De sancto Bernardino confessore
Early Life and Sacrificial Charity
Bernardine's formative years in Siena and his heroic service to the plague-stricken reveal his early commitment to Christ.
Bernardine, a confessor from Tuscany, was born into the noble Albizeschi family. His father was from Tolosa, and his mother, Neramassana, the daughter of Bindi, died three years after his birth; his father died within six months, leaving him to be raised by his aunt Diana. At age eleven, he was summoned to Siena by his uncles, where he was immersed in the liberal arts and devoted himself to canon law, never neglecting his prayers. Strengthened by this, he arranged to be enrolled in the Confraternity of Saint Mary of the Scala in Siena, a place renowned for its holiness, where he wore a hair shirt, slept on boards or straw, and was most diligent in his care for the sick. Meanwhile, when a plague was raging in Siena and nearly all the ministers of the hospital of Saint Mary had died—and none could be hired at any price—Bernardine, a novice among the Christians, offered to care for the twenty sick people. Realizing that he was too weak for such a burden, he managed to recruit some of his fellow brothers for this pious work, for we are reminded by the Gospel that the kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force; let us therefore do violence to ourselves and not fear to die for Christ. What could be greater or more beautiful than to reach the crown of martyrdom at the end of one's life? If we die for Christ, we certainly die, and by this death our reward is increased, every sin is excluded, every stain is removed, and the state of our life is adorned by martyrdom; this is the foundation of life and faith, this makes life more whole, and this is the bond of liberty and honor. Death leads us all the more to glory; what do we have to do with this light, when eternal light is promised to us? Let the examples of the Lord's passion and the rewards offered stir us, for those who show mercy will receive mercy. Inflamed by these things, all the young men, united in heart, were cleansed by confession and Communion for the task. That one. They gave themselves to the house, not without the tears of parents and friends, serving the sick diligently day and night, and sometimes burying the bodies of the dead. .
Renunciation and the Call to Preach
After the plague, Bernardine embraces the Franciscan life of poverty and contemplation, preparing for his mission.
Finally, when the plague had subsided and many of the companions had died, the rest returned to their fathers' homes. Bernardinus did the same, but he was immediately struck by a fever. Once restored to health not long after, he gave away his ample wealth to the poor on the feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary—whose grace he had honored by fasting every Saturday since childhood—and became a follower of blessed Francis, possessing nothing but his habit, undergarments, and a cord. He was first sent to a place in the Sienese territory, a dovecote most suitable for contemplation, where he macerated his body with vigils, fasts, disciplines beyond the requirements of the rule, and a hairshirt. He would carry on his shoulders the alms of bread and wine collected over many miles, walking barefoot in obedience to his superiors. Among other things, he was deeply moved by the passion of Christ; once ordained a priest, he celebrated daily, inflamed by love for God. But looking higher and thirsting for the salvation of souls, he set out from the dovecote to Sagiano, carrying a heavy cross, as if drunk with the Spirit, to preach; his integrity having been previously recognized by the superiors of the order, he was granted the office of preaching. But since he had a slight impediment in his speech.
The Fiery Tongue and Apostolic Mission
Empowered by divine grace, Bernardine reforms a fractured Italy through the preaching of the Holy Name until his death and canonization.
After he prayed to the Lord, a fiery globe was sent down from heaven, which burned away the coarseness of his tongue so that, from then on, he could travel through the cities, towns, and villages of Italy and preach the most holy name of Jesus with great effectiveness. For at that time, bandits were blockading the roads and the seas, and the madness of the Guelphs and Ghibellines had grown so intense that Italy was red with the blood of brothers. Public games were crowded, the pits of usury were wide open, magic was thriving, religion was barely practiced, and feast days were indistinguishable from workdays except for the sake of public spectacles. But the more Italy was in need, the more the favor and power of heavenly grace flourished in Bernardino. Who could ever describe how much good Italy gained through Bernardino? Through him, bloodshed was calmed, hospitals were built, the greed of moneylenders was rooted out, the adulterous finery of women was burned, feast days were observed, and many of both sexes were converted to the service of God, not without the splendor of miracles. O, what a fruitful man for Italy! Persevering in these works, Bernardino finished his life in the city of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region in the year of our Lord 1444, at the age of 62. The citizens of L'Aquila kept his body unburied for several days, as it was fragrant with both a sweet scent and miracles, and later they buried it honorably in the monastery of Saint Francis. Pope Nicholas V added him to the catalog of saints in the year of our Lord 1450. His feast day is May 20. His body was moved to a new church dedicated to him in 1472. June. During the pontificate of Pope Sixtus, in the first year of his reign.
Read the original Latin
Bernardinus confessor natione Tuscus ex nobili familia Albizescorum procreatus patre Tolosanensi, matre Neramassana Bindi filia post tertium ejus nativitatis annum defuncta, infra sextmin patre, materterae Dianae educandus remansit, qui anno XI, a patruis Senas advocatus est, ubi liberalibus artibus imbutus canonico juri vacavit, devotas nunquam praetermittens orationes. Quibus corroboratus Senis fraternitati sanctae Mariae de Scala sanctimonia celeberrünae adscribi se procuravit, ubi cilicio indutus super tabulas aut paleas dormiens circa languentes erat officiosissimus, Interea anno domini saeviente Senis epideinia mortuis fere omnibus ministris hospitalis dicti sanctae Mariae, cum nullo pretio conduci possent, Bernardinus tyro christianorum XX languentium se obtulit in ministrum. Qui cum se ad tantum onus imbecillem fore perpenderet, quosdam ejusdem fraters s consocios ad pium opus sibi adsciscere talibus procuravit: evangélio adimonemur, regnum coelorum vim patitar et violenti rapiunt illud; inferámus erzo violentiam nobismet ipsis nec pro Christo mori perlimescamus. Quid tun magnum atque pulcherrimum, quam- peracto tempore ad martirii coronam pervenire? Si morimur pro Christo, certe morimur, qua morte merces augetur et omne crimen excluditur, omnis consnminatio et n status vitae martirio decoratur; hoc fundamentum vitae et fidei, hoc praesid ppe integriorem facit vitam, salutis, hoc vinculum libertatis et honoris. Mors qu mors magis ducit ad gloriam, Quid enim nobis cum hac luce, quibus lux aelerna promittitur? Quid cum hujus vitae naturaeque commercio, quos coeli altitudo deposcit? Intra omnium gloriam pulchrior est pro Christo mori titulus et inlegrior corona signatur, Porro nobis contemnenda mors est, quibus Christus occisus est anle oculos.
Nobis, quaero, concurrant dominicae passionis exempla, concurrant oblata et praemia, quoniam misericordiam praestantes misericordiam consequentur. His inflammati juvenes cuncti unanimes confessione rile expurgati et cominunione ad funestiun. illam. domnum non sine parentum et amicorum lacrymis se contulerunt, die nocteque sedulo infirmis ministrantes, quandoque mortuorum corpora sepelientes. . Demum sedata pestilentia pluribus de consociis defunctis reliqui ad paternas domos remearunt, quod fecit et Bernardinus, qui statim febre concussus et non multo post saluti restitutus ampla facultate pauperibus erogata die nativitatis Mariae virginis, cujus gratia a pueritia, quoad vixit, sabbato jejunavit, beati Francisci factus est imitator, nihil praeter habitum, femoralia et funiculum possidens et primo in locum columbarii in Senensi territorio contemplationi aptissimum destinatur, ubi vigiliis, jejuniis, disciplinis ultra regulae praecepta et cilicio corpus macerabat. luc per multa milliaria nudis pedibus panis ac vini collectam elemosinam humeris afferebat praelatis obediens, Hic inter caetera passione Christi amarissime scindebatur, qni sacerdos ordinatus quotidie amore in Deum inflaminalus celebrabat, sed altius aspiciens et animarnm salutem sitiens gravi juncta cruce ex colunbario Sagianum ut ebrius spiritu praedicahurus accessit, cujus integritate prius cognita a praelatis ordinis praedicandi officium conceditur. Sed cum linguam haberet aliquantulum.
praepeditam , facta ad dominum oratione igneus e coelo globns dimittitur, qui sic ejus linguae rancitatem decoxit, quod exinde illud sanctissimum nomen Jesus Italiae urbes, castella, villas quasque perlustrans expedite non sine maximo fructu praedicaret, Tunc enim tefras et maria praedones obsidebant, tunc tanta Guelphorum ac Ghibellinorum rabies invaluerat, ut mutno fraternoque crüore ruberet Italia, Publica ludorum gymnasia frequentabantur, usurarum voragines inhiabant, vigebat magia, religio parum colebatur et festi dies a ferialibus nisi spectaculorum gratia dignoscebantur, Sed quo magis indigebat Italia, eo plus in Bernardino supernae gratiae favor et virtus foecundavit. Quis enarrare posset, quantum boni per Bernardinum consecuta est Italia? per Imne sedatae caedes, erecta hospitalia, exstirpatae foeneratorum rapinae, adulterini feminarum ornatus cremati , festi dies culti et plures utriusque sexus non sine miraculorum splendore ad Dei servitium conversi, O virum Italiae frugi! In his itaque operibus Bernardinus perseverans apud Aquilam Aprucii urbem anno salutis MCCCCXLIU, aetatis vero suae LXII vitae terminum complevit. Cujus corpus Aquitani cives pluribus diebns inhumatum tenuerunt odore simul et miraculis fragrans et ibidem in monasterio sancli Francisci postmodum honorifice sepelierunt. Et hunc Nicolaus pontifex quintus anno domini MCCCCL sanclorum catalogo coacervavit, Sollemnis ejus dies XIM, cal. Jun, colitur, Translatum est antem corpus ejus in templum novum ei dedicatum anno MCCCCLXXIH cal. Jun.
Sixto pontifice maximo, ejus pontificatus anno 1.
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