ST.FRANCIS OF ASSISI : HEALING OF A LEPER (BODY & SOUL)

ST.FRANCIS OF ASSISI : HEALING OF A LEPER (BODY & SOUL)

St. Francis along with his friars was taking care of leprosy patients and sick people in a hospital. There was a certain man who was so seriously ill with leprosy and so impatient and irritable that everyone was sure he was possessed by an evil spirit-and such was the case. He not only attached the friars who nursed him with horrible words and insults, but would also whip and wound them in various ways. Yet the most fearful and worst of all was that he would curse and blaspheme the Blessed Christ and His most Holy Mother and the other Saints. Although the friars tried to endure the insults and injuries meekly in order to increase the merit of their patience, their consciences could not tolerate his blasphemous insults to Christ and His Holy Mother. Finally unable to tolerate this any longer, they told the whole story to Blessed Francis who was then living in another place nearby. After hearing them, St. Francis went to that perverse man with leprosy and entering he greeted him “God give you peace my dear brother”. The man reproached St. Francis as well. St. Francis knowing by the Holy Ghost that he was troubled by an evil spirit, went and began to pray devoutly to God for him. After having prayed, St. Francis went to the man and said “Brother, I want to take care of you, and will do whatever you want”. The man replied “I want you to wash me all over, because I smell so bad that I cannot stand it myself”. Then St. Francis immediately had water boiled with many sweet-scented herbs and began to wash him with his holy hands. And by a divine miracle wherever Blessed Francis touched, the man was healed of his leprosy and his skin remained completely healed. Soon not only his whole body but his soul as well began to heal and to be cleansed. Once the man saw that he was healed externally, he immediately began to have great compunction and remorse for his sins. He cried bitterly and repented sincerely for all his sins, so much so that his conscience was baptized by tears and contrition and cleansed from all evil and sin. From that day on the man remained holy and pure to his death. St. Francis immediately left the place to a distant region, lest the people seeing this great miracle besiege him, because through humility he wanted to flee any worldly glory, and in all that he did, as a faithful and prudent servant, he sought to procure the honor of God and not his own, and to receive humiliation and disgrace among men for himself.