Chapter C. How a certain brother saw the wound in his side

138. Now though the uncovered position of the limbs disclosed the wounds in his hands and feet to some, no one was worthy to see the wound in his side in his lifetime except one only and he only once. For whenever the Saint had his tunic shaken out he would cover the wound in his side with his right arm. Sometimes, however, he hid that blessed wound by putting his left hand over his pierced side. But when one of his companions was scratching him, that brother's hand slipped down to the wound and caused him great pain. One day another of the brethren who was seeking, with prying curiosity, to see what was hidden from others said to the holy father: "Shall we shake out thy tunic, father?" "God reward thee, brother," said the Saint, "for I want it to be done." So as he was taking it off that brother looked attentively at him and clearly saw the wound in his side. He alone saw it while the Saint was alive, none of the others until after his death. 1