emembrance of death is the foundation of
religious perfection; to imprint this more deeply in their minds, he
caused a great grave or pit to be dug, which might serve for the common
burial-place of the whole community, that by the presence of this
memorial of death, and by continually meditating on that object, they
might more perfectly learn to die daily. The burial-place being made,
the abbot one day, when he had led his monks to it, said, "The grave is
made, who will first perform the dedication?" Basil, a priest, who was
one of the number, falling on his knees, said to St. Theodosius, "I am
the person, be pleased to give me your blessing." The abbot ordered the
prayers of the church for the dead to be offered up for him, and on the
fortieth day, Basil wonderfully departed to our Lord in peace, without
any apparent sickness. When the holy company of disciples were twelve in
number, it happened that at the great feast of Easter they had nothing
to eat; they had not even bread for the sacrifice: some murmured; the
saint bid them trust {125} in God and he would provide: which was soon
remarkably verified, by the arrival of certain mules loaded with
provisions. The lustre of the sanctity and miracles of St. Theodosius,
drawing great numbers to him who desired to serve God under his
direction, his cave was too little for their reception; therefore,
having consulted heaven by prayer, he, by its particular direction,
built a spacious monastery at a place called Cathismus, not far from
Bethlehem, at a small distance from his cave, and it was soon filled
with holy monks. To this monastery were annexed three infirmaries; one
for the sick, the gift of a pious lady in that neighborhood; the two
others St. Theodosius built himself, one for the aged and feeble, the
other for such as had been punished with the loss of their senses, or by
falling under the power of the devil, for rashly engaging in a religious
state through pride, and without a due dependence on the grace of God to
carry them through it. All succors, spiritual and temporal, were
afforded in these infirmaries, with admirable order, care, and
affection. He erected also several buildings for the reception of
strangers, in which he exercised an unbounded hospitality, entertaining
all that came, for whose use there were one day above a hundred tables
served with provisions: these, when insufficient for the number of
guests, were more than once miraculously multiplied by hi