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Sir Rodolph of Hapsburgh; The Friar's Warning; The Entrance to Heaven · Legends of the Saints

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  Section ten of Legends of the Saints by Mary Seymour. This LibriVox recording is
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  in the public domain. Read by Marie Christian. Legend of Sir Rudolph of
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  Hapsburg. Sir Rudolph of Hapsburg rode at the head of his band of hunters,
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  his bugle ringing out clear and sharply in the frosty air, causing the
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  wild deer to bound over the rocky heights and hide themselves in the snowy alpine
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  forests. He was a brave young knight, as gay and glad as a
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  child when engaged in the mountain chase, yet wise in council, and earnest
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  and reverent in prayer. There was not a stain upon his name. His
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  sword had never given a needless wound, though it had fought for many a
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  one who was oppressed swiftly. He rode so swiftly that all his train were
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  left behind, excepting one young page, and Sir rude Off raised his bugle
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  once more with a merry shout to call the loiterers onward, But a soft,
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  silvery sound was borne upwards upon the frosty air, a sound which caused
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  the knight to dismount in haste and kneel humbly on the ground with uncovered head.
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  The Lord of the mountains is bowing before the Lord of Heaven and Earth,
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  who is borne by an aged priest to the plains below in the blessed
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  sacrament which shall comfort and help the soul of one near death. The priest
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  paused beside the count, who whispered in low accents, my Reverend Father,
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  for the dear sake of him whom thou dost bear upon thy breast, grant
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  me one request, take my steed for his service, and permit my page
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  and me to follow him. Nay, Sir Knight, replied the old priest,
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  how can this be? For already I can discern thy train of huntsmen
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  advancing to follow thee in the chase fa to day. My men must hunt
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  alone, For in truth, it would be a foul disgrace if I rode
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  on while thou on foot should bear My lord and King. God forbid that
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  I should not follow him who died upon the cross for me. The priest
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  mounted the noble steed, while at his side, rein in hand, Sir
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  Rudolf walked with bent head and reverent step. They went their way down the
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  rocky path to the plain below. The dying man received the body and blood
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  of Christ, and then the little company ascended the hill once more. As
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  they enter the narrow mountain pass, the aged priest would restore the steed,
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  but the knight checks him. Nay, Father, I cannot mount again the
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  charger which has borne my lord. He has been a faithful friend to me.
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  May he be the same to THEE in thy journeyings. Farewell, my
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  father, yonder pathway will take THEE quickly homeward, And I beg THEE to
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  remember my poor soul in thy prayers. At Holy Mass, the priest raised
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  his hand in blessing upon the noble Knight, and then, gazing earnestly into
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  his face, added, when nine years have passed away, the Master,
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  whom thou lovest, and who loveth THEE, will reward the service thou hast
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  rendered him. To day. The years rolled by that brave young chief of
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  Habsburg had grown into a stalwart knight. Nor had he disappointed the promise of
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  his early years. For he was first in name and rank among all Christian
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  peers. And now the throne of that land was vacant, and serfs and
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  nobles with one accord bent low before Sir Rudolph, and chose him as their
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  king. The count remembered then the words of the aged priest, God will
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  reward thy loyal service of to day when nine years have passed. So he
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  took his crown as the gift of his creator, and ruled his subjects wisely
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  and well, so that he might win the higher reward of an unfading crown
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  in heaven. End of Legend of Sir Rudolph of Habsburg, Legend of the
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  Friar's Warning. There was in olden times in Naples a convent of the Dominican
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  order, where the rule was but carelessly observed, and in which a spirit
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  of pride and self indulgence was creeping in among those who had promised themselves to
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  the service of God. It was, however, the purpose of the Almighty
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  to bring this community to a state of perfection, and thus a vision was
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  granted them which roused them to a spirit of greater fervor. One day,
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  when the brother, whose duty was the care of the refectory, went to
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  make ready for dinner, he beheld, to his surprise a number of religious
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  sitting on the benches perfectly motionless, but there was something so terrifying in their
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  stillness that his very flesh seemed to creep with fear as he gazed on them.
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  Then, running to the prior, the brother told what he had seen,
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  explaining that these strangers who were in the refectory gave him such awful sensations
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  of fear that he suspected they must be demons from hell. The prior was
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  alarmed, and after a moment's thought, he called the community together, and
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  bidding them follow him to the church. He took out the blessed sacrament that
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  it might be carried in solemn procession to the refectory. He entered, followed
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  by the brethren. Yes, it was indeed true. There sat the strange
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  friars. But as the Prior advanced, bearing our Divine Lord in his hands,
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  they rose and prostrated their forms to the ground, and again seated themselves
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  as silently as before. Then said the Prior, in the name of God,
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  who is here present, Tell me who you are, and from whence
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  you come, and what you desire. The strange company immediately threw back their
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  hoods and displayed countenances blackened as if by fire. Then they opened their habits,
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  and the red flames were seen consuming their very bodies, and one of
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  them spoke these terrible words. We are all your brethren, said the voice.
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  Behold us who were once priors, sub priors, masters and readers,
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  and we are all eternally lost, lost for our contempt of poverty, for
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  our neglect of rule, for our pride, our slothfulness, our self indulgence.
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  And we have come here to warn you, lest by like sins you
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  come into like condemnation. Striking a blow upon the table, the strange company
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  disappeared, but their visit of warning was not thrown away, for it sank
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  so deeply into the hearts of the brethren that they became models of piety and
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  perfection. End of Legend of the Friar's Warning. Legend of the Entrance to
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  Heaven. According to an old old story, there was a day when the
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  Holy Apostle Saint Peter paced along the golden streets of the heavenly City with a
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  look of pain upon his face, as if he were sorely troubled, And
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  Saint John, meeting him, thus inquired, what ailed him, Hast thou
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  not seen here the faces of many who seemed scarcely fitted for so glorious a
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  home, replied Saint Peter. Sadly little has it cost them to enter here?
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  And yet we know that Heaven must be gained by many, a battle
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  bravely won by many, a struggle and pain and temptation conquered. But thou
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  dost guard the keys of heaven, said Saint John. I do, but
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  thou, such is my post. It is Saint Joseph who causes me this
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  distress, no matter how sinful his life may be. If in death a
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  person cries to him in faith and love, he brings them here. How
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  they enter I can scarcely tell, for they do not pass the gate at
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  which I stand. But I see them here, and it perplexes me.
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  And I must speak to our divine Master, lest he may think me careless
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  in my duty of guarding the entrance to the heavenly city. Saint John smiled,
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  Thou art Peter, And the Lord loves THEE well, he said,
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  And yet I tell THEE that if Saint Joseph plead against THEE, thy cause
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  is lost. The Great Apostle bethought him then, of the night upon which
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  Saint John had rested his head upon the sacred heart of Jesus when he was
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  on earth. Surely the love of the Lord for Saint John was as great
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  as he would feel for his foster father. Come with me, he said,
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  Thou hast ever been called the beloved Apostle, No fear, but the
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  Master will listen if thou art by my side. Together they stood before Jesus,
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  who had Mary and Joseph on either side of him. What is it,
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  Peter, said the gentle voice. I am troubled, Dear Lord,
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  replied the Apostle, raising his eyes to the divine face. It seems to
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  me scarce just to those who serve thee well on earth. If so many
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  who spend their life in sin gain heaven after all. And yet it is
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  Saint Joseph who does this. All who call to him when they have to
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  die are sure of his protection, and he brings them here among thy martyrs
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  and thy saints. O Peter, dost thou not yet know that when I
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  pardon the greatest sinner, he wins life eternal. No soul is brought to
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  heaven by Saint Joseph, which has not first sought me and been cleansed by
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  the blood which flowed on cavalry for the salvation of the world. Lord,
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  I know that those who die in thy grace shall surely see thee replied Saint
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  Peter. I know that thus the dying thief found an entrance here, and
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  many many more. Yet, surely it is not well for the church on
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  earth that Saint Joseph should so easily gain admittance for all who cry to him.
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  How then will sinners believe in the punishment of sin and the judgment severe
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  and just which follows death, True, Peter, said the Master. Yet
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  what can I refuse my father, who guarded my childhood on earth, who
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  worked and suffered from me when I was a weak and helpless babe. The
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  Apostle bowed his head, still but half convinced, and seeing this, the
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  sweetest smile illumined the face of the Savior, Ah Peter, Peter, He
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  said, thou wilt have none here but my chosen few, the few who
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  gained heaven by true and faithful service. Dearly, I prize this service justly,
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  I reward it. But know also that I give heaven love that I,
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  who suffered so much to save mankind, will have here in glory.
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  Every sinner who dies contrite, Nor do I wish that one should be shut
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  out, however guilty, however miserable, who has turned in his last moments
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  to me, the lover of sinners. Does this mercy indeed displease THEE?
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  Wouldst thou choose a company of thine own and not admit those who cry Jesus,
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  marry Joseph as they pass from earth. Then the Apostle bowed low at
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  the feet of his Savior and King, Lord, thou knowest best. He
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  murmured, thy, will I love? And to that will I bend?
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  End of legend of the Entrance to Heaven. End of Section ten.