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Gratiosus
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CONCERNING HOLY GRATIOSUS, C. 786–89 . Gratiosus, the forty-third bishop. He was humble and meek, beautiful of appearance, somewhat balding, with a neck extended in size, big eyes, a pleasing form, and sweet eloquence. He was the abbot of the monasterium of St Apollinaris, which is found not far from the church of the holy redeeming Cross at the old Mint, whence most holy Reparatus also came.1 He was truly “Gratiosus ,” since he was filled with the grace of God; he was archdeacon of this see. In his reign a terrible sign of a deadly disaster appeared, that, in whoever’s clothes or garment or glove or boot appeared three poisoned drops, on the third day he would be seized by death; and bodies were strewn over the ground, which the living were hardly able to bury. . And in those days Charles king of the Franks came to Ravenna;2 and, invited to feast there, he came gladly. And the priests said to their bishop, “Lord, keep your simplicity and beware lest you say anything which might not be appropriate.” He answered them, “No, sons, no, but I will keep my mouth closed.” When they were eating and drinking, the bishop began to speak to the king, saying, “Pappa, lord my king, pappa.” And the king, amazed, asked, “What is this word, which the holy man is saying, pappa, pappa?” Then some of the priests standing around said to him, “Let our lord king not think that the word might be some injury or irony, but persuasion.This man your servant and orator is of great simplicity; but as a mother, who soothes her sons and persuades them for great love to eat something, thus he, with great clemency, has asked your clemency that you might eat and be merry.” Then the king commanded everyone to be silent, and he burst into speech, saying, “Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no . Cf. c. . About the moneta, see Deichmann, Ravenna .:–. . Charlemagne visited Ravenna in and again in . guile.”3 After these things, whatever the bishop requested from him, he obtained. I will explain another fearful sign which was made in the sky. At that time in which Charles received the Lombard kingdom, many men saw in the sky, after sunset, horses with their riders contending against each other, and there was motion everywhere. . Therefore, O best beloved, do not be lazy, but stay and listen to what the Lord will say through my mouth, that you might know what things are to come.4 I am not a prophet, but that Spirit which spoke through the prophets can likewise pour itself into our hearts.That Holy Spirit cries through Joel, “I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh”; and says to Jeremiah, “I have made my words in thy mouth”; and saying to the patriarch Jacob, “Gather yourselves together, O ye sons of Jacob, hearken to Israel your father, whence he may tell you the things that shall befall you”; and even the Son of the eternal Father says, “I will give you a mouth and wisdom.”5 What is the marvel, if before the incarnation the Holy Spirit filled the hearts of the prophets, that He might foretell the things to come, that now, after He has become our comrade in the flesh, He has given us all His words in the fullness of His grace, with the evangelist saying, “His fullness we all have received”?6 If therefore the Spirit has spoken through the mouths of gentiles and infidels, such as through the cruel tyrant King Nebuchadnezzar and the poet of the gentilesVergil and the Sibylline seer, and has predicted the future, why therefore should this divine majesty not speak now through a Christian man and one redeemed by the blood [of Christ]? For if this Spirit dwelt in the fragile sex, namely in Anna and the Sibyl, you may not therefore doubt the words of the gospel which say, “The Spirit breatheth where He will.”7 . John :. . It seems likely that the sermonette in c. is the expositum on Matt. : by Bishop Felix, identified by Agnellus in c. . . Joel : (Vetus Latina version); Jer. :; Gen. :–; Luke : (Vetus Latina version ). . John :. . John :. [54.166.223.204] Project MUSE (2024-03-28 12:45 GMT) But I say to you, my brothers, my fellow soldiers [in Christ], citizens of Ravenna, that the time will come such as no one dwelling there will be able to remember...