A message of Mercy and Hope to China from Assisi -- St. Francis to the sick and fearful

Brother Francis of Assisi invites us to care for our brothers and sisters, especially now in China, at a time when many people are suffering. One of the oldest lives of the saint indicates that mercy towards the sick, troubled, and infirm can be a way of hope. This message of compassion and hope is sent from Assisi to the land of China. The image shows the translation from Latin into Chinese of a passage from the Life of our blessed Francis here in English:

Then the holy lover of profound humility moved to the lepers and stayed with them. For God's sake, he served all of them with great love. He washed all the filth from them and even cleaned out the pus of their sores. The sight of lepers was so bitter to him that in the days of his vanity when he saw their houses even two miles away, he would cover his nose with his hands. With the grace and strength of the Most High, while still in the clothes of the world, he met a leper one day. Made stronger than himself, he came up and kissed him. [...] He was also a helper of the poor. 

For more information on the complete Chinese translation of this work cf. www.ilcattolico.it.   Some Franciscan resources are also available from the “Franciscan Education Channel” in Hong Kong through a series of videos “Facing the Epidemic with St Francis” via YouTube.