Christian Mission and Poverty

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Christian Mission and Poverty

Sometimes I provide by multiplying a little bit of something that would never have been enough, as you know I did for that gentle virgin Saint Agnes. 3 From her childhood right up to the end she served me with true humility and such firm trust that she never had any hesitations concerning herself or her family. So with her lively faith, at the command of Mary this poor young thing without any temporal goods began to establish a monastery. You know that the place had been a brothel. She didn’t think, “How will I be able to do this?” But with my providence she quickly made it a holy place, a monastery for religious . . . Among other things, I once let them go three days without bread, with nothing but greens to eat. You might ask me, “Why did you do this in spite of the fact that you told me that you never fail your servants who trust in you and that they always have what they need? It seems to me that these women did not have what they needed, because the human body cannot live on nothing but greens . . . ” I would answer you that I did it and permitted it to make Agnes drunk with my providence . . . I told you I provide by multiplying things. At the time I was telling you about, Agnes turned her mind’s eye to me in the light of faith and said, “My Father and Lord, my eternal bridegroom, did you make me take these daughters away from their fathers’ homes to die of hunger? Provide, Lord, for their need.” It was I who made her ask. I was pleased to test her faith, and her humble prayer was pleasing to me. I stretched out my providence to a certain person who was standing in spirit before me, and I constrained him by my inspiration to bring them five little rolls. I revealed this to Agnes’ mind, and she

3 Anges Segni of Montepulciano, not Agnes of Prague.