Albert

ON BLESSED ALBERT, HERMIT IN THE TERRITORY OF SIENA.

About the year 1181.

Albert, Hermit in Etruria (Bl.)

[1] Hugo Menard in his Benedictine Martyrology, January 7: "In the territory of Siena, Blessed Albert, Hermit of Monte Alceto, of the Camaldolese Order, renowned for miracles, who departed to the Lord in the twenty-seventh year of his conversion." But the Calendar of Benedict Dorgani, printed at Macerata in 1622: "Blessed Albert, Hermit, renowned for miracles." His life was written in Italian by Dom Silvano Razzi, Camaldolese Abbot, in Book 2 of his Saints of Etruria; which we have rendered into Latin.

LIFE

From the Italian of Silvano Razzi.

Albert, Hermit in Etruria (Bl.)

From the Italian of Silvano Razzi.

CHAPTER I.

The beginnings of ^a holier life.

[1] The abstinence of Bl. Albert even as ^a child. Blessed Albert was born of respectable parents in ^a town of the territory of Siena called Monte Alceto. The singular grace of God toward him shone forth immediately: for even as an infant he refused to suckle except at the appointed hour, in the manner of those who fast. This divinely inspired practice was made much more illustrious when as ^a youth he wished three days of the week to be days of fasting for himself, distributing with his own hands to the poor the food that was offered to him.

[2] When he had passed beyond boyhood, considering that this mortal life is nothing other than ^a kind of pilgrimage and warfare upon earth — and that one must therefore strive so that, when it has at last been traversed, one may be permitted to enter the happy harbor, by the way that Christ demonstrated by word and by the examples of his life — Various pilgrimages. he departed for Rome to visit the basilicas of the holy Apostles; thence he went to Apulia, intending to visit the church of St. Michael situated on Mount Gargano; and lastly to Venice, to the relics of St. Mark. From there he sailed to Palestine: he venerated the most sacred sepulcher of Christ and the other places celebrated as monuments of our salvation, with such feeling of soul and piety that he resolved altogether to consecrate himself entirely to divine worship by means of ^a vow. After spending some time there, shirking no labor of the journey or discomfort of the body, led by the Spirit of God which drove him, he went to Galicia, to the sepulcher of St. James. While he tarried there, ^a dove was frequently seen to fly onto his right shoulder, A dove perches on his shoulders. to insert its beak into his ear, and to whisper something to him, as it were — perhaps as ^a sign of the dove-like simplicity of soul with which the man of God was endowed.

[3] Following the example of Bl. Anselm, he gave himself to penance. Having at last returned home from so many long and arduous journeys, he was determined to fulfill as soon as possible what he had vowed to God and to embrace the eremitical life. By divine prompting, Blessed Anselm from ^a certain hermitage of the Camaldolese Order came to him and, entering his house, said: "This is the dwelling in which I must live." He added that he had learned of Albert's merits and the holiness of his life from ^a certain holy Father. The house of Blessed Albert was therefore consecrated into ^a religious dwelling. Blessed Anselm, staying with him for some days, besides other mortification of the flesh, beat his body most severely with scourges every night. Moved by his example, Albert too began with great courage to be harsh with his own body, to reduce it to servitude, and to afflict it with fasting. The devil's envy was provoked by this zeal of his. He is tempted by the devil. He therefore devised various schemes to recall Albert from the practice he had undertaken: among other numerous enticements, he set before him various forms of women. But the noble athlete of Christ repelled all these assaults of the enemy by constant prayer.

[4] Not long after, by divine prompting, he placed himself under the discipline of St. William, who, having renounced the County of Poitou and the Duchy of Aquitaine, [He lives austerely under the discipline of St. William, and by the labor of his hands.] flourished as an example of the monastic life about the year 1154, and is now honored with extraordinary veneration, especially at Castiglione della Pescaia, where his body is preserved. To repel the assaults of the enemy more surely and to subdue the flesh, he clothed himself in ^a hair shirt and began to sleep on the bare ground; or when he was exhausted by labor and vigils, to rest briefly on ^a narrow plank. His food was barley bread; he drank wine only on Sundays. Furthermore, having resolved, in the manner of the Egyptian Fathers, to live by the labor of his hands, he began to hire out his services in cultivating fields.

[5] Here one day, when he was tormented by ^a most burning thirst, he asked another companion in labor for ^a little water. The man offered him ^a small vessel of water. Opening it Water is changed to wine for him. and tasting the liquid, he said: "Why do you mock me? I asked you for water, not wine. Drink it yourself; I do not want it." When this was spread abroad to many, others who were working nearby gathered, drank of this wine, and widely celebrated the miracle. Many, aroused by this report, came to the holy man and asked him to pour out prayers to God on their behalf, and considered themselves blessed if they could converse with him familiarly. The man of God strongly avoided and shunned this crowd, because it drew him too much from his holy exercises. He therefore fled from that place He withdraws to ^a desert place. and sought ^a deserted mountain or cave where he might lead ^a solitary life and be alone with God, with Christ Jesus, with the Virgin Mother, and with all the Saints.

CHAPTER II.

He inhabits ^a hermitage, renowned for miracles.

[6] He permanently calms the violence of the winds. He came, together with his nephew Grifolo, to ^a mountain called Tauricella, hitherto uninhabited by any mortal on account of the horrific violence of the winds that raged there. Here he immediately built ^a cell; and he obtained from God the grace that, having poured out prayers and blessed the place with ^a religious formula, he banished all the violence of the winds, and thereafter no fierce gust was heard there.

[7] He frees his captured nephew. Meanwhile some sort of dispute arose between the inhabitants of Asciano and Monte Alceto; many injuries were inflicted on both sides. Blessed Albert himself, coming early in the morning to inspect his cell that had begun to be built, fell in with armed men, who nevertheless did not dare to lay hands on him; but they sent his nephew Grifolo into custody, intending to extract some money. Grifolo's father was upset and began to hurl curses at Blessed Albert, who had provided the occasion for this loss to himself and danger to his son. The next day, Grifolo escaped from the hands of the enemy and returned home safe and sound. When he found his father hurling insults at Albert, he himself began to rebuke his father severely, saying that Albert was innocent and that rather thanks should be given to him, since by his merits he had thus escaped from the hands of the enemy.

[8] He then set about continuing the construction he had begun. When the twelve workmen who were quarrying stones lacked drink, the holy man gave them ^a small vessel of wine, He refreshes twelve men for an entire day with ^a small vessel of wine. sent to him as ^a gift that very day. They said: "What? Will this be enough for so many men to be refreshed?" "Take it," said the Saint; "for God can quench the thirst of all of you with it." Taking the vessel, therefore, all drank from it repeatedly and quenched their thirst; and when they returned the vessel to the holy man in the evening, they noticed that the wine was not yet all consumed, and they gave thanks to God.

[9] When the cell had been built in the manner he desired, He is renowned for miracles. he began to inhabit it; and for twenty-seven years he devoted himself constantly to prayers, contemplation, and other holy exercises, with such fruit and increase of divine service that no one was believed to practice the ascetic life more holily in that age — ^a widespread reputation confirmed by frequent miracles.

[10] When he was working in ^a field one day, he came upon ^a hare, which not only did not flee but allowed itself to be caught familiarly. A hare and birds come to him familiarly. When his companions wished to kill it, he said: "Brothers, if this creature has done us no harm, and indeed has entrusted itself to us of its own accord, why should we harm it?" And so he released it. A little later, fleeing from hunters who were pursuing it, the hare ran again to the man of God, who immediately hid it within the sleeve of his tunic until the hunters had departed, and then released it. Hence indeed this Blessed is commonly depicted with ^a hare tucked into his sleeve. Sometimes ^a small bird, flying in through the window, would come of its own accord to his hands and perch on them.

[11] In those regions ^a certain Count was seized with ^a dangerous fever; and when the medicines applied were of no effect, he ordered himself to be carried to Blessed Albert. He drives away ^a fever. As soon as he saw him, having not yet said anything else, since he was tortured by ^a most burning thirst, he demanded water to drink. The holy man offered it to him; and having drunk it, the Count felt that his full health had been restored. The same Count, having ^a barren wife, commended himself to Albert's prayers and begged him to obtain offspring for him from God. He obtains offspring for ^a barren woman. The Saint bade him place his hope in the mercy of God and go to his wife. Not long after, he received ^a son from her, and when the boy had grown somewhat in age, he brought him to Albert and addressed him thus: "Behold your son, not indeed begotten of your seed, but bestowed by God through your merits and prayers."

[12] Count Ubertino, surnamed Spathalonga, so afflicted with ^a quartan fever He heals ^a fever. that his physicians despaired of his health, was carried to him and likewise recovered his former health by the same means. In testimony of this, as he departed he left ^a golden ring placed upon the altar there.

[13] The Countess of the place where he dwelt, having ^a son He cures an ulcer by touch. who was being consumed by ^a most foul wasting ulcer, exhausted by the long and fruitless treatment that had been applied, commended him with great piety and not without tears to the Saint. He laid his hand upon the ulcer, and it was healed in an instant.

CHAPTER III.

Various cures and other miracles.

[14] A certain Spanish virgin, miserably tormented by the disease called elephantiasis, He cures elephantiasis. so that pus flowed from nearly her entire body and worms grew in it, having tried many remedies in vain, set out for Sicily, where hope of obtaining health had been shown to her. At Salerno she heard of the holiness of Blessed Albert and the miracles wrought by God through his merits. She flew thence to Etruria; together with the same Countess and ^a priest named Tuscano, she approached the holy man and most humbly commended herself to him. He said only this: "May the Lord through His mercy and the intercession of the holy Apostles have mercy on you." When the priest who was present was asked to offer the sacrifice to God, while Albert himself received the Eucharist, the girl felt as if all her limbs were pervaded by ^a certain fire, so that all her bones seemed to be burning. Not long after she was completely healed and gave thanks to God, hanging there an image as ^a testimony of gratitude and of the miracle. She wished to spend the rest of her life there, but the holy man could by no means be induced to allow it.

[15] The priest Marianus, who had often bestowed many services on Blessed Albert, when he was seized with ^a very acute fever, He heals ^a fever by prayers. was carried by his friends to the blessed man, who addressed him thus: "Behold, the one you so greatly love." He ordered him to be carried into the oratory and prayed to God on his behalf. The sick man suddenly rose up as if awakened from sleep, and asked in wonder how he had come there. So great was the love that this pious priest bore toward Blessed Albert that after his death he refused to depart from his tomb, but spent the rest of his life there.

[16] A certain herdsman of that region, named Medolo, brought to the point of death by ^a most burning fever, Water of Bl. Albert heals ^a dying man; it is turned into wine. kept asking for the water of Blessed Albert and commending himself to him as best he could. Someone was sent to bring the water; meanwhile the sick man was reduced to such ^a state that funeral preparations had already begun. When the water was brought, one of the bystanders, endowed with greater faith than the rest, began to sprinkle his mouth with drops of that water, as is customary with those oppressed by extreme illness. Scarcely had ^a few drops been admitted into his mouth when, to the astonishment of all, he regained his strength and began to speak and ask for food. Immediately he recovered his full health and, giving thanks to God, asked what wine it was that they had given him to drink, whose power had been such as to recall him from the gates of death to life. They replied that not wine but water had been given to him, which he had asked for in ^a stammering, broken voice. Meanwhile they drew from the same vessel in the sight of many and discovered that the water had been converted into excellent wine. That vessel was fixed in the sacred church as ^a perpetual memorial of the event, and stood there for many years. A similar marvel was performed not long after with similar water.

[17] It would take too long if we wished to recount all the miracles wrought by God through the merits and prayers of Blessed Albert, which are described in the Camaldolese Annals and elsewhere. We shall briefly touch upon these. He restored sight to ^a blind little girl in the territory of Arezzo by laying his hand on her head; He cures ^a blind girl; likewise ^a mute girl. to another girl who was mute, he restored the power of speech by giving her water to drink.

[18] A serpent had entered the bowels of ^a woman named Memolianda while she slept with her mouth open, Through his merits ^a woman vomits ^a serpent unharmed. and was cruelly tormenting her. She was brought half-dead to Blessed Albert. He poured out prayers to God and then offered water to the woman; upon drinking it, she immediately vomited up the serpent.

[19] A woman of Monte Alceto, holding her only little son, who was near death, in her arms, looked out from ^a window facing toward Blessed Albert's cell, and prayed with the deepest feeling: A dying child recovers. "O holy man of God, Albert, if you restore my little son to health, I dedicate him together with myself perpetually to the service of God." Scarcely had the mother uttered these words when suddenly health was restored to the boy.

[20] A certain merchant from Valdorcia heading toward Grosseto had lost his pack animal. He implored the aid of Blessed Albert; A pack animal is preserved. and shortly afterward found it safe between two wolves, for they were unable and did not dare to approach it more closely.

[21] A certain man from the town of San Gimignano, though innocent, was cast into chains by the Count of Monte Alceto. He seemed to see Blessed Albert before him and to hear him advising him to depart with God's blessing, now free from his bonds. A captive is miraculously freed. He rose, therefore, with his fetters loosened; the doors of the prison were opened by divine power, and he passed through the wall as if walking on level ground. Through places previously unknown to him, with no aid from anyone except divine goodness and the merits of Blessed Albert, he at last reached his cell and gave thanks for the benefit bestowed.

[22] The man of God endured many severe assaults of demons. He is attacked by the devil in the form of wolves and ^a serpent. Once so great ^a multitude of wolves converged on his cell that the mountain seemed to be covered with them; but when he had poured out prayers to God and made the sign of the Cross, they all vanished in an instant. At another time an enormous serpent, thicker than ^a great beam, entered his cell. But he, not at all frightened, prayed to God and asked the beast what it wanted with him. The serpent, unable to bear even his gaze, rolled headlong down the mountain with such ^a crash that the entire mountain seemed to sink and be overturned. At another time the devil entered the holy man's cell in the form of ^a most beautiful woman a woman. and, having greeted him, began to say that she was ^a wealthy widow, endowed with great industry, and that whoever received her kindly would be fortunate. The man of God perceived the fraud and ordered the apparition to depart at once to perdition. She continued to use the same flattering words against him. Unable to endure hearing such things, he thrust her out; and she, soon vanishing from sight, revealed by her departure what she was. Nevertheless, in the holy man's members the sight of such ^a form aroused ^a certain titillation, which troubled him the entire following night. Nor could it be entirely suppressed He bravely suppresses the goads of the flesh. until, summoning the priest Tuscano whom we mentioned before, he purified his soul by confession. But even this was not ^a sufficiently effective remedy. For ^a long time, therefore, he tortured his own body and, just as the great St. Benedict once did, rolled himself in nettles and the sharpest thorns until he had blunted every goad of the flesh.

[23] He helps everyone. And since he was possessed by an immense desire for the salvation of others, he instructed all who came to him for whatever reason with salutary admonitions; and in the prayers he poured out to God for them, he first sought the salvation of their souls, then whatever bodily things he was asked for; and he afterwards instructed most of them with the words of the Savior, saying: "Being made whole, sin no more, lest ^a worse thing come unto thee" John 5:14. He refused no one the temporal assistance that was requested. A certain poor man, foully afflicted with elephantiasis, asked him to what place he might withdraw and dwell. "Brother," he said, "I have no other dwelling except this cell which I built for myself. He offers his cell to ^a leper. But I now yield it to you; it shall be yours henceforth." And he would have given it to him, had not his disciples prevented it by providing other lodging for the poor man. A beggar asked him for alms (and it is likely that this happened frequently on so many long and arduous journeys); since he had nothing to give, he gave him the thin cloak with which he was clothed. He gives his cloak to ^a poor man.

[24] He would long since have departed elsewhere out of desire for ^a quieter life, imitating the great Hilarion, and would have withdrawn to other regions as well, had not the zeal of helping his countrymen held him back — not without ^a nod, as we believe, of divine providence, so that ^a somewhat fiercer people might profit from the examples and admonitions of so great ^a Father. He dies piously. Having therefore dwelt in that cell for twenty-seven years, he flew to heaven for the rewards of his labors.