Chapter CLVII. Of the sermon he preached by example rather than by word

207. The holy father who had been often entreated by his Vicar that he would, when abiding at S. Damian, set forth God's word to his daughters, was at length overcome by the Vicar's urgency, and consented to do so. When the Ladies were gathered together as usual to hear the word of God (but not less in order to see their father) he raised his eyes to heaven, where his heart ever was, and began to pray to Christ. Then he ordered ashes to be brought, and having spread some of them on the ground in a circle round him, placed the remainder on his head. They waited for him to begin, but as he remained in persistent silence within the circle of ashes, no small astonishment arose in their hearts. Then the Saint suddenly stood up, and to their amazement repeated by way of sermon [the Psalm] "Have mercy on me, O God, n and having finished it went out in haste. By the power of this symbolic preaching the Handmaids of God were filled with such contrition that they shed abundant tears and scarce refrained from punishing themselves with their own hands. He taught them by his action to repute themselves ashes, and that naught but what befitted such repute entered his heart concerning them. Such was his conversation with the holy women; such his visitation of them, most profitable indeed, but compulsory and rare. This was his will for all the brethren: that while serving those Ladies for the sake of Christ whose handmaids they are, they should, even as full-fledged birds, ever be on their guard against the snares placed before them.