Father Anthony und Pater Petar waren im September 2014 für 1 Woche in Assisi, der Heimatstadt ihres großen Vorbilds, des Hl. Franz von Assisi.
Dieser lebte im Einklang mit Natur, Sonne, Mond, Luft, Wind, Blumen und Tieren! Genau das war es ursprünglich, das beide Männer in den Orden der Franziskaner eintreten ließ, um so zu leben und seinem Beispiel zu folgen. Doch die Realität stellt diesen Wunsch tagtäglich auf eine harte Probe! Dadurch, dass unser Father Anthony in einem Land wie BiH lebt, in dem Tiere alles andere als geschätzt werden, ist es für ihn mehr als nur eine stete Prüfung seines“ Glaubens-Bekenntnisses“!
Denn sein Credo lautet „immer bereit zu sein, wo immer es auch zum Wohle der Tiere benötigt wird.“
Hier der ORIGINALREISEBERICHT!
Fra Tony and fra Petar travelled to Assisi to revisit significant places in the life of St Francis of Assisi, the protector of nature and animals. We were provided accommodation by the friars at the monastery of St Mary of the Angels. Here we met friar Alessandro Giacomo Brustenghi who is a member of the Franciscan province of Umbria. He played the piano and sang Il Sole Mio for us. We even had the opportunity to partake in the blessing of the animals at the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi. After our 7 days of prayer in Assisi we feel so proud to be Franciscans.
St Francis was reverently in love with all natural phenomena – sun, moon, air, wind, flowers and animals. He loved all of LIFE and his warm tenderness for animals was noted time and time again. Many of the stories that surround the life of St Francis deal with his love for animals. One day when St Francis was travelling with his brother friars they came across a place where birds filled the trees. St Francis said to his brothers: Wait for me while I go to preach to my sisters the birds! The birds surrounded him , drawn by the power of his voice, and not one of them flew away.
Fra Petar and I visited this place in Assisi at the hermitage called the Le Carceri in Le Carcere. It lies in the mountains about 4,5 kms above Assisi. It is a beautiful place. St Francis used this beautiful place as a retreat for prayer. He preached to the birds here.
Here we prayed for God’s blessing for all the good people from ACI and we asked God to help them to continue their holy work in saving the lives of poor abandoned animals in Bosnia and Herzegovina. As Franciscans we firmly believe in the good work of ACI because St Francis is quoted as saying: Not to hurt our humble brethren the animals is our first duty to them, but stop there is not enough. We have a higher mission: to be of service to them when ever they require it.
It is believed that the olive tree behind fra Tony in the photo is the original tree in the which the birds listened to St Francis. Giotto has a painted a very famous painting with St Francis preaching to the birds.
Love and peace, fra Tony
