God, and so effectually penetrated the hearts of his hearers, that
every one was surprised at it. He always began them by the following
salutation, which he afterwards declared had been revealed to him by
God; "May the Lord grant you His peace." It was noticed that a very
pious man, who was in the habit of addressing the two following words
to all whom he met, "Peace and weal,--Peace and weal!" was not seen
in Assisi after Francis began to preach; as if he wished it to be
understood that his mission had ended by the presence of him whose
precursor he was. In fact, this new preacher was in truth an angel of
peace sent from heaven to reconcile a great number of sinners with
Jesus Christ, and to draw down on them all sorts of benefits.

He joined to the ministry of the word the exercise of every sort of
virtue, and applied himself particularly to prayer, where the sufferings
of our Blessed Saviour made such impression on his soul that he groaned
and sobbed aloud, when he found himself at liberty. One of his friends,
passing by the church of St. Mary of the Angels, having heard him,
went in, and seeing him bathed in tears, reproached him with it as of
a weakness unbecoming in a man. "I weep for the Passion of my Lord
Jesus Christ," answered Francis, "and I ought not to be ashamed of
weeping openly before the whole world." This enviable emotion was in
the heart of St. Augustin, when he said to his people: "The Passion
of Jesus Christ, which the Church puts every year before us, moves and
affects us as if we saw Him personally stretched on the cross; there
are none but the impious who can be insensible to it.--As for me, I
wish to lament with you in considering this affecting spectacle. This
is the time in which to weep, to acknowledge ourselves criminals, and
to pray for mercy. Which of us would have it in his power to shed a
sufficiency of tears to equal the merit of so great and so worthy a
subject of grief?" Every Christian ought to blush, if he is wanting