The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity

Life of Rusticula 15-16 (Mabillon)

For an overview of this Life, see E06492.

This passage is from part of the Life of Rusticula omitted by Krusch from his MGH edition. The text here comes from the 1669 edition by Jean Mabillon. The section numbering is Mabillon's (the passage comes just before Krusch's § 9).

(15.) Quadam nocte defatigato corpusculo modicum quieti indulgens cum sopori dedita fuisset, apparuit ei quaedam virgo auro textis vestibus induta, vultu fulgenti, nimio fulgore coruscans, et pulsans latus eius et inquirens ab ea utrum vigilaret, dixit: Marcia, cognosce quia quando de hoc corpore migraveris, mecum vel cum reliquis Christi discipulis virginibus quae pro nomine Domini certaverunt, portionem habebis. Illa autem pavefacta sciscitabatur ab ea quisnam esset qui hoc illi diceret. Tunc dixit ei: Ego sum Lucia, quae pro Christi nomine dimicavi. Fertur namque non post multos dies sanctam Melaniam ei apparuisse et similia dixisse.

(16.) Nec illud siquidem omittendum putabo quod ei Dominus revelare dignatus est. Nocte quadam cum solita consuetudine vigilias celebrasset, matutinis iam expletis post nimium laborem corpusque modicae quieti dedisset, quasi in ecstasi posita vidit de sublimibus caeli virum praeclarum et metuendum venientem. Cumque intra se tanta revolveret quisnam hic esset, locutus est ei dicens: Noli timere. Ego sum Michael, princeps militiae Dei, et missus sum a Domino Iesu Christo ut videam certamen tuum quod depugnatura es. Haec eo loquente, ecce apparuit ante oculos eius persona quaedam horrenda et valde detestabilis atque vilissima, altitudo autem eius videbatur eminentior nubibus caeli. Cumque eum vidisset tremens, archangelum intuebatur auxilium ab eo petens. Qui conversus dixit ad illam: Ne timeas, sed accedens dimica cum isto, et scito quia si eum modo viceris, et usque in aeternum vinces. Illa autem cum grandi timore eum apprehendens adduxit usque ad dexteram. Ipse vero excutiens se de manibus eius, iterum in altius erigebatur. Adipiscens eam angelus dixit: Viriliter age, quia adhuc depugnatura es. Auctoritate vero accepta ab angelo, fecit sicut et prius. Cumque in altitudinem erigeretur, dixit ad eam angelus: Apprehende eum tertio, et pone pedem tuum super cervicem eius, et scito quia modo tibi numquam praevalebit. Cumque fecisset sicut ei praeceptum fuerat, confusus atque prostratus spiritus nequam ab oculis eius evanuit; angelus vero Domini laetissimo vultu evolavit ad caelos.
      Expergefacta vero beatissima, cum ipsam adstantes virgines precarentur, ut quae vidisset narraret, eoquid sic eam per soporem luctantem vidissent, coepit cum grandi maerore referre quae sibi revelata fuissent. Vere pius Dominus qui revelavit famulae suae secreta mysterii sui, quod nunc vobis narrare perutile fore cognovi.


'(15.) On a certain night, with her body exhausted, giving in a little to rest, when she was given up to sleep, there appeared to her a girl dressed in clothes woven with gold, with a shining face, flashing with overwhelming brightness, and, striking her side and asking whether she was awake, the girl said: "Marcia, be aware that when you leave this body you will have a portion with me and with the other virgin disciples of Christ who struggled in the name of the Lord." Frightened, however, she asked the girl who it was that said this to her. The girl then said to her: "I am Lucia, who contended in the name of Christ." It is said that not many days later St Melania appeared to her and said similar things.

(16.) Nor shall I consider that I ought to omit what the Lord deigned to reveal to her. On a certain night when she was celebrating the customary vigils, and after completing matins with great labour she gave her body a little rest, as if in a rapture, she saw a shining and awe-inspiring man coming towards her from the heights of heaven. And when within herself she considered so much who he might be, he spoke to her, saying: "Do not be afraid. I am Michael, the commander of the army of God, and I have been sent by the Lord Jesus Christ to see your combat, which you are about to fight." When he said this, behold! there appeared before her eyes a creature, frightful and utterly detestable and loathsome, and his height was greater than the clouds of the sky. And when, trembling, she saw him, she looked at the archangel, seeking help from him. He turned and spoke to her: "Do not be afraid, but approach and fight with him, and know that if you conquer him now you will also conquer for all eternity." With great fear she caught hold of him, and drew him towards her right hand. Shaking himself free from her hands, he again rose up on high. Observing her, the angel said: "Act manfully, because you are still going to fight." By the authority received from the angel, she did just as before. And when he rose into the heights, the angel said to her: "Catch him a third time, and place your foot on his neck, and know that now he will never prevail against you." And when she had done just as he had instructed her, the foul spirit, confused and cast down, vanished from her eyes. The angel, however, with a joyful face, flew away into the heavens.
      After the most blessed one awoke, when the virgins standing around asked her to tell them what she had seen, since they had seen that she was struggling in her sleep, she began with great sorrow to relate what had been revealed to her. The Lord was truly kind when he revealed to his servant the secrets of his mystery, which I have understood will be most helpful to narrate to you.'


Text: Mabillon 1669, 143 (spelling and punctuation modernised).
Translation: David Lambert.

Apparition, vision, dream, revelation

Women
Ecclesiastics - monks/nuns/hermits
Angels
Demons

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Discussion

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