ON SAINT JUSTUS
LAYMAN OF VICH IN SPAIN.
From Vincentius Domeneccus.
CommentarySt. Justus, Layman of Vich in Spain.
BY G. H.
Vicus, commonly Vich, to the ancients Ausa and Ausona, an Episcopal city in Catalonia keeps with great veneration the body of St. Justus. The sacred cult That his feast is celebrated on this XXVIII of May, with Ecclesiastical Office and Mass, in whose Collect or Prayer his name is expressed, Antonius Vincentius Domeneccus hands down, in the general History of the Saints of Catalonia, and from him Ferrarius in the general Catalogue, and Tamayus Salazar in the Hispanic Martyrology. Some Acts of him the said Domeneccus published in Spanish, Tamayus de Salazar rendered them thus into Latin.
[2] Justus, as ancient tradition is, a Catalan by nation, A life perfect in the state of a layman, originating from the city of Ausona, which today they call Vich, proceeding in lay conversation, treated common business, just as other citizens, without offense. But fleeing those and other things of the world, he trod down its allurements with strenuous piety: so that forthwith collecting the treasures of spiritual riches, he heaped up a rich store of virtues. For relying on this protection he so wove his life, that he reached the height of the greatest opinion, and merited to be described in the Catalogue of the Saints. After St. Justus had done many deeds for the service of God, and knew the end of his rightly accomplished life would quickly come, God so disposing being prepared for death, he rendered his spirit to the Creator. certain miracles wrought after death. But the divine Goodness did not wish to shut up the sanctity of Justus; but determining to manifest it to the world, wrought very many miracles by his intervening merits. But, on account of the negligence of predecessors, very few remained in notice: of which in the ancient Breviary of this Episcopate three miracles of great weight are contained, which in a certain Hymn of this Saint are thus narrated. A high and strong wall once fell upon the sepulchre of the Servant of God: whose fabric, utterly destroyed by the force of so great a blow, the believing faithful; and forthwith drawing away the rubble; found the tomb entire without any harm by the providence of God. A lamp was burning on the altar of St. Justus, upon which the wall fell, and the lamp was found entire by the people, admiring so great a miracle, and giving thanks to God. The sacred bones of St. Justus in the sarcophagus some young men first heard moved with a certain noise, then admonished by these the Lord Priests of this Church heard the same commotion.
[3] Thus far from Domeneccus Tamayus: but since Domeneccus professes that nothing is had of this St. Justus besides the ancient Breviary of Vich, The Hymn supposititious for an ancient one. from which the aforesaid miracles are taken; Tamayus would have consulted well for our faith and his, if he had taken care that that Hymn be sought. He took care perhaps (for so he writes in the Notes on this day) The Hymn related by Domeneccus has not yet come to my hands, unless it be a certain one which in the margin of my codex, traced by hand is found, although composed beyond the rules of prosody. He then brings forth the Hymn itself, but which if thou readest, thou wilt judge, rude indeed, as Tamayus prefaces, but yet of recent fabric. But this he wished to dissimulate, and with trash of this kind probably composed by himself, but published either under another's name or none, he stuffed his Martyrology. This we having found by longer use, learned to hold suspect all things which he praises, as found in his Manuscripts, until of them it be more certainly established to us from elsewhere. It remains therefore that from the old Breviary of Vich itself someone send us the aforesaid Hymn, together with the Lection on the life, if any there be, as Domeneccus seems to hint.