About the
Young Man Who Killed the Maiden.
And there was a certain young man who had done a
nefarious deed; and having come to the apostle, he took the bread of
the Eucharist into his mouth, and his two hands immediately withered, so that he could no longer bring them to his mouth. And those who were present and saw him told the apostle what had happened. And he, having summoned him, said: Tell me, my child, and be ashamed of nothing, what thou hast done, and why thou hast come hither; for the Eucharist of the Lord has convicted thee. For this gracious gift coming to many is especially healing to those who approach it through faith and love; but thee it has withered away, and what has happened has happened not without some working cause. And the young man who had been convicted by the Eucharist of the Lord came up, and fell at the apostle’s feet, and prayed him, saying: An evil deed has been done by me, yet I thought to do something good. I was in love with a certain woman living outside of the city in an inn, and she loved me. And I having heard from thee, and believed that thou proclaimest the living God, came and received the seal from thee along with the others; and thou saidst, Whoever shall indulge in filthy intercourse, and especially in adultery, shall not have life with the God whom I proclaim. Since, then, I altogether loved her, I begged of her, and persuaded her to live with me in chaste and pure intercourse, as thou thyself teachest; but she would not. When therefore she would not, I took a sword and killed her; for I could not see her living in adultery with another.
The apostle, having heard this, said: O maddening
intercourse, into what shamelessness dost thou lead! O
unrestrained lust, how hast thou brought him into subjection to do
this! O work of the serpent, how dost thou rage in thine
own! And the apostle ordered water to be brought him in a
dish. And when the water had been brought, he said: Come
waters from the living waters, existing from the existing, and sent to
us; the fountain sent to us from repose, the power of salvation coming
from that power that subdues all things, and subjects them to its own
will; come and dwell in these waters, that the gracious gift of the
Holy Spirit may be fully perfected in them. And he said to the
young man: Go, wash thy hands in these waters. And when he
had washed, they were restored. And the apostle said to
him: Dost thou believe in our Lord Jesus Christ, that He can do
all things? And he said: Even though I am least of all, I
believe; but this I did, thinking to do a good thing: for I
implored her, as also I told thee; but she would not be persuaded by me
to keep herself chaste.
And the apostle said to him: Come, let us go
to the inn where thou didst this deed, and let us see what has
happened. And the young man went before the apostle on the road; and when they came to the inn, they found her lying. And the apostle, seeing her, was disheartened, for she was a beautiful maiden; and he ordered her to be brought into the middle of the inn. And having put her on a couch, they brought it, and set it in the midst of the court-yard of the inn. And the apostle laid his hand on her, and began to say: Jesus, who always appearest to us—for this Thou always wishest, that we should seek Thee—and Thou Thyself hast given us this power of asking and receiving; and not only hast Thou given us this, but hast also taught us how to pray; who art not seen by bodily eyes, but who art not altogether hidden from those of our soul, and who art hidden in Thy form, but manifested to us by Thy works; and by Thy many deeds we have recognised Thee as we go on, and Thou hast given us Thy gifts without measure, saying, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. We pray, therefore, having suspicion of our sins; and we ask of Thee not riches, nor gold, nor silver, nor possessions, nor any of those things that come from the earth and go into the earth again; but this we beg of Thee, and entreat that in Thy holy name Thou raise this woman lying here by Thy power, to the glory and faith of those standing by.