Toward the end of his life, Francis had an eye infection cauterized with a white-hot iron. Before the iron was applied, Francis asked the fire to be gentle with him. Courtesy is also a two-way street. Francis extended courtesy to Brother Fire but asked that the same courtesy be shown toward him. Such a profound sense of relatedness may surprise us, but it makes sense when we recall how intimately Francis shared the energy of the Source of all life.
— Wayne Simsic, Living the Wisdom of St. Francis