Saint Vital de Gaza
(7ème
s.)
Il avait soixante
ans lorsqu'il réalisa que l'Évangile invite les femmes de "mauvaise
vie" à entrer, elles aussi, dans le Royaume de Dieu. Il résolut de les y
décider sur place. Il quitta son ermitage de Gaza en Palestine, et rejoignit
Alexandrie d'Égypte, célèbre en cela par son quartier du port. Il y loua une
petite chambre et fit deux parts de son temps. Le jour, il mendiait l'argent
aux portes des bonnes maisons; le soir il mendiait la conversion aux portes du
péché. Ces dames le prirent vite en amitié respectueuse tant il était bon et
miséricordieux dans ses paroles et ses jugements. Quand il abordait l'une ou
l'autre qui était attristée de son métier, il doublait ou triplait ce
qu'elle comptait gagner, l'emmenait dans sa chambre et lui parlait du bonheur
que donne une vie honnête. Souvent, elles changeaient de vie. Mais les
"saintes âmes" dénoncèrent saint Vital à l'évêque qui l'enferma.
Les filles de joie passèrent des nuits devant la résidence épiscopale, criant
et tapageant, réclamant leur ami. L'évêque comprit. Quelques jours plus tard,
saint Vital fut abattu d'un coup de couteau par un souteneur furieux de son
action. Près du saint, on trouva cette tablette écrite :"Attendez, pour
juger, le jour du jugement."
Vitalis of Gaza, Hermit
(AC)
Died c. 625. Vitalis was a monk of Gaza, of unknown origin, who in his monk's
dress, at the age of 60, arrived in the gay and dazzling city of Alexandria,
Egypt, like a ghost of the desert. In his lonely cell he had read the story of
the woman taken in adultery and had felt impelled to travel to the city and
work among the prostitutes. He obtained the name and address of every harlot,
hired himself our as a day laborer, and every night took his wage to one of
these unfortunate women.
It was a very
strange and unconventional procedure. He would sup with the woman, then, giving
her the money, would say: "I pay thee this, that thou mayest spend one
night without sin." Afterwards he would pray with her, often passing the
night in reciting the Psalms, and, on leaving, would extract a solemn promise
that she would tell no one of the nature of his visit.
It led to great
scandal and he was gravely misunderstood, but the Church refused to intervene
and he continued his mission. Thus he visited in turn every harlot in Alexandria,
and many, moved by his purity and sincerity as well as by his earnest appeal,
abandoned their shameful calling. Many, indeed, afterwards married and became
good wives and mothers.
But his story ends
in tragedy. One day, when leaving a house of ill fame, he was struck on the
head by a man who misunderstood his motive. Vitalis made his way back with
difficulty to the wretched hovel where he lived, and the crowd that followed,
when they entered, found him dead upon his knees. In his hand was a fragment of
parchment bearing the words: "Judge nothing before the time, until the
Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will
make manifest the counsels of the heart."
Then all whom he
had helped revealed the secret of his redemptive work, and the whole city
gathered to do him honor, the women following him to his grave bearing lamps
and candles (Benedictines, Encyclopedia, Gill).
Profile
Monk and hermit in the Gaza region. At age 60 he felt driven to travel to Alexandria, Egypt and work to save the area prostitutes. He had a unique method – he worked as a day labourer; with each day’s wages he would hire a prostitute for the evening; but instead of the usual services, he
requested that she spend the night without sin. To those who would listen he
would teach and pray,
and from each he extracted a promise to not describe the evening. Not
surprisingly, this frequently led to controversy, gossip and opposition, but
every investigation cleared him of any charge of impropriety. Some writers claim that he met and prayed
with every prostitute in the city, and many of them were led to abandon the
life and overcome the things that had driven them to it.
- he was struck in the head in 625 with a knife by a pimp who saw him leaving a brothel and
wanted Vitalis to quit interfering with business in Alexandria, Egypt
- Vitalis managed to return to his hut and died alone soon after, apparently in prayer
St. Vitalis of the monastery of Abba Serid (Seridos)
at Gaza (609-620)
Commemorated on
January 11 and April 22
He lived for
many years as a monk in Palestine, then went to Alexandria to labor for the
salvation of women living as prostitutes. He worked with his hands by day,
keeping only a tenth of his earnings for himself. By night, he would take the
rest of his earnings to the prostitutes' quarter and offer his money to one of
them, on condition that she would not give herself up to sin that night, but
instead stay with him, praying all night for his salvation. When he left her,
he would make her promise to tell no one of this arrangement. Not surprisingly,
complaints soon reached the Patriarch, St John the Merciful (November 12) about
this monk who was causing scandal by his immoral life; but the Patriarch,
discerning Vitalis' heart, did nothing. When St Vitalis died, a writing tablet
was found near his body, on which was written: "Inhabitants of Alexandria,
judge not before the time, until the coming of the Day of the Lord." Then
many women who had been converted from an immoral life by the Saint came
forward and told of his good deeds. The people of Alexandria honored him with a
lavish funeral.
Saint Vitalis shows us in at least two
ways that the wisdom of the holy is foolishness to the world: He never sought to justify
himself in the eyes of the world, but on the contrary did everything he could
to hide his virtues; and, for all his holiness, he counted himself more sinful
than the "fallen," , asking them to pray for his salvation.
