Vita Sancti Emerici
The King's Secret Vigil
Stephen returns in secret to observe the brothers' prayers and greets them with blessing.
For a few days after he'd left Holy Mountain, blessed Stephen, with only two servants attending him, returned to that same place and secretly observed the brothers' vigils and prayers. Now when the morning office was finished and the rest of the brothers had gone back to bed, those alone whom blessed Henry had given extra kisses remained in the church, and separating into the more hidden corners of the church, they kept vigil chanting psalms in the sight of God. And when the holy king approached each one individually, he revealed his face to them and greeted them with words of blessing.
The Silence of Maurus
Stephen tests Maurus's humility, who remains silent, and is ultimately praised and elevated to bishop.
But as each one venerated his royal majesty in hushed silence, he himself finally came to a brother by the name of Maurus, whom blessed Henry had singled out with seven kisses, yet he could draw no response from him, neither by flattering greetings nor by words of royal rebuke. But the next morning, when the brothers were gathered in chapter, the king himself was present, and to test brother Maurus's mind on the virtue of humility, in the hearing of all he put before him many things opposed to the religious life; to this attack Maurus made no reply at all, but standing firm in humility, he fled for refuge in hope to God, who is the inspector of the human mind. Then blessed Stephen understood that his son's words were trustworthy, and when the matter had been recounted in order, he heaped praise on Maurus, and so that the episcopal seat might be adorned through him, shortly afterward he elevated him to the bishopric of Esztergom.
Read the original Latin
Paucis enim diebus interpositis, ex quo de Sancto Monte abscesserat, beatus Stephanus, duobus tantum ministris adhibitis, eodem regressus vigilias fratrum et orationes secreto explorabat. Iamque expleto matutinarum officio, ceteris in lecto se collocantibus, illi soli, quibus beatus Henricus oscula multiplicaverat, in ecclesia persistebant, divisique in angulis ecclesiae secretioribus in conspectu Dei in psalmis decantandis vigilabant. Cumque ad singulos sanctus rex divisim accederet, faciem suam eis manifestavit, et in verbo benedictionis eos salutavit. Singulis autem regiam maiestatem rupto silentio venerantibus, ipse novissime ad fratrem Maurum nomine veniens, quem in septenis osculis beatus Henricus commendaverat, nec blanditiis salutationis, nec verbis regiae comminationis responsionem ab illo extorquere potuit. Mane autem facto, cum fratres conventum celebrarent, rex ipse adfuit, et ut animum fratris Mauri de virtute humilitatis tentaret, in communi audientia plurima ei religioni contraria obiecit: cuius assertioni Maurus nullam contradictionem fecit, sed humiliter perstans, ad Deum, qui humanae mentis inspector est, sperando confugit. Tunc vero beatus Stephanus filii sui verba rata esse cognovit, et re ordine narrata, Maurum laudibus extulit, et ut locus pontificalis per eum decoraretur, paulo post in episcopatum Quinque Ecclesiensem sublimavit.
Vita Sancti Emerici Ducis (Life of Saint Emeric) companion
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