Benedict

Miracles

Benedict resurrects the son of a farmer

One day, Benito had gone with his brothers to work in the fields. He came to the monastery, carrying on his arms the body of his dead son and was overwhelmed with grief over this loss. He asked Father Benito. When he was told that the Father was with the brothers in the camps, promptly he placed the body of her son who died at the door of the monastery, and mad with pain ran frantically to look for the Father.

Just then the man of God was coming back with the brothers from the fields. As soon as he saw him, the farmer who had lost his son began to shout: "Give me back my son! Give me back my son!". At these cries the man of God, he stopped and asked: "Have I taken away your son?". The farmer replied, "He's dead! Come and raise him!". On hearing those words the Servant of God was greatly grieved and said, "back inside, brothers! Comply these things not up to us, but to the holy apostles. Why do you want to impose on us burdens that we cannot bring?". The farmer, increasingly anxious, continued to plead with him, saying that would not go away until you had not given back his son alive. Then the servant of God asked, "Where?". The man replied: "His body is lying at the door of the monastery".

When the man of God came with his brothers, he knelt and then lay down on the little body of the child, and got up, raised his hands to heaven and said, "Lord, do not look at my sins, but on the faith of this man who asks for the resurrection of his son, and give back to this body the soul that you have taken. " As soon as he had finished praying, the soul, back in the little body of the boy, he began to do everything trembles, under the eyes of those present. Benito handed him alive and in good health, to his father.

The disciple walks on water
One day, while Benito was in his cell, the small Placido, his priest, he went out to draw water from the lake. While a carelessly plunged into the water bucket in his hand, he slipped and fell into the lake. The current pulled him quickly away from shore almost an arrow's. The man of God, despite being in his cell, immediately knew what had happened; he called hastily Mauro telling him: "Run! Mauro, the boy went to fetch water fell into the lake, and the current is dragging him away!".

Then something miraculous happened, not seen since the time of the Apostle Peter, having asked and obtained the blessing, Mauro rushed to obey his Father, and thinking that he was going on the way where the current had Placido dragged. He grabbed him by the hair and always in a hurry came back. Once touched the ground, coming to him, he turned around and realized that he walked on water. Stunned for doing something that would never have thought of doing, he was seized with fear.

Returned from the Father, he told him what had happened. The venerable Benito attributed the miracle not on his own merits, but to the obedience of the disciple. Mauro, however, attributed the incident only to the command of Benito, saying he did not have any merit in that prodigious, because he had become even realize what he was doing. This mutual humility race is both an arbitrator saved the boy "While I was suddenly out of the water - he said - I saw on my head the father's coat, and I thought it was him to take me to safety".

The sickle lost in the water

A poor spirit asked to enter a monastery, and Benedict welcomed him gladly. One day give him a sickle, an iron tool so named for its resemblance to the sickle, in order to liberate from thistles a piece of land which was to be cultivated as a vegetable garden. The land to be cleaned lay on the shore of the lake. While he was working to cut the thick bush, the sickle slipped from the handle and fell into the lake, in a profound point of not leaving any hope of being able to, recover.

Lost the tool, the worker ran trembling from priest Mauro to tell him what happened, and made satisfaction for his fault. The priest Mauro immediately informed the Servant of God Benito.The man of the Lord, heard what had happened, went to the place, taken from the hands took to the handle and dipped it in water. Immediately the iron came up to the surface, and went back into his handle. Benedict handed the tool saying: "Here, work and do not grieve".

The poisoned bread
There are always bad men who envy the virtues of the good, the priest of the nearby church, named Fiorenzo, driven by malice began to nurture envy for the good works of the saint and to denigrate his life.

Fiorenzo, blinded and increasingly devoured by the fire of envy, for the esteem he enjoyed Benedict, went so far as to send to the Almighty's servant a poisoned bread, as if blessed. The man of God accepted it with thanks, but escaped the trap that it contained.

From the nearby forest, the hour of the meal was usually get a raven, who received bread from his hands. That day, when he reached the crow, the man of God gave him before the bread received by the priest, has commanded him: "In the name of Jesus Christ, take this bread and take it where no one can find it." The crow began to flutter around that bread, croaking as if to say, of being ready to obey, but it cannot carry out the order. The man of God then repeated several times: "Take it without fear, and go to throw it where nobody can find it." After having lingered for a long time, eventually the Raven grabbed it and flew away. About three hours later he returned without the bread, and from the hand of the saint received the food it used to have.

Fiorenzo having been unable to eliminate Benito tried to kill the souls of the disciples. He sent to the monastery, where Benito was, seven naked girls holding hands, danced for a long time to energize their carnal desires.

Benito saw from his cell and feared for his weak disciples. Convinced that the persecution of Fiorenzo concern him alone, he decided to leave the field before the envy of the priest. Provident ordering of monasteries which he had founded, constituting in them the upper and increasing the number of brothers. Then, accompanied by a few monks, he moved to another place.

As soon as the man of God was withdrawn with humility before hatred of Fiorenzo, Almighty God struck the priest with a terrible punishment. In fact, while he was on the terrace of the house, rejoicing, for the departure of Benito, while remaining intact the whole house, the balcony collapsed, burying Fiorenzo under its rubble.

Mauro, the man disciple of God, thought it appropriate to immediately notify the venerable Father Benito, which was located about ten kilometers from the monastery. So she ran to tell him: "Go back, the priest who persecuted you is dead." At that, the man of God felt great pain, both for the death of his enemy, and for the joy shown by the disciple. A Mauro then imposed a penance, because of communicating the news, he had dared to show himself delighted at the death of an enemy.

Cleric got free from possessed by the devil
At that time a cleric of the Church of Equine was possessed by the devil. The bishop of that place, the venerable Costanzo, to obtain healing had sent him from many tombs of martyrs, without obtaining the release.
The cleric was led then by the Servant of God Benito. He, praying intensely to Jesus Christ, immediately drove the soul in pity to the old adversary. After cured, admonished him, saying: "Go, do not eat meat and do not presume to access to holy orders. The day you dared to do it, you would return by then in the devil's power".

The cleric freed from the possession went, for some time watched as the man of God had commanded. After many years, when he saw that all older than he had died and the younger overtook him in holy orders, he refused to account the words of Benito, became ordained priest. Immediately the devil who had left took again possession of him, and continued to haunt him until his death.

The demon tempts Benedict
One day, while he was alone, the tempter approached. A small black bird began to fly around, flapping with its wings against his face; importunate, insistent, so that the saint could, if desired, take it with his hands. After he had traced the sign of the cross, the bird flew away. As soon as he was gone, I took a very violent temptation so far never experienced. Malignant called to mind the appearance of a woman seen a long time ago, and with the memory of this figure so inflamed the soul of the servant of God that he was not able to stop the fire of passion: won by desire, he had almost We decided to leave his hermitage.

Suddenly, he touched by grace, came to his senses, and saw a bramble bush of nettles beside it; he took off his clothes and jumped into it naked, rolling around for a long time among the prickly thorns and stinging nettles, and emerged with the body all torn. Through the wounds of the flesh healed the wound of the soul, transformed the temptation in pain, and she burned out, he extinguished the passion that burned within. He won sin therefore changing the fire.

Since then, as he himself told his disciples, the temptation was in him completely won, so as not to sense more stimuli. Immediately many began to abandon the world and to flock under his leadership. Freed from the danger of temptation.

The demon injured Benedict
The fortified town called Cassino is located on the side of a high mountain. The village is located in a wide cove of the mountain, which, still climbing for three miles, it seems to stretch out its summit into the sky.

There stood an ancient temple, where, according to the custom of the pagans, the foolish mass of peasants rendered cult to Apollo. In the surrounding woods they had been consecrated to the worship of demons, and even at that time a crowd of followers flocked to offer wicked sacrifices.

As soon as he arrived, the man of God broke the idol, overthrew the altar and cut down the groves; the site of the temple of Apollo built a chapel dedicated to St. Martin, and the place of the altar of Apollo a chapel in honor of St. John. With assiduous preaching then began to attract the people to the faith of the surrounding places.

But the old adversary could not bear all this silently. He showed himself then to the Father's views openly, not in other respects, or in a dream, and with loud cries complained of being subjected to violence, so that even the brothers they heard the voice, though without being able to see the figure. As the same venerable father, later told the disciples, the old adversary showed his body with eyes look terrible, fiery, and seemed to want to turn upon him with mouth and eyes of flame. Everyone could now hear what he said. Before calling his name, Benito answered him not, then filled him with reproaches. He called out loud, but, seeing that the other did not answer him, saying, "Damn, why do you persecute me?".