De sancta Marina virgine
The Hidden Life of Brother Marinus
Marina enters the monastery disguised as a man and endures false accusation with profound patience.
Marina was her father's only daughter, but when he entered a monastery, he changed her clothes so she wouldn't look like a woman. Instead, he wanted her to appear as a man, so he asked the abbot and the brothers to take in his only son; they agreed to his request, and she was received as a monk and called Brother Marinus by everyone. She began to live a very religious life and was deeply obedient. When she was twenty-seven and her father felt he was near death, he called for his daughter and, confirming her in her good resolve, commanded her never to reveal to anyone that she was a woman. She often went out with a wagon and oxen to bring wood to the monastery; she was accustomed to staying at the house of a certain man whose daughter, having become pregnant by a soldier, claimed when questioned that she had been violated by the monk Marinus. When Marinus was asked why he had committed such a shameful act, he confessed to the sin and begged for mercy; he was immediately cast out of the monastery, stayed at the gate, and lived there for three years, sustained only by a crust of bread. Later, the weaned child was sent to the abbot and entrusted to Marinus to be raised, and the child lived there with him for two years. She accepted everything with the greatest patience and gave thanks to God in all things.
The Revelation of Sanctity
After her death, Marina's true identity is revealed, leading to repentance and the manifestation of her holiness through miracles.
At last, the brothers took pity on her humility and patience and received her into the monastery, assigning her the most menial tasks; she, however, accepted everything cheerfully and performed all things with patience and devotion. Finally, while living a life of good works, she passed on to the Lord; but when they were washing her body and preparing to bury it in a lowly place, they looked and saw that she was a woman. Everyone was stunned and terrified, and they confessed that they had sinned greatly against the handmaid of God; they all ran to such a great spectacle and begged forgiveness for their ignorance and their offense. They placed her body in the church with honor, but the woman who had slandered the handmaid of God was seized by a demon; she confessed her crime and, upon coming to the virgin's tomb, was set free. People flock from everywhere to her tomb, and many miracles happen there. She died on the fourteenth day before the Kalends of July.
Read the original Latin
Marina virgo unica erat patri sno: cum autem pater quoddam monasterium intrasset, mutavit habitum filiae suae, ut non femina, . Sed masculus videretur, rogavitque abbatem et fratres, ut filium suum unicum reciperent; quibus ejus precibus annuentibus in monachum est receptus et frater Marinus ab omnibus appellatus. Coepit autem valde religiose vivere et valde obediens esse. Cum autem esset viginti septem annorum et pater ejus se morte appropinquare sentiret, filiam suam vocavit et ipsam in bono proposito confirmans praecepit, ne aliquando alicui revelaret, quod mulier esset. Ibat igitur frequenter cum plaustro et bobus et ligna monasterio deferebat: consueverat autem hospitari in domo cujusdam viri, eujus filia cum de quodam milite concepisset, interrogata Marinum monachum se violasse asseruit. Interrogatus autem Marinus cur tantum flagitium perpetrasset, se peccasse fatetur et veniam precatur; statim de monasterio ejectus ad ostium monasterii mansit et tribus annis ibidem permanens bucella panis sustentabatur. Postmodum filius ablactatus abbati mittitur et Marino educandus traditur et cum eo ibidem per daos annos commoratur. Omnia autem cum maxima patientia recipiebat et in omnibus gratias Deo referebat.
Tandem ejus humilitatis et patientiae fratres miserti eum in monasterium recipiunt et quaeque officia viliora sibi injungunt, ipse autem omnia hilariter suscipiebat et cuncta patienter et devote agebat. Tandem in bonis operibus vitam ducens migravit ad dominum: cum autem corpus ejus lavarent, et in vili loco sepelire disponerent, respicientes mulierem ipsum esse viderunt. Stupefacti sunt omnes et perterriti, se in Dei famulam plurimum deliquisse fatentur: currunt omnes: ad tam grande spectaculum et veniam postulant ignorantiae et delicti. Corpus igitur ejus in ecclesia honorifice posuerunt, illa autem, quae famulam Dei infamayerat, a daemone arripitur et scelus suum confitens et ad sepulchrum virginis veniens liberatur. Ad cujus tumulum populi undique confluunt et multa miracula ibi fiunt. Obiit autem XIV calendas Julii.
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