De nativitate sancti Udalrici episcopi
A Prophetic Childhood
The noble birth and early life of Ulrich are marked by a mysterious prophecy concerning his future greatness.
The distinguished confessor of Christ, Ulrich, was born into the Alemannic nobility; his parents were famous and noble by worldly standards, but they were far more distinguished by their faith and godly devotion. and more noble. Blessed by God with such a fruitful offspring, they soon entrusted the child to a faithful nurse to be raised, as was the custom, and even in his earliest days, there were signs of heavenly favor. Although he was raised with tender affection, a strange and sickly thinness appeared on his face. Because of this, while his parents were deeply saddened and anxious, a certain traveling cleric—welcomed kindly by them, as their door was always open to travelers—stayed with them for a time. and was treated with kindness. Meanwhile, one day at mealtime, while sitting there, he heard the infant—who was not yet twelve weeks old—crying out, and from this, the man, gifted with foresight, gave this prophecy: "Unless this child is weaned quickly, he will not survive." When they were warned once and then a second time but were slow to act on the words of such a herald, on the third day, after listening closely and sensing that the child was even weaker, he spoke this prophetic word before everyone: "Know for certain that unless he is taken off milk immediately, he will die tonight; but if you follow the course I have described and save him from death, he will be great before the Lord in the future."
Formation and Episcopal Calling
Ulrich is educated in monastic discipline and receives a divine revelation regarding his future role as a bishop.
We don't need to describe how the mysteries of this prophecy were fulfilled, as it's proven by the miracles that shine so constantly at his tomb. Since he was to be a steward of God's mysteries, he now needed to be strengthened by solid food, so that, standing at the table of Christ's altar as if at a heavenly banquet, he might in his own time give his fellow servants their measure of wheat; for he began even then to live modestly among his peers, to hold the fear of God, to show honor to his parents, to turn away from youthful folly, and, as far as was possible for his age, to show outwardly in his movements, gestures, and walk the kind of character being formed within his mind. Seeing such grace of God shining in this boy, his parents entrusted him to the religious brothers at the monastery of Saint Gall so he could be instructed in both secular literature and heavenly disciplines. There, among excellent masters of religious discipline, he gathered the sweet fruits of contemplation daily. He would soon turn into action the words he read in the sacred books, and by climbing the steps of the ladder of virtues, he was already touching the summit of Jacob's ladder, having heard from the Savior: "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and come, follow me." He would have taken on the habit of monastic life even then if he had been prompted by divine revelation. At that time, there was a recluse in the same monastery named Muberat, a handmaid of God who lived for the name of Christ. She prepared a chaste temple for the Lord in her heart through fasting, prayer, and vigils, day and night, always offering a pleasing sacrifice to the Creator of all, saying with the Psalmist: "In me, O God, are your vows, which I will render in praises to you." When the holy youth revealed his secret desire to her, she decided the matter should be sought from God and asked for a three-day delay. The following day, instructed by the divine Spirit, she gave him this response: "Do not, religious man, think it is the divine will that you be kept in this place. Rather, there is a place in the eastern region where a river divides two lands, and there, by God's command, you must ascend to the height of episcopal dignity. Although you will suffer adversity from pagans and evil Christians alike, trust in Him who said, 'Take heart, I have overcome the world,' and you will overcome all things, saying with the Psalmist: 'In God we will do valiantly, and he himself will bring our enemies to nothing.'" Hearing this and pondering it, he revealed it in secret to a few close friends and warned them to keep it silent for the time being. Wishing to fulfill what He had previously foretold through the mouths of His faithful ones regarding His servant Udalric, the Lord brought the votes of the entire clergy and people into agreement, and with the King's consent, this holy man of God was raised to the episcopal chair. But once he had accepted the honor of such dignity, no words could fully explain how great he was; he was always entirely in prayer, entirely in reading, paying the greatest attention to the virtues with which the Apostle described a bishop.
The Holy Bishop's Life and Passing
Ulrich balances his episcopal duties with deep monastic devotion until his death in his eightieth year.
to be adorned. as it is written: "For a bishop must be sober and chaste, as a steward of God." At night, he was vigilant in prayer, offering himself on the altar of his heart through the studies of prayer, while by day he offered the saving host on the visible altar, so that his sacrifice might be pleasing and acceptable to the Redeemer of all. It was his solemn custom after Compline to take no food or drink and to devote himself to silence, knowing that the Lord said, "By your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." In short, he carried out the office of a priest outwardly in such a way that he didn't omit the religious life of monastic practice inwardly. In the year of the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ 973, in the 80th year of his age—as if in a jubilee, that is, a year of fullness—and in the 50th year of his mission, he was a true Hebrew. He left the Egypt of this world behind, set free to live forever with his Lord.
Read the original Latin
Egregius Christi confessor Udalricus ex Alemannorum prosapia exstitit oriundus, Cujus parentes secundum seculi hujus dignitatem clari et nobiles, sed fide atque divina religione multo clariores fuerant. atque nobiliores. Qui talis ac tantae prolis foecunditate divinitus ditati mox eandem cuidan fideli ad alendum, ut mos est, cominendaverunt nutrici, ubi inler ipsa nativitatis primordia coelestia non defuerunt auspicia. Licet ergo blando nutriretur aflectu, foeda tamen macies quaedam apparebat in vultu. Qua ex causa dum nimium tristes ejus efficerentur parentes ac in angustis illonun pectoribus curae versarentur ingentes, quidam hospes peregrinus officio clericus, secundum quod illorum ostium semper viatori patuit, benigne ab ipsis suscipitur et per aliquid temporis spatium. humane tractatur. Cum interim. quadam die hora refectionis residens praedictum infantulum nondum duodecin hebdomarum dies ab ortu ad plenum habentem audivit inter vagitus vocem eimittentem, ex qua providus futurorum tale edidit oraculum: nisi, inquit, iste infans celerius fuerit ablactatus, non poterit salvus esse, Cumque semel ac secundo admoniti minus tanti praeconis dicta vellent exsequi, tertia demum die, cum praedictum ac saepe dicendum infantulum adhibita aure persensisset adhuc infirmiorem, hanc praesagam coram Omnibus intulit vocem: sciatis pro certo, qmod, nisi continuo a lacte fuerit suspensus, hac nocte erit moriturus; at vero si eo, quo dixi, ordine morti subtractus fuerit, magnus in futurum coram domino erit.
Hujus prophetiae mysteria qualiter sint adinpleta, non nostri styli eget officio designari, quod tam assidue ad ejus sepulchrum coruscantibus miraculis potest probari, Tandem ergo amotus a lacte coepit corpore et animo in admiratione omnium proficere ac circumquaque manentibus de sno profectu gaudium conferre. Hic itaque mysteriorum Dei dispensator futurus jam solido cibo opus habebat confortari, ut in mensa altaris Christi velut ad coeleste convivium quandoque consistens possel in tempore suo tritici mensuram dare conservis suis, lneipiebat enim tunc inter coaevulos modeste conversari, timorem Dei habere, honorem parentibus deferre, lasciviam declinare ac in quantum possibile tali adhuc erat aetati, in corporis motu, gestu, incessu foris ostendere, qualis habitus formabatur intus in mente. Videntes hujus pueri parentes tantam Dei gratiam in eo fulgere comunendaveront eum in monasterimm sancti Galli fratribus religiosis, ut eorum magisterio tam secularium litterarum studiis quam coelJestibus instruerelur disciplinis, ubi inter egregios regulares disciplinae magistros dulces theoriae carpebat quotidie frnctus, cum verba, quae in sacris codicibus legebat, mox in opera vertebat, Jam summitatem illius Jacob scalae virtutum gradibus adscendendo tangebat, jam a salvatore audierat: vade, vende omnia, quae habes et da pauperibus et veni, sequere me. Eliam tunc monasticae conversationis habitum sumsisset, si in divina revelatione admonitus desiisset, Erat tuno temporis in eodem monasterio quaedam Dei ancilla pro Chrisli nomine inclusa, Muberat nuncupata, quae die noctuque jejuniis, orationibus ac vigiliis castum Marchano pectoris domino praeparabat templum, in quo gratum creatori omnium mactavit semper holocaustum, dicens cum psalmista: in me sunt, Deus, vota tua, quae reddam laudationes tibi, Huic sanctus adolescens dum sui desiderii secretum panderet, illa rem a Deo quaerendaimn statuit ac trium dierum inducias super hoc postulavit, Yosteriori vero die spiritu instructa divino hujusmodi usa est responso: non, inquit, vir religiose, divinae est voluntatis, ut hoc in loco detinearis, sed est in plaga orientali locus; ibi quidan fluvius duas dividit regiones, in quo Deo jubente episcopalis apicem dignitatis debes conscendere, et licet inulta tam a paganis quam a malis christianis sis passurus adversa, tn tamen in eo confisus, qui dixit: confide, ego vici mundum, superabis universa dicens cum psalmista: in domino faciemus virtutem, et ipse ad nihilum deduces inimicos nostros. Haeo auditu percipiens ac mente pertractans quibusdam, qui sibi familiaris amicitiae causa adhaerebant, secreto pandebat, et ut interim silentio tegerent, admonebat, Volens dominus hoc, quod de servo sno Udalrico per ora suorum fidelium antea praedixit, adimplere, totius cleri et populi voto in unum concurrente et regis voluntate in id ipsum consentiente, idem vir Dei sanclus in cathedram episcopalem est sublimatus, Accepto vero tantae dignitatis honore qualis quantusve exstiterit, nullus sermo ad inlegrun explicare valebit, "Totus erat semper in oratione, totus in lectione, maxime attendens, quibus virtutum ornamentis apostolus describebat episcopum. decoratum esse. debere, ubi ait: oporlet enin episcopum sobriun, castum esse sicnt Dei dispensatorezm, Et nocte quidem in oratione pervigil se ipsum in ara cordis per orationis studia mactavit, die vero super altari visibili salutarem hostiam immolavit, quo ejus sacrificium redeimtori omnium esset gratum el acceplum, Erat enim ei sollemnis consuetndo, post completorium nil cibi aut potus sumere, silentio studere, sciens à domino dic ex verbis tuis justificaberis et ex verbis tuis condemnaberis. Et nt brevitatis compendio utar, sic exterius gerebat officium sacerdotis, ut interius non omitieret religionem monasticae conversationis, Anno aulem incarnalionis domini nostri Jesu Christi nongentesimo septuagesimo tertio, aetalis suae octogesimo imo velnt in jubilaeo, hoc est plenae reterio, ordinationis vero quinqua missionis anno, verus Hebraeus.
transiit de hujus mundi Aegypto liber in aeternum victurus cum domino suo,
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