A Reflection from “The Eucharistic Visions of St. Frances of Rome” by St. Frances of Rome

On another occasion, after receiving the Most Holy Sacrament of the Body of Christ in the same Chapel of the Holy Angels, St. Frances, the servant of Christ, devoted herself to prayer and meditation, as was her custom. During this time, she experienced her spirit’s being taken up into an immense light, while her body remained within the chapel.

After she had returned to her usual senses, her spiritual father, Canon Matteotti, questioned her about what she had experienced and witnessed during that time. Under holy obedience, she related how she had perceived a most beautiful and radiant light, from which shone forth many and splendid flashes and beams of brightness. But under this great light, there was a very thick and dense darkness.

Within the heart of the vast light St. Frances perceived a blazing fire of the most extreme brilliance, and upon this fire, there was positioned a tabernacle of incredible beauty and ornateness. On top of this beautiful and precious tabernacle, there was enthroned our glorious Savior. He was visible to Frances in His most sacred humanity. His essence glowed with a multitude of indescribable splendors, which the human eye could barely look upon or comprehend.

Yet the form of His holy humanity remained perfectly clear through the radiant brilliance that surrounded and emanated from Him. His sacred wounds were visible upon His human form, and incandescent, flaming rays beamed forth out of them. There was a multitude of souls of the blessed arrayed around Him, and these rays illuminated them in a miraculous fashion so that they, too, became glowing.

There were indeed a great many souls assembled there, in a crowd that surpassed number. The Queen of Heaven was there also in the primary place of honor, wearing upon her head a triple crown. It was from the great and immaculate Mother of God, among all the inhabitants of Heaven, that the brightest and most intense light shone forth.

Frances noticed other souls there as well who were still united with their mortal bodies. These entered and exited freely from the blazing fire within the vast light, without harm or impediment. Frances knew in her heart that this fire was nothing other than the flame of divine love. Hence, she earnestly desired to learn who were these souls who were capable of freely entering and exiting this mystical fire. And it was revealed to her that these were the souls of living human beings who persevered faithfully in the love of God and who came regularly to renew and refresh themselves with this sacred flame.

As the saint stood staring intently and joyously at this wondrous sight, St. Mary Magdalene, the ardent lover of Christ, together with the virgin martyr St. Agnes, approached her. They persuaded Frances that she should venture with them to approach the fire more closely. And they directed her vision to some of the other things that were present within that realm of the blessed.

First, they pointed out to Frances a great troupe of the holy virgin saints, each of whom wore upon her head a resplendent golden tiara, embellished with precious jewels. St. Mary Magdalene then commenced a graceful and perfectly ordered dance, which the other virgin saints joined. Frances was amazed to see them all singing and dancing in perfect harmony, as they entered and exited freely the flame of divine love!

In tuneful chorus, they sang thus:
If any wish to be Christ’s bride,
Let them spurn all useless pride,
Put aside each earthly thing,
Seeking nothing but their King!
Let them do His will alone,
Gazing on His holy throne;
To their Lord all things they give;
For Him only do they live.
To their God they ever lift
Minds and hearts and souls as gift!
From the Lord’s own grace so free,
The gifts they offer now are three.
First, they keep within their minds
Thoughts of Jesus’ love divine,
Always seeking to fulfill
God’s most wise and holy will.
Next, they give their very hearts
To the God who love imparts,
Trusting all their cares to Him,
Fearing nothing but to sin.
Third, they offer God their soul,
Trusting His most wise control,
Seeking never their own praise,
To the Lord their souls they raise!

While St. Frances had still been in her state of trance, she had sung these very words aloud and even made the dancing motions of the choir of holy virgins. All this was witnessed by her spiritual father, Canon Matteotti, and corresponded perfectly to the narration of her vision that Frances had made afterward.

Next, she had heard St. Mary Magdalene singing on her own, addressing her words to the Holy Mother of God.

Praise to you, O Queen of Heaven [she sang], who are adorned with all virtues and were greeted by the angel of the Lord as being full of grace! Through your humility and divine piety, you have liberated us from our ruin. In your virginial womb you received the Word of God and clothed Him with your own flesh. Hence, Christ was born of you as both God and man. He it is who has rescued us from death and freed us from the chains of mortality. To you be infinite praise, O Empress of the Angels, adorned, raised up, and crowned as Queen by your own Son! You are our light and our joy in this blessed life.

Then St. Catherine of Alexandria, a virgin martyr and a royal bride of Christ, broke also out into song. With great exultation, she acclaimed:

We all delight with heart and voice,
And as one chorus we rejoice
That this Kingdom now is ours,
And Christ our everlasting Spouse!

This vision occurred in the year of Our Lord 1432, on the thirteenth day of February.