Chapter 10

The Life of St. Pelagia

October 8

SAINT PELAGIA was born at the close of the fourth century, or at the very beginning of the fifth century. She lived at Antioch, which at that time was one of the richest and greatest cities of the whole East. The extraordinary beauty of Pelagia drew many admirers after her. She did not marry, but occupied herself by entertaining the pleasure-seeking crowds in public places. Her house was open to rich lovers. It happened at this time that several bishops had come to Antioch to hold a conference, together with the archbishop of the capital. Among them was Nonnus, the Bishop of Heliopolis. The prelates were lodged in the neighborhood of the Church of St. Julian the Martyr. One day, whilst they were sitting before the church with Nonnus, whom they were questioning, and whom they listened to with much attention, for he was a wise and holy man, Pelagia came down along the street and passed before them in great pomp, decked with gold, pearls, and precious stones, accompanied by a numerous train of young men, women, and servants. Her beauty, with the lustre of her jewels and rich attire, drew the eyes of all the fond admirers of these empty toys upon her; but whilst the prelates turned aside their faces, because having no veil over her head, and her very shoulders being uncovered, they were offended at the immodesty of her dress, Nonnus only seemed to take notice of her, and to consider her with great attention. After she had passed by, turning to his fellow bishops, he said to them, with many sighs and tears: “I fear God will one day bring this woman to confront us before the throne of His justice, in order to condemn our negligence and tepidity in His service, and in the discharge of our duty to the flock He has committed to our care. For how many hours do you think she has employed this very day in washing and dressing herself, adorning and embellishing her whole person to the best advantage, with a view to exhibit her beauty to please the eyes of the world, which to-day is, but to-morrow passes away? Whereas we, who have an Almighty Father, an immortal Spouse in heaven. His Son, and the sanctifying Holy Ghost, in whose name we were baptized, and whom we should serve — we, to whom the immense and eternal treasures of Heaven are promised as the reward of our short labors upon earth, are far from taking as much pains to wash and purify our souls from their stains, and procure for them those bright ornaments of virtue and sanctity which alone can render them truly agreeable in the eyes of God.” Having spoken to this effect, St. Nonnus returned home, and, prostrating himself, implored the divine mercy for the forgiveness of his negligence. On the next day the bishops assembled in the great church to offer the liturgy. St. Nonnus was requested by the archbishop to deliver an exhortation to the people. Strange as it may seem, it happened that on this very day Pelagia visited the cathedral. The bishop’s sermon was on repentance. His words, inspired by a holy unction, made so deep an impression on her soul that she could not refrain the whole time from sighing and shedding tears, through the deep sense she conceived of her sins. As soon as the divine service was over, she sent a letter to the holy prelate, begging him to receive her into the fold of those who seek salvation. Nonnus sent her word that if she was sincere in her desires of instruction and conversion, she might come to him to the Church of St. Julian, where he would receive her, but on condition to speak with her in the presence of the other bishops. When Pelagia received this permission, she came with all speed, and cast herself at the feet of the holy man, earnestly beseeching him, through the example of his great Master, Jesus Christ, to receive the worst of sinners, and cleanse her from the filth and abomination of her crimes in the fountain of baptism. Nonnus told her that she must first be tried, to assure the Church of her sincerity. But she would not arise from the floor, where she continued to weep bitterly, and repeatedly promising to be a new creature if they would but take her away from the power of the Devil. Thus she was allowed to be baptized, all the bishops witnessing her repentance and approving. The Patriarch of Antioch sent Romana, the first deaconess of his diocese, to be godmother to Pelagia. The hope in the mercy of God which this great sinner had was marvelous. And for the love of Jesus Christ she was saved. After her baptism, Pelagia, having taken an inventory of all her plate, jewels, rich clothes, and other goods, put it into the hands of St. Nonnus, saying: “Reverend Father! Here are the goods I acquired from the Devil; take them, and do what you will with them. As for me, I now desire nothing but the grace of my Saviour, Jesus Christ.” The saint delivered the inventory into the hands of the treasurer of the Church, and charged him, as he would answer for it before God, not to apply any part of her property either to the service of the clergy or the Church, but to distribute the whole to poor widows and orphans, and such like charities; that as they had been ill-gotten, they might now at least be well applied. At the same time, Pelagia set all her slaves at liberty, earnestly exhorting them to shake off that yoke of servitude by which they, as well as herself, had been slaves to a corrupt world. On the eighth day, when those who had been baptized, according to the ancient custom of the Church, put off the white garment they received at their baptism, Pelagia rising privately in the night, exchanged her baptismal robe for a habit of haircloth, and without communicating her design to any one but Him, she withdrew from Antioch, and going into the Holy Land, took up her habitation in a narrow cell upon Mount Olivet, where she lived as a hermit, shut up in such a manner as to have only a small window through which she might receive necessary food, and spending her whole time with the Lord in fasting and prayer. The other religious inhabitants of this holy mountain were so perfectly ignorant who she was, as not even to know whether she was a woman, so effectually had she concealed her sex, calling herself by the name of Pelagius; but they all admired the great austerity and sanctity of her life. Not many years after this, James, a deacon of the Church of Heliopolis, paid a visit of devotion to the sepulcher of our Lord at Jerusalem. This James had seen Pelagia before; he was with St. Nonnus at the time of her conversion. While in the Holy Land he profited himself by visiting celebrated monasteries, and obtaining advice and information from the holy fathers who led a secluded life. In this way he found Pelagia, to whom he had come for a blessing, not knowing who she was. St. Pelagia spoke to him for a few moments through her small window, but soon closed it, for her time to pray came with the third hour. Before returning home from Palestine, James resolved to see once more the holy hermit. On coming to her cell, he knocked at the window. No one opened it to him; and when he called no one answered. After calling and knocking for a long time, he forced open the window, and looking in he perceived the saint to be dead. Having conveyed the news of her death to the neighboring religious, they immediately came, and opening the cell took out the body, in order to its being interred with all the honor due to so great a servant of God. The secret of her sex being now discovered and noised abroad, all the holy virgins that dwelt on the banks of the Jordan, came out with lighted candles in their hands, singing the Psalms at her funeral. The Church celebrates the memory of St. Pelagia on the 8th of October.