X.29

 

Here begin the miracles and the passing of Abba Aredius, who in this year [591] left the earth and, summoned by the Lord, went to heaven. He was the inhabitant of the city of Limoges, being born not to the parents of mediocre status, but to very noble ones. He was sent to King Theudebert and joined the royal household (aulici palatini). At that time Nicetius, a man of great sanctity, was bishop of the town of Trier. He was kept in very high esteem by his flock not only due to his remarkable skill in preaching, but also because of his good deeds and miracles. He saw young Aredius in the royal palace and, noticing I do not know what divinity in his face, he ordered Aredius to follow him. Thus Aredius, having left the royal palace, joined Nicetius. They went together to the bishop's cell and talked of those matters which are the concern of God. The young Aredius asked the saintly bishop to correct him in his errors, to be his teacher and to give him instruction in the Holy Scripture (volumines divini). He was full of burning zeal for his studies. He passed some time with Bishop Nicetius and then he had his head tonsured. One day when the clergy were chanting psalms in the church, a dove flew down from the ceiling, fluttered gently round Aredius and then alighted on his head. This was in my opinion a clear sight that he was filled with the grace of the Holy Ghost.

 

 

Aredius' father and brother both died, and this man of God, filled, as I have said, with the Holy Ghost, went back home to console his mother Pelagia, who had no one to look after her except her last remaining son. He was by now devoting all his time to fasting and to prayers, and he asked his mother to go on being responsible for all the household duties, to be in charge of the servants, the tilling of the fields and the culture of the vines, so that nothing should come between him and his praying. There was only one commitment for which he wanted to remain responsible, and that was that he should have control of the building of the churches. What more can I tell you? He built churches to the glory of God's saints, collected relics for them and tonsured as monks his own family retainers. He founded a monastery in which was observed the Rule of Cassianus, Basilus, and the other abbots who had regulated the monastic life. His saintly mother provided food and clothing for all the monks. She did not allow this heavy responsibility to interrupt her prayers to God. No matter what she was doing she continued to pray and her words rose up like fragrant incense, finding favour in God's sight. Meanwhile the sick began to flock from all sides to the saintly Aredius. He restored them to health by making the sign of the cross on each with his hand.

 

  

(trans. Thorpe 1974: 589; altered and summarised by J. Szafranowski)