ON SAINT VASIUS,
MARTYR OF SAINTES IN GAUL.
AROUND THE YEAR 500.
PrefaceVasius, Martyr of Saintes, in Gaul (St.)
G. H.
[1] There is an ancient city of Saintes among the Aquitanians, where many distinguished heroes inscribed in the tables of the Saints are found, among whom, about the year of Christ 500, the Martyr of Christ Vasius flourished and died; Sacred cult: whose celebrated memory is made in the Church of Saintes on this April 16, on which day in the Breviary of that Church, printed at Poitiers in the workshop of the brothers Marnesi in the year 1538, his festive veneration is prescribed, and these Lessons are recited about his Life.
[2] "In the city of Saintes, a certain young man, Vasius by name, a compendium of the Life from the Breviary of Saintes: was born of illustrious parents, who had been possessors of many riches, all of which they left to their son Vasius. Being left to his own power, the young man began to attend the assembly of the holy Church assiduously. There, intent on divine discourses, he heard the admonition of the Apostle saying: 'Do not love the world, nor those things which are in the world: for if any man love the world, the charity of the Father is not in him.' 1 John 2:15 Which the most holy man in no way let pass with deaf ear, selling all his precious things, began to distribute them to the poor: and making his large household free, he loosed it from the bond of servitude, and generously gave many gifts to many. Which his kinsmen, who were to succeed him intestate, bearing grievously, pursued him with capital hatred, because by giving away the inheritance to the poor he deprived them. On this account they conspired for the death of the holy man, and having suborned bloody ministers, they arranged for him to be killed: which was done. But Vasius, having left them his earthly possessions, obtained the heavenly."
[3] memorial in the Martyrologies These things from the said Breviary of Saintes on April 16: on which day also his memory is celebrated in the manuscript Florary of Saints,
the manuscript Martyrology of the Utrecht Charterhouse, and in the Auctarium of Usuard by Grevenus the Cologne Carthusian. But on the following day, April 17, Saussay in the Gallican Martyrology pursues him with a long elogy. also April 17. We give the Acts of martyrdom from two Utrecht manuscripts, namely of the Carthusian monastery and of the Church of Saint Savior, and especially from the Boddeken manuscript of the Canons Regular in the diocese of Paderborn, Life from manuscripts. in which all things are contained more clearly with this title: "Here begins the passion of Saint Vassius, which is on the 16th day before the Kalends of May, or April 16." Saint Vasius is also written Vasio, Vassius, Wassius, and Bassius.
ACTS OF MARTYRDOM
From three manuscript codices.
Vasius, Martyr of Saintes, in Gaul (St.)
BHL Number: 8500
FROM MANUSCRIPTS.
[1] In that time, when the Arian heresy was afflicting the Gothic nations Saint Vasius, noble and rich, and had occupied the land of the Gauls with its perfidy, there was a certain religious man in the district of Saintes, Vasius by name, sprung from a Senatorial family: whose parents were very noble, and left him much wealth, gold, silver, and countless other things. As he was entering the church, he heard the Apostolic sentence explained, thundering thus: "that the rich fall into temptations and the snare of the devil." 1 Timothy 6:9 Then, returning into himself, not as a deaf hearer, understanding in mind what he devoutly might fulfill, he gives his goods to the poor: filled with heavenly grace, he came to his house: and the most blessed man began to give all his goods to the poor, and to free all his household to liberty, committing himself entirely to divine worship: then, illumined with heavenly splendor, he was praying for the pardon of the people.
[2] In those days there was a certain man from his neighbors a, Proculus by name, and he called his sons, one of whom was called Naumancius b, who said to him: "I have heard of your heir Vasio, that he ceases not to disperse all his goods c to the poor through his stupidity, and reserves nothing for you who are his heir: he suffers ambushes: and there is now nothing left but one field where he is said to dwell." And the son, answering him, said: "If you wish, I will go, and cast the most foolish Vasio out of my parents' inheritance." This word pleased Proculus his father. And Naumancius, having learned his father's will, came to the servant of God and said to him dissemblingly: "Brother Vasio, ought you not to be my heir?" and he rebuked him because his property was being sold to various peoples. To whom the man of God replied: "Do you with the inheritance of your fathers what you will: I will make the heavenly King heir of my inheritance." And he replied: he is cast out from his goods: "I have the law, and according to the law I will today cast you out of the inheritance of my fathers": and angry with him, with cudgels and insults he cast him from his house.
[3] But when this had been done through his perfidy, Vasius, trusting in the Lord, went to Alaric the King of the Goths, by King Alaric's mandate he is to be restored in full, who at that time ruled the region of the Aquitanians; and reported all the injuries which he had suffered from Proculus and his son. When the King had clemently heard his words, and because God protected him everywhere; being greatly angered against Proculus, he ordered the Notary to write letters speedily: and gave them to Vasius, and commanded him to bring them to Proculus, that he might restore to him his whole inheritance. Again the King said to the blessed man: "By my Lord I swear, if all things are not fulfilled for you by Proculus, as is inserted in these lines, and you appear before my sight again for this matter; I will in my wrath avenge all your injuries, and will send my servants who will kill him, and they will restore all your goods to you." he incurs greater hatred: These things done, the man of God Vasius, having departed from the King's presence, came to Proculus, and showed him the King's letters. When he had unrolled them, the most cruel Proculus said to Vasio: "On account of you we have now offended the King: but I shall make it so that you do not report our actions to the King any more." Then the man of God Vasius, filled with the Holy Spirit, said: "I am not a magician, as you assert, but my Lord Jesus Christ I have always loved with my whole mind: but you and your sons, like ravenous wolves, have seized my inheritance."
[4] To this the tyrant Proculus answered: "If this fool still stands in my sight, suspended, he is grievously tortured, he will turn us all into fury." Then he ordered his ministers to bind him, and suspend him, afflict him with torments, and apply burning torches to his sides. But the man of God, trusting in the Lord, bore patiently all things that were inflicted on him, for he was full of the Holy Spirit. Then the raging, most cruel Proculus called his son Naumancius, and said to him: "What seems to you of this man, since no torments prevail against him?" Naumancius answered: "It seems that you should go and he is surrounded with various deceits and beg pardon from him, that he may grant me indulgence: and you shall say that I will restore all his fields to him tomorrow." Then the most wicked men took wicked counsel on the sinister side, that when they should be bound to restore the field to him, then they would kill him. And when the devil had thus sent it into the heart of Naumancius, he came to the man of God, where he was kept shut up in custody: and told him all things which his father had commanded. Then the most blessed Vasius answered him: "I give thanks to my God, because what you promise now to restore to me, I shall possess for a little time in this life, yet for eternity I shall possess. For in this time my possession is small: nor have I anything from which I can restore to you your assignments: but yet I do not doubt of God's mercy. I shall come tomorrow and restore to you your assignments on account of the field which you are to restore to me." On the next day, coming to the field, the holy man of God Vasius, on bended knee, said to Naumancius: he is killed, his head cut off: "Restore to me my unfailing field, which I may possess forever." Then the most wicked Naumancius, drawing his sword, cut off his head: but the rest seeing this, said: "O blessed man, in whom the Holy Spirit always was, and for things transitory he received the eternal kingdoms."
[5] At the same hour the aforesaid impious Naumancius ordered his servants to lift his body the body cannot be transferred elsewhere, and throw it into a hidden place, where no one could find it. Then his ministers, lifting the holy body, and carrying it from the ninth hour until dawn; morning come, weary and exceedingly fatigued, they saw themselves to be in the very place from which they had lifted the body of the Holy and Most Blessed. And one of them said: "What shall we do, since we can neither stand nor walk, where is the way we have taken?" And they said to one another: "Truly this man was a servant of God." Leaving his body, they returned to Naumancius. And he, when he saw them, was glad, and said to them: "What have you done?" And they, answering, said: "Through the whole night we walked, going around, and could accomplish nothing of the way, but in the same place where we lifted him, there we set him down." But the unhappy Naumancius, turning to wrath, said: "After all these things, I will go, and I will make a great fire, and there I will have his body burned." nor burned; But at the same hour, having entered the place to burn the body, the wretched Naumancius, while he was sitting, said to his servants, mocking the blessed man: "Where is Vasius, and why does he not come: for he said, 'I will restore to you your assignments after your meal.'" Then the unhappy one, turned to vain joy, his slayer wretchedly destroyed. in a final laugh deposited all his bowels through his hinder parts in that most fetid place, so that according to his merits punishment might follow him: and he who in the world had rejoicing taken away the things of others, should wretchedly lose his own together with his life, by the judgment of omnipotent God: that all might know him to be slain by a cruel death, who had slain such a man; and that he should be worthily handed over to be tormented perpetually in hell.
[6] There was finally in that time a noble and religious man, he is buried, Franco by name, who with the greatest diligence composed the body of the precious Martyr in linens, and thus near the river Charente e, next to the public way, in a sepulchre with hymns and praises he deposited it, and likewise composed a worthy tomb. But after much time, when the merits of the holy man and the opinion of his virtue were spreading to his tomb, he shines with miracles, whatever infirmity one was held by, coming to his tomb, was soon healed. It is long to tell the wonders of God, which he deigned to work through his servant. When the Bishop who had received the Bishopric at Saintes from the King of the Franks learned this, that God was showing many wonders there; taking counsel with the citizens, they passed the whole night there in the praises of God, a church is raised with a monastery, and over that same holy body they dedicated f a church, and there appointed an Abbot with monks: and always even to this day the Lord works many miracles there through his servant, who lives and reigns as God through the eternal ages of ages. Amen.