Between Assisi and Alverna:
Assisi is a city of joyful whispers, where every cobblestone shimmers with light, while La Verna stands as a towering, solitary mountain. Assisi delights us with a thousand glittering words, while La Verna enfolds us in a deep but gentle silence, introspective and serene. There, upon the windswept summit, our bleeding wounds of the soul transform into sacred stigmata, and the image of the Crucified Christ quietly etches itself into the creases of our existence.
On this sacred mountain, something pulls us from the world of words and clamor, like a mischievous angel hidden uder the shadow of the trees, quietly interrupting the stream of our words.
A profound silence envelops us, reminding us of the fragility of our words. A chasm opens in our hearts , and we find ourselves drawn into it, helpless against the pull. In this holy descent, we feel the weight of solitiud, as ife under a weighted winter blanket, gentle but overwhelming. This abyss, the Sasso Spicco, cradles and heals our deepest wounds and sorrows.
No Franciscan pilgrimage is complete without a personal encounter with these two sacred places. For eight centuries, pilgrims from every corner of the earth have been awed, shaken, and comforted by the seemingly paradoxical graces of these holy places. Where light and silence intertwine, each heart finds its own resonance: a tender caress, a restorative stillness, as if these sanctuaries were woven from heavenly fabric— invisible yet real, like Brother Wind.
From the earliest moments of his conversion, Francis fixed his gaze upon Jesus, on the crucifix of San-Damiano. Later, on the heights of La Verna, the crucified Christ returned that gaze, impressing upon Francis' frail body the mark of his love. A gift so precious, impossible to keep hidden.
Yet for a long time, Francis wrestled with himself and God to discern the deeper meaning this gift, until Brother Illuminatus of Arce whispered into his ears that some mysteries are revealed not only for the one who receives them, but for the benefit of others. Francis received the stigmata so that we could see what he saw in the Crucified Christ on that mountain.
And what is the unique gift God has placed within me, that my brothers might draw strength and light from it? Do I, like Francis, have the courage to go beyond the marketplace logic of “supply and demand” and offer the true and free gift of myself to God and to my fraternity?
I leave you with these reflections, scattered like autumn leaves in a gust of wind. I regret how scattered they are, but it's a happy chaos! Happy Feast of Francis, and may his spirit guide and accompany us on our journey. Let us learn to look at Crucified Christ through the eyes of Francis.
Brother Benny Vincent, OFMCap.
Provincial Minister
(October 4, 2024) Provincial Minister
October 2, 2024
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