Now after Francis and his companions had dwelt for a while upon Mount Alvernia, the Saint began to wish for a still more solitary and lonely lodging. And he called Brother Leo and said to him: "Go and stand in the doorway of the Oratory where the Brothers are lodged, and when I call thee, return to me."
So Brother Leo stood in the door; and Francis having found for himself a cave, called aloud, and Brother Leo ran and came to him at once. Then said Francis:
"My son, let us seek another more retired spot, where thou canst not hear me when I call"
Now at some distance off they found a solitary spot exactly according to his wish, but it was impossible to get to it because there lay an immense rock with a fearful yawning chasm in front of it. But with great difficulty they laid a piece of wood across it so as to form a bridge, and so got over.
So they made a little cell there in the rock, where no cry of his could be heard. But once a day Brother Leo brought a little bread and water to the end of the bridge saying:
"O Lord, open thou my mouth."
And if the Saint replied "And my tongue shall show forth Thy praise," he passed over to the cell; but if he answered not, he was to depart in haste, knowing that the Saint was holding converse with God.
And Francis remained in this solitary spot for forty days, suffering many attacks of the devil, but also much consolation from his Captain, Jesus Christ. And during all the time a falcon which had built its nest close to the cell woke him every night a little before matins with its call, and with the beating of its wings against the cell, and would not depart until he arose to say his matins. But if Francis was more weary than usual, or weak or infirm, the falcon, like a discreet and compassionate person, woke him later than usual. And for this cause Francis took great delight in this bird, which oftentimes by day would sit familiarly with him.
Now when it grew near the Feast of the Most Holy Cross, Brother Leo went one night to the usual place to say matins with Francis; but when he called to him, he could get no reply . Wherefore, being in fear of what might have happened, he crossed over the bridge, and, finding the cave empty, went softly searching in the wood by the light of the moon. And, hearing the voice of Francis, he presently found him kneeling with his face and hands raised to Heaven; and he heard him say in fervour of spirit:
"Who art Thou, O my most sweet God, and what am I, Thy worthless servant?"
And these words he repeated continually, saying nothing beside.
And when Brother Leo, marvelling, raised his eyes, he saw as it were a torch of fire descend upon the head of Francis, and he heard a voice which spoke from the midst of the flame, but he could not understand the words.
And in his fear to offend or trouble the Saint, Brother Leo withdrew softly into the background, but Saint Francis perceived him by the rustling of the leaves beneath his feet, and called him, saying:
"Wherefore hast thou come, thou Little Sheep of God? Tell me, hast thou seen or heard aught?"
Then Brother Leo confessed that he had both heard and seen a marvellous thing, and having implored pardon for his disobedience, he prayed him earnestly to explain what had taken place.
And then did the holy Francis explain that it was God himself who had thus spoken with His poor little servant.
Now when the Feast of the Most Holy Cross was fully come, Francis, praying before his cell with his face towards the East, made two petitions, saying:
"O my dear Lord Jesus, I pray You to grant me two graces before I die. The first is, that in my lifetime I may feel in my soul and in my body, as far as it is possible, all the pain and grief which You, O sweet Lord, didst feel in Your most bitter Passion. And the second is, that I may feel in my heart, as far as it is possible, that great love by which Tou were moved to suffer so for sinners."
And he remained thus for a long time in prayer, thinking much of the Passion of his dear Lord.
And that same morning he saw coming from heaven a seraph with six fiery wings; and as He approached Francis with great speed he saw that He had the form of One Crucified. And two of His wings were above His head, two were stretched in flight, and two covered His body.
Now as this wondrous sight appeared, the whole mountain of Alvernia seemed to burn with flame as though the sun had risen on the earth; so that the shepherds upon the hillsides thought that the mountain was afire; and certain mule-drivers who had been sleeping in far-off little inns, seeing that light, rose with haste and saddled and loaded their beasts, believing that it was break of day; and as they journeyed along they saw the light cease and the natural sun arise.
Then, after a great space of time and secret converse that left the heart of Francis full of the flame of divine love, that wondrous vision disappeared, leaving in his flesh a marvellous image of the Suffering of Christ.
For in his hands and his feet there immediately began to appear the marks of the nails as he had seen them in the flesh of Christ Crucified, so that his hands and feet seemed to be pierced through the middle with nails. And in his right side there was the appearance of a wound made by a lance, not healed but newly made.
And these wounds, or Passion marks, are called "Stigmata," and Francis carried them to the day of his holy death.
- text taken from A Little Book of Saint Francis and His Brethren, by Ethel Mary Wilmot-Buxton