Chapter XLIX

How Jesu Christ appeared unto Brother John of Alvernia

Among the other wise and holy brothers and sons of S. Francis, who, as Solomon saith, are the glory of their father, there was in our time, in the said Province of the March, the venerable and holy Brother John of Fermo, the which was called also Brother John of Alvernia by reason of the long time that he dwelt in the holy House of Alvernia, and because he there passed away from this life; for he was a man of wonderful life and of great sanctity. This Brother John, while yet a boy and living in the world, desired with all his heart to tread the path of penitence that keepeth pure both body and soul; whereby being still a little child, he began to wear the little heart of mail and iron girdle on his flesh, and to use great abstinence; and above all, while he dwelt with the Canons of S. Peter of Fermo, that lived in great splendour, he shunned all carnal delights and mortified his body with great severity of abstinence; but seeing that his companions there were much set against him, the which robbed him of the little heart and in divers manners hindered his abstinence, inspired of God he minded to leave the world with the lovers thereof, and to offer himself wholly in the arms of the Crucified, in the habit of the crucified S. Francis; and even so he did. And being received into the Order while yet a boy, and committed unto the care of the master of the novices, he became so spiritually minded and so devout, that many a time hearing the said master speaking of God, his heart would melt like wax before the fire; and the love of God kindled in him such sweetness of grace, that not being able to remain still to endure such sweetness, he would get up, and as one drunken in spirit, would run, now through the garden, now through the wood, now through the church, according as the flame and the ardour of the spirit drave him. Then in course of time the divine grace made this angelic soul to grow continually from virtue unto virtue, and in heavenly gifts, being uplifted unto God and rapt in ecstasy; so that at one time his mind was lifted up to the splendours of the Cherubim, at another time to the ardours of the Seraphim, at another to the joys of the Blessed, at another to the loving and ineffable embraces of Christ. And above all, once upon a time in exceeding wondrous fashion his heart was kindled with the fire of love divine, and this flame lasted in him for full three years, in the which time he received marvellous consolations and visitations divine, and oftentimes was rapt in God, and in short, in the said time he seemed all on fire and burning with the love of Christ: and all this was on the holy mount of Alvernia. But seeing that God careth with tender care for his children, giving them, at divers times, now consolation, and now tribulation, now prosperity, and now adversity, according as He seeth they have need thereof, for to continue in humility, or for to kindle more in them desire for heavenly things; it pleased the divine goodness, after three years, to take away from the said Brother John that ray and fire of love divine, and reave him of all spiritual consolation. Whereby Brother John remained without the light and love of God, and altogether disconsolate and afflicted and distressed. For the which cause, being in such anguish, he went through the wood running hither and thither, calling with cries and tears and sighs on the beloved spouse of his soul, who had hidden himself and gone away from him, and without whose presence his soul could find no rest and no repose: but in no place and in no manner could he find his sweet Jesu again, nor taste again those sweet spiritual draughts of the love of Jesu Christ, as he had been wont. And this tribulation endured for many days, in the which he abode continually weeping and sighing, and praying God that of His pity- He would give back to him the beloved spouse of his soul. At the last, when it pleased God to have made trial enough of his patience and to have kindled his desire, on a day when Brother John was going through the wood in such affliction and distress, he sat him down for very weariness, leaning against a beech tree, and remained with his face all bathed in tears looking up to heaven, — behold! suddenly Jesu Christ appeared hard by him in the path, whereby Brother John had come, but spake naught. Brother John seeing Him and knowing full well that it was Christ, straightway threw himself at His feet, and with sore weeping besought Him very humbly, saying: " Help me 0 Lord, for without Thee, my most sweet Saviour

1 am full of darkness and weeping; without Thee, most gentle lamb, I am full of anguish and pain and fear: without Thee, Son of God most high, I am full of confusion and shame: without Thee, I am bereft of all good and am blind, since Thou art Jesu Christ, the true light of souls; without Thee, I am lost and damned, for Thou art the life of souls, and the life of lives; without Thee, I am barren and dry, for Thou art the fountain of every gift and grace; without Thee, I am altogether disconsolate, for Thou art Jesu our redemption, our love, and our desire, the bread of comfort, and the wine that maketh glad the hearts of the Angels, and the hearts of all the Saints: enlighten me, most gracious Master, and most tender Shepherd, for I am Thy little sheep, unworthy though I be.” But sith the desire of holy men, when God delays to hear, doth kindle in them greater love and merit, Christ, the blessed One, departed without hearing him, and without speaking to him aught at all, and he went by the little pathway aforesaid. Then Brother John arose, and ran after Him, and once again threw himself at His feet, and with holy importunity held Him back, and with most devout tears besought Him, and said: " O most sweet Jesu Christ, have mercy upon me in my trouble; hear me for the multitude of Thy mercies, and for the truth of Thy salvation, and give back to me the joy of Thy countenance and Thy glance of pity, for the whole world is full of Thy mercy." And still Christ departed and spake naught unto him, nor gave him any comfort; and He dealt with him even as a mother with her child, when she lets him desire the breast and makes him run behind weeping, to the end that he may thereafter receive it the more willingly. Whereat Brother John still followed Christ with greater fervour and desire; and when he was come close up to Him, the blessed Christ turned and looked upon him with a glad countenance and gracious; and opening His most holy and most pitying arms, embraced him very tenderly; and as He opened thus His arms. Brother John saw streaming from the most sacred breast of the Saviour rays of shining light, which illumined all the wood and him likewise, both in body and soul. Then Brother John kneeled him down at the feet of Christ; and the blessed Christ of His loving kindness gave him His foot to kiss, as He did to the Magdalene; and Brother John holding it with all reverence bathed it with so many tears that of a sooth he seemed a second Magdalene, and said devoutly: ” I pray Thee, Lord, that Thou look not on my sins, but by Thy most holy passion and by the shedding of Thy most holy precious blood, revive my soul in the grace of Thy love; sith this is Thy commandment, that we love Thee with all our heart and with all our soul; the which commandment none can keep without Thy help. Help me then, most beloved Son of God, that I may love Thee with all my heart and with all my strength." And as Brother John with such words lay at the feet of Christ, his prayer was heard, and he received from Him the first grace, to wit the flame of love divine, and he felt altogether renewed and comforted; and knowing within himself that the gift of divine grace had returned to him again, he began to give thanks unto the blessed Christ and devoutly kiss His feet. And as he rose up, to gaze upon the face of Christ, Jesu Christ stretched out His most holy hands for him to kiss; and when that Brother John had kissed them, he drew near and leaned upon the breast of Jesu and embraced and kissed Him; and Christ in like manner embraced and kissed him. And in this kiss and this embrace, Brother John perceived so divine a fragrance, that had all the fragrant spices and all the sweet-smelling things of all the earth been gathered together, they would have seemed but as a stench in comparison with that fragrance; and thereat was Brother John right well illumined and consoled, and that fragrance remained within his soul for manv months. And I;. IH. ut to, I a M S. FRANCIS ON HIS DKA T II I'.KD (Church of Sta Croce, I'lorcnce) thenceforth, from out his mouth that had drunk of the fountain of divine wisdom in the sacred breast of the Saviour, there came forth marvellous and celestial words, that changed the hearts of men and brought forth rich fruit of souls in whoso heard them. And in the little path in the wood, whereon the blessed feet of Christ had stood, and for a great space all around, did Brother John always perceive that fragrance and behold that splendour, whene'er he fared thither, and eke for a long time thereafter. Whenas Brother John returned to himself again after this ecstasy, and the bodily presence of Christ had disappeared, he remained so illumined in his soul, from the abyss of His divinity, that albeit he was not a man learned through human study, yet in marvellous fashion he solved and explained the most subtle and lofty questions touching the divine Trinity, and the deep mysteries of the Holy Scripture. And oftentimes thereafter, when he spake before the pope, and the cardinals, and the king, and his barons, and the masters, and doctors, they were all amazed at the lofty words and the profound thoughts that he spake.