Jacobus de Voragine

"The time of Advent lasts four weeks, because there are four comings of the Lord: in the flesh, in the spirit, at the moment of death, and at the moment of Judgment. (from “'Advent”', p. 5)"

"Nicholas, a citizen of Patera, was born to wealthy and holy parents. His father's name was Epiphanius, his mother's name was Joanna: they bore him in the prime of their youth and then lived in chastity. On the day he was born, while they were washing him, Nicholas stood up and remained standing in the basin; moreover, on Wednesdays and Fridays, he drank milk only once a day. As a boy, he avoided the amusements of other young people and preferred to attend church, committing to memory everything he could learn about the Holy Scriptures. (from “'Saint Nicholas”', p. 26)"

"Lucy, a noble girl from Syracuse, hearing throughout Sicily of the fame of Saint Agatha, went to her tomb with her mother Euticia, who had been suffering from blood loss for four years, and the doctors had been unable to cure her. It so happened that during the celebration of Mass that day, the passage from the Gospel was read in which it is said that the Lord healed a woman from that same illness. Lucy then said to her mother: ‘If you believe what has been read, believe that Agatha always has beside her the one for whom she suffered martyrdom. Therefore, if you touch her tomb with faith, you will immediately regain your health.’ When everyone had left, the mother and daughter remained in prayer at the tomb: sleep overcame Lucy and she saw Agatha before her, adorned with precious stones, surrounded by angels, who said to her: 'My sister Lucy, virgin devoted to God, why do you ask me for what you yourself could obtain for your mother? Behold, thanks to your faith, she is healed. (from “'Saint Lucy”', p. 34)"

"Anastasia was a noble Roman woman, daughter of Pretestato, a very illustrious but pagan man. She was instructed in the faith of Christ by her mother Fantasta, who was a Christian, and by Saint Chrysogonus]. Given in marriage to Publius, she always pretended to feel unwell, thus always managing to avoid consummating the marriage. When her husband learned that Anastasia, dressed in rags, was going with a servant from prison to prison to visit Christians and provide them with necessities, he had her placed under strict guard, denying her even food so that she would die and he could then freely squander her immense fortune. Anastasia now believed she was going to die, and sent pitiful letters to Chrysogonus, who replied consoling her. In the meantime, however, her husband died and she was set free. (from “'Saint Anastasia”', 58)"

"When Thomas of Canterbury was at the court of the King of England, he realised that what was happening there was contrary to religion. He then left the court and entrusted himself to the Archbishop of Canterbury, who appointed him archdeacon. The bishop, however, begged him to accept the position of chancellor to the king so that, by insinuating himself into the court, he could put his skills as an advisor to good use, putting some brake on the manoeuvres of those who wanted to harm the Church. The king began to esteem and love him to such an extent that, when the archbishop died, he managed to elevate Thomas to the episcopal see. Thomas tried to resist with all his might, but in the end, forced to obey, he bowed his head to take on that burden. From that moment on, his nature changed, and he became a perfect man, subjecting his body to the torment of hair shirts and fasting. (from “St Thomas of Canterbury”, p. 80)"

"Fourth and last is the sign of the circumcision of Jesus, which Christ deigned to accept on this day. He wanted to be circumcised for many reasons. For himself, to show us that he had taken on a real body, knowing that there would be those who would argue that he had not taken on a real body but a fantastical one; therefore, to refute this error, he wanted to be circumcised and shed blood. A fantastical body does not shed blood. For us, to show us that we must be circumcised in spirit. (from “The Circumcision of the Lord”, p. 99)"

"Hilary, bishop of Poitiers, came from Aquitaine; he preceded like the planet Venus shining among the stars. At first he was married and had a daughter; although a layman, he led a monastic life; finally, now advanced in years and doctrine, he was elected bishop. Since the blessed Hilary defended not only his city but the whole of France from heresy, on the advice of two bishops corrupted by heresy, the emperor, himself a heretic, exiled him with the blessed Eusebius, bishop of Vercelli. [...] Returning to Poitiers, he resurrected with his prayers a child who had died without receiving baptism. He remained lying in the dust until both rose again, the old man from prayer and the child from death. (from “Saint Hilary”, p. 118)"

"Another legend tells that Maximus, bishop of Nola, trying to escape persecution, exhausted by hunger and cold, had collapsed on the ground; Felix of Nola (bishop) was sent to him by an angel, and although there was no food, he saw a bunch of grapes hanging from a nearby bramble, from which he squeezed wine into Massimo's mouth, and carrying him on his shoulders, he took him with him. After Massimo's death, Felix was elected bishop. Being sought after by his persecutors because he preached, he hid himself by slipping through a narrow passage between some ruined walls. Immediately, by God's will, spiders wove their webs across the passage; the persecutors, seeing the webs, were convinced that no one could have passed through there and left. (from “'San Felice”', p. 124)"

"Sebastian, an exemplary Christian, was a citizen of Milan, but his family was from Narbonne. He was so loved by the emperors Diocletian and Maximian that they entrusted him with the command of the first cohort and always wanted him by their side. He had agreed to wear the military uniform only to be able to comfort the souls of the Christians he saw falling into torment. (from “'San Sebastiano”', p. 132)"

"Then Diocletian had him tied up in the middle of the Campus Martius and ordered the soldiers to pierce him with their arrows. They shot so many arrows at him that he almost looked like a hedgehog. Convinced that he was dead, they left; but after a few days he freed himself and, standing on the steps of the palace, he violently rebuked the emperors who were coming to meet him for all the evil they were doing to Christians. (from “'San Sebastiano”', p.137)"

"Agnes, a young woman full of wisdom, as Ambrose tells us in his Passion, left death and found life at the age of thirteen. Her young age was evident from her years, but the maturity of her mind was extraordinary: young in body but mature in soul, beautiful in appearance but even more beautiful in faith. It happened that while she was returning from school, the prefect's son fell in love with her. He promised her endless jewels and riches if she agreed to marry him. Agnes replied: “Stay away from me, get out of sin, food of evil deeds, nourishment of death! Another loved me before you. (from 'Saint Agnes”, p. 140)"

"Then the prefect had her stripped and taken to the brothel. But the Lord made Agnes's hair so thick that it covered her better than a dress, and when she entered that vile place, she found the angel of the Lord waiting for her, who illuminated the room with a shining light and prepared a pure white stole for her. Thus the place of sin became a place of prayer, so much so that Agnes came out purer than when she had entered, when that great light had honoured her. (from “'Saint Agnes”', p. 141)"

"(About Saint Saint Paula of Rome}} Inspired by the virtues of Paulinus, Bishop of Antioch, and Epiphanius, who had come to Rome, she sometimes contemplated leaving her homeland."

"(About Paula of Rome) After her husband's death, until her own death, she never ate with any man, however holy he might be, even if he was at the height of episcopal dignity. She did not go to the baths unless her health was in grave danger. Even when she had a high fever, she did not have soft mattresses in her bed, but slept on the hard ground, covered with a few pieces of sackcloth: if one can even speak of sleep, since she spent her days and nights in almost continuous prayer. (p. 170)"

"(About Paula of Rome) The entire population of the cities of Palestine attended her funeral. For which of the monks who had retired to the desert remained in his cell? Which of the virgins remained in the secrecy of her rooms? Everyone considered it sacrilegious not to pay homage to such a woman. She was then buried under the church, next to the tomb of the Lord. The venerable virgin and her daughter Julia Eustochium, like a child who had just been weaned, could not be separated from her mother; she kissed her eyes, did not leave her face, embraced her whole body and wanted to be buried with her mother. Jesus is witness that she left not a penny to her daughter, but gave it to those who needed it most and, what is even more difficult, to the immense multitude of brothers and sisters, who are hard to support and ungodly to abandon. (p. 173)"

"Juliana, although already married to Eulogius, the prefect of Nicomedia, refused to consummate the marriage unless her husband was first baptised. Her father then had her stripped naked and severely beaten, then had her taken to the prefect, who said to her: ‘My sweetest Juliana, why have you mocked me and rejected me in this way?’ (p. 223)"

"(About Saint Juliana of Nicomedia) The prefect had her severely beaten, then hung her by her hair and poured molten lead over her head. But since this caused her no pain, he had her chained and locked up in prison, where the devil appeared to her in the form of an angel and said: ‘I am the angel of the Lord, who has sent me to you to convince you to sacrifice to the gods so that you will no longer be tortured and die in such a cruel manner.’ (p. 223)"

"When the prefect arrived, Juliana was tied to a wheel and pulled so hard that all her bones were broken and her marrow came out; but an angel of the Lord came and crushed the wheel and healed Juliana in an instant. Those present who had seen this believed, but they were immediately beheaded: there were five hundred men and thirty women. Juliana was then placed in a cauldron full of molten lead, but the lead became like a warm bath. The prefect cursed his gods for failing to punish a girl who had insulted them so much, then had her beheaded. (p. 224)"

"Mary of Egypt, known as Mary the Sinner, led a very strict hermitic life in the desert for forty-seven years. She had in fact retreated to the desert around 270, at the time of Emperor Claudius. (p. 311)"

"At that time there lived a venerable virgin, now advanced in age, named Apollonia, adorned with the flowers of chastity, sobriety and purity. Like a solid pillar strengthened by the spirit of the Lord himself, admired for the merits of her steadfast faith and for the virtues that the Lord had given her, she offered men and angels the edifying spectacle of herself. (p. 368)"

"(About Saint Apollonia) After capturing her, her persecutors cruelly raged against her, first pulling out all her teeth; then, gathering wood and preparing a large pyre, they threatened to burn her alive if she did not declare herself a pagan like them. But as soon as she saw the pyre lit, she gathered herself in an instant and threw herself into the very fire with which they threatened her. (p. 368)"

"Apollonia, a very strong virgin and martyr of Christ, renouncing the pleasures of the world, stifling the blossoming of life with the contempt she had for it in her mind, eager to please Christ her spouse, who with joyful perseverance in her resolve to remain a virgin, resisted every torture with unwavering strength: this glorious and happy virgin therefore stands out and shines among the martyrs in her triumph. (p. 369)"

"Petronilla, whose life was written by Saint Marcellus, was the daughter of Saint Peter. Being too beautiful, she began, at her father's will, to suffer from fevers. Once, when the disciples were with him, Titus spoke up and asked him: “You who heal all the sick, why do you let Petronilla suffer? And Peter replied: 'I do it for her own good. But so that no one should think that her illness is due to my words,” he turned to Petronilla and said: 'Come, Petronilla, quickly, bring us something to eat. Petronilla was immediately healed and served them food. When she had finished, Peter said to her, “Petronilla, go back to your bed.” And Petronilla immediately returned to it and resumed suffering from fevers; but as soon as she reached perfection in the love of God, she was also perfectly healed. (p. 431)"

"The virgin Marina of Bithynia was her father's only daughter. When her father entered the monastery, he changed his daughter's clothes so that she would look like a boy and not a girl, and he begged the abbot and the monks to accept his only child. They listened to his prayers, and everyone called him Brother Marino. He began to live with religious fervour and to show great obedience. (p. 446)"

"Christina was born into a family of very high rank in the city of Tyre, Italy. Her father placed her in a tower with twelve maids, surrounded by idols of gold and silver. She was beautiful and many asked for her hand in marriage, but her parents would not allow it, because they wanted her to continue to devote herself fully to the worship of the gods. However, inspired by the Holy Spirit, Christina was horrified by the sacrifices to idols and hid the incense intended for the sacrifices to the gods in a hole. (p. 531)"

"Martha of Bethany, who has the distinction of having hosted Jesus, was of royal descent on both her father Syro's and her mother Eucaria's side. Her father, Siro, ruled Syria and many coastal cities, while Martha, with her sister, was mistress, through her mother's line, of the entire cities of Magdala and Bethany, as well as part of Jerusalem. (p. 560)"

"(About Martha of Bethany) There is no written source indicating that she ever married or had relationships with men. It was she who, as a noble mistress, wanted to serve the Lord, insisting that her sister also serve, since she thought that the service of the whole world was not enough for such a guest. (p. 560)"

"After the Lord's ascension, when the apostles dispersed, Martha with her sister Mary Magdalene and her brother Lazarus, accompanied by Maximinus, who had baptised them and to whom the Holy Spirit had entrusted them, and many others, were loaded onto a raft by the infidels and thrown into the sea without oars, sails, rudder or provisions: however, guided by the Lord, they reached Marseille. They then went to the area where Aix-en-Provence stands, where they converted the inhabitants to the faith: Martha was in fact a good speaker and was liked by everyone. (p. 560)"

"Euphemia was the daughter of a senator. Seeing, in the time of Diocletian, that Christians were being torn apart by the most diverse punishments, she presented herself to the judge Priscus and confessed her faith in Christ before everyone, thus setting an example of her steadfastness even to men. As the judge put Christians to death, he tried to force the others to sacrifice, even if only out of fear, as they saw those who remained steadfast in their faith being tortured. While the saints were being beheaded before her eyes, Euphemia, inspired even more by their courage, said aloud to the judge that the punishment she was suffering was unjust. The judge rejoiced at these words, believing that she meant she was willing to sacrifice. However, when he asked her what unjust punishment she was referring to, she replied: 'I am of noble birth: why do you put so many foreigners and strangers before me? Why do you allow them to reach Christ and the promised glory before me? (p. 767)"

"There was a very Christian king in Britain named Noto or Mauro, who had a daughter named Ursula. Ursula shone for her honest behaviour, her wisdom and her beauty: her fame had now reached every corner of the land. The King of England was very arrogant and had subjugated many peoples; having heard of Ursola's fame, he declared that his happiness would be complete if the virgin Ursola were to marry his only son. The boy was also burning with desire. Many messengers were sent to the girl's father with great promises, but also with many threats if they returned empty-handed. (p. 863)"

"(About the request of the King of England, a pagan, to the King of Brittany, a Christian, to give his daughter Ursula in marriage to his son) The king [of Brittany] began to feel anxious, both because it seemed unfair to him that a virgin marked by faith in Christ should be given to an idol worshipper, and because he knew full well that Ursula did not want this in any way; but he was also very afraid of the fury of the boy's father. Ursula, however, inspired by heaven, persuaded her father to agree to the king's request, on condition that the king give her ten other virgins of the highest choice to be her companions and comfort, assigning a thousand virgins to her and to each of the others. Then he asked him to prepare ships to send them. He also asked for three years to dedicate her virginity, and that in the meantime the young man be instructed in the faith for three years: it was a very wise decision, since he could either dissuade him from his purpose with the difficulty of the condition imposed, or at least take advantage of the opportunity to consecrate to God all the virgins mentioned above. (p. 863)"

"(About the martyrdom of Saint Ursula and the eleven thousand virgins she converted to the Christian faith) All the virgins, accompanied by the bishops, set out on their return journey to Cologne, but found it already besieged by the Huns. When the barbarians saw them, they threw themselves at them, screaming, and raged like wolves among lambs, killing the whole multitude. When they had massacred the others and reached Saint Ursula, the leader of the Huns, seeing her beauty, was filled with wonder and, trying to console her for the slaughter of the other virgins, promised to marry her. However, Ursula refused, and the Hun leader, seeing himself despised, shot an arrow at her, which pierced her and killed her. Thus she crowned her martyrdom. (p. 866)"

"Cecilia, an illustrious virgin, born of a noble Roman family, was raised from the cradle in the faith of Christ. She always carried an image of Christ hidden in her bosom and never ceased to pray, day or night, asking God to preserve her virginity. Having been promised in marriage to a young man named Valeriano, and the wedding day having already been set, Cecilia wore a hair shirt next to her skin, while above it she wore her gold-woven garments. While the choirs sang, she sang alone, to herself, only for the Lord, saying: “Lord, may my heart and my body remain immaculate, so that I may not be confused at the Judgement”. (from “Saint Cecilia”, p. 942)"

"Almachio then had her taken back to his house and ordered that she be burned by keeping her in a boiling bath day and night. Cecilia remained there as if it were a cold place, and did not even break a sweat. When this was reported to Almachio, he ordered that her head be cut off in the bath. The executioner struck her three times, but failed to sever her head; however, since the law forbade striking the condemned person four times, the executioner, covered in blood, left her dying. She lived for three more days, during which she gave all her possessions to the poor and entrusted to Urban all those she had converted to the faith, saying to him: “I have obtained a three-day reprieve for myself, so that I may entrust myself to your blessedness and so that you may consecrate my house as a church. (from 'Saint Cecilia”, p. 948)"

"(About Saint Catherine of Alexandria) Then, when she was beheaded, milk flowed from her body instead of blood, and the angels took her body and carried it from that place to Mount Sinai, a journey of more than twenty days, and there they buried her with all honours. From her bones flows an oil that heals the limbs of all the sick. Her passion took place under the tyrant Maxentius or Maximinus, who ascended the throne around 310. How Maximinus was punished for this crime, and for many others, can be read in the story of the Invention of the Holy Cross. (p. 969)"