By St. Bonaventure

For having gone one day into the fields, the better to contemplate and meditate upon heavenly things, Francis came to the church of S. Damian, which, from its great antiquity, was fast falling into decay, and, by the inspiration of the Spirit of God, he went in to pray. As he lay prostrate before a crucifix, he was filled with great spiritual consolation, and gazing with tearful eyes upon the holy cross of the Lord, he heard with his bodily ears a voice from the crucifix, which said to him three times: “Francis, go and rebuild my house, which, as you see, is falling into ruin.”

Then Francis, .. fell into a great ecstasy. When he had recovered his senses, and came to himself, he prepared to obey, and set himself at once to fulfill the command.