St. Francis in the Middle East

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Today is the Solemnity of St. Francis, October 4th.

What is interesting that in these troubled times in regards to the Middle East, it is interesting that we can look to St. Francis because indeed, it may not come to our mind at first that St. Francis went over to the Middle East, perhaps in the days of the Crusades. This is a matter to study on history.

Excerpt: The writings of St. Bonaventure.

Being urged in the spirit to martyrdom by the intense ardour of his charity, [Francis] sought a third time to spread the faith in the Holy Trinity by the shedding of his blood, and endeavoured again to make his way to the land of the infidels.

In the thirteenth year after his conversion he went into Syria, and boldly exposed himself to many dangers to gain admittance to the Sultan of Babylon. At that time so implacable a warfare was raging between the Christians and the Saracens, the armies of both nations being encamped over against each other, that it was impossible to pass from one to the other without peril of death. For the Sultan had made a cruel decree, that whoever should bring him the head of a Christian should receive a gold bezant as his reward.

rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-glorious-francis-and-true-spirit-of.html#more (no endorsement is made of the website except in this, I think in this day and age, this is important to consider and reflect on)