Roman Monks Antonius

ON THE HOLY ROMAN MONKS ANTONIUS, MERULUS, AND JOANNES.

Sixth Century

Antonius, monk at Rome (Saint) Merulus, monk at Rome (Saint) Joannes, monk at Rome (Saint)

[1] Gregory the Great had built six monasteries in Sicily before his pontificate, as John the Deacon writes in his life, which we shall give on March 12: Monastery of Saint Gregory at Rome. "The seventh, within the walls of the city of Rome, he built in honor of the Apostle Saint Andrew, near the basilica of Saints John and Paul on the Clivus Scauri, as ^a monastery in his own residence; in which he himself also took the monastic habit." It is now inhabited by Camaldolese monks, as Octavius Pancirolus attests, and is called the monastery of Saints Gregory and Andrew.

[2] Feast of the three holy monks, Here three most holy monks lived with him: Antonius, Merulus, and Joannes; whose most blessed passing he himself describes in the Dialogues. Their names are inscribed in the Roman Martyrology on January 17: "At Rome, in the monastery of Saint Andrew, the blessed monks Antonius, Merulus, and Joannes, of whom Saint Gregory the Pope writes." The same are commemorated by Menardus, Wion, Dorganius, and Ferrarius in the catalogue of Saints of Italy; Antonius and Merulus by Galesinius; and Trithemius in book 3 on the Illustrious Men of the Order of Saint Benedict, book 3, chapters 23 and 25; and Petrus de Natalibus, book 11, chapters 116 and 117, where he writes Merolus for Merulus. Trithemius in the cited book, chapter 21, does not treat of this Joannes, as Wion supposed.

[3] Molanus in the first edition and the German Martyrology list Antonius and Merulus on March 15. But ^a certain manuscript Calendar of Saints of the Benedictine Order relics. has Merulus on January 21 and Antonius on January 31. Pancirolus reports that their relics are preserved in the same basilica under the main altar.

LIFE FROM SAINT GREGORY, book 4 of the Dialogues, chapter 47.

Antonius, monk at Rome (Saint) Merulus, monk at Rome (Saint) Joannes, monk at Rome (Saint)

[1] Sometimes Almighty God first strengthens the minds of the fearful with certain revelations, so that they may not fear in death at all. For ^a certain Brother named Antonius lived with me in the monastery, who with many daily tears yearned for the joys of the heavenly fatherland. And when with the greatest zeal Antonius's piety. and with great fervor of desire he meditated upon the sacred Scriptures, he sought in them not words of knowledge but the tears of compunction; so that through these things his mind, once kindled, might blaze and, abandoning earthly things, fly by contemplation to the region of the heavenly fatherland. To him it was said in ^a nocturnal vision: His death foretold from heaven: "Be prepared, for the Lord has commanded you to depart." When he said he did not have the means for traveling, he immediately received the reply, saying: "If it concerns your sins, they have been forgiven." When he had heard this once but was still trembling with great fear, he was admonished again on another night with the same words. Then, after five days, he was seized by ^a fever, and while all the Brothers prayed and wept, he departed this life.

[2] Another Brother also, called Merulus, lived in the same monastery, vehemently devoted to tears and almsgiving. Psalmody from his mouth had almost never ceased, as also for Merulus: except when he gave nourishment to his body or gave his limbs to sleep. To him there appeared in ^a nocturnal vision ^a crown descending from heaven upon his head, made of white flowers. A sweet fragrance from his tomb. He was soon seized by bodily affliction, and departed this life with great security and cheerfulness of spirit. When Peter, who now presides over my monastery, wished to make ^a burial place for himself at his tomb fourteen years later, so great ^a fragrance of sweetness emanated from that same tomb, as he asserts, as if all the perfumes of flowers had been gathered there. From which it was plainly evident how true was what he had seen in the nocturnal vision. Health unexpectedly restored to Joannes;

[3] In the same monastery also there was another man called Joannes, ^a young man of great character, who surpassed his years in understanding and humility, sweetness and gravity. When he fell ill and was brought to the point of death, ^a certain old man appeared to him in ^a nocturnal vision, touched him with ^a rod, and said to him: "Arise; for you shall by no means die from this ailment, but be prepared, for you will not be here for ^a long time." Though he had already been given up by the physicians, he was suddenly healed and recovered. He narrated the vision he had seen; and for two years, as I said, he conducted himself in the service of God beyond his years. But three years before this, death foretold, when ^a certain brother had died and been buried by us in the cemetery of the same monastery, and all of us were leaving the cemetery, the same Joannes, as he afterward indicated, pale and trembling, was found there after we had departed, and was called from the grave by that same Brother who had died. And the subsequent end confirmed this. For after ten days he was seized by fevers and departed from the flesh.