Francis and the cross

Come now, knight of Christ,

vigorously bear the arms of your unconquerable Leader!

Visibly shielded with these,

you will overcome all adversaries.

Carry the standard of the Most High King,

and at its sight

let all who fight in God's army

be aroused to courage.

Carry the seal of Christ, the High Priest,

by which your words and deeds

will be rightly accepted by all

as authentic and beyond reproach.

For now because of the brand-markings of the Lord Jesus

which you carry in your body,

no one should trouble you;

rather every servant of Christ

should show them deep devotion.

...

Now is fulfilled

the first vision which you saw,

namely, that you would be a captain

in the army of Christ

and bear the arms of heaven

emblazoned with the sign of the cross.

Now is fulfilled

the vision of the Crucified

at the beginning of your conversion

which pierced your soul

with a sword of compassionate sorrow.

Now the voice that came from the cross

as if from the lofty throne and secret mercy-seat of Christ,

as you have confirmed with your sacred words,

is believed as undoubtedly true.

Now is fulfilled

the vision of the cross,

in the course of your conversion,

which Brother Silvester saw

marvelously coming from your mouth;

and the vision which the holy Pacificus saw,

of the swords piercing your body

in the form of a cross;

and the sight of you

lifted up in the air in the form of a cross,

which the angelic man Monaldus saw

when the holy Anthony was preaching

on the inscription of the cross -

all of these

we now firmly believe

were not imaginary visions

but revelations from heaven.

Now, finally

toward the end of your life

you were shown at the same time

the sublime vision of the Seraph

and the humble figure of the Crucified,

inwardly inflaming you and outwardly marking you

as the second Angel,

ascending from the rising of the sun

and bearing upon you the sign of the living God.

...

The cross of Christ

given to you and by you accepted

at the beginning of your conversion

and which from then on

you carried continuously

in the course of your most upright life,

giving an example to others,

shows that you have reached

the summit of Gospel perfection

with such clear certitude

that no truly devout person

can reject this proof of Christian wisdom

ploughed into the dust of your flesh.

- Saint Bonaventure, The Life of Saint Francis, XIII.9-10