E05962: In the Whitby Life of *Gregory the Great, (bishop of Rome, ob. 604, S00838), the author recounts a miracle in Rome, involving the bleeding of cloths consecrated as contact relics of various unspecified *martyrs (S00060). Written in Latin by a monk or nun of Whitby (north-east Britain), 685/714, perhaps 704/14.

The Whitby Life of Gregory the Great (BHL 3637)

For an overview of this work, see E05872.

Chapter 21
Est et altera vetus quoque relatio viri Dei istius famę, in qua quidam dicuntur e partibus Romam venisse occidentalibus, missi a domino suo ut exinde sibi reliquias sanctorum aliquas adferrent. Quod vir Domini Gregorius gratanter excipiens diebus quibus ibi manserunt indesinenter missas agendo eis sancras diversorum Dei martirum reliquias consecravit sicut illic aliquando mos est facere. Atque eas singulis inponendo buxis pannis partim dividens sigillo suo signavit, eosque remeare ad suum fecit dominum.

Qui cum reversi in via more humano quiescere quodam coepissent loco, occurrit ei animo qui primus fuit illorum stulte egissę, eo quod non consideravit quid suo domino esset allaturus. Fractis ergo sigillorum inpressionibus, nihil ibi invenit habere, nisi ut viles admodum pannorum sectiones. Sicque ad Dei virum reversi dixerunt, si tales ad dominum suum venissent, plus se morte damnatos quam ulla gratia exceptos. Quibus primo archidiaconus dicitur respondisse quod stulte satis egissent, sancta illa signacula presumentes comminuere; seque id non ausum fuisse pontifici dicere, sed suasit eis proficisci. Quod cum se facere nullomodo audere dixerunt, - putabant enim se ossa vel maius aliquid hominum visu adlaturos, - ad extremum sancto antistiti nuntiatum est. Quod ipse pacienter ferens, iterum excoepit eosque fecit esse in eclesia cum populo pariter ad missam.

Quem ut de priori causa diximus Deum ortatus est deprecari ostendere suorum an vere essent sanctorum reliquię martyrum quas illis donavit legatis. Cum autem esset oratum ab omnibus, tulit ipse cultellum quem sibi iussit donare et unum e pannis pungendo secavit, ex quo confestum sanguis secto cucurrit. Itaque dixit ad eos, 'Nescitis quod in sanctificatione corporis et sanguinis Christi, cum supra sancta eius altaria ei in libamen ob sanctificationem illorum offerebantur reliquiarum, sanguis sanctorum quibus adsignata est semperillos intravit pannos utique tinctos?" Qui cum viderunt et audierunt. Ubi statim ut supra per orationem Deum dixit orandum ut fides esset adfirmanda.

Quo scilicet effecto reversi, domino suo nuntiabant hec universa. Que ipse audiens tam sancti viri auditis oraculis quam fide divina de au scriptum est, "Omne quod non est ex fide peccatum est," eam mundo corde adcommodavit omnibus de his que audivit, credens ei de quo dicitur, "Mundans fide corda eorum." Unde etiam maiora quam in sancti Petri eclesia inibi dicuntur sepe efulsisse miracula...


'There is also another ancient tradition about this famous man of God which tells how some men came to Rome from western parts, having been sent by their master to bring him some relics of the saints from that city. Gregory, the man of God, received them gladly and during the days they remained in Rome consecrated some holy relics of various martyrs by constantly celebrating holy masses for them as the custom once was. Then he divided up the pieces of cloth, putting them into separate boxes and sealing them with his seal; so he sent the men back to their master.

On their return journey, while they were resting by the wayside as men do, it occurred to their leader that they had done foolishly in not finding out what he was taking back to their master. So he broke the impressions of the seals and found nothing inside the boxes except just some dirty pieces of cloth. Thereupon they returned to the man of God, saying that if such rags came to their master, they were more likely to be condemned to death rather than to be received with any thanks. First of all, the archdeacon is said to have told them that they acted very foolishly in presuming to break those sacred seals; he added that he did not dare tell the Pope but urged them to go back again. They answered that they could not possibly venture to return, for they had believed that they had taken back bones or at least something more important in the sight of men than rags. So at last the Holy Father was told. He was very patient with them, received them back again, and bade them be in church at mass with the rest of the people.

Then, as happened in our former story [chapter 20], he urged the people to pray to God to show them whether what they had given the messengers were authentic relics of the holy martyrs. After they had all prayed, he told them to give him a knife which he took and with it made an incision into one of the pieces of cloth, whereupon blood at once ran from the cut. Thereupon he said to them, "Do you not know that at the consecration of the Body and Blood of the Christ, when the relics are placed on His holy altar as an offering to sanctify them, the blood of the saints to whom each relic belongs always enters into the cloth just as if it has been soaked in blood?" They were greatly perturbed and amazed at what they had seen and heard and so were all the onlookers. Whereupon, as in the previous story, he said that they must seek God in prayer so that their faith might be strengthened.

When this was done they returned home and told their master all these things. When he heard their story he was moved by what Gregory had said and also by holy faith, of which it is written that "whatsoever is not of faith is sin." He accepted with a pure heart what he has heard concerning all these relics, believing Him who is said to "purify their hearts by faith." And so even greater miracles are said to have shone forth more frequently from their new resting-place than in the Church of St Peter himself ...'

Text and translation: Colgrave, 1968, 108-111.