‘If he comes as a visitor he may come in, but not as a priest.’
Good Philip sat down by his side and said:
‘A visitor may ask a question. Why won’t you let me come as a priest?’
The sick man gave the same answer as before.
‘Now you’re quite mistaken,’ said St. Philip, ‘and I’ll show you something.’
Then he called for paper and pen and wrote a note.
‘Padre Eterne!’ he wrote. ‘Can a man’s sins be forgiven?’ and he folded it, and away it went of itself right up to heaven.
An hour later, as they were all sitting there, another note came back all by itself, written in shining letters of gold, and it said:—
‘Padre Eterne forgives and receives everyone who is penitent.’
The sick man resisted no longer after that; he made his confession and received the sacrament, and died consoled in ‘good Philip’s’ arms.