ON ST. BLADULPHUS, MONK OF BOBBIO.
Seventh Century.
CommentaryBladulphus, monk of Bobbio in Italy (St.)
From Jonas the Abbot.
[1] Galesinius, Maurolycus, the manuscript Florarium, the Benedictine Calendar, The name of St. Bladulphus in the Martyrologies. the Cologne editions of Usuard from 1490 and 1521, Ferrarius, Wion, and Menardus record the feast of St. Bladulphus — also called Baldulphus or Blidulphus — on this day. He was a monk of the monastery of St. Columban at Bobbio in Liguria on the river Trebbia, under the Duchy of Milan, as Ferrarius attests. The translation of his and several others' relics is celebrated on the last day of August, Translation. having taken place in the year 1482.
[2] Baronius, at the year 626, no. 31, records from Jonas the Abbot a remarkable miracle performed by God in his defense: "At a certain time, the Presbyter Blidulphus, a monk of the same monastery of Bobbio, was sent to the city of Pavia by the blessed Father Attalas. Having arrived there, he encountered Arioald, King of the Lombards, who was a believer in the Arian sect. When the king saw Blidulphus the Presbyter, he said to his attendants: 'He is one of Columban's monks, who refuses to give a proper greeting to us when we salute him.' When the Presbyter was no longer far off, the King greeted him, though ironically. To this Blidulphus replied: He rebukes King Arioald for heresy. 'I would wish for your salvation, if you did not favor your seducers and lend your mind to doctrines alien to the truth of Christ. For it would be just to confess the ineffable Trinity in one Godhead — not three powers, but three persons; not one person of three names, but in truth three persons, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, with one will, one power, and one essence.'"
[3] "The King, having listened briefly and having moved on, was inflamed with anger and complained that he had no servants who might, under cover of nightfall, trouble that monk who had spoken so contumaciously in his presence and beat him with clubs and stakes until dead. Then one more reckless than the rest declared himself ready for this deed. The King said: 'If you carry out my will in this, I will enrich you with gifts at dawn tomorrow.' That vile man therefore went forth, took another accomplice in crime like himself, and in the thick darkness carefully watched the road by which the monk had to return from the supper of a certain Christian who had invited him to his lodging. When the monk came unexpectedly to the place of ambush, struck on the head He is mortally wounded. and battered in every joint of his body, he was left for dead by those agents, with no one of the people aware of it; for the place was secluded, and he had been unable to cry out, being surprised in the location and by the savage blows."
[4] "Now his host, not knowing what had happened but suspecting the very thing that had occurred (for he too was a Presbyter), took up his staff He rises, as if from sleep, unharmed. and came to the place. Finding him lying as though pressed down by sleep, he tried to rouse him. At the man's voice, he rose as if from his bed, perfectly whole, with no trace of blows visible, went with him to his lodging, and described how he had been seized by certain robbers and beaten with the most savage blows, yet had felt nothing of it."
[5] "After completing the business for which he had gone out, he returned to the monastery. After his departure, The attacker is seized by a demon. the man who had volunteered for the wicked deed was immediately seized by a demon and scourged with various fiery punishments, confessing his crime in a way that brought his own destruction. All the people, terrified by his torments, cried out: 'Whoever shall do any harm to the monks of Bobbio shall be subject to a similar punishment; and whoever acquiesces in the persuasions of the Arians shall rightly endure such wrath from the just Judge.'"
[6] "The wretched Arioald, seeing his crime divinely exposed, was confounded and feared lest something similar befall him. He sent the man whom a horrible force was tormenting, along with his fellow assailants, to Blessed Attalas, requesting that the abbot pardon the crime committed and promising that he would be much disposed to his service if Attalas would deign to accept his gifts. The Blessed Father Attalas replied that he would never, ever accept gifts from an Arian. Nevertheless, he asked all the brothers to pour out prayer to the Lord for the pestilent wretch who had been brought before them. He is freed by the prayers of the monks of Bobbio; he dies shortly after. With their earnest prayers, the wretch was restored to health, but did not long enjoy the gains of life. For when he wished to return to his own home, seized by the fire of fevers, he was deprived of life amid the torments of penal conflagration. They did not dare to bury him near the tombs of others, but placed him far from men in a conspicuous spot, where passersby might say: 'Here lies buried that wretched man who showed his cruelty to the monks of Bobbio.'"