“A friar-minor, who had long been the companion of St Francis, told some of our brethren — one of whom in turn related it to Brother Jordan, then Master of the Order that when St Dominic our Father was in Rome, during the sitting of the Lateran Council, pressing his suit before God and the Pope for the confirmation of his Order, as he was praying one night — according to his custom — in the church, he beheld our Lord Jesus Christ standing by his throne in mid-air, and holding three lances which he was about to hurl against the earth. At the same moment the Virgin Mother, falling on her knees, besought him to have mercy on those whom he had redeemed, and to temper his justice with mercy. ‘Seest thou not what countless wrongs they continue to heap upon me?’ said he. ‘Right willingly would I have mercy, but my justice will not allow evil to go unpunished.’ Thereupon the Queen Mother again addressed him: ‘My Son, I know, as dost thou, who knowest all things, how thou canst restore mankind to thy favour. I have by me one trusty liegeman whom thou shalt send into the world to make known thy word, and thenceforth it will forsake and bewail its evil ways, and follow thee, its Saviour. To him as fellow labourer shall I give another of my servants to toil in even way.’ Upon this her Son answered; ‘Behold, now I am appeased and I accept thy plan; yet show me the man thou hast chosen.’ Then the glorious Virgin, taking St Dominic by the hand, led him to our Lord Jesus Christ, who, with an approving smile, replied: ‘Right well and manfully shall he carry out what thou hast said.’ She then brought forward St Francis, whom our Lord praised evenly. The blessed Dominic earnestly scanned the features of his companion while the vision lasted; on the morrow recognising him in the blessed Francis, although hitherto a stranger to him, he ran up and tenderly embraced him with a kiss, saying: ‘You are my comrade, let us stand together, and no foe shall prevail against us.’ After this he told his vision, and from that hour they became but one heart and one soul in God, and enjoined their sons to foster this brotherly spirit to the end of time.” – LIVES OF THE BRETHREN 1:1