Vita Sancti Maximi

To the most blessed Lord Father, Pope Urbicus, the Patrician Dynamius sends greetings. Since, inflamed with the ardor of the apostolic faith, you investigate with diligent inquiry all the virtues of Saint Maximus which the faithful account of his deeds reveals, you do not cease to press my inexperience; confirming also by paternal admonitions and the authority of your command that I will be held guilty of no small fault unless I strive to add to the Life of him, which I am known to have written some years ago in a rustic style, whatever you have manifestly discovered concerning his miracles—wherefore I am confounded by a twofold shame, since neither is the ability to speak granted to me, nor is the security of silence allowed. If I speak, my revealed rusticity shows my mind unskilled. For if it had been permitted, I could have pleased with a concise style, but I cannot avail myself of the resources of learning. Placed, therefore, between these two difficulties, I have determined to obey your commands, intending to please by obedience, not by doctrine. You have indicated, then, that you have unrolled old volumes of charters, in which the devoted diligence of your predecessor, the most blessed Bishop Faustus, had collected something from his works, from which you could scarcely discern a few things by sense rather than by sight. For the consuming voracity of envious age had destroyed many things which lay hidden.

Unless the series of my writings were to hand down to eternal memory a few out of many, you judged it to be quite impious. Hence I consider that I have partly satisfied your wishes, in that a multiplied reading follows, drawn out into a long succession. Whenever this reading, long since perused, produces weariness in the hearers, it may pertain to your delight: if it confers the reward of merit, nothing from that will likewise pertain to me, who, compelled by your commands, have written more at length than I wished, and have omitted the refuge of brevity. I, therefore, whom you, a most prudent shepherd, strip of the silent cloak and lay bare from the covering of silence, beseech you to fortify him, spread among the whole people, with the protection of your intercession. Whenever the length of the reading is reduced, let the unpolished diction not displease, which the tenor of the holy narrative commends. For there is no doubt that, to the extent that you present the deeds of that holy bishop with wholehearted devotion, you likewise meditate on works, so that with complete eagerness of mind you strive to follow the footsteps of him whose adornments of actions you love: provided that, by divine favor and by his own patronage, a long tranquility of temporal life and the desired capacity for holy work be granted to you, truly holy lord and most blessed pope.

Here begins the Life. The holy solemnity of the most blessed Maximus, bishop of the city of Rhegium, is celebrated today, a day which is renewed each year through the returning cycles of the seasons. The pious devotion of my mind and ancient custom urge me to record his deeds. For unless those things which are clear and by no means doubtful, having been ascertained by the reasoning of others, are consigned to the monuments of letters, what was done in ancient times is often reported in various ways by new authors. So that the marks of his mystical action may have nothing ambiguous, and nothing in them may be made fabulous by common sentiment, or be suspected of vanity, those things which were done and approved by him are to be narrated in truthful speech. From among these very things, however, lest excessive length bring weariness to the listener, we have passed over very many in silence, and have noted but a few. The blessed Maximus began his life in his own village, which has the name Decomeco, born of Christian parents, and was made a Christian immediately. From the very beginnings of his infancy, growing always in sublime humility, he so chastened the tender years of his age with the maturity of his character that he claimed for himself the property of his name by the grace of his sanctity. After he passed beyond the years of youth, he tamed the allurements and blandishments of the mind with the mastery and discipline of his spirit, so that he obtained the palm of incorrupt integrity of promised virginity, and triumphed in the heavenly kingdoms, having subdued the flesh under the yoke.

He was indeed endowed with all the adornments of good qualities, and is deservedly to be extolled with praise and proclamation: for he was venerable in countenance, gentle in appearance, calm in speech, serene in spirit, strong in patience, conspicuous in magnanimity, a lover of peace, generous toward enemies, disdainful of transitory things, burning with desire for heavenly things, exchanging eternal for temporal things, and despising and scorning temporal things for the sake of eternal ones. And so that he might inwardly know the precepts of divine law, he advanced so greatly in letters by the natural sharpness of his intellect that he sought pasture for his soul through eagerness for reading, and like bees he drew forth the nectar of eternal sweetness. Although he trampled upon all the tinder of carnal vices and shone forth in every respect with a distinguished manner of life, nevertheless he broke the strength of his body by the assiduity of abstinence, pursuing and restraining the vices of the flesh before they were born, so that for his martyrdom nothing seems to have been lacking except an executioner. For he himself, without doubt, made himself a martyr both by torment and by merit.

Moreover, abandoning all his abundance of possessions, he sought the monastery of Lérins, where the righteous man would find eternal riches: following the evangelical precepts, knowing that he could not become perfect unless he sold all his goods and made himself a stranger to all wealth. In that community, however, since he loved all with perfect charity, he himself was likewise loved by all. Indeed, such fervor existed in him that, before he had embraced the monastic rule of life or the mystical institutions, he already seemed outstanding in his conduct, and then he succeeded his predecessor, the most highly adorned with supreme virtues, Saint Honoratus, who had been abbot there, and equaled him both in honor and in merits. In this office, while he watched over his entrusted flock with pastoral diligence, and each night, while others were occupied with sleep, he would make a round of the monastery, it happened contrary to custom that a certain monk, still a boy, moved by some curiosity or concern, followed him. But behold, the devil, the insidious one, presented himself to the sight of the most blessed man in a terrible and monstrous form. However, since he could not terrify him, who was clad in spiritual arms, he struck the unsuspecting monk with such terror that, as he returned with trembling step to his cell, a burning fever soon seized him.

Again that persistent impostor, hoping to disturb the holy man in some way, showed himself to him in the form of a fiery dragon. But immediately, terrified by the sign of the cross, he vanished. For now the invincible athlete, having overcome the enemy many times, hardly feared him. After he had traversed the entire circuit of the island of Lérins, he quickly approached the bed of the sick monk whom we mentioned had fallen into a fever; and secretly, within the depths of his own heart, pouring forth prayers to God for him, he brought it about that the monk was soon restored to his former health, and the enemy, cheated, was frustrated of his prey. Thus the twin virtue obtained an invincible victory, when it both restored strength to the sick man and conquered the adversary: the enemy lamenting the loss he had suffered, the monk rejoicing in the health he had recovered. Now, as the excellent shepherd was making his rounds of the Lord’s flock each night, lest anything adverse happen, he once came to the shore of the sea called Moles, and immediately that old trickster dared, by his illusions, to present before his eyes a ship laden with cargo, and sailors busily at work in his usual manner, gathering the ship’s tackle; and two of them approached the sides of the blessed man, saying that they had come there for the purpose of trading, because the outcome of the affair would have declared that it would be with no small profit.

He knew that Maximus was no less in sanctity than in name; and that in transmarine places he was so greatly desired by all that, if they could obtain him, they would hold nothing in greater price. Therefore, they would make no greater gain than if they could place him on a ship and carry him off to Jerusalem, a venture found to be successful beyond expectation. This would undoubtedly be for his own great honor and dignity, if he were brought there by a favorable voyage, where he was so much awaited by the vows of all. But the man of God, recognizing the snares and evil deceit of the enemy, fortified himself with the sign of the holy cross, implored heavenly aid, and then with spiritual authority replied thus: The wickedness of a charlatan and impostor cannot deceive the soldiers of Christ, nor can the malignant one delude with his frauds those over whom God presides so that they can foresee adversities. The prayers of the most blessed Honoratus have so fortified this island, the dragon its inhabitant having been expelled by him, that no further opportunity for harm lies open to the devil in it. At these words, the fictitious ship vanished from the eyes of the one praying, and soon he returned to the oratory, urged the brothers to rise for the vigils, and together with that holy congregation he himself rendered the most celebrated praises to Him through whom he had gained victory over the enemy.

But when the fame of his extraordinary virtues flew throughout the whole world, he was no less seized than chosen for the episcopate of the city of Rhegium, by the zeal not only of the citizens but also of all the priests and prelates; and although unwilling, he was immediately consecrated. And although Maximus was already both in deed and in name, and seemed scarcely to have any room in which to grow further, yet so that nothing might detract from his name, just as he remained Maximus in work and deeds, so also he excelled in honor. Among the other ornaments of right actions, therefore, which shone forth in him, he was strong in patience, patient in benevolence, cheerful in freedom, abundant in liberality, beneficent in magnanimity, gentle in humanity, diligent in assiduity, sweet in charity, generous in munificence, outstanding in learning, singular in justice, sublime in humility, a despiser of wealth, and copious and affluent in dignity. He built a temple in the castle of Rhegium in honor of the blessed Albinus, with as much devotion of spirit as he could; the columns of which, which may still be seen there today, yokes of oxen dragged to that place, but in such a way that they felt no burden from such great weight, the sanctity of Maximus effecting this as long as he was present as an indefatigable worker at the construction of the temple. But if it happened that he was absent, by the hidden machination of a most wicked demon, all the oxen were so weighed down by their burden that they could be driven forward by no goads.

Even if many others were added, all remained unmoved, no matter how savagely they were beaten and wounded. When a swift messenger reported this to the most blessed bishop, he came to the place without hesitation and with confidence, neither trembling with fear nor disturbed by grief. Then the most wicked enemy could not deceive his eyes, nor could he hide himself from his sight, though he could not be seen by the eyes of the whole people. The holy man said to them: "You vainly torment the beasts devoid of reason, while you cannot see the enemy's obstacles. But I see a small Ethiopian, throwing himself in front of the oxen." Then, bending his knees, he prays suppliantly to God that the enemy's snares be turned aside. The evil one, unable to endure his prayers, quickly withdraws, not without a most foul stench. Soon, with the oxen that had been added removed, the columns are dragged to the designated place without any difficulty.

Nor have we thought it should be omitted, for strengthening the spirits of the Rhegians, that when the most blessed bishop was bringing sacred relics with the highest honor, chanting, to the basilica built by him, and when the city gate was reached, that verse unexpectedly occurred in order: "This is the gate of the Lord; the just shall enter it." From this it can undoubtedly be gathered that by his prayers that city is so fortified that, just as up to now, with Christ propitious, it has endured no enemy attacks over long intervals of time, so also henceforth, with God favoring, it will least of all suffer them. For that excellent shepherd, whom his deeds testify to be alive, could easily obtain after his departure from God that the city in which he himself had been bishop be fortified by his outstanding merits for perpetual times, by the power of his body in the most sacred temple which he founded, shining with many benefits which are there bestowed upon all.

Once, when the holy man was keeping watch with pastoral zeal in that same basilica, the nephew of Ansanus the Deacon of Rhegium—that is, the son of his brother, whom his parents, departing this life, had left as a little child, and whom he himself had undertaken to raise, and loved more than if he were his own son—while playing with boys on the wall of that city, fell from the wall, broke his neck, and died. Greatly distressed by the news of this event, Ansanus hurried quickly, covered the snatched-up corpse of the boy with garments, and carried him secretly to the blessed Bishop, meanwhile pondering with himself how he might place him publicly at his feet and beseech him as a suppliant to restore his life. But because he knew that the most proven soldier of Christ utterly shunned boastfulness, he preferred to carry him to his bedchamber, place him on his bed, and cover him with his coverings, fully confident that the spiritual physician could rouse him with his prayers, since he was accustomed to bring health to the sick. Then, not without great sorrow of heart, but full of confidence, he approached the bishop keeping watch in the church and standing in his place. When he saw him, the most merciful prelate, in order that he might explain what had been done, imposed silence on those singing psalms; and after completing his prayers with his usual devotion, he sharply rebuked that deacon Ansanus for what he had done.

But he could not only not be driven away by these terrors, but was even more deeply moved in spirit; he threw himself at his feet and cried out that he would not let him go unless he raised the dead boy, saying that he could do this most easily, since without anyone telling him he already knew what had been done concerning the boy. Compelled by this importunity and constrained by reason, he wished to withdraw secretly with Ansanus to his little bed, but he could not avoid the crowd of people who wished to be present at the miracle of such a great event. After he came to the lifeless little body of the boy, he began to implore divine aid with his whole body, and taking the boy's hand with great confidence, he restored him to his former health. Then the whole people cried out: "Glory to you, God"; and none of them allowed themselves to be removed from there until they saw the boy moving and heard him speaking. He could scarcely be led back to the vigils by the efforts of his clergy. In this miracle both the great faith of the deacon and the illustrious virtue of the bishop shone forth.

Moreover, it happened that a certain widow’s only daughter, a young girl, departed from life; and when the wretched mother had prepared her to be carried out on a bier according to custom, she hastened trembling to the blessed bishop, and indicated the cause of her grief to him more by tears than by words, begging him to pour forth prayers over the lifeless body. The holy prelate, moved by pity, could neither refuse nor delay; but approaching the corpse, with hands raised to heaven, he prostrated himself and implored God, and the dead girl was restored to life. For immediately, as if released from a deep sleep, she woke, opened her heavy-laden eyes, arose when called, her mother was filled with immense joy, the whole people stood amazed: the bishop, who by the merits of his virtues had undone the laws of death, fleeing vainglory, at once withdrew; but the people, praising God with loud voices, tore and rent the greater part of his garment, intending to keep it as a relic, with a certain civil violence: so that, on account of his manifest virtues, what was barely left on his shoulders is preserved to this day by the devotion of the faithful.

A certain young man perished, choked by the bite of a rabid dog. The people saw this, went to the bishop, and begged him to come to the dead man. But he, suspended in uncertain thought—since on one hand he could not disregard the tears of the suppliants, and on the other he feared vainglory for himself—was finally overcome by compassion; he did what was asked, came to the dead man, raised his hands to heaven, and likewise with streaming eyes, in the sight of the people, he roused the deceased. The parents were present, beating their breasts with their fists, drenching their faces with tears over their son to such an extent that he could not rise from the ground, even though he was restored to life. Meanwhile, extending one hand to his father and the other to his mother, as they raised his wavering limbs, he lifted himself up. The people shouted thanks to God; the man, given back to life, returned to his home, for which a tomb was already being prepared; the parents rejoiced with incredible joy: they could scarcely believe their own eyes that a man who had been dead was alive. Behold, however, that dog which had savaged this young man and many others with its vicious bites came into the bishop’s sight; the bishop, moved, having cast aside his staff and raised his hands upward, prayed to the Lord, then immediately breathed upon the dog, and it was deprived of life. It does not seem surprising that the blessed bishop, wishing to protect the flock entrusted to him, destroyed its enemy with a lethal stroke: not by a sword or an armed hand, but by the breath of his mouth.

Moreover, the wounds that that dog had inflicted with its teeth upon many of the people, the blessed bishop healed with prayers and the sign of the cross, so that no trace of them appeared. A butting ox had horribly gored a man, his entrails spilled out. Soon some people bring him to the bishop. Although in all his miracles he feared lest he be assailed by pride of spirit, yet he mercifully received the man so badly wounded, warmed his entrails with warm compresses, handling them with his own hands, replaced them in their proper place through the wound inflicted by the ox, gently bound the wound itself with a sponge applied, and earnestly warned that no one except himself should dare to undo that bandage. Then on the seventh day, removing the bindings, he found the man so healthy that scarcely any sign of the wound seemed to remain. The most holy man subdued the limbs of his body with the perpetual roughness of a hairshirt, which he used as an inner tunic, and he never laid it aside out of devotion to the cross, but even ordered himself to be buried in it. He never wished to use baths, lest the constancy of his mind, by which he endured martyrdom through trampling upon the pleasures and enticements of the flesh, should be softened. A certain blind man, condemned to perpetual darkness for fifteen years, continually besought the most holy man to restore light to him through his prayers.

But the bishop, in order to avoid ostentation, delayed this; a blind man asked Rusticus the subdeacon, who was accustomed to serve him, to lead him at night, when the bishop was visiting the churches, to the vestibule of the temple from which he would exit. The subdeacon did this, and when the blessed man was about to leave the temple, he gently stepped on the blind man’s feet; the blind man, suppliant, embraced his venerable footsteps and begged him to restore his sight. So the bishop confidently implored the Lord, impressed the sign of the cross upon his eyes, and the long-extinguished lights were soon restored. The bishop kissed the man and adjured him to keep the matter silent within himself, which, however, he could not do because of the immense exultation of his spirit; and even if he had wished to conceal what had been done in secret, it could not remain hidden, since it was plainly visible to everyone’s eyes. The miracles of the most blessed bishop are countless, nor can they all be recounted, however lengthy a speech may be woven. It was very easy for him to give light to the blind, to heal the lame, to raise the dead. In short, he could accomplish nothing that he did not have the Holy Spirit dwelling within him. Meanwhile, however, while he was so resplendent with miracles and immense mysteries, he learned of the day of his death by divine revelation. Then indeed, with the utmost humility, he publicly begged everyone to allow him first to visit his native soil and his relatives.

And although this would bring great sorrow to their hearts, he nevertheless went away to his own people, and foretold to them that his death was now imminent. And so, having marvelously cheered them by his arrival, he greatly disturbed them with this most sorrowful news. And behold, while he lays himself down on his bed as if to take sleep, during the chanting of the divine office, he breathes his last breath, and happily migrates to the heavens on the fifth day before the Kalends of December; and such a great abundance of the sweetest fragrance then arose from them as if all the flowers of springtime had been brought together into that place. The swift report of his death filled not only the city, but the whole world. From all sides, crowds of the faithful people flocked together, eagerly striving to touch even the covering of his vehicle, deeming such contact a source of salutary protection. A certain young girl from the village called Decimae was being carried dead to the tomb, the corpse already placed in a wooden coffin, but the coffin itself not yet covered. But when those who were bearing her heard the voices of those chanting and accompanying the sacred body of the blessed bishop, they asked with tears that the bier which they were carrying be drawn over the girl's body. Those men, inflamed with the ardor of faith and having no doubt about the outcome, thought that the holy prayers of these people should by no means be rejected.

And when this was done as they had requested, the people conversed among themselves, saying that the apostolic man, the blessed Maximus, to whom divine grace had never been lacking, although he had already paid the debt of nature, nevertheless lived on through his virtues and merits. Therefore, all together prostrated themselves with the most faithful devotion of spirit, and after praying at length, and then rising, when they had cried out "Kyrie eleison" seven times, they saw the girl restored to life. For this reason, a great terror seized them, and they were filled with a mixture of astonishment and joy. The girl, having set aside her funeral garments and put on others, joined the throngs of the gathered people, and with a public voice gave testimony of her salvation in praise of the holy bishop, speaking these words: "O most blessed merits of the priest! O blessed man, and blessed life of the pontiff, who, to declare that he lives eternally by divine reward, after death, raised a dead girl to life!" Finally, the body of the most blessed bishop was brought into the town of Rhegium, and with great ceremony was buried in the church of the blessed Peter, which he himself had founded, and which was later called by his own name, on account of his frequent patronage; where whatever is confidently sought is obtained with the help of Christ. Therefore, let faith not be doubtful, since the power is infinite.

Not long after, when many things were being related by many in commemoration of the holy man, Cariatto the subdeacon, a man of most holy life, publicly testified to this: "Let none of us doubt," he said, "that the most blessed Maximus, concerning whose virtues so many things are reported, with truth prompting them, while he dwelt in a mortal body, was no less conversant with angels than with men. For the human condition which kept him with us, the dignity of his merits displayed him as a constant companion to the blessed spirits. One night, as the most celebrated solemnity of blessed Andrew was approaching, when I had been appointed to rouse the people for the vigils, and at the first hour of the night a gentle sleep had overcome me in my watchfulness, I heard the sweet melodies of psalm-singers; and immediately roused, I tore myself from my bed with no little disturbance, thinking I had neglected the proper time for waking them. But then I drank in with my ears melodies of spiritual songs far sweeter than can be produced by human effort. So at once I betook myself with cautious step to the vestibule of that very citadel, and there I, a sinner, heard the most blessed apostles Peter and Andrew, as they anticipated one another with alternate honors, completing that prayer for the holy Maximus. And when at last, compelled by his constant offering, blessed Maximus could no longer put them off, he completed the office with these words: 'May the blessed glory of God endure forever and unto ages of ages,' the others responding, 'Amen.'

But I, drawing nearer out of a desire to investigate, could see no one there except the most holy Maximus, lying prostrate with face and body on the pavement of the church. Rising, however, he rebuked my curiosity, unworthy sinner that I am, with these words: "It is difficult for human frailty to know the secrets of the saints, and rash to wish to pry into them; therefore hear what I, knowing beforehand, am about to tell you: guard against divulging what you have seen and heard. For on whatever day you do this, you will depart from this light. Whether this will happen depends on the will of God." I for my part leave to posterity the memory and testimony of his excellent virtue, so that no mortal may be ignorant of how just men may enjoy the communion and familiarity of the saints. And this narrative was abundantly confirmed by the fact that on that same day the subdeacon, as had been foretold to him by the blessed Maximus, ceased to be among the living; and because he could not prolong the term of his life, he was unwilling to conceal the mystery.

Therefore, with total devotion and the utmost zeal of mind, let us beseech almighty God that, relying on the patronage of this most blessed prelate, He may grant us pardon for our sins, and that He whose office we now celebrate may always keep our soul pure from deadly vices. In performing this office, let us so conduct ourselves with the presence of our bodies that our minds may shine with the light of charity, by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, who with the coeternal Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.