Speaker 1: Cremona, Italy, 1162 AD.
Speaker 1: 8 years have passed since his father's death. Homobonus remembers
Speaker 1: the two solemn promises he made to serve the poor
Speaker 1: through his business and to marry a woman who loved
Speaker 1: him for himself, not for his wealth.
Speaker 1: Now, married to the beautiful Isabella, can Homobonus find a
Speaker 1: way to serve the poor and save his marriage?
Speaker 2: The Saints, Adventures of faith and courage. Saint Homobonus. Episode 3,
Speaker 2: the father of the poor. Listen to all the episodes
Speaker 2: and discover new shows at the Saintspodcast.com.
Speaker 2: Would you like something else for breakfast, Master Homobonus? No, Leonardo,
Speaker 2: thank you.
Speaker 2: Could you please ask Darrio to prepare my horse? I
Speaker 2: want to be at the cathedral before morning mass. Yes,
Speaker 2: Master Homobonus.
Speaker 2: Master, forgive me if I'm being disrespectful, but do you
Speaker 2: know if the nobles have approved the new tax law?
Speaker 2: Yes, it has been approved. Oh.
Speaker 2: We must prepare for the upcoming riots in that case.
Speaker 2: That's exactly why I want to be at the cathedral
Speaker 2: before morning mass.
Speaker 2: Only our Lord can protect us.
Speaker 2: Now make sure your horse is ready, master.
Speaker 2: Homobonus, we need to talk. Good morning, my love. I'm
Speaker 2: not sure it's a good morning. What's the matter? I've
Speaker 2: just received word that you've offered our summer villa to
Speaker 2: be used as a hospital for the poor. We barely
Speaker 2: go there, my dear, and Doctor Giovanni needs the space
Speaker 2: to tend those suffering in the countryside. But I was
Speaker 2: planning to host a banquet for the Merchants Guild there
Speaker 2: next month.
Speaker 2: I imagine you had your heart set on the event.
Speaker 2: More than that. This was an opportunity for you. The
Speaker 2: guilt isn't just a gathering of merchants. It controls trade
Speaker 2: in the city. If they accept you as a member,
Speaker 2: it means protection, influence, and access to the best markets.
Speaker 2: It could secure our future. What am I to tell
Speaker 2: them now? They'll make me a member of the guild
Speaker 2: when the time is right. God will open doors, Isabella.
Speaker 2: First, you refuse to replace our outdated carriage because, and
Speaker 2: I quote, it still works, Isabella, and let's not forget
Speaker 2: how you practically gave away those silk shipments to that
Speaker 2: widow and her daughters at half their worth, my dear,
Speaker 2: that widow's husband was a loyal customer for 20 years
Speaker 2: before God called him home. It was the right thing
Speaker 2: to do.
Speaker 2: I understand charity Homobonus. It's good to help others, but
Speaker 2: not at the expense of our own comfort and standing.
Speaker 2: It's one thing to give alms, it's another to reduce
Speaker 2: ourselves to beggary.
Speaker 2: When we give to others, we receive God's mercy and blessings.
Speaker 2: That yields the best spiritual interest.
Speaker 2: Donors benefit from giving as much or more than the recipients.
Speaker 2: If God truly rewards such generosity.
Speaker 2: Then why has he not blessed us with children?
Speaker 2: 7 years, Homobonus, 7 years of marriage, and still our
Speaker 2: home lacks the sound of little feet.
Speaker 2: God will give us children at the right time.
Speaker 2: And what if that time never comes? What then Homobonus?
Speaker 2: Will your excessive generosity have been worth it?
Speaker 2: Lord, I come before you today with a heavy heart.
Speaker 2: The tensions in our city between the merchants and the nobles.
Speaker 2: They threatened to erupt into violence once more. I pray
Speaker 2: for your protection for all the people of Cremona.
Speaker 2: I also pray for guidance in my business.
Speaker 2: That I may use it wisely to honor your will
Speaker 2: and to help those in need, as my father taught me.
Speaker 2: And
Speaker 2: I pray for wisdom and patience in my marriage.
Speaker 2: Isabella and I
Speaker 2: We see the world
Speaker 2: Differently
Speaker 2: I struggle to understand her.
Speaker 2: I fear I'm failing to be the husband she deserves.
Speaker 2: Show me how to bridge the divide between my wife's
Speaker 2: expectations and my duty to serve you through serving the poor.
Speaker 2: And if it be your will
Speaker 2: Bless us with a child.
Speaker 2: Guide me, Lord.
Speaker 2: To be a good husband
Speaker 2: And a steward of those around me.
Speaker 2: Hey, stop that boy. Hold there, young man. Please let
Speaker 2: me go. Return what you have taken. There's the little thief. Gods,
Speaker 2: County Rossi, please allow me to handle this.
Speaker 2: You know this boy. I know that theft is often
Speaker 2: born of desperation, not evil.
Speaker 2: Child, what's your name? Menakus. Why did you steal from
Speaker 2: the Count Menakus?
Speaker 2: My, my sisters, they haven't eaten since yesterday. I, I
Speaker 2: take care of them since Mother died. Father never came
Speaker 2: back from the crusades. Oh, what a poor boy. Counter Rossi,
Speaker 2: would you accept compensation for what was taken and perhaps
Speaker 2: show mercy to one so young.
Speaker 2: What are you suggesting?
Speaker 2: Menakus, give back what you took.
Speaker 2: Now apologize to the count. I, I am sorry.
Speaker 2: Count Errosi, in gratitude for your mercy, allow me to give
Speaker 2: one of our finest silks for a new cloak. I'll
Speaker 2: ensure we send it to your house. Very well, but
Speaker 2: keep that boy away from me.
Speaker 2: Now Menakas.
Speaker 2: How many sisters do you have? 2. Elena is 8
Speaker 2: and Maria is 6. And where do you live? In
Speaker 2: the old Tanner's district, sir, and the abandoned workshop.
Speaker 2: Would you like honest work?
Speaker 2: I need help in my shop, tending customers, running errands,
Speaker 2: keeping things tidy.
Speaker 2: You, you trust me after what I just did?
Speaker 2: God offers us all second chances, Menakas.
Speaker 2: Sometimes we just need someone to believe in us first.
Speaker 2: Come.
Speaker 2: Let's talk to your sisters.
Speaker 2: They can stay with Sister Agnes at the monastery while
Speaker 2: you work. Thank you. I, I won't disappoint you.
Speaker 2: I know you want Menakas.
Speaker 2: I know you won't.
Speaker 2: They
Speaker 2: In the globe
Speaker 2: Welcome senora. May I help you? Isabella? What a pleasant surprise.
Speaker 2: I need to speak to you in private.
Speaker 2: Of course, come this way.
Speaker 2: What's the matter? Homobonus, there are rumors in the market.
Speaker 2: They say you've hired a thief to work in our shop. Ah,
Speaker 2: you mean Menakas? Yes, he's been quite helpful these past days. Oh,
Speaker 2: so it's true. Have you lost your mind? That boy
Speaker 2: will rob us blind. He's already proven himself trustworthy. Just yesterday,
Speaker 2: he returned a nobleman's overpayment without hesitation. Ah.
Speaker 2: One good deed doesn't embrace what he is. You can't
Speaker 2: trust a thief. The boy needs a chance to be
Speaker 2: something different. He has two young sisters. They were starving.
Speaker 2: My cousin Enrico warned me about this. He said, your
Speaker 2: excessive charity would be your undoing. First, the poor, then widows,
Speaker 2: now thieves. People will take advantage of your kind heart, Homobonus.
Speaker 2: I prefer to believe in the best in people, Isabella.
Speaker 2: Even those who have made mistakes.
Speaker 2: You're a good man, Homobonus, too good, perhaps.
Speaker 2: I pray your generosity won't be our ruin.
Speaker 2: Master Homobonus, yes, Menakas.
Speaker 2: I've been thinking other silk and wool merchants charge much
Speaker 2: more than we do if we raised our prices just
Speaker 2: a little. Go on, we could make twice the profit.
Speaker 2: Everyone else does it. The nobles would hardly notice.
Speaker 2: Come with me, Menakas.
Speaker 2: I want to show you something. Where are we going?
Speaker 2: To the market?
Speaker 2: We need bread
Speaker 2: Why did we purchase so many loaves?
Speaker 2: You'll see.
Speaker 2: The beggar's corner. Here's bread for all. Come. Thank you.
Speaker 2: Did you know about Saint Martin of Tours, Menakas? No, sir.
Speaker 2: He was a Roman soldier.
Speaker 2: One cold winter day he saw a beggar freezing by
Speaker 2: the city gates.
Speaker 2: Without hesitation he drew his sword.
Speaker 2: Cut his own cloak in half and gave it to
Speaker 2: the beggar. Half his cloak, yes.
Speaker 2: That night he had a dream. Christ appeared to him
Speaker 2: wearing that same half cloak, saying Martin clothed me with
Speaker 2: this garment.
Speaker 2: My father taught me something important about business.
Speaker 2: Would you like to know what it was? Yes, master.
Speaker 2: He said, no prophet is worth hurting our relationship with God.
Speaker 2: Business, honest business can bring people together.
Speaker 2: Something that we need in Cremona. But don't we need
Speaker 2: profit to survive? The fair profit, yes.
Speaker 2: But not at the expense of others' suffering. We can
Speaker 2: share what we have and recognize that every customer, every supplier,
Speaker 2: every partner is our brother or sister in Christ.
Speaker 2: That's how businesses help to build a better community.
Speaker 2: And when we help others, especially the poor,
Speaker 2: We are loving Christ.
Speaker 2: What you do unto these least ones, you do unto me. Remember?
Speaker 2: You know what the nuns at the monastery call you master?
Speaker 2: What's that? Father of the poor. Hands down. We have
Speaker 2: had enough. You low born mungus. Look, you nobles bleed
Speaker 2: us dry. How dare you speak to us that way, Master,
Speaker 2: we should go. Go back to the shopman offices now.
Speaker 2: Help me, help me.
Speaker 2: Merchants forget your place.
Speaker 2: Now stop in God's name. Stop. See how the nobles
Speaker 2: treat us Homobonus. We have to fight them, brothers. We
Speaker 2: are all children of God. Put your swords down, Homobonus.
Speaker 2: You dare interfere, Enrico, please think of the innocent people.
Speaker 2: Move aside now, or my sword will forget you are
Speaker 2: my cousin's husband. I will not move.
Speaker 2: Then you've made your choice.
Speaker 2: This is Peter Atkinson from the Merry Bakers. Tune in
Speaker 2: to episode 4, The Wise Merchant, to hear the next
Speaker 2: installment of Saint Homobonus. Listen to all the episodes and
Speaker 2: discover new shows at the saints podcast.com.
Speaker 1: The Mary Bakers is the entertainment division of Relevant Radio.