On the Anniversary of Saint Eusebius, Bishop of Vercelli

 

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2. What, then, shall I say of the glory of the martyr Eusebius, whose whole people is that glory? And when Scripture says that "a wise son is his father's glory," how many glories are his who rejoices in the wisdom and devotion of such sons! For in Christ Jesus he himself begot us through the gospel. Consequently, whatever there is of virtue and grace in this holy people is traceable to the teaching of Saint Eusebius. This purity has flowed in streams, as it were, from this most unsullied fountain of virtues. For since he abounded in the vigor of chastity he established a foundation for virgins; because he gloried in the deprivations of abstinence he introduced the hard servitude of the monks; because he was endowed with charming speech he drew the love of all his people to God; because he shone in the administration of the episcopal office he left many of his disciples as the heirs of his priesthood. Although some leave treasures of gold and silver to their children, no one has left them richer than has Saint Eusebius, since indeed they have all stood out as either priests or martyrs. To say nothing of other matters, what is especially wonderful is that in this holy church he established those who were clerics as monks and had the priestly offices contained by the same interior disciplines by which matchless chastity is also preserved, so that there would be in these men both the contempt of material things and the exactitude of Levites. Thus if you saw the monastery's little beds you would think them the equal of Oriental ones, and if you observed the clergy's devotion you would rejoice as if you had seen the angel hosts.

 

(trans. B. Ramsey 1989: 243-44)