vu/src/data/propers/nocturn-readings/st-eusebius-of-vercelli.yml

# Matins Nocturn 2 reading for St. Eusebius of Vercelli, Bishop,
# Martyr — vu places him Dec 15 (Monastic 1617's own same-day
# redirect; see comment header in
# src/data/calendar/saints/st-eusebius-of-vercelli.yml), but his real
# proper content lives at the general Tridentine calendar's Dec 16
# (`Sancti/12-16.txt`, confirmed via grep for "Eusebii Vercellensis"
# across all Sancti files). No SanctiM file exists for him at either
# date — a missed pre-1955-pool candidate, sourced the same way as a
# pre-1955 saint (see memory vu-matins-pre1955-saints,
# vu-matins-sanctim-saints).
# web/www/horas/Latin/Sancti/12-16.txt, English/Sancti/12-16.txt.
#
# Nocturn 2: Lectio4-6 combined into one reading, one continuous vita.
# Nocturn 3 (Lectio7-9) is a bare `@Commune/C2:LectioN in 2 loco`
# rubric with no proper Lectio content in either language, so no
# Nocturn 3 reading is authored here — correctly left unauthored, not
# a gap.
id: st-eusebius-of-vercelli
readings:
  - nocturn: 2
    isGospel: false
    text:
      la: >-
        Eusebius, natióne Sardus, Romanæ urbis lector, post Vercellénsis epíscopus, ad hanc
        regéndam ecclésiam mérito est créditus divino eléctus judício: nam quem numquam ante
        constitúti electóres cognoverant, posthábitis civibus, simul ut vidérunt, et
        probavérunt; tantumque intérfuit, ut probarétur, quantum ut viderétur. Primus in
        Occidéntis partibus in eadem ecclésia eosdem monachos instituit esse quos clericos, ut
        esset in ipsis viris et contemptus rerum, et accurátio levitárum. Ariánis
        impietátibus ea tempestáte per Occidéntem longe lateque traductis, advérsus eas
        viríliter sic dimicávit, ut ejus invicta fides Libérium summum Pontificem ad vitæ
        solátium erigeret. Quare hic sciens in ipso fervére Spíritum Dei, cum ei significasset
        ut penes imperatórem una cum suis legátis patrocinium fidei susciperet, mox cum illis
        profectus est ad Constántium; apud quem enixius agens, quidquid legatióne petebátur,
        obtinuit, ut episcopórum nempe cœtus celebrarétur.


        Colléctum est Mediolani anno sequénti concílium, ad quod a Constantio invitátum
        Eusebium concupitúmque, ac vocátum a Liberii legatis, tantum abest, ut malignántium
        synagóga Arianórum contra sanctum Athanasium furéntium in suas partes adduceret, ut
        potius diserte statim ipse declarans, e præséntibus quosdam sibi compertos hæretica
        labe pollutos, Nicænam immo fidem proposúerit iis subscribéndam, ántequam cetera
        tractaréntur. Quod Ariánis acerbe irátis negántibus, nedum in Athanasium recusávit
        ipse subscribere, quin sancti Dionýsii Mártyris, qui decéptus ab ipsis subscripserat,
        captivatam simplicitátem ingeniosíssime liberávit. Quam ob rem illi gráviter
        indignántes, post multas illatas injurias, exsílio illum mulctarunt: sed sanctus vir,
        excusso púlvere, nec cæsaris minas veritus, nec enses obstrictos, exsílium véluti sui
        ministerii offícium accépit; missusque Scythópolim, famem, sitim, verbera, divérsaque
        supplícia perpéssus, pro fide strenue vitam contempsit, mortem non metuit, corpus
        carnificibus trádidit.


        Quanta in eum tunc Arianórum crudelitas fúerit ac effrons inverecúndia, ostendunt
        graves litteræ plenæ róboris, pietátis ac religiónis, quas e Scythópoli scripsit ad
        Vercellensem clerum et pópulum, aliosque finítimos; e quibus étiam est explorátum,
        ipsórum nec minis, inhumanáque sævítia potuísse umquam eum deterreri, nec serpentina
        blanda subtilitate ad eórum societátem perduci. Hinc in Cappadociam, postremoque ad
        superiores Ægypti Thebáidas pro constántia sua deportatus, exsilii rigores tulit ad
        mortem usque Constantii: post quam ad gregem suum reverti permissus, non prius redire
        vóluit, quam reparandis fidei jacturis ad Alexandrinam synodum sese conferret, postque
        médici præstántis instar, péragrans Oriéntis provincias, in fide infirmos ad
        integram valetúdinem restitúeret, eos instítuens in Ecclésiæ doctrina. Inde
        salubritate pari digresso in Illyricum, tandemque in Italiam delato, ad ejus réditum
        lúgubres vestes Italia mutávit: ubi postquam Psalmórum ómnium expurgatos a se
        commentarios Orígenis édidit, Eusebiíque Cæsareénsis, quos verterat de Græco in
        Latinum; demum tot egregie factis illustris ad immarcescíbilem glóriæ corónam tantis
        ærumnis proméritam, sub Valentiniáno et Valénte Vercellis migrávit.
      en: >-
        Eusebius was a Sardinian by birth, first a Reader in the Roman Church, and then Bishop
        of Vercelli. It seemed specially designed by Providence that he should be called to
        govern that Church, for the electors, who had never before known him, passed over,
        with a strange unanimity, all their own fellow-citizens, and chose Eusebius, as soon as
        they had seen him. He was the first Bishop in the Western Church who established an
        Order of Regular Clergy, to combine the active with the contemplative life. At this
        time the storm of Arian blasphemy and sin was sweeping far and wide over the West, and
        Eusebius set himself to fight against it so manfully, that his unshaken faith brought
        back Liberius again to life and hope. This Pope, knowing that the Spirit of God was in
        him, sent him with his Legates to the Emperor Constantius, to plead the cause of the
        Catholic Faith. His earnestness prevailed with that Prince, so that he obtained all
        that was asked for, and, among other things, permission for a Council to be summoned.


        The year following, the Council met at Milan, and Eusebius, by the invitation of the
        Emperor, and the desire and command of the Papal Legates, attended. Here the Arians,
        assembled in a perfect synagogue of Satan, and all furiously raging together against
        holy Athanasius, found Eusebius one of the stoutest enemies of their faction. As soon
        as he entered the Council, he delivered a long harangue, wherein he remarked that, of
        those there gathered together, some were notoriously defiled with heresy, and
        therefore he proposed that everyone should first of all subscribe the Nicene Creed,
        before proceeding to any other business. The Arians, in a violent passion, refused,
        whereupon he on his part refused to subscribe any proceedings against Athanasius, and
        even skilfully procured the withdrawal of the signature of the holy martyr Denys, then
        Bishop of Milan, which they had lyingly procured by practising on his simplicity. The
        Arians were now entirely enraged, and, after many persecutions, procured a decree of
        banishment against Eusebius. The Saint shook off the dust of his feet against them,
        and, defying alike the threats of Caesar and the drawn swords of the soldiery, accepted
        the sentence as one of the dignities of his office. He was sent to Bethshan in the Holy
        Land, suffering hunger, thirst, stripes, and all manner of violence, but for the
        Faith's sake he despised this life, and feared not death, but freely delivered his body
        to the tormentors.


        He wrote a solemn letter from Bethshan, addressed to the clergy and people of Vercelli
        and that neighbourhood, full of constancy, devotion, and piety, describing the
        frightful cruelty and brazen impudence of the Arians. From this letter we know how
        completely they failed to scare him by their threats and their inhuman brutality, or to
        seduce him by their serpent-like cunning into receiving their communion. In consequence
        of his unshaken resolution, he was moved from Bethshan into Cappadocia, and then again,
        to the deserts of Upper Egypt. He suffered exile until the death of Constantius, after
        which he was allowed to return to his flock. First, however, he took care to attend the
        Council at Alexandria, called to heal the wounds of the Church, and, afterwards, like a
        skilful physician, he made a progress through all the provinces of the East,
        strengthening those that were weak in the Faith, and confirming them in Christian
        doctrine. Then, with the same healthful results, he passed through Illyricum into
        Italy, who, at his coming, laid aside her garments of mourning. After his return, he
        published an expurgated edition of Origen's Commentary on the Psalms, and likewise of
        the works of Eusebius of Caesarea, both which he translated from Greek into Latin. At
        length, distinguished by all these great works, he passed to that crown of glory which
        fadeth not away, promised to them who suffer for the truth. He departed this present
        life at Vercelli, in the reign of Valentinian and Valens.
    status: { la: verified, en: verified }