Amasius

ON ST. AMASIUS, BISHOP OF TEANO IN ITALY.

After the year 350.

Amasius, Bishop of Teano in Italy (Saint)

[1] There was formerly a twofold Teanum in Italy: one in Apulia on the right bank of the river Frento, where now only its ruins are seen; the other still stands in Campania, distinguished by its episcopal see under the Archbishop of Capua; known to the ancients generally as Teanum Sidicinum, of Teanum Sidicinum from the Sidicini, the people who once held it, to distinguish it from the other Teanum: the Italians now commonly call it Tiano. It is situated on a low hill, as Ferrarius writes, beneath which extends a pleasant valley.

[2] The first Bishop recorded as having sat here is St. Paris, who is venerated on the Nones of August. Bishop St. Amasius. St. Amasius succeeded him, whose feast day is celebrated on the 23rd of January; erroneously, as we judge, assigned by Ferrarius in his general catalogue of Saints to the 25th of January, since he had previously listed it in his Catalogue of the Saints of Italy under the 23rd. His feast day, His life, from the Acts of the Church of Teano, formerly printed, was sent to us at Naples by our colleague Antonius Beatillus, divided into nine Lessons. The same was published in Italian on good authority by Paulus Regius, Bishop of Vico Equense, life. in part 2 of the Lives of the Saints of the Kingdom of Naples; and briefly by Ferrarius in the aforementioned Catalogue.

LIFE

from the Acts of the Church of Teano.

Amasius, Bishop of Teano in Italy (Saint)

BHL Number: 0355

From the Acts of the Church of Teano.

Lesson I.

When therefore the most Christian Emperor Constantine had been translated to the heavenly empire, his son Constantius obtained the kingdom of the East by his father's testament. Bearing a mind like a reed shaken by rising winds against the evangelical teachings and the ancestral religion, he presumed to take up war and to inflict a violent tempest against the churches of Christ. For he endeavored to renew by the shield of his defense the perverse doctrine and faith of Arius, While Constantius persecuted the Orthodox, condemned by the universality of the Council of Nicaea and repudiated by his own father's judgment; decreeing by a general sentence that whoever should presume to come with a bold front against his dogma must be struck down. Imperial pragmatic sanctions therefore circulated by imperial edict, and everywhere throughout the lands the adherents of the Catholic faith were proscribed: some were condemned to exile, others were afflicted with beatings, and still others, stripped of their own possessions, were compelled to forsake the grace of their native soil.

Lesson II.

When very many persons fled from the East to Italy to avoid the persecution, it happened that the priest of God, Amasius, reached Julius, the Bishop of the Roman See and Father of the universal Church. St. Amasius comes from Greece to Rome: The supreme Pontiff, therefore, seeing a man distinguished by his proven testimony and the glory of his eloquent speech, praised in him his faith and constancy of mind, and gave him instructions to preach the word of God most insistently throughout the surrounding illustrious churches, strengthening the firm in faith by word and example; He is sent by Pope Julius to preach: and those whom he should find wavering in the truth of the faith, he was to recall to the path of righteousness by sacred exhortations.

III.

Without delay, having received his permission and the grace of his blessing, he set out on his journey, and in order to fulfill the office enjoined upon him, he hastened to Sora: for he had learned by reliable report that the detestable dogma of the Arian heresy had been spread there by certain ministers of Satan, At Sora, a paralyzed boy. and that the people of that city had been corrupted in great part by the infection of that pernicious pestilence. Having entered the aforementioned city, he was received with the kindness of hospitality by a certain widow named Crescentia. She had an only son whose name was Arthemius, afflicted with the chronic illness they call paralysis. Although she had spent all her means on physicians for her son's health, he had received no remedy, not even the simplest, through their assistance.

Considering therefore in the priest of the Lord the grace of his teaching and the merit of his holiness, she prostrated herself at his feet and with tearful prayers began to implore his aid: At the request of his hostess, the boy's mother: Most holy Confessor of the Lord, she said, and champion of the Catholic faith, bowing before the sacred gaze of your dignity, I tearfully set forth my suppliant prayers for my son, who, drawing out his vital spirit by a toilsome lot in limbs already nearly dead, is compelled to exhale his wretched soul still more wretchedly. For long deprived of a husband's support, and often anxious on account of his sufferings, I have spent upon his care all the means I seemed to possess. Since therefore we have found no help for his health from any human hand, I am compelled to fly to the mercy of the divine majesty, hoping and holding sure confidence in the Lord that by the gift of grace and the privilege of your merits, I shall obtain the benefit of salvation for my son in effect. To this the venerable priest of the Lord, as one abounding in the depths of compassion, said: It is not the power of my merit to obtain what you ask: but in the power of Him who said: John 16:23 Whatever you shall ask the Father in my name, it shall be done for you; know that your son is to be healed in His name. And saying this, he ordered all who were present in the room to withdraw. Immediately all carried out his command; he alone, prostrating himself upon the ground and praying at length, implored health for the young man from the Lord with frequent tears and sighs.

V.

When the prayer extended for a long time, the rigidity of the sinews began gradually and little by little to soften, He heals him by his prayers; and the harmful stiffness to be changed by the grace of natural movement. Immediately therefore, he who before had uttered nothing but groans and sounds of lamentation, turned to joy and proclaimed the praises of divine praise. At this there arose immense rejoicing among all, and a gathering of people streaming together from every direction to the widow's house: one great cry rose to heaven from those who rightly praised the name of the Lord, who, working signs and wonders through His Saints, deigns to come mercifully to the aid of human necessities. Meanwhile, the fame of so great a miracle spread to the surrounding regions ... and the peoples of various cities, bringing to him by his holy merits those oppressed by diverse ailments, begged him to deign to impart to them the grace of his aid and blessing. And very many others. All of whom, having invoked the name of Jesus, he both restored to health and dismissed to return to their homes in safety. For he restored sight to the blind, speech to the mute, and the ability to walk to the lame; he cleansed lepers and freed those oppressed by unclean spirits by his command alone. Since therefore he was unceasingly engaged in these and similar works, the fame of his name daily increased even through remote places, and the error which the greater part of the city of Sora had embraced, he was driving out by the eloquence of his abundant teaching.

VI.

But the enemy of the human race, envying the progress and salvation of mankind, infected with the deceits of his malice the hearts of certain powerful and noble men of Sora, so that, having once drunk the dregs, they were irrecoverable and could not be turned to the path of truth. He is driven out by the Arian faction, These men indeed, inflamed with a zeal for perversity, first exhorted the most holy man of God with blandishments, that he should desist from the defense of the true faith and incline both his words and his mind to the fellowship of their sect. They also added the severity of the imperial sentence, by which it was irrevocably decreed that whoever should be found to be men of this persuasion must either repent of their erroneous iniquity, or, if incorrigible, be subject to the general judgment. We therefore present you with a choice, they said: either lay down the bane of this doctrine, or depart from these places as a corruptor of the region, never to return. To this the illustrious Confessor of the Lord, who knew not how to yield, fortified with the shield of faith and girded with the sword of salvation, replied: Since it is more fitting to obey God than men, behold, I shall neither observe the commands of your rulers in this matter, nor shall I desist from the defense of salutary doctrine. For it is holier He is grievously maltreated: and more prudent for me to lay down my temporal life for the truth than to subject myself to eternal death by holding wrong opinions about God in my soul. The crowd of the wicked was therefore inflamed to anger, and, not enduring so authoritative a testimony from the glorious man, they assailed him with cruel words and deeds, afflicted him with insults, blows, and scourges, and having subjected him to many injuries, left him nearly half-dead.

VII.

But the true priest of the Lord, with nearly all his limbs debilitated, departed as far as he was able, protected only by the aid of Christ; and he entered the town called Atinum, He comes to Atinum, in order to restore the strength of his body. Remaining there for some time and recovering the health of his limbs with the Lord's help, he afterwards set out on his journey and, with the gift of the Spirit going before him, arrived at the city called Teanum. Then to Teanum; The most holy Levite Urban, therefore, hearing of the venerable priest's arrival, rejoicing and exulting in the Lord, went out to meet him with certain brethren; and receiving him honorably, he provided him with lodging and relieved the toils of his journey. Where he is received by St. Urban the Deacon: Having also stayed with him for some time, when he wished to continue his proposed journey, he was recalled by many entreaties to remain and to await the grace of the divine dispensation. Assenting therefore to his prayers and salutary counsel, he abandoned his planned journey and attached himself with complete devotion of faith and sincerity to the most holy Paris, the first Bishop of Teanum, and to the venerable Deacon himself. When the glorious Paris had been translated to the starry kingdom at the Lord's call, He succeeds Bishop St. Paris: the clergy and the entire people of the aforementioned city assembled to provide, under God's direction, a worthy priest in place of the deceased pastor. When all were unanimously agreeing upon the election of Blessed Urban, he himself, humbly declining the prelacy offered to him, devoutly and suppliantly besought all to elevate the priest of the Lord, Amasius, to the pinnacle of so great a dignity, since he surpassed him both in the gravity of his fruitful maturity and preceded him in the rank of the priesthood.

VIII.

Assenting therefore to the counsel and admonitions of Blessed Urban, the citizens transferred their votes and appointed the holy priest as their pastor and shepherd of souls; and they presented him for consecration to Julius, the Bishop of the First See, whom we mentioned above. He is consecrated by St. Pope Julius: The supreme Pontiff therefore, rejoicing at his promotion, gave thanks to the Lord that He had raised a man of notable confession and praiseworthy life to the governance of souls and to the summit of the highest dignity. Pouring therefore the horn of saving grace upon his head, he anointed him with sacramental unction and adorned him with the vestment of the pontifical office. Having received this anointing, alienated from all secular affairs, he devoted himself entirely to divine service and spiritual gains. The care of external affairs he entrusted to the holy Levite Urban for administration, so that the more freely he might search out and explore the secrets of the heavenly mystery, He diligently attends to his office, the less he would have of the defilement of earthly dust in his actions or his mind. For he was diligent in preaching, attentive in exhortation, strict in correction, humble and benevolent in his responses. He showed himself humble in prosperity, steadfast in adversity, reliable in his word, Illustrious in virtues and miracles: sweet in speech, cheerful in giving, gracious in receiving, constant in matters of doubt and efficacious in the certitude of affairs. He obtained such power and effect of signs and healings that no one came to him, burdened by any ailment whatsoever, who did not taste the benefit of his prayers and merits.

IX.

When he had most worthily governed the Church entrusted to him for some time, he foreknew by the revelation of the Spirit that the time of his dissolution was approaching. Wherefore he prepared a cemetery for himself with columns, with the help of the citizens; where, putting off the mortal man, having completed his last day, he returned earth to earth He dies. and spirit to heaven; and, borne by the ministry of Angels into the joys of paradise, he received the rewards of his labors. He was buried by the hands of the faithful on the tenth day before the Kalends of February. But when all errors had been driven out and the unity of the Catholic faith was celebrated throughout the entire world, those noble men of Sora, The Sorans build him a church. of whom we made mention above, who had raged against the holy man with injuries, returning to their senses and repenting of the crimes they had committed without cause against the Saint of the Lord, humbly begged for pardon. Wherefore, in memory of the most holy Father Amasius, constructing a church on their own land at their own expense, and conferring upon it many benefactions from their own possessions, they secured it with privileges and public instruments. To this church the people of the aforementioned city come yearly, and devoutly celebrating the passing and memory of Blessed Amasius, they render to the Lord Jesus Christ the tributes of praises and votive offerings: to whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit there is one glory, the same majesty, the same dominion, now and always and through infinite ages of ages. Amen.