A Pillar Falls from Heaven

“I will add another wonder not unlike that one, in the same kind of work, and Refrigerius agrees with me in telling it. Martin was ready to throw down a pillar of immense size with an idol standing on top of it, but there was no means by which he could carry out his plan. So, as was his habit, he turned to prayer. It is certain that a column, somewhat like the other one, then rushed down from heaven, fell on the idol, and crushed the whole of that seemingly indestructible mass to powder. That would have been a small thing if he had only made use of the powers of heaven unseen; but these very powers were seen by human eyes, serving Martin openly. [a]

“Again, the same Refrigerius is my witness that a woman suffering from a flow of blood touched Martin’s clothing, as the woman in the Gospel did, and was cured in an instant. [b]

“A snake was cutting its way through a river, swimming toward the bank where we had taken our stand. Martin said, ‘In the name of the Lord, I command you to go back.’ Instantly, at the holy man’s word, the venomous creature turned around and, as we watched, swam across to the far bank. We all saw that this had not happened without a miracle, and he groaned deeply and cried out, ‘Snakes listen to me, but people will not listen.’