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Of the vision of Brother John of Alvernia, whereby he understood all the order of the Holy Trinity
For that the aforesaid John of Alvernia had perfectly renounced all worldly and temporal delights and consolations, and had set all his delight and all his hope in God, the divine goodness gave unto him marvellous consolations and revelations, and especially on the high festivals of Christ; so on a time when the festival of the nativity of Christ was drawing nigh, on the which he looked that of a surety he would receive of God consolation from the sweet humanity of Jesu, the Holy Spirit put into his soul such great and exceeding love and fervour for the charity of Christ, whereby He humbled Himself to take upon Him our humanity, that of a sooth it seemed as if his soul was drawn out of his body and was burning like a furnace. Not being able to endure this fire of love, he was in anguish and was altogether melted away, and cried out with a loud voice: for through the vehemence of the Holy Spirit and the too much fervour of his love, he could not refrain himself from crying out. And in that same hour wherein this immeasurable fervour came upon him, there came to him therewithal so strong and sure a hope of his salvation, that for naught in the world could he believe, that were he then to die, would he have need to pass through the pains of Purgatory; and this love endured in him for full six months, albeit he felt not that excessive fervour continuously, but it came to him at certain hours of the day. And in that time he received marvellous visitations and consolations from God: and oftentimes he was rapt in ecstasy, even as was seen by that brother who first wrote of these things; among the which at one time he was so lifted up and rapt in God, that he beheld in Him, the Creator, all created things both of heaven and earth, and all their perfections, and grades, and distinct orders. And then he clearly knew how every created thing presented itself to its Creator, and how God is above, and within, and without, and beside all created things. Thereafter he perceived God as One in Three Persons, and Three Persons in One God; and the infinite love that caused the Son of God to become incarnate, in obedience to the Father. And in the end he perceived in that vision how that there was no other way whereby the soul could come to God and have eternal life, save only through Christ, the blessed One, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life of the soul.