ON SAINT CALOCERUS OF BRESCIA, MARTYR AT ALBENGA IN LIGURIA.
YEAR 119.
PrefaceCalocerus of Brescia, Martyr at Albenga in Liguria (Saint)
G. H.
Five athletes, joined together by a great bond of mutual friendship, obtained the illustrious palm of martyrdom under the Emperor Hadrian. The first of these were the brothers of Brescia, most widely known throughout the universal Church, Saints Faustinus and Jovita. When Saint Calocerus, Fellow Martyrs, Saints Faustinus and one of the chief ministers of the Emperor Hadrian, with whom we are here dealing, saw them cast to lions, leopards, and bulls and unharmed, he embraced the faith of Christ. We have given various Acts of Saints Faustinus and Jovita on February 15. The third is Saint Marcian, Bishop of Tortona, of whom we have treated on March 6. This one, by means of Saint Secundus, as will be shown below, Jovita, Marcian, Secundus, took care that his peace should be carried from prison to his brother in Christ Calocerus. The fourth is Saint Secundus, a leading man of the city of Asti, instructed in the faith by Saint Calocerus, whose martyrdom we have illustrated on March 30. Calocerus: Acts of Martyrdom from MS. The fifth and last is Saint Calocerus, whose acts to be given here we ourselves transcribed in Burgundy, in the most celebrated Cistercian monastery, from the second codex of the Lives of the Saints. Fuller Acts are inserted into the triple Life of Saints Faustinus and Jovita, illustrated by us on February 15; and the one which is given there in the third place, Mombritius published as pertaining to Saint Calocerus. Since we judged that it is part of the fuller Acts concerning Saints Faustinus and Jovita, we gave it there, and do not wish to repeat it here, since it can be read there. Excerpts from the Life of Saint Secundus. But in its place we append some extracts from the Life of Saint Secundus; and thus we judge that we have presented a full account of Saint Calocerus.
[2] Among the manuscript books of the Most Serene Christina, Queen of Sweden, we found a Martyrology of Ado, once augmented among the people of Brescia, and later transcribed for the Church of Toulon in Provence about the year 1170 under Peter, Bishop of that same city, from which we have copied these items inserted at the 15th day before the Kalends of May: Natal day of Saint Calocerus the Martyr, who, as was said above on the 15th day before the Kalends of March, when the most blessed Martyrs Faustinus and Jovita were preaching in the city of Brescia under the Emperor Hadrian, seeing the constancy and virtues which with the Lord's help they displayed before the Emperor Hadrian, was baptized through their preaching, with his attendants, to the number of twelve thousand, by Saint Apollonius, Bishop of Brescia; and at the command of the same Emperor he suffered many and various torments, and in the city of Albenga by the cutting off of his head was made a Martyr of Christ the Lord Almighty, and was first buried there, but now in the monastery of Civate rests laid up in our time.
[3] Burial, Albenga, anciently Albingaunum, is an episcopal maritime city of Liguria between Savona and Ventimiglia, translation, concerning which consult Ughelli, volume 4 of Italia Sacra, who relates that Saint Calocerus suffered martyrdom for Christ outside the city near the sea shore, opposite the city and island of Gallinaria; perhaps first buried in that very place or the vicinity, and, as Peter de Natalibus book 3, chapter 298 adds, by the faithful beside the city itself; thence carried to the monastery of Civate. But by this seems to be understood a certain monastery in a town of Piedmont commonly called Chiavas, Clavasium to Ferrarius, next to the Po 12 miles below Turin. Further, according to the same Ughelli, Lanfranc, the 28th Bishop of Albenga, in the year 1286 translated from an underground tomb of confession the body of Saint Calocerus the Martyr, magnificently raised in honor of the same Saint, as the following verses especially declare:
A thousand years run their course together with two hundred, And eighty-six are joined to the same, When the translation was made and celebrated Of Saint Calocerus, solemnly here interred. Bishop Lanfranc is known as his translator, And of his discovery Abbot John himself was the finder.
But at present the sacred bones of Saint Calocerus at Albenga are said to be in the monastery of the Nuns of the Order of Saint Clare. Relics at Brescia:
[4] We have, by a gift of the same Ughelli, a certain recent Martyrology of the Church of Brescia, in which this eulogy is found: At Brescia, of Saint Calocerus the Martyr, who, having been converted to the faith by Saints Faustinus and Jovita, under the Emperor Hadrian, by order of the Prefect Sapricius, was tortured with torments, most constant in his confession of Christ Jesus, and eminently crowned. His holy body is held in the church of Saint Afra together with the holy Martyrs Marcian and Severinus. Another eulogy Bernardino Fayno gives in the Brescian Martyrology, who in his notes adds that a great part of this body is kept in the high altar of the lower church of Saint Afra; as appears in an authentic record, brought hither from Albenga by Sapricius, as a certain ancient manuscript Chronicle has it, inscribed Martyrium Brixianorum. But that Chronicle is fabulous. And who is this Sapricius? Could he be the Prefect by whose order he had been slain? The foundations of the Albenga tradition are more certain. [Entered in various calendars on April 18, February 15, and March 19, the day he was killed] The sacred memory of the same Saint Calocerus is inscribed in today's Roman Martyrology, as formerly in the Calendar of the ancient Ambrosian Breviary and Missal, likewise in the Martyrologies of Bellinus, Maurolycus, Galesinius, Canisius, Greven, and Molanus in the Additions to Usuard. But on February 15 in the Anglican Martyrology of Whitford; and on March 19 in the Martyrologies of Usuard, Bellinus, Molanus, Galesinius, and in many manuscripts, with Peter de Natalibus, who adds that his body was buried with honor on the fourteenth day before the Kalends of April, on which day his Acts have him suffering; year 119, and the day April 18 was assumed because of the Translation of his Body. That he indeed suffered in the year 119 is manifest from what we have said concerning the Acts of Saints Faustinus and Jovita and chiefly of Saint Secundus.
PASSION.
From a Manuscript of the Cistercian Archimonastery.
Calocerus of Brescia, Martyr at Albenga in Liguria (Saint)
BHL Number: 1530
FROM A MANUSCRIPT.
[1] When a the Emperor Hadrian was traveling through Italy, there met him the Count of the Rhaetias, Italicus by name, at the river which is called Adda, who, worshiping the Emperor, said: O most invincible King and triumphator of the Romans, come to the aid of your empire, and avenge the injury to our gods. There are two men in a certain city called Brescia, namely Faustinus and Jovita, Italicus the Count inciting, who preach that there is a God living and true in the heavens, and assert that our gods are not to be adored but are to be despised as nothing; and on this account they have already seduced no small multitude of people to desert your gods and transfer themselves to the worship of the one God whom they preach. Hearing this, Hadrian the Emperor, because the aforesaid Count had great love for the gods, gave him permission not only to afflict Faustinus and Jovita but also all despisers of the gods with punishments. This Count Italicus, coming, sent word to the aforesaid Martyrs, through Tiberius his counsellor, of Emperor Hadrian's decree against the despisers of his gods. To whom Blessed Faustinus and Jovita said: We will not obey the precepts of your Prince, so as to desert the living God and worship hand-made idols. Hearing these things Italicus the Count, Saints Faustinus and Jovita seized, disturbed with extreme indignation, commanded that Faustinus and Jovita, having been seized, be handed over to the darkness of prison, until the Emperor should come to Brescia. b
[2] c It came to pass that on the fourth day the Emperor entered Brescia, and Italicus the Count made known to him those things that had been done in regard to Faustinus and Jovita. When the Emperor had heard this and had asked of what ancestry the aforesaid Martyrs were, brought to the Emperor Hadrian, and it was answered him that their father had been head of the Senate in the same city, he replied: These men are most necessary to us, that through them many may be converted to the worship of our Gods; whereupon, having been brought into his presence, he addressed them thus: You have had noble parents, who are said to have worshiped our gods with great veneration; it is good for you to follow them, lest you be considered degenerate. To which Faustinus and Jovita said: Our parents were deceived by an abominable falsehood into worshiping gods of gold and wood, in which there is no feeling or any power. they spurn the worship of the gods. To whom Hadrian said: Is there another god besides the sun, or is any better than it? To whom Faustinus and Jovita answered: You have spoken a foolish thing, to call the sun better than the creator of the sun himself; and of the sun: for there is a God who made the sun to illuminate the day, and the moon to illuminate the night, who also created all things out of nothing, whom we worship, and in whom we have placed the hope of our salvation; for despising your gods, we count them as nothing. Then the enraged Hadrian ordered that they be brought to the temple of the sun; now there was a statue of the sun overlaid with gold, having rays of pure gold on its head: to which Hadrian said: You see the glory of the invincible sun; approach and sacrifice, that you may be found glorious in the sight of the sun. To this the holy Martyrs said: We are rational men; we adore God, who created us in his image. Then the Saints, turning to the statue of the sun, said: Know that we adore God, who made all things, and who is in heaven and on earth and everywhere; by a word they cast down his statue and strip its glory. wherefore we command that the false appearance of your brightness be turned into the blackness of pitch, and that the golden rays be turned into the likeness of dead coals. And when they had said these things, immediately the statue of the sun fell in the sight of the people, and its glory suddenly disappeared, and the holy Martyrs said: See, Hadrian, what has been done to the god whom you worship.
[3] Then the Emperor, filled with wrath, ordered Italicus his Count to have the fiercest wild beasts brought in, namely lions and leopards, by which at once the holy Martyrs might be devoured; but they not only did not devour them, but even at the bidding of the Saints shattered the statue of Saturn, These being unharmed among the lions, leopards, and brought it to nothing, so that they also killed Italicus and Orphitus the Priest, brother of Hadrian, along with all the Priests of Saturn. When this had been done, the Emperor ordered five bulls of wondrous size to be brought in, and bulls, to slay the holy Martyrs. But the holy Martyrs made the sign of the Cross, and immediately the bulls threw themselves upon the ground before their feet. Seeing which, the people with one voice cried out: Great is the God of the Christians. To whom Hadrian said: O people of Brescia, why do you magnify Christ, whom the Jews crucified? To whom the holy Martyrs said: See, my fellow citizens, how great wonders the Lord has wrought through his servants, and be not seduced by the perfidy of Hadrian: 3,000 are converted, of whom almost three thousand believed and received the grace of baptism from Bishop Apollonius. Then the holy Martyrs said: We say to you, sheep of God, who are wild beasts, go forth and harm no one. Then the people, seeing the wild beasts made tame, going forth, were struck with exceeding fear. But Hadrian, seeing what had happened, said to his ministers: You see how many things Faustinus and Jovita do by magic art; shut them up in prison. When afterwards they were led out and tortured with various punishments, Faustinus is said to have said: Most impious one, we perceive that you take much delight in the sufferings of the Christians. When they were most vehemently tortured by the ministers, lifting their eyes to heaven, they spoke to no one. Seeing which, one of the ministers of the Emperor, Calocerus by name, entering to Hadrian, said: and Saint Calocerus, Truly great is the God of the Christians, whom Faustinus and Jovita proclaim by worshiping, and who bestows great benefits on those who believe in him. To whom Hadrian replied: Why are you mad, Calocerus? Take heed and beware lest your blood be shed along with their blood. Calocerus answered: Good Emperor, for what cause do you prepare the racks, or whom do you wish to torture on the racks? Hadrian said: Faustinus and Jovita. Calocerus said: You are deceived by a false vision. The ministers also cried out: Now we are exhausted by torturing, but they in no way feel the pains.
[4] Calocerus, seeing this, grieved greatly, and going outside wept bitterly; and there appeared to him Faustinus and Jovita, saying: Calocerus, why do you grieve for us? Go to Hadrian and see what the ministers are doing. To whom Calocerus answered: I will not depart from you until you give me the sign of Christ by which I may be made free and safe. he asks instruction from the Martyrs, Faustinus, questioning him, said: Confidently hope to receive the sign of Christ, by which the devil is put to flight. And he said, I earnestly beseech you, that I may be deemed worthy to come to sound faith and so great brightness, through your intercession. To whom Jovita said: O Calocerus, keep the faith to your Creator, and take care to follow the examples of the Redeemer of your soul. Then Calocerus, coming before Hadrian and seeing the ministers heaping as it were coals upon the Martyrs of Christ, tore the cloak with which he was clothed, and cried out: Truly great is the God of the Christians, whom you, Hadrian, deny, he reproves the Emperor and you persecute those who serve him. To whom Hadrian replied: Calocerus, by saying these things you have become vain-headed. And Calocerus said: Truly your head is vain, for no rational sense seems to be in you, since, acting against God and the Creator of heaven, you are not ashamed to worship a statue made by hand. But hearing the outcry of Calocerus, Hadrian ordered him to be sent outside, grieving because through him the name of the Lord was magnified. Meanwhile the Blessed Martyrs, being shut up in prison, were refreshed in the silence of midnight by a divine visitation. There was in the prison a very great light and a fragrance of sweetness, so that the guards of the prison fled to the house of Calocerus, who had charge of the palace, and related to him all that had happened in the prison. To whom Calocerus said: Let us go to the prison, that I may see whether what you relate is true. he approaches the prison illumined at night, As they went, they could in no way on account of the splendor approach the prison; but Calocerus alone, strengthened by the gift of faith, approaching the door of the prison, said: Remember me, Martyrs of Christ, obtaining from the Savior that he may not disdain to receive me into the number of his sheep, so that I may be able to resist the wiles of the devil. And soon a voice came to him, saying: Calocerus, animated by a heavenly voice: know that your prayer has been heard; for tomorrow you shall come with my Martyrs before Hadrian, to reproach and denounce his perfidy. And because Calocerus remained at the door of the prison until morning, when morning came the ministers came to him, saying: Behold, Hadrian is going to the temple of Mars to hear Faustinus and Jovita.
[5] Then Calocerus, turning to his attendants, said: Until today I have sacrificed to demons; from now on I will faithfully worship, not hand-made idols, but the living and true God; wherefore I admonish you to hear me, and to become my companions, since the warfare of this world is not only loss, he converts those subject to his office: but is also death to the soul. Therefore believe most firmly that great is God in the heavens, whom the Blessed Faustinus and Jovita worship. This he said so that they, being made strong, might be beheaded with him, and receive the palm of martyrdom. For when all those of his office had said to him: Whence may it be ours, that we may be able to attain to such great glory, and see that God whom your glory sets forth? Calocerus is said to have answered: If with all your heart you seek God, by the gift of his grace your minds will be illumined, and there will be given you habitations of eternal rest. To which all with one mind answered: Lord, until now we have been as sheep without a shepherd, having no guide; now let your mercy come before us, that our hearts may be illumined, so that we may not fear Hadrian, the prince of iniquity, but rather you, who are the author of all truth. These things having been said, Hadrian sent to Calocerus, that he should come to the temple of Mars; to whom Hadrian said: Is that which I had ordered you to do prepared? Calocerus said: To your confusion you speak these things, that your iniquity may be confuted. Hadrian said: Calocerus, I hold you worthy of honor among all; but because you speak thus for Faustinus and Jovita, you make me an enemy to your soul. To whom Calocerus said: By no means shall your wicked propitiation lead my soul to death.
[6] Therefore when, at the announcement of an Angel, Saint Apollonius d the Bishop had ordained Blessed Faustinus Priest and Jovita Deacon, he is baptized, and they were baptizing a multitude of believers in the Lord, Calocerus came with all his office, with his subordinates, and, prostrate upon the ground, beseeching said: Have mercy on me, for the fear of the Lord has taken hold of me, who dwells on high and looks upon lowly things in heaven and on earth. Whom Saint Apollonius the Bishop, seeing that he eagerly wished to be baptized, said to him: Calocerus, do you believe that God can raise you up from the dead? Calocerus replied: Truly I believe, that now souls are raised up by the font of baptism, and afterwards bodies, raised up from the dust of the earth by divine command, are made alive. All those of his office also, being asked, said: We believe in one God, and in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Then Saint Apollonius received Blessed Calocerus and made him a catechumen, and baptized him in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. But all of his office Faustinus and Jovita baptized, along with those who from the people believed. Now all who were baptized were about twelve thousand men, and of others to the number of 12,000, which happened about the twelfth hour. And because there was no altar on which the mysteries of the Body and Blood of the Lord could be consecrated, it was divinely provided and with them he is refreshed by the sacred Eucharist. that the Body and the Chalice of the Blood of the Lord should be shown upon a linen cloth as though upon an altar, by which the baptized might be confirmed; moreover four lights also were seen to drive away the darkness of night. Thus, confirmed by the heavenly Sacraments, all followed Saint Apollonius the Bishop. e But the Blessed Martyrs, returning to the prison, and entering in to the holy Martyrs, greeted them, and willingly shut up in prison and said: Behold, we have been confirmed by the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, that our blood also may be shed for the confession of his name. strengthened by a heavenly voice, When they prayed together, they heard a voice saying to them: Be of strong heart, for your prayer has been heard; but you, Calocerus, know that you have been sent by Almighty God to the unbelievers, that through you they may be converted from the worship of idols to the living and true God, so that for their salvation you may receive the fruit of eternal salvation. But when Calocerus, hearing these things, had declared himself a sinner after the example of Paul, and unworthy to work the salvation of others, he was admonished by the Angel not to despair, because divinely there would be given him power to preach to the people, and constancy in suffering, so that he might receive the crown of martyrdom.
[7] Finally, when Hadrian had sent to the prison for the sake of inspecting whether the seal of his ring was intact, or whether anyone had entered in to the holy Martyrs, the ring was found whole, and Calocerus was found with his office within together with the holy Martyrs. When this had been reported to Hadrian, before the Emperor he professes the faith: wondering greatly, he ordered them to be led bound to the Circus, and speaking out, said: Calocerus, what have you done, why have you made yourself weak, who were illustrious in my palace? And to his office he said: And you, by what madness are you deceived, that with Faustinus and Jovita you desire death? and his subordinates of his office being beheaded, But they with one voice said: Hadrian, we do not fear the death of the flesh, for we have a helper who reigns in the heavens. When Hadrian had asked them how they knew that God was in heaven, they answered: Illumined by the font of baptism, we understand God, whom before we did not know. Then Hadrian ordered that, with their hands bound behind their back, their heads should be cut off; but Calocerus together with Faustinus and Jovita he commanded to be bound with iron chains, whom also after three days he ordered to set out from the city of Brescia to Milan. They at once set out, praising God. he is led with Saints Faustinus and Jovita to Milan, Hadrian, coming to Milan after three days, addressed them: Behold, you have been transferred under guard from your city; now either be converted to the gods and do my will, that you may be free from punishments: sacrifice to Hercules and Saturn, and you will be noble in the Italic realm. But Calocerus said: O tyrant, persecutor of Christians, we do not sacrifice to the gods, for we worship God, the Creator of heaven and earth.
[8] Hadrian answered: Quickly I shall see whether your God can free you. Then he commanded the ministers to bring racks before the people, and to torture them suspended, until they should render up their souls. As the ministers were thus torturing them, Blessed Calocerus cried out: O Saints of God, I beseech you, suspended on the rack he asks for prayers: pray that in these torments I may not fail, for the devil grievously tempts me. To whom Faustinus said: Endure a little, for behold, the Angel of the Lord will come to your aid. And soon Calocerus answered: Pray; for I see that with God's help I have overcome the devil, who was bringing pains upon me; behold, I count the torments of Hadrian as nothing, since I am strengthened by divine help. Then Hadrian commanded the ministers to bring lamps before the Martyrs, and to place them around their sides. Let Calocerus feel, he said, our sentence. lamps applied to his sides, But Calocerus cried out: Hadrian, it is not yet the third hour; and how has darkness seized you, that you should command lamps to be brought to you? Hadrian said: Calocerus, it seems to me that you do not yet feel the fire. To whom Calocerus: Truly I say to you, that I count your torments as nothing. Then Hadrian ordered the ministers to bring tow, pitch, and oil, and to place them around the racks, and to put fire beneath, so that with the racks themselves they might be burned. There was a flame of fire around the racks, but the Saints of God were not at all harmed by the fire; wherefore Calocerus cried out from the fire: Hadrian, worshiper of idols, he remains unharmed. prepare another punishment, since this has no power to harm us. Hearing these things, Hadrian said to the ministers: Increase the tow, pitch, and oil, that they may feel the heat of the gods. Faustinus said: Hadrian, you see that we stand in the midst of the flame; soon you will see your confusion. Now there were statues of Saturn and Hercules where Hadrian was sitting; but at the command of the Saints themselves, the fire so burned the statues, that soon they ran down like wax. Hadrian, seeing these things, fled outside; whom the Blessed Martyrs pursued and said to him: Where now are your threats, Hadrian? The Lord our God will confound you, and we count as nothing the punishments you bring upon us.
[9] Fastened with them in vain to the bulls, Then Hadrian said to the ministers: Bring untamed bulls, and take these evildoers away. The ministers, fulfilling his orders, took Faustinus, Jovita, and Calocerus, tying them behind untamed bulls, and leading them out into the desert, abandoned them in the forest. The bulls stood in the forest as though tied to a manger, and by divine order the bulls returned to the city with the holy Martyrs. Hearing which, Hadrian, extremely angry, ordered that the holy Martyrs be brought into his presence; and when the bulls followed them, they return to the Emperor, they were forbidden by the guards of the palace; but they broke the doors of the palace, and killed all whom they found, until they reached the Martyrs of Christ. Hadrian marveled at the savagery of the bulls toward others and their gentleness toward the Martyrs, and said, Calocerus, I see that in you is the great grace of our god Silvanus, he mocks the god Silvanus, to such a degree that the bulls, which we had set on you as fierce lions, have been made as lambs; come then, and sacrifice to the great god Silvanus, for he has freed you, lest you be killed by the bulls. To whom Calocerus replied: Whom do you call the god Silvanus? Whose likeness boys make for themselves from branches, and put fire to, and he nowhere appears?
[10] When they were being urged by Hadrian to worship the gods before being given over to the bites of wild beasts, Calocerus answered: We do not hear, Hadrian, your counsels; but if you have any kind of punishment prepared, apply it, that those who have not seen may see. Then Hadrian said to the ministers: See how great things they do through magic art. But the people cried out: Take the magicians from the midst of the brethren. To whom Calocerus said: Hear us, citizens of Milan, attend to the truth, and do not hope in the lies of Hadrian. He exhorts the Milanese to the faith of Christ And added: Where are your threats, Hadrian? The most savage bulls or bears, which you had sent to devour us, behold they lie meekly in your sight. Then Calocerus exhorted the Milanese to turn from the worship of the gods to the veneration of the one God, who frees those hoping in him, and punishes those who despise him with eternal damnation. Then a voice came to Blessed Calocerus saying: he is taught by a heavenly voice of things to come, I say to you, Calocerus, today you shall be delivered into the hand of a Judge, that you may be led through desert places, until you come to a city, in which many through your preaching will be freed from the darkness of unbelief; and there you will receive the desired crown of Martyrdom. While these things were being done, at Hadrian's command Calocerus was led to the palace and handed over to Antiochus the Governor. Antiochus, receiving Calocerus, handed him over to his men for safe-keeping; he bids farewell to Saints Faustinus and Jovita: but Calocerus, kissing Faustinus and Jovita, begged them to pray continually for him, that he might be able to overcome the snares of the devil. To whom Faustinus addressing said: Brother Calocerus, go in the name of the Lord, and prepare a habitation for us; for a grave contest awaits you, and we also, having run our course, will follow you, to rejoice forever with you in the land of the living.
[11] Then Antiochus said: Calocerus, go out. When he had been led by the ministers of Antiochus to the palace, Hadrian said to him: Calocerus, see that by magic art you have departed from us, though you had been appointed leader of our palace. Then Antiochus the Governor requested that by the Emperor's command a council chamber be prepared for him, in which either the Martyrs of God might be overcome, or destroyed by various tortures. he is handed over to a certain Antiochus, Then Hadrian ordered that a council chamber be prepared for Antiochus in the capitol, that he might hear Faustinus and Jovita. But Calocerus he ordered to proceed to f the Tuscan Alps. When Antiochus had said: that the Martyrs, if they could be converted, were necessary to him; and that he ought to proceed with them; Antiochus replied: But what shall be done about Calocerus, whom you have enjoined to proceed to the Tuscan Alps? To this Hadrian said: We shall send someone in your place as long as you are with us. And at once Antiochus replied: then to Sapricius: Let such things be ordained by your piety, which most cruelly punishes despisers of your laws. And on this account Hadrian directed a certain cruel man, Sapricius by name, who served in the palace and was chief of the Candidati, to take the place of Antiochus, and gave him the command that whomsoever Christians he should find, he should kill with the sword. When Sapricius had entered the city of g Asti, he said to Blessed Calocerus: Calocerus, sacrifice to the gods, that you may obtain pardon. Calocerus said: I shall sacrifice to my God and will adore in his sight. Sapricius said: Why do you call him God, whom no one sees? at Asti, constant in the faith, For the gods whom we worship are seen by men, and the things that are asked of them are granted in the same hour. Wherefore sacrifice to the gods, before torments are applied, which have been prepared. But Calocerus answered: You will not see me, the servant of God, grieved in anything, but you will incur eternal sadness. unharmed by pitch, resin, Then at Sapricius's command the ministers brought pots with pitch and resin, and when these were poured over his head, they bounced back upon themselves, he remaining unharmed. Again he ordered boiling fish-sauce to be brought, and boiling fish-sauce, and commanded it to be put in his mouth. He so delighted in the Lord when these things were done, that with joy, lifting up his voice, he said: How sweet in my mouth are your words, beyond honey and the honeycomb to my mouth. Then, turning to the people, he said: Brethren, let not Sapricius seduce you, since the torments which he inflicts can in no way harm me. Wherefore I exhort you, he exhorts the people of Asti to the faith: to look upon your Creator, and be converted to him, who created all things out of nothing; and do not adore gods of gold, wood, and stone, in which it is manifest there is no salvation.
[12] Hearing these words, Sapricius ordered Calocerus to be beaten with clubs, and shut up in prison; and seized with exceeding fury, he pronounced this sentence upon him: that as soon as he had been brought to Albenga, he should be beheaded. When he had gone outside the walls of the city of Asti, he is beheaded at Albenga, the Angels singing psalms: he is said to have poured out this prayer: Lord God, grant to me your servant, that I may see Faustinus and Jovita in your sight. Then, having received the sentence, he was led to Albenga, that he might receive the end of this life. When he was being punished with capital sentence and had rested in peace, suddenly there came a not small multitude of Angels singing psalms. Sapricius then transmitted to Prince Hadrian all that had been done concerning Calocerus the Martyr of Christ. When all these things had been read in his presence, he became extremely joyful, so that he ordered Faustinus and Jovita to be brought, and said to them: Why do you not give me your assent, to sacrifice to the gods, and be made free? To whom the Holy Martyrs, answering, said: We do not sacrifice except to our Lord, who reigns in the heavens. Then Hadrian gave sentence that they should be punished. Who, answering, said: We give thanks to our Lord Jesus Christ, by whose precious blood we have been redeemed, and for the confession of whose name our blood too is shed. The most blessed Martyr Calocerus suffered h on the fourteenth day before the Kalends of April, our Lord Jesus Christ reigning, to whom be honor and glory, world without end.
NOTES.
EXCERPTS
From the Life of Saint Secundus, Martyr of Asti, published on March 30.
Calocerus of Brescia, Martyr at Albenga in Liguria (Saint)
FROM THE LIFE OF SAINT SECUNDUS
FROM A MANUSCRIPT.
[13] There was in the city of Asti a certain illustrious man, named Secundus, Saint Secundus, instructed in the faith by Calocerus, who greatly venerated the idols. This man had learned many things from Saint Calocerus, because he frequently came to him in prison... And when he had found an opportunity, he entered to Calocerus in the prison, and thus addressed him: Calocerus, pray for me to your God, who is in the heavens, that I may see his glory. Calocerus said: Secundus, go, and the Lord of heaven be with you; and as you hope, you will receive the baptism of Christ, and come into your city, and receive the crown of martyrdom. Then Secundus kissed the hands of Blessed Calocerus, saying: Now have I merited to kiss your hands. When I shall have returned, let me merit to receive your peace. After bidding him farewell, Secundus departed... into the city of Tortona... Then, having received conveyances, Secundus departed with two of his servants to Milan. Now the Angel of the Lord went to the prison and said: Faustinus and Jovita, our Brethren and Companions, come with me: for a wise man has come to you, to receive the baptism of Christ; for he is very learned from Calocerus.
[14] Faustinus and Jovita said: We give you thanks, O Lord, because you have visited us, and have sent to us the salvation of your servant Calocerus. Then they rose up with the Angel to the place where Secundus was... and behold, suddenly there appeared as it were a pillar of cloud, sending forth water. Then the Angel of the Lord said: baptized by Saint Faustinus, Behold the water, Faustinus, which you desired. Seeing, therefore, Faustinus that God's command was present, because Secundus had come, took hold of Secundus, and placed him under the flowing water, saying: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit I baptize you. And lifting him from the font, he receives the Eucharist, also to be carried to Saints Marcian and Calocerus. he sealed him. Then he gave him the Body and Blood of the Lord, saying: Go, endure, and receive the palm of justice in your city. And giving him peace, they said: May we hear a good account of the completion of your faith. And they again gave him peace, saying: Carry the Body mingled in the Blood of the Lord to our brethren, Calocerus and Marcian, and let them know that you have been renewed through the font of the Lord... And the Angel of the Lord led Blessed Secundus through the whole night, until he came to the city of Tortona; then the Angel led him to the place where Blessed Marcian was in custody. When they had entered the prison, they greeted Blessed Marcian, saying: Rejoice and be glad, wise man and worshiper of God. Secundus said: Behold what the Lord has sent to you, from Faustinus and Jovita. Receiving the Body and Blood of the Lord, Marcian took them to himself saying: May the Body and Blood of the Lord preserve my soul unto eternal life. Amen. And he kissed him, saying: You shall carry my peace to brother Calocerus; and rejoicing together they sang psalms with the Angel until daylight.
[15] Then Sapricius, seeing that Blessed Secundus confidently invoked the Lord, after various torments shut in prison at Tortona, ordered him to be beaten with clubs; and as Secundus was beaten, thus he cried out: Sapricius, why do you suffer such madness against the servants of God? There is nothing that you do to me; nor do I feel anything in my body, for the Lord is my helper. But the ministers beating him were exhausted; the holy Martyr felt nothing. Then Sapricius said to the ministers: Take him, and shut him up until morning, that in this my soul may be satisfied. The ministers took Blessed Secundus, and put him in custody. When he had come there, there appeared in the prison a splendid bright light. from an Angel he is led to Asti to Saint Calocerus, And behold, the Angel of the Lord came to him, saying: Arise, Secundus, and gird up your loins, and come, I will lead you to your Creator. Then Blessed Secundus said: To the Most High God I give thanks. When he had gone out with the Angel from the prison, the Angel took him with him and placed him in the custody where Blessed Calocerus was, and the Savior with him. Seeing him, Blessed Secundus threw himself on the ground and adored, saying: Lord, free my soul from this world, that the enemy may not have power over me. Then the Savior said: Do not fear, Secundus, for I am the Lord your God, who will snatch you from the hand of Sapricius, and will make it that you shall receive the crown with Calocerus. Then he blessed them and ascended into heaven. And Secundus was rejoicing with Calocerus in the prison.
[16] When Sapricius had come into the city of Asti, he ordered a council chamber to be prepared for him, and Blessed Calocerus to be brought. When the ministers had come to the stronghold to bring Calocerus, they found with him Saint Secundus. Who with great haste reported to Sapricius, saying that Secundus was in prison with Calocerus. Hearing this, Sapricius ordered both to be brought. When they stood before Sapricius, Sapricius said: Secundus and Calocerus, our gods truly know that you are their despisers; therefore they do not allow you to die singly; now either sacrifice or certainly you shall die together. Secundus said: I am the servant of my Lord Jesus Christ, who grants this to me, that I may not fear the death of this world. For I say to you with certainty, Sapricius, that you can have no power over our heart. Sapricius said: Sacrifice, that you may obtain pardon. Calocerus said: Both constant in the faith, they spurn the worship of the gods: We sacrifice to our God, and everywhere we adore his holy name, for sweet is his praise. Sapricius said: You call him God whom no one has seen; for these are gods whom we worship, and they are seen at every hour; and whatever is asked of them is granted that very hour. Secundus said: What foolishness I see in you, Sapricius, that you equate God with your gods of stone and wood, which grow old and fall to the ground, and are changed. For surely a poor man, when he sees his god rotted, makes a fire from it, and afterwards thinks to make it anew. But we adore our Lord Jesus Christ, who is from the beginning the true God, and shall be without end.
[17] Hearing these things, Sapricius commanded the ministers to melt pitch and pour resin over them. Sapricius said to the holy Martyrs: by boiling pitch and resin, Calocerus and Secundus, before the prepared torments are applied to you, consent to me and sacrifice, and you shall be free from punishment. Calocerus said: You shall not see us grieved in anything. But you, get back: for you shall not prevail to harm the servants of God. Sapricius said: Bring them, that they may see the torments prepared for them. The ministers brought pots with pitch and resin. Then Sapricius ordered them to be poured over their heads. they are not harmed: When the ministers poured them, they bounced off, and did not at all touch the Saints of God. Again he had boiling fish-sauce brought, and commanded it to be put in their mouth. When the ministers poured it, they were delighted and rejoiced with great joy, saying: How sweet in our mouths are your words, O Lord. Then Calocerus said to the people standing round: Brethren, see that Sapricius does not seduce you through the pains he inflicts upon us; for we do not at all feel his torments; but look upon your Creator, and be converted to him, and adore him, who is in the heavens, who made you; and do not adore gods of stone and wood, in which there is no salvation. Hearing this, Sapricius, Saint Calocerus is torn away from Saint Secundus, ordered Saint Calocerus to be beaten with clubs, and shut up in prison; but Blessed Secundus he ordered to undergo capital sentence. Secundus took hold of Calocerus and kissed him, in the presence of Sapricius and the people. to be killed at Albenga, Seeing which, Sapricius, moved with fury, gave sentence against Calocerus, that he should soon at Albenga receive the end of death. Then they went outside the walls of the city, and lifting up their eyes to heaven, said: Lord, do with your servants mercy, and grant that before your sight we may see Faustinus and Jovita, and also our brother Marcian. And they bade each other farewell.