The Presbyters Project

II 1.6-7

6. (...) Cuidam presbitero longius manenti, qui refectionem sibi in paschali festiuitate parauerat, per uisum Dominus apparere dignatus est, dicens: "Tu tibi delicias praeparas, et seruus meus illo in loco fame cruciatur". Qui protinus surrexit, atque in ipsa sollemnitate paschali cum alimentis, quae sibi parauerat, ad locum tetendit, et uirum Dei per abrupta montium, per concaua uallium, per defossa terrarum quaesiuit, eumque latere in specu repperit.

7. Cumque oratione facta et benedicentes omnipotentem Dominum consedissent, post dulcia uitae conloquia is qui aduenerat presbiter dixit: "Surge, et sumamus cibum, quia hodie Pascha est". Cui uir Dei respondit, dicens: "Scio quod Pascha est, quia uidere te merui". Longe quippe ab hominibus positus, quia die eodem paschalis esset sollemnitas ignorabat. Venerabilis autem presbiter rursus adseruit, dicens: "Veraciter hodie resurrectionis dominicae paschalis dies est. Abstinere tibi minime congruit, quia et ego ad hoc missus sum, ut dona omnipotentis Domini pariter sumamus". Benedicentes igitur Deum, sumpserunt cibum. Expleta itaque refectione et conloquio, ad ecclesiam presbiter recessit.

(ed. de Vogüé 1979: 134)

II 1.6-7

6. A certain presbyter from a far away, who had made ready his dinner for Easter day, was dignified by the Lord, who appeared before him in the vision, and said: "You prepare for yourself delicacies and my servant in such a place is afflicted with hunger". He [the presbyter] at once rose up and on the same Easter day made his way to the place with the food he had prepared for himself. He sought for the man of God amongst the steep mountains, low valleys, and hollow pits, and after a while found him in a cave.

7. When, after they had prayed and given thanks to almighty God, they sat down and had a pleasant conversation about life, the presbyter who came to him said: "Rise up and let us dine, for today is Easter". To whom the man of God answered saying: "I know that it is Easter because I deserved to see you". Having been long hidden from [the sight of] men, he did not know that on this day was Easter. But the venerable presbyter again did assure him, saying: "Truly today is the feast of our Lord's resurrection. It is not proper for you to fast, as I also was sent to you to accept together with you [these] gifts from the almighty God". Therefore, praising the Lord, they began to eat. Having finished the meal and the conversation, the presbyter returned to [his] church.

(trans. Gardner 1911: 53-54; changed by J. Szafranowski)

Place of event:

Region

Italy north of Rome with Corsica and Sardinia

About the source:

Author: Gregory the Great
Title: Dialogues, Dialogorum Gregorii Papae libri quatuor de miraculis Patrum Italicorum, Dialogi
Origin: Rome (Rome)
Denomination: Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian

Gregory the Great wrote his Dialogues between 593 and 594 in Rome when he was the Bishop of this city. They were written in order to present lives and miracles of Italian saints, many of them contemporary to Gregory, and the greatest of them, saint Benedict of Nurcia. The Dialogues are divided into four books in which Gregory tells the stories of various saints to Peter, who was a deacon and a friend of Gregory, and is also known from the Gregory`s private correspondence.

Edition:

Grégoire le Grand, Dialogues, ed. A. de Vogüé, Sources Chretiennes 251, 260, 265, Paris 1978-1980.

Categories:

Described by a title - Presbyter/πρεσβύτερος

Described by a title - Titles of respect

Ritual activity - Celebrating feasts

Reverenced by

Devotion - Supernatural experience

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: J. Szafranowski, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER197, http://presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=197