The Little Flowers of Saint Francis (after 1337) - 600 

To the praise of Jesus Christ
and the little poor man, Francis.
Amen.

Chapter 20
A VERY BEAUTIFUL VISION SEEN BY A YOUNG BROTHER, WHO HAD SUCH DISGUST FOR THE TUNIC THAT HE WAS READY TO GIVE UP THE HABIT AND LEAVE THE ORDER

A young man, very noble and refined, came to the Order of Saint Francis. After a few days, at the instigation of the demon, he began to feel such disgust for the habit which he was wearing that it seemed to him that he was wearing a filthy rag. He loathed the sleeves and hated the capuche; and he thought its length and roughness were an unbearable burden. His distaste for the Religion also increased and he finally decided to give up the habit and return to the world.

He had already taken up the custom, as his master had taught him, that whenever he passed in front of the altar of the convent, in which the Body of Christ was reserved, to kneel with great reverence, pull back his capuche, and to bow with his arms crossed. It happened that on the night when he was to depart and leave the Order he had to pass in front of the altar of the friary. As he passed, according to his custom, he knelt down and made his reverence. Immediately he was caught up in spirit, and a marvelous vision was shown to him by God. For he saw in front of him, an almost infinite multitude as in a procession, two by two, clothed in very beautiful robes of precious cloth. Their faces and hands shone like the sun, and they walked along with the singing and music of angels. Among those saints there were two more nobly dressed and adorned than all the others, and they were surrounded by such brightness that they caused great wonder to those who saw them. Almost at the end of the procession he saw one adorned with such glory that he seemed like a new knight, more honored than the others. When the young man saw this, he was amazed and did not know what that procession meant. He did not dare to ask about it, and he remained dumbstruck with sweetness. Nevertheless, when the whole procession had passed by, he decided to dare and ran toward the ones at the end and, with great fear, asked them: "Dear friends, I beg you, please tell me who are these marvelous people forming this venerable procession?" They replied: "Son, realize that we are all Lesser Brothers who have now come from the glory of paradise." Then he asked: "Who are those two who shine

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Francis of Assisi: Early Documents, vol. 3, p. 600