De sancto Eligio episcopo
The Early Life and Miraculous Craft of Eligius
Eligius is born under a prophetic sign and rises to prominence in the royal court through his extraordinary skill as a goldsmith.
Blessed Eligius was born near Limoges to his father, Eucherius, and his mother, Torrigia. While pregnant, his mother dreamed of an eagle flying over her bed, calling out three times and promising her something—though she didn't know what. Waking to the eagle's voice, she was terrified and wondered what the dream could mean. Later, when she faced a difficult childbirth, they sent for a holy man to pray for her. Upon his arrival, he told her, "Don't be afraid, mother; this child will be holy and great in the Church of God." As a young man, his father had him trained by goldsmiths. Once he mastered the craft, he moved to France and joined a craftsman who worked for the king. When the king sought someone to create a beautiful saddle of gold and silver, Eligius’s master replied that he had found a craftsman capable of making whatever the king desired. The king provided a large mass of gold, which he gave to Eligius. Using that same weight of gold, Eligius crafted two beautiful saddles, bringing one to the king and keeping the other for himself. When everyone marveled at the work, the king rewarded him generously. Then, Eligius brought out the second saddle and presented it to the king, explaining that he had made it from the leftover gold. The king, even more astonished, asked how he could have made both from the same amount of material. "It is well," he said, "by the grace of God." His fame grew throughout the king's court.
A Bishop of Charity and Incorruptible Faith
Eligius serves as a devoted bishop, known for his immense charity and the creation of sacred shrines, remaining incorrupt even after death.
He loved the poor so much that he would give away whatever he could, even to the point of his own nakedness. Later, blessed Eligius was elected bishop of the church of Noyon, succeeding Acharius, the previous bishop of that city. Every day he would refresh twelve poor people at a suitable hour, giving them water, bread for their hands, and everything else they needed. These are the shrines he crafted with gold, silver, and gems: those of Germanus, Severinus, Piat, Quintinus, Lucianus, Genevieve, Columba, Maximianus, Julian, and especially the blessed Martin, bishop of Tours, with King Dagobert of the Franks providing the expenses, as well as the mausoleum of the blessed martyr Dionysius, decorated with wonderful workmanship in gold and gems. This glorious prelate died in his 70th year. When his body was moved a year later, he was found to be so beautiful and incorrupt that he seemed as if he had been living in the tomb all along. Even more miraculously, his beard and hair appeared to have grown in a wonderful way since the time of his death.
The Discovery of Saint Quintinus
Guided by divine revelation, Bishop Eligius successfully locates the hidden relics of Saint Quintinus where others had failed.
Here is how the blessed body of Saint Quintinus was discovered through him. A certain cleric named Maurice used to boast quite often that he knew the location of the martyr and could find it without any trouble. When he wanted to prove this to his listeners, he took the risk of acting on it; but as he presumed to break the floor of the martyr's basilica with a mattock, the handle of the tool stuck fast to his hands. Since it could neither be let go nor removed, his hands began to rot and swarm with worms. Tortured by this punishment, he died miserably the following day. From this, such fear grew in everyone that after him, no one—no matter how highly regarded for their life—dared to attempt such a thing, except for Saint Eligius, the Bishop of Noyon. This holy bishop, indeed, began to frequent a certain spot of the aforementioned martyr, and instructed by divine revelation, he spent three days fasting with tears and praying intently in a place where no one suspected the body would be found. He began to dig with his hands and found the sacred body. When it was uncovered, such a fragrance and immense light came from it that even the bishop himself could barely endure it because of the brilliance of the light and the sweetness of the scent. Then Saint Eligius, kissing the body with tears, placed it in a most worthy spot to the praise of the Most High God and His saints.
Read the original Latin
Beatus Eligius in territorio Lemovicae urbis fuit oriundus patre Eucherio, matre vero Torrigia natus, Quem cum mater adhuc haberet in utero, vidit in somnio aquilam volantem super lectum suum et se tertio inclamantem et ei, nescio quid, promittentem, Quae quum ex voce aquilae evigilasset, perterrita nimis coepit cogitare de somnio, quid hoc esset, cumque postea in partu periclitaretur, mandaverunt ad quendam sanctum virum, ut veniret et oraret pro ea, Qui cum venisset, ait ei: ne timeas, mater, quia puer iste sanctus erit et magnus in ecclesia Dei. Cam autem esset juvenis, fecit eum pater suus ab aurificibus erudiri, et cum jam sciret totam illam artem, in Franciam venit et cuidam artifici, qui faciebat opera regis, se conjunxit, Quodam tempore cum rex perquisivisset , quis sibi sellam de auro et argento faceret pulcherrimam, respondit ei magister sancti Eligii, se invenisse artificem, qui regi faceret, quidquid vellet. Et accipiens a rege auri magnam massam, tradidit sancto Eligio, qui ex eodem pondere fecit sellas duas pulcherrimas et deferens unam regi, alteram vero retinens penes se. Quam cuim omnes mirarentur, rex enm copiose remunerat, Tunc Eligius alteram protulit et regi praesentavit dicens, quod de residuo auri alteram fecisset, et rex amplius stupefactus quaesivit ab eo, quomodo ex eodem pondere ambas facere potuisset. Bene, inquit, ex gratia Dei. Et excrevit fama ejus in curia regis. Diligebat autem in tantum pauperes, quod, quidquid poterat, etiam usque ad nnditatem suam jis erogaret, Postmodum electus est beatus Eligius ecclesiae Noviomensi post Acharium ejusdem urbis antistitem, Singulis diebus XII pauperes et cum ipsis hora congrua reficiens, dans aquam, manibus panem et omnia, quae erant necessaria, conferens, Sunt antem haec sepulchra, quae auro, argento et gemmis fabricavit, Germani, Severini, Piationis, Quintini, Luciani, Genovefae, Columbae, Maximiani, Juliani et praecipue beati Martini Turonensis episcopi, Dagoberto Francorum rege praebente impensas et mausoleum beati Dionysii martiris miro opere auró et geminis decorato. Mortuus est autem gloriosus praesul anno vitae suo LXX, Qi cum anno revoluto de suo loco transferretur, ita pulcher et incorraptus inventus est, ut semper in tumulo vixisse videretur, et quod mirabilius est, barba et capilli tempore obitus sui mirum in modum crevisse in tumnlo videbantur.
Quomodo autem per eum fuerit inventum beatum corpus beati Quintini, sequitur. Clericus quidam nomine Mauritius, saepius jactare solebat, se et martiris locum noscere et eum locwm sine mutatione invenire posse. Quod cum auditoribus probare gestiret, facti sui periculum aggressus est, Suinto ergo ligone dum pavimentum basilicae martiris violare praeswmsisset, manubrium ligonis infixum suis manibus adhaesit, Quod cum nec dimitti nec auferri posset, coeperunt manus computrescere vernibusque scaturire, Qua poena mulciatus sequenti die miserabiliter finivit vitam, Hinc tantus pavor in cunctis excrevit, ut nemo post hunc, quamvis probatissunae vitae fuerit, praeter sanctum Eligium Noviomensem episcopum hujusmodi negotimn tentaret praesumere, 1s quippe pontifex sanctus praefati martiris coepit frequentare locum unum et divina doctus revelatione triduanuim jejunium cum lacrymis peragens et attentius orans in loco, ubi nulla suspicio habebatur, quod ibi corpus inveniretur, sanctus manibus eífodere coepit et corpus sacrum invenit, Quo terebrato tantus odor cum immani lumine ex eo prodiit, quod etiam ipse pontifex prae splendore luminis et fragrantia odoris vix sustinere posset. Tunc sanctus Eligius corpus lacrymis deosculans posuit in loco dignissimo ad laudem summi Dei et sanctorum ejus,
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