Feast of Our Lady of the Angels of Portiuncula

As we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of the Angels of Portiuncula, the words of Thomas of Celano account not only the rebuilding of a church.  His words account the simple and devout way in which Francis desired with all his heart to imitate Christ.  The words divinely written in the gospels were Francis’ model for life. 

From The Life of Saint Francis by Thomas of Celano

From there he moved to another place, which is called the “Portiuncula,” where there stood a church of the Blessed Virgin Mother of God built in ancient times.  At that time it was deserted and no one was taking care of it.  When the holy man of God saw it so ruined, he was moved by piety because he had a warm devotion to the Mother of all good and he began to stay there continually.  The restoration of that church took place in the third year of his conversion.  At this time he wore a sort of hermit’s habit with a leather belt.  He carried a staff in his hand and wore shoes.

One day the gospel was being read in that church about how the Lord sent out his disciples to preach.  The holy man of God, who was attending there, in order to understand better the words of the gospel, humbly begged the priest after celebrating the solemnities of the Mass to explain the gospel to him.  The priest explained it all to him thoroughly line by line.  When he heard that Christ’s disciples should not possess gold or silver or money, or carry on their journey a wallet or a sack, nor bread nor a staff, not to have shoes nor two tunics, but that they should preach the kingdom of God and penance, the holy man, Francis immediately exulted in the spirit of God.  “This is what I want,” he said, “this is what I seek, this is what I desire with all my heart.” The holy father, overflowing with joy, hastened to implement the words of salvation, and did not delay before he devoutly began to put into effect what he heard. 

Gospel References

Mt 10:9-10; Lk 9:2; Mk 6:12; Lk 1:47