The Marian Garden: Ancient and New

Christ. But the contrary of this treasure is the love of ourselves, and he who desires to obtain the former must abandon the latter, as the following inflamed servants of God have done.

2. At the happy passing of Blessed Father Amideus of Florence, who was one of our 7 first Fathers, Christ the Lord wished to indicate to the world how ardently he was loved by him in this mortal life, in conformity with his name and surname, which denote nothing other than the love of God. For as his soul was departing from the body, the holy Mount Senario appeared to be burning entirely like a lit furnace, and it diffused a most sweet odor to signify that at that hour a most pleasing sacrifice of incense had been offered to God. As a sign of this, this Blessed one is accustomed to be depicted by some with a burning flame at the top of his head.

3. Blessed Father Sosteneus, one of the 7 Fathers, was burning with the most ardent love of God. While he was praying to God with the fervor of the Spirit and a rain of tears to lead him out of this world so that he might love Him all the more ardently in the other, he immediately beheld two Seraphim standing, one at his right and the other at his left, who also led the holy soul of this Blessed Father to heaven. Blessed Uguccionius, his companion, endowed with equal charity, seeing this, exclaimed in these words: O dearest Brother, where are you going without me? May God grant that just as we were joined in love here on earth, so also we may not be separated in heaven! And with these words, together...