[Saint Benedict of Nursia; V-VI Century AD; born: Nursia, Kingdom of Italy/died: Mons Casinus, Eastern Roman Empire; aged 67; Father of Western Monasticism ~ Order of Saint Benedict, Patron of Europe, Rule of Saint Benedict, Saint Benedict Medal]
Chapter IX ~ Of a huge stone which was removed BY THE AID OF THE SAINT'S PRAYERS.
ONE day, as the monks were erecting the walls of the monastery, there was a stone hard by which they wished to place in the building. Two or three being unable to remove it, several others came to assist them, but the stone remained as immovable as if it were profoundly rooted in the earth. This made them think the devil was seated thereon, since it could not be even stirred by so many hands. To overcome this difficulty they sent to the man of God that he would vouchsafe to come and banish the enemy by his prayers, so that they might succeed in lifting the stone. The saint came immediately, prayed and gave his blessing, whereupon the stone was lifted as easily as if it had before no weight at all.
Chapter X ~ Of the apparent burning of the KITCHEN.
IT seemed good to the man of God to dig deeper in the very spot which the stone had occupied. Then having hollowed out a pit to a considerable depth, they discovered a bronze idol which they threw in the kitchen to let it lay there for a time. But after the statue was put there a fire appeared which flamed out in view of all the monks and seemed to burn and reduce the whole edifice to ashes. The religious began to extinguish the flames with water, and, in their eagerness, made great bustle and noise. The saint having heard it, came, and not seeing the flames which appeared to the eyes of his disciples, immediately bowed his head in prayer. Then calling to him those whom he perceived to be alarmed by a fire existing only in appearance, he ordered them to make the sign of the cross on their eyes that they might be able to see the kitchen was uninjured by the flames, and cease to behold a fire which was only imaginary, an illusion formed by Satan.
Image: Charles-Joseph Natoire – ‘The Virgin with her Hands Crossed’