44. This mountain was now to be their home, and as such needed to be made habitable. So they built there three dwellings, one a material building, the others mystical and moral[99].

The first was their actual house. It was constructed of modest materials on the very top of the mountain and along the lines God had shown them. The location itself was well supplied with spring water. There was a surrounding meadow of green grass and a beautiful grove of trees. It was blessed by God with healthy, fresh air. When it was completed, our fathers began to live there.

What is meant by the other dwelling, the moral, was the special indwelling of Christ in the soul of each one of them. The pattern of this dwelling was shown to them on the mountain[100] which is Christ. It was built by Wisdom itself[101], founded on the heights of love and situated in the heart of each of our fathers. Its building materials were the composite of their virtues, its supports were their observance. The interior was decorated in lustrous purity and the exterior in splendid good works. When this dwelling was completed, Christ himself lived in it.

The mystical dwelling they built was that unique assembly of friars we call our Order. This dwelling was in the main built by Our Lady. It was founded on the humility of our fathers, constructed of their oneness of mind and heart, held together by poverty, adorned by purity. Since its completion this dwelling is supposed to be occupied by a long succession of holy friars following each other down to the Day of Judgement.

45. This last mentioned dwelling, all the friars of our Order, is identified by the special name of the Order of the Servants of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It began, of course, when these fathers of ours personally came together. But it was on the mountain that it was eventually propagated[102] by them and in the following way. They had already settled themselves up there and were finding no small joy in the pleasant place God had pointed out and prepared for them; they were daily making progress in virtue[103]. What happened then is that by divine providence their way of living[104] awakened in the people, even from a distance, love and devotion towards our fathers.

Their reputation drew the people to want to see them even more than had been the case when they were living close to them in the city. Word of their holiness and virtue drifted down to the people like pleasant music or sweet perfume. Consequently, many of these people, devoutly tracing such lovely sound and scent, were drawn to search out eagerly the source thereof[105]. Large numbers of people from Florence and the surrounding areas converged on the mountain[106]. "Why are we hesitating", they said to one another, "to go out to visit these servants of the Lord from whom such fragrance of virtue is emanating? Why do we not get to know them? Come, let us take ourselves to this Monte Sonaio, sonorous and sweet-smelling mountain of the Lord. When we get to the top we will find there[107] those godly men whose reputation has reached our ears. We can learn the ways of the Lord from the words we will hear there, words aflame with charity, and guided by their holiness we can make a firm decision to walk the paths of the Lord[108]. In everything we do from now on we can follow the example to be shown us on the mountain of the Lord by these servants of his".

How happy and wonderful was this era of our fathers! It was sustained in a special way by the hand of God; it was ordered in all things according to his will; it saw large numbers of people even from a great distance being attracted[109] to them by the reputation of their sanctity.