Introduction In 1219, St. Francis arrived in Acre with the Crusades that departed from the European continent to the Middle East, but he arrived in a spirit of love, tolerance and peace. He met with the Sultan who ruled at that time, the Sultan Al-Kamil, who gave St Francis permission to visit the Holy Land and its churches existing at that time, and he arrived here, in Jerusalem, then left Jerusalem for Bethlehem, and returned to his home in Assisi. But he left behind him a small group of Franciscan friars, the Friars Minor, to establish the first nucleus of the Franciscan presence in the Holy Land, that nucleus grew, and their numbers in the Holy Land increased, and from here, from Jerusalem they left for other cities and also to other countries, so they also arrived in Syria, precisely in Damascus. Let us go together from here, from Jerusalem to Damascus. History The Martyrs of Damascus We travelled back in time to 1860, to the city of Damascus, where there were eight friars living in the monastery. They served by teaching the people of the area, of all denominations, and provided spiritual assistance to the parishes surrounding the monastery. Suddenly, a movement of jealousy and religious hatred arose against them, and the persecution plan began. Father Emmanuel Ruetz, the superior, heard about this. At first, he was frightened and worried, but despite his weak build, he was a man of faith, courage and fatherly spirit for his brothers, so he gathered his sons and explained to them the gravity of the situation. At this point, the brothers went to confession, attended Mass and received Holy Communion, as if preparing to give their lives as a witness to Jesus Christ the Saviour. When the war against the friars flared up, they in turn blocked and reinforced the monastery gates, believing that the high walls of the monastery and the strength of the gates would protect them until help and peace arrived. However, one person managed to leap over the walls, enter the monastery and open the gates closed to the tyrants. The flock dispersed and each monk ran in a different direction to protect himself from the wrath of the persecutors, while the superior went to the church and to the tabernacle, consumed the Eucharistic species of Christ's body kept there, so that no one would desecrate it. Then the criminals surprised him and asked him under threats to apostatise and change his faith in Jesus Christ or be killed on that altar. He refused all their ideas, refused to deny Jesus Christ and his faith in him, so the tyrants put his head on that altar and cut it off, separating it from his neck and his immaculate body with the blade of the sword. When two friars realised this, they ran towards the bell tower: they were Francisco and Juan, who rang the bells, asking for help, but at the same time praising the birth of a saint in heaven. But the assassins surprised them and beat Francis to death, throwing him off the top of the bell tower to be martyred on the spot, while Juan was also thrown into the monastery courtyard, but did not die and remained for many hours suffering from the pain of the fall, until one of the criminals surprised him and killed him with his sword. Brother Nikolaos went into the street and tried to flee, trying to call for help, but he too was shot and martyred. In the midst of these events, two schoolchildren entered the monastery, trying to understand what was going on. Brother Pedro saw them, worried by the reaction of the criminals, and tried to hide the young people; as he did so, the persecutors grabbed him and insisted, under threat, that he change his faith and deny Jesus Christ and his salvation through Him, he stubbornly refused, prostrated himself and raised his eyes to heaven and asked God for strength, firmness and blessing as he was martyred by the slaughterers. Brother Nikonora fled in panic and fear, but the criminals caught him and threatened him to deny his faith, but he refused, so they killed him, plunging a dagger into his pure and loving heart. One of the friars, Angelo Berto, managed to reach a neighbour's house and tried to take refuge there, and did so until the killers discovered where he was. They captured him and attacked him with an axe, so that he too was martyred, refusing to deny his faith in Jesus Christ. Several days after these events, one of the Christians of the area, Francis Nadim, was searching for a friar whose trail had been lost since the beginning of the persecutions, Brother Carmel, and unfortunately found his body abandoned in a street, so he transported him and placed him in the basement of the monastery with the rest of his dead brothers. The persecution was not only limited to the religious, but also to three brothers of the Maronite Church, who also attended the Franciscan monastery in Damascus, Francis, Muti and Raphael, who were also killed by the sword and martyred because they refused to deny Jesus Christ the Saviour, and remained steadfast and firm, with love and faith, and offered their lives as a pure sacrifice into the hands of the executioners. They all gave their lives, monks and laymen, as a living testimony that faith in Jesus Christ, the Saviour, is based on the example of how he loved us and gave himself for us and for our redemption. Epilogue Lord, if thou wilt, remove this cup from me, but let it be thy will and not mine, this is what Jesus Christ said here in Jerusalem and particularly in the Garden of Gethsemane. We returned from Damascus to Jerusalem from where we had started. We heard and saw the story of the martyrs of Damascus, both the story of the friars and the story of the lay people, who gave their lives and their blood as a witness to the love of God. They gave their lives and their blood as a testimony of a clear love for Jesus Christ, why? The question arises: why did they do it? They could have run away, they could have changed the fate of their lives, but they did not, because God's will was more important to them than any human will, even their own. They refused to deny Jesus Christ, who had saved them with his blood on the cross, and they wanted to be witnesses of the faith in that moment, in that trial, and in those challenges they experienced in Damascus. Dear brothers and sisters, the challenges are there, the difficulties are endless, but what are we to do in the face of these challenges? We must imitate the saints, we must endure, we must stand with our eyes raised to heaven and ask for God's will and not our own, as Jesus Christ did here in the Garden of Gethsemane. The witness in our Christian faith is the witness of truth to truth, and the truth is Jesus Christ; so why should we delay in witnessing to the truth? Still I say challenges do not end, difficulties exist and will remain, we are called to imitate the saints of Damascus, and St Francis, who in turn imitated Jesus Christ and said: Thy will be done, O Lord. Then thy will be done in all of us, Amen. Saint Manuel Ruiz Born in Spain in 1804, he entered the Franciscan order at the age of 21. At the time of the persecutions, he courageously answered: No, I am a Christian and I want to die a Christian. St Francisco Pinazo Born in 1802, he decided to become a monk. He wore the Franciscan habit in 1822. He took his vows as a brother. Saint Giovanni Giacomo Fernandez Born in 1808, he took the Franciscan habit in 1831 In 1859 he was sent to Damascus where his acquaintances admired his great piety and humility. St Nicola Alberca In 1859 he was sent with other companions to Damascus to learn Arabic. In the time of persecution he courageously responded: I would rather endure death a thousand times than deny my faith. Saint Pedro Soler Born in 1827, he was able to fulfil his wish to become a friar at the age of 29. In times of persecution, he courageously responded: I am a Christian and I prefer to die a Christian. Saint Nicanor Ascanius Born in 1816, he entered the Franciscan Order at the age of 16. In time of persecution he courageously replied: I am a Christian, so kill me. Saint Engelbert Kolland Born in 1927, he wore the robes of St Francis in 1849. With courage he responded at the time of persecution: I am a Christian and also a priest, so you can kill me. St Carmelo Bolta Born in 1801, he entered the Franciscan Order at the age of 22 and was ordained a priest. At the time of persecution he responded courageously: This will never be.