When Saint Francis was in Damietta, Egypt during the Fifth Crusade, he spent over twenty days in the camp of the Sultan, Malek-al-Kamil, witnessing to Jesus Christ and trying to bring peace between the crusaders and the Muslims. While there, Francis was moved by the honor which the Muslims showed to the ninety-nine names of Allah. It confirmed for him the importance of reverence for God’s name, which he already held dear in his own heart and life.
Reverence for God’s written words. Again and again, Saint Francis admonishes us to hold reverently the words of God which hold God himself in their mystery. Reverence for the words of God leads to reverence for the Word of God, who is Jesus Christ.
—from the book The Simple Way: Meditations on the Words of Saint Francis
by Murray Bodo, OFM
