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A delicate, noble youth once entered the order of St. Francis, and within days of taking its habit, he began to despise it. He felt like a man wearing a sack. The sleeves were wrong, the cowl not to his liking, and the habit was too rough and too long. It was all unbearable to this boy of gentle upbringing. He was quickly despising the Order itself, thinking of returning to the world, because of his disdain for the clothing.
His novice master at the time had taught the youth how to kneel reverently, when passing before the altar in the friary where the Blessed Sacrament was stored, uncovering his head and crossing his hands upon his chest. The boy always did this carefully. And so it was that on the very night when the youth had decided to leave the Order, he had to pass through the friary past the altar where the Blessed Sacrament was stored. As before, he paused to kneel and bow—and at that moment he was taken up in spirit and a vision of God was revealed to him.
The boy saw before him a long line of saints, walking in pairs, dressed in beautiful vestments, their faces and hands shining like the sun. As they marched before his eyes, they sang, and angels chanted, adding to the joy. Among those marching saints were two that stood out more than all of the others; there were two that shone most brilliantly of all. The boy watched this magical procession, and when it had passed, he ran up to the saints at the end of the line and inquired, “Please, tell me who are all of these beautiful people?”
They turned to him and replied, “We are all Friars Minor in paradise.”
“And who are those two who I saw shining most of all?” the boy asked.
“That was St. Francis; and with him, the last was St. Anthony, who has just died. He fought like a knight against temptation, enduring until the very end. We are all leading him in glory through paradise.
“These garments that you see us wearing were given to us by God to replace the habits that we wore on earth. And the radiance of our countenance is also God’s gift to us, to replace the humility, poverty, obedience, and chastity with which we conducted ourselves in our religious lives. Keep this in mind, son,” the saint said, “for if you despise the world now, you will shine in heavenly glory.”
With that the vision was ended, and the youth had heard the divine words. He went away encouraged in his vocation and repented to the guardian of the friars for his prior presumptions. From that day forward, this young man accepted rough penance, and by doing so, he became a good man.
[#20 of 53]