Good afternoon, brothers and sisters. Today I will recall a story from my homeland, the Three Blessed Massabki Brothers.
“In the year 1860, the Muslims in Damascus and the Druze in what is now Lebanon attacked and massacred thousands of Christians.
The Massabki brothers (Francis, Abdel Moati, and Raphaei), along with a large crowd of Christians, took refuge in the Franciscan monastery in Damascus, after the Muslims had set fire to the Christian neighborhood.
In the monastery, they were praying, asking for the intercession of the Blessed Mother, receiving the sacrament of reconciliation from the Franciscan Fathers, and receiving the Eucharist. Among the Franciscan Fathers were; Fathers Ruiz, Colta, Escanio, Solar, Alberca, Binazi, Fernadez and Colanda.
Their Muslim assailants were able to enter the Franciscan Church and demanded that they abandon their religion. One of the brothers, Francis, refused their demand and said:
>“We do not fear the one who kills the body. . . a crown is prepared for us in heaven, we have our souls. . . and we do not wish to lose them, we are Christians and we wish to die as Christians.“
On the night of July 10, the three Massabki brothers, along with the Franciscan Fathers, were martyred in the Church before the altar by their Muslim attackers.
Pope Pius XI declared them blessed on October 10, 1926.”