Miracalum de sancta Catherina
The Bishop's Trial and Divine Visitation
Bishop Sabinus, a devoted follower of Saint Catherine, suffers brutal mutilation at the hands of a tyrant but is miraculously restored by the Virgin at her tomb.
A bishop of Milan named Sabinus, a man of venerable life, as Peter of Ravenna reports in his book of notable deeds, held the Virgin Catherine in special devotion, second only to the Mother of the Lord. He had chosen her as his bride from childhood and was accustomed to preferring her above all holy virgins, finding in her a most faithful helper. When this bishop had traveled across the sea and visited the Lord's tomb with Abbot Theodore of Monte Cassino, two chaplains, some knights, and fifteen servants, they approached Mount Sinai. Suddenly, a leader of the Turks—a ferocious enemy of Christians returning from the Sultan—met the bishop at the foot of the mountain. When he saw the bishop's company, he cruelly killed them, saying, "As I have done to the servants, so I will do to the masters." When the bishop and the abbot saw this, they began to beg the leader, saying, "We ask that you allow us to first ascend the mountain and visit the tomb of the glorious Virgin; afterward, we will patiently endure whatever you wish." He replied, "It's necessary for this turn that my will be done, not yours." He immediately ordered that both of them be deprived of their tongues, eyes, ears, noses, and the extremities of their hands and feet, and that they be carried, still half-alive, on pack animals to the tomb. He then said, "Now, what good is this visit to the tomb for you?" He added, "When your limbs grow back—which is impossible—then I will undoubtedly adhere to the laws of your God." When they arrived at the Virgin's tomb, the abbot immediately breathed his last, but the bishop, as best he could, poured out his prayers. Suddenly, around the middle of the night, the whole mountain shook violently, and a great terror and dread seized the leader and his men, so that they wanted to flee but couldn't. Afterward, for the space of three hours, such an abundance of light shone there that not only the neighbors but even the Saracens in remote parts, watching at that hour, believed it was broad daylight and thought the mountain of Sinai itself had turned into the sun. Meanwhile, the Virgin Catherine came forth from the tomb and, gently stroking the sad head of her devotee, anointed his eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and all his painful limbs, restoring them to their former health. When.
The Promise of Grace and the Conversion of the Tyrant
Saint Catherine grants the bishop a sign of her love and prophecy, leading to the resurrection of the abbot and the total conversion of the persecutor.
When the man of God saw the glorious virgin with his own eyes, he was filled with an unspeakable joy. Unable to bear the brilliance of her beauty, he fell at her feet, but she immediately ordered him to be raised up. Two most beautiful young men were standing beside her, and they lifted him from the ground. The virgin said to him, "You must know, my dear, that my lover and spouse, Jesus Christ, is ready to honor you and all who honor me, both here and in the life to come. Because you lost your tongue for my sake—a tongue that could barely speak in its own language—see, I have lent you mine, which is most skilled in Greek and Latin. Furthermore, know that all the souls of your household are in the bosom of Abraham. Tomorrow, when you have celebrated the solemnities of the Mass and read the Gospel, you shall anoint each of the abbot's limbs with the oil that sweats from my tomb. He will be revived, and before you finish the divine office, he will be restored to his former vigor and state." After she said this, the most blessed virgin took the bishop's right hand, gave him a precious ring and a scroll written in golden letters, and then disappeared, leaving behind a fragrance of wonderful sweetness. The scroll had three lines of words and contained the following in order: "First line: Sabinus, these letters are a sign of perpetual love between me and you." "Second: Great sorrow has earned you merit; great love will bring you joy. Third: You will baptize the leader, you will return home in health, and thus, after ten years have passed, you will be with me in the heavenly palace." Then the man gave immense thanks and praise to God for the unspeakable consolation that the presence of the glorious virgin had shown him. When the day came, the leader climbed the mountain, and... ...when he saw the bishop proceeding to the altar, seeing, speaking, and possessing all his limbs intact, he was struck with great wonder. After the Gospel was read and the leader was present, the bishop anointed the limbs of the abbot, who had been placed in the middle. The abbot appeared alive again before everyone's eyes, and thus, with all his limbs restored, he was completely healed before the bishop finished the divine office. Seeing this miracle, the leader was moved to tears, his heart was pierced with compunction, and he embraced the faith and was baptized by the bishop along with many nobles who believed perfectly. Since he had no heirs, he renounced the world, sold his land, and gave a good portion to the brothers living on Mount Sinai. He came to Rome with the bishop, the abbot, and many others for the sake of devotion, bringing with him great weights of gold which he distributed to the poor. Then, on the advice of Saint Sabinus, he founded a most famous monastery of virgins, which is called the Hall of God, in honor of the blessed Catherine, which he expanded with many possessions and riches. Finally, he took the monastic habit on Monte Cassino and there served Christ the King, his Mother, and the blessed Catherine most devoutly as long as he lived. Saint Sabinus, however, when he had reached his end after ten years, breathed out his spirit, which was worthy of God. But since his tongue did not appear in his mouth, there was no doubt for anyone that the glorious virgin, who had lent it to her devotee for ten years, had taken it back. The ring and the scroll of this glorious bishop are still kept in Milan to this day in his memory.
Read the original Latin
Episcopus quidam Mediolanensis Sabinns nomine, vir vitae venerabilis, sicut refert Petrus Ravennensis in libro gestorum notabilimn, post matrem doini virginem Catherinam in praecipua devotione habebat. Hane etiam ab infan sponsam elegerat et ipsam omnibus sacris virginibus praeferre solebat, nipote adjutricem fidelissimam, Cum igitur praedictus praesul ultra mare navigassel et cum abbate Theodoro de monte Cassino et duobus capellanis et militibus et quindecim servis sepulchrum domini visitasset, montem Synai adiemnt et ecce dux quidam Turcorum ferocissimus hostis christianorum a Soldano rediens cum multis armalis episcopo in pede montis Occurrit, cujus comilivam ut vidit, atrociter mox peremit dicens: sicut feci familine, sic faciam dominis, Quod cum dictus episcopus et abbas vidissent, coepernnt ducem rogare dicentes: liceat, quaesumus, nobis montem ipsius prius adscendere et gloriosae virginis tumbam are, deinde, quidquid tibi placuerit, sustinebimus patienter. Qui respondit : necesse est hac vice, ut mea, non vestra voluntas fiat. Et confestim praecepit, nt lingua, oculis, auribus, naribus, manuum ac pedum swnmitatibus uterque privaretur sicque adhnc semivivi in jumentis ad tumulum velerentur, dixitque: nunc quid vobis valet hujus sepulchri visitatio? Et adjecit: cum membra vobis renascuntur, quod impossibile est, tunc absque dubio Dei vestri legibus adhaerebo, Cmm ergo ad tumbam virginis venissent, abbas conlinuo exspiravit, episcopus vero, sicut potuit, preces fudit. Et ecce circa noctis medium mons totus vehementer coniremuit, Lamtusque terror ac pavor ducem invasit cum snis, ut inde fugere vellent nec valerent. Postea vero per trium horarum spatia tanta uminis abundantia ibidem resplenduit, nt non solum vicini, sed etiam Saraceni in remolis parlibus constituti hora eadem vigilantes diem claram crederent esse faciam, ct ipsum montem Syna in solem conversum aestimabant, Interen virgo Catherina de tumulo processit et triste caput sui nmaloris taclu blande permulcens primo oculos, aures, nasum et linguam, deinde membra omnia dolorosa perungens pristinae restituit sanitati. Cuin.
vir Dei gloriosam virginem corporalibus cerneret oculis, ineffabili gaudio replebatur, sed fulgorem pulchritudinis ejus ferre non valens ad pedes ejus cecidit, Quem ipsa statim praecipiens elevari ( nam duo pulcherrimi juvenes juxia eam stabant), ipsum de terra clevabant, Cui virgo: scire debes, mi care, quod amator meus el sponsus mens Jesus Christus hic et in futuro te et omnes honorantes me paratus est honorare, et quia perdidisti propter me linguam tnam, vix in proprio ydiomate expeditam, ecce commodavi tibi meam in graeco et lalino peritissimam, Praeterea oinnes animas familiae tuae noveris esse in sinn Abrae, Facta insnper die crastina, cum missarum sollemnia celebraveris, lecto evangelio singula membra abbatis de oleo, quod sudat de tumulo meo, perunges, sicque suscilabitur et, antequam divinum officium èmpleas, ad vigorem et stalum pristinum reformabitur. His dictis virgo beatissima dextram pontificis apprehendit, dansque illi annulum pretiosum et chartula aureis litteris scriptam et disparuit et miri odoris fragrantia remansit, Chartula vero tres verborum lineas habebat et haec per ordinem continebat, Prima linea; Sabine, hae litterae sunt inter me et te signa dilectionis perpetuae. Secunda: fecit tibi meritum ingens dolor, faciet tibi gaudium ingens amor, Tertia: ducem baptizabis, sanus ad propria remeabis, sicque decennio expleto laudabiliter mecum eris in coelesti palatio. Tunc vir immensas gratias et laudes Deo reddidit pro tam ineffabili consolatione, quam ei exhibuerat praesentia virginis gloriosae, Facto igitur die dux montem adscendit, et cun. episcopum ad altare procedentem, videntem, loquentem et omnia membra integraliter habentem conspiceret, obstupuit vehementer, Tunc lecto evangelio praesente duce episcopus membra abbatis, qui in medio positus erat, ungens, per ordinem abbas omnibus videntibus redivivus apparuit, sicque omnibus membris renascentibus, antequam divinum officium perficeret, plenissime sanatus est, Quo viso miraculo dux lacrymis perfunditur, corde compnungitur et amplectitur fidem et cun multis nobilibus perfecte credentibus ab episcopo baptizatur, Qui cun haeredibus careret, saeculo renuntiavit, terram suam vendidit et bonam portionem fratribus in monte Syna degentibus tradidit, Romam cum episcopo et abbate et aliis multis devotionis gralia venit, inulta auri pondera secum deferens pauperibus tribuit, Deinde ad consilium sancti Sabini fainosissimunt monasterium virginum, quod dicitur aula Dei, in honorem beatae Catherinae Íendavit, quod in multis possessionibus et divitiis ampliavit. Postremo in monte Cassino imonmachalem habitum suscepit ibidemque Christo regi suaeque matri et beatae Catherinae, quamdiu vixit, devolissime militavil, Sanctus vero Sabinus, cum post decennium ad extremum venisset, dignum Deo spiritum elflavit, sed cun lingua ejus in ore ejus minine appareret, nulli dubium, quin virgo loriosa eam tulit, quae suo devoto eam per decennium mutuavit. Thi hujus quoque gloriosi episcopi memoriam annulus et charta apud Mediolanum usque hodie servantur,
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