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Chapter 121

The devil appeared and said: ”Look, that monk has flown away and only his shape remains.” And the Lord said to him: ”Explain what you mean.” The devil answered: ”That I shall, though unwillingly. The true monk is his own keeper. His cowl is obedience and the observance of his vows. As the body is covered by clothing, so the soul is covered by virtues. Therefore, the outer habit has no value unless the inner one is maintained, for it is virtue, not vestment, that makes the monk. This monk flew off when he thought as follows: 'I know my sin and I shall make amends and never sin again with the grace of God.' With this intention he flew away from me and is now yours.” The Lord said to him: ”How is it that his shape remains?” The devil said: ”When he does not recall his past sins nor repents as perfectly of them as he should.”

EXPLANATION
This brother saw in the hands of the priest at the time of the elevation of the body of Christ our Lord Jesus Christ in the form of a child saying to him: ”I am the Son of God and the Son of the Virgin.” He even foresaw the manner and time of his death within a year, about which one can read in several chapters in the legend on the sainted lady. The monk's name was Gerekinus. He lived a most pure life. When he was about to die, he saw writing in gold containing three golden letters: ”P,” ”O,” and ”T.” As he was describing it to the other monks, he said: ”Come, Peter, make haste Olof and Thord.” Once he had called for them, he went to his rest. The three monks died within a week following him.

Chapter 55 in Extravagantes (Book 9) is also about the same brother: ”A monk of holy life, etc.”

About how the life of a certain dissolute and lukewarm man resembles a narrow and dangerous bridge, and about how, if he does not soon turn himself around by leaping onto the ship of life, penance, and virtue, he will be cast headlong by his enemy, the devil, down into the deep abyss.

224.