Reflection by: Evagelin
Chronicles of a pilgrim – Day 5 – Rome/Assisi
With a lingering gaze upon the majestic jewel of Rome, the resplendent dome of St. Peter’s Basilica, my fellow pilgrims and I embarked together on an enchanting journey towards Assisi, the very heart of Franciscan spirituality.
Our initial sojourn led us to Santuario di Fonte Colombo, a place intricately woven into the fabric of Franciscan history. As Friar John Paul enlightened us during the bus journey of the order’s history, this venerable site stands as the mother church of the Franciscan order. It was here, that precisely 800 years ago in 1223, that Pope Innocent III solemnly affirmed the Constitutions of the Friars Minor, bestowing profound timeless significance upon this sacred site. Remarkably, God’s hand has intricately shaped St. Francis’s vision for an astounding 800 years, a divine influence echoed in the present with the current papal name being Francis. As we celebrate the birth of the Franciscan Order and the inaugural nativity orchestrated by St. Francis in Greccio, the continuity of this divine narrative unfolds across the centuries.
Fonte Colombo translates to Fountain of Doves in Latin and is nicknamed Franciscan Sinai. Due to the approval of an order of an imitation to Moses with the receiving of 10 commandments. Amongst the cluster of sanctuaries, Fonte Colombo held special significance for St. Francis of Assisi as it was the place where he sought refuge and spent significant periods of contemplation and prayer. This remote hermitage, located in the Rieti Valley, provided a serene environment for St. Francis to deepen his spiritual connection and reflect on the principles of his fledgling, the Franciscan Order. A sacred speco similar to the one in Narni is also located here. In stark contrast to the ornate grandeur of Baroque/Gothic churches inspired in Renaissance-era Rome, the chapel of Fonte Colombo stands as a humble mediaeval haven. Its simplicity echoes the very essence of St. Francis— a retreat where the architecture itself becomes a reflection of the saint’s dedication to simplicity and humility.
The enchanting glass paintings illustrating the life of St. Francis in the chapel, especially the one where St Francis has his temple cauterised due to glaucoma. It taught me resilience in the midst of utter despair as well as gratitude to God’s providence. In so much suffering, St Francis relentlessly worked and cherished the growth of his order. I was astonished by the fact that after undergoing immense suffering and accomplishment, in his transitus St Francis told his brothers “Let us begin again, for until now we have done nothing…”
Learning about the chronicles of St Francis in Fonte Colombo I was able to refresh my own spiritual connection to St Francis and to the Lord Jesus. St Francis is a saint close to my heart as from young, my parish has been and will always be St. Mary of the Angels church back in Singapore. Fonte Colombo sparked an inexplicable emotions of guilt, anxiety, loneliness in myself as I found myself standing near the weary figure of Jesus on the cross and in the rocky slopes to the sacred speco. Similar feelings experienced by St Francis although not in depth. What caught me by surprise at that time was when I picked up a rock pebble which turned out to be nothing but wet soil instead. This instance taught me that in life we hold onto rocks of burden unable to crush them until we find an inspiration from God, but in my case through St Francis. It is indeed true that when the ‘heart does not pray the tongue labors in vain’ – an engraving embossed in latin behind the altar in the chapel.
Following the serenity of Fonte Colombo, we indulged in a delightful lunch in the charming town of Greccio. Amidst the sumptuous flavors, we were treated to a breathtaking panorama view of the Rieti Valley, where snow-capped mountains painted a majestic backdrop.
After our lunch break we journeyed toward santuario di Greccio where St Francis orchestrated the nativity of our Lord Jesus in a beautiful cave with live animals 800 years ago. Being in Greccio here in the season of advent and taking part in the Eucharistic celebration of Christmas was mind blowing to say the least. The joy of Christmas filled the whole chapel as we sang the classic hymns, O Come all ye faithful and Joy to the world. I deeply missed not being able to celebrate this moment with my family while also thanking God for gifting me with this wonderful opportunity. Truly a great Christmas present! Post Mass, a local friar explained to us the history of Greccio, the fresco paintings dating to the 14th century and how St Bonaventure played a role in the upgrading of the dormitories of the brothers residing in. Later on, I went around with my friends to look around the exhibitions of Nativity around the world as well as a cute souvenir shop. It reminded me of how back home in my family we never once set up the nativity scene due to some reason and how as a child I used to cry for not having a crib set up while my friends had. Maybe it was god’s plan to make me get a souvenir (a statue of the holy family at nativity) at the very first site of the nativity scene set up in Greccio! Pax et bonum!
