What do you want me to do?
Leer en Español
In 1205 he decided to attempt to gain some knightly glory and overcome his defeat and imprisonment by joining the crusades. He had some expensive clothes made for the endeavor and prepared to depart.
Before departing he encountered a true knight of noble birth who seemed to have only one set of ragged clothes. Francis gave the knight all the clothes he had made for himself. The compassion and generosity that characterized Francis life as a penitent, was obviously already a part of his character going back as far as when he spent his money on his friends in their endless hedonism.
About this time, Francis had a dream that a man called his name and then led him into an enormous room filled with weapons and shields and military gear each with a sign of a cross on it. He asked who all these things were for and was told the palace and contents were for him and his knights.
Then with great enthusiasm, Francis left for Puglia to join the crusade. He only rode 22 miles to Spoleto when he experienced a reoccurrence of malaria. He was very ill with fever, nausea, cold spells and shaking. It was obvious that he could not continue his journey to knighthood and the crusades.
During this sickness he heard a voice asking where he was going.
He said, “To the crusades.”
The voice asked whom he should serve, the master or servant.
He responded, “The master.”
“Then why are you abandoning the master to follow the servant?” asked the voice.
Francis understood it was Jesus who was speaking to him and he asked, “Lord what do you want me to do?”
The voice said, “Return home. You will be told what to do. You must understand your vision in a different way”.
Comments
Post a Comment