Saint Braulio of Saragossa

This excellent scholar, wishing to follow the profession of his master, embraced, according to the advice he gave him, the ecclesiastical state; and, to do so, he withdrew to his brother, John, Bishop of Sarago Saragosse Birthplace and episcopal see of Valerius. ssa, who, after promoting him to the sacred Orders, made him archdeacon, so that, being by this office as his eye and his hand, he might assist him in the conduct of his church and of his entire flock. Some time later, this prelate, exchanging this life of misery for a better one, left his see vacant and his church without a pastor. When the neighboring bishops assembled to provide for it, a globe of fire descended from heaven and stopped over the head of Braulion, and, at the same time, a voice was heard in the air saying these words of the prophet Isaiah: "Here is my servant, whom I have chosen and upon whom my spirit rests."

The prelates, full of admiration, thanked God for making His will known to them by such a manifest sign: and thus all, unanimously, upon the testimony of heaven, named Braulion bishop in the place of his brother, and he was forced to acquiesce to this election and to take upon himself the burden of this dignity.

In this capacity, he attended three Councils held at Toledo, namely: the fourth, where his master, Saint Isido re, presided; saint Isidore Brother of Florentina, great Doctor of the Church. the fifth; and the sixth. As soon as he saw himself raised to the episcopal throne, he employed all his care to feed his flock, like a good shepherd, with the nourishment of the word of God and sound doctrine, and to root out from his field the tares of the Arian l'ivraie de l'hérésie arienne Heresy opposed by Columbanus in Italy among the Lombards. heresy, which had become so deeply embedded among the good grain that, even after the public conversion of the King of Récarède King of the Goths who converted to Catholicism. the Goths, Reccared, and the other leaders of Spain, it was nevertheless difficult to destroy all its remnants. The holy Prelate applied himself to this in his diocese with great zeal and vigilance; and the Holy Spirit, wishing to further authorize the doctrine he taught, once appeared on his shoulder in the form of a dove, as if whispering into his ear what he should make known to his people.

These duties of the holy Bishop did not prevent him from being very assiduous at the church of Saint Mary Major or the Pillar, in the city o f Saragos Saragosse Birthplace and episcopal see of Valerius. sa, where he occupied himself day and night in the service of God and the holy Virgin, his mother. His heart was far from all pomp and all delicacy; he used only the roughest and most common garments, without distinction, without ornament. He was sober in his eating, equitable in rendering justice, fervent in preaching the word of life, powerful and zealous in convincing the adversaries of the truth, by strong reasons, which he drew from the Holy Scripture. His liberality towards the poor made him highly commendable, and his tender solicitude for his diocesans caused him to be regarded as the good shepherd of his century. He was bishop for twenty years, and finally found the happy moment of his death, on a Sunday morning, March 26; others say the 18th, around the year 646. Celestial music was heard at that same hour, with a voice that said: "Arise, my friend, and come."

The Saint, as if awakened from a deep sleep, replied while expiring: "I am going, my Lord; I am ready."

His body was carried into his cathedral by the bishops, assisted by all the clergy and the people, and placed under the altar of Saint James, which he had caused to be built. From there it was transferred to another more visible place in the same church; and, when Spain was sacked by the Moors, it was placed in a safe location, where it remained for five or six hundred years unknown to the world, until the year 1270, according to Cardinal Baronius, and one hundred and fifty-two years after the Christians had driven the barbarians from Sarago saint Valère Bishop of Saragossa and confessor of the faith. ssa, the blessed Saint Valerius appeared to a bishop of Saragossa named Peter, and revealed to him the place where the body of his holy predecessor was, which was found as intact as when it had been placed there, and exhaling a very pleasant odor. It was taken from there and carried before the high altar of the same church, where it still remains today in a magnificent tomb, venerated by all the inhabitants of this great city as their patron and their powerful protector before God: this translation was marked by several striking miracles.

We have from Saint Braulion two letters to Saint Isidore, a eulogy of that same Saint with the catalog of his works, a hymn in iambic verse in honor of Saint Emi lian, along w saint Emilien Subject of a biography and a hymn written by Braulio. ith the life of that servant of God.

The Roman Martyrology commemorates Saint Braulion; Saint Ildefonso, in t saint Ildefonso Author of the Book of Illustrious Men mentioning Braulio. he Book of Illustrious Men, and other Spanish writers, make mention of his life.