I Could Fly to Assisi

Where would I go if could be immediately transported somewhere?  I and other bloggers were challenged to write a post, answering this question.

I would like to be soaring over the green Umbrian countryside of Italy, like a brown sparrow, heading towards the small Italian city of Assisi.  It is an ancient city; most of the buildings were built during the Middle Ages, still being occupied.  I am heading towards a large Catholic Basilica, the Basilica of San Francesco d’Assisi, the last resting place of Saint Francis of Assisi.

Saint Francis was born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, the son of a wealthy cloth merchant.  His father, who made his money selling fine cloth to French merchants, nicknamed his son Francesco as a tribute to the French.  Francis was the city playboy; it was not a party if Francis was not invited.  He was a social climber, who longed to belong to the nobility, to become a knight.  He was a soldier, a prisoner of war, a veteran who was broken in body and soul.  And because of his brokenness, Jesus Christ entered into Francis’ heart; and Francis experienced a conversion, a conversion to the Gospel life.  He began to give his money to any poor person who asked for alms.  He went among the lepers, caring for them, washing their sores, and binding them with bandages.  In the solitude of caves, he began to develop a deep spiritual, prayer life.  He reflected on the gospels, he entered into an intimate relationship with God.  Francis strived to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

He gave away everything he owned, dressed like a beggar, in a grey, brownish robe.  He went about serving the poor, preaching in the streets, and marketplaces; proclaiming to all who would listen to him; that God loved them all.  Men, who heard his words, saw his lifestyle, were drawn to Francis, and soon he had twelve followers.  Twelve became a hundred; the hundred became thousands, all promising to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ, according to the example of Saint Francis.  They became the Order of Lesser Brothers, Order Friars Minor.  Women, like Clare of Assisi, were also drawn to this Troubadour of Christ.  With Clare, he formed a contemplative community of women, the Poor Ladies of Assisi, now known as the Poor Clares.  There were other men and women, farmers and tradesmen, wives and seamstresses, who also wanted to live the Gospel, and sought Francis’ guidance.  They became the Brothers and Sisters of Penance, the Third Order of St. Francis; today known as the Secular Franciscan Order.

I became attracted to St. Francis during my third and last year at the archdiocesan seminary.  I had decided to take years’ leave from the seminary; I spent the year with a Christian ecumenical organization which provided worship services in the National Parks.  I was sent to Yellowstone NP, lead services during the weekend, worked in the kitchen the rest of the time.  And in the midst of all that natural beauty, I read about Francis and the Franciscan life.  After two years, I entered formation to become a Friar.  I was to realize that God had another path for me, so I left the Friars, but the Franciscan spirit was already embedded in my heart.  I would later join the Secular Franciscan Order; I have been a professed member for over 25 years.  And I am always wishing I had the means to make a pilgrimage to Assisi, to visit that Basilica.

Francis died on the evening of October 3, 1226, at the age of 44 years old.  He was canonized a saint in 1228.  The friars were already beginning the construction of the Basilica.  The best architects, artisans and artists, the pioneers of the Italian Renaissance, were brought onto the project.  The Basilica was constructed in two levels, the upper church with vaulted ceilings, and large stain glass windows.  The lower church is more enclosed, but both levels are covered with beautiful frescoes, painted by Italian master artists.  The Basilica is considered an international treasure.  However, when the Basilica was finished; the Friars buried Francis in secret; for fear that rival cities would try to steal the remains.  They did such a good job hiding the burial site, that Francis’ body was lost until 1819.  When the burial site was rediscovered, a new crypt was constructed under the lower church.  The crypt has a small chapel, with an altar.  Above the altar is a stone coffin, containing the bones of St. Francis.  It is bound with iron straps, and an iron grill over the entrance.  The walls of the crypt are bare stone, simple, unadorned.  It is there I wish I could sit, contemplating, in the dim light, the last resting place of a man who continues to inspire Christians and non-Christians.  And in the stillness of that place, maybe I can hear a whisper, wishing me and all who come there: “Pace e Bene!”  “Peace and Good!”

August 11th - Feast of St. Clare Of Assisi

“Trusting in the Father, Christ chose for himself and his mother a poor and humble life, even though he valued created things attentively and lovingly.  Let the Secular Franciscans seek a proper spirit of detachment from temporal goods by simplifying their own material needs.  Let them be mindful that according to the gospel they are stewards of the goods received for the benefit of God’s children.

Thus, in the spirit of the Beatitudes, and as pilgrims and strangers on their way to the Father, they should strive to purify their hearts from every tendency and yearning for possession and power.”  (Art. 11, Secular Franciscan Order Rule)

If August 11, 2013, had not fallen on a Sunday, we would have been celebrating  the memory of Saint Clare of Assisi, co-founder with Saint Francis of the Second Order, then known as the Poor Ladies of San Damiano, and today known as the Poor Clares.  We sometimes think of her and her sisters as the contemplative branch of the Franciscan family, but I would like to share a reflection on another aspect of Clare’s life and spirituality.

When the Poor Ladies were established at San Damiano, Clare requested a special privilege from the Pope and the Bishop of Assisi, the privilege of poverty.  Her monastery would depend only on the income from the work of their hands, or from alms given to them.  At a time when the established monasteries had huge incomes from the rents on lands gifted to them, and the dowries of the women who entered the monasteries, this was unheard of.  The Popes of Clare’s time continually refused this request, believing that the Poor Ladies needed income and sustenance that only lands and endowments could provide.  Now Clare was not an ascetic masochist, nor did she see poverty as an end.  She saw evangelical poverty as a means to an end.  As she and her sisters gazed on the San Damiano cross, they saw Christ, though He was the Son of God, willing to empty Himself for all humanity.  And Clare realized that to follow Christ meant emptying oneself of all possessions, of the need to possess and control, and be dependent on the love of God.  Thus, she held out against the Pope, until finally he relented and gave Clare and her sisters the privilege of poverty.  She received the written permission shortly before her death.

We are also called to empty ourselves so that we can be open and receptive to the love of God.  We, too, are called to empty ourselves and share the gifts of that love with everyone.  Let us ask for the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, let us be inspired by the lives of Francis and Clare.  Let us have the courage to open our arms and share all that we have for the sake of the kingdom of God.

800th Anniversary of the Founding of the Poor Clares

Looking at the National Catholic Reporter website, I came across an essay by Jon M. Sweeney.  He is an author who has written about saints, especially St. Francis of Assisi.  He also wrote prayer books dedicated to both St. Francis and St. Clare.

In his essay, Jon Sweeney stated that last Sunday, March 18th, in 1212, would have been the Palm Sunday in Assisi, when Clare would leave her family, and their wealth and prestige; and go join Francis and his ragged little band of followers.  That night she would dedicate herself to living the Gospel of Jesus Christ, guided by Francis and the Holy Spirit.  Thus was born another branch of the Franciscan family, the Poor Clares.  It is unique in that it is a monastic, contemplative movement, but it is faithful to the spirit of St. Francis and St. Clare.

Discovering An Anniversary

With everything that has been happening in my life this past year, it appears that I have missed a very important anniversary in the Franciscan World. April 16th, 2011 marked the beginning of a year long celebration of the 800th Anniversary of the founding of Order of Saint Clare, commonly known as the Poor Clares. On Palm Sunday, 1212, Clare of Assisi, daughter of a noble family, decided to leave all of her riches and privileges, and join Francis of Assisi in living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She would be soon joined by her sister Agnes and other women; Francis gave them the chapel San Damiano as their monastery.

Saint Clare and her community became the contemplative branch of the Franciscan family, and preserved the ideal of Franciscan poverty. The community continues to this day.

My Life with Nuns

The story of the Vatican making a visitation, an investigation, of the state of women religious life has been in the news lately. There have been stories on National Public Radio, and on one of their talk shows. The National Catholic Reporter has been covering this story, and has been publishing stories and essays on their Website.

All this has brought back memories of my life with nuns. It began with elementary school. My parents were determined to have me educated in a Catholic school, so when their first choice was filled, they put me and my brothers and sisters in the only other Catholic school in town. It was run by a congregation of Franciscan Sisters that originated from Poland. To hear my parents talk about it, the sisters had a hard life in the parish, the pastor was a bit of a tightwad, and at times the parents had to get together and bring food for the sisters. My experience with them was mixed. I remember that there were a few sisters who were nice and professional, but there were others who should never had been allowed in a classroom. If there was not physical abuse, there was definitely psychological abuse. After I and one brother graduated from the school, my parents pulled the rest of my siblings out and put them in public schools.

After elementary school, came high school. I entered a high school that was run by the Sisters of Notre Dame da Namur. The Second Vatican Council had ended; the religious orders and congregations were making some changes. The sisters at the high school all had change to “street” clothing, although a few did keep the veil. They all wore their distinctive cross. I enjoyed being taught by them, and they definitely improved my view of religious sisters.

My most intensive contact with nuns came when I entered the formation program for the Franciscan friars. I had contact with the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany, who not only taught in the parish school, but were also involved in caring for the poor. There was a Poor Clare monastery, where the nuns wore modified habits, but still deeply involved with the contemplative life. I assisted a priest who celebrated Mass for a community of Missionaries of Charity. Then there were the sisters I met attending a summer school at St. Bonaventure University, joining with them in prayer, in classes, and socializing with them. Since leaving the Franciscan formation program, I have had a sister as a spiritual director.

There has been criticism that too many of the religious sisters are challenging the Church, its policies, its view of women. But if one looks at the history of religious life, one sees that many of the communities’ founders pushed the envelope. St. Clare of Assisi, founder of the Poor Clare nuns, was always challenging the Pope to allow her community to live evangelical poverty. Many congregations founded in this country, met with resistance from local bishops for various reasons, yet they prevailed. They did so because of persistence, respect and love for the Church, and divine grace. Now there are those individual sisters and communities who might push the envelope too far, and in such cases, they must be held accountable, but with charity and compassion.

Vatican II called on religious communities to reexamine their current lives in the light of their founding charism. A community should not be judged on whether they wear habits or not, but whether they are living the Gospel, serving the poor, showing compassion to the outcast, showing the power of God’s love by the example of their lives. We should not try to force religious communities into the same mold, but allow the Holy Spirit to guide them, inspire them, enflame them. And they in turn will inspire us.

Feast of St. Clare of Assisi - August 11

The story of Francis and Clare of Assisi is one that no one could make up. The young daughter of one of the noblest families of the city of Assisi, Italy; meets with Francis Bernandone, son of one of the richest merchants in the city, turned itinerant preacher. In that meeting, Clare finds herself inspired to leave all her rich clothing, her jewels, and her comfortable home, to live the gospel as a nun. In March, 1212, Francis would take Clare to a Benedictine sister’s monastery as a temporary abode. There she would be joined by her sister Agnes. They would eventually take up residence at San Damiano, where other women would join them.

Under the guidance and support of St. Francis and his brother friars, Clare developed a contemplative community that was unique in the Church of that time. She and her sisters, known then as the "Poor Ladies of San Damiano," lived a life of prayer and contemplation, supporting themselves by their own labor and accepting alms. They lived a life of poverty, not accepting endowments of money or property, like other monasteries. Clare would struggle with the leadership of the Church over the “privilege” of poverty for the rest of her life. She would survive Francis by 27 years,

There are very few writings of hers in existence, but they reveal a woman of deep prayer, a true Franciscan mystic. Her words continue to inspire many Poor Clare nuns around the world; her words and her example can inspire us. I close with words Clare wrote to Agnes of Prague, a fellow Poor Lady:

“O most noble Queen,
gaze upon Him,
consider Him
contemplate Him,
as you desire to imitate Him.
If you suffer with Him, you will reign with Him.
If you weep with Him, you shall rejoice with Him;
If you die with Him on the cross of tribulation,
you shall possess heavenly mansions in the splendor of the saints
and, in the Book of Life, your name shall be called
glorious among men.”

(Image by Robert Lentz)