Clarus of Vienne

ON SAINT CLARUS, ABBOT OF VIENNE.

The feast of Saint Clarus, Abbot of the Monastery of Saint Marcellus, is recorded on this day by Joannes Molanus in his Additions to Usuard, The memory of Saint Clarus in the Martyrologies. Hugo Menard, Arnold Wion, Philip Ferrari, and others. Trithemius also mentions him in Book 3, On the Illustrious Men of the Order of Saint Benedict, chapter 246. His life was published in French by Rene Benoist, and in Latin from ancient manuscript codices by Laurence Surius, which we have corrected in not a few places from various readings submitted by our own Peter Francis Chifflet.

LIFE.

CHAPTER I.

Clarus, holy from boyhood, calms a storm with his prayers.

[1] About to write the life or deeds of Blessed Clarus, Priest and Abbot, I implore the grace of God, that He who gave him to live well and holily may also grant me an opening for speech and to write his praiseworthy deeds without blame.

Clarus, distinguished from boyhood by divine signs. This man, distinguished from boyhood by signs of divine gifts, so advanced in the grace of almighty God that he obtained from the Lord by his prayers whatever the gift of the Holy Spirit persuaded should be sought. For it happened that as a boy he had a mother bereft of her husband, who devoutly came from time to time to the memorials of the holy Martyrs near Vienne for the purpose of prayer, He accompanies his mother to the memorials of the Saints. with whom Clarus used to come as her attendant. This woman lived in a village called Bellicampus.

[2] When one day Clarus was following her to prayer as was their custom, they came to the most holy monastery beyond the Rhone, where at that time the bones of the most blessed * Martyr Ferreolus rested. When the woman with her boy Clarus, placed in compunction, had prolonged her stay for many hours, and now in the evening wished to return to her lodging, the Rhone, with winds driving it, began to rise most dangerously into waves. Already the mother with her boy Clarus had entered the boat; and with the sailors despairing, the boat nearly overwhelmed by the waves, the boy Clarus is said to have cried out with hands stretched toward the church of the blessed Martyr Ferreolus, with tears flowing: He calms a storm with his prayers. "God, for whose name the Martyr Ferreolus suffered death, help us in our peril!" Immediately the Rhone, rendered gentler, carried the boat with a mild impulse to its own shore. Snatched from danger, marveling at the boy's faith, they gave thanks to God.

\* Celebrated September 18.

CHAPTER II.

The various monasteries of Vienne.

[3] At that time there was a vigorous man, pleasing to God, Cadoldus, Bishop of the Church of Vienne. The monasteries, both of men and of holy women living under holy profession, which he governed with pious strictness, both in the city and outside the city walls, were the following principal ones. The monasteries of the Grinianese, Various monasteries within and outside the city of Vienne. founded by the holy Bishops of the city, in the greatest of which the bones of the most blessed Martyr Ferreolus were venerated. The convent of holy women of the blessed virgin Columba, having thirty nuns. For the Grinianese establishments nourished four hundred monks. The Monastery of Saint Peter, situated on the southern side of the city, contained nearly five hundred monks. The venerable memorial of Saints Gervasius and Protasius, fifty. Likewise the Monastery of Saint John the Baptist, fifty. Likewise that of Saint Vincent the Martyr, fifty. The monastery of Saint Marcellus the Martyr, thirty. The convent of holy widows of Saint Blandina, twenty-five. Saint Andrew's within the city walls, one hundred. Another Saint Andrew's, one hundred. That of Saint Nicetius, the glorious Bishop of that city, forty. The monastery of Saint Martin held one hundred and fifty monks, living united under the strict regular discipline. Moreover, in the greater house of the holy Martyrs, many clerics, maintaining the Apostolic life and living as one, were so numerous that in arranged companies * they performed the sacred offices. At Saint Severus there was also a venerable body of clerics. Also other venerable dwellings of Saints living together in community, numbering about sixty, living under the care of the Bishop, were quite well situated in the diocese of Vienne. So at that time the Church of Vienne flourished to the glory of almighty God.

\* On whom see January 14.

\* others: Grinincensium, or Griniacensium. Surius: Grimanensium.

\* variant: the ministries of the offices.

CHAPTER III.

He becomes a monk, then Abbot; he miraculously heals various people.

[4] Clarus becomes a monk, then Abbot. The mother of the boy Clarus, therefore, solicitous for the things of God, visited these pious places more frequently. When the boy Clarus was entrusted to the monastery of the holy monks at the memorial of the blessed Martyr Ferreolus, she herself closed her last day at the convent of Saint Blandina. And so the boy Clarus, raised holily in the monastery, so advanced that the monastery of widows was afterward entrusted to his guardianship. Made Abbot in the Monastery of Saint Marcellus by the holy Bishop of the city, Clarus by name, illustrious in virtues, illustrious in every religious observance, vigorous in all his actions, he administered the charge placed upon him diligently through the grace of God.

[5] He cures one suffering from fever. It happened that the mother of the monastery was gravely afflicted with fevers to the point of death. Clarus therefore came to the bed of the afflicted woman with faith; and as he touched the hand of the feverish woman, praying secretly to himself in the sight of the nuns, the healed woman rose from her bed, and entering the church with the others, she offered hymns of praise to God.

[6] He heals another of an ailment of the bowels. A certain brother also, weighed down by a grave illness of the bowels, was anointed with holy oil by Father Clarus and restored to health. It happened that once, while going to an estate with monks, a certain man covered entirely with ulcers met him. Then Clarus commanded a certain monk: "Go, brother, wash this wretched man in the little stream running nearby." He heals another of ulcers. Immediately the other obeyed; as the water touched the wretched man (wondrous to tell), the source of his wounds was completely closed, and the skin was shown to be whole, in the sight of all. Many afterward saw that same man as the gatekeeper of the monastery.

CHAPTER IV.

Other miracles of Clarus.

[7] He restores a vineyard destroyed by hail through his prayers. By chance the man of God came upon a vineyard of the brothers that had been struck by hail. Having called the keeper, he asked whether any clusters necessary for the use of wine had remained; but since scarcely a few were found, prostrating himself on the ground, he spent the night there. On the next day, what can scarcely be believed, the vineyard appeared so laden with clusters hanging from it that it could give no indication at all that it had been struck by hail.

[8] Likewise at a certain time when the brothers had gone fishing and he was standing near the bank, a certain man too carelessly * moving the nets fell into the water. The Rhone had then happened to fill its banks; the brothers were exceedingly fearful for the danger of the falling man. He rescues a man from the peril of drowning by the sign of the cross. When Clarus, full of faith, made the sign of the cross against it, the man, whom the water was dragging, was immediately freed from danger and came to the side where Clarus stood with the brothers. All rejoiced and began to sing the Mercies of the Lord. But that they might become even more joyful after so great a gift, they merited to have at their disposal a huge fish drawn to the shore.

[9] It was his custom to walk about through the fortress at night for the sake of prayer, where the monastery of Saint Blandina is situated, and the devil, assuming a human form of astonishing height, with flaming eyes, presented himself to him, asking what he was doing there. Clarus, perfect in faith, recognizing the enemy's deceits, stood undaunted and asked who he himself was. Then the devil said: "I have been sent for this purpose, to drive you from this place, because our power over this place would have long since been established had you not stood in the way." Clarus, relying on divine power, said: He routs the devil. "Depart, Satan! Christ has opposed you, whose is the earth and its fullness." With a great noise, therefore, so that the whole fortress seemed to be shaken, the devil departed; and seizing one of the handmaidens who was serving before the doors of the monastery, he began to vex her. Clarus hurried there and, thrusting his fingers into the girl's mouth, put the malignant spirit to flight. And so she was restored to health and caused joy among the handmaidens of God. Many are the things that Christ wrought through him in the Church of Vienne.

\* others: removing.

CHAPTER V.

His prophecies.

[10] When the time of his falling asleep was at hand and this had been revealed to him by the Lord, one day in the gardens of the brothers, he sat down while sick; and calling the brothers to him, he began to address them spiritually and sweetly, saying: "My brothers, according to the Apostle's saying, 'Through many tribulations we must enter the Kingdom of God.' I will not be silent about what has been revealed to me by the Lord. Acts 14. This our city, under the peace of the times, will have six Bishops governing the Church of Christ. After they have slept, He predicts the devastation of Vienne by the Vandals and Saracens. under the seventh Bishop there will be a most grievous persecution of the Pagans, and this city by the just judgment of God will be delivered to them for destruction. The monks and inhabitants of this land will partly be killed, partly put to flight, with the sacred buildings burned, everything laid waste, and nearly reduced to desolation. Now therefore, brothers, fearing the judgment of God and taking care for yourselves, attend watchfully, that when the days of tribulation come, if any of you are found, you may be found better prepared to endure. Bury my body in the church of the most blessed Martyr Blandina and her companions." These things the brothers who were then present heard. Which the outcome of events afterward demonstrated, when not only the province of Vienne but far and wide other provinces too were devastated by the Vandals and the Saracens.

CHAPTER VI.

The death of Saint Clarus.

[11] He is invited to heaven by Saint Blandina. When he was now lying ill, on the third day before his clear soul left the corruptible body, while he always persevered in the praises of God, he saw around twilight the heaven open and an immense army of the whitest and snowy color descend above the cell where he lay; which army was preceded by a youth of wondrous beauty and splendor. When Clarus gazed upon this with unblinking eyes and a joyful face, the most blessed virgin Blandina, recognized by him, began to console him and to exhort him to follow so great an army. And when he assented with his wish and desires, he heard from her: "On the third day, at the fifth hour, Saint Marcellus and I, coming to you, will lead you with us to the blessed kingdoms; and lest the enemy be able to harm you, this whole army of God that you see will be with you." With the vision thus departing, the blessed man was carried by the brothers into the church and, stretched out upon a hair-shirt, as long as he survived, he did not cease from the praises of God.

[12] As the hour of his departure approached, he began to chant the Psalter. When therefore the brothers, having finished the psalms, said "Let every spirit praise the Lord," light and an ineffable fragrance filled the entire cell where the Saint of God lay; He dies on a hair-shirt. Fragrance and light in his cell. and thus his blessed soul, freed from the flesh, migrated to the Lord. Ps. 150:6. The same fragrance remained all the way to the place of his tomb. As he was being carried there, a certain man paralyzed was brought near the bier of the blessed man and was immediately healed in the sight of all. A paralytic is healed through his aid. He was buried in the church of the blessed Martyr Blandina and of the forty-eight holy Martyrs, before the altar, where he lay long illustrious for miracles. His death is observed on the Kalends of January.