The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity

Avitus of Vienne, Homily 6

The homily describes how the practice of penitential public 'rogations', seeking to pacify the ire of God, was instituted by Avitus' predecessor Mamertus following a series of disasters in Vienne. After describing these, Avitus relates how a fire had threatened to consume the city, but had miraculously been quenched by Bishop Mamertus.

Quid multis? Tracta sunt haec inter timores publicos et rumores privatos usque ad immintentem sollemnium vigiliarum noctem, qua celebrari festum dominicae resurrectionis annua consuetudo poscebat. Siquidem hanc omnes laborum opem, malorum finem, metuentium securitatem communibus animis opperiebantur. Adfuit ergo nox illa venerabilis, quae ad spem publicae absolutionis votivum sollemne patefecerat. Sed mox illic multo vehementior strepitus ictu flagelli gravius ferientis intonuit; utpote quem iam emensis gradibus superlativum nihil sequi aliud quam chaos intellegeretur. Aedes namque publica, quam praecelso civitatis vertice sublimitas immensiter fastigiata praetulerat, flammis terribilibus conflagrare crepusculo coepit. Interpellatur itaque nuntio discriminis iucunditas sollemnitatis: pleno timoribus populo ecclesia vacuatur. Omnes namque similem facultatibus vel domibus propriis casum de quadam praeminentis incendii arce metuabant. Perstitit tamen coram festivis altaribus invictus antistes et calorem fidei suae accendens flumine lacrimarum permissam ignibus potestatem incendio abscendente compescuit.
      Desperatione deposita reditur ad ecclesiam et restincta flammarum luce clarescit luminum pulchritudo. Nec sane ulterius trahitur de adripiendo compunctionis medicamine mora. Praedecessor namque meus et spiritalis mihi a baptismo pater Mamertus sacerdos, cui ante non paucos annos pater carnis meae accepto, sicut deo visum est, sacerdotii tempore successit, totas in ea quam supra diximus vigiliarum nocte sancto paschae concepit animo rogationes: atque ibi cum deo tacitus definivit, quidquid hodie psalmis ac precibus mundus inclamat.'

'What more? These things were spun out among public fears and private rumours up till the night before the solemn vigils, on which annual custom demanded that the feast of the Lord’s resurrection be celebrated. Thus with one spirit all awaited the wealth of labour, the end of ills, and the security of the fearful. Thus that venerable night had come that opened the way solemnly to the longed-for hope of public absolution. But suddenly a much more violent groan sounded there, with the blow of a whip inflicting a more grievous wound, as if nothing other than chaos could conceivably follow a blow that passing through [all other] grades was already superlative [in degree]. For the city hall, which exalted sublimity had set on high atop the summit of the city, began to burn with terrible flames in the twilight. The joy of the solemn feast was thus interrupted by the announcement of disaster. The church was evacuated by people full of terror. For all feared a similar fate for their own property and houses from a certain citadel where the fire blazed on high. But invincible the bishop stood fast at the festive altars and inflaming the warmth of his faith he checked the power allowed to the fires with a river of tears as the fire retreated.
      They set their desperation aside and returned to the church and, once the light of the flames had been extinguished, the beauty of lights grew bright. Truly, neither was there any further delay in grasping at the remedy of remorse. For my predecessor and my spiritual father from baptism, Bishop Mamertus (to whom the father of my flesh succeeded not many years ago, after Mamertus had been snatched away, as seemed best to God) conceived of the whole Rogations in that holy night of the vigils of Easter, as we have described above. And there, silently, with God, he outlined what the world intones today in psalms and prayers.'

The homily continues with further discussion of the history of the Rogations and the reasons for them.


Text: Peiper 1883, 110.
Translation: Shanzer and Wood 2002, 383-4.

Procession
Sermon/homily

Prayer/supplication/invocation

Miracle during lifetime
Power over elements (fire, earthquakes, floods, weather)

Ecclesiastics - bishops

Source

Discussion

Bibliography