Benedict

Prophecy

Benedict exposes the deception of King Totila

At the time of the Goths, their king Totila had heard that the saint had a prophetic spirit. He headed for his monastery, but not far stopped and sent to announce his visit. From the monastery, he was immediately responded to come. But Totila, who was suspicious, he wanted to see if the man of God truly possessed the prophetic spirit. He gave his shoes to a squire named Riggo, and had put him on the royal garments, commanding him to present himself to the man of God as if he were the king. He assigned him to escort three of accounts closest to him, that is, Vult, Ruderico and Blidin. He added signs and other squires and purple raiment for you to believe that he was the king.

When Riggo with sumptuous clothing with the escort he entered the monastery, Benito called out, "Take off what you wear, it's not yours." Riggo fearful for having made fun of him, he fell to the ground, with all those who accompanied him, got up did but not dare to approach the man of God. Impressed to have been unmasked they returned to their king by telling what happened.

Benedict predicts the fate of the king Totila
Totila was then personally to the man of God. When he saw him sitting at a distance, did not dare to approach, and bowed to the ground. The saint told him two or three times: "Get up!", But Totila did not dare get up in front of him. Benito, the servant of our Lord Jesus Christ, deign to go to the king prostrated himself. He lifted him off the ground, rebuked him for his evil deeds and few words predicted all that would happen to him, saying, "You're making a lot of evil things, and many other you have made. Finally stop iniquity! You will enter Rome, spend the sea, will reign for nine years and in the tenth year will die".

At these words the king was shocked, asked for his blessing, he went away. From then on it was less cruel. Shortly after he entered Rome, then he landed in Sicily. In the tenth year, actually he lost both the kingdom is life.

The miracle of his sister Scholastica
His sister Scholastica, consecrated to the Lord, once a year she used to visit him. The man of God came down to meet her in a dependency of the monastery, not far from the door. Once Scholastica came, and the venerable brother came down from her accompanied by some disciples. After spending the whole day in the praise of the Lord and in holy conversation, when it was about to get off the darkness of the night, they took food together. It was now getting late, but still sat at the table, talking of sacred things, when his sister besought him, saying: "Please do not leave me this night, we stay until morning to talk about the joys of heavenly life." Benito, she replied: "What do you say sister? I cannot help myself out of the monastery".

The sky was perfectly serene, without even a cloud. On hearing the rejection of his brother, the consecrated virgin, he puts his hands clasped on the table and I leaned over the head to invoke the Lord Almighty. When he looked up, they suddenly unleashed thunder and lightning, accompanied by violent downpours, which prevented to Benito and his brothers came with him to leave the house.

Benedict regretted and grieved said, "God Almighty forgives you, sister. What have I done?". The sister replied: "I begged you, but you would not listen to me. I prayed and the Lord has answered. Now get me if you can, and let me go back to your monastery." Benito, unable to get out of the house, was forced to restrain her. They spent all night watching and satiating mutually with the holy conversation on the life of the spirit.

Benedict sees the soul sister of the output from the body

The next day the venerable woman returned to his cell and the man of God to his monastery. Three days later, while he was in his cell, Benito raising his eyes he saw the soul of his sister, out of the body, come in the form of a dove into the depths of the sky. Full of joy for such glory, he gave thanks with hymns to God Almighty, and announced to the brothers the news of his death.
Immediately he sent some to carry his body to the monastery, and made him lay in the tomb he had prepared for himself. So, as they had been always one spirit in God, their bodies were not separated in the burial.

Benedict announces his death to the monks
In the same year that he would leave this life, Benito predicted the day of his death to some disciples who lived with him and others who were far away. Those present ordered him to keep quiet about what they had heard; who was absent, pointed to what kind of a sign would have seen at the time that his soul would leave the body.

Six days before he died he ordered to open his tomb. Soon he was struck by fevers which began to make him weak. The disease went aggravating by the day. On the sixth day that he brought to the disciples in oratory, he got fortified for his transit with the viaticum of the body and blood of the Lord. The disciples argued in their arms that body debilitated: Benito, on his feet, his arms raised to the sky, poured himself out in prayer and gave up the spirit.

On the same day of his death it was revealed with the same vision to the same two monks, one of whom was in the monastery, the other in a more distant place.
They saw a road covered with carpets and all shining lamps that from his cell went up and, in a straight line towards the east, up to the sky. At its summit there was a man of venerable appearance and shining light, who asked them if they knew that what was the way they were seeing. They replied they did not know. Then the man said: "This is the path on which Benito the man whom the Lord loves, ascended into heaven".
At that time even those who were far away him could hear the saint's death, such as those present that they saw with their own eyes.
He was buried in the oratory of San Giovanni Battista, which he had built on the spot where he destroyed the altar of Apollo.