Reflections by: Eden Leow, Aaron Dhavanar, Ashwin Pandiyan, Jonah Kwek
Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels (Portiuncula)
Today, we explored some places that are central to the Franciscan Order, and hold a special place in many people’s hearts around the world. To start the day, we travelled a short distance away to the foot of Assisi, to the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels.
The Basilica encloses the 9th century little church, the Portiuncula, the most sacred place for the Franciscans, and the birth of the Franciscan order. It was here that the young St. Francis of Assisi understood his vocation and renounced the world in order to live in poverty among the poor, and thus started the Franciscan movement. This was one of the churches that St. Francis himself rebuilt stone by stone when he received the call to repair the Lord’s house in San Damiano. In the Porziuncola today, there remains some of the rough, squared stones taken from Mount Subasio, which were put in place by St. Francis while repairing this little church. Pilgrims from all around the world visit this small church, to find the same peace and humility that St. Francis carried, which continues to inspire Christians all around today.
Another distinctive place in St. Mary of the Angels is the Rose Garden and Rose Chapel. Legend tells that St. Francis had some lustful thoughts, as he wanted to start a family. Seeking penance, he decided to roll naked on the thorn bush of roses. As his body made contact with the thorn roses, the thorn of the bramble bushes disappeared, turning into roses without thorns. Since then, that particular rose species, Canina Assisiensis has grown in this garden and has always remained thornless. Other roses have tried to be grown here, but they grew with thorns; the roses have tried to be transported elsewhere, but they grow with some thorns. This miracle is extremely beautiful, and shows the glory and providence of the Lord.
This beautiful Basilica now has a special place in my heart. As I entered the Basilica, there was a recording of an organ piece blaring through the speakers, creating a grand yet reflective entrance. As I walked slowly towards the Porziuncola, I felt waves of joy and calm pulsing through my body as I soaked in the atmosphere. I was filled with extreme wonder and gratitude for what God has created and for the amazing works that He has done through St Francis and St Clare. As we continued to tour the Basilica, we made our way to a small chapel where we had Mass. A strong rose aroma wafted through the chapel and the corridor surrounding it, which I was particularly attracted to and is a scent I will never forget. St Francis’s burning passion is an inspiration for me and the world as well, showing us the joy and humility of the Lord in His poverty, and how he lived out the Gospel.
Father JP also offered confession after Mass. This was extremely special for me, and helped me come to terms with many things that I have been struggling with lately, especially with regards to self-identity and guilt. As I sat in confession, hearing the words of forgiveness, I felt an overwhelming peace and love overcome me, as I saw that I did not need to put up any faces to be loved by God, as God wanted to love me with all my faults and weaknesses.
San Damiano
After our visit to St Mary of the Angels, we made our way back to the hotel to hoard a taxi to San Damiano. The route was a scenic one – driving up a narrow path filled with wildflowers and trees that set a tone of serenity even before we arrived. It soon became a surreal scene as the sounds of birds filled the misty atmosphere, bringing a new meaning to tranquillity and allowing us to calm our hearts. As we entered the space, Father Derrick gave us a quick introduction about the chapel that was said to house the original San Damiano Cross prior to its moving to the Basilica of St. Clare. The lips on the cross were said to have moved asking Francis to go rebuild the church – which Francis interpreted to be the physical Church of San Damiano, but soon realised that it meant the universal Church of God.
This was a truly remarkable task; looking at the church, it was not a simple structure with several floors that Francis painstakingly constructed. This church is also said to have held special significance with St. Francis, as he prophesied that a group of women would live in the house. It is also where St Clare defended her Poor Clares against the invading Muslim conquerors simply by showing the monstrance.
The structure itself offered glimpses into the lives of St. Francis and St. Clare through its various features. For instance, the window at the chapel was shown to be where St Clare gazed upon Francis as he died. Here, Fr. Derrick invited us to pray the prayer of discernment particularly for those stuck in the liminal space. This was particularly striking to me as I was struggling to find courage in trusting God to lead me in discovering my own true purpose. Seeing the immense faith and dedication St. Clare had in following Jesus inspired me to use this as an opportunity to listen to God’s prompting to me. As scary as this may seem, I was comforted that Jesus used ordinary people to do extraordinary things through him.
We then proceeded to the oratory where St Clare is shown to have prayed before moving into the chapel that even marked the location where she died (on 11 Aug 1253) days after her writing of the Franciscan rule was approved by the Pope. From the oratory, Father also told us about the story of Francis living in the garden and exposed to the elements such as rats. In the morning however, he heard a voice from God assuring him and felt the rays of sun enlightening him to write the now famous “Canticle of Creatures’ ‘. This was a poignant reminder of praising God even in the midst of suffering – whereby in utter forgiveness and surrendering to Jesus, we are able to address our sufferings as brothers and sisters. This showed me that even in the midst of suffering I could still see goodness and rays of hope by embracing even difficult situations and people as God’s plan in revealing his beauty. By finding joy in the goodness of God’s creation, it freed me to find joy in more things (and hopefully everything) – as a famous Jesuit once said, “if you can’t find joy in small things, you can’t find joy in everything.”
Lastly, we had the privilege of meeting a Friar who is WORLD famous for his singing – Friar Alessandro. Beyond his singing abilities, Friar Alessandro was also able to share with us his deep adhering to the Franciscan spirituality namely that we are brothers and sisters with one another and through this deep connection and communion, we are able to be like the sun – lighting up the world and bringing life to the world through the rays of hope that we shine on each other. We were then treated to a chance to hear his rendition of the Canticle in song, whereby Friar Alessandro, through thorough research and discernment, was able to reconstruct its lost melody. This was an enchanting moment as the music echoed the praise exemplified through the words, providing deeper depth appreciation over this magnificent piece of work.
Basilica of St. Francis
After a hearty lunch consisting of Tortellini in a hot broth, roasted pork, and tiramisu, we headed to the Basilica of St. Francis, considered the Mother Church of the OFMs. The Franciscan Friary (Sacro Convento) and the Lower and Upper Basilicas (Italian: Basilica inferiore e superiore) of St. Francis of Assisi were begun in honor of this local saint, immediately after his canonisation in 1228. The Church contains many murals that depict the life of St. Francis and his brothers, and more importantly, the tomb of St. Francis, amongst his brothers.
The experience being at the Basilica was truly a special one, and a deeply spiritual one. St. Francis is one of my greatest heroes of the faith, and is someone whom I see embodies the simplicity, peace and joy of the Gospel given by Christ. As I entered the Basilica, I was immediately wow-ed by the sheer amount of artworks and murals all around the walls and the roof. The artworks were not only intricate, but deeply spiritual, and told the story of the OFMs (the point of artworks – as many people in the past were not literate). It was particularly interesting to see how the style of artworks evolved with time, from flat paintings to paintings with more depth, and then 3-dimensional paintings. Through the artworks, I felt that I was able to come to a deeper understanding and appreciation of the life of Christ, and the story of the OFMs. The paintings also bear witness to the true power and beauty of the Gospel, something I deeply appreciated.
However, hands down the most spiritual and personal moment was being with St. Francis and his brothers at their tomb. As I knelt there in front of his tomb, a deep sense of peace and joy overcame me, and I felt truly at peace with the Gospel and with myself – something that I have been struggling with for a long time. I struggled with the truth that as messy as my life was, God still desires to reach out to me and to know me intimately, something which St. Francis held on to so dearly, the joy and freedom of the Gospel. As I knelt, I just kept asking the question: “Lord who am I, and who are you? Who am I in your eyes, and what is your call for me?” And I remember one word that kept hitting home: “HUMILITY”. Thus, I am called to let go of any expectations and criticisms that I have for myself, claiming forgiveness from the Lord, and realising with the utmost humility, that my life is not mine to live, but God’s. Truly, “not my will, but yours be done Lord.” Though this will be tough to claim, I trust that in time, the Lord will move in my life, and show me the way to go with sure hope and perfect charity. The Lord never fails to save, and all I have to do is to take the leap of faith, allowing myself to be embraced by the Lord, following in the footsteps of St. Francis, as by letting go, he truly allowed himself to not only live out the call of the Lord, but to claim JOY, a perfect JOY of the Gospel.
Basilica of St. Clare
When Saint Clare passed on in the 1200s, the exterior of the ancient church of Saint George, that for a short period hosted St Francis’s body, was refashioned in a Gothic style and renamed Basilica of Saint Clare. Clare originated from a bourgeois family but escaped the confines and necessities of her nobility, instead joining Francis and his friars at the Porziuncola to pursue a life of poverty and service. Francis himself cut her hair as a sign of her penitent condition. Later, Clare settled in the church of San Damiano and was joined by her mother and sister and later on, nearly fifty women. Intrigued by Francis and his way of life, St Clare founded a group of sisters, the Clarisse or the Poor Clares, living in poverty, devoted to prayer. A legend tells that she was bed-ridden because of her illness, so she couldn’t attend Christmas mass together with Francis but miraculously, Claire had a “live” vision showing her the function. Here, in the Chapel of the Crucifix, the original San Damiano cross stands in all its glory. The Legend goes that the crucifix spoke to Saint Francis, sending him on his mission.
I sat in front of the San Damiano cross, almost desperate for the cross to speak to me. It had been a tiring few days and it felt like this had to be the moment that God chose to speak to me and yet, I was met with silence. I’m no longer at the point of my life at which I question God’s timing but instead, I began questioning my preparation for this moment. Had I missed something, was I not spiritually ready? And that’s when it hit me. Why had I become so insistent on the inherent power belonging to the cross? Was it not too just an instrument that the Father uses to pour His grace out on His children. In my desperation to hear the voice of God, I had forgotten that things are not powerful and full of Grace of their own accord but only through Him. It was not the cross that demanded by trust but the Person who was willing to die on one for me. I left the Basilica knowing that for the rest of the trip, instead of looking around, it was time to look up.
We would just like to share the very prayer that St. Francis prayed in front of the cross, as a prayer of discernment and enlightenment, that it might bring you the same peace that it brought us. Here is the prayer:
“Most High glorious God, enlighten the darkness of my heart.
Give me right faith, sure hope and perfect charity.
Fill me with understanding and knowledge that I may fulfill your command.”
Today was truly a moving day with many deep spiritual encounters, and we feel extremely heartened and inspired to take the spirit of St. Francis and St. Clare to the future days in the trip, and to Singapore. We wish everyone the same greeting that St. Francis said, “Pace e Bene”, which translates to “Peace and All Good”!
