Legenda maior Sancti Stephani regis
A Life of Holy Gravity
Stephen maintained the gravity of his youth throughout his life, rarely laughing, always mindful of Christ's judgment, longing for heaven, and adorned with every virtue, so that a likeness of future glory shone in him.
He maintained the gravity of character he had taken on in his youth until the end of his life. He hardly ever laughed, remembering the scripture: "Laughter will be mixed with sorrow, and grief takes hold of the end of joy." He always conducted himself as if he stood before the judgment seat of Christ, gazing upon His presence with the eyes of his heart and a reverent face, and he showed that he carried Christ on his lips, Christ in his heart, and Christ in all he did.✦✦1 Always keeping the last day before him with the full longing of his heart and the entire focus of his mind, he already yearned to live among the citizens of the heavenly homeland, as if already clothed in a kind of angelic way of life.✦2 Adorned with every virtue pleasing to God, he resolved to live before Him in the justice of holiness all the days of his life, so that already in him a likeness of the glory to come seemed to shine forth.✦
A Father's Final Charge
On his deathbed, Stephen summoned the bishops and nobles, arranged for his nephew Peter to succeed him as king, and urged them to keep the orthodox faith.
At last, by the mercy of God, having been found worthy of the prize of a hundredfold reward, he was stricken with fever; and when he had no doubt that his passing was near, he summoned the bishops and the leading men of the palace who gloried in the name of Christ. First, he discussed with them appointing a king in his place—namely Peter, his sister's son, born in Venice, whom he had long since called to himself and set over his army as commander. Then, like a father, he urged them to keep the orthodox faith.✦✦34
Read the original Latin
Gravedinem morum, quam in iuventute perceperat, usque ad finem vite tenuit. Vix umquam ad risum labia movit recolens scriptum: 'risus dolore miscebitur et extrema gaudii luctus occupat', semper sic apparens, ac si ante tribunal Christi staret, in interioribus oculis eius presentia<m> vultu verendo conspiciens, Christum in ore, Christum in corde, Christum in cunctis actibus se gestare demonstravit. Diem ultimum semper ante cordis desiderio toto mentis statuens, iam inter patrie cælestis cives, quasi quodam angelice conversationis habitu cupiebat habitare. Cunctis Deo placitarum virtutum generibus adornatus et in iustitia sanctitatis coram ipso omnibus diebus vite sue conversari decrevit, ut in eo iam quedam future glorificationis species clarescere videretur. Tandem per misericordiam Dei dignus centuplicate retributionis bravio, tactus febre, cum sibi transit<um> imminere non ambigeret, accersitis episcopis et primis palatii de Christi nomine gloriantibus, primum cum eis tractavit de substituendo pro se rege, Petro videlicet, sororis sue filio, quem in Venetia genitum ad se vocatum iam dudum exercitui suo prefecerat ducem, deinde monuit eos paterne fidem orthodoxam servare.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Prov.14.13 — Even in laughter the heart may ache, and the end of joy may be grief.
- ↩2Cor.5.10;Rom.14.10 — For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what has been done through the body, whether good or evil. Rom.14.10 — But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.
- ↩Heb.11.16;Phil.3.20 — But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. Phil.3.20 — For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
- ↩Luke.1.75 — in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
- ↩Matt.19.29;Mark.10.30 — And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my name's sake will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. Mark.10.30 — whoever does not receive a hundredfold now in this time — houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, along with persecutions — and in the coming age, eternal life.
- ↩Gal.6.14;Phil.3.3 — But may it never be that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Phil.3.3 — For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh—
Notes
- 1 ↩Normalized reading takes presentia<m> as presentiam (His presence).
- 2 ↩angelice conversationis habitu: habitus/conversatio as manner and way of life, not speech; rendered as 'angelic way of life.'
- 3 ↩Normalized reading takes transit<um> as transitum (passing/death).
- 4 ↩bravio = bravium (prize/crown). centuplicate retributionis: hundredfold recompense, gospel reward language.
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