Watercolor: Cardinal in the Cherry Blossoms by Cat Vibert

Visions of Sister Moon:

An entirely fictional and imagined correspondence between Claire and Francis of Assisi. By Cat Vibert

Click here to view series on one page.  Scroll to the bottom.

Oh Claire, mon Claire de lune,

I do not know if this letter will even reach you before I have arrived to tell you of these visions myself, but I feel compelled to write this, for posterity’s sake if nothing else. The news of my journey is that we were successful in our quest, and have received The Pope’s blessing to begin the new order. I am greatly relieved, although having now witnessed the grandeur of the center of the churches so called holiness in juxtaposition to the destitute poverty that surrounds its very gates, I can not but help to find irony contained within his blessing. However, I do feel led by a higher authority than The Pope himself. Even more so since I have received another vision that I will reveal in a moment. The only thing that keeps my sanity from breaking is that I have seen the future as Our Lord has revealed it to me, and I know that we must hold to the ways of the nature and simplicity at all costs. But I will speak to you of all this soon. The visions are the reason for this missive.

I do not usually pay as much heed to night visions as I do to the ones that are revealed to me while I am fully awake, though a dream came to me, Claire, which left me very disturbed, and I feel is related to the vision that came after.

The moon was full last night dear Claire, and I was restless under its light. I finally fell into a dream, but my body did not rest. I saw you alone in the meadow where we walked in the light of the last full moon. The moon shone upon your face and your skin radiated a light so pure that I was not certain I was beholding you, or an angel at the feet of Our Lord. Then a darkness came over the moon and you disappeared from my vision. I saw instead an old crone with lines, deep and etched in her face with the wisdom of many lifetimes. She asked me what I feared, but before I could answer she threw her head back and cackled in the most irreverent way, and then she disappeared. The light of the moon returned and with it came the sense of your presence although there was no form. I felt the touch of you on my lips, which burned like flames, and I was afraid. And then nothing but the sound of the crone’s laughter, which filled my body so full with its sound that I woke wet and shaking from the vibration.

In the quiet of the early morning, the sun not yet awake to rouse them, the moon shown brightly on the faces of my sleeping companions. I heard the owl call and walked down to the brook that was gurgling softly down the hillside near our camp. Still greatly disturbed from the dream, I knelt on the soft grass near the stream and began to drink the water. As I dipped my hands in the stream, I noticed the moon’s reflection in the water and began to stare into it. The light of its face turned red first, and then became the face of the old crone in the dream, and I was struck with fear. She was still laughing, although I could not hear the sound, and then she disappeared and again became the moon. Then the moon turned dark again and Our Lord appeared to me in robes not unlike my own, he was more radiant than a thousand moons. He looked to be so real that I could almost reach out and touch him. He was speaking to me and although the words had no meaning, a deep peace came over me.

The next part of the vision was grueling Claire, and it displeases me to reveal it, but I must tell you what I saw, as the vision had similar elements to so many of your own. A thousand raptors of every kind came from every direction of the Earth and ripped apart the body of Our Lord. They tore apart his flesh, Claire, and ripped out his eyes. I began to scream to the birds to stop, but they didn’t stop. They continued to rip him apart until all that remained of him was his heart. The raptors fled and a thousand more birds of every species and all colors came from every direction of the Earth and flocked on the ground around the still beating heart of Our Lord. Two bright red birds carefully picked up His Heart and brought it to me, gently placing it into my outstretched hands. When I looked down at the heart, the only thing in my hands was a red feather. I looked up and the birds were gone. Only Our Lord’s face was reflected in the water.

And then he spoke to me Claire, and I understood the words. I will try to write it exactly, I hope I succeed.

‘Francis, I have shown you what has happened to my body at the hands of the church, but you now carry my heart. You must carry my heart through the darkness Francis, and do not be afraid. My gift to you is that you will always know my heart through the voices of birds, and they will always recognize you as friend. But beware the raptors, Francis, they will never stop trying to take my heart. You will carry my burden Francis, and by the end of your days, I will take you with me, the way I was taken, so that all on Earth will truly know forever that you spent your days carrying my heart.’

Then I tried to speak to him Claire, but my throat could only utter bird sounds. He then smiled at me with such a love and compassion that my own heart melted, and I felt certain that the simple selfish heart that I carried in my chest was now replaced by Our Lord’s own Heart. I have never felt such a glowing warmth and a deep compassion for all people. And then the vision faded and only the moon was reflected in the stream.

Then without noticing the growing light, the sun streamed over the horizon and hid the light of the moon. Accompanying the symphony of sunlight were a thousand singing birds, Claire. And they surrounded me, and not for food, for I did not have any. Several of them landed on my shoulders, and as I write this, a wren is asleep nuzzled into my neck. I call him Secret, because that is what he says when he sings.

I will be home in less than a week’s time, and we will begin renovations on the chapel immediately. Oh, my poor Claire, it will be so good to see you again, although I feel a sense of shame that I have asked you to take the vows of marriage to Our Lord. I realize now that this is a burden that is too heavy for you to bear unless you have been called. You deserve a husband that can bring to you the satisfaction that only an Earthly marriage can bring. I know that you feel this desire, I can hear it in your very breath my Claire. Go, let your family find a match who will bring you this happiness.

I feel inclined to write so much more to you, but I have run out of parchment and would have to write on leaves. I will close now and enclose the red feather into this missive while sending you love in the Heart of Our Lord.

Francis

©2010 Catherine Vibert

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6