Go And Repair My House. You See It Is Falling Down!

Francis left the town one day to meditate out-of-doors and as he was passing by the church of San Damiano which was threatening to collapse with age, he felt urged to go in and pray. There as he knelt in prayer before a painted image of the Crucified, he felt greatly comforted in spirit and his eyes were full of tears as he gazed at the cross. Then, all of a sudden, he heard a voice coming from the cross and telling him three times, "Francis, go and repair my hose. You see it is falling down." Francis was alone in the church and was terrified at the sound of the voice, but the power of its message penetrated his heart and he went into an ecstacy. Eventually, he came back to himself and prepared to obey the command he had received. He was quite willing to devote himself entirely to repairing the ruined church of San Damiano, although the message really referred to the universal Church.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Bonaventure, Major Life
CHAPTER II - 1