VP 1.3

English

When Abbot Lupicinus did not have enough resources to sustain such a large community, God revealed to him a place in the wilderness in which a treasure had been buried in ancient times. He went to this place by himself and brought to the monastery as much gold and silver as he could carry; buying food with this, he fed the many brothers he had gathered for the worship of God. And he did this every year. However, he did not reveal the place that the Lord had deigned to show him to any of the brothers.

It happened one day that he was visiting the brothers whom, we said, he had gathered in the region of Alemannia. Arriving at noon, while the brothers were still in the field, he entered the building in which the food was being cooked for the meal. When he saw a large array of different dishes as well as a large number of fish he said in his heart: "It is not right that monks, who lead the solitary life, should enjoy such unsuitable extravagances." And he immediately ordered a large cauldron to be brought. When it had begun to heat up on the fire, he put in it all the dishes that had been prepared, fish as well as vegetables and beans, with whatever had been prepared for the monks to eat, saying: "Let the monks now be nourished by this stew. For they should not abandon themselves to the sort of delicacies that might distract them from divine worship."

When the monks found out about this, they were extremely angry. And twelve men, having taken counsel with each other, left the place in a flaming rage to wander about in the wilderness, seeking the pleasures of the world. This was at once revealed to Romanus in a vision, for the compassionate Lord did not want to hide from him what had happened. When the abbot returned to the monastery at Condat, he said to him: "If this is to happen in the future, that you go to the brothers to disperse them, I would rather that you had not gone to them!" And the abbot said to him: "Dearest brother, don't be vexed about what has happened. For know that the threshing floor of the Lord has been purged, and only wheat has been stored in the granary, the chaff has been thrown away." And Romanus answered: "I wish none of these men had left! But now tell me, I beg you, how many have gone away from there." Lupicinus replied: "Twelve proud and arrogant men, in whom God does not dwell." Then Romanus said, with tears: "I believe when I consider God's compassionate attitude that he will not separate these men from his treasure, but will gather them up and win back those for whom he deigned to suffer." And by praying for them he obtained that they returned to the grace of almighty God.

For the Lord pierced their hearts with remorse. Doing penance for their departure, they gathered their own communities and founded monasteries that up to today persevere in God's praises. Romanus himself persisted in his simplicity and good works, visiting the sick and healing them with his prayers.

Latin

Lupicinus igitur abba cum minus haberet, unde tantam susteneret congregationem, revelavit ei Deus locum in heremo, in quo antiquitus thesauri reconditi fuerant. Ad quem locum accedens solus, aurum argentumque, quantum levare potuerat, monasterio inferebat et, exinde coemptos cibos, reficiebat fratrum multitudines, quos ad Dei officium congregaverat. Sicque faciebat per singulos annos. Nulli tamen fratrum patefecit locum, quod ei Dominus dignatus est revelare. Factum est autem, ut quodam tempere visitaret fratres, quos in illis Alamanniae regionibus diximus congregatos; et accedens meridiae, cum adhuc fratres in agro essent, ingressus est domum, in quo cibi coquebantur ad reficiendum; viditque diversorum ferculorum apparatum magnum pisciumque multitudinem adgregatam, dixitque in corde suo: 'Non est dignum, ut monachi, quorum vita solitaria est, tam ineptis utantur sumptibus'. Et statim iussit praeparari aeneum magnum. Cumque locatus super ignem fervere coepisset, posuit in eo cunctos simul, quos paraverant cibos, tam pisces quam holera sive legumina, vel quicquid ad comedendum monachis distinatum fuerat, dixitque: 'De his pultibus nunc reficiantur fratres, nam non diliciis vacent, quae eos a divino inpediant opere'. Quod illi cognoscentes, valde moleste tolerant. Tamen duodecim viri, habito consilio, iracundia inflammati, reliquerunt locum et abierunt per deserta vagantes et ea quae erant saeculi delectabilia inquerentes. Revelatumque est statim per visum Romano, nec ei voluit divina miseratio rem actam occultare. Regresso quoque abbate ad monasterium, dicitque ei: Si sic futurum erat, ut ad dispersionem fratrum abires, utinam nec accessisses ad eos'. Cui ille: 'Noli·', inquid, 'moleste ferre, frater dilectissime, quae acta sunt. Nam scias, purgatam esse aream Domini, et triticum tantam reconditum in horreo, paleas autem eiectas esse foris'. Et ille: 'Utinam nullus abscessisset ex his! Sed nunc indica, quaeso, mihi, quanti exinde abierunt'. Qui respondit: 'Duodecim viri cotornosi atque elati, in quibus Deus non habitat'. Tunc Romanus cum lacrimis ait: 'Credo in illo divinae miserationis respectu, quia nec illos separabit a thesauro suo, sed congregabit eos et lucri eos faciet, pro quibus pati dignatus est'. Et facta pro his oratione, obtenuit, ut reverterentur ad gratiam omnipotentis Dei. Dominus autem conpungi fecit corda eorum; et agentes paenitentiam pro excessu suo, congregaverunt singuli congregationes suas et fecerunt sibi monasteria, quae usque hodie in Dei laudibus perseverant. Romanus autem persistebat in simplicitate et operibus bonis, visitans infirmos et salvans eos oratione sua.