Saint Erasmus

Diocletian first had him beaten with rods, then struck with whips tipped with lead with horrible cruelty; but these torments not having shaken him, a large cauldron was prepared, filled with resin, pitch, sulfur, and boiling wax, into which he was thrown without, by the permission of God, receiving any harm. Struck with astonishment at the sight of this miracle, the pagans who had rushed to enjoy the spectacle of his sufferings, detesting their false gods, converted to Jesus Christ.

But the tyrant, full of rage, ordered that the Martyr be locked in a dungeon and left to die of hunger, threatening with death anyone bold enough to bring him food.

In the middle of the night, an admirable light illuminated the prison, which was soon filled with a celestial fragrance, and an angel addressed these words to the holy Martyr: "Rise quickly, Erasmus, and follow me, for you must still convert many souls to Jesus Christ."

Erasmus rises and follows his guide, who leads him to Lucrinum, a city in Apulia, where, through his miracles, his brilliant virtues, and his God-inspired speech, he snatched a great number of the inhabitants of these regions from the darkness of paganism.

The glory of his conquests spread far and wide: Emperor l'empereur Maximien Roman emperor associated with the persecutions. Maximian heard of it and hastened there, not to verify these wonders, but to take vengeance for them. He had Erasmus brought to his tribunal and said to him: "What religion do you profess?"

The holy Martyr, lifting his eyes to heaven, asked for the strength and grace to answer the tyrant's questions with firmness. Maximian noticed this and had him slapped. "Take care," he added, "and sacrifice to the gods."

Soon an iron cuirass was heated in the fire, and when it was glowing hot, they clothed the Martyr in it as if it were a garment. But Our Lord, who had preserved the three young men in the furnace, once again preserved His servant from the reach of the fire. He emerged from this iron furnace without his body bearing the slightest trace of the flames that were meant to devour him.

The tyrant, whose anger reached the point of rage, had a cauldron filled with lead, pitch, resin, and oil. They were melted and boiled together, and the holy Martyr was thrown into it. But everything obeys the hand of God; the cauldron smoked, boiled, and foamed; it rolled the Martyr in its boiling waves without being able to take his life. The defeated tyrant ordered, trembling, that he be removed from the cauldron and had him locked in a dark dungeon, waiting until he could invent some very cruel torture to be rid of him. But that very night, an angel appeared again to Saint Erasmus; he delivered him from his bonds and led him to the seashore, where a boat was waiting for them; they boarded it together, and the angel brought him to F ormia, Formies Place of landing and initial burial of the saint. a city in Campania, located near Gaeta. There again, through his miracles, his virtues, and his preaching, he won a great number of souls to Jesus Christ.

God finally wished to reward his courage and his labors. One day, as the holy Martyr was completely absorbed in his prayer, he heard a voice from heaven that said to him: "Erasmus, good and faithful servant, since you have fought the good fight, come receive the crown of glory that I have prepared for you."

He raised his eyes and indeed perceived a most precious crown that the angels were bringing to him; then he said, bowing his head: "Lord, receive my spirit." Upon pronouncing these words, his soul escaped from his body in the form of a dove of dazzling whiteness: it was immediately surrounded by a heavenly host, and presented to its Creator, who had strengthened it in the midst of its torments, and snatched it from so many and such formidable perils.

This holy bishop died, according to the report of Baronius, in the year of Our Lord 301.

His body, according to Saint Gregory the Great, was buried at Formia, where it remained until the 6th century in the cathedral church; but after the destruction of this city by the Saracens, it was transferred to Gaet a (84 Gaëte Place of exile of Pius IX where Muard was received in audience. 2), where it is still held in great veneration today. Sain t Benedict, Saint Benoît Founder of the Benedictine Order, cited as a chronological reference point. patriarch of the religious of the West, was so devoted to this blessed Martyr that he had two basilicas built in his honor: one in Rome, and the other in Veroli.

Saint Erasmus is depicted with an angel. This recalls the fact of his deliverance and his journey to Italy. This miraculous sea voyage of the Saint gave rise to the devotion that took this Saint as the patron of sailors. The Italians call Saint Erasmus, Saint Elmo; the Spanish transferred this name to Saint Pet er Gonzalez, one of t saint Pierre Gonzalez Spanish saint often confused with Erasmus under the name Saint Elmo. heir saints whom they also took as patron of seafarers.

Pope Gelasius II, Le pape Gélase II Predecessor of Callixtus II, died at Cluny. while a monk at Monte Cassino, wrote the life of Saint Erasmus, as asserted by Peter the Deacon in the collection he compiled of the illustrious men of t hat monastery. T Les Bellandistes A society of Jesuit scholars who publish the Acta Sanctorum. he Bollandists believe that the acts of Saint Erasmus have been interpolated and that several deeds belonging to other saints have been attributed to him. — Cf. AA. SS., June 2.