The Catholic World, Vol. 25, April 1877 to September 1877Various
Religion
The Catholic World, Vol. 25, April 1877 to September 1877
Various
Catholic Church -- Periodicals
St. Amadour embraced the solitary life, and is believed to have been the
first hermit of Aquitaine. His whole life is painted on the walls of the
subterranean chapel at Roc Amadour, where he died. The inscriptions
attached to these frescoes thus sum up the legend respecting him:
1. Zaccheus, because he is small and unable to see Jesus in the crowd,
climbs up into a sycamore-tree. Jesus, perceiving him, says: Zaccheus,
make haste and come down; for to-day I must abide at thy house.
2. Zaccheus is Jesus’ disciple. Veronica, his wife, becomes one of
Mary’s attendants. They are persecuted for the faith, but an angel comes
to deliver them from the prison in which they are confined.
3. An angel orders Zaccheus and Veronica to put to sea and land at
whatever port the vessel shall enter, there to serve Christ, and Mary
his holy Mother.
4. The vessel arrives on the coast of Médoc at a place called Soulac,
where they live in fasting and prayer. St. Martial visits them and
blesses an oratory they have erected in honor of St. Stephen.
5. Zaccheus, at the order of St. Martial, goes to Rome to see St. Peter.
St. Veronica remains in the Bordelais country, where she dies. Zaccheus
returns to Soulac, where he erects two monasteries and retires from the
world.
6. St. Amadour, in the year of our Lord 70, chooses as his hermitage and
place of retreat a cliff inhabited by wild beasts, since known as Roc
Amadour.
7. The inhabitants of the country are almost savages. St. Amadour
catechises them and makes known the religion of our Lord Jesus Christ.
8. St. Amadour erects an altar on the cliff in honor of Mary. This
humble altar, now so glorious, is consecrated by the blessed apostle
Martial, who visits our saint several times in his retreat.
9. St. Amadour, at the approach of death, is transported before the
altar of Mary, where he expires.
Veronica herself is said to have carried in her apron the turf or clay
which served to build the chapel of Soulac. It was a mere cabin, which,
with the spring, was enclosed in the church built at a later period.
This was probably destroyed by the Normans when they ravaged the coast
of France to the terror of the people, who doubtless joined heartily in
the verse then added to the liturgy, beginning:
Auferte gentem perfidam
Credentium de finibus, etc.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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