"Eliseus therefore went into the house, and behold, the child lay dead on his bed: and going in he shut the door upon him, and upon the child: and prayed to the Lord. And he went up and lay upon the child: and he put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands, and he bowed himself upon him: and the child’s flesh grew warm. Then he returned, and walked in the house, once to and fro: and he went up and lay upon him: and the child gaped seven times, and opened his eyes. And he called Giezi, and said to him, Call this Sunamitess. And she being called, went in to him. And he said, Take up your son. She came and fell at his feet, and worshipped upon the ground: and took up her son, and went out, and Eliseus returned to Galgal." (IV Kings iv - Lesson for Thursday in the Fourth Week of Lent)
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"And [Christ] said, Young man, I say to you, arise. And he who was dead, sat up, and began to speak. And He gave him to his mother. But fear seized upon all, and they began to glorify God, saying, A great prophet has risen among us, and God has visited His people." (St. Luke vii - Gospel for Thursday in the Fourth Week of Lent)
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On Ash Wednesday, which fell that year on the 28th of February, the cardinals assembled at S. Sixtus, whither the abbess and her nuns also proceeded in solemn procession. They met in the little chapter-house ... , where Dominic raised to life the widow's child. The abbess solemnly surrendered all office and authority into the hands of Dominic and his brethren; whilst they, on their part, with the cardinals, proceeded to treat concerning the rights, government, and revenues of the new convent.
Whilst thus engaged, the business of the assembly was suddenly interrupted by an incident which is best told in the language of one of the eyewitnesses:
"Whilst the blessed Dominic was seated with the cardinals, the abbess and her nuns being present, behold! a man entered, tearing his hair and uttering loud cries. Being asked the cause, he replied, 'The nephew of my lord Stephen has just fallen from his horse, and is killed!' Now the young man was called Napoleon. His uncle, hearing him named, sank fainting on the breast of the blessed Dominic. They supported him; the blessed Dominic rose, and threw holy water on him; then, leaving him in the arms of the others, he ran to the spot where the body of the young man was lying, bruised and horribly mangled. He ordered them immediately to remove it to another room, and keep it there.
"Then he desired Brother Tancred, and the other brethren to prepare everything for Mass. The blessed Dominic, the cardinals, friars, the abbess and all the nuns, then went to the place where the altar was, and the blessed Dominic celebrated the Holy Sacrifice with an abundance of tears. But when he came to the elevation of our Lord's Body, and held it on high between his hands, as is the custom, he himself was raised a palm above the ground, all beholding the same, and being filled with great wonder at the sight.
"Mass being finished, he returned to the body of the dead man; he and the cardinals, the abbess, the nuns, and all the people who were present; and when he was come, he arranged the limbs one after another with his holy hand, then prostrated himself on the ground, praying and weeping. Thrice he touched the face and limbs of the deceased, to put them iu their place, and thrice he prostrated himself. When he was risen for the third time, standing on the side where his head was, he made the sign of the cross; then with his hands extended towards heaven, his body raised more than a palm above the ground, he cried with a loud voice, saying, 'O young man, Napoleon, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I say unto thee, Arise.' Immediately, in the sight of all those who had been drawn together by so marvellous a spectacle, the young man arose alive and unhurt, and said to the blesssed Dominic, 'Father, give me to eat;' and the blessed Dominic gave him to eat and to drink, and committed him, joyful and without sign of hurt, to the cardinal, his uncle."
It must be acknowledged, there is a wonderful grandeur in this narrative. We realize at once the alarm and emotion of the bystanders, and the supernatural calm and tranquillity of the saint, who was acting under the Spirit of God. Never, perhaps, was any miracle better attested, or more accurately described ... .
The life of Saint Dominic
Archbishop Joseph S. Alemany, O.P.
