We said before that a sense of humour helped when living with Saint Francis; as Brother Masseo found on this journey with him. The next three passages tell how Saint Francis made Brother Masseo turn round and round several times , and then went to Sienna.
IT befell on a day when Saint Francis was going by the way with Brother Masseo, that the said Brother Masseo was going on a little before; and coming to a place where three roads met whereby one might go to Florence, to Sienna, or to Arezzo, quoth Brother Masseo:
“Father, by which way are we to go ? ”
Replied Saint Francis : “By that which God shall will.”
Quoth Brother Masseo: “And how can we know the will of God?”
Replied Saint Francis: “By the sign which I shall show thee; wherefore by the merit of holy obedience I command thee that in the cross-way where thou art standing now, thou turn round and round as little children do, and cease not turning unless I tell thee.” Then Brother Masseo began to turn him round and round, and turned round so long that oftentimes he fell upon the ground through giddiness of the head, the which is wont to be engendered through such manner of turning; but sith Saint Francis did not bid him stop, he forthwith got up again, desiring faithfully to yield obedience.
At length, while he was turning round right manfully, Saint Francis said: “Stand firm and do not move” ; and so he st00d and Saint Francis asked him: “Towards what quarter is thy face now turned?”
Replied Brother Masseo: “Towards Sienna.”
Quoth Saint Francis: “That is the way that God would have us go.”
agnellusmirror 