CHAPTER 38: How, though sick himself, he healed his servant of diarrhoea
CHAPTER 38
How, though sick himself, he healed his servant of diarrhoea
‘HE grew progressively worse and, realizing that the time of departure was at hand, gave instructions at about the third hour of the day to be carried back to his oratory and little house. We carried him back as he was too weak to walk. When we reached the door we asked him to let one of us go in with him to see to his needs. It was years since anyone but himself had gone beyond that door. He looked around at us all, caught sight of the monk who suffered from diarrhoea – whom I mentioned before – and said: “Let Wahlstod come in with me.”
‘Wahlstod stayed inside till about the ninth hour, then came out and called me.
‘“The bishop commands you to enter. I have some marvellous news for you: from the moment I touched him as I led him into the oratory, I felt my old complaint go. Doubtless this is the action of Heaven’s grace, that he who had previously healed so many when strong and well himself should now be able to cure me when he is at death’s door. This is a clear sign that bodily weakness is powerless to impair the spiritual force of this holy man.”
‘This miracle reminds one very forcibly of a cure worked by our venerable and holy father, Bishop Aurelius Augustinus. When he was on his death-bed someone came with a sick man, asking only that the bishop should lay a hand on him and he would be healed. He answered that if he had any such powers he would have first used them on himself. But the man pressed him, saying he had been ordered to come – he had heard in a dream a voice saying: “Go to Bishop Augustinus and he shall cure you with a touch of the hand.” At this the bishop placed his hand on the man to bless him and sent him home cured.1