The Cross of San Damiano comes to life and speaks to Saint Francis of Assisi

The Cross of San Damiano that spoke to Saint Francis

As he was praying, a blanket of silence covered the church. 

Even the sounds of the birds flying in an out, and the singing crickets and other insects stopped.  It was as if the world had come to a complete halt.  Francis looked up at the huge Cross of San Damiano in front of him. 

The eyes, huge brown, almond eyes, penetrated deep into his soul.  Jesus came to life on the Cross of San Damiano.  He locked His gaze on the frightened little man. 

Francis got up enough courage to ask him, "What do you want of me, Lord?"  Jesus spoke to him.  "Go and repair My Church, which as you can see, is in ruins." 

Francis stared at the Miracle which was taking place in front of his very eyes. 

The Lord may have spent more time with him than that.  We're not told in the life of St. Francis just how much time the Lord spent with him, or what else he may have said to him.  We do know that this was the absolute turning point of his life. 

This Miracle of the Cross of San Damiano, which consisted in the Lord breathing life into a wooden image of Himself, and speaking some few words to this chosen apostle, would change the life of this young man forever, who would, in turn, save the Church of the Middle Ages. 

Francis became totally committed to the Lord, but he didn't really know in what way or to what degree. 

He looked around at the little Church of San Damiano, which was truly in ruins, and did what he thought the Lord was asking him to do. 

He went about repairing it.  His approach was simplistic; he used stone and mortar, but he was doing what the Lord told him. 

When the time came that the total plan of the Lord, or rather that part of it He wanted Francis to execute at that time, was laid out before Francis, he eagerly did what he did on that first key day in his life, he said yes and went to work. 

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