statuerunt, insuper assumentes.
Verum interea Innocentio defuncto et Honorio in summum pontificem sublimato confirmationem ordinis anno domini MCCXVI a praedieto Honorio impetravit. Dum igitur Romae in ecclesia sancti Petri pro delatione sui ordinis exoraret, gloriosos principes apostolorum Petrum et Paulum ad se venientes adspexit, quorum primus Petrus videlicet baculum, Paulus vero sibi librum tradere videbantur addebantque dicentes: vade, praedica, quia a Deo ad hoc ministerium es electus. Moxque in momento temporis videbatur ei, quod filios suos per totum mundum dispersos adspiceret incedentes binos et binos, quapropter Tolosam rediens fratres suos dispersit el quosdam quidem in Hispaniam, quosdam vero Parisios, alios tandem Bononiam destinavit, ipse vero Romam reversus est. Monachus quidam ante ordinis praedicatorum institutionem in exstasi factus vidit beatam virginem flexis genibus et junctis manibus pro humano genere filium deprecantem, qui dans saepe piae matri repulsam tandem instante ea sic ait: mater mea, quid possum ve debeo amplius iis facere? Misi patriarchas et prophetas et parum se emendaverunt. Veni ego ad eos, deinde misi apostolos et me et illos occiderunt. Misi martires et confessores et doctores nec illis aequieverunt, Sed quia non est fas, ut tibi aliquid denegem, dabo iis meos praedicatores, per quos valeant illuminari et mundari, )si non antem, veniam contra illos, Similem visionem alius vidit eodem tempore, quo XII abbates Cisterciensis ordinis Tolosam contra haereticos sunt transmissi. Nam cum filius matri oranti respondisset, ut supra, dixit mater: bone fili, non secundum eorum malitiam, sed seeundum tuam misericordiam agere debes.
Tunc filius victus precibus ait: ad votum tuum adhuc hano cum iis misericordiam faciam, quod praedicatores meos iis mittam, qui eos moneant et informent, et si se non eorrexerint, amplius iis non parcam. Quidam frater minor, qui multo tempore socius saneti Francisci exstiterat, pluribus fratribus de ordine praedicatorum narravit: cum beatus Dominicus Romae pro confirmatione sul ordinis apud papam instaret, nocte orans vidit in spiritu Christum in aére exsistentem et tres lanceas in manu tenentem et contra mundum eas vibrantem. Qui velociter mater occurrens, quidnam vellet facere, inquisivit, Et ille: ecce totus mundus tribus vitiis plenus est, scilicet superbia, concupiscentia, avaritia, et ideo his iribus lanceis ipsum volo perimere. Tunc virgo ad ejus genua procidens ait; fili carissime, miserere et tuam justitiam misericordia tempera. Cui Christus: nonne vides, quantae mihi injuriae irrogantur? Cui illa: tempera, fili, furorem et paulisper exspecta, habeo enim fidelem servum et pugilem strenuum, qui ubique. discurrens mundum expugnabit et tuo dominio subjugabit, Alium quoque servum sibi in adjutorium dabo, qui secum fideliter decertabit. Cui filius: ecce placatus faciem tuam suscepi, sed vellem ego videre, quos vis ad tantum judicium destinare.
Tunc- illa Christo sanctum Dominicum praesentavit. Cui Christus: vere bonus et strenuus pugil iste et studiose faciet, quae dixisti. . Obtulit etiam sanctum Franciscum et hunc Christus sicut et primum pariter commendavit. Sanctus autem Dominicus socium suum in visione diligenter considerans, quem ante non noverat, in crastino in ecclesia inventum ex his, quae nocte viderat, sine indice recognovit et in ejus amplexus et oscula. pia ruens ait: tu es socius meus, tu pariter curres mecum, stemus simul et nullus adversarius praevalebit, Visionem quoque praedictam sibi per ordinem enarravit et extuno factum est iis cor unum et anima una in. domino. Quod et in posteris mandaverunt perpetuo observari.
Cum quendam novitium Apulum ad ordinem recepisset, quidam, qui praedicti novitii socii fuerant, eum adeo perverterunt, quod ad saeculum jam redire deliberans vestes suas modis omnibus expetebat. Quod beatus Dominicus audiens continuo orationi se dedit, Igitur cum dictum juvenem jam religiosis vestibus exspoliassent et jam sua camisia induissent, ille magnis vocibus clamare coepit ac dicere: en aestuo, en ardeo, en totus exuror; extrahite, extrahite hanc camisiam maledictam, quae me totam exurit. Nullo ergo modo quiescere potuit, quousque exutus camisiam religiosis vestibus denuo est indutus et ad claustrum reductus. Existente beato Dominico Bononiae cum fralres jam ad dormiendum ivissent, quidam frater conversus a dyabolo vexari coepit. Quod cum frater Reynerius Lausanensis magister ejus audivisset, beato Dominico haec studuit Indicare, sanctus autem Dominicus ad ecclesiam ante altare eum portari fecit, Qui cum vix a fratribus X fuisset deportatus, dixit beatus Dominicus: adjuro te, miser, ut dicas mihi, quare vexas creaturam Dei et quare et quomodo huc intrasti. Qui respondit: vexo eum, quia meruit, bibit enim heri in civitate sine licentia prioris non adhibito signo crucis. Unde tunc intravi in eum in specie bibionis, quin potius ipse bibit me simul cum vino. Hoc autem tunc eum bibisse verum compertum est.
Inter haec factum est primum signum ad matutinas, quo audito dyabolus, qui in co loquebatur, dixit: amodo hic plus stare non possum, ex quo capuciali surgunt, Et sic ad orationem beati Dominici exire compulsus est. Cum in partibus Tolosanis quoddam flumen transiisset, libri ejus nullum habentes conservatorium in fluvium ceciderunt, die autem tertia quidam piscator ibi hamum projiciens, cum magnum piscem se prehendisse putaret, libros ipsos extraxit penitus sic illaesos, ac si in aliquo armario fuissent eum omni diligentia custoditi. Cum ad quoddam monasterium venisset et fratres quiescerent, eos nolens inquietare, oratione fusa clausis januis monasterium cum socio iniroivit, Idem etiam compertum est, cum in conflictu haereticorum cum quodam converso Cisterciensi fuisset, nam cum sero ad quandam ecclesiam devenissent et clausam invenissent, oratione fusa a beato Dominico intra ecclesiam se subito invenerunt et noctem illam totam in oratione duxerunt. Postlaborem itinerisantequam ad hospitium devenisset, sitim ad fontem aliquem exstinguere consuevit, ne in domo hospitis plus bibendo aliquam notam incurreret. Scholaris quidam lubricus carnis patiens venit in quodam festo ad domum fratrum de Bononia, ut ibi missam audiret. Contigit autem tunc missam beatum Dominicum celebrare, Cum autem ad oblationem ventum fuisset, dictus scholaris accessit et manum ejus cum multa devotione osculatus est. Quam cum osculatus fuisset, tantam ex illa prodire sensit odoris fragrantiam, quantam in vita sua nunquam aliquando. expertus est, et extunc aestus libidinis in co mirabiliter refriguit, adeo ut, qui antea erat vanus et lubricus, efficeretar postmodum continens et castus.
O quanta munditiae puritate ejus caro pollebat, cujus odor tam mirabiliter sordes mentis purgabat. Sacerdos quidam videns aliquando beatum Dominicum cum suis fratribus praedicationi tam ferventer insistere, deliberavit iis adhaerere, dummodo novum testamentum sibi ad praedicandum necessarium habere posset. Haec co cogitante quidam juvenis venale testamentum sub veste bajulans adfuit, quod statim sacerdos cum magno gaudio emit, sed dum adhuc aliquantulum dubitaret, fusa ad Deum prece impressaque super librum exterius cruce librum aperuit et oculos ad capitulum, quod primo se obtulit, mox conjecit et illud, quod in actibus Petro dictum est, eidem occurrit: surge, descende et vade cum iis nihil dubitans, quia ego misi ilos. Statimque surgens iisdem adhaesit. Cum apud Tolosam in theologia regeret magister quidam scientia et fama praeclarus, quodam mane ante diem, cum snas praevideret lectiones, oppressus somno caput suum in cathedra paululum reclinavit visumque est sibi, quod VII stellae ei praesentarentur. Qui cum de novitate talis exennii plurimum miraretur, subito in lumine et quantitate praedictae stellae in tantum creverunt, quod totum mundum illuminaverunt. Qui evigilans, quidnam sibi vellet, plurimum mirabatur, et ecce, dum scholas intrasset et legeret, beatus Dominieus et cum eosex fratres ejusdem habitus ad praedictum magistrum humiliter accesserunt et suum sibi propositum intimantes dixerunt, quod scholas suas cuperent frequentare. Qui recolens visionem ipsos esse septem stellas, quas viderat, non dubitavit.
Romae viro Dei Dominico posito vir quidam magister Reginaldus sancti Aniani Aurelianensis decanus, qui etiam Parisiis in jure Conicorexerat annis quinque, Romam cum Aurelianensi episcopá Are transiturus advenerat. Dudum autem in proposito Ko omnibus praedicationi insistere, sed quonam modo id tomplere posset, necdum adverterat. Cum autem a quodam cardinali, cui hujusmodi votum expresserat, de institutione praedicatorum didicisset et beato Dominico accersito eidem suum propositum revelasset, tunc ipsius ordinis deliberavit ingressum, nec mora, gravi febrium infirmitate corripitur et de ejus salute penitus desperatur. Arriani, Libii rec, legerat offerunt, vis, et dabo tibi. Deliberanti, quid peteret, una ex praedictis puellis suggessit, ne quid peteret, sed se totum reginae misericordiae committeret. Quod dum fecisset, illa manum extendens virgineam aures ejus et nares, manus ejus et pedes salutari, quami tulerat, unctione perunxit, formulas verborum proprias ad singulas unetiones subinferens ad renes ait: stringantur renes tui cingulo castitatis. Ad pedes ait: unge pedes in praeparationem evangelii pacis. Addiditque: die tertia mittam tibi ampullam restitutionis plenariae sanitatis, Tunc ei habitum ordinis ostendens: en, inquit, iste est habitus ordinis tui.
Hanc autem visionem similiter beatus Dominicus in oratione positus vidit. Mane autem facto ad eum veniens sanctus Dominicus et sanum reperit et ab eodem totius visionis seriem audivit et habitum, quem virgo monstraverat, assumsit, nam antea fratres superpelliciis utebantur. Die autem iertia Dei mater adfuit et corpus Reginaldi adeo perunxit, quod non solum aestum febrium, sed etiam ardorem concupiscentiae sic exstinxit, ut, sicut ipse postmodum est confessus, nec primus in eo motus libidinisde caetero pullulavit. Hanc visionem iterato exhibitam quidam religiosus de ordine hospitalariorum praesente beato Dominico propriis oculis vidit et stupuit. Hanc visionem multis fratribus post illius obitum beatus Dominicus publicavit. Missus igitur Reginaldus Bononiam praedicationi ardenter instabat et fratrum numerus excrescebat. Post hoc antem missus Parisios non post multos dies in domino obdormivit. Juvenis quidam nepos domini Stephani cardinalis de Fossa Nova cum equo in foveam praecipitio lapsus inde mortuus est eductus, qui beato Dominico oblatus oratione fasa vitae pristinae est restitutus.
In ecclesia sancti Sixti architectum quendam conductum a fratribus sub cripta quaedam ruina desuper resoluta contrivit, denique sub cumulo cadentis materiae jacentem exstinxit, sed vir Dei Dominicus corpus de caverna subductum ad se deferri jussit orationumque suarum suffragio statim vitae simul et sanitati restituit. In eadem. ecclesiadum fratres circiter XL manerent et quadam vice panis valde modicum invenissent, beatus Dominicus id- modicum, quod habebatur, panis in partes dividi super mensam mandavit, dumque unusquisque buccellam panis cum gaudio frangeret, ecce duo juvenes habitus et formae consimilis refectorium intraverunt, palliorum sinus, qui a collo pendebant, plenos panibus deferentes. Quibus in capite mensae . servi Del Dominici silenter oblatis ita subito discesserunt, ut nullus de caetero, vel unde venerint vel quo abierint, scire posset. Tunc sanctus Dominicus manu ad fratres circumquaque protensa : modo, inquit, fratres mei, comedite, Cumque beatus Dominicus aliquando in itinere positus esset et gravis pluviarum inundatio faeta esset, ille signum crucis edidit et a se et a socio omnem pluviam ita propulsavit, ut quasi facto papilione de cruce, eum tota terra densa imbrium inundatione madesceret, nec una gutta ad spatium trium cubitorum eos contingeret. Quadam vice dum in partibus Tolosanis transiisset navigio quandam aquam, mauta ab eo denarium pro mercede transitus exigebat, cui vir Dei pro servitio sibi impenso cum coelorum regnum promitteret, addens, quod discipulus Christi esset nec aurum vel pecuniam deportaret, ille eum per cappam trahens: mihi, inquit, aut cappam aut denarium dimittes. Tunc vir Dei erectis ad coelum oculis paullulumque intra se orans, mox in terram respiciens et divino nec dubio procuratum nutu denarium jacentem videns: ecce, inquit, frater, quod postulas, tolle et me liberum in pace dimitte.
Contigit aliquando viro Dei iter agente associari sibi religiosum quendam conversationis quidem sanctitate domesticum, sed loquela et lingua penitus alienum, dolens itaque, quod divinis eloquiis una cum illo mutua se collatione refovere non posset, !) tandem a domino, ut unus lingua loqueretur alterius verbisque sic alterutrum variatis sese per triduum, quo videlicet ituri erant, intelligerent, impetravit. Quadam vice quum quidam multis obsessus daemoniis sibi fuisset oblatus, ille stolam accipiens prius super proprium collum posuit, deinde daemoniaci collum cinxit mandans illis; ut de caetero illum hominem non vexarent. Ipsi vero in ejusdem obsessi corpore 7statim vexari coeperunt et clamare: permitte nos exire, quare nos cruciari hic compellis? At ille: non dünittam vos, inquit, nisi mihi fidejussorem dederitis, quod ultra neqnaquam redeatis. Quos, inquiunt, fidejussores poterimus tibi dare? Et ille: sanctos martires, quorum corpora in ecclesia hac requiescunt. Et illi: non possumus, quia nostra merita contradicunt.
Oportet vos, inquit, dare, alioquin a cruciatu hoc nequaquam liberos vos dimittam. Tuno responderunt ad hoc, operam se daturos, et post modicum dixerunt: ecce impetravimus licet immeriti, quod sancti martires fidejusserunt pro nobis. Requirente autem eo hujus rei signum dixerunt: eatis ad capsam, in qua sunt recondita capita martirum, et eam invenietis inversam. Quaesitum est et inventum, sicut illi fuerunt protestati. Praedicante eo aliquando quaedam matronae ab haereticis depravatae ejus pedibus provolutae dixerunt: serve Dei, adjuva nos. Si vera sunt, quae hodie praedicasti, diu mentes nostras errorum Spiritus excaecavit. Quibus ille: constantes estote et exspectate paulisper, ut videatis, quali domino adhaesistis. Statimque viderunt de medio sui )catum unum teterrimum prosilire, qui magni canis quantitatem praeferens habebat grossos ocnlos et flammantes, linguam longam latamque atquesanguinolentam et protractam usqne ad umbilicum, candam vero habens curtam surbumque protensam posterio rum turpitudinem, quocunque se verteret, ostendebat, de quibus foetor intolerabilis exhalabat.
Cumque circa illas matronas se aliquamdiu huc illuc vertisset, tandem per cordam campanae in campanile conscendens disparuit, foeda post se vestigia relinquens. Illae ergo matronae gratias agentes ad catholicam fidem sunt conversae. Cum in partibus Tolosanis quosdam haereticos convicisset et illi essent incendio depntati, inspiciens inter eos quendam Raymundum nomine, ait ministris: istum servate, ne aliquo modo cum caeteris comburatur, Conversusque ad eum blandeque alloquens: scio, inquit, fili mi, scio, quod adhuc, licet tarde, bonus homo eris et sanctus. Dimissus itaque per annos XX in haeretica pravitate permansit, tandem conversus et frater praedicatorum effectus in eodem ordine vitam suam laudabiliter duxit et feliciter consummavit. Cum esset in Hispania, quibusdam sibi fratribus sociatis, apparuit ei per visum immanissimus draco quidam, qui fratres illos, qui secum erant, absorbere apertis faucibus nitebatur. Quod vir Dei intelligens fratrespatres fortiter resistere hortabatur. Postnodum omnes illi exceptis fratre Adam et duobus conversis ab co recesserunt, interrogatus autem. quidam.
ex illis ab eo, an similiter vellet abire, ait: absit, pater, ut relicto capite sequar pedes, et continuo orationi se dedil. Et fere omnes post modicum sua oratione convertit, Apud sanctum Sixtum in urbe Romana cum fratribus existens subito facto super eum spiritu domini ad capitulum fratribus convocatis palam omnibus nuntiavit, quatuor fratres ex ipsis in brevi, duos videlicet in corpore, duos vero in anima worituros, Post modicum duo fratres ad dominum migraverunt, duo vero de ordine recesserunt. Existente eo Bononiae crat ibi quidam magister Conradus Tenutonicus, cujus ingressum ad ordinem fratres mirabiliter affectabant. Cum autem beatus Dominicus cam priore monasterii ) Casa Mariae de Ordine Cisterciensi in vigilia assumtionis beatae Mariae sermocinaretur, familiari quadam confidentia exigente inter alia dixit ei: fateor tibi, prior, quod tamen adhuc nulli unquam exposui, nec tu alteri, quamdiu vixero, revelabis, quod nunquam adeo in hac vita aliquid petii, quod non assequerer juxta votum. Cui quum praedictus prior diceret, quod forsitan ante eum vitam finiret, beatus Dominicus spiritu prophetico dixit, quod ipse prior diu post se viveret. Sicque factum est, ut praedixit, Tunc ille prior adjecit: pete ergo, pater, ut det tibi magistrum Conradum ad ordinem, cujus fratres introitum tantum flagitare videntur. At ipse: rem, inquit, bone frater, difficilem postulasti. Finito completorio caeteris ad quiescendum pergentibus ipse in ecclesia remansit et in oratione more solito pernoctavit.
Convenientibus igitur fratribus ad primam cum cantor incepisset, jam lucis orto sidere ecce lucis novaesidus novum futuras magister Conradus subito veniens ad pedes beati Dominici se prosternens habitum ordinis instanter petiit et perseveranter accepit. Hic fuit in ordine valde religiosus et lector in ordine plurimum gratiosus. Qui tandem moriens cum jam oculos clausisset et fratres eum migrasse crederent, ille apertis oculis fratres cireumspiciens ait: dominus vobiscum. Quibus respondentibus: et cum spiritu tuo, adjunxit: fidelium animae per memoriam Dei requiescunt in pace, et sic protinus ille in pace quievit. Inerat autem servo Dei Dominico firma valde mentis aequalitas, nisi cum ad compassionem et misericordiam turbaretur, et quia cor gaudens exhilarat faciem, placidam interioris hominis compositionem manifesta de foris benignitate prodebat. Tempore diurno cum fratribus suis sociisve salvo quidem honestatis tenore nemo communior, nocturnis horis vigiliis et orationibus nemo instantior, diem impartiebatur proximis, noctem Deo. De oculis suis quasi quendam fontem effecerat lacrimarum, "— "hh "5 WU "e Ww US c c Ur
ÓÓ c Frequenter, quando corpus domini levabatur in missa, in tantum mentis rapiebatur excessum, ac si ibidem Christum incarnatum praesentem videret. Propter quod missam multo tempore cum caeteris non audivit. Erat autem sibi in ecclesia pernoctandi consuetudo ereberrima , ut vix aut vel raro certum ad quiescendum locum videretur habere, et cum lassitudine succedente somnii interpellaret necessitas, sive ante altare aut super lapidem capite reclinato paululum quiescebat. Tres singulis noctibus accipiebat manu propria de quadam catena ferrea" disciplinas, unam videlicet pro se, alteram pro peccatoribus, qui versantur in mundo, tertiam vero pro his, qui in purgatorio crueiantur. Electus aliquando in Cotoronensem, aliis Citaviensem episcopum, omnino renuit contestans se prius terram deserere, quam electioni alicui de se factae aliquatenus consentire, Interrogatus aliquando, cur non libentius Tolosae in Tolosanaque dyoecesi, in ejus )videlicet dyoecesi, quam in Carcassonensi dyoecesi moraretur, respondit: quia in Tolosana dyoecesi multos, qui me honorant, invenio, apud Carcassonam vero omnes me e contrario impugnant. Interrogatus a quodam, in quo libro plus studuisset, respondit: in libro caritatis. Quadam vice dum vir Dei Dominicus apud Bononiam constitutus in ecclesia pernoctaret, dyabolus in specie fratris eidem apparuit, quem sanctus Dominicus fratrem existimans ei innuebat, ut cum caeteris ad quiescendum pergeret. llle vero quasi deridendo eundem sibi nutibus respondebat.
Tunc sanctus Dominicus, quisnam esset, qui suum mandatum contemneret, scire volens, candelam ad lampadem accendit et in faciem ejus respiciens, quod dyabolus esset, confestim cognovit. Quare cum eum vehementius inerepasset, mox eidem dyabolus de fractione silentii insultare coepit, sanctus autem Dominicus, utpote fratrum magistro sibi loqui licere asserens, cogit ipsum, ut sibi diceret, de quo fratres iri choro tentaret, Qui respondit: facio eos tarde venire et cito exire. Deinde duxit eum ad dormitorium, de quo ibidem fratres tentaret, inquirens. Qui ait: facio eos nimis dormire, tarde surgere, sicque a divino officio remanere et interdum immundas cogitationes habere. Deinde ad refectorium ipsum duxit et, de" quo fratres ibidem tentaret, quaesivit. Tunc daemon per mensas saliens: plus etminus, plus et minus saepius repetendo dicebat. Quod cum sanctus Dominicus, quid sibi hoc vellet, interrogaret, ait: quosdam fratres tento, ut plus comedant et sic ex nimia cibi sumtione delinquant, quosdam, ut minus sumant et sic in Dei servitio et sni ordinis observatione debiliores fiant. Inde duxit eum ad looutorium, de quo ibidem fratres tentaret, inquirens.
Tunc ille crebro linguam revolvens mirabilis confusionis sonum promebat. Quem cum sanctus Dominicus, quid sibi hoc vellet, inquireret, ait: hic locus tofus meus est, cum enim fratres ad loquendum couveniunt, eos tentare studeo, ut confuse loquantur, sese inutilibus verbis commisceánthet )unus alium non exspectet. Postremo duxit eum ad capitulum. sed cum ante ostium capituli fuissef, daemon nullatenus. intrare: voluit; sed ait: huc nanquam ingrediar, quia locus maledictionis et-infermus mihi est, et totum ibi amitto, quod in aliis-locis-luoror::dNam-oeum aliquem fratrem per aliquam negligentiam delinquere-feceros mox in loco hoc maledictionis de ipsa negligentia :se-pürgat et:coram omnibus se proclamat. Nam hic monentur, hie. conütentur; hic aceusantur, hic verberantur, hic absolvuntur, et: sic totum amisisse me doleo, quod alibi me lueratum gaudebam. -Et his -dietis-evanuit.
Tandem appropinquante peregrinationis . termino. constitutus apud Bononiam gravi coepit corporis. infirmitate languere; :Sui-antem corporis dissolutio sibi in visione monstrata est. - Vidit . enim-jugenem pulcherrimum his verbis se vocantem . et dicentem: veni, dileote mi, veni ad gaudia, veni. Convocatis igitar.
fratribus Bononiensis conventus XH, ne eos exhaeredes et orphanos: derelinqueret, testamentum condidit dicens: haec sunt, quae vobis tanquam filii haereditariis jure possidenda relinquo, caritatem habete; humilitàtem servate, paupertatem voluntariam possidete. . Illud. vero; qua -potuit, districtione prohibuit, ne quis unquam in suo-ordine possessios nes induceret temporales, maledictionem -Dei omnipotentis--et- suam terribiliter imprecans ei, qui praedicatorum ordinem terrenarum:divitiarum pulvere. praesumeret. maculare. . Fratribus -vero.
de-:ejus destitutione inconsolabiliter dolentibus dulciter -e0os-consolan ait: ne vos mea, filii, corporalis turbet discessio, nullatenus dubitantes ntiliorem me vos mortuum habituros quam vivum. Proinde ád extremam horam veniens anno domini MGCXXI dormivit-in domino, — Cujus quidem transitus eadem die eademque hora fratri: Guali-priori-tunc fratrum praedicatorum de Brixia postmodum ejnsdem civitatis episcopo hoc modo monstratus est. Nam cum in campanili fratram capite ad murum inclinato levi somno dormitasset, vidit coelum apertum et duas calas candidas ad terram submitti, quarum summitates Christus cum matre tenebat et angeli per eas jubilantes ascendebant et descendebant, In medio autem scalaram in imo sedes posita erat et super sedem velato capite frater sedens, Jesus autem et mater ejus sursum scalas trahebant, donec sedente in coelum elevato apertura coeli clausa est. Veniens igitur praedictus frater Bononiam continuo eadem die et hora patrem migrasse cognovit. Frater quidam nomineRao positus apud Tybur eadem die ac hora, qua pater migravit a corpore, missam celebraturus accesserat ad altare. Cum audiisset eum Bononiae aegrotasse et ad locum canonis veniens, in quo de vivis mentio fieri consuevit, . vellet pro ejus salute orare, subito factus est in excessu mentis viditque virum Dei Dominicum corona quadam aurea laureatum totamque mirabili splendore fulgentem, duobus quidem reverendis viris comitatum, hinc inde extra Bononiam in via regia procedentem. Diem igitur notans et horam invenit tunc servum Dei Dominicum à corpore migrasse.
Cum igitur corpus ejus multo tempore sub terra jacuisset et crebrescentibus in dies indesinenter miraculis non posset ulterius ejus sanctitas occultari, fidelium dignum duxit devotio corpus ejus ad altiorem locum transferre, cumque monumentum fuisset, fracto vix ferreis instrumentis caemento sublatoque lapide, patefactum, tanta ex ipso suavissimi odoris prorupit fragrantia, ut non tam sepulchrum quam cella videretur aromatum patuisse. Qui quidem odor cuncta superabat aromata nec alicujus rei naturalis odor similis videbatur nec solum ossibus aut pulveri sacri corporis inerat vel capsae, verum etiam terrae circumquaque congestae, ita ut ad longinquas regiones etiam postmodum delata odorem ipsum longo tempore retineret. Fratrum vero manibus aliquid dereliquiis tangentibus sic inhaesit, ut quantumcunque lotae vel etiam confricatae fragrantiae diu testimonium praesentarent. In provincia Ungariae vir quidam nobilis cum uxore sua et filio parvulo ad reliquias beati Dominici, quae in Silon habebantur, visitandas accessit, at filius ejus infirmitatus ibidem ad extremum vitae moriendo pervenit, pater autem corpus filii coram altari beati Dominici collocans lamentari coepit et dicere: beate Dominice, laetus veni ad te, en tristis redeo, cum filio veni et orbatus recedo; redde mihi, quaeso, filium meum, redde mihi laetitiam cordis mei. Et ecce cirea mortis medium puer revixit et per ecclesiam ambulavit. Juvenis quidam cujusdam nobilis dominae mancipium, dum in quodam flumine piscandi gratia insisteret, in aqua lapsus et suffocatus disparuit, magno autem spatio temporis interjecto ejus corpns de profundo fluminis est eductum, domina autem ipsius pro ejus resuscitatione beatum Dominicum invocans promisit se ad suas reliquias nudis pedibus accessuram et resuscitatum mancipium libertati daturam, statimque, qui fuerat mortuus, in medium videntibus omnibus vitae redditus prosiliit votumque suum praedicta domina, sicut promiserat, adimplevit. In eadem provincia Ungariae cum quidam vir filium suum defunctum amare lugeret et beatam Dominicum pro ejus resurrectione invocaret, circa pullorum cantum, qui mortuus fuerat, oculos aperuit et patri dixit: quid est, pater, quod sic habeo faciem madefactam? Et ille: lacrimae patris tui sunt, fili, quia tu mortuus fueras et ego solus remanseram omni gaudio destitutus.
Cui ille: multum flevisti, pater, sed beatus Dominieus desolationi tuae compatiens, ut tibi vivus redderer, suis meritis impetravit. Languidus quidam et per XVIII annos caecus reliquias beati Dominici visitare desiderans, tanquam tentans ire de lecto surrexit tantamque subito sibi sensit infundi virtutem, quod passu concito gradi coepit, tantoque magis in convalescentia corporis et illuminatione oculorum proficiens, quanto quotidie in itinere procedebat, donec jandem ad locum destinatum perveniens perfectum recepit ntriusque beneficium sanitatis. Jn eadem provincia Ungariae matrona quaedam ad honorem beati Dominici missam disponens facere celebrari sacerdotem hora debita nom invenit, quapropter candelas tres ad hoc paratas manutergio mundo involvit et in quodam vase reposuit, aliquantulum autem devertens et postea rediens candelas flammis patentibus ardere vidit. Currentes omnes ad tam grande spectaculum tamdiu ibidem trementes et orantes steterunt, donec sine laesione manntergii penitus exarserunt, Apud Bononiam scholaris quidam nomine Nicolaus gravi renum ac genuum dolore adeo est vexatus, quod de lecto surgere non valebat, cujus et femur laevum emarcuit in tantum, quod omnis ab co spes curationis abscessit. Deo igitur et beato Dominico se devovens cum se filo, de quo fienda erat candela, totum mensus esset in longum, coepit etiam corpus, collum et pectus cingere. Cum tandem genu filo ambiente cinxisset, invocato ad quamlibet mensurationem nomine Jesu et beati Dominici continuo se alleviatum sentiens exclamavit: ego sum liberatus, Exsurgens et prae gaudio lacrymans sine aliquo fulcimento venit ad ecclesiam, in qua corpus sancti Dominici quiescebat. In eadem quoque civitate multa et fere innumerabilia miracula Deus per suum servum Dominicum operatus est. In Sicilia apud Angustam cum puella quaedam, quae vitio lapidis laborabat, incidi deberet, mater ejus pro instanti periculo filiam suam Deo et beato Dominico commendavit, Sequenti isitur nocte dormienti puellae heatus Dominicus adstitit et in manu ejus lapidem, quo torquebatur, posuit et abscessit, quem puella evigilans et se liberatam inveniens uiatri dedit et visionem per ordinem explicavit, mater vero lapidem ad domum fratrum attulit et ipsum in memoriam tanti miraculi coram imagine beati Dominici suspendit.
In Augusta civitate cum in festo translationis beati Dominici matronae quaedam, quae in ecelesia fratrum missarum sollemuiis interfuere, domum redirent et quandam mulierem prae foribus domus suae filantem viderent, ipsam caritative redarguere coeperunt, cur in festo tanti patris a servili opere non cessaret, illa vero indignata respondit: vos, quae estis !) bizotae fratrum, festum colite vestri sancti, Statimque oculis in tumorem cum pruritu conversis ex ipsis coeperunt vermes protinus scaturire, ita quod vicina quaedam XVIII vermes eduxit ex ejus oculis numeratim. —Compuncta igitur ad ecclesiam fratrum venit ibique peccata sua confitens et votum emittens, quod de caetero sancto Dei Dominico nunquam detraheret et ejus festum devote ageret, protinus restituta est pristinae sanitati. Sanctimonialis quaedam nomine Maria apud Tripolin in monasterio, quod dicitur Magdalena, validissimis infirmitatibus elaborans, at in tibia graviter percussa V mensibus cruciatu miserabili urgebatur, ita ut singulis horis exitus timeretur. Quae intra se recolligens semetipsam sic oravit: mi domine, non sum ego digna orare te nec a te exaudiri, sed rogo dominum meum beatum Dominicum, ut sit mediator inter me et teet mihi impetret beneficium sanitatis. Cum ergo diu tim lacrymis exoraret, in exstasi facta vidit beatum Dominicum duobus eum fratribus aperta cortina, quae ante lectum ejus pendebat, intrantem sibique dicen tem: quare tantum sanari desideras? Et illa: domine, ut Deo meo devotius servire possim. Tuno ille desub cappa unctionem mirae fragrantiae proferens tibiam ejus unxit et statim sanala fuit.
Et ait: haec unctio est valde pretiosa, dulcis et difficilis. Cujus verbi cum mulier requireret rationem, dixit: haec unctio dilectionis est signum, quae videlicet pretiosa est, quia nullo pretio emi potest et quia in donis Dei nullum est melius dilectione, dulcis, quia nihil dulcins caritate, difficilis, quia cito perditur, nisi caute custoditur. Ipsa etiam noctesorori suae in dormitorio quiescenti apparuit dicens: ego sanavi sororem tuam; quae currens ipsam sanatam invenit. Quae cum se etiam sensibili unctione inunctam sentiret, ipsam cum bombice et reverentia multa exlersit. 7 Quae cum abbatissae et confessori et sorori omnia retulisset, et unctionem in bombice praesentasset, tanta et tam nova odoris fragrantia sunt percussi, ut nulla iis possent aromata comparari, ipsam autem unctionem cum multa reverentia servaverunt, Quam -gratus autem Deo exstat locus, in quo sacrosanctum corpus beati Dominici requiescit, licet ex miraculis multis claruerit, unum tamen hic posuisse sufficiat. Refert magister Alexander episcopus Vindonicensis in postillis suis super illud verbum :misericordia et veritas obviaverunt sibi etc. , quod quidam scholaris degens Bononiae vanitatibus saeculi deditus visionem talem conspexit. Videbatur siquidem sibi, quod in quodam campo magno consisteret et ibidem tempestas ingens super ipsum descenderet.
Qui dum fugeret a facie tempestatis, ad quandam domum pervenit, quam cum clausam invenisset et pulsans ad ostium se ibidem recipi postulasset, quae deintus erat hospita, respondit: ego sum justitia, quae hic habito, et haec domus mea est, quia autem tu justus non es, in ea habitare non vales. Ad cujus verba ille plurimum moerens abscessit et aliam domum ultra illam conspiciens ad eam venit et pulsans ad ostium se ibidem recipi postulabat, sed quae deintus erat hospita, respondit: ego sum veritas, quae hic habito, et haec domus mea est, te autem hospitio non recipiam, quia veritas eum non liberat, qui eam non amat. Indeque abscedens tertiam domum ultra illam prospicit, ad quam veniens se similiter contra impetum tempestatis recipi flagitavit, Cui, quae deintus erat domina, respondit: ego sum pax, quae hic habito, non est autem pax impiis, sed hominibus bonae voluntatis. Verum quia ego cogito cogitationes pacis et non afflictionis, utile consilium tibi dabo: ultra me soror habitat, quae miseris semper auxilium praestat, ad hanc accede et ejus monita comple. Cum ergo accessisset, quae deintus erat, respondit: ego sum misericordia, quae hic habito, si igitnr ab imminenti tempestate salvari desideras, vade ad domum, in qua fratres praedicatores habitant, ibique invenies stabulum poenitentiae et praesepe continentiae et pabulum doctrinae,asinum simplicitatis cum bove discretionis, Mariam illuminantem et Josephum perficientem et puerum Jesum te salvantem. Cum igitur praedictus scholaris evigilasset, ad domum fratrum venit et visionem per ordinem 'recitans habitum ordinis petiit et accepit.
The Golden Legend (Legenda Aurea) companion
Continue through all 240 chapters, one saint a day
Chosen Portion serves the Golden Legend as a daily portion on iOS, free, alongside the full Sub Rosa archive
The Legenda Aurea was organized for day-by-day use across the liturgical year, and Chosen Portion restores that original one-feast-per-day reading rhythm
- A complete saint's life or feast reading most days in 5-10 minutes
- 240 chapters - enough daily readings to cover a full liturgical year and beyond
- Daily reminders so the plan survives busy weeks