[69]
[HE TELLS A LADY OF LIMISIANO THAT HER HUSBAND WILL BE CONVERTED]

One time blessed Francis was going to "Le Celle" of Cortona and was following the road that passes at the foot of a fortified town called Limisiano, near the place of the brothers at Pregio. A noble woman of the town happened to come with great haste to speak to blessed Francis. When one of his companions saw this woman, extremely tired, hurrying after them, he ran to tell blessed Francis. "Father, for the love of God, let us wait for the lady who is following us, since she is quite exhausted from her desire to speak with us."

Blessed Francis, as a man full of charity and piety, waited for her. When he saw her exhausted and coming to him with great fervor and devotion, he said to her: "What is it, please, my lady?"

The lady answered: "Father, please, bless me."

Blessed Francis asked her: "Are you bound to a man or single?"

"Father," she said, "for a long time the Lord has given me the will to serve him. I had and still have a strong desire to save my soul. But I have a husband so cruel that he is an antagonist to me and to himself in the service of Christ. Because of this, my soul is tormented to death with great sorrow and anguish."

Blessed Francis was moved by piety for her, considering the burning spirit she had, and especially because she was a young girl and was delicate according to the flesh. He blessed her and said to her, "Go, and you will find your husband at home. Tell him for me that for the love of the Lord who endured the passion of the cross to save us, I beg both you and him to save your souls in your own home."

When she returned and entered the house, she found her husband at home, just as blessed Francis had told her.

Her husband said to her: "Where are you coming from?"

"I'm coming from seeing blessed Francis who blessed me," she answered, "and his words have consoled and gladdened my soul in the Lord. Moreover, he told me to tell you on his behalf and to beg you that we should both save our souls in our own home."

After she said this, the grace of God immediately came down on him, through the merits of blessed Francis. Suddenly changed anew by the Lord, he answered her with great kindness and meekness: "My lady, from now on, as it will please you, let us serve Christ and save our souls, as blessed Francis said."

His wife told him: "My lord, it seems to me that it would be good for us to live in chastity, because it is very pleasing to the Lord and is a virtue with great reward."

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¹Quodam tempore, dum iret beatus Franciscus apud Cellam de Cortona, accidit, dum transiret per viam subtus quoddam castrum, quod vocatur Limisianum, prope locum fratrum de Pregio, ut quedam nobilis domina eiusdem castri cum magna festinatione veniret ad loquendum beato Francisco. ²Cumque unus de sociis beati Francisci respexisset illam dominam valde fatigatam itinere venientem cum magna festinatione, cucurrit et dixit beato Francisco: ³ « Pater, amore Dei expectemus istam dominam, quia venit post nos, que multum fatigata est ex desiderio loquendi nobiscum ».

⁴Beatus Franciscus sicut homo caritatis plenus et pietate expectavit eam. ⁵Ut autem vidit fatigatam et venientem cum magno fervore spiritus et devotione, dixit ad eam: « Quid tibi placet, domina? ».

⁶Respondit mulier et dixit ei: « Pater, rogo ut michi benedicas ».

⁷Dixit ad eam beatus Franciscus: « Es obligata viro an soluta? ». ⁸At illa: « Pater, diu est quod Dominus dedit michi bonam voluntatem serviendi sibi. ⁹Habui et habeo magnum desiderium salvandi animam meam, sed habeo virum ita crudelem et michi et sibi adversarium in servitio Christi; ex quo usque ad mortem affligitur multo dolore et angustia anima mea ».

¹⁰Beatus Franciscus considerans ferventem spiritum quem habebat, et maxime quia puella erat et delicata secundum carnem, motus pietate super ipsam benedixit eam et dixit ei: ¹¹« Vade et inveniens virum tuum domi, < et > dices ei ex parte mea, quod ipsum et te rogo amore illius Domini qui pro nobis salvandis crucis sustinuit passionem, ut salvetis animas vestras in domo vestra ».

¹²Cumque reverteretur et intraret domum, invenit virum suum in domo, sicut dixerat ei beatus Franciscus.

¹³Et dixit ad eam vir eius: « Unde venis? ». ¹⁴At illa: « Venio a beato Francisco qui benedixit michi, et in verbis suis consolata et letificata est in Domino anima mea. ¹⁵Insuper et dixit michi, ut ex parte sua tibi dicerem et te rogarem, ut in domo nostra salvemus animas nostras ».

¹⁶Et hiis dictis statim gratia Dei descendit super eum meritis beati Francisci. ¹⁷Qui respondit ei cum multa benignitate et mansuetudine, a Domino tam cito noviter immutatus: « Domina, amodo sicut tibi placuerit faciamus Christi servitium et salvemus animas nostras sicut dixit beatus Franciscus ».

¹⁸Dixitque ad eum uxor eius: « Domine, michi bonum videtur, ut vivamus in castitate, quia multum placita est Domino et est virtus magne remunerationis ».