HOW ST.FRANCIS OF ASSISI APPEARED IN GLORY TO A NOVICE WHO WAS TEMPTED TO LEAVE THE ORDER
A delicate young man of noble birth entered the Order of St.Francis of Assisi. Only after a few days of being in the order, through the instigation of Satan, began to hate the habit he was wearing. As days passed, his distaste for the Order increased and he resolved to throw the habit and leave the Order. It was a rule in the Order, that as they passed the altar of the friary in which the Blessed Sacrament of the Body of Christ was kept, one should kneel down very reverently and bow very devoutly with his head uncovered and hands crossed on his chest. And this young man always carefully did so. On the night when he had decided to leave the Order, he happened to cross the altar and the young ma at once knelt and bowed. All at once he was rapt in spirit and was shown a marvellous vision by God. The young man saw a throng of saints passing by shining more radiantly than the sun and singing hymns while angels were beautifully chanting their joy. At the forefront were two who were more splendidly dressed and were surrounded with such brilliance that they dazzled anyone who looked at them. While the whole procession passed by and there was only the last two left, the young man approached them and asked “I beg you to tell me who are those very wonderful persons who are in this venerable procession”. They turned their radiant faces towards him and answered “Son, they are the friar minors who have just come from the glory of paradise”. And the young man further asked “And, who are those two who shone more brightly than the others?” And they answered “They are St.Francis of Assisi and St.Anthony”, and they further said “All these shining people are Friar Minors who fought valiantly against temptations and preserved in their Holy undertaking to the very end. The glorious radiance which you see in us is the reward which God gives for the humble penance, poverty, obedience pure chastity which we endured to the very end with joyful minds and faces. Therefore son, if you wear the “sack” of such a fruitful Order, for the love of our Lord Jesus Christ and if you despise the world, mortify your body and fight valiantly against the devil, you will likewise have a similar garment and will shine with us in glory”. Soon the vision ended and the young man came back to himself. He rejected all temptations, acknowledged his fault before all, and lived a very pious, humble, pure and devote life. He lived a very holy life and died in the Order. A young boy pure and innocent as an Angel was received into the Order. As the place was very small the friars did not have separate cells and because of poverty slept on the ground without beds. One day St.Francis visited this place. After prayers, the Blessed Father slept somewhat before the other Friars, so that when all when asleep he could go out and pray as was his custom. The young boy decided to observe St.Francis so that he could find out what the Blessed Father did during the night when he prayed. The boy settled down next to St.Francis and tied his cord to that of the Blessed Father so that he would know it when the Father got up during the night. In the middle of the night when the Blessed Father got up to pray, he noticed the cords tied together. He carefully undid the knot in such a way that the boy did not feel it. St.Francis left the hut and went out to a hill near the place where there was a beautiful forest. A little while later the boy awoke and found that the cord was undone and St.Francis was gone. He quickly got up and left the house. Finding the gate that led to the forest open, he went that way. He soon reached the top of the hill where St.Francis was praying. When he came to the spot where the Blessed Father was praying he heard numerous voices. Going nearer to see and hear better what they were saying, he saw a marvellous light completely surrounding St.Francis. In that light he saw Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary, St.John the Baptist and St.John the Evangelist and a great throng of angels talking with St.Francis. On seeing and hearing all this, the boy began to tremble, fainted and fell like a corpse on the ground that led back to the monastery. After sometime, St.Francis finished praying and returned to the monastery. On the way he stumbled on the boy lying on the ground like a corpse. He gently carried the boy to the monastery. In the morning, the boy told St.Francis what he had seen last night. St.Francis made the boy to promise that he would not reveal it as long as St.Francis was alive. The boy kept his promise and through the grace of God and devotion to St.Francis, lived as a worthy member of the order till he died.