Saint
Homobon de Crémone
Laïc
à Crémone (✝ 1197)
Tailleur et
marchand de drap, à Crémone en Italie. Il était en effet un "homme
bon", d'une inépuisable bonté pour les pauvres. Ses vertus et ses miracles
après sa mort le firent mettre au nombre des saints.
À Crémone en
Lombardie, l'an 1197, saint Homobon. Commerçant, il mena une vie de prière et
de charité, allant visiter et soulager les pauvres, réunissant les enfants à
l'abandon pour les éduquer et mettant la paix dans les familles.
Martyrologe
romain
HOMMEBON DE CRÉMONE
Commerçant à Crémone,
Saint
Saint Hommebon était fils d'un marchand de Crémone, en Italie. Le nom de sa famille était Tucinge. Celui de Homobonus ou de Hommebon qu'il reçut au baptême, présageait ce qu'il devait être un jour. Destiné au commerce, il eut une éducation conforme à cette profession ; il trouva dans les instructions et les exemples de son père, des motifs de probité , de religion et de vertu. Dès son enfance, il montrait une grande horreur pour l'apparence même de l'injustice, et il aurait mieux aimé perdre toute sa fortune, que de commettre le moindre péché. Il voyait dans son état une occupation que Dieu lui avait donnée ; il en remplissait les devoirs par obéissance à la volonté du Ciel, par justice pour lui-même , pour sa famille et pour la société dont il était membre. Ses parents lui ayant proposé de se marier, il leur obéit, et s'unit à une femme vertueuse et capable de l'aider dans le gouvernement de sa maison. La régularité de tous ceux qui la composaient, était une preuve de la vigilance et de la sainteté du maître.
Ce fut par ces différents
moyens que le serviteur de Dieu se sanctifia dans sa profession. Il ne laissait
échapper aucune occasion de pratiquer toutes les vertus chrétiennes dans un
degré héroïque. Les contradictions qu'il avait à essuyer, ne troublaient point
la tranquillité de son âme ; il les supportait avec douceur et avec humilité.
Il ne répondait aux injures que par le silence, ou des représentations
pleines de bonté, auxquelles on ne résistait point. II était si parfaitement
mort à lui-même, qu'on disait dans Crémone qu'il était né sans passion.
Sa charité envers les pauvres ne
connaissait point, pour ainsi dire, de bornes. Après la mort de son père, qui
lui laissa des biens considérables, il augmenta encore ses aumônes. Il allait
chercher les pauvres dans leurs cabanes, et en même temps qu'il les soulageait
dans leurs misères, il les exhortait à se repentir de leurs fautes , et à mener
une vie plus chrétienne. Sa femme lui faisait quelquefois des reproches sur ce
que par ses aumônes excessives il appauvrissait sa famille ; mais il lui
répondait avec douceur, que la meilleure manière de placer son argent, était de
le donner aux pauvres, qu'on lui faisait par-là produire le centuple, comme
Jésus-Christ lui-même l'avait promis. On lit dans l'auteur de sa vie, que ses
immenses charités furent souvent accompagnées de miracles, et que Dieu lui
accorda le don de multiplier ce qu'il avait destiné au soulagement des
malheureux.
Il joignait à la pratique de l'aumône
celle de l'abstinence et de la mortification. Il savait allier les devoirs de
son état à l'exercice de la prière. Il y donnait un temps considérable, et
lorsqu'il paraissait distrait par les occupations extérieures, il unissait son
âme à Dieu par des aspirations fréquentes ; en sorte que tous les lieux où il
se trouvait, étaient pour lui des lieux d'oraison. Tous les jours il assistait
dans l'église de Saint-Gilles à matines, qui se disaient à minuit, et il ne se
retirait que le lendemain matin après la grand'messe. Sa ferveur était si
exemplaire, surtout pendant le saint Sacrifice , que tous ceux qui le voyaient,
se sentaient pénétrés de la plus vive dévotion. Il restait quelque temps
prosterné devant un crucifix, en attendant que le prêtre fût arrivé à l'autel.
Ses exemples et ses discours convertirent un grand nombre de pécheurs. Il
consacrait uniquement a la piété les Dimanches et les fêtes, et il était en
prières lorsque Dieu l'appela pour récompenser ses' vertus.
Le 13 Novembre 1197, il assista à
matines, suivant sa coutume, et resta à genoux devant le crucifix, jusqu'à ce
que le prêtre commençât la messe. Au Gloria in excelsis, il
étendit les bras en forme de croix. Peu de temps après il tomba le visage
contre terre. Ceux qui le virent en cet état, crurent qu'il s'y était mis par
dévotion. Mais quand on s'aperçut qu'il ne se levait point à l'évangile, on
s'approcha de lui, et on remarqua qu'il ne vivait plus.
Sicard, évêque de Crémone, après avoir
constaté l'héroïsme de ses vertus et la certitude de ses miracles, se rendit à
Rome avec plusieurs personnes respectables pour solliciter sa canonisation. Le
Pape Innocent III le mit au nombre des Saints, et publia sa bulle en 1198. Le
corps du serviteur de Dieu fut levé de terre en 1356, et transféré dans la
cathédrale de Crémone. Mais son chef est resté dans l'église de Saint-Gilles.
Les facultés et les besoins de l'homme
prouvent qu'il est né pour le travail. La société d'ailleurs, dont il est
membre, lui en fait un devoir. Il ne serait pas juste qu'en ne contribuant en
rien aux charges communes, il profilât du travail des autres. Une vie
d'amusements et de plaisirs est donc indigne d'une créature raisonnable, à plus
forte raison d'un chrétien. Que l'on examine ceux qui n'ont point d'occupation
sérieuse, et l'on verra que la vie même est un fardeau pour eux. Il faut de
l'exercice à l'âme naturellement active, et nul homme ne peut être heureux s'il
ne sait se faire un genre d'occupation. Mais ces réflexions ont encore plus de
force, quand on passe de l'ordre physique à l'ordre moral. Observons cependant
que les professions qui portent au péché, sont toujours défendues ; mais
,les autres doivent être estimées à proportion de l'avantage qui en revient à
la société, et des facilités qu'on y trouve pour pratiquer la vertu. On peut
les sanctifier toutes, en les rapportant à Dieu, qui est la grande fin de
toutes les choses créées. Chaque profession entre dans le plan général de la
Providence, et c'est se rendre coupable , que de n'en pas remplir les devoirs.
Il est vrai que les arts mécaniques ne tendent point de leur nature à
perfectionner la raison, ni à produire la vertu ; mais ils deviennent
méritoires pour tous ceux qui les ennoblissent par des principes de religion,
par la pratique des vertus chrétiennes. Au reste, ces vertus sont le fruit de
la prière, de la méditation de la loi sainte el de la vigilance sur soi-même.
Nous devons donc réserver toujours des moments pour ces pieux exercices, et
leur donner même la préférence, s'il arrivait qu'ils fussent incompatibles avec
quelques-uns des exercices de la vie ordinaire. Ces moments ne nous manqueront
jamais : nous en trouvons bien pour nos amusements et nos plaisirs. Il faut que
nous devenions des Saints, et ce n'est que par là que nous le deviendrons.
SOURCE : Alban
Butler : Vie des Pères, Martyrs et autres principaux Saints… – Traduction :
Jean-François Godescard.
SOURCE : http://nouvl.evangelisation.free.fr/hommebon_de_cremone.htm
Église Sant'Omobono, archidiocèse
de Rome, quartier de Ripa.
LETTER OF POPE JOHN PAUL II
TO H.E. MSGR. GIULIO NICOLINI,
BISHOP OF CREMONA
To My Venerable Brother Giulio Nicolini
Bishop of Cremona
1.
On 13 November 1197 Homobonus Tucenghi, a cloth merchant in Cremona, ended his
earthly life contemplating the Crucifix, while attending Mass in his city
parish of St Giles, as was his daily custom.
Little
more than a year later, on 12 January 1199, my Predecessor, Innocent III,
inscribed him in the list of saints, in compliance with the petition Bishop
Sicardo had made to him, when he came as a pilgrim to Rome with the parish
priest Osberto and a group of citizens, and after having evaluated the numerous
testimonies, some written, of the miracles attributed to the intercession of
Homobonus.
Eight
centuries later, the figure of St Homobonus continues to be constantly alive in
the memory and in the heart of the Church and of the city of Cremona, which
venerate him as their patron saint. He is the first and only layman of the
faithful, not to belong either to the nobility or to a royal or princely
family, to be canonized during the Middle Ages (cf. A. Vauchez, I Laici nel Medioevo,Milan
1989, p. 84; La Santità nel
Medioevo, Bologna 1989, p.
340). "Father of the poor", "consoler of the afflicted",
"assiduous in constant prayer", "man of peace and
peacemaker", "a man good in name and deed", this saint,
according to the words used by Pope Innocent III in the Bull of canonization Quia pietas, is still like a tree planted by
streams of water that yields its fruit in our time.
2.
Thus I learned with joy that you, Venerable Brother, have decided to dedicate
to his memory the period between 13 November 1997 and 12 January 1999, calling
it "The year of St
Homobonus", to be
celebrated with special spiritual, pastoral and cultural initiatives, as part
of the journey of preparation for the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, and in
the spirit of communion created by the Synod that the Diocese recently
celebrated.
Although
distant in time, Homobonus does in fact figure as a saint for the Church and
society of our time. Not only because holiness is only one, but because of the
exemplary way this faithful layman worked and lived Gospel perfection. The
striking parallels with the demands of the present time give the jubilee
celebration a profound sense of "contemporaneity".
3.
Testimonies of the time unanimously define Homobonus "pater
pauperum", father of the poor. This definition, having remained in the
history of Cremona, in a certain way sums up the merchant's deep spirituality
and extraordinary life. From the time of his radical conversion to the Gospel,
Homobonus became an artisan and apostle of charity. He made his home a place of
welcome. He personally attended to the burial of the abandoned dead. He opened
his heart and his purse to every category of needy person. He did his utmost to
settle the controversies which broke out between factions and families in the
city. He entirely devoted himself to the practice of the spiritual and corporal
works of mercy and, at the same time, he safeguarded the integrity of the
Catholic faith faced with heretical infiltrations, with the same fervour with
which he participated daily in the Eucharist and devoted himself to prayer.
In
pursuing the path of the Gospel Beatitudes, in the time of the Communes when
money and market trends constituted the centre of city life, Homobonus combined
justice and charity and made almsgiving a sign of sharing, with the spontaneity
of one who from the assiduous contemplation of the Crucifix learned to testify
to the value of life as a gift.
4.
Faithful to these Gospel choices, he had to face and overcome obstacles from
his family circle, because his wife did not share his choices, from the parish,
which looked with suspicion at his austerity, and from his work environment,
because of the competition and bad faith of some who tried to cheat the honest
merchant.
Thus
Homobonus' image emerges as that of a businessman engaged in the cloth trade
and, while involved in the market dynamics of Italian and European cities,
conferred spiritual dignity on his work: that spirituality which was the
hallmark of all his activity.
In
his life experience there was no connection between the various dimensions. In
each one he found the "way" to express his desire for holiness: in
the family nucleus, as an exemplary spouse and father; in the parish community,
as a believer who lives the liturgy and is dedicated to catechesis, profoundly
linked to the ministry of the priest; in the context of the city, in which he
spread the appeal of goodness and peace.
5.
Such a meritorious life could not fail to leave a profound and memorable mark.
Admirable indeed is the persevering affection and devotion which Cremona has
retained for this special leading figure, who came from the working class.
It
is significant that, in 1592, the Cathedral was dedicated to him and to St
Mary’s Assumption. And it is no less significant that it was precisely the members
of the City Council, who chose him as patron of the city in 1643, amidst the
jubilation, "the immense joy", the "tears of devotion" of
the people. A layman saint, elected as patron of the laity themselves.
Nor
should we marvel that the cult of St Homobonus has spread to many Italian
Dioceses and even beyond the national boundaries. Homobonus is a saint that
speaks to hearts. And it is good to note that hearts are sensitive to his
loving appeal. This is shown in the constant rush to visit his mortal remains,
especially, but not only, on his liturgical feast day, and the intense devotion
that the people have for him, mindful of the graces received and trusting in
the intercession of the beloved "heavenly merchant".
6.
In the jubilee year, his voice in some essential aspects assumes tones, as I
noted at the beginning, of "contemporaneity".
The
times are no longer those of 800 years ago. We cannot attribute the character
of a "promotion of the lay status", in the modern sense of this
concept, to the canonization of Homobonus, which matured in the context and
procedures of the Middle Ages.
It
is however true that it is in this very light that we interpret the spiritual
adventure that marked the centuries-old history of Cremona. And it is in this
light that we rediscover the message, still new, of its famous patron. He is
the faithful layman who, as a layman, earned the gift of sainthood.
His
life assumes an exemplary value as a call to conversion without any
restrictions whatsoever, and therefore to sanctity that is not reserved for
some, but proposed to everyone without distinction.
The
Second Vatican Council makes holiness a constitutive element of membership of
the Church when it states that "all Christians in any state or walk of
life are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of
love" (Lumen gentium, n.
40); and it points out that "by this holiness a more human manner of life
is fostered also in earthly society" (ibid.). This is exactly what we need
in the climate of unremitting transition that we are experiencing: we need it
for developing the present positive premises and for responding to the serious
challenges deriving from the profound crises of civilization and culture, which
influence the collective ethos.
7.
The call to holiness involves and enhances the life and activity of the laity
as the Council also teaches and as I confirmed in the Post-Synodal Apostolic
Exhortation Christifideles laici.
In
the context of the above-mentioned document, St Homobonus' example and life
appear to me to be of particular relevance for the Church and for the society
of Cremona, in the present day. To undertake a new evangelization, in fact,
"a mending of the Christian fabric of society is urgently needed in all
parts of the world. However, for this to come about, what is needed is first to
remake the Christian fabric of the ecclesial community itself" (Christifideles laici, n. 34).
The
lay faithful must become fully involved in this task, with the special charisms
of the "secular character". The new situations, both ecclesial and
social, economic, political and cultural, most especially require their
specific participation (ibid., n. 15, p. 4).
8.
It is a happy coincidence that the jubilee celebration of this "Saint of
Charity" has fallen within the last decade of our century, which the
ecclesial community in Italy has consecrated to the programme
"Evangelization and testimony of love".
Again,
as I wrote in Christifideles laici, charity in its various forms, from
almsgiving to works of mercy, "gives life and sustains the works of
solidarity that look to the total needs of the human being" (n. 41). The
same charity is and will always be necessary, both for individuals and for
communities. And "such charity is made increasingly necessary the more the
institutions become complex in their organization and claim to manage every
area at hand. In the end such projects lose their effectiveness as a result of
an impersonal functionalism, an overgrown bureaucracy, unjust private interests
and an all-too-easy and generalized disengagement from a sense of duty"
(ibid., p. 13).
The
sensitivity of Homobonus urges us in a special way to be open to the entire
horizon of charity in its various expressions, apart from material ones: the
charity of culture, political charity, social charity, for the common good.
Such an eloquent example can effectively contribute to brightening the current
political and social climate, promoting a style of harmony, of mutual trust, of
committed involvement.
9.
I am particularly pleased that the celebration of the "Year of St Homobonus" is to cover the whole of 1998, the
second year of the preparatory phase for the Great Jubilee, dedicated
especially to the Holy Spirit.
May
the endearing figure of the ancient merchant accompany the providential event
from heaven. Invoked with your profound and traditional devotion and with an
ever more conscious faith, may he obtain for all the baptized loyalty to the
gifts of the Spirit, received especially in the sacrament of Confirmation. May
he obtain for the lay faithful a more mature awareness that their participation
in the life of the Church "is so necessary that without it the apostolate
of the pastors will frequently be unable to obtain its full effect" (Apostolicam
actuositatem, n. 10). For all
the members of the Church in Cremona may he obtain from the Lord the fervour
requested of the new evangelizers, called in the post-synodal period to be true
witnesses to faith, hope and love.
With
these fervent wishes, as I recall my Pastoral Visit to Cremona in June 1992,
and the subsequent meeting with those who came to Rome on pilgrimage in
November of last year, as a seal to the diocesan synod, I sincerely impart to
you, Venerable Brother, to the priests, deacons, consecrated persons, to the
lay faithful, to every family, every parish and the whole city my affectionate
Apostolic Blessing.
From the Vatican, 24 June 1997.
IOANNES PAULUS PP. II
© Copyright 1997 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana
SOURCE : http://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/speeches/1997/june/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_19970624_nicolini.html
église de Sant’Omobono, entre les pentes du Capitole et le nord du forum Boarium
Saint Homobonus of Cremona
Also
known as
- Homobonius
- Homobonus
Tucingo
- Omobono
- Omobono
Tucenghi
- Uomobuono
Profile
Son of a well-to-do tailor and merchant. He became a tailor himself, and took over his father‘s business. Married layman. He believed that his
ability to work was given to him by God so he could support the poor, and he devoted most of
his profits, and some of his house space, to charity.
Born
- 13 November 1197 at Cremona, Italy of natural causes during Mass at Saint Edigio
- his head is preserved
as a relic in the same church
- man with angels making clothing with him or for him
- merchant surrounded by beggars and sick people
Name Meaning
- good
man (= bone home)
- business people
- clothworkers
- cobblers
- merchants
- shoemakerstailors
- Cremona, Italy, city of
- Cremona, Italy, diocese of
Book of Saints – Homobonus
(Saint) (November 13)
(12th century) Son of a merchant of Cremona (Lombardy), and himself engaged in
trade, Homobonus, who was married to a pious woman, practised the most
scrupulous honesty throughout his life, and was conspicuous for his charity to
the poor. His piety was such that he never failed to assist at the Midnight
Matins, common in his time, nor to attend the Daybreak Mass. One day, during
the Holy Sacrifice, he fell prostrate on the ground and was picked up dead
(A.D. 1197). His holy life and the miracles obtained through his intercession
caused his speedy canonisation in A.D. 1198. His
relics are venerated at Cremona.
MLA Citation
- Monks of Ramsgate.
“Homobonus”. Book of Saints, 1921. CatholicSaints.Info.
3 September 2013. Web. 13 November 2019.
<https://catholicsaints.info/book-of-saints-homobonus/>
Butler’s Lives of the Saints – Saint Homobonus, Merchant, Confessor
Article
A.D. 1197
All lawful secular
professions have furnished heaven with saints, that the slothful in all states
may be without excuse. In the infancy of the world, men were chiefly shepherds
and graziers, and before the improvement of agriculture were obliged to live in
moveable tents, and as soon as the produce of the earth was consumed in one
place, they removed to another. The useful arts were at first few and very
imperfect: clothing was simple and mean, and houses, so necessary a shelter to
men, were at first, even in the coldest climates, raised of mud, or made with
boughs: trunks felled, and unhewn, set upright for walls, were once looked upon
as a great improvement in building. 1 Industry, convenience, and luxury have
discovered and perfected arts in the world, which their progress shows against
modern deists not to exceed the age which the sacred history of Moses assigns
it. Commerce originally consisted in bartering goods of one kind for those of
another; but since the invention of money as one common or general kind of
goods, trade has become as important in the republic of mankind as agriculture
itself, and is as great a source of wealth, and the strength, support, and
ornament of a nation; though the tillage of the earth, which raises a mine from
the ground without giving any thing in exchange, and by which all mankind
subsists, always deserves the first consideration in the eye of the public, and
the chief encouragement from its hands, far from being suffered to sink into
contempt, or give up its hands too frequently to the pursuit of refined, or
useless, or even pernicious professions. Trade is often looked upon as an
occasion of too great attachment to the things of this world, and of too eager
a desire of gain; also of lying frauds and injustice. That these are the vices
of men, not the faults of the profession, is clear from the example of this and
many other saints.
Honobonus was son to a
merchant of Cremona, in Lombardy, who gave him this name (which signifies Good
Man) at his baptism: the name of his family was Tucinge. Whilst he trained him
up to his own mercantile business in shop-keeping, without any school
education, he inspired in him, both by his example and instructions, the most
perfect sentiments of probity, integrity, religion, and virtue. The saint from
his infancy abhorred the very shadow of the least untruth or injustice, and
having always the fear of God before his eyes, would have chosen with joy
rather to forego the greatest advantages, and to suffer the loss of his whole
fortune, than to stain his soul with the least sin. This rule is the more
necessary to persons engaged in trade, as they are more easily betrayed
unawares into occasions of such sins, and are more apt to palliate, or
extenuate them to themselves, unless a steady resolution put them infinitely
upon their guard. A man who is content, and ready to meet cheerfully the most
grievous disappointments, and even the ruin of his temporal affairs rather than
to tell the least lie, or any other way wilfully offend God, makes to him a constant
sacrifice of obedience by this disposition of his soul, and secures to himself
a lasting peace: for a mind which finds its comfort and joy in the divine grace
and love, and in the goods of eternity, is out of the reach of anxiety and
troubles on account of the uncertain and perishable goods of this life,
especially when they were sacrificed to religion. But probity is usually
attended also with temporal success; for though a person may be a gainer by
injustice in some particular occasions, it is an undeniable maxim, that honesty
is the best policy, and that a man thrives in business by nothing so much as by
unshaken integrity and veracity, which cannot fail to draw down the divine
blessing, and gain a man the highest credit and reputation in all his dealings,
which is his stock and his best fortune. This Saint Homobonus experienced by
his unexpected success in his business, which, under the divine blessing, was
also owing to his economy, care, and industry. His business he looked upon as
an employment given him by God, and he pursued it with diligence upon the
motive of obedience to the divine law, and of justice to himself, his family,
and the commonwealth, of which he thus approved himself a useful member. If a
tradesman’s books be not well kept, if there be not order and regularity in the
whole conduct of his business, if he do not give his mind seriously to it, with
assiduous attendance, he neglects an essential duty, and is unworthy to bear
the name of a Christian. Homobonus is a saint by acquitting himself diligently,
upon perfect motives of virtue and religion, of all the obligations of his
profession.
By the advice of his
parents, he took to wife a virtuous virgin, who was a prudent and faithful
assistant in the government of his household, which, by the piety and
regularity of all those who composed it, bespoke the sanctity and attention of
the master. Men’s passions, which they neglect to subdue, as in every state of
life, so particularly in this, are their greatest slavery and the cause of
their miseries and troubles. Instead of rejoicing, how many repine at the
prosperity of other traders, and expose their faults with a rancour which all
who hear them ascribe only to their envy, jealousy, and want of charity! how
many seek to raise a family by meanness and sordidness! how many fall into an
inordinate passion for riches! For though wealth may be a blessing of God, if
neither coveted nor abused, yet immoderately to thirst after it, is always a
grievous and most fatal vice. This one thing is the philosophy of the trader, a
point of the utmost importance in a trading life, that a man curb the lust of
riches, regulate his desires of them, and be in all events calmly and sweetly
resigned to the will of God, who knows what is best for us. As to the pretence
of a provision for children, a prudent care for them is a point of justice;
but, under all disappointments, we know that the blessing of God and his grace
is the best inheritance, and that that provision for them is often the wisest
which lays a sufficient foundation for their industry to build on, and leaves
them under an obligation to business and employment. Ambition, vanity, and
pride are often no less preposterous than destructive vices in this class of
life, which is best set off by modesty, moderation, and simplicity. Whatever
exceeds this in dress, housekeeping, or other expenses, is unnatural and
affected; consequently ungrateful and offensive to others, and uneasy and
painful to the persons themselves. A man of low stature only becomes frightful by
strutting upon stilts. Nothing unnatural or distorted can ever be becoming. The
merchant is the honour and support of society; but an ostentatious parade is
what least of all suits his character or concurs to the happiness of his state.
This vanity shows itself either in extravagant expenses, in the neglect or
affected contempt of business, or in engaging a man in bold and hazardous
projects, which prove often in the end a most grievous robbery, injustice, and
cheat committed upon widows and orphans, the dearest friends and nearest
relations. Sloth, or love of diversions and pleasures are in men of business
crimes of the same tendency and enormity. The Christian moderation and
government of the passions are the fence of the soul against these dangers, and
the most consummate prudence. By this Saint Homobonus avoided the common rocks
on which so many traders dash. He, moreover, by his profession, attained the
great end which every Christian is bound to propose to himself, the
sanctification of his soul; for which he found in this state opportunities of
exercising all virtues in a heroic degree. The capriciousness,
unreasonableness, injustice, and peevishness of many with whom he interfered in
his dealings, he bore with admirable meekness and humility; and by patient
silence, or soft answers, or by a return of gentleness and obsequiousness, he
overcame perverseness and malice, and remained always master of his own soul.
This appeared so admirable, that it was commonly said of him at Cremona, that
he was born without passions.
Charity to the poor is a
distinguishing part of the character of every disciple of Christ, and, provided
that justice takes place, a tribute which the merchant owes to God out of his
gains; and this was the favourite virtue of Homobonus. Not content with giving
his tenths to the distressed members of Christ, after the death of his father
(of whom he inherited a considerable stock in trade, besides a house in the
town, and a small villa in the country), he seemed to set no bounds to his alms:
he sought out the poor in their cottages, and whilst he cheerfully relieved
their corporal necessities, he tenderly exhorted them to repentance and holy
life. His wife sometimes complained, that by his excessive alms he would soon
reduce his family to beggary; but he mildly answered her, that giving to the
poor is putting out money to the best interest, for a hundred fold, for payment
whereof Christ himself has given us his bond. The author of his life assures
us, that God often recompensed his charities by miracles in favour of those
whom he relieved, and by multiplying his stores. His abstinence and temperance
were not less remarkable than his almsdeeds. His assiduity in prayer condemns
the false maxim which some make a pretence for their sloth, that business and a
life of prayer are incompatible. The saint spent a considerable part of his
time in this holy exercise, and joined prayer with his business by the frequent
aspirations by which he often raised his mind to God in sentiments of
compunction and the divine praise and love amidst the greatest hurry, so that
his shop, his chamber, the street, and every place was to him a place of
prayer. It was his custom every night to go to the church of Saint Giles, a
little before midnight, and to assist at matins, which it was then usual for
many of the laity to do: and he left not the church till after high mass the
next morning. At mass the example of his fervour and recollection was such, as
to inspire all who saw him with devotion. He waited some time prostrate on the
pavement, before a crucifix in the church, till the priest began mass. The
slothful were quickened to virtue, and many sinners converted from vice by the
example of his life, and the unction of his discourses. Sundays and holidays he
always consecrated entirely to his devotions: prayer accompanied all his
actions, and it was in the heavenly exercise of prayer that he gave up his soul
to God. For, on the 13th of November in 1197, he was present at matins,
according to his custom, and remained kneeling before the crucifix till mass
began. At the Gloria in excelsis he stretched out his arms in the figure of a
cross; and soon after fell on his face to the ground; which those who saw him
thought he had done out of devotion. When he did not stand up at the gospel
they took more notice of him, and some persons coming to him perceived that he
had calmly expired. Sicard, bishop of Cremona after a rigorous examination of
his virtues and miracles, went himself to Rome with many other venerable
persons, to solicit his canonization; which Pope Innocent III performed after
the necessary scrutinies, the bull of which he published in 1198. The saint’s
body was taken up in 1356, and translated to the cathedral, but his head
remains at the church of Saint Giles. Vida, the Christian Virgil, has honoured
the memory of Saint Homobonus, the patron of his native city, with a hymn.
Both religion and the
law of nature dictate that no man is to be idle or useless in the republic of
the world. Man is born to labour and industry. Our capacities on one side, and,
on the other, our necessities and wants urge us to it: and this we owe to human
society. For it is not just that he who contributes nothing to its support,
should, like a drone, be feasted and maintained by the labour of others. A
circle of amusements and pleasures cannot be the life of a rational being, much
less of a Christian. A gentleman who applies not himself with earnestness to
some serious employment, finds his very life a burden, and is a stranger to the
obligations of his state, and to all true enjoyment. A man is never more happy
than when he is most eagerly and commendably employed; the activity of his soul
is a fire which must be exercised. Hence business is necessary for man’s
temporal happiness; and the situation of the working and trading part of
mankind is more happy than most are sensible of. It is still more necessary to
a moral or Christian life. Trades which minister to sin are always unlawful:
others are honourable and commendable in proportion as they contribute to the
comfort and welfare of mankind, and as they concur to supply the wants and
necessities of our species, or to promote virtue. Religion teaches men to
sanctity them by motives of piety, and to refer them to God, and the great ends
for which only we are created. Every one’s secular calling indeed is a part of
religion, if thus directed by its influence: and no spiritual duties can ever
excuse a neglect of it. Arts and trades, which immediately minister to corporal
necessities, have not indeed in themselves any direct tendency to the
improvement of reason, or production of virtue; though, if they are consecrated
by principles of religion, become acceptable sacrifices to God. For this they
must be accompanied with the exercise of all virtues, especially humility,
meekness, patience, charity, confidence in God, and self-resignation, which
prevents anxiety and those fears to which the uncertainty of human things
expose men. Without self-consideration, prayer, and pious reading or
meditation, it is impossible that a man should be really possessed of these
virtues, how finely soever he may talk of them by way of notion or speculation.
It is also by prayer and holy meditation that he pays to God the homage of
praise and compunction, and improves himself as a rational or spiritual being,
and as a Christian. Every one, therefore, must, in the first place, reserve
time for these employments, even preferably to all others, if any should seem
incompatible. But who cannot find time for pleasures and conversation? Sure
then he may for prayer. By this even a man’s secular life and employs will
become spiritual and holy.
MLA Citation
- Father Alban Butler.
“Saint Homobonus, Merchant, Confessor”. Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Principal Saints,1866. CatholicSaints.Info.
13 November 2013. Web. 13 November 2019. <https://catholicsaints.info/butlers-lives-of-the-saints-saint-homobonus-merchant-confessor/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/butlers-lives-of-the-saints-saint-homobonus-merchant-confessor/
Weninger’s Lives of the Saints – Saint Homobonus, Confessor
A grand example of
virtue is presented to us by the Catholic Church in Saint Homobonus, who as a
layman and a merchant arrived at great Holiness. The famous city of Cremona, in
Lombardy, was his native place. His parents were not rich in worldly goods, but
very pious. They gave their son the name of Homobonus, that is, “a good man;”
and this name was a presage of the kindness and charity which were to mark his
life. His parents gave him an excellent education, and the benefits he derived
from it extended over his whole life. As soon as Homobonus was beyond the years
of childhood, his father, who was a merchant, took him into business.
Homobonus, enlightened by God, recognized the manifold dangers of sin into
which he would be thrown by commerce, and was therefore very guarded in all his
actions. Every morning, he recited his prayers and assisted at holy Mass; for
he used to say: “One must first seek the kingdom of God. The success of all
affairs depends only on God.” He was very careful not to become guilty of the
least fraud, or even to take a lawful advantage, either in buying or in
selling. He would not take a penny unjustly. He never asked more for his goods
than the legitimate price. An oath or a lie, so common among merchants, was
never on his lips. He was extremely conscientious in paying his debts, in order
not to make others suffer by delay. Besides this, his manners were so kind, his
words so modest, that he was beloved by every one; and therefore he had more
customers and a greater income then any other merchant. The Sundays and
Holy-days he employed only to the honor of God and the salvation of his soul.
The greater part of these days he spent in the church, at prayer, listening to
the word of God, and receiving the holy Sacraments ,- while his only pleasure
at home was the reading of a devout book. Towards his parents he manifested,
both as child and man, a reverential love and a perfect obedience. Hence, when
they proposed to him that he should marry, he consented to their wishes, took
in marriage the maiden whom his parents had selected for him and lived with her
in Christian love and fidelity. He continued in business after the death of his
parents, not, however, for the purpose of gaining earthly wealth for his own
benefit, but to secure eternal possessions, by giving his temporal gain to the
poor. He was not only kind to the poor, but liberal, so that he was called “The
father of the poor.” No one left him without receiving alms. For those who were
ashamed to beg, he carried his gifts to their houses, comforted them and
encouraged them to bear their trials patiently. His wife sometimes seemed to
think that his liberality went too far, and feared lest, if he continued, she
herself might, one day, come to want. Hence she counselled him to be more economical
and not to draw every beggar of the city to his house.” When she saw that all
her words had no effect, she began to complain and murmur, and at last, even
broke out into invectives and curses. Homobonus met her with gentleness, and
said: “Do you then suppose that our temporal affairs will suffer, when we are
compassionate and charitable to the poor? The word of God teaches us quite
differently; Christ Himself has said: Give, and you shall receive.” The woman,
however, would not believe this until she had had a proof of it. A famine had
come upon the city, and one day, so great a number of poor came to the house of
Homobonus, that all the bread he had stored up hardly sufficed to satisfy them.
The wife of the charitable man was not at home when this happened; but when she
returned and went to fetch some bread for the table, she found the same number
of loaves she had left there; and on cutting one of them, she perceived that it
was whiter and better then she had ever seen. Astonished at this, she asked the
servant, who assured her that Homobonus had given all the bread to the poor;
whence she understood that the Almighty had wrought a miracle to reward the
charity of her husband and to reprove her own selfishness. Homobonus then bade
her not to think that she would be impoverished by giving to the poor, and in
future, to show herself more compassionate. At another time a similar miracle
took place. The Saint had a small country-seat, the revenue of which he devoted
entirely to the support of the helpless. One day, when he was taking out some
wine to the laborers in this villa, he met some beggars, who asked him to give
them a drink to appease their thirst. The kind-hearted man gave them the
pitchers, bidding them take a good drink. The beggars needed no second
invitation, but took the pitchers and left not a drop in them. The Saint,
fearing that the laborers would become impatient at his long delay, if he
returned home to fill his pitchers again, went, full of trust in God, to a
neighboring well, filled the pitchers with water, blessed it and took it to the
laborers. One after another partook of it, and all returned him thanks for
having brought them such excellent wine. The Saint thought at first that they
were not in earnest: but having tasted it, he found that it was truly wine.
Silently thanking God, he resolved not to tell any one of the miracle; but one
of the laborers had seen his master give the wine to the beggars, and fill the
pitchers at the well. The miracle thus soon became known, and raised the holy
man still more in the estimation of every one. He used the great influence
which he possessed for the salvation of many souls, and by his devout
discourses he brought many heretics to the true faith and many sinners to a
better life. We have already related that he employed all the time that he
could spare from business in prayer and devout reading. Even a portion of the
night he devoted to these sacred exercises; for he rose in the middle of the
night and assisted at matins in the neighboring Church of Saint Aegidius; where
he remained until the first Mass. Although orders had been given that the
church should be opened for Homobonus, he was several times found praying
before the altar or the Crucifix before the doors were yet opened. The Angels
had done him the service to admit him into the house of the Lord.
At length, it pleased
God to call His faithful servant from the place where he had passed so many
hours in holy contemplation, to receive his eternal reward. One night, in 1197
he had, according to his custom, assisted at matins and remained kneeling
before the Crucifix until the morning Mass commenced. At the “Gloria in
Excelsis,” he stretched out both arms and then laying them in the form of a
cross upon his breast, he expired, without having been sick or having shown any
sign of agony. No sooner was he found dead in this position, than every one
came running towards him, venerating him as a Saint. The holy body was buried
in the same church, and God made his shrine celebrated by many miracles. The
number of these was so great, that, in the following year, the Pope did not
hesitate to place Homobonus among the Saints. In the year 1357, his holy body
was exhumed and transported, with solemn ceremonies to the Cathedral.
Practical Considerations
• All those who are
merchants, or in other similar professions, should learn of Saint Homobonus how
to conduct themselves in the station to which they belong, if they desire to
save their souls. We ought always to begin the day with fervent prayer; assist
daily, if possible, and with great devotion, at Holy Mass; be careful to avoid
deceit of every sort, as for instance, in weight or measure, by adulteration of
the wares, or by retaining any portion of them for our own profit We ought not
to seek gain by unjust means; not ask more than is just for our goods or our
work, and avoid lying, cursing, and other vices. We ought not to become
addicted to slothfulness, gaming or drinking, but work earnestly, carefully and
patiently. The Sundays and holidays we should pass as God and the Holy Church
require of us; receive the Holy Sacraments frequently and with devotion; listen
to sermons and instructions, and succor our neighbor with alms. By observing
all these points, we may hope to gain everlasting life, in whatever station of
life it may have pleased God to place us on earth.
In regard to
alms-giving, all may learn from the life of Saint Homobonus, that it does not
impoverish us, but increases our temporal goods. Saint Cyprian says: “If you
fear to lose by giving alms, let me advise you to banish all such apprehension.
I can assure you of quite the contrary.” The Holy Ghost says: “Whoever gives to
the poor shall never want.” (Proverbs 28)
• Saint Homobonus died
suddenly, without having been sick, and without having received the Holy
Sacraments: but his death was nevertheless happy, as he was prepared for it by
a holy life. To die suddenly, without receiving the holy Sacraments, is not in
itself an unhappy death, just as to die after receiving the Holy Sacraments, is
not always a happy death. Many have a long sickness before their end, and
therefore have time enough to prepare themselves and to receive the Sacraments;
and yet they may go to eternal destruction, because they do not receive them
worthily, or become guilty of sin after having received them. Those who die
suddenly, if they are in the grace of God die happily, even if they do not
receive the Sacraments. You do well to pray daily, with the Church, to be
delivered from a sudden death. But as you do not know the decrees of the
Almighty, endeavor to maintain yourself continually in the grace of God. Retain
nothing on your conscience which may give you fear in your last hour. Guard
yourself against sin, which alone can make your death unhappy. And if, through
weakness or wickedness you have been guilty of great sin, endeavor immediately
to atone for it that you may again be admitted to the friendship of the
Almighty, and not be taken away in your sin by a sudden death. The delay of
penance, under the pretext that there is yet time enough, that God will receive
you graciously, even at the last, and that He has promised to pardon sinners at
whatever hour they return to Him, has made many miserable for all eternity. “It
is true that God has promised to forgive you if you repent and do penance; but
He has not promised you tomorrow if you delay your repentance. You are right in
saying: If I do penance, God will pardon. I cannot deny that the Almighty has
promised pardon to all repentant sinners, but in the book of the Prophet
wherein you read that God promises pardon to the repentant sinner, you will not
find that He promises long life/’ Thus writes Saint Augustine. Therefore, act
according to my instructions. Do penance immediately after committing sin;
endeavor to remain in the grace of God, and then leave to Him the hour and the
manner of your death. He will certainly allow nothing to happen to you which is
not for the welfare of you immortal soul.
MLA Citation
- Father Francis Xavier
Weninger, DD, SJ. “Saint Homobonus, Confessor”. Lives of
the Saints, 1876.CatholicSaints.Info. 23 May 2018. Web.
13 November 2019. <https://catholicsaints.info/weningers-lives-of-the-saints-saint-homobonus-confessor/>
St. Homobonus
(d. 1197)
Some of the Latin baptismal names that ancient Christian parents
bestowed on their children were quaint but devout: like “Quodvultdeus,” which
means “whatever God wants”; or “Deusdedit,” “God’s gift”; or “Desideratus,”
“wanted”.
In the 12th century, there lived in Cremona, Italy, a prosperous
merchant who took his newborn son to church and announced to the priest that he
wanted him baptized “Homobonus”. The word means “good man”. The parent had
chosen the child’s baptismal name with care, and he was determined to teach his
son how to live up to its implications.
He fulfilled his plan well. Homobonus grew up well-instructed in the
skills of merchandising, but at the same time a lover of honesty, virtue and
self-respect. He came to appreciate that his calling as a businessman was a
divine calling. God wanted him to be just where He had put him; it was in the
marketplace that he would work out his salvation.
Providentially, Homobonus of Cremona found a wife who possessed the same
convictions. Others of their mercantile class might trip over the occupational
hazards of ambition, dissipation and vain display, but not Mr. and Mrs. H.
Their simple life style gave them all the more means and incentive to reach out
to the less fortunate. God appreciated this saintly couple’s works of mercy,
and even set His stamp of approval on them by working miracles in favor of
those whom they assisted; so the author of St. Homobonus’s biography assured
us.
Among the worthy merchant’s devotional habits was to go daily to the
church of St. Giles to “report” to God on his activities. It was during one of
these visits that he came to the end of his life. On November 13,1197, he was
attending Mass. At the Gloria he stretched out his arms in the shape of a cross
and fell forward into a prostration. Those beside him thought this was just an
act of personal penance. But when he failed to stand for the Gospel, they went
over to him and found that he had died.
Pope Innocent III canonized this holy Cremonian only two years after his
death. No reason to wait longer. Homobonus had obviously lived up to his name.
Like Charlie Brown (if we may make such a comparison), he was a GOOD MAN.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if those who survive us could say of us in all
sincerity, “He was a good man,” or “She was a good woman.” There could be no
higher human praise. It would mean that we had, as St. Paul says, shown
ourselves “children of God beyond reproach… like the stars in the sky.” It
would mean that we had conscientiously lived up to the particular task God
assigned to us and not wasted his graces. This would mean that we had fully
understood why we were created: to know God and love Him and serve Him in this
world so as to be happy with Him forever in heaven.
–Father Robert F. McNamara
SOURCE : https://www.kateriirondequoit.org/resources/saints-alive/harvey-hyacintha/st-homobonus/
ST.
HOMOBONUS THE MISSIONARY
ST.
HOMOBONUS THE ENTREPRENEUR
BUSINESS
CONNECTION
FOR
US: WE CAN BE LAY SAINTS!
FOR
US: CALLED TO HOSPITALITY
ST.
HOMOBONUS’ INTERCESSION
ST. HOMOBONUS
Missionary Entrepreneur Saints If you know your Latin, you’ll know that St.
Homobonus’ name literally means “good man.” What a fitting name for a great,
and underappreciated, saint! St. Homobonus is a special model for the
missionary entrepreneur: He was in many ways an average businessman facing
business decisions, exhaustions, and commitments comparable to the ones we face
today. Yet, within the ordinariness of his career, St. Homobonus lived the
extraordinariness of the Gospel message, building up a culture of hospitality
and charity fueled by a commitment to Church teaching and the sacraments.
ST.
HOMOBONUS THE MISSIONARY
St. Homobonus lived in Cremona, Italy in the
12th century. He was a cloth merchant who inherited some money from his father,
yet always worked extremely hard at his trade. St. Homobonus’ effectiveness as
a missionary lies in how he smoothly integrated a seemingly average life as a
lay person and married man with an extraordinary witness of service to others.
Just as efficiently as he created wealth, St. Homobonus gave a significant part
of his profits away to the poor.
The Lives of the Primitive Fathers,
Martyrs, and other Principal Saints, compiled from original
sources, records the following description of St. Homobonus’ character, which
is worth reading in length:
His business he looked upon as an employment
given him by God, and he pursued it with diligence upon the motive of obedience
to the divine law, and of justice to himself, his family, and the commonwealth,
of which he thus approved himself a useful member. If a tradesman’s books be
not well kept, if there be not order and regularity in the whole conduct of his
business, if he do not give his mind seriously to it, with assiduous
attendance, he neglects an essential duty, and is unworthy to bear the name of
a Christian. St. Homobonus is a saint by acquitting himself diligently, upon
perfect motives of virtue and religion, of all the obligations of his
profession.
In other words, St. Homobonus loved God through
his job! He loved God and he loved his neighbor through his work as a cloth
merchant. St. Homobonus simply responded with charity to each person and
situation he encountered in his life in Cremona, and this made him an
extraordinary channel of God’s grace. In this way, he became a missionary and
saint without leaving his own neighborhood.
Amazingly, St. Homobonus’ witness to his
neighbors was so powerful that he was canonized barely a year after he died. A
priest and a group of pilgrims, with testimonies of miracles attributed to St.
Homobonus’ intercession, brought his cause to Pope Innocent III.
ST.
HOMOBONUS THE ENTREPRENEUR
Besides being a missionary through his witness
to his neighbors, St. Homobonus was also an entrepreneur, successfully creating
wealth and running an effective trade business. St. Homobonus did not have the
advantage of being of a royal family; in fact, according to St. John Paul II,
he was the only layman canonized during the Middle Ages who wasn’t from a noble
or royal family. St. Homobonus was a man of the people with ordinary means, and
he used his natural intelligence and the resources at his disposal to live out
a business vocation: creating goods and services there was a genuine need for.
Because of his successful integration of the
call to business and Christian virtue, St. Homobonus is now the patron of
business men and women, practically the patron saint of entrepreneurs! Paul
Voss of Legatus writes of how St. Homobonus gives a special witness to
entrepreneurship, “As St. Homobonus demonstrated over 800 years ago, the free
market, coupled with individual virtue, is a potent mix capable of producing
both individual holiness and promoting the common good and collective
well-being.”
BUSINESS
CONNECTION
St. Homobonus’ influence on those around him is
evidenced by how quickly his cause for canonization was pushed forward. St.
Homobonus seems to fit well Robert Greenleaf’s description of a servant-leader.
In particular, St. Homobonus’ active decision to love and show hospitality to
those around him shows his initiative, driving home a key leadership insight:
Great things often start with the initiative of a single person. According to
Greenleaf:
A leader ventures to say: ‘I will go; come with
me!’ A leader initiates, provides the ideas and the structure, and takes the
risk of failure along with the chance of success… Paul Goodman, speaking
through a character in Making Do, has said, ‘If there is no community for you,
young man… make it yourself.’
St. Homobonus took the initiative in humble
ways to lead his community to greatness, making it more hospitable, more
loving, and more oriented to God. By his initiative and the ideas of generosity
he exemplified, he invited others to follow him in the path of sanctity,
modeling servant-leadership and inspiring his neighbors.
FOR
US: WE CAN BE LAY SAINTS!
St. Homobonus makes real the call of ordinary
people, not just the clergy, to extraordinary sanctity. “Although distant in
time, St. Homobonus does in fact figure as a saint for the Church and society
of our time,” St. John Paul II wrote in 1997, “…because of the exemplary way
this faithful layman worked and lived Gospel perfection.”
One area worth paying special attention to in
St. Homobonus’ life was his daily reception of the Eucharist. So consistent was
this a part of his life, that St. Homobonus actually died while at Mass,
looking up at the Crucifix. St. Homobonus reminds us that the sacraments are
accessible for all Catholics, and sanctity is for all, not just for some. It is
for cloth merchants as well as Popes, the cloistered as well as kings.
Regardless of our state in life, to prioritize God in our lives demands
frequent reception of the sacraments; the Eucharist empowers us to live out our
commitments with more integration.
FOR
US: CALLED TO HOSPITALITY
As we seek to be missionary entrepreneurs, we
can also learn from how St. Homobonus’ sanctity stemmed from the hospitality
and generosity he exuded. St. John Paul II called him an “artisan and apostle
of charity,” saying:
He made his home a place of welcome. He
personally attended to the burial of the abandoned dead. He opened his heart
and his purse to every category of needy person. He did his utmost to settle
the controversies which broke out between factions and families in the city. He
entirely devoted himself to the practice of the spiritual and corporal works of
mercy and, at the same time, he safeguarded the integrity of the Catholic faith
faced with heretical infiltrations, with the same fervor with which he
participated daily in the Eucharist and devoted himself to prayer.
Again we see St. Homobonus’ commitment to daily
prayer and to the sacraments. But we also see how he lived out the Faith in his
life by welcoming others, treating his neighbors with generosity, and
empowering them when they struggled financially, physically, or emotionally.
In particular, St. Homobonus’ living out of the
spiritual and corporal works of mercy reminds us that we are called to go out
on the streets and even into the cemeteries, finding Christ there! As men and
women striving to be missionary entrepreneurs, it would be wise to ask
ourselves: Is there a particular spiritual or corporal work of mercy that I can
more intentionally live out on a weekly basis? Where can I cultivate a culture
of hospitality in my life?
ST.
HOMOBONUS’ INTERCESSION
All business persons would do well to call upon
the powerful intercession of St. Homobonus. This generous man is a positive
reminder of the faith lived out in the little things: in cloth, the workplace,
and the conversations with those around us. Especially in the sacraments and in
union with Him in prayer, God is ready to pour out the grace we need to be saints
in our walk of life, however ordinary that may be.
St. Homobonus, pray for us.
Be inspired by the
lives of other missionary entrepreneurs here:
– St. Damien of Molokai
– St. Frances Xavier Cabrini
– St. Damien of Molokai
– St. Frances Xavier Cabrini
Prayer to St.
Homobonus (Patron of Business)
Beloved and
Charitable St. Homobonus
Your Honesty and
Good Will
served your
community and
the Lord well.
Help me follow
your example
and not give in
to
TemptaƟons of
Greed and
Easy Shortcuts
that wound
others.
I ask for guidance in my
work, so that I
may
prosper by
choosing
virtue over
avarice.
MESSAGGIO
DI GIOVANNI PAOLO II
A S.E. MONS. GIULIO NICOLINI, VESCOVO DI CREMONA,
NELL'VIII CENTENARIO DELLA MORTE DI SANT'OMOBONO
Al Venerato Fratello
Giulio Nicolini
Vescovo di Cremona
1.
Il 13 novembre 1197 Omobono Tucenghi, commerciante di stoffe in Cremona,
chiudeva la sua esistenza terrena contemplando il Crocifisso, mentre
partecipava, come era solito fare ogni giorno, alla Santa Messa nella chiesa
della sua parrocchia cittadina di sant'Egidio.
Poco
più di un anno dopo, il 12 gennaio 1199, il mio Predecessore Innocenzo III lo
iscriveva nel catalogo dei Santi, aderendo alla petizione che il Vescovo
Sicardo gli aveva rivolto, recandosi pellegrino a Roma con il parroco Osberto e
un gruppo di cittadini, dopo aver valutato le numerose testimonianze anche
scritte dei prodigi attribuiti all'intercessione di Omobono.
Ad otto secoli di distanza, la
figura di sant'Omobono continua ad essere costantemente viva nella memoria e
nel cuore della Chiesa e della città di Cremona, che lo venerano quale loro
Patrono. Egli è il primo ed unico fedele laico, non appartenente alla nobiltà o
a famiglie reali o principesche, canonizzato nel Medioevo (cfr A. Vauchez, I laici nel Medioevo, Milano
1989, p. 84; La santità nel
Medioevo, Bologna 1989, p.340). "Padre dei poveri",
"consolatore degli afflitti", "assiduo nelle continue
preghiere", "uomo di pace e pacificatore", "uomo buono di
nome e di fatto", questo Santo, secondo l'espressione usata dal Papa
Innocenzo III nella bolla di canonizzazione Quia
pietas, è tuttora albero piantato lungo corsi d'acqua che dà frutto nel
nostro tempo.
2. Perciò ho appreso con vivo
compiacimento che Ella, venerato Fratello, ha stabilito di dedicare alla sua
memoria il percorso di tempo che va dal 13 novembre 1997 al 12 gennaio 1999,
denominandolo «Anno di
sant'Omobono», da celebrarsi con peculiari iniziative spirituali, pastorali
e culturali, articolate nel cammino di preparazione al Grande Giubileo
dell'Anno Duemila e nello spirito di comunione creato dal Sinodo che la Diocesi
ha recentemente celebrato.
Pur così lontano nel tempo, Omobono
ci appare, infatti, un Santo per la Chiesa e la società del nostro tempo. Non
soltanto perché la santità è una sola, ma per le caratteristiche della vita e
delle opere con cui questo fedele laico ha vissuto la perfezione evangelica.
Esse trovano singolari riscontri con le esigenze del presente, e conferiscono
alla ricorrenza giubilare un senso profondo di "contemporaneità".
3. Unanimi le testimonianze
dell'epoca definiscono Omobono "pater pauperum", padre dei poveri. E'
la definizione che, rimasta nella storia di Cremona, riassume in un certo modo
le dimensioni dell'alta spiritualità e della straordinaria avventura del
mercante. Dal momento della sua conversione alla radicalità del Vangelo,
Omobono diventa artefice e apostolo di carità. Trasforma la sua casa in casa di
accoglienza. Si dedica alla sepoltura dei defunti abbandonati. Apre il cuore e
la borsa ad ogni categoria di bisognosi. Si impegna fortemente nel dirimere
controversie, che nella città lacerano fazioni e famiglie. Esercita a piene
mani le opere di misericordia spirituale e corporale e, nello stesso tempo,
protegge l'integrità della fede cattolica in presenza di infiltrazioni
eretiche, con il medesimo fervore con cui partecipa quotidianamente
all'Eucaristia e si dedica alla preghiera.
Percorrendo la strada delle
Beatitudini evangeliche, nell'epoca comunale in cui denaro e mercato tendono a
costituire il centro della vita cittadina, Omobono coniuga giustizia e carità e
fa dell'elemosina il segno di condivisione, con la spontaneità con cui dalla
assidua contemplazione del Crocifisso impara a testimoniare il valore della
vita come dono.
4. Fedele a queste scelte
evangeliche, egli affronta e supera ostacoli che gli provengono sia
dall'ambiente familiare, poiché la moglie non condivide le sue scelte, sia da
quello parrocchiale, che considera con un certo sospetto la sua austerità, e
dal settore stesso del lavoro, per la concorrenza e la mala fede di alcuni, che
cercano di ingannare l'onesto mercante.
Emerge così l'immagine di Omobono
lavoratore, che vende e compra stoffe e, mentre vive le dinamiche di un mercato
che prende la via di città italiane e europee, conferisce dignità spirituale al
suo lavoro: quella spiritualità che è l'impronta di tutta la sua operosità.
Nella sua esperienza non v'è
soluzione di continuità tra le varie dimensioni. In ognuna egli trova il
"luogo" in cui esplicare la tensione alla santità: nel nucleo
familiare, come sposo e padre esemplare; nella comunità parrocchiale, come
fedele che vive la liturgia ed è assiduo alla catechesi, profondamente legato
al ministero del sacerdote; nel contesto della città, in cui effonde il fascino
della bontà e della pace.
5. Una vita tanto ricca di meriti
non poteva che lasciare un solco profondo nella memoria. E', infatti,
ammirevole la perseveranza d'affetto e di culto che Cremona ha conservato nei
confronti di questo suo singolare esponente, scaturito proprio dal ceto
popolare.
E' significativo che, nel 1592, la
chiesa Cattedrale sia stata dedicata a lui insieme a Santa Maria Assunta. E non
è meno significativo che a sceglierlo patrono della città, nel 1643, siano
stati i membri del Consiglio della Città stessa, tra l'esultanza, "l'immensa
allegrezza", le "lagrime di devozione" del popolo. Un Santo
laico, eletto come patrono dai laici stessi.
Né è motivo di meraviglia che il
culto di sant'Omobono si sia diffuso in molte diocesi italiane ed oltre i
confini nazionali. E' Omobono un Santo che parla ai cuori. Ed è bello
constatare che i cuori ne sentono l'amabile attrattiva. Lo dimostra
l'incessante accorrere alle sue spoglie mortali, soprattutto, ma non solo, nel
giorno della sua festa liturgica, e l'intensa devozione che gli riserva la
popolazione, memore delle grazie ricevute e fiduciosa nell'intercessione
dell'amato "trafficante celeste".
6. Nell'anno giubilare la sua voce,
per taluni aspetti essenziali, parla con gli accenti, come osservavo
all'inizio, della "contemporaneità".
I tempi non sono più quelli di
ottocento anni fa. Alla canonizzazione di Omobono, maturata nel clima e nelle
procedure medioevali, non possiamo attribuire il carattere di una
"promozione del laicato", nel senso che noi diamo oggi a questo concetto.
E' vero, tuttavia, che proprio in
questa luce leggiamo l'avventura spirituale che ha solcato la secolare storia
cremonese. Ed in questa luce riscopriamo il messaggio, tuttora originale,
dell'insigne Patrono. Egli è pur sempre il fedele laico che, da laico, si è guadagnato
il dono della santità.
La sua vicenda assume un valore
esemplare come chiamata alla conversione senza restrizioni di alcun genere e,
quindi, alla santificazione non riservata ad alcuni, ma proposta a tutti
indistintamente.
Il Concilio Vaticano II fa della
santità un elemento costitutivo dell'appartenenza alla Chiesa, quando afferma
che "tutti i fedeli di qualsiasi stato o grado sono chiamati alla pienezza
della vita cristiana e alla perfezione della carità" (Lumen gentium,
40); e rileva che "da questa santità è promosso, anche nella società
terrena, un tenore di vita più umano" (Ibid.). Proprio di questo
abbiamo bisogno nella situazione di inarrestabile transizione che stiamo
vivendo: ne abbiamo bisogno per sviluppare le premesse positive presenti e
rispondere alle gravi sfide derivanti dalla profonda crisi di civiltà e di
cultura, che investe l'ethos collettivo.
7. La chiamata alla santità
comporta e valorizza l'essere e l'operare del laicato, come pure insegna il
Concilio ed io stesso ho ribadito nell'Esortazione Apostolica postsinodale Christifideles Laici.
Sulla filigrana di quest'ultimo
documento vedo avvicinarsi a noi e, in particolare, all'oggi della Chiesa e
della società cremonese, la vicenda esistenziale di sant'Omobono. Per
intraprendere una nuova evangelizzazione, infatti, "urge dovunque rifare
il tessuto cristiano della società umana. Ma la condizione è che si rifaccia il
tessuto cristiano delle stesse Comunità ecclesiali" (Christifideles Laici, n. 34).
I fedeli laici devono sentirsi
pienamente coinvolti in questo compito, con i peculiari carismi della
"laicità". Le situazioni nuove, sia ecclesiali che sociali,
economiche, politiche e culturali, reclamano con una forza del tutto
particolare la loro specifica partecipazione (Ibid., n. 3).
8. E' una felice coincidenza che la
celebrazione giubilare di questo "Santo della carità" venga ad
inserirsi nella conclusione dell'ultimo decennio del nostro secolo, che la
Comunità ecclesiale in Italia ha consacrato al programma "Evangelizzazione
e testimonianza della carità".
Come scrivevo ancora nella Christifideles Laici, la carità nelle sue varie
forme, dall'elemosina alle opere di misericordia, "anima e sostiene
un'operosa solidarietà attenta alla totalità dei bisogni dell'essere
umano" (n. 41). Essa è e sarà sempre necessaria, da parte dei singoli e
delle Comunità. E "si fa più necessaria quanto più le istituzioni,
diventando complesse nell'organizzazione e, pretendendo di gestire ogni spazio
disponibile, finiscono per essere rovinate dal funzionalismo imperante,
dall'esagerata burocrazia, dagli ingiusti interessi privati, dal disimpegno
facile e generalizzato" (Ibid.).
La sensibilità di Omobono stimola
esemplarmente ad aprirsi all'intero orizzonte della carità nella varietà delle
sue espressioni, oltre quelle materiali: carità della cultura, carità politica,
carità sociale, in ordine al bene comune. Un esempio tanto eloquente può
efficacemente contribuire a rasserenare l'attuale clima politico e sociale,
favorendo uno stile di concordia, di reciproca fiducia, di impegno
partecipativo.
9. Sono particolarmente lieto che
la celebrazione dell'«Anno di sant'Omobono» si estenda a tutto il 1998,
secondo anno della fase preparatoria al Grande Giubileo, dedicato specialmente
allo Spirito Santo.
La cara figura dell'antico mercante
accompagni dal cielo il provvidenziale evento. Invocato con la profonda e tradizionale
devozione e con una fede sempre più consapevole, egli ottenga a tutti i
battezzati la fedeltà ai doni dello Spirito, ricevuti soprattutto nel
sacramento della Confermazione. Ai fedeli laici ottenga una più matura
consapevolezza che la loro partecipazione alla vita della Chiesa "è
talmente necessaria che senza di essa lo stesso apostolato dei Pastori non può
per lo più raggiungere la sua piena efficacia" (Apostolicam
actuositatem, 10). A tutti i componenti della Chiesa cremonese ottenga dal
Signore l'ardore richiesto ai nuovi evangelizzatori, chiamati nella stagione
post-sinodale ad essere veri testimoni di fede, speranza e carità.
Con questi fervidi auspici, memore
della mia Visita pastorale a Cremona, nel giugno 1992, e del successivo
incontro con quanti sono venuti a Roma in pellegrinaggio, nel novembre
dell'anno scorso, a suggello del Sinodo diocesano, imparto di cuore a Lei,
venerato Fratello, ai presbiteri, ai diaconi, ai consacrati e alle consacrate,
ai fedeli laici, a ogni famiglia, a ogni parrocchia e alla Città tutta
un'affettuosa Benedizione Apostolica.
Dal Vaticano, 24 Giugno 1997
IOANNES PAULUS PP. II
© Copyright 1997 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana
Sant' Omobono di Cremona Laico
Cremona, prima metà secolo XII - 13
novembre 1197
Oltre
a essere patrono di Cremona, Omobono Tucenghi è protettore di mercanti,
lavoratori tessili e sarti. Egli stesso, infatti, fu commerciante di stoffe
stimatissimo in città. Era abile negli affari e ricco. Oltretutto viveva solo
con la moglie, senza figli. Ma il denaro - nella sua concezione della
ricchezza, vista non fine a se stessa - era per i poveri. La sua azione lo
portò ad essere un testimone autorevole in tempi di conflitto tra Comuni e
Impero (Cremona era con l'imperatore). Quando morì d'improvviso, il 13 novembre
del 1197, durante la Messa, subito si diffuse la fama di santità. Innocenzo III
lo elevò agli altari già due anni dopo. Riposa nel duomo di Cremona.
Patronato: Cremona, Mercanti, Lavoratori tessili,
Sarti
Martirologio
Romano: A Cremona, sant’Omobono,
che, negoziante, mosso da carità per i poveri, rifulse nel raccogliere ed
educare i ragazzi abbandonati e nel riportare la pace nelle famiglie.
All’alba di un giorno
d’autunno, in una chiesa cremonese accade un fatto impressionante. Un cittadino
molto popolare e amato, Omobono Tucenghi, è come sempre al suo posto per
partecipare alla Messa. Ma a un tratto lo si vede impallidire, afflosciarsi, e
chi per primo cerca di soccorrerlo s’accorge che è già morto. D’improvviso,
senza un lamento, senza soffrire. La morte serena che ognuno si augura. "E
che mastro Omobono si meritava", devono aver aggiunto molti intorno a lui,
nella chiesa intitolata a sant’Egidio (qui sotto, la scena rappresentata in un
Codice). Omobono Tucenghi, infatti, è un uomo che, senza privilegi di nascita o
prestigio di funzioni, ha saputo diventare nella sua città una “forza” solo per
le doti personali e l’esempio della sua vita. E’ un mercante di panni e negli
affari è abilissimo. Ormai lo circonda un rispetto universale, anche con
qualche cenno di compatimento: lui e sua moglie, infatti, non hanno avuto
figli. Sono soli. Con tutti quei soldi che il commercio ha portato loro, in
quest’epoca di vitalità straordinaria e turbolenta in tante città italiane
ormai passate all’autogoverno.
Ma nel pensiero di questi coniugi, e soprattutto nel loro comportamento, c’è
come un profumo di Chiesa primitiva: possiamo dire che anch’essi continuamente
"depongono ai piedi degli apostoli" denaro guadagnato col commercio,
come avveniva nella piccola comunità di Gerusalemme. Non negli scritti e
nemmeno in discorsi che nessuno ci ha tramandato, ma con questi gesti precisi e
continui Omobono rivela la sua chiara concezione circa il denaro che guadagna:
su di esso hanno precisi diritti i poveri. Le monete sono mezzi d’intervento
per il soccorso alla miseria.
In tempi di rissa continua nelle città e fra
le città (Cremona, nel conflitto tra Comuni e Impero, è schierata dalla parte
imperiale) si ricorre alla sua autorità per arginare la violenza. E Omobono è
pronto al servizio fraterno anche così: con la parola contribuisce a rendere
più vivibile la città, con la parola inerme ma autorevole, perché è lo specchio
di una vita grande.
Ecco perché la sua morte, avvenuta nel momento in cui dall’altare s’intonava il
Gloria, ha scosso tutta la città. Non solo. Si sparge una voce insistente:
mastro Omobono fa miracoli! Cominciano i pellegrinaggi alla sua tomba, il
vescovo Sicardo e una rappresentanza cittadina si rivolgono a papa Innocenzo
III. E questi canonizza Omobono già il 13 gennaio 1199, a meno di due anni
dalla morte. Un santo laico, un santo imprenditore, un commerciante del ramo
tessile posto sugli altari già ottocento anni fa. Proclamato patrono cittadino
dal Consiglio generale di Cremona nel 1643, sant’Omobono è venerato anche come
protettore dei mercanti e dei sarti. Il suo corpo si conserva in una cripta
della cattedrale di Cremona.
Autore: Domenico Agasso
