“The exact date of Francis’s arrival in Egypt is not known, but he probably stepped off a Crusader vessel soon after the July 31 battle. Francis would have landed in time to catch the scent of death in the summer heat. Corpses would have piled up along the ramparts crossed to enter the camp. Even thought he had witnessed intense violence on the battlefield at Collestrada, he had never seen anything approaching this horrific sight.”
-Paul Moses, The Saint and the Sultan, (Doubleday Religion, 2009) p. 107
Today we celebrate the feast day of Saint Francis. The Saint Francis we often see pictured is filled with joy and talking to the birds, preaching peace. I love these images, but I always feel like this great man is (continue reading at the Times Union)
