St. Paulinus, Bishop of Nola in Campania, Italy (354-431 AD)
SITTING AT THE TOP OF THE WORLDLY WORLD
At birth, our saint was named Pontius Meropius Anicius Paulinus. He was born to a wealthy Roman family in the bustling harbor city of Bordeaux in Gaul. As praetorian prefect of Gaul, his father gave him an upbringing and education that was the envy of all. Paulinus studied rhetoric and poetry under Ausonius, the most learned and famous poet of this age. He became a lawyer and by the ripe age of twenty-five had advanced to Prefect of Rome! He married a noble Spanish Catholic woman, Therasia, and led a luxurious life filled with pleasure, power, and the human respect of all. In the eyes of the world, Paulinus had achieved the summit of success - similar to how today we might perceive a president, a CEO, a movie star, or a great sportsman.
Paulinus however had a blindness in one eye. St. Martin of Tours miraculously cured him of it. That saint, along with Bishop Delphinus of Bordeaux, helped bring about his initial conversion, and Paulinus accepted baptism.
A MIRACULOUS CONVERSION
Tragedy then struck Paulinus. His first born son suddenly and inexplicably died. Although gripped with sorrow Paulinus continued his duties. Within the week he was visiting the area of Campania, which was under his jurisdiction. He happened to find himself at the hallowed tomb of St. Felix, that great and humble priest of Nola. Like St. Paul of old, Paulinus was suddenly flooded with bright light and graces inundated his soul. In the brightness of God, Rome and all her glory became but a dark shadow. Paulinus underwent a profound conversion. Having a character that always strove for excellence, Paulinus now directed that zeal towards Christ. At last, his insatiable longings had found rest. He stripped himself of his worldly honors, gave away his incalculable riches, and sought to truly live his baptism and begin life anew. A great joy and comfort to him was that Therasisa, his wife, received many graces as well. She applauded her husband's transformation to such an extent that she even chose to imitate him. They both abandoned the world to live the monastic life near Barcelona, Spain. Henceforth their relationship became one of brother and sister. Each was consumed with the sole desire of the salvation of their soul.
In 393 or 394, after some resistance from Paulinus, he was ordained a presbyter on Christmas day by Lampius, the Bishop of Barcelona.
Seeking perfection, Paulinus wrote to the great St. Jerome, the scholar and monk of Bethlehem, asking him if he should retire to the holy city of Jerusalem. St. Jerome responded that the highest perfection he longed for would not be found within any city or town, but rather in isolated solitude. Following this advice, Paulinus chose a small hermitage outside of Nola, that place where he had been granted so much grace. He took St. Felix of Nola as his special patron and strove to imitate his virtues. In this sanctuary of solitude, he grew in great virtue by practicing austere disciplines and meditating upon the word of God. Now all of this man's great ambitions were turned towards flying upwards to God -- indeed he did soar.
Nearly all of Paulinus' former peers and companions ridiculed him. Senators and the nobility of Rome turned him into a laughing stock. They thought he had gone mad. (Or perhaps their consciences were pricked?) Paulinus remained unmoved by their attacks. Well did he know that his example would be followed by few. He proverbially shook their dust from his sandals. Yet his admiration and love for his mentor, Ausonius, led him to hope that this learned man might be led to the love of Christ if he would but behold its beauty. Thus Paulinus crafted several exquisite poems extolling the glory of God, the redemption of Christ, and Christian discipleship. He exhorted Ausonius to abandon the worship of Apollo and the Muses and to taste the depth and grandeur of the one true God.
Around the year 408 AD, Therasia died. She had also moved to Nola and lived in had spent the rest of her life striving for Christian perfection in her hermitage.
A PERSECUTED MONK TURNED BISHOP
Although Paulinus was bent solely on the imitation of Christ and divine learning in isolation, the fame of a man once so great in the eyes of the world was not easily forgotten. Now his reputation as a holy man spread far and wide. Many illustrious patricians and their noble ladies came to seek his advice. All around the Christian world, from Gaul to Italy to Palestine, the voice of bishops and holy men were unanimous in raising their voice in praise of Paulinus.
Yet the devil never rests. He was furious that this soul once so securely in his grasp had been freed and many more were tailing behind him. Satan's wicked tongue played upon the envy of some within the Roman clergy. They were not pleased that this mere monk was receiving praise far surpassing their own. Into the ear of Pope Siricius they whispered poisonous calumny against Paulinus. It reached such a fever pitch, that the Supreme Pontiff was poised to excommunicate Paulinus. Yet the meekness and longanimity of the servant of God helped Pope Siricius see the truth and repent of his error. The devil's envious teeth were turned back onto himself. For now that Siricius had personally witnessed Paulinus' heroic virtue, the Pope was greatly edified. He in turn fully supported the popular will to make him a bishop. And thus it was that this lowly hermit, who had once been great in the world, was now raised to the episcopal throne of Nola. This was in the year 410 AD.
As bishop, Paulinus did much to teach and guide his flock. Even to this day, the Catholic world remains indebted to him for his voluminous writings filled with rich details touching upon the liturgy, church architecture, Christian symbolism, the cult of images, and the honor due to the saints and their relics. His writings in both prose and poetry, are clearly the work of a great literary mind. Yet the powerful witness of his complete conversions, his virtuous example of humility and his great charity had an even more profound impact upon his flock. One was hard pressed not to desire sanctity under his influence.
St. Paulinus also built a beautiful shrine at St. Felix of Nola's burial site. In became the site for many pilgrims. In addition, he wrote wonderful prayers and hymns in honor of his patron saint. These were often prayed and sung by the pilgrims in procession.
PAULINUS' HEROIC CHARITY OVERCOMES THE BARBARIC PAGANS
Paulinus was Bishop when the Goth Barbarians were invading and ravaging much of Italy from the north. His region of Campania was suffering much (that part of Italy surrounding Naples and Pompei along the Mediterranean coastline). Thus he devoted all of his episcopal finances and resources to feeding the poor and redeeming the captives. At times he even personally went without the most basic necessities of life in order to provide for others. St. Augustine lauded St. Paulinus by explaining that he voluntarily came down from the greatest opulence to embrace the meanest poverty, yet all the while becoming most rich in sanctity. In preparing himself for the onslaught of the Gothic armies, St. Paulinus famously offered a prayer in which he asked God not to never allow him to suffer torture for the sake of gold and silver, but only for the True Faith and for Christian charity. Once more, he willingly sold all in order to purchase the cross and to follow Christ.
[column size="2-3" last="0"]Later, another tribe of barbarians, the Vandals, overran Campania from the south (they came across the sea from Africa). A widow came to this holy bishop imploring his help for her son who had been taken captive. By now Paulinus had used up all his personal wealth and that of his diocese. So in order to help her, he willingly gave himself up as a captive to the Vandals in exchange for the freedom of the widow's only son. (At this marvelous and pitiable sight, how can one not recall the compassion of Christ for the Widow of Naim and for His own most Blessed Mother as He entrusted her to the Beloved Disciple at the foot of the Cross?)
Paulinus was cast into irons, made a slave and carried across the sea to a foreign land in order to be sold as a slave. (Can we imagine how difficult this must have been? Here was a man who was once one of the most powerful and richest men in all the Roman Empire, and now he had lost every wordly thing, even his physical freedom, and was reduced to the status of a vile slave in chains?)[/column]
[column size="1-3" last="1"]
[/column]
Paulinus was purchased by the Vandal king's son-in-law. He was assigned to cultivate the prince's gardens. Like Joseph of the Old Testament, Paulinus was given the gift of prophetic foresight and foretold the death of the king. In addition, the king himself had a dream in which Paulinus, seated between two judges, wrested from the king's own royal hand a whip which the king had been using to punish others. The king interpreted this dream to mean that Paulinus was a great man mysteriously wielding power greater than his own. Therefore, the king honorably dismissed Paulinus from servitude. Moreover, the king freed all of the bishop's fellow citizens who had been brought into captivity with him. He even provided ships for them by which they were able to return to Campania.
A GREAT BISHOP IS RECEIVED IN HEAVEN
At Nola, St. Paulinus resumed all of his episcopal duties. He penned much prose and poetry explaining the Christian Faith and exhorting his brethren in Christ to greater piety and zeal. An ancient tradition attributes to him the popularization of the use of bells within the sacred liturgy. He enlarged the dimensions of the ancient small bell, and transformed it into the noble instrument which was to become the voice of churches the world over. In fact, both his region of Campania and his city of Nola have bequeathed their names to Latin designations of church bells: nolae and campanae.
He corresponded with many other bishops who are known to us as great Church Fathers and Doctors. In fact, Paulinus was known and highly praised by St. Jerome, St. Martin of Tours, St. Augustine, St. Ambrose and St. Venerius, Ambrose's successor in Milan. These great men confessed that they often sought Paulinus' advice regarding difficult theological matters. Would that we had bishops like St. Paulinus today! Let us fervently pray and do penance, begging our Heavenly Father to send us Shepherds molded like these great saints of old. Many believe that St. Paulinus is responsible for the existence of St. Augustine's famed Confessions. A letter survives in which Paulinus encourages Augustine to put commit the narrative of his conversion to writing. St. Paulinus was a key figure at several Church synods, where he was a particularly forceful and prudent voice opposing the heresy of Pelagianism.
The whole Christian world mourned when he finally passed away. He had continued to lead his flock well past his seventieth year, when he was seized by a terrible pain in his side. (Some speculate that this was a kind of preview to the stigmata and he suffered this particular pain in imitation of Christ Crucified and on account of his great love for his flock.) Even the very earth mourned his passing: there was a great earthquake in Nola at the moment of his death. Some of his holy and virtuous attendants later attested that they saw his soul taken up to God by angels.
COLLECT PRAYER OF THE DAY
O God, Who hast promised to those who leave all in this world for Thee a hundred-fold int eh world to come and life everlasting, mercifully grant that, following closely in the footsteps of the holy bishop, Paulinus, we may have the grace to despise earthly things and desire only heavenly. This we ask of Thee through our Lord Jesus Christ, who livest and reignest with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, forever. Amen.