Today, we get back into the car and drive north to La Celle. This is the second site that I would have skipped, but am immensely thankful we did not. La Celle, today, is a monastery of Capuchin monks (an offshoot of the Franciscan order). As we walk up, the resident monks are leaving the chapel after finishing their devotion and prayers. As we walk around this picturesque monastery, I wonder should we live more simply. Amber chuckles at the thought wondering how with one boy in band and another in year round soccer and any other sport we will let him play. Do we make life too complicated? I do long for simpleness. I long to just enjoy time, time with family, time in creation, time with church, and time with God. Is this a sentimental dream or a calling? I don’t know, but right now it feels truthful and peaceful.
After leaving Le Celle, we grab lunch and then head to St. Margarita’s cathedral because the travel book suggested it. St. Margarita is the saint of the local town Cortana. Town legends describe how even after her death, St. Margarita has been the town protector, keeping a cholera epidemic at bay when it struck other nearby towns, and helping them be spared bombing during WW II. As you enter the cathedral, her dead body is encased in glass for all to see. As she lived and died in the 13th century, her body is a bit gruesome. Amber and I were not prepared. In fact, Amber did not want to take a picture. It was a bit creepy as I describe her looking a bit zombie-like. Here in Italy, you see a great fascination with saints and their relics. I personally love the lives of saints because of their faithfulness. I truly believe they can help us better live and follow Christ. But some of this devotion may go too far. Near the end of St. Francis’ life, before he died, he had to be guarded for fear of him being stolen or in this case kidnapped as both individuals and towns wanted his body or just a piece of him. I have always been fascinated by relics. I remember in London seeing the finger bone of St. George. They are a piece of history. It was fascinating to see, a letter written or a cloak worn by Francis. However, they are wonderful because they can point us more towards God, or a life seeking to live for God. Any farther than that is a bit too much for me. I was greatly fascinated by seeing the dead corpse of St. Margarita. I don’t know much of her life. Maybe she did live a life we can all learn from.
Next, Amber and I drive through Cortana. If I thought the streets were narrow in Assisi, in Cortana one car can barely drive down these streets. Amber and I both could reach out our windows and touch the walls of buildings on each side. We drive to St. Francis’ Cathedral of Cortana. Here is the resting place of Elias, a controversial figure among the early Franciscans as he was eventually kicked out of the order. Despite that, St. Clare turned to him and relied on him after St. Francis’ death. Even as he was a gifted organizer and administrator, Elias was seen as accommodating too much away from the rule of poverty. He is seen as someone who established the order after St. Francis’ death, but also maybe diminished the St. Francis ideal which leads to a good question. Does the ideal or way of Jesus get accommodated too much today? Do we need to adapt to live in the present day, to stay relevant? Or do we seek faithfulness to the spirit and way of Jesus as much as possible and let God work the rest out? This is an always present question that the church and individuals of faith encounter. Out of all the larger cathedrals we have visited, this cathedral where Elias’ tomb resides is by far the most in ruins and disrepair. Is this a bit of the answer that we do have to be careful in trying to be relevant and accommodating because it leads to the vision being left in disrepair. Above all we need to see Jesus and God’s kingdom. This vision must never be diminished.
One last stop, today, but for me a very important one. As I have stated so many times before, my favorite liturgical season is Lent and its focus on Jesus’ life and his journey towards and suffering on the cross. This season is full of real life, how to love, and the path of discipleship. In the year 1211, St. Francis traveled to Lake Trasimeno (a surprisingly large lake) and rowed out to an uninhabited island called Isola Maggiore to spend the 40 days of lent here fasting and in reflection. While on the island, St. Francis’ dependency upon God increased as it also reaffirmed his call to follow Christ fully. Legend tells us that St. Francis fasted, ate absolutely nothing, for almost the entire 40 days choosing to break the fast with a 1/2 loaf of bread right at the end. He did not desire to put himself on the same level as Christ. Jesus fasted for 40 days in the wilderness, so Francis ate. He did not want to suffer from spiritual pride. Which sadly is a real thing, isn’t it? We all know when we have seen spiritual pride in someone else. Maybe we all have experience this temptation in ourselves. We continually see our life as more faithful or our understanding more truthful than others. We see our importance in church or for God’s work as more than it really is. We have accomplished our spiritual disciplines, learned a great deal in bible study and thus feel truly good and spiritual about ourselves. Spiritual pride is a temptation and a great inhibitor of truly following Christ as it’s always a path of humility. St. Francis called his order of brothers, Friar minors. That is truly what they sought to be, servants of all. In every direction of St. Francis’ life, he took the path downward toward humility and those in greatest need, like Jesus.
Today, there is a small town on the island of Isola Maggiore. However, cars are not allowed. We take a ferry, hike around the island to see where St. Francis landed on the island and the cave he slept in for these 40 days. As with all other caves of St. Francis, the site is protected. In this case, a small stone structure is built over the site. We look in through the barred door to a large rock that would be another very uncomfortable sleeping spot. Here, St. Francis dedicated the entire 40 days of lent to be alone with God. Time alone with God is absolutely needed. Retreating away to give more focus and attention to God is vital. Our world is full of distractions. It’s easy to let God fade away a bit in our lives. Maybe I need to, in the busyness of my life, dedicate more time to God or retreat away with God more. Amber and I enjoy the peaceful stroll around the island with its cute and simple town.
