Many years ago now, during my first visit to Assisi, I found by chance a book written by Italian poet and artist Umberto Verdirosi entitled “Behind the Canvas”.
On one page, entitled “Il povero cristo” in Italian and “The encounter” in English, is a painting of a vagabond wearing a red scarf standing before the Crucified Jesus who wears asimilar red scarf around his own waist. The accompanying poem, which begins with “Non parlare, guarda!”, reads in English:
“Speak not, behold! Illuminated by Light Divine, in twain they are today. As if to say that Christ’s cross is known as Man. After his long trek the Eternal Child is destitute of all except a scarf he kept in token of his faith.”
Francis of Assisi was a simple person who understood things as he saw and experienced them. Initially, he saw the Passion of Jesus as mere human suffering and pain, and hence he thought that his body needed to be constantly tamed and purged. But as he grew in the Spirit, Francis began to see and experience Jesus’ Passion (and the Cross) in a different light. He began seeking to imitate Jesus’ Passion in the light of God’s love, and found this when he received the stigmata at La Verna. For Francis, this was the lesson of the Cross and the Passion of Jesus.
As I step into the liturgical season of Lent and into Easter, I cannot help but ask myself what do I “Non parlare, guarda! – Speak not, behold!” of Jesus’ Passion and of my own passion?
It is easy to speak of Jesus’ Passion and my passion from the perspective of pain and suffering. Yet when I behold the Crucified Jesus, I see God as one who does not just love, but who also carries and embraces my passion. It is this love that brings forth hope to Easter and everyday life. Thus, I am able to see and experience my passion as moments of joy, peace and goodness.
On another page of Verdirosi’s book is a painting of Francis before the Crucified Jesus. The accompanying poem begins with “C’era una volta un uomo innamorata dell’amore”, in English “Once upon a time there was a man who fell in love with love itself”.
“Fell in love with love itself” is what Lent to Easter is. What conversion is. What the Passion and Cross of Jesus are. And what and who St Francis of Assisi and being a Franciscan are.
In the following of Francis’ spirituality, the challenge that is always before me and you is to discern what it means to embrace Jesus, his Passion and Cross. This will not be easy but we can do it if we are optimistic and hopeful.
Rising sea levels. Droughts. Floods. Disrupted food supply. The severity and urgency of climate change is upon us. Yet, do we see the need for change in our lifestyle, the way we produce and consume? Pope Francis, in his encyclical Laudato si‘, calls all of us to take “swift and unified global action”. But is Laudato si’ just about climate change and ecological issues? How about integral ecology? If we look deeper, “ultimately what kind of world do we want to leave behind, in terms of its general direction, its meaning and its values? We need to see that what is at stake is our own dignity.”
Join the speakers as they share their own personal experiences and the teachings of the Catholic Church on how we can change our imminent future – not just the climate, but the world we live in.
Speakers: Friar Derrick Yap, Custos for the Custody of St Anthony (Malaysia–Singapore–Brunei) Joseph Teo, Singapore’s Chief Negotiator for Climate Change, Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment Wilson Ang, Founding President, Environmental Challenge Organisation (Singapore) Mark Tang, Caritas Board Member and Chair, Caritas Young Adults Committee
What caught your eye when you first saw the title of this article? Did you spot the word “appointment” first or did you see the word “disappointment” in its entirety? Disappointment may be an apt way to describe 2020 – a year that has been unpredictable, tumultuous and even precarious for some. Speaking to some people, many have voiced their disappointments at having their plans disrupted, derailed or even destroyed. Some worked hard for these plans and had looked forward to their fruition, but alas, the plans were nipped in the bud.
For myself as well, there were so many surprises and even emergencies that I had to deal with, especially with regard to cancellations, restrictions and quarantines. Though confined to one place because of strict restrictions, were our hearts anchored in peace? Or were our hearts restless and constantly troubled? A restless heart is hard to tame, as it has an energy of its own in search of things which elude it. We seem propelled by sheer circumstances, unable to chart any direction for ourselves, much less to enjoy the ensuing journey!
St Francis of Assisi, our brother and companion on this journey called Life, had his own restlessness to tame, be it at the beginning of his life as a youth dreaming of knighthood, or as a middle-aged man dreaming of martyrdom. Through it all, Francis was inspired to follow in the footprints of our Lord Jesus Christ, to be authentic in listening to God’s will for him and to be courageous in carrying it out.
This inspiration, however, was not always shared by all the friars, who thought that Francis’ ideals were too difficult to live out. And thus began Francis’ interior struggle and pain of being rejected by his own brothers and how he experienced increasing disappointment in the way that the very Order he founded was not sharing his original aspirations.
St Francis receiving stigmata on Mount Alvernia.
This pain within his heart led him to seek out places of isolation and prayer even more, and one of the most significant places was Mt Alvernia where in 1224, two years before his death, he received a vision of the Crucified One as a Seraph and after which, the marks of Christ’s crucifixion appeared on his body, the Stigmata. Indeed, Francis now experienced an external pain caused by these wounds of the Stigmata, but interiorly there was a consolation in conforming himself in this mysterious way to the Cross of Christ. The pain and suffering of the Cross, accompanied by the joy and love which made Christ embrace it were in fact, the two graces Francis prayed for as he began this 40-day retreat on Mt Alvernia.
After this episode on Mt Alvernia, with his body freshly marked by the Stigmata, Francis continued to battle his interior and exterior pain. Later that same year, as he recuperated at San Damiano (the church which was restored by his very own hands) Francis was moved with self-pity as he was being plagued by rats running all over him one evening. As he fretted, a voice told him: “Then brother, be glad and rejoice in your illnesses and troubles, because as of now, you are as secure as if you were already in my kingdom”.
The voice of the Lord came at a time when Francis was focused on his own sufferings and pains. Nonetheless, it consoled him so much so that he was able to redirect his thoughts to God. As the sun rose, its ray penetrated the sensitive eyes of the nearly-blind Francis, causing him much discomfort and pain. However, the first words that came out of the Saint’s mouth was “Praised be You, my Lord, with all Your creatures, especially Sir Brother Sun” and thus the Canticle of Brother Sun was composed. A song from a heart totally freed by God.
Canticle of Brother Sun
Francis invited all creatures to praise God together with him, including those that gave him pain (like Brother Sun’s rays by day and Brother Fire’s light by night) : to direct our attention, focus and love to
God, and not to be self-focused, self-centred or self- promoting. This is the depth and power of Francis’ spirituality, that in the midst of personal pain, his soul was constantly directed to God in faith, hope and love. This can be seen when he added a new verse to the Canticle a few months later, urging the feuding Bishop and Mayor of Assisi to reconcile: “Praised be You, my Lord, through those who give pardon for Your love, and bear infirmity and tribulation. Blessed are those who endure in peace for by You, Most High, shall they be crowned.”
In this verse which captures the reality of human brokenness plagued by conflicts, sickness and trials, Francis urges us on: endure in peace and we will be crowned. Take up these crosses and carry them with the Lord, for in this way, we will have inner peace. If we die with Christ, we shall reign with Christ. We shall reign in the Kingdom of God; we shall be crowned in the Kingdom of Love.
From disappointment in the brotherhood, Francis was given the appointment by God to be the universal brother to all creatures, and to be the poor and humble friar who would always proclaim “Peace and All Good!”
A video reflection by Friar Derrick on the Feast of the Stigmata of St Francis to the staff of Mount Alvernia Hospital and Assisi Hospice of Singapore.
Muslims and Catholics Talk About Good Friday and Hari Raya During Covid-19 | Food and Faith Series
Join Ustaz Khairul Anwar, Ustazah Syahiirah and their invited guests – Don Basil and Friar Sixtus as they share about their unique experiences and the significance of their celebrations. As the Muslims in Singapore commemorate their holy celebrations during this pandemic period, Catholics also make adjustments to their religious lives and sacred occasions.
Speakers & Invited Guests : Ustaz Khairul Anwar Ustazah Syahiirah Don Basil Friar Sixtus Peter, OFM
