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. He immigrated to Gaul , and retired in later was honoured by the [[Holy Trinity|Triune God]] with the ruins gifts of an old tower near [[w:Villefranche-sur-MerProphet|Villefranche-sur-Merprophecy]], a few miles east of and [[wWonderworker|wonderworking]] abilities.<ref name=SYNAXARION>{Greek} ''[http:Nice|Nice//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] in .'' Benziger, 1894.</ref> The authority for his life is [[w:ProvenceGregory of Tours|ProvenceGregory of Tours]], on who places him in the peninsula reign of [[w:Cap FerratChildebert II|Cap FerratChildebert]], and only a little earlier than his own time. The peninsula is still called after him as ''' ''Cap<ref name=SMITH-Saint-HospiceWACE>Rev. Charles Hole. '' HOSPITIUS, ST.''In: William Smith and Henry Wace. ' or ''A Dictionary of Christian Biography, Literature, Sects and Doctrines.' ''CapVolume III: Hermogenes-Saint-Sospis'' '''Myensis. London: John Murray, Albemarle Street, 1882. Page 174. </ref>

The authority for his life is ==Life==From Egypt, he immigrated to Gaul and retired in the ruins of an old tower near [[w:Gregory Villefranche-sur-Mer|Villefranche-sur-Mer]], a few miles east of Tours[[w:Nice|Nice]] in [[w:Provence|Gregory of ToursProvence]], who places him in on the reign peninsula of Childebert, and only a little earlier than his own time.<ref>Rev. Charles Role[[w:Cap Ferrat|Cap Ferrat]]. The peninsula is still called after him as ''' ''Cap-Saint-Hospice''HOSPITIUS, ST.'' In: William Smith and Henry Wace. 'or ''A Dictionary of Christian Biography, Literature, Sects and Doctrines.''' Volume III: HermogenesCap-Saint-Myensis. London: John Murray, Albemarle Street, 1882. Page 174Sospis'' '''.</ref>

==Life==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"/>{Greek} ''[http://www.synaxarion.gr/gr/sid/3300/sxsaintinfo.aspx Ὁ Ὅσιος Ὁσπίτιος ὁ Ἐρημίτης].'' 21 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.<ref name="SMITH-WACE"/ref><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>John Gilmary Shea. ''[http:"//www.magnificat.ca/cal/engl/05-21.htm Little Pictorial Lives of the Saints].'' Benziger, 1894.</ref>

The He foretold the ravages which the Lombards would make in 575 in Gaul,<ref group="note">In 574 and 575 the [[Holy Trinityw:Lombards|Triune GodLombards]] honoured him with invaded Provence, then part of the gifts of [[Prophetw:Kingdom of Burgundy|prophecyKingdom of Burgundy]] and of the Merovingian [[Wonderworkerw:Guntram|wonderworkingGuntram]] abilities.<ref name="SYNAXARION"/><ref name="PICTORIAL"/> He foretold the ravages which the Lombards would make in 575 in Gaul, 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 and gave up his soul to God.<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. Charles RoleHole. ''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.