Saint Bademus de Perse
martyr (✝ v. 380)
Bademus ou Bademe
et ses compagnons.
Né en Perse dans une riche famille noble, Bademus fonda un monastère près de
Bethlapeta. Il passait de longs moments en prière et jeûnait de nombreux jours.
Sa gentillesse, sa charité et sa sagesse le conduisirent sur la voie de la
sainteté. Il fut arrêté avec sept de ses compagnons moines puis emprisonné et
torturé sous le règne du roi Sapor vers l'an 380.
Un autre chrétien emprisonné en même temps nommé Nersan abjura et le roi lui
ordonna de tuer Bademus ce qu'il fit. Ses disciples furent relâchés quatre ans
plus tard.
Bademus of Persia, Abbot M (AC)
(also known as Bademe)
Born in Persia; died there c. 380. The rich and noble Saint Bademus founded and
governed an abbey near Bethlapeta in Persia. There he passed whole nights in
prayer, and sometimes went several days together without eating: bread and
water were his usual fare. With sweetness, prudence, and charity, he conducted
his religious in the paths of perfection. God crowned the virtues of Bademus
with suffering by allowing the abbot and seven of his monks to be arrested for
their faith, thrown into a dungeon, and whipped daily for four months.
Prince Nersan of Aria, a
Christian member of the Persian court, was captured and imprisoned about that
same time. He could not withstand the repeated torture and apostatized. To test
Nersan's resolve, King Shapur promised to release Nersan and restore his former
dignities, if the prince would murder Bademus with his own hands. Thus the
wretch, fearing the he himself would be martyred, accepted the sword but frozen
in fear as he was about to thrust it into the abbot's breast.
The undaunted Bademus stood
before him and said: "Unhappy Nersan, to what a pitch of impiety do you
carry your apostasy. With joy I run to meet death; but could wish to fall by
some other hand than yours: why must you be my executioner?"
Nersan vacillated between
fear of King Shapur and fear of the King of kings. Finally he struck with a
trembling hand that made his sword unsteady and forceless. Thus, Bademus was
pierced numerous times before Nersan could deliver the ultimate thrust that
severed the head of Bademus. The martyr's body was cast outside the city gates,
but was secretly retrieved and buried by the Christians. His disciples were
released from their chains four years later at the death of Shapur
(Benedictines, Encyclopedia, Husenbeth).
St. Bademus, Abbot, Martyr
From his original Syriac acts, written by St. Maruthas, published by
Assemani, t. 1. p. 165. The Greek from Metaphrastes were given us by
Henschenius, p. 828. and Ruinart, p. 680.
A.D. 376
BADEMUS was a rich and noble citizen of Bethlapeta, in Persia, who,
desiring to devote himself to the service of God, out of his estates founded a
monastery near that city, which he governed with great sanctity. The purity of
his soul had never been sullied by any crime, and the sweet odour of his
sanctity diffused a love of virtue in the hearts of those who approached him.
He watched whole nights in prayer, and passed sometimes several days together
without eating: bread and water were his usual fare. He conducted his religious
in the paths of perfection with sweetness, prudence, and charity. In this
amiable retreat he enjoyed a calmness and happiness which the great men of the
world would view with envy, did they compare with it the unquiet scenes of vice
and vanity in which they live. But, to crown his virtue, God permitted him,
with seven of his monks, to be apprehended by the pursuivants of King Sapor, in
the thirty-sixth year of his persecution. He lay four months in a dungeon,
loaded with chains; during which lingering martyrdom he was every day called
out to receive a certain number of stripes. But he triumphed over his torments
by the patience and joy with which he suffered them for Christ. At the same
time, a Christian lord of the Persian court, named Nersan, prince of Aria, was
cast into prison, because he refused to adore the sun. At first he showed some
resolution; but at the sight of tortures his constancy failed him, and he
promised to conform. The king, to try if his change was sincere, ordered
Bademus to be brought to Lapeta, with his chains struck off, and to be
introduced into the prison of Nersan, which was a chamber in the royal palace.
Then his majesty sent word to Nersan, by two lords, that if, with his own hand,
he would despatch Bademus, he should be restored to his liberty and former
dignities. The wretch accepted the condition; a sword was put into his hand,
and he advanced to plunge it into the breast of the abbot. But being seized
with a sudden terror, he stopped short, and remained some time without being
able to lift up his arm to strike. The servant of Christ stood undaunted, and,
with his eyes fixed upon him, said: “Unhappy Nersan, to what a pitch of impiety
do you carry your apostacy. With joy I run to meet death; but could wish to
fall by some other hand than yours: why must you be my executioner?” Nersan had
neither courage to repent, nor heart to accomplish his crime. He strove,
however, to harden himself, and continued with a trembling hand to aim at the
sides of the martyr. Fear, shame, remorse, and respect for the martyr, whose
virtue he wanted courage to imitate, made his strokes forceless and unsteady;
and so great was the number of the martyr’s wounds, that they stood in
admiration at his invincible patience. At the same time they detested the
cruelty, and despised the base cowardice of the murderer, who at last, aiming
at his neck, after four strokes severed his head from the trunk. Neither did he
escape the divine vengeance: for a short time after, falling into public
disgrace, he perished by the sword, after tortures, and under the maledictions
of the people. Such is the treachery of the world towards those who have
sacrificed their all in courting it. Though again and again deceived by it,
they still listen to its false promises, and continue to serve this hard
master, till their fall becomes irretrievable. The body of St. Bademus was
reproachfully cast out of the city by the infidels: but was secretly carried
away and interred by the Christians. His disciples were released from their
chains four years afterward upon the death of King Sapor. St. Bademus suffered
on the 10th of the moon of April, in the year 376, of King Sapor the
sixty-seventh.
Monks were called Mourners by the Syrians and Persians, because by their
state they devoted themselves in a particular manner to the most perfect
exercises of compunction and penance, which indeed are an indispensable duty of
every Christian. The name of angels was often given them over all the East,
during several ages, 1 because by making heavenly
contemplation and the singing of the divine praises their great and glorious
employment, if they duly acquit themselves of it, they may be justly called the
seraphim of the earth. The soul which loves God, is made a heaven which he
inhabits, and in which she converses with him in the midst of her own
substance. Though he is infinite, and the highest heavenly spirits tremble
before him, and how poor and base soever we are, he invites us to converse with
him, and declares that it is his delight to be with us. Shall not we look upon
it as our greatest happiness and comfort to be with Him, and to enjoy the
unspeakable sweetness of his presence? Oh! what ravishing delights does a soul
taste which is accustomed, by a familiar habit, to converse in the heaven of
her own interior with the three persons of the adorable Trinity! Dissipated
worldlings wonder how holy solitaries can pass their whole time buried in the
most profound solitude and silence of creatures. But those who have had any
experience of this happiness, are surprised with far greater reason how it is
possible that any souls which are created to converse eternally with God,
should here live in constant dissipation, seldom entertaining a devout thought
of Him, whose charms and sweet conversation eternally ravish all the blessed.
Rev. Alban
Butler (1711–73). Volume IV: April. The Lives of the Saints. 1866
Saint Bademus
9 April 2010,
12:21 pm
Profile
Wealthy Persian
noble. Founded and led a monastery in Bethlapeta, Persia.
He and seven of his monks
were imprisoned for their faith
during the lengthy persecution
by King Sapor. Chained
and regularly beaten for four months, he was murdered
by Nersan, an apostate Persian
prince who hacked him to death
to prove his renunciation of Christianity.
- clumsily beheaded 10
April 376
- body thrown to the dogs
but recovered and secretly buried by Christians
Saint Bademus
Martyr
(† 376)
Bademus was originally a
rich and noble citizen of Bethlapeta in Persia, who sold his rich possessions
to follow Christ, then gave the greater part of the proceeds to the poor. He
reserved just enough to found a monastery near that city, to which he retired
with several other persons, and then governed it with great sanctity. He
conducted his religious in the paths of perfection with sweetness, prudence,
and charity.
To crown his virtue, God permitted
him, with seven of his monks, to be apprehended by the followers of King Sapor
in the thirty-sixth year of that king's persecution. He lay four months in a
dungeon, loaded with chains, and during this lingering martyrdom received every
day a cruel flagellation. But he triumphed over his torments by the patience
and joy with which he suffered them for Christ.
At the same time a prince named
Nersan, who was a Christian, was cast into prison and his goods confiscated
because he refused to adore the sun. At first he seemed resolute, but at the
sight of tortures his constancy failed him, and he promised to conform if he
could be delivered. The king, to test whether his change was sincere, ordered
Bademus to be brought where Nersan was kept in the royal palace, and sent word to
Nersan that if he would slay the abbot, he would be restored to his liberty and
former dignities. The apostate accepted the condition; a sword was put into his
hand, and he advanced to plunge it into the breast of the abbot. But being
seized with a sudden terror, he stopped short, and remained some time unable to
lift up his arm to strike; he had neither courage to repent, nor heart to
accomplish his crime.
Finally he hardened himself and
continued with a trembling hand to aim at the martyr's sides. Fear, shame,
remorse, and respect made his strokes forceless and unsteady; and so great was
the number of his victim's wounds that the bystanders were in admiration at his
invincible patience. Saint Bademus reproached his executioner, saying, What
will you do on the day when you will have to render an account of your actions,
and hear the sentence of your condemnation? I offer myself willingly to die for
the glory of my Lord Jesus Christ, but I would prefer to die by another hand
than yours! The pagans themselves were horrified at the cruelty of the king,
the long martyrdom, and the perfidious acts of the apostate.
Saint Bademus suffered on the 10th
of April in the year 376. His body was cast out of the city, but secretly
carried away and interred by the Christians. A short time afterwards Nersan
fell into public disgrace, and perished by the sword. The disciples of the
Saint were released from their chains four years later, at the death of King
Sapor.
Reflection. What ravishing
delights does the soul taste which is accustomed to converse, in the heaven of
its own interior, with the Three Persons of the adorable Trinity!
Little Pictorial Lives of the Saints, a compilation based on Butler's Lives of the Saints and other
sources by John Gilmary Shea (Benziger Brothers: New York, 1894); Les Petits
Bollandistes: Vies des Saints, by Msgr. Paul Guérin (Bloud et Barral:
Paris, 1882), Vol. 4
Monkmartyr Bademus (Vadim) of Persia
Commemorated on April 9
Monk Martyr Archimandrite Bademus
(Vadim) was born in the fourth century in the Persian city of Bithlapata, and
was descended from a rich and illustrious family. In his youth, he was
enlightened with the Christian teaching. The saint gave away all his wealth to
the poor and withdrew into the wilderness, where he founded a monastery. He
would go up on a mountain for solitary prayer, and once was permitted to behold
the Glory of God.
During this period the
Persian emperor Sapor (310-381) began to persecute Christians. They arrested St
Bademus and his seven disciples, and tortured them in prison, hoping that they
would renounce Christ and worship the sun and fire. But St Bademus and his
disciples held firmly to the Christian Faith. The confessors spent four months
in jail. All this time St Bademus was a spiritual leader and support for the
Christians living in Persia.
One of the associates of
the emperor Sapor, Nirsanes, was a Christian and suffered imprisonment for
this. He did not hold up under torture and denied Christ, promising to fulfill
whatever the emperor commanded. Sapor demanded that Nirsanes personally cut off
the head of St Bademus. For this he was promised a reprieve and great rewards.
Nirsanes was not able to overcome his fear of new tortures, and he agreed to
follow the path of betrayal walked by Judas.
When they brought St
Bademus to him, he took the sword and turned toward him, but overcome by
conscience, he trembled and stood petrified. St Bademus said to him, “Has your
wickedness now reached this point, Nirsanes, that you should not only renounce
God, but also murder His servants? Woe to you, accursed one! What will you do
on that day when you stand before the Dread Judgment Seat? What answer will you
give to God? I am prepared to die for Christ, but I don’t want to receive death
at your hands.”
Nirsanes struck with the
sword, but his hands shook, and he could not behead the saint immediately, and
the fire-worshippers began to call him a coward. The holy martyr Bademus stood
motionless, enduring many terrible blows, until the murderer succeeded in
cutting off his head.
The just punishment for
his misdeeds were not slow in overtaking the hapless fellow. Tormented by his
conscience, he did away with himself, throwing himself on a sword. After the
death of the emperor Sapor, the seven disciples of St Bademus were released
from prison.
