Library › St Gregory of Tours › History of the Franks

History of the Franks

St Gregory of Tours, tr. Dalton, 1927

Book 4, 34. Of the Monk of Bordeaux

I will now set forth that which came to pass in a certain monastery¹ at this time, though I refrain from giving the name of the monk, because he still lives, and I would not have him yield to vainglory, should this history come before his eyes, and so be abased.

A certain youth came to the monastery and commended himself to the abbot as one who would fain live in the service of God. The abbot made many objections, declaring that the service of that house was hard, and that he would by no means be able to fulfil the tasks which would fall to his lot. He, however, pledged himself in the Lord’s name to fulfil them all, and so was received by the abbot. It happened a few days later, after he had shown himself humble and God-fearing in all things, that the monks took out their corn from the barn, about three cori, and set it out in the sun to dry, enjoining on him to watch it. The others were refreshing themselves, and he remained in charge of the corn, when suddenly the sky was overclouded, and behold! a great storm of rain rushing with a roaring wind towards the heap of corn. At sight of it the monk was at his wit’s end what to set about, what to do. Considering, however, that even if he summoned the rest, they would never be able to get so great a quantity back into the barn again, he disregarded all else and turned to prayer, beseeching the Lord that no drop of rain might fall upon that corn. As he made this prayer, prostrate upon the ground, the cloud divided, and heavy rain fell round about the corn, but, if it may so be said, not a grain of it was wetted. The other monks, together with the abbot, perceiving the danger, came running to bring in the grain, whereupon they saw this miracle, and looking for the guardian, found him not far away, stretched on the ground in prayer. When the abbot saw this, he prostrated himself behind him. After the rain had passed over and his prayer was finished, he bade the monk rise. Thereupon he ordered him to be seized and beaten, saying: ‘It behoveth thee, my son, with humility to increase in the fear and service of God, not to vaunt thee of prodigies and miracles’; he then commanded him to be confined to his cell and made to fast, as one that had offended, to avert from him the fault of vainglory, that it might be no cause of impediment to him thereafter. To-day that monk, as I have heard from some of the faithful, is devoted to such abstinence that in Lent he refrains even from bread, and only drinks a cup of barley-water every third day. Let us pray God to preserve him, if it be His will, until the fulfilment of his days.

Previous · Contents · Next