Chiesa dei Santi Vincenzo e Anastasio a Trevi , a Roma, nel rione Trevi.
Mardi 22 janvier : Saints Vincent et Anastase
Posted on 22
janvier 2019 de Henri Forestier
Les âmes des justes sont dans la main de Dieu. Aux
yeux des insensés ils ont paru mourir, mais ils sont dans la paix.
extrait de l’introït de la Messe des saints Vincent et Anastase.
Deux saints martyrs sont proposés aujourd’hui à notre
vénération : Vincent et Anastase, réunis dans une même fête, car ils moururent
le même jour, mais à des années de distance! Saint Vincent naquit en Espagne à
Huesca au 2ème siècle. Il fut ordonné diacre par Valens, évêque de
Saragosse, et celui-ci, ayant du mal à parler, chargea Vincent de prêcher à sa
place. Ayant appris son rôle, Dacien, gouverneur de cette province au nom de
l’empereur Dioclétien, ordonna d’arrêter Vincent et de l’amener, couvert de
chaines, à Valence. Il y subit un terrible martyr devant de nombreux témoins,
qu’il supporta avec une force admirable. Il mourut le 22 janvier 304. Son
courage dans ses souffrances le rendit vite célèbre et son culte se répandit
rapidement partout. Il fait partie, avec saint Étienne et saint Laurent, des
trois plus célèbres diacres. Saint Vincent est aussi le sympathique et
populaire patron des vignerons !
Quant à Anastase, nous savons peu de choses de lui. Il
était un moine persan, et le roi des perses Chosroas lui fit trancher la tête
en 628. Son chef fut transporté à Rome, où il était vénéré vers 650. En 1221,
les reliques de St Vincent furent aussi apportées d’Espagne et placées dans la
basilique dédiée à St Anastase. Saint Vincent fut martyr de son dévouement, ce
martyre là est à notre portée ! Quand on ne sait pas toujours quoi mettre sous
le nom d’amour et de charité, on voit toujours très bien ce qu’on peut mettre
sous le mot dévouement… Alors, sommes-nous de ceux qui disent toujours oui à
Dieu, à l’ami, au supérieur, au prêtre qui nous sollicite ? Et avec le sourire
en prime ? Vous êtes alors sur le chemin du Ciel, ne le quittez pas !
Pratique : Aujourd’hui nous ne refuserons aucun
service.
Chiesa dei Santi Vincenzo e Anastasio, a Roma, piazza
di Trevi.
Façade de l'église vue de la fontaine de Trevi.
S. Vincent et S. Anastase
22 janvier
RÉSUMÉ :
Saint Vincent, le diacre de Saragosse, et saint
Anastase, le moine de Perse, moururent le même jour, à 324 ans d’intervalle
(304, 628).
Deux églises célèbres leur sont dédiées en commun à
Rome, tandis qu’un même culte associe leurs noms dans l’Église entière. « Leur
nom vivra dans les siècles ».
Sous les empereurs Dioclétien et Maximien, le diacre saint Vincent, comme autrefois le diacre saint Laurent, est déposé sur un gril, au milieu de charbons ardents. « Dieu les a éprouvés comme l’or dans la fournaise » : aussi ces deux noms saint Laurent et saint Vincent se suivent dans les Litanies des Saints, car leurs fronts « victorieux » sont ceints des mêmes « lauriers ».
Saint Anastase, moine persan, fut décapité après avoir
subi d’atroces supplices, mais le Christ, pour la cause duquel il fut
persécuté, le soutint : « Votre droite, Seigneur, a brisé les
ennemis ».
Sur les charbons ardents saint Vincent s’écrie :
« Je pensais que votre cruauté irait plus loin ».
Saint Anastase, à son tour, déclare : « Je
m’attendais à un genre de mort plus cruel ».
Demandons à Dieu, par l’intercession de ces saints
Martyrs, de nous aider à vaincre nos tentations et nos vices, et à faire notre
salut.
Bernat Martorell (1390–1452). Retaule de Sant Vicenç, tra il 1438 e il 1440 circa, Tempera and gold leaf on wood, 288 X 238, Museo nazionale d'arte della Catalogna. Provenienza: Sant Vicenç de Menàrguens (Noguera) 1930: legato in favore di MNAC da Ignasi Girona e Anna Jover
SAINT VINCENT :
Saint Vincent, l’un des
plus illustres martyrs de Jésus-Christ, naquit à Saragosse, en Espagne.
Son éducation fut toute chrétienne, et il fit, sous la direction de
l’Évêque Valère, de rapides progrès dans la connaissance des saintes Lettres.
Il était Diacre, quand Dacien, gouverneur d’Espagne, l’un des plus cruels
persécuteurs qu’ait jamais eus l’Église, en fit une des premières victimes de
sa fureur.
Rien n’est plus beau que
le récit de son interrogatoire :
« —Votre naissance,
Vincent, dit le juge, et votre brillante jeunesse excitent toute ma
sympathie ; renoncez à votre religion et choisissez entre
les honneurs ou les tourments.
« —Vous avez pris trop de peine, répond le
Martyr, pour me faire apostasier ; je resterai Chrétien et saurai mourir
joyeusement pour la Vérité. Les souffrances me vaudront la couronne des
Élus. »
Comme prélude de son
supplice, saint Vincent est étendu sur un chevalet, et, sous l’action des
cordes et des roues, ses nerfs se rompent et ses membres se brisent :
« —Eh bien !
dites-moi maintenant quelle est votre Foi ? reprend le féroce Dacien.
« —Vous comblez aujourd’hui mes vœux, dit le
Martyr, laissez libre cours à votre rage, vos fureurs me conduisent à la
gloire. »
Le tyran s’irrite contre
les bourreaux, trop timides dans leur besogne, et le supplice
recommence plus horrible encore, à coups d’ongles de fer. Saint Vincent
sourit dans les tortures :
« —Vos idoles,
dit-il, sont de bois et de pierre ; servez, si vous voulez, ces vains
fantômes ; pour moi, je ne sacrifie qu’au Dieu vivant qui est béni dans
tous les siècles. »
Dacien lui-même est
touché de l’affreux état où il a mis sa victime :
« —Ayez pitié de
vous, Vincent, ne méprisez pas ainsi la jeunesse dans sa fleur,
épargnez-vous de plus terribles châtiments. »
Mais le saint Diacre ne cède pas plus aux flatteries
qu’aux menaces :
« —Langue de vipère, dit-il, je crains plus votre
poison que vos tourments. J’ai pour me soutenir la parole de mon Sauveur, qui
m’a dit : “Ne craignez point ceux qui tuent le corps, mais ne peuvent rien
sur l’âme”. »
Alors on prépare un vaste
gril de fer dont les barres sont autant de scies aux pointes aiguës ; on
le place sur un brasier ardent et on y jette le Martyr, qui bénit Dieu dans son
affreux supplice. Vainqueur du tyran, saint Vincent est retourné dans son
cachot et soumis à de nouvelles tortures. Au milieu de la nuit, les
Anges viennent le consoler :
« —Réjouissez-vous, lui disent-ils, bientôt votre
âme, libre du joug de la chair, va prendre place parmi
nous ! »
Saint Vincent rendit peu
après le dernier soupir ; il avait vingt-deux ans. C’était l’an 304, saint
Marcellin étant pape, Dioclétien et Maximien Hercule empereurs romains.
Saint Augustin a dit de lui : « Enivré du
vin qui rend fort et chaste, saint Vincent triompha des tyrans qui voulaient
ruiner le règne de Jésus-Christ ». Est-ce la raison par laquelle il a
été fait patron des vignerons ? À Marseille où il est fêté comme tel, on
dit que c’est à cause de son nom : « vins 100 »… Dom Guéranger,
en liturgiste, indique que : « Cette idée est heureuse et nous
rappelle mystérieusement la part que le diacre prend au divin sacrifice [de la
Messe]. C’est lui qui verse dans le calice ce vin qui va bientôt devenir le
sang du Christ ».
St Anastasius the Persian
Chosroas II, roi de
Perse, avait envahi la Syrie lorsqu’il apprit la révolte de Jérusalem (en
615) : il marcha contre cette ville, la châtia cruellement
et s’empara, entre autres dépouilles, du bois de la vraie Croix.
Un de ses soldats,
surpris et touché à la fois des marques de vénération dont les Chrétiens
entouraient cette relique, embrassa leur religion, et reçut au baptême le
nom d’Anastase.
Après avoir passé sept
ans dans un monastère, il fit divers pèlerinages, fut arrêté à Césarée et
aima mieux souffrir les fers et les verges que de retourner aux
superstitions de son pays. Comme il demeurait inflexible, on l’envoya au
roi, chargé de chaînes.
Arrivé à Barsaloé, sur
les bords de l’Euphrate, il fut soumis à de nouvelles tortures et noyé en même
temps que soixante-dix Perses, récemment convertis. C’était le 22 janvier 628,
Honorius Ier étant pape, Héraclius Ier empereur d’Orient et Clotaire
II roi de Neustrie. Ses restes, d’abord inhumés dans le monastère de
Saint-Serge, furent dans la suite transférés à Rome.
Diacre de Saragosse, martyr à Valence (+ 304)
(avec son frère saint Oronce et saint Victor)
La vie du patron des vignerons s'est tellement améliorée au cours des temps qu'il est difficile de démêler l'histoire de la légende. Trois faits sont historiques: il était diacre; il sut dominer les plus cruels supplices et, malgré ses souffrances, il chantait, riait et répondait avec humour aux humeurs de son tortionnaire, au point que saint Augustin dira de lui: "A travers cette ténacité, on discerne la puissance de Dieu."
"Vincent, diacre de Saragosse, fut mis à mort à Valence (Espagne) avec son évêque Valère en 304 ou 305, après avoir subi la torture. Comme Laurent de Rome, Vincent offre le modèle accompli du service dans l'Église: ministre de l'évêque pour l'offrande du sacrifice et le gouvernement de la communauté, le diacre doit l'accompagner aussi à l'heure suprême du témoignage. Son culte, très répandu dans les pays de vignobles, le fut également à Viviers, où la Cathédrale lui fut dédiée dès le VIe siècle. Vincent signifie 'vainqueur', et la liturgie joue volontiers sur le sens de son nom." (Saint Vincent, diacre et martyr - Titulaire de la cathédrale et patron du diocèse - Église catholique en Ardèche)
"Au cours des années 304 et 305, plus d'un millier de chrétiens périront en Espagne sous la torture. Le martyre de Vincent a été rapporté très tôt par le poète Prudence (348-v.415) dans son ouvrage 'La couronne des martyrs'. Son culte s'étendait à la totalité de l'empire romain dès l'époque de saint Augustin (354-430). L'iconographie le représente, en habit de diacre portant l'évangéliaire (proclamé par lui au cours de la messe) et la palme du martyre. Il est encadré de deux ceps de vigne portant des grappes de raisins." (paroisse Saint-Vincent en Narbonnais - Prières à Saint Vincent - Chanson des vignerons pour la fête - site des catholiques de l'Aude)
Saint Vincent est très souvent représenté en Bourgogne, patron de l'église-cathédrale de Mâcon et de celle de Chalon-sur-Saône (siège d'un évêché jusqu'en 1801), il est aussi le patron de l'église de Chevagny les Chevrières près de Mâcon.
Avec saint Oronce, il fait partie des saints du diocèse de Gap et d'Embrun.
Quant à l'origine de son patronage des vignerons, plusieurs hypothèses sont envisagées.
Mémoire de saint Vincent, diacre de Sarragosse et martyr. Dans la persécution
de Dioclétien, en 304, avec son évêque saint Valère, il fut
conduit à Valence, et là, après avoir subi la prison, la faim, le chevalet, des
plaques brûlantes, il s'envola au ciel, vainqueur, pour recevoir la couronne du
martyre.
Saint Vincent, patron des vignerons, obtiens-nous
l'abondance des récoltes, la qualité du vin, une clientèle nombreuse et fidèle
ainsi que la prospérité dans nos entreprises ! Saint Vincent, patron des
vignerons, si tout ceci nous est donné, que nous sachions en faire un usage
désintéressé avec un cœur reconnaissant ! Saint Vincent, patron des vignerons,
si l'un ou l'autre vient à manquer, prie Dieu pour que nous ayons confiance,
patience, et que nos cœurs s'ouvrent à la souffrance des autres ! Saint Vincent,
patron des vignerons, que le bon soleil se lève sur tout ceux que nous aimons,
comme sur nos vignes ! Que la joie inonde notre monde comme la douce pluie
irrigue nos ceps ! Et si quelqu'orage gronde, obtiens-nous humour et pardon !
Saint Vincent, toi qui étais diacre, c'est-à- dire serviteur, tourne nos
regards vers les plus pauvres, permets que d'autres hommes se mettent à leur
tour au service des hommes pour leur plus grand bien matériel et spirituel !
Saint Vincent, toi qui as refusé de trahir ta foi, prie pour que nos
incertitudes deviennent convictions et que nos convictions nous rapprochent de
la foi ! Saint Vincent, toi qui as tant souffert, permets que le tyran se
transforme en apôtre, que le violent s'attendrisse, qu'aucune souffrance ne
soit inutile. Obtiens que jamais nous ne blessions ni nos amis, ni nos ennemis
! Avec l'aide de Saint Vincent qui a supporté de souffrir pour sa foi,
Seigneur, fortifie-nous dans les épreuves ! Avec l'aide de Saint Vincent qui a
accepté de mourir pour sa foi, Seigneur, donne-nous le sens de la vraie liberté
!
Prière à St Vincent prononcée par Mgr Turini à
l'occasion de la St Vincent, patron des vignerons, à Castelnau-Montratier en
présence de la confrérie des vins des Côteaux du Quercy.
SOURCE : https://nominis.cef.fr/contenus/fetes/22/1/2017/22-Janvier-2017.html
Church Sant'Anastasio, Sant'Anastastio, hamlet of Piazza al Serchio, Garfagnana, Province of Lucca, Tuscany, Italy
Saint Anastase
Martyr en Assyrie (+ 628)
Il était le fils d'un mage perse, mage de profession à l'époque où Chosroès, roi des Perses, mit à sac la Ville Sainte de Jérusalem (614) et emporta avec lui les reliques de la Passion retrouvées par sainte Hélène. Anastase était militaire et découvrit peu à peu le christianisme et Jésus-Christ. Il quitta l'armée, se rendit en Syrie auprès d'un orfèvre persan qui était chrétien et qui le catéchisa. Baptisé à Jérusalem, il ne tarda pas à se faire moine. A quelque temps de là, il partit pour Césarée de Palestine où se trouvait une garnison perse dont il voulut retirer les soldats de la magie à laquelle ils s'adonnaient. Arrêté et chargé de chaînes, refusant de renier Jésus-Christ, il fut condamné à transporter les pierres pour construire la forteresse. Puis, avec d'autres chrétiens de la ville, il fut reconduit vers la Perse. Un jour, durant la route, les soldats de l'escorte le suspendirent par une main, attachant à l'autre une lourde pierre et le laissèrent ainsi pendant quinze jours, entretenant ses douleurs en le faisant boire et manger, avant de l'étrangler.
À Bethsaloé en Perse, l'an 628, la passion de saint Anastase, moine et martyr.
Après de nombreux tourments qu'il avait endurés à Césarée de Palestine, il fut
encore éprouvé par les nombreux supplices que lui infligea le roi des Perses
Chosroès. Il fut enfin étranglé près du fleuve, après soixante-dix compagnons,
et décapité.
Martyrologe romain
SOURCE : https://nominis.cef.fr/contenus/saint/479/Saint-Anastase.html
Chiesa abbaziale dei Ss. Vincenzo e Anastasio alle Tre
Fontane, Roma
Chiesa abbaziale dei Ss. Vincenzo e Anastasio alle Tre Fontane, Roma
Nuno Gonçalves (–1450). Triptyque de Saint-Vincent ( Painéis de S. Vicente de Fora), vers 1450, Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga (National Museum of Antique Art), in Lisbon, Portugal.
Saint Vincent Panels. From left to right: Panel of the Friars, Panel of the Fishermen, Panel of the Prince, Panel of the Archbishop, Panel of the Knights, and Panel of the Relic
Sancti Pauli ad Aquas Salvias (St Paul at Aquae
Salviae). The church located on the grounds of the Tre
Fontane Abbey located on Via di Acque Salvie 1 in the Quartiere
Ardeatino (Q. XX.). Façade with roofline statues of Niccolo Cordieri
Alessandro Maganza (1556–1632). Madonna and Child with Saints Anastasius and Vincent with the model of the city of Vicenza
.jpg)
Master of Estopiñán (fl. XIV
sec. ). Retaule de sant Vicenç del mestre de
Estopanyà, cap a 1350-1370; Retablo de San Vicente, realizado por el
maestro d e Estopiñán hacia 1350-1370. Museo nazionale d'arte
della Catalogna
22 janvier
Saint Vincent
Diacre et martyr
Saint Vincent naquit à Huesca et fut instruit des
sciences sacrées et profanes à Sarragosse, sous la direction de l'évêque Valère1 qui, vieux et inaudible, l'ordonna
diacre pour qu'il prêchât à sa place.
Au début de la persécution de Dioclétien et de
Maximien, le cruel et sanguinaire préfet Dacien reçut le gouvernement de la
province de Valence et n'eut rien de plus pressé que de faire emprisonner
l'évêque Valère et son diacre Vincent qui, chargés de chaînes, furent conduits
à Valence. Valère ne pouvant plus parler, Vincent lui dit : « Père,
si vous le permettez, je prendrai la parole ; Valère répondit : Mon
fils, comme je vous ai confié la charge de prêcher l'Evangile, je vous confie
celle d'affirmer la foi pour laquelle nous combattons ; alors Vincent
s'adressa au Préfet : Nous sommes prêts à endurer toutes sortes de
tourments pour la cause du vrai Dieu ; en pareil cas, nous ne céderons ni
aux promesses, ni aux menaces. »
Sous les yeux de Valère, le Préfet fit étendre Vincent
sur un chevalet où ses membres furent disloqués et sa chair mise en lambeaux,
puis il fut longuement torturé par le feu et le fer avant d'être jeté dans un
cul de basse-fosse dont on avait recouvert le sol de poteries cassées. Tout à
coup, sa prison s'illumine, des anges viennent le réconforter et Vincent chante
des hymnes et des cantiques. Informé, Dacien le fait étendre sur des coussins
moelleux pour que « le fait de mourir dans les douleurs n'augmente point
sa gloire » ; à peine étendu, Vincent meurt. Dacien ordonne que l’on
couse le corps de Vincent et qu’on le jette dans la mer, lesté d’une grosse
pierre. Les bourreaux chargent le corps sur une barque et vont le jeter en
haute mer ; mais, lorsqu’ils regagnent le rivage, ils y trouvent le corps
de saint Vincent. Effrayés, les bourreaux laissent là le corps du saint diacre
qui est défendu par les corbeaux, jusqu’à ce que les vagues l’aient enfouie
dans le sable. Quelques temps plus tard, saint Vincent apparaît à la veuve
Ionique pour lui demander la sépulture chrétienne qu’elle lui donne hors des
murs de Valence.
Le culte de saint Vincent s’est très vite répandu en
Occident, au point que saint Augustin qui prononça plusieurs sermons en son
honneur, écrivit qu’il n’y avait point de province de l’Empire où l’on ne
célèbrât la fête du martyr.
En 542, Childebert, roi de Paris, et Clotaire, roi de
Soissons, qui assiègent Saragosse, touchés par la piété des habitants entrés en
pénitence et processionnant derrière le corps de saint Vincent, levèrent le
siège pourvu qu'on leur remît le bras droit et l'étole du martyr pour qui, sur
le conseil de saint Germain d'Auxerre, ils construisirent l'abbaye
Sainte-Croix-Saint-Vincent, devenue depuis Saint-Germain-des-Près, où
Childebert fut inhumé. L’avant-bras droit fut plus tard donné à l’église de
Vitry-le-François. On dit aussi que Childebert donna le chef à saint Domnole,
évêque du Mans, qui les déposa dans le monastère qu’il avait fait construire en
l’honneur du martyr de Sarragosse ; cette relique fut perdue pendant la
Révolution, comme celles que conservaient les religieuses de Fontevrault, à
Charmes (diocèse de Soissons). Le cœur de saint Vincent, conservé à l’église de
Dun-le-Roi, en Berry, fut détruit par les Calvinistes (1562). En 876, Charles
le Chauve passant à Besançon fit don à l’évêque Thierry de deux vertèbres de
saint Vincent.
Saint Vincent est souvent honoré comme le patron des vignerons ; comme aucun épisode de sa vie ni aucun de ses miracles n’a trait au vin ou à la vigne, on pense que ce patronnage repose sur un jeu de mots fait à partir de la première syllabe de son nom : vin.
1 L’évêque Valère de
Saragosse figure au nombre des pères du concile d’Elvire (début du IV° siècle)
qui est le plus ancien concile disciplinaire d’Occident dont l’œuvre nous soit
parvenue en entier. On croit qu’il fut condamné à être exilé à Anet, en Aragon,
où il mourut en 315.
SOURCE : http://missel.free.fr/Sanctoral/01/22.php
Tomás Giner (fl. 1458–1480). San Vicente, diácono y mártir, con un donante, Ca. 1462-1466, 185 X 117, Museo del Prado
Saint Vincent of Saragossa.
Also
known as
- 22 January
- 11 January (Orthodox)
- 23 January (United
States)
Profile
Friend of Saint Valerius of Saragossa in Spain, and served as his deacon. Imprisoned and tortured in Valencia, Spain for his faith during the persecutions of Diocletian; part of his time was spent being
burned on a gridiron. While in prison, he converted his jailer. Was finally offered release if he would give
up the scripture texts for burning, but he refused. Martyr.
Acts written by
the poet Prudentius.
Born
- vine
dressers
- vinegar
makers
- vintners
- wine
growers
- wine makers
- —
- Portugal
-
- in Italy
-
- Lisbon, Portugal
-
- Vilamalla,
Girona, Catalonia, Spain
- deacon being
torn by hooks
- deacon holding
a ewer
- deacon holding
a millstone
- deacon holding several ewers and a book
- deacon with
a raven
- deceased deacon whose body is being defended by ravens
Additional Information
- A Garner of Saints, by Allen Banks Hinds, M.A.
- Book of Saints, by the Monks of Ramsgate
- Catholic
Encyclopedia
- Lives of the Saints, by Father Alban Butler
- Martyrs of the First Ages, by Saint Alphonsus de Liguori
- Pictorial
Lives of the Saints
- Roman
Martyrology, 1914 edition
- Saints of Day, by Katherine Rabenstein
- books
- other
sites in english
- 1001 Patron Saints and
Their Feast Days, Australian
Catholic Truth Society
- Catholic Culture
- Catholic Ireland
- Catholic News Agency
- Catholic Online
- Catholic Online
- Christian
Biographies, by James Kiefer
- Cradio
- Franciscan Media
- John Dillon
- Saint
Charles Borromeo Catholic Church
- Saint Peter’s Basilica Info
- Saints Stories for All Ages
- uCatholic
- Wikipedia
- images
- video
- sitios
en español
- Martirologio Romano, 2001 edición
- sites
en français
- fonti
in italiano
- Cathopedia
- Martirologio Romano, 2005 edition
- Santi e
Beati
- spletne
strani v slovenšcini
Readings
“To you has been granted
in Christ’s behalf not only that you should believe in him but also that you
should suffer for him.” Vincent had received both these gifts and held them as
his own. For how could he have them if he had not received them? And he
displayed his faith in what he said, his endurance in what he suffered. No one
ought to be confident in his own strength when he undergoes temptation. For
whenever we endure evils courageously, our long-suffering comes from him
Christ. He once said to his disciples: “In this world you will suffer
persecution,” and then, to allay their fears, he added, “but rest assured, I
have conquered the world.” There is no need to wonder then, my dearly beloved
brothers, that Vincent conquered in him who conquered the world. It offers
temptation to lead us astray; it strikes terror into us to break out spirit.
Hence if our personal pleasures do not hold us captive, and if we are not
frightened by brutality, then the world is overcome. At both of these
approaches Christ rushes to our aid, and the Christian is not conquered. from
a sermon by Saint Augustine of Hippo
Everlasting God, to whom
all hidden things are revealed, who sent into the world Thine Only Begotten
Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, conceived through the Holy Ghost, born of the
Virgin Mary, that He might take on Him the punishment of our sins, and by His
resurrection snatch us from the gates of hell, grant to our hearts such
steadfastness of faith that confessing Christ, Thy Son, we may not perish but
may be joined to Him in the confession of Thy Holy Name. Amen. – Saint Vincent
MLA Citation
- “Saint Vincent of
Saragossa“. CatholicSaints.Info. 23 August 2020. Web. 19
January 2021.
<https://catholicsaints.info/saint-vincent-of-saragossa/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/saint-vincent-of-saragossa/
Martyrs of the First Ages – Saint Vincent, Deacon, by Saint Alphonsus de Liguori
Saint Vincent, one of
the most celebrated martyrs of Spain, was born in Saragossa, of one of the most
respectable families of that city. While very young, he was placed under the
tutelage of Valerius, Bishop of that church, who with great pains instructed
him in the doctrines of religion, giving him at the same time a very extensive
acquaintance with human science. Vincent, having made wonderful progress in
learning, was ordained deacon by this prelate, who being himself prevented from
preaching by an impediment in his speech, entrusted this office to Vincent. The
young Levite discharged this important duty with such success that a great
number of sinners, and even of pagans, was converted at his discourses.
At that time, namely, in
the year 303, Spain was under the rule of Maximian; and Dacian was governor of
the province of Tarragona, in which Saragossa was situated. This Dacian was a
most cruel man, and an unrelenting persecutor of the Christians. Hearing of the
manner in which Vincent advanced the Christian faith, he had him arrested,
together with his Bishop, Valerius, and brought to Valencia, where he resided.
He caused them to suffer much in prison, thinking that by maltreatment lie
would render them easier to be tampered with, but he soon perceived that this
means did not correspond to the end he had in view. When they had been brought
into his presence, he first endeavored by kindness to induce them to
apostatize. To Valerius he represented that his declining age and infirmity
required that repose which he might obtain by obeying the imperial edicts, but if
he resisted he would feel the effects of their just anger. Then turning to
Vincent he said: “You are young, and should not despise the reward of fortune
which you may earn by abandoning your religion. Obey, young man, the commands
of the emperors, and do not, by refusal, expose yourself to an ignominious
death.”
Whereupon Vincent,
turning to Valerius, who as yet had made no reply to the governor, said:
“Father, if thou wilt, I shall answer for thee.” The saintly bishop, resolved
to suffer for Jesus Christ, replied: “Yes, my son, as I formerly entrusted to
thee the preaching of God s holy word, I now charge thee to manifest our
faith.” The holy deacon then declared to Dacian that they adored one only God,
and could not worship the gods of the empire, who were devils, adding: “Do not
think to shake our fortitude with threats of death or promises of reward,
because there is nothing in this world which can be compared with the honor and
pleasure of dying for Jesus Christ.” Dacian irritated by such liberty of speech
said to the holy deacon: “Either you must offer incense to the gods or you must
pay with your life the contempt that you show.” To this Vincent, raising his
voice, replied as follows: “I have already told you that the greatest pleasure
and the most distinguished honor that you can procure for us is to make us die
for Jesus Christ. You may rest assured that you will tire of inflicting
torments sooner than we of suffering them.”
Dacian condemned
Valerius to banishment, and resolved to wreak his vengeance upon Vincent.
He first caused him to
be stretched upon the rack, by which horrid machine the saint s arms and feet
were so distended, that the bystanders could hear the noise of the dislocation
of his joints, which remained attached only by the over-stretched and relaxed
sinews. Dacian perceived the placid meekness with which the young martyr
endured his torments, and, as Fleury observes, heard him say, “Behold, what I
have ever desired is now being accomplished ! Behold the happy consummation of
what I have always sighed for!” The tyrant hence concluded that the
executioners were remiss in making him feel the torments, and caused them to be
beaten with rods.
He then commanded that
the sides of the saint should be torn with iron hooks, until the ribs should be
visible; and, knowing how much the pain would increase by allowing the wounds
to cool, and then opening them afresh, he ordered this torture, which was
inflicted with great cruelty, until the bowels appeared, and the blood flowed
in torrents. Meanwhile, as Orsi relates, the martyr insulted the tyrant,
saying: “Since thy cruel ministers have exhausted their strength, come, thou
chief butcher, and help them; stretch forth thy wicked hands and slake thy
thirst in my blood. Thou art deceived, thinking that torments can overcome my
faith within me there is another man strengthened by God, whom thou canst not
subdue.”
Hereupon, seeing his
constancy, Dacian ordered a cessation of his tortures, begging of the saint,
for his own sake, that if he persisted in refusing to sacrifice to the gods, he
would at least give up the sacred books to be burned. Vincent answered that
lire was not created by God to burn holy books, but to torture the wicked for
ever: nor did he hesitate to admonish him, that if he did not abandon the
worship of idols, he would be one day condemned to eternal flames. The
governor, more incensed than ever, condemned him to the most cruel of torments
that of being broiled on a species of grid iron studded with sharp points. The
saint hearing this barbarous command, walked with joy to the frightful engine,
in anticipation of his executioners: such was his eagerness to suffer. Upon
this gridiron the saint was stretched at length, and bound, hand and foot,
while the fire burned beneath. Red-hot plates of iron were placed on his
mangled flesh; and his wounds were rubbed with salt, which the activity of the
fire forced deeper into his burned and lacerated body. In the midst of these
tortures, the countenance of the martyr evinced the inward consolation and joy
of his soul, while, with eyes raised to heaven, he blessed the Lord, and
besought of him to receive his sacrifice. All admired the prodigious fortitude
with which God inspired the holy youth, and the pagans themselves exclaimed
that it was miraculous.
The effect that the
spectacle of such patience produced obliged Dacian to remove him from the
public view. Yet, not content with the tortures he had already inflicted, he
caused him to be thrown into a dungeon, his feet placed very wide apart, in
wooden stocks, the pain of which was so great that many martyrs died under it.
His body was then stretched on potsherds, which, opening his wounds afresh,
caused the most painful anguish. In order to weary his patience, strict orders
were given that no one should be admitted to see or offer him the least
consolation; but the saint at midnight perceived his dungeon illuminated by a
celestial light, and perfumed by a heavenly odor. The Lord then sent his angels
to console him, to intimate that his tortures were at an end, and to assure him
of the reward of his fidelity. The jailers, being awakened by the splendor of
the light, approached, and heard the martyr in concert with the angels
rendering praises to the Lord. They believed and avowed the Christian faith.
Dacian being informed of
this, ordered that the saint should be removed from prison to a soft bed, and
that his wounds should be healed, with the intention of renewing his torments
when he would be sufficiently recovered to bear them. The faithful being
permitted to visit and console him, kissed his wounds and absorbed the blood in
their napkins, which they preserved as most precious relics. But the time for
our saint’s triumph had arrived, and he expired in the embraces of his
brethren; while his soul was wafted, by the angels who had assisted him, to the
regions of everlasting bliss.
The tyrant on hearing of
his death commanded that his body should be exposed to be devoured by wild
beasts; but a raven was sent by God to defend it with its claws and beak, even
against a wolf that had come to devour it. Dacian having exhausted his malice,
ordered that the body should be put in a sack, and, with a heavy stone tied to
it, cast into the sea; but there is no power against the Lord the body floated
like a feather on the water and was carried by the waves as far as Valencia.
The mariners tried to get possession of it, but before they could reach it, it
was carried by the waves on the seashore and covered with sand.
The saint afterwards
appeared to a pious lady named Ionica, and indicated the place where his body
lay. She went there, accompanied by other Christians, and find ing the relics,
deposited them in a little chapel; after the persecution had ceased, they were
translated to a magnificent church outside the walls of Valencia, where they
have always been regarded with devout veneration. Saint Augustine attests that
at his time the feast or Saint Vincent was celebrated with a special joy in all
the countries whither the Christian religion had penetrated.
The acts of the
martyrdom of this great saint are among the number of those that Ruinart has
transcribed.
Miguel Juan Porta (1544–1616). San Vicente Mártir junto a San Vicente Ferrer, 268 X 181,5, Museo di Belle Arti di Valencia. Procede de la Casa Profesa de la Compañía de Jesus, en Valencia
Butler’s Lives of the Saints – Saint
Vincent, Martyr
A.D. 304.
The most glorious martyr, Saint Vincent, was born,
some say at Saragossa, others at Valentia, but most authors say, and more
probable, at Osca, now Huesca, in Granada. He was instructed in the sacred
sciences and in Christian piety by Valerius, the bishop of that city, who
ordained him his deacon, and appointed him, though very young, to preach and
instruct the people. Dacian, a most bloody persecutor, was then governor of
spain. The Emperors Dioclesian and Maximian published their second and third
bloody edicts against the Christian clergy in the year 303, which in the
following year were put in force against the laity. It seems to have been
before this last that Dacian put to death eighteen martyrs at Saragossa, who
are mentioned by Prudentius, and in the Roman Martyrology, January the 16th,
and that he apprehended Valerius and Vincent. They spilt some of their blood at
Saragossa, but were thence conducted to Valentia, where the governor let them
lie long in prison, suffering extreme famine and other miseries. The proconsul
hoped that this lingering torture would shake their constancy; but when they
were brought out before him, he was surprised to see them still intrepid in
mind, and vigorous in body, and he reprimanded his officers as if they had not
treated the prisoners according to his orders. Then, turning to the champions
of Christ, he employed alternately threats and promises to induce them to
sacrifice. Valerius, who had an impediment in his speech, making no answer,
Vincent said to him: “Father, if you order me, I will speak.”
“Son,” said Valerius, “as I committed to you the
dispensation of the word of God, so I now charge you to answer in vindication
of the faith which we defend.” The holy deacon then acquainted the judge that
they were ready to suffer every thing for the true God, and little regarded
either his threats or promises in such a cause, Dacian contented himself with
banishing Valerius. As for Saint Vincent, he was determined to assail his
resolution by every torture his cruel temper could suggest. Saint Austin
assures us, that he suffered torments far beyond what any man could possibly
have endured, unless supported by a supernatural strength; and that he
preserved such a peace and tranquillity in his words, countenance, and
gestures, in the midst of them, as astonished his very persecutors, and visibly
appeared as something divine; whilst the rage and distraction of Dacian’s soul
was as visible in the violent agitations of his body, by his eyes sparkling
with fury, and his faltering voice.
The martyr was first stretched on the rack by his
hands and feet, drawn by cords and pullies, till his joints were almost torn
asunder: whilst he hung in this posture, his flesh was unmercifully torn off
with iron hooks. Vincent, smiling, called the executioners weak and
faint-hearted. Dacian thought they spared him, and caused them to be beaten,
which afforded the champion an interval of rest: but they soon returned to him,
resolved fully to satisfy the cruelty of their master, who excited them all the
while to exert their utmost strength. They twice stayed their hands to take
breath, and let his wounds grow cold; then began with fresh vigour to rend and
tear his body, which they did in all its limbs and parts with such cruelty,
that his bones and bowels were in most places exposed bare to sight. The more
his body was mangled, the more did the divine presence cherish and comfort his
soul, and spread a greater joy on his countenance. The judge seeing the streams
of blood which flowed from all the parts of his body, and the frightful
condition to which it was reduced, was obliged to confess with astonishment,
that the courage of the young nobleman had vanquished him, and his rage seemed
somewhat abated. Hereupon he ordered a cessation of his torments, begging of
the saint for his own sake, that if he could not be prevailed upon to offer
sacrifice to the gods, he would at least give up the sacred books to be burnt,
according to the order of the late edicts. The martyr answered, that he feared
his torments less than that false compassion which he testified. Dacian. more
incensed than ever, condemned him to the most cruel of tortures, that of fire
upon a kind of gridiron, called by the acts the legal torture. The saint walked
with joy to the frightful engine, so as almost to get the start of his
executioners, such was his desire to suffer. He mounted cheerfully the iron
bed, in which the bars were framed like scythes, full of sharp spikes made
red-hot by the fire underneath. On this dreadful gridiron the martyr was stretched
out at length, and bound fast down. He was not only scourged thereon; but,
while one part of his body was broiling next the fire, the other was tortured
by the application of red-hot plates of iron. His wounds were rubbed with salt,
which the activity of the fire forced the deeper into his flesh and bowels. All
the parts of his body were tormented in this manner, one after the other, and
each several times over. The melted fat dropping from the flesh nourished and
increased the flames; which, instead of tormenting, seemed, as Saint Austin
says, to give the martyr new vigour and courage; for the more he suffered, the
greater seemed to be the inward joy and consolation of his soul. The rage and
confusion of the tyrant exceeded all bounds: he appeared not able to contain
himself, and was continually inquiring what Vincent did and what he said; but
was always answered, that he suffered with joy in his countenance, and seemed
every moment to acquire new strength and resolution. He lay unmoved, his eyes turned
towards heaven, his mind calm, and his heart fixed on God in continual prayer.
At last, by the command of the proconsul, he was
thrown into a dungeon, and his wounded body laid on the floor strewed with
broken potsherds, which opened afresh his ghastly wounds, and cut his bare
flesh. His legs were set in wooden stocks, stretched very wide, and strict
orders were given that he should be left without provisions, and that no one
should be admitted to see or speak to him. But God sent his angels to comfort
him, with whom he sung the praises of his protector. The gaoler observing
through the chinks the prison filled with light, and the saint walking and
praising God, was converted upon the spot to the Christian faith, and
afterwards baptised. At this news Dacian chafed, and even wept through rage,
but ordered that some repose should be allowed the prisoner. The faithful were
then permitted to see him, and coming in troops wiped and kissed his wounds,
and dipped cloths in his blood, which they kept as an assured protection for
themselves and their posterity. After this a soft bed was prepared for him, on
which he was no sooner laid but he expired, the happy moment he had not ceased
to pray for, ever since his torments, and his first call to martyrdom. Dacian commanded
his body to be thrown on a marshy field among rushes; but a crow defended it
from wild beasts and birds of prey. The acts in Ruinart and Bollandus, and the
sermon attributed to Saint Leo, add, that it was then tied to a great stone and
cast into the sea, in a sack, but miraculously carried to shore, and revealed
to two Christians. They laid it in a little chapel out of the walls of
Valentia, where God honoured these relics with many miracles, as the acts and
Saint Austin witness. Prudentius informs us, that the iron on which he lay, and
other instruments of his passion, were likewise preserved with veneration.
Childebert, king of France, or rather of Paris, besieging Saragossa, wondered
to see the inhabitants busied continually in making processions. Being informed
they carried the stole of Saint Vincent about the walls in devout prayer, and
had been miraculously protected by that martyr’s intercession, he raised the
siege upon condition that the relic should be given him. This he with great
solemnity brought to Paris, and enriched with it the magnificent church and
abbey of Saint Vincent, now called Saint Germain-des-Prez, which he built in
559, and which his successor Clotaire caused to be dedicated. In the year 855,
his sacred bones were discovered at Valentia, and conveyed into France, and
deposited in the abbey of Castres, now an episcopal see in Languedoc, where
they remain; but several portions have been given to the abbey of Saint
Germain-des-Pres at Paris, and other churches; and part was burnt at Castres by
the Huguenots about the end of the sixteenth century. 4 Aimoinus, a
contemporary monk, wrote the history of this translation, with an account of
many miracles which attended it. 5 Saint Gregory of Tours, mentions a portion
of his relics to have been famous for miracles in a village church near
Poictiers. 6 In the life of Saint Domnolus mention is made of a portion placed
by him in a great monastery in the suburbs of the city of Mans. But it is
certain that the chief part of this martyr’s body was conveyed to Lisbon. To
escape the cruel persecution of the Saracen King Abderamene, at Valentia, many
Christians privately withdrew themselves, and carrying with them the body of
Saint Vincent, took shelter on the south-west cape, called the Sacred Promontory,
and from these relics Saint Vincent’s in the kingdom of Algarb then under the
Saracens. Alphonsus Henry, the most pious first king of Portugal, son of count
Henry, having defeated five Moorish kings, at Ourique, in the year 1139,
received from those faithful keepers the body of Saint Vincent, sent it by sea
to Lisbon, and built the royal monastery of the Cross of regular canons of
Saint Austin, in which he most religiously deposited this treasure, rendered
more famous by miracles, in the year 1148. This account is recorded by
contemporary unexceptionable vouchers in Bollandus, p. 406. Mariana, and
especially Thomas ab Incarnatione, a regular canon, in his Historiâ Ecclesiæ
Lusitanæ, printed at Lisbon, A. D. 1759. The Portuguese, ever since the year
1173, keep an annual commemoration of this translation on the fifteenth of
September, which feast was confirmed by Sixtus V.
Prudentius finishes his hymn on this holy martyr by a
prayer to him, that he would present the marks of his sufferings to Christ, to
move him to compassion in his behalf.
God never more visibly manifested his power, nor gave
stronger or more wonderful proofs of his tenderness and love for his church,
than when he suffered it to groan under the most violent oppression and
persecution; nor does his grace any where appear more triumphant than in the
victories of his martyrs under the severest trials, and in the heroic virtues
which they displayed amidst torments and insults. Under the slightest
disappointments and afflictions we are apt to fall into discouragement, and to
imagine, by our sloth and impatience, that our situation is of all others the
most unhappy and intolerable. If nature feel, and we implore the divine mercy,
and a deliverance, if this may be conducive to God’s honour, we must be careful
never to sink under the trials, or consent to the least secret murmuring; we
must bear them, if not with joy, at least with perfect submission; and remain
assured that God only seems to withdraw himself from us, that we may follow him
more earnestly, and unite ourselves more closely to him.
MLA Citation
Father Alban Butler. “Saint Vincent, Martyr”. Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Principal Saints, 1866. CatholicSaints.Info.
21 January 2013. Web. 19 January 2021.
<https://catholicsaints.info/butlers-lives-of-the-saints-saint-vincent-martyr/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/butlers-lives-of-the-saints-saint-vincent-martyr/
.jpg)
José Luzán (1710–1785). San Valero, San Vicente Mártir, San Pedro Arbués y Santo Dominguito de Val, en la Gloria, 1757, 108 X 85, Museo di Saragozza
San Vincenzo di Saragozza Diacono
e martire
-
Memoria Facoltativa
III/IV sec.
Uno
dei santi più radicati nella memoria religiosa della Spagna, san Vincenzo di
Saragozza, oggi ci ricorda come non servano "qualifiche" per
diventare maestri e guide nella comunità cristiana, basta la volontà di
testimoniare senza mediazioni il Vangelo. Era un diacono vissuto a cavallo tra
il III e IV secolo e lavorava al fianco del vescovo Valerio, che sapeva di
avere nel suo collaboratore un grande sostegno grazie al coraggio e alle
capacità dimostrate. Vescovo e diacono venne arrestati, probabilmente nell'anno
304, durante la violenta persecuzione anticristiana scatenata da Diocleziano.
Fu subito chiaro che tra i due il più "pericoloso" era Vincenzo, il
cui eloquio era accompagnato dalla solida volontà di non cedere al persecutore.
Atroci furono le torture che fu costretto a subire e che lo portarono alla
morte.
Patronato: Vicenza, Vinai
Etimologia: Vincenzo =
vittorioso, dal latino
Emblema: Palma
Martirologio
Romano: San Vincenzo, diacono di Saragozza e martire, che dopo aver patito
nella persecuzione dell’imperatore Diocleziano il carcere, la fame, il
cavalletto e le lame incandescenti, a Valencia in Spagna volò invitto in cielo
al premio per il suo martirio.
Un diacono così, ora che il diaconato è tornato “di moda” nella Chiesa, ogni vescovo se lo sognerebbe. Perché, si sa, non tutti i vescovi sono degli oratori nati e quello di Saragozza, Valerio, è per giunta balbuziente. Trovare in Vincenzo un diacono ben equipaggiato culturalmente, dotato nella parola, generoso e coraggioso è per lui un vero colpo di fortuna. Oggi San Vincenzo è il martire più popolare della Spagna, ma doveva già esserlo 1700 anni fa se ben tre città, Valencia, Saragozza e Huesca, si contendono l’onore di avergli dato i natali. In questa disputa noi non vogliamo entrare, limitandoci ai dati essenziali che ci vengono forniti dagli Atti del suo martirio, che avviene durante la persecuzione di Diocleziano. Nel clima di terrore che si instaura e che vede la distruzione degli edifici e degli arredi sacri, la destituzione dei cristiani che ricoprono cariche pubbliche, l’obbligo per tutti di sacrificare agli dei, il vescovo Valerio e il diacono Vincenzo continuano imperterriti nell’annuncio del Vangelo: formano un connubio indissolubile, nel quale il primo con la sua presenza e con l’autorità che gli deriva dal ministero episcopale si fa garante di quello che il secondo annuncia con forza, convinzione e facilità di parola. Così il governatore di Valencia, Daciano, li fa arrestare entrambi, ma quando se li trova davanti capisce che il vero nemico da combattere è il diacono Vincenzo. Manda così il vescovo in esilio e concentra tutte le sue arti persecutorie su Vincenzo, che oltre ad essere un gran oratore è anche un uomo che non si piega facilmente. Lo dice in faccia al governatore: “Vi stancherete prima voi a tormentarci che noi a soffrire”, e questo manda in bestia il persecutore, che vede così anche messa in crisi la sua autorità e il suo prestigio. Perché Vincenzo è una di quelle persone che si piegano ma non si spezzano: prima lo fa fustigare e torturare; poi lo condanna alla pena del cavalletto, da cui esce con le ossa slogate; infine lo fa arpionare con uncini di ferro. Così tumefatto e slogato lo fa gettare in una cella buia, interamente cosparsa di cocci taglienti, ma la testimonianza di Vincenzo continua ad essere limpida e ferma: “Tu mi fai proprio un servizio da amico, perché ho sempre desiderato suggellare con il sangue la mia fede in Cristo. Vi è un altro in me che soffre, ma che tu non potrai mai piegare. Questo che ti affatichi a distruggere con le torture è un debole vaso di argilla che deve ad ogni modo spezzarsi. Non riuscirai mai a lacerare quello che resta dentro e che domani sarà il tuo giudice”. Lo sentono addirittura, anche così piagato, cantare dalla cella e Daciano si rende conto che quella è una voce da far zittire in fretta, visto che qualcuno si è già convertito vedendolo così forte nella fede. Muore il 22 gennaio dell’anno 304 ed anche per sbarazzarsi del cadavere Daciano deve sudare: gettato in pasto alle bestie selvatiche, il suo corpo viene alacramente difeso da un corvo; gettato nel fiume, legato in un sacco insieme ad un grosso macigno, il suo corpo galleggia e torna a riva, dove finalmente i cristiani lo raccolgono per dargli onorata sepoltura. Da una delle omelie che Sant’Agostino ogni anno, il 22 gennaio, dedicava al martire Vincenzo ricaviamo questo pensiero: “il diacono Vincenzo….. aveva coraggio nel parlare, aveva forza nel soffrire. Nessuno presuma di se stesso quando parla. Nessuno confidi nelle sue forze quando sopporta una tentazione, perché, per parlare bene, la sapienza viene da Dio e, per sopportare i mali, da lui viene la fortezza”.
Autore: Gianpiero Pettiti
SOURCE : http://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/25850
St. Anastasius der Perser (+ 628), Andachtsbild, 1780
Saint Anastasius the Persian
Also
known as
- Anastasius
XIV
- Magundat
Profile
Pagan magician. Soldier in the army of Persian king Khusrow II during the campaign that brought the
Holy Cross from Jerusalem to Persia. Magundat was so impressed by the obvious power
of the relic, and the devotion and sanctity of the Christians who flocked to it, that
he converted to Christianity, left the army, took the name Anastasius, and became
a monk in Jerusalem. After seven years of prayer and solitude, Anastasius returned to Persia to convert his countrymen. He was
soon arrested for his faith, and was promised high honours if he would deny
Christ and return to the service of Khusrow; he declined. Martyred with about 70 other Christians whose names have not come
down to us.
Born
- in Persia as Magundat
Additional Information
- Book of Saints, by the Monks of Ramsgate
- Catholic
Encyclopedia
- Lives of the Saints, by Father Alban Butler
- New
Catholic Dictionary
- Roman
Martyrology, 1914 edition
- Saints of the Day, by Katherine Rabenstein
- books
- other
sites in english
- 1001 Patron Saints and
Their Feast Days, Australian
Catholic Truth Society
- Catholic Online
- Saint Charles Borromeo Church, Picayune, Mississippi
- Saint Peter’s Basilica Info
- images
- sitios
en español
- Martirologio Romano, 2001 edición
- fonti
in italiano
- Martirologio Romano, 2005 edition
- Santi e
Beati
- spletne
strani v slovenšcini
MLA Citation
- “Saint Anastasius the
Persian“. CatholicSaints.Info. 15 May 2020. Web. 19
January 2021.
<https://catholicsaints.info/saint-anastasius-the-persian/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/saint-anastasius-the-persian/
_2.jpg)
Преподобномученик Анастасий Персиянин Константинополь.
985 г. Миниатюра Минология Василия II. Ватиканская библиотека. Рим.
Anastasius of Persia (Menologion of Basil II)
Sant' Anastasio (Magundat) Martire
in Persia
† 628
Magundat
che da suo padre Han era stato istruito nella magia, faceva parte dell'esercito
persiano, incuriosito dalla fede cristiana ne volle conoscere il credo. Per
questo si recò a Gerapoli. Si spostò poi a Gerusalemme ove ricevette il
Battesimo assumendo il nome di Anastasio («il risorto») per indicare l'avvenuta
conversione. Fu monaco per sette anni poi andò a Cesarea di Palestina allora
soggetta ai persiani e là catturato e torturato. Avendo fatto parte
dell'esercito si chiese al re Cosroe una decisione nei suoi riguardi. Il re
rispose che se abiurava anche davanti ad una sola persona potevano lasciarlo
libero, ma Anastasio rifiutò. Allora fu preso insieme a due altri compagni di
cella e portato a Bethsaloen in Assiria e là fu sottoposto ad altre torture. Fu
costretto ad assistere all'uccisione dei due compagni e di altri sessantasei
cristiani, alla fine fu strangolato e decapitato. Era il 628.
Emblema: Palma
Martirologio
Romano: A Sergiopoli in Persia, passione di sant’Anastasio, monaco e
martire, che dopo molti tormenti da lui patiti a Cesarea di Palestina, fu da
parte di Cosroe re dei Persiani afflitto con molti supplizi e, dopo settanta
suoi compagni, presso un fiume fu soffocato e decapitato.
Monaco persiano morto nel 628. Magundat che da suo padre Han era stato istruito nella magia, faceva parte dell’esercito persiano, incuriosito dal fatto che i cristiani venerassero la croce che era uno strumento di morte e di supplizio, ne volle conoscere i rudimenti della religione, quindi recatosi a Gerapoli nella chiesa dedicata ai martiri apprese il loro eroismo. Ammirato, si recò poi a Gerusalemme ove ricevette il Battesimo assumendo il nome di Anastasio ("il risorto") per indicare l’avvenuta conversione.
Fu monaco per sette anni poi andò a Cesarea di Palestina allora soggetta ai persiani e là catturato, fu sottoposto a tormenti crudeli affinché abiurasse il Cristianesimo.
Avendo fatto parte dell’esercito si chiese al re Cosroe una decisione nei suoi riguardi. Il re comprensivo rispose che se abiurava anche davanti ad una sola persona potevano lasciarlo libero, ma Anastasio rifiutò. Allora fu preso insieme a due altri compagni di cella e portato a Bethsaloen in Assiria (detta poi Sergiopoli) dove si trovava il re e là fu sottoposto ad altri terribili tormenti assistendo anche allo strozzamento dei due compagni e di altri sessantasei cristiani, alla fine fu strangolato e decapitato
Le sue reliquie furono traslate a Roma durante l’impero di Eraclio intorno al 640. Il suo capo era venerato nel monastero detto delle "Acquae Salviae" intitolato poi ai santi Vincenzo ed Anastasio alle Tre Fontane.
Una sua reliquia si venera, sempre a Roma, presso la Scala Santa. L’effige del suo volto recata a Roma alle Tre Fontane è stata una grande sorgente di virtù miracolose fra l’altro confermate dal II Concilio Niceno.
Ancora oggi è molto venerato con la diffusione di medaglie di vari formati da
portare addosso e a cui si dà molta importanza per preservare dai mali.
La sua festa si celebra il 22 gennaio.
Autore: Antonio Borrelli
