As John saw Christ transfigured on the mountain, so, on LaVerna, Brother Leo frequently saw Saint Francis lifted from the earth speaking with God and the angels in the midst of the greatest brilliance. He was also with him when he received Christ's stigmata, just as John was the only one of the Apostles at the foot of the cross when Christ was pierced by a lance. As John wrote Christ's Gospel, so Brother Leo wrote a life of Saint Francis, as will be shown below.^a As John saw many future events, as is obvious in the Apocalypse, so Brother Leo had a number of figurative visions about the future that Saint Francis occasionally would explain more clearly to him, as will be clear below. John, speaking about Christ, says of him: And the one who saw bears witness. In a similar way, Leo, speaking of Saint Francis, frequently says in the legend he wrote: "We who were with him until his death bear witness . . ."^b

As John saw in the Apocalypse Christ conquering the evils of Asia's rulers and subjects, so once Brother Leo saw Christ Who spoke to him about conquering the lazy, lukewarm, ungrateful, and quarrelsome brothers.^c

Among the Apostles, John lived the longest; Brother Leo likewise passed away extremely old.

^6e The fifth companion of Saint Francis was the ecstatic man, Brother Rufino, who was very much like the Apostle Thomas. Thomas means "the twin,"^d because of his twofold love of God and neighbor. Rufino, however, is named like ruphus [red] because of the color of golden love.^e Thus the name of both men indicates that they were filled with love. Or Thomas is spoken of as totus means [traveling totally] into God, while Rufino is like ruens in finem [hastening to the end], that is, to God. As Saint Thomas was doubtful about Christ's resurrection, so was Brother Rufino about Francis's glorification. For

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