Volume I, Treatise VIII, Chapter XVIII

What Has Been Said Tn the Preceding Chapter Ts Confirmed by Examples

Buosyvs, in the Life of St. Gertrude, relates, that our Saviour upon a time appearing to her, and telling her he left both health and sickness at her disposal, to make choice of what was more pleasing to her; “What I desire, O Lord!” said she, “is that you have no respect to my desire and choice, but that you effect and accomplish what is most conducive to your honour and glory.”

A certain person who had a particular devotion to St. Thomas of Canterbury, falling sick, made a pilgrimage to the saint’s tomb, in order that, by his intercession, God would cure him of his infirmity. He obtained his petition, and being upon his journey home in perfect health, he began seriously to meditate and consider whether, perhaps, he had not done himself an injury in desiring to be cured of his disease, since he was not certain but it might have been for his greater good to have remained still therein. This thought had so great an influence upon him, that he returned again to the sepulchre of the saint, and there earnestly desired he would demand of God for him, what would most promote his salvation. It pleased God to cast him again into the same infirmity, which he received with a sensible joy and comfort, understanding thereby. that sickness was most expedient for him.

We read in the Life of St. Vedastus, Bishop of Arras, an example somewhat similar, of a blind man who, being present at the translation of this saint’s relics, was very desirous of recovering his sight, that he might see them. His petition was granted, he saw what he desired, and presently put himself. in prayer to God, that if the sight he newly obtained were not for his greater good, he might become blind again; and having finished his prayer, he became blind as before.

St. Athanasius having sent for St. Anthony to Alexandria, to help and assist him in confuting and extirpating the heresies which were spreading there; a learned man who was blind, called Didimus, conferred with the holy abbot concerning several passages of Scripture. At the end of the conference St. Anthony asked him, if he looked not upon it a sensible affliction to be blind? Didimus having some difficulty to own it, at first made no answer. But being pressed even a third time, he confessed at last ingenuously, that the loss of his sight was avery sensible mortification to him. I am amazed, said the saint, that so prudent and learned a man as you, should _be so concerned and troubled at the loss of a thing which is common to flies and ants; and that you rejoice not in possessing what the apostles only, and most eminent saints have merited.

We find in the History of the Order of St. Dominick, that this great saint being at Rome, was accustomed sometimes to visit a holy person, who, falling sick of a most dangerous distemper, had retired to the gate of St. John Lateran, and there immured herself in a tower between four walls. This holy woman was called Bona; and her life was so conformable to her name, that being instructed by the sovereign Master of all, she had learned amidst the most sharp pangs and torments of her sickness, and now almost reduced to the point of death, to preserve a perpetual joy and tranquillity of mind. Her disease was a cancer, that eat away and consumed her breast, which was so putrefied and corrupted that it was almost turned into worms, which were bred there in great abundance; and yet she bore this cross with such patience, as to render it a continual subject of her comfort and thanksgiving. St. Dominick, seeing, amidst her grievous torments, she still retained so much virtue and resignation, had so tender an affection, and so ardent a charity and love for her, as to go very frequently to hear her confession, and administer to her the blessed sacrament. One day, after having confessed and communicated her, he had a great desire to see her noisome and painful sore, the very sight of which was enough to excite horror in the spectators; and at last with much difficulty. obtained his request. When she had opened her breast, and he beheld on one side the loathsomeness, the corruption, and worms; on the other, the patience and content of mind, wherewith the holy woman suffered this infirmity, he felt himself touched with extreme compassion; and, preferring the noisomeness of the disease to all the riches of this world, he earnestly entreated she should bestow one of those worms upon him, to keep as a precious relic. To this she would by no means consent, until he had promised to restore it her again; because she took so great a pleasure in seeing these worms eat and in a manner consume her alive, that when any of them chanced to drop to the ground, she presently took it up with great care, and put it again into the hole it had fallen from. Upon these terms she at last gave him one; which he scarce had received into his hand, when on a sudden it was changed into a pearl of inestimable value. The other religious who were present with the saint, astonished at the circumstance, would needs have him keep it; the sick person at the same time desired her worm, demanding of him back her pearl; which the saint restored, and immediately it was changed into its former shape, and restored by the holy woman to the place it had been taken from, and where it had been engendered and nourished for so long a time. Whereupon St. Dominick, praying for her, and giving her his blessing, departed. And as he was descending the tower, all the loathsome impostume and corruption of the holy woman’s breast, together with the worms, fell off, and the flesh closing by degrees, she was entirely healed in a few days, and testified to the world the wonders and miracles God had wrought in her by the means of his servant St. Dominick.

It is recounted in the same history, that a certain religions, called brother Reginald, being as yet a secular, came to St. Dominick to desire the habit of the order; and at the very time he was to have been received fell sick of a fever, which the physicians judged mortal. The saint, very solicitous for the sick person’s recovery, offered up fervent prayers to this effect; and as well the one as the other invoked incessantly the assistance of the Blessed Virgin, with great fervour and devotion. One day, whilst they were both in prayer for this intention, the Queen of Angels, all resplendent with rays of glory, and accompanied with two other virgins, who appeared to be St. Cecily and St. Catherine, entered the sick man’s chamber, and drawing nigh to his bed, asked of him, “What he desired at her hands? I am come to know,” said she, “what it is you would have me do for you; tell me, and I will grant it.” The sick person, somewhat surprised at so strange an apparition, and seized with fear and respect, knew not what to do or say. But one of the saints that were with the glorious virgin soon freed him from his embarrassment, bidding him ask nothing in particular, and put himself entirely in the hands of the mother of God, who knew what was necessary for him better than he himself. He embraced this prudent advice; and addressing himself to the Blessed Virgin, said, I demand nothing; I have no will but yours, and I deliver up all I have to your disposal. Whereupon the Blessed Virgin, taking the oil the other two saints had brought with them, anointed him after the manner of Extreme Unction, And the very touch of her sacred hands had such virtue, that the sick man found himself wholly cured in an instant, and in as perfect health as though he had never had the least fit of a fever. But what is yet more is, that this benefit conferred upon his body, communicating itself even to his soul, left therein such an impression of purity, as from that very moment he never found in himself at any time, or in any place or occasion, the least motion or inclination tu the contrary.

Church history relates, that amongst the many great and eminent persons who flourished in the fourth age, there was a certain religious, named Benjamin, who had received of God the grace of curing diseases by the imposition of hands, or by praying for the diseased party, and anointing them with some oil that had been blessed. This gift, however, of curing others, did not prevent him from falling sick himself of a dropsy, whereby his body became swelled to that degree, that he could no longer enter the door of his cell. After being eight months in this condition, he died; and having all the time of his sickness healed all sorts of infirmities in others, yet he never complained that he could not heal himself. He also endeavoured to comfort such as were sick of the same distemper, and desired they would pray to God for his soul, and not concern themselves for his body; “For,” said he, “when I was in good health, it profited and availed me little or nothing at all.” ‘

We read in the book called the Spiritual Meadow, of a certain religious, called Barnaby, who having by chance run a splinter of wood into his foot, would not for some time either pull it out himself, or permit others to do it: “That,” said he, “I ma have something to suffer for the love of God.” He frequently said to those who came to visit him: “The more the exterior man is mortified and weakened by sufferings, the more the interior is strengthened.”

It is recorded in the Life of St. Pachomius, that a religious person named Zacheus, falling sick of an epilepsy, never abated anything of his accustomed abstinence, which was never to eat more than a piece of bread with a little salt, and never to dispense with himself in attending choir, and in fulfilling all the

VoL. I., 28 other obligations of his fellow-religious, All the spare time he could find, was taken up in making mats, baskets, and cords; and the rushes he used being rough and hard, his hands were galled and cut in several places, so that the blood issued forth daily. At night, before he betook himself to rest, he meditated upon some passage of the Scripture; and then making the sign of the cross upon his body, he reposed till matins; after which he remained in prayer and contemplation till morning. This was his ordinary distribution of time, and this the holy man practised in sickness. It chanced once, that another religious coming to pay him a visit, and seeing his hands all cut, and the skin off, advised him to anoint them with oil, and assured him he would get ease thereby. He followed his counsel, and made use of the remedy, which instead of mitigating, doubled his pain. Having represented his suffering to St. Pachomius; And do you think, my son, replied the saint, that God sees not our infirmities, and cannot heal them when he pleases? And if, on the contrary, he permits us to suffer, why, do you think, does he deal so with us, unless he would have us wholly resigned in putting all the care of ourselves, and all our confidence into his hands; that having thus offered. us a greater occasion of merit by sufferings, he may afterwards recompense the small mortifications and afflictions he sends us in this life, with a celestial crown for eternity? Zacheus was so moved with these words of the saint, that he replied: “Forgive me, my dear father, and pray to God that he would pardon in me this over-eager desire of being cured, and my little confidence in, and conformity to his divine will” He afterwards performed so rigorous penance, for this trivial fault, that he took sustenance, and that but little, every second day, for the space of a year, weeping and lamenting continually all the time. The great Pachomius was often accustomed to relate this example to his religious, to instruct them how to suffer with resignation, and have always an entire confidence in God, during their sufferings, and also to amend and correct in themselves the least faults and imperfections.

About ReligiousBookshelf.com · A Supernerd Media project