Seven hundred and ninety-one years ago today, St Francis of Assisi died at the tender age of 44. As we prepare to celebrate his feast day tomorrow, October 4, we can’t help but wonder what such a devout saint would make of this beautiful video in which two wild cub bears are rescued by fishermen in the Karelia region of Russia.
One of the fishermen, Ruslan Lukanin, explained how the bears had been swimming across the lake with their ambitious mom when they got into trouble. While mom swam off to a nearby island, the two little cubs were left fighting for their lives in the chilly waters. “It was dangerous, of course,” Lukanin, a tourist from Moscow, shared. “But they are living creatures. We couldn’t just look the other way.”
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So with the bears left desperately clinging to the boat, their petrified faces pleading for help, the fishermen risked their lives and pulled the bears to safety and dropped them off on the nearby island to join their mom.
We’re not sure what’s cuter, the gorgeous drenched faces of these vulnerable wild cubs, or the soothing words of the fishermen during the rescue mission: “Don’t be afraid, just don’t be afraid. We’ll rescue you, don’t be afraid.” Words we can only imagine echoing those of Saint Francis, who called all creatures his “brothers” and “sisters.”
And today we celebrate...