Raymond Diocres, a professor at the Sorbonne, and a man with a universal reputation for learning and apparent virtue, died in Paris. Three days later, his coffin, beautifully adorned with the symbols of his profession, was brought into the cathedral with solemnity, accompanied by his fellow professors, by a large group of students and many priests.
Hundreds attended the funeral service; innumerable candles were lit and prayers were offered for him by those who had admired the great knowledge and virtues of the illustrious deceased. But when the choir came to the passage in the Office of the Dead: ‘What are my faults and my sins? My misdeeds and my sins make known to me!’ which Holy Job asks in Scripture, suddenly the corpse, which was lying exposed on its bier, moved before their eyes, sat up, and cried out in accents of desperation which matched the despair in his eyes: ‘By the judgement of God, I have been accused, judged and condemned’.
Having said this, he fell back, never to move again. Thus the world- renowned professor had hidden vice under the appearance of virtue. But God, who scrutinizes hearts, knew his sins and punished him for them.
Dead Raymond Diocres speaks after death
It was because of this event that St. Bruno of Cologne (1030-1101) went to great extremes in rejecting the pleasures of this world by founding a monastery in the Chartreuse Mountains, a home for the Carthusian Order. The Carthusians are, to this day, renowned for being the most rigorous and ascetic of all the cloistered orders.
Is this real?
ReplyDeleteYes
ReplyDeleteYes, I believe it. There are people who are living a double life: a saintly life in front of one's friends and a sinful life in front of God. What matters is how God sees me?
ReplyDeleteOne thing is certain: one is to die immaterial of his social position, one is to appear before God to be judged and receive either a reward or a punishment. Both are for eternity.
The story is told in the Middle Ages, but the Sorbonne was founded two centuries after the events purportedly took place. There's a good illustration of the story in the _Tres riches heures" of John, duke of Berry.
ReplyDeleteYes its true..and because of this one of his students abandones civil life and became a monk. Bruno de Cologne
ReplyDeleteIs there any information in regards to the wrongs this man did?
ReplyDeleteI cannot think of any wrong doings of this man because everyone held him in high esteem to be a saintly man. It is only God that is his judge. However if this man stated publicly that God condemned him, then it follows that he must have done something wrong which was hiddem from man during his lifetime.
DeleteIt's a message for us all to focus more on pleasing God rather than appearing good and holy before men.
ReplyDelete