Reflection by: Isaac Francis
Chronicles of a pilgrim – Day 7 – ASSISI/AREZZO REGION
#sequelachristi2025
Today at Carceri Hermitage, it felt as though Jesus was gently telling me:
“Come and rest with Me.”
Our guide shared that St Francis would come here to speak to God like a friend. We passed through the tiny passageways and caves where Francis lived and slept. His “bed” nothing more than a shallow space carved into the rock. Standing there, I realised how freely he let go of everything unnecessary, resting only in God. Being inside those caves reminded me of Jesus the Good Shepherd, who leads His sheep into quiet places to rest.
We had Mass outdoors, in the cold, just as Francis and the early friars once did, no frescos or stained glass. God was the artist this time, with bare winter trees, fallen leaves beneath our feet, mist over the valley, sunlight peeping through. It made me realise what it means to be stripped bare, and rediscover the beauty God gives, trusting in His providence.
During the homily, Friar said John the Baptist and St Francis sought the wilderness because it strips away pretense. Like Francis laying aside everything, the wilderness leaves just you and God, no titles or acknowledgements from others.
He quoted St Francis:
“We are who we are before God, nothing more, and nothing less.”
And when we face who God is and who we are, we realise He is the one who seeks us out, to love Him in our weakness.
After the homily, the song In You I Rest was played, and these lines stayed with me:
“Every time you feel
the emptiness inside,
the Lord is there with you.
Turn and see the light.”
And the chorus became my prayer:
“In You I rest my soul,
In You I lose control
of all the things I do not know.
Lord, in You I rest my soul.”
Then came the line that summed up my whole day:
“When you feel the weight
of that heavy heart,
hear those words He says:
Come, My peace is yours.”
Finishing our first week of pilgrimage, I feel an invitation to pause and contemplate, away from the hustle and bustle of Rome and the crowds of Assisi. Today felt like simply letting Jesus remove what is false, quiet what is restless, and telling my heart:
“Come and rest with Me.”
