E00351: Gregory of Tours, in his Life of *Monegundis (female recluse of Chartres and Tours, mid/late 6th c., S00150), recounts the death of the saint, her burial in her cell, and the posthumous miracles at her tomb, some with the use of oil and salt that she had blessed; the support of *Martin (ascetic and bishop of Tours, ob. 397, S00050) for her and her community is stressed. From Gregory's Life of the Fathers, written in Latin in Tours (north-west Gaul), 573/594.
Creators: name: Pnowakowski
Publisher: name: University of Oxford
Year: 2015
Subjects: History

description: Gregory of Tours, Life of the Fathers 19.4<br><br>Monegundis lives in a cell at the basilica of Martin in Tours and is head of a small monastic community there. <br><br>Iam enim tempus vocationis eius adpropinquabat, et defessa corpori solvebatur. Quod cum viderent sanctimoniales, quas secum habebat, flebant valde, dicentes: "Et cui nos, mater sancta, relinques? Vel cui conmendas filias, quas in [hoc] loco pro Dei intuitu congregasti?" At illa parumper lacrimans, ait: "Si pacem sanctificationemque sequamini, Deus erit protectio vestra, habebitisque sanctum Martinum antestitem pastorem magnum. Nam et ego non discedam a vobis, sed invocata adero in medio caritatis vestrae". At illae rogabant, dicentes: "Venturi sunt multi infirmi ad nos, flagitantes benedictionem a te accipere; et quid faciemus, cum te non viderint esse superstitem? Confusae enim eos foris emittimus, cum tuam faciem non contemplamur. Rogamus enim, ut, quia haec ab oculis nostris absconditur, ut saltim digneris oleum salemque benedicere, de quo possemus aegrotis benedictionem flagitantibus ministrare". Tunc illa benedicto oleo ac sale, tradidit eis, qua suscipientes, diligentissime servaverunt. Sicque beatissima obiit in pace, et sepulta est in ipsa cellula, multis se in posterum virtutibus repraesentans. Nam de memorata benedictione multi post eius transitum aegroti incolomes beneficia sunt experti.<br><br>'But already the time was approaching when God would call her to Him, and her strength began to desert her. Seeing this, the nuns who were with her wept bitterly and said "And to whom do you leave us, holy mother?" She told them, weeping, "If you keep peace and holiness, God will protect you, and you will have the great bishop St Martin as shepherd. And I shall not be far from you, for if you invoke me I shall be in your hearts." But the nuns implored her, saying "Many sick people will come to us, asking to receive your blessing, and what shall we do when they see that you are no more? We shall be confused, and send them away, since we shall no longer contemplate your face. We beg you, then, since you are going from our eyes, that you deign at least to bless some oil and salt that we can give to the sick who ask for a blessing." And she blessed some oil and salt for them, which they preserved with great care. And thus the blessed woman died in peace; she was buried in her cell, and she manifested herself thereafter by many miracles, for many sick people were cured, after her death, by the blessing which we have just mentioned.'<br><br>Bosonis denique diaconi pes unus a pusula mala conflaverat, ita ut gressum facere non valeret, deportatusque ad eius tumulum, orationem fudit. Puellae vero accipientes ex oleo memorato, quem sancta reliquerat, posuerunt super pedem eius; extemplo, erumpente vulnere, defluente veneno, sanatus est.<br><br>'A deacon called Boso had a foot which was very swollen because of a malignant pustule, so that he could no longer walk. He had himself carried to the tomb of the holy woman and said a prayer there The sisters then took some of the oil that the saint had left and put it on his foot. Immediately the pustule opened, the venom flowed out and the man was cured.'<br><br>Caecus quidam adductus ad eius tumulum, in oratione prosternitur. Inruente autem sopore, obdormivit, apparuitque ei beata, dicens: "Indignam quidem me iudico exaequari sanctis, sed tamen unius hic oculi recipies lumen; deinceps autem propera quantotius ad pedes beati Martini et prosternere in conpunctione animi coram eo.Ipse enim tibi restituit alterius oculi visionem". Expergefactus homo, unius oculi recepto lumine, abiit quo iussio inpulit imperantis; ibique iterum obsecrans beati confessoris virtute, depulsa caeci oculi nocte, videns abscessit. <br> <br>'A blind man led to the same tomb began to pray, and was overcome by sleep; he slept and saw in a dream the blessed woman, who said to him, "I judge myself unworthy of being ranked with the saints; nevertheless you will recover here the sight of one eye. Go then to the feet of the blessed Martin and prostrate yourself in front of him in the compunction of your soul. He will give you back the use of your other eye." This man woke up and, having recovered the sight of one eye, he went where he was told, and there he begged for the power of the blessed confessor; the night was expelled from the blind eye, and he left with his full sight.'<br><br>Mutus etiam ad hoc beatae tumulum prostratus occubuit, qui in tantum fide conpunctus est, ut rivis lacrimarum cellulae inficeret pavimentum. Qui consurgens, absoluta lingua virtute divina, regressus est.<br><br>'A dumb person also came to fall at the tomb of the holy woman, and his heart was so contrite with faith that he moistened the floor of the cell with floods of tears; when he stood up he found his tongue loosened by divine power, and he left.'<br><br>Alius denique mutus veniens, in oratione decumbens, corde tantum inplorabat et non voce solubili beatae feminae auxilium, in cuius ore de memorata benedictione parte infusa, erumpente sanguine mixto cum pure, vocis officium meruit adipisci. Frigoriticus accedens ad hoc monumentum, pallam tegentem attegit, restincta contagionis febre, convaluit.<br><br>'Another dumb person came then, and beginning to pray he implored for the help of the blessed woman with his heart, not being able to do so with his mouth. A little of the blessed oil and salt was put in his mouth, and immediately there escaped from his lips blood mixed with pus, and he obtained the use of his voice. A man who had fever approached this tomb also, and he had hardly touched the cloth which covered it when the fever calmed, and he was cured.'<br><br>Contractus vero Marcus nomine manibus deportatus aliorum ad sepulchrum beatae, [ibi] orationem diutissime fudit. Hora autem nona pedibus propriis stetit, domique regressus est.<br><br>'A cripple called Marcus was carried to the tomb of the blessed woman and prayed there for a long time. At the ninth hour he stood up on his own feet and walked home.'<br><br>Leodinus puer cum in valitudine gravi inruens quarto aegrotaret mense et non solum gressum, verum etiam ciborum usum, insistente febre nimia, perdidisset, ad eius deportatus sepulchrum praemortuus, accepta salute, surrexit e tumulo redivivus.<br> <br>'A boy called Leodinus who had been gravely ill for four months and could not walk or even eat, because of the violence of a persistent fever, was brought to the tomb almost dead; he found health there, and arose from the tomb restored to life.'<br><br>Quid de frigoriticis reliquis loquar, cum plerisque hoc fuit beneficium remedii, cum pallam tumuli sunt fideliter osculati? Quid etiam de inerguminis? Qui adducti ad cellulam beatae, cum limen sanctum fuerint ingressi, integrae menti restituuntur; nec moratur larva egredi e corpore, cum sanctae huius senserit adesse virtutem, operante hoc domino nostro Iesu Christo, qui timentibus nomen suum praemia largitur aeterna. <br><br>'What should I say of all the others who have been cured of fever, just by kissing the cloth on the tomb, with faith? What should I say of the possessed who are led to the cell of the blessed woman, and who, when they cross the sacred threshold, recover their senses? The demon did not delay to leave their body when it felt the power of this saint working through Our Lord Jesus Christ, who freely gives eternal reward to those who fear His name.'<br><br>Text: Krusch 1969, 289-291. Translation: James 1991, 123-125.<br><br>