St. Anthony stepped forward as they reached the gate. A nun opened to them, and St. Anthony asked for the mother abbess. ‘I have brought you a maiden,’ he said, ‘whom I recommend to your affectionate and tender care.’ The mother abbess promised to make her her special charge, and St. Anthony went his way, first calling the maiden aside and charging her with this one petition he would have her make:
‘I have sinned; have mercy on me.’
Then St. Anthony went back to his convent and called all the brethren together, and asked them all to pray very earnestly all through the night, and in the morning tell him what manifestation they had had.
The brethren promised to comply; and in the morning they all told him they had seen a little spark of light shining in the darkness.
‘It suffices not, my brethren!’ said St. Anthony; ‘continue your charity and pray on instantly this night also.’
The brethren promised compliance; and in the morning they all told him they had seen a pale streak of light stealing away towards heaven.
‘It suffices not, my brethren!’ said St. Anthony; ‘of your charity pray on yet again this night also.’
The brethren promised compliance; and in the morning they told him they had all seen a blaze of light, and in the midst of it a bed on which lay a most beautiful maiden, white[2] as a lily, carried up to heaven, borne by four shining angels.
‘It is well, my brethren!’ replied St. Anthony; ‘your prayers have rendered a soul to the celestial quires.’
Afterwards he went to the convent where he had left Sora Castitre, and learnt from the mother abbess that, spending three penitential days saying only, ‘I have sinned; have mercy on me,’ she had rendered up her soul to God in simplicity and fervour.