Hans G
07-01-10_1115 St. Romualdus
St. Romualdus, Basilica di Sant'Apollinare in Classe, Ravenna
.
(From a life of St. Romuald.)
1. Romualdo went to the monastery of Class; does penance for the murder committed by her father.
In the tenth century human life was little respected. The men were used to resolve their disputes through violence, because it was almost completely absent from society and church culture of dialogue and nonviolence. The fees prescribed ecclesiastical just forty days of penance for the murders: we seem trivial, but the canons of the time seemed sufficient. Nothing but "respect for life"!
The first chapter of VR reveals two traits Romuald: he was very sensitive to the vital (the beauty of nature, the high price of human life) and very impulsive in fulfilling the dictates of their conscience (a man of s'inorridisce consciousness of sin of others, but normally does not feel obliged to atone). These personal characteristics could be considered weaknesses by men of aristocratic-military caste that owned the young Romuald, but they are just the human basis of his holiness.
A native of Ravenna, Romuald descended from illustrious ducal family. In adolescence he began to feel the inclinations of the flesh of sin, vice at that age wont attack with more force men, especially rich. With his mind, however, was devoted to God assiduously tried to rise and is proposing to undertake something great. For example, if some time was devoted to hunting and happened to find a peaceful corner of the woods, immediately lit up the soul of a desire to retreat and say to himself: "What would be nice to live as hermits in these recesses of the forest! You really would quiet the noise from the world." So, inspired by the sky, his mind, like an omen, it was falling for that one day he would put in place.
His father's name was Sergio. He was greatly interested in the mundane reality and completely absorbed from the business. He kept enmity towards his relative, friction has arisen for a certain property. Seeing that his son Romuald contention that remained indifferent, indeed it was in deep apprehension over the possibility of fratricide, he began to threaten to deprive him of the inheritance if he persisted in his attitude.
But why dwell? Eventually, the two parties enemy ran out of town to settle the dispute, take up arms and engaged in combat. And while he waged on both sides, suddenly the enemy of Sergio eventually killed by him.
Romualdo had not inflicted any injury slain. However, the very fact of being there he took on the repentance of that great crime. Soon he went to the monastery of St. Apollinaris in Classe and remained there for forty days in mourning, as is customary for a murderer.
2. S. Apollinaris appears to Romualdo who, moved by the Holy Spirit, becomes a Monk.
At that time the monastery of St. Apollinaris (called "Classe" because once that place was the sea port and the fleet) was the most important monastic community in the area. But its importance to social policy did not fit a serious spiritual commitment by the monks.
At Class Romualdo meets a "conversation": the term indicates a man who (if rare) take the monastic habit as an adult. In the monasteries of the time almost all the monks are fed, ie children or teenagers donated to the community by their parents grew up in a monastery almost all prefer to stay forever.
Elder brother calls Romuald (twenty years already an adult) to follow his example and be a monk, but he, despite his impulsive nature, is not easily convinced, even after the two visions of St. Apollinaris, the first pastor of the church of Ravenna. Not that Romuald not believe in visions, his hesitation is due to the fact that has not yet heard the voice of his conscience. Eventually you monk, in response to the visions but not the love that the Holy Spirit kindles in his heart.
With the recommendation of Onesto, former abbot and bishop of Ravenna from Class 971, Romuald received the habit. So the date of entry into a monastery Romuald should be placed between 972 and 975.
In the monastery of Classe, while the most rigorous penance mortified, Romuald began to spend every day talking with a hand, good lessons that addressed, albeit within the limits of his knowledge. He frequently urged him to put aside the secular life and immediately choose the monastic life, but fail to convince.
One day, talking of this and that, gave him this jovial joke: "If you show Sant'Apollinare in his body and looks really visible, what reward will you give me?" Romualdo replied: "I pledge irrevocably not to stay longer in world, as soon as I saw the blessed martyr. " Conversely then invited Romualdo not go to sleep the next night and watch with him in prayer in the church. So in the silence of the night, were both long in prayer. Apollinaris, under the gaze of the two, go under the altar at the center of the church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. He was seen leaving the eastern part, where is the slab of porphyry.
Immediately the whole church was filled with bright light, as if the sun had concentrated among those walls the radiance of its rays. The martyrs of priestly vestments and beautifully adorned with a golden spoon in his hand, then all the incense altars of the church. Finished incense immediately returned to the place from which he came, and disappeared also the light that had accompanied him.
Thus the conversation as hard collector began to insist strongly and harassing Romualdo because it maintained the promise. Romualdo, however, was still reluctant and asked to observe a second time that vision. And another night, likewise, remained in prayer and saw the blessed martyr like the first time around.
Since then, happened when a discussion on the body of this martyr, Romualdo said he was adamant that placed in the church and the holy life he continued to present his testimony.
Romualdo had a habit of stopping often in prayer before the altar of the church and beyond, when the brothers retired, he prayed to God with many groans. A few days after the vision, while he was praying with great concentration, suddenly the Holy Spirit so inflamed his heart with the fire of divine love that, suddenly, he burst into tears and could not restrain his tears abundant. Prostrate at the feet of the monks said, with indescribable desire, the monastic habit. The monks, however, fearing the harshness of his father, dared not open the door to his conversion. The chair was then archbishop of Ravenna, Onesto, former abbot of the monastery of Classe. Without wasting time, Romuald went to him and expressed a desire he had in his heart. He enthusiastically to the holy desire to Romualdo said the stimulus of his exhortation and ordered the brothers to accept without delay in their community. And the monks, reassured by this protection, without fear Romualdo welcomed him and gave him the monastic habit. So he spent almost three years in that monastery.
paginecattoliche.it/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=579 (machine translation)
07-01-10_1115 St. Romualdus
St. Romualdus, Basilica di Sant'Apollinare in Classe, Ravenna
.
(From a life of St. Romuald.)
1. Romualdo went to the monastery of Class; does penance for the murder committed by her father.
In the tenth century human life was little respected. The men were used to resolve their disputes through violence, because it was almost completely absent from society and church culture of dialogue and nonviolence. The fees prescribed ecclesiastical just forty days of penance for the murders: we seem trivial, but the canons of the time seemed sufficient. Nothing but "respect for life"!
The first chapter of VR reveals two traits Romuald: he was very sensitive to the vital (the beauty of nature, the high price of human life) and very impulsive in fulfilling the dictates of their conscience (a man of s'inorridisce consciousness of sin of others, but normally does not feel obliged to atone). These personal characteristics could be considered weaknesses by men of aristocratic-military caste that owned the young Romuald, but they are just the human basis of his holiness.
A native of Ravenna, Romuald descended from illustrious ducal family. In adolescence he began to feel the inclinations of the flesh of sin, vice at that age wont attack with more force men, especially rich. With his mind, however, was devoted to God assiduously tried to rise and is proposing to undertake something great. For example, if some time was devoted to hunting and happened to find a peaceful corner of the woods, immediately lit up the soul of a desire to retreat and say to himself: "What would be nice to live as hermits in these recesses of the forest! You really would quiet the noise from the world." So, inspired by the sky, his mind, like an omen, it was falling for that one day he would put in place.
His father's name was Sergio. He was greatly interested in the mundane reality and completely absorbed from the business. He kept enmity towards his relative, friction has arisen for a certain property. Seeing that his son Romuald contention that remained indifferent, indeed it was in deep apprehension over the possibility of fratricide, he began to threaten to deprive him of the inheritance if he persisted in his attitude.
But why dwell? Eventually, the two parties enemy ran out of town to settle the dispute, take up arms and engaged in combat. And while he waged on both sides, suddenly the enemy of Sergio eventually killed by him.
Romualdo had not inflicted any injury slain. However, the very fact of being there he took on the repentance of that great crime. Soon he went to the monastery of St. Apollinaris in Classe and remained there for forty days in mourning, as is customary for a murderer.
2. S. Apollinaris appears to Romualdo who, moved by the Holy Spirit, becomes a Monk.
At that time the monastery of St. Apollinaris (called "Classe" because once that place was the sea port and the fleet) was the most important monastic community in the area. But its importance to social policy did not fit a serious spiritual commitment by the monks.
At Class Romualdo meets a "conversation": the term indicates a man who (if rare) take the monastic habit as an adult. In the monasteries of the time almost all the monks are fed, ie children or teenagers donated to the community by their parents grew up in a monastery almost all prefer to stay forever.
Elder brother calls Romuald (twenty years already an adult) to follow his example and be a monk, but he, despite his impulsive nature, is not easily convinced, even after the two visions of St. Apollinaris, the first pastor of the church of Ravenna. Not that Romuald not believe in visions, his hesitation is due to the fact that has not yet heard the voice of his conscience. Eventually you monk, in response to the visions but not the love that the Holy Spirit kindles in his heart.
With the recommendation of Onesto, former abbot and bishop of Ravenna from Class 971, Romuald received the habit. So the date of entry into a monastery Romuald should be placed between 972 and 975.
In the monastery of Classe, while the most rigorous penance mortified, Romuald began to spend every day talking with a hand, good lessons that addressed, albeit within the limits of his knowledge. He frequently urged him to put aside the secular life and immediately choose the monastic life, but fail to convince.
One day, talking of this and that, gave him this jovial joke: "If you show Sant'Apollinare in his body and looks really visible, what reward will you give me?" Romualdo replied: "I pledge irrevocably not to stay longer in world, as soon as I saw the blessed martyr. " Conversely then invited Romualdo not go to sleep the next night and watch with him in prayer in the church. So in the silence of the night, were both long in prayer. Apollinaris, under the gaze of the two, go under the altar at the center of the church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. He was seen leaving the eastern part, where is the slab of porphyry.
Immediately the whole church was filled with bright light, as if the sun had concentrated among those walls the radiance of its rays. The martyrs of priestly vestments and beautifully adorned with a golden spoon in his hand, then all the incense altars of the church. Finished incense immediately returned to the place from which he came, and disappeared also the light that had accompanied him.
Thus the conversation as hard collector began to insist strongly and harassing Romualdo because it maintained the promise. Romualdo, however, was still reluctant and asked to observe a second time that vision. And another night, likewise, remained in prayer and saw the blessed martyr like the first time around.
Since then, happened when a discussion on the body of this martyr, Romualdo said he was adamant that placed in the church and the holy life he continued to present his testimony.
Romualdo had a habit of stopping often in prayer before the altar of the church and beyond, when the brothers retired, he prayed to God with many groans. A few days after the vision, while he was praying with great concentration, suddenly the Holy Spirit so inflamed his heart with the fire of divine love that, suddenly, he burst into tears and could not restrain his tears abundant. Prostrate at the feet of the monks said, with indescribable desire, the monastic habit. The monks, however, fearing the harshness of his father, dared not open the door to his conversion. The chair was then archbishop of Ravenna, Onesto, former abbot of the monastery of Classe. Without wasting time, Romuald went to him and expressed a desire he had in his heart. He enthusiastically to the holy desire to Romualdo said the stimulus of his exhortation and ordered the brothers to accept without delay in their community. And the monks, reassured by this protection, without fear Romualdo welcomed him and gave him the monastic habit. So he spent almost three years in that monastery.
paginecattoliche.it/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=579 (machine translation)