Romuald was the son of a nobleman named Sergius. He was born at Ravenna and while still a boy withdrew to the monastery of Classis, there to lead a life of penance. The conversation of one of the religious increased in his soul his already ardent love of piety, and after being twice favoured with a visit of Saint Apollanaris who appeared to him during the night in the church which was dedicated to him, he entered the monastic state, agreeably to the promise made him by the holy Martyr. A few years later on he went to a hermit named Marinus, who lived in the neighbourhood of Venice and was famed for his holy and austere life that, under such a master and guide, he might follow the narrow path of high perfection. Many were the snares laid for him by Satan, and envious men molested him with their persecutions. But these things only excited him to be more humble, and assiduous in fasting and prayer. In the heavenly contemplation with which he was favoured, he shed abundant tears. Yet such was the joy which ever beamed in his face, that it made all who looked at him cheerful. Princes and Kings held him in great veneration, and his advice induced many to leave the world and its allurements and live in holy solitude. An ardent desire for martyrdom induced him to set out for Pannonia, but a malady which tormented him as often as he went forward and left him when he turned back, obliged him to abandon his design. He wrought many miracles during his life, as also after his death, and was endowed with the gift of prophecy. Like the Patriarch Jacob, he saw a ladder that reached from Earth to Heaven on which men, clad in white robes, ascended and descended. He interpreted this miraculous vision as signifying the Camaldolese Monks, whose founder he was. At length, having reached the age of 120, after having served his God by a life of most austere penance for 100 years, he went to his reward in 1027. His body was found incorrupt five years after it had been in the grave and was then buried, with due honour, in the church of his Order at Fabriano.
Dom Prosper Guéranger:
The Calendar’s list of Martyrs is interrupted for two days. The first of these is the feast of Romuald, the hero of penance, the Saint of the forests of Camaldoli. He is a son of the great Patriarch Saint Benedict and, like him, is the father of many children. The Benedictine family has a direct line from the commencement, even to this present time. But from the trunk of this venerable tree there have issued four vigorous branches, to each of which the Holy Spirit has imparted the life and fruitfulness of the parent stem. These collateral branches of the Benedict Order are: Camaldoli, by Romuald. Cluny, by Odo. Vallombrosa, by John Gualbert. And Citeaux, by Robert of Molesmes.
The Saint of this seventh day of February is Romuald. The Martyrs whom we meet with on our way to Lent give us an important lesson by the contempt they had for this short life. But the teaching offered us by such holy penitents as the great Abbot of Camaldoli, is even more practical than that of the Martyrs. They that are of Christ, says the Apostle, have crucified their flesh with its vices and concupiscences (Galatians v. 24) and in these words he tells us what is the distinguishing character of every true Christian. We repeat it — what a powerful encouragement we have in these models of mortification who have sanctified the deserts by their lives of heroic penance! How they make us ashamed of our own cowardice which can scarcely bring itself to do the little that must be done to satisfy God’s justice and merit His grace! Let us take the lesson to heart, cheerfully offer our offended Lord the tribute of our repentance, and purify our souls by works of mortification.
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Faithful servant and friend of God! How different was your life from ours! We love the world and its distractions. We think we do wonders if we give each day a passing thought to our Creator, and make Him, at long intervals, the sole end of some one of our occupations. Yet we know how each hour is bringing us nearer to that moment when we must stand before the divine tribunal with our good and our evil works to receive the irrevocable sentence we will have merited. You, Romuald, did not thus waste life away. It seemed to you as though there were but one thought and one interest worth living for — how best to serve your God. Lest anything should distract you from this infinitely dear object, you fled into the desert. There, under the Rule of the great Patriarch Saint Benedict, you waged war against the flesh and the devil. Your tears washed away your sins, though so light if compared with what we have committed. Your soul, invigorated by penance, was inflamed with the love of Jesus for whose sake you would fain have shed your blood. We love to recount these your merits, for they belong to us in virtue of that Communion which our Lord has so mercifully established between Saints and Sinners. Assist us, therefore, during the penitential Season which is soon to be upon us. Divine Justice will not despise our feeble efforts, for He will see them beautified by the union He allows them to have with such glorious works as yours. When you were living in the Eden of Camaldoli, your amiable and sweet charity for men was such that all who came near you were filled with joy and consolation: what may we not expect from you, now that you are face to face with the God of Love? Remember, too, the Order you have founded. Protect it, give it increase, and ever make it, to those who become its children a Ladder to lead them up to Heaven.Also on this day according to the ROMAN MARTYROLOGY:
At London in England, the birthday of the blessed bishop Augulus, who terminated his career by martyrdom and deserved to receive an eternal recompense.
In Phrygia, St. Adaucus, martyr, an Italian of noble birth, who was honoured by the emperors with almost every dignity. While he was still discharging the office of quaestor, he was judged worthy of the crown of martyrdom for his defence of the faith. Also many holy martyrs, inhabitants of the same city, whose leader was Adaucus, just named. As they were all Christians and persisted in the confession of the faith, they were burned to death by the emperor Galerius Maximian.
At Heracles, in the reign of Licinius, St. Theodore, a military officer, who was beheaded after undergoing many torments, and went victoriously to heaven.
In Egypt, St. Moses, a venerable bishop, who first led a solitary life in the desert, and being afterwards made bishop, at the request of Mauvia, queen of the Saracens, converted to the faith the greater part of that barbarous people, and, rich in merits, passed peacefully to his reward.
At Lucca in Tuscany, the demise of St. Richard, king of England.
At Bologna, St. Juliana, widow.
And in other places, many other holy martyrs, confessors and virgins.
Thanks be to God.
