I did not even intend to knock.

I was in the dark; I could see nothing, I was simply touching, the wall with my hand." The Pope was silent for some time, lost in thought; then he remarked that the manuscript contained the words: "At first a man dressed in black guided me." Benedetto did not remember this.
"You know," the Pope continued, "that prophecy alone is not sufficient proof of saintliness.

You know there are such things (such cases have been met with) as prophetic visions which were the work of-well, perhaps not of malign spirits, we know too little of these matters to assert that--but of occult powers, of powers innate in human nature, or of powers superior to human nature, but which most certainly have nothing to do with holiness.

Can you describe to me the state of your soul when you had the vision ?" "I was feeling most bitter sorrow at having drawn away from God, at having been deaf to His calls, an infinite gratitude for His patient kindness, and an infinite desire of Christ.

In my mind I had just seen, really seen, shining clear and white against a dark background, those words of the Gospel, which long ago, in the time of goodness had been so dear to me: _'Magister adest et vocat te.'_ Don Giuseppe Flores was officiating, and Mass was nearly over, when, as I prayed, my face buried in my hands, the vision came to me.