Two Ladders

It is told in the Franciscan Chronicles that Brother Leon one day saw two ladders: a red one, on which Jesus-Christ stood; the other a white one where Mary was standing. He then saw souls who tried to climb the red ladder. They managed to go up a few rungs, but then fell; they kept trying again and again, but they always ended up falling down. Then one of them tried to climb the white ladder, and Brother Leon saw that they went up swiftly, because the Blessed Virgin lent them a hand. On this ladder, they arrived with little difficulty in paradise.