View source for Hospitius the Hermit

Our venerable and God-bearing Father Saint '''Hospitius''', anciently Saint '''Sospis''', and in French Saint '''Hospice''', was a French [[hermit]] who according to tradition had been a [[monk]] in his native Egypt towards the beginning of the 6th century, before settling in Gaul, and later was honoured by the [[Holy Trinity|Triune God]] with the gifts of [[Prophet|prophecy]] and [[Wonderworker|wonderworking]] abilities.<ref name=SYNAXARION>{{el icon}} ''[http://www.synaxarion.gr/gr/sid/3300/sxsaintinfo.aspx Ὁ Ὅσιος Ὁσπίτιος ὁ Ἐρημίτης].'' 21 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.</ref><ref name=PICTORIAL>John Gilmary Shea. ''[http://www.magnificat.ca/cal/engl/05-21.htm Little Pictorial Lives of the Saints].'' Benziger, 1894.</ref> The authority for his life is [[w:Gregory of Tours|Gregory of Tours]], who places him in the reign of [[w:Childebert II|Childebert]] (570-95), and only a little earlier than his own time.<ref name=SMITH-WACE>Rev. Charles Hole. ''HOSPITIUS, ST.'' In: William Smith and Henry Wace. '''A Dictionary of Christian Biography, Literature, Sects and Doctrines.''' Volume III: Hermogenes-Myensis. London: John Murray, Albemarle Street, 1882. Page 174.</ref>

==Life==
From Egypt, he immigrated to Gaul and retired in the ruins of an old tower near [[w:Villefranche-sur-Mer|Villefranche-sur-Mer]], a few miles east of [[w:Nice|Nice]] in [[w:Provence|Provence]], on the peninsula of [[w:Cap Ferrat|Cap Ferrat]]. The peninsula is still called after him as ''' ''Cap-Saint-Hospice'' ''' or ''' ''Cap-Saint-Sospis'' '''. 

To increase his [[asceticism]] he girded himself with an iron chain, in [[penance]] for the many [[Sin|sins]] he [[Confession|confessed]] to have committed, and lived only on bread and dates.<ref name="SYNAXARION"/><ref name="SMITH-WACE"/><ref>Rev. Alban Butler (1711–73). ''[http://www.bartleby.com/210/5/213.html May 21 - St. Hospitius, or Sospis, Recluse in Provence].'' The Lives of the Saints. Volume V: May.  1866. (Bartleby.com).</ref> During [[Great Lent|Lent]] he redoubled his austerities, and, in order to conform his life more closely to that of the [[Anchorite|anchorites]] of Egypt, ate nothing but root vegetables.<ref name="PICTORIAL"/> 

He foretold the ravages which the Lombards would make in 575 in Gaul,<ref group="note">In 574 and 575 the [[w:Lombards|Lombards]] invaded Provence, then part of the [[w:Kingdom of Burgundy|Kingdom of Burgundy]] of the Merovingian [[w:Guntram|Guntram]].</ref> and advised the religious of a nearby monastery to flee to at once. They said they could not resign themselves to abandon him, but he replied that although the invaders would insult him, they would not kill him. When the barbarians came to the tower in which Hospitius lived, on seeing the chain with which he was bound, they mistook him for a criminal who was imprisoned there. When they questioned him, he acknowledged that he was indeed a great sinner and unworthy to live, whereupon one of the soldiers lifted his sword to strike him. God, however, did not desert His faithful servant; the soldier’s arm stiffened and became numb. It was not until Hospitius made the [[Sign of the Cross|sign of the cross]] over it that he recovered the use of it. This soldier embraced [[Introduction to Orthodox Christianity|Christianity]], renounced the world and spent the rest of his days in serving God.<ref name="PICTORIAL"/>

Saint Hospitius foretold his death and was buried by his friend, Austadius, Bishop of [[w:Cimiez|Cimiez]]. When he felt that his last hour was nearing, he asked the monks of the nearby monastery to send word to Bishop Austadius that he was going to die, so that he might see to his burial. He took off his chain and knelt in [[prayer]] for a long time. Then, stretching himself on a little bank of earth, he passed away peacefully and gave up his soul to God, on the peninsula of [[w:Cap Ferrat|Cap Ferrat]] in A.D. 581.<ref name="SYNAXARION"/><ref name="PICTORIAL"/><ref name=LATIN-ORTHODOX>''[http://www.orthodoxengland.org.uk/stdmay.htm Hospitius May 21].'' Latin Saints of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Rome.</ref><ref group="note">According to other sources he passed away in A.D. 681.<br>
:* Rev. Alban Butler (1711–73). ''[http://www.bartleby.com/210/5/213.html May 21 - St. Hospitius, or Sospis, Recluse in Provence].'' The Lives of the Saints. Volume V: May.  1866. (Bartleby.com).</ref>

His relics were translated to [[w:Lérins Abbey|Lérins]] on [[May 21]],<ref name="LATIN-ORTHODOX"/> the day on which his [[feast day|feast]] is now celebrated. 

==Veneration==
Saint Hospitius is still venerated in Nice at the [[w:Nice Cathedral|Cathedral of Saint Reparata]]. The Cathedral Church possesses a small bone of his hand; other [[relics]] are kept in the churches of Villefranche-sur-Mer, [[w:La Turbie|La Turbie]], and San-Sospis.

==Notes==
<small><references group="note" /></small>

==References== 
<div class="small"><references/></div>

==Sources==
* Great Synaxaristes: {{el icon}} ''[http://www.synaxarion.gr/gr/sid/3300/sxsaintinfo.aspx Ὁ Ὅσιος Ὁσπίτιος ὁ Ἐρημίτης].'' 21 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
* ''[http://www.orthodoxengland.org.uk/stdmay.htm Hospitius May 21].'' Latin Saints of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Rome.
* Rev. Alban Butler (1711–73). ''[http://www.bartleby.com/210/5/213.html May 21 - St. Hospitius, or Sospis, Recluse in Provence].'' '''The Lives of the Saints. Volume V: May.'''  1866. (Bartleby.com).
* John Gilmary Shea. ''[http://www.magnificat.ca/cal/engl/05-21.htm Little Pictorial Lives of the Saints].'' Benziger, 1894. 625pp.
* Rev. Charles Hole. ''HOSPITIUS, ST.'' In: William Smith and Henry Wace. '''A Dictionary of Christian Biography, Literature, Sects and Doctrines.''' Volume III: Hermogenes-Myensis. London: John Murray, Albemarle Street, 1882. Page 174.
* Katherine I. Rabenstein. ''[http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/0521.shtml#hosp May 21 - Hospitius of Cap-Saint-Hospice, Hermit (RM)].'' St. Patrick Catholic Church, Washington, D.C. - Saint of the Day.
* [[w:Hospitius|Hospitius]]. Wikipedia.
'''French'''
* [http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Hospice Saint Hospice]. French Wikipedia.

[[Category:Hermits]]
[[Category:Monastics]]
[[Category:Saints]]
[[Category:Pre-Schism Western Saints]]
[[Category:French Saints]]
[[Category:Egyptian Saints]]
[[Category:Wonderworkers]]
[[Category:6th-century saints]]