Meditative Guide to Sacred Assisi

Transcription

1 Meditative Guide to Sacred Assisi Assisi, Italy by Bruce & Ruth Davis Forward by Rob Stucky Forward by Rob Stucky This sacred pilgrimage guide is for those who are seeking a deeper experience of peace and wholeness in their lives, no matter what tradition they may be from, and have felt drawn to Assisi in their search. For millennia people have been drawn to particular places because the atmosphere there seems especially uplifting. Even successive civilizations have built their places of worship one on top of the other, on the same site, in recognition of this phenomenon. Assisi is one of those spiritual power spots - a uniquely beautiful town on an idyllic hillside in central Italy, that has nurtured two of Christianity s most beloved saints- Francis and Clare. Their radical practice of selfless love and simplicity, embracing all of creation, has made Assisi draw pilgrims from all walks of life, all traditions, and from all over the world, like a magnet to the soul. To walk the streets and fields of Assisi, retrace the lives and spiritual histories of Francis and Clare through the town and surrounding countryside, and simply sit in the profound silence of the tombs of these two exemplary saints, is unforgettable. It is to immerse yourself in a direct experience of sacred space, and to observe first hand its impact on your own inner state. By doing so, you will discover that you carry that sacred space inherently within you, and may discover why the word holiness and wholeness have the same etymology in English! It s hard not to feel whole in the stillness of such a holy place, and hard not to find in the lives of these two saints, recognized as giants in the annals

2 of world spirituality, inspiration for living our own lives, emulating their example of quiet simplicity, even in the midst of a busy world. The longing for oneness, for connection to something Higher than ourselves, is innate to the human spirit, but our search for it is all too often outward looking, neglecting our inner lives. Even those who feel they have found some kind of personal spiritual practice often get stuck in their progress, and feel they need a boost. Unfortunately, many feel that institutional religion has not always succeeded in providing that boost, leaving those seeking something deeper at a loss as to where to turn. Others may not have any particular affiliation to a faith tradition, yet sense a less defined spiritual need and longing they re not sure how to even describe, much less fulfill, leaving them with an emptiness inside. Nearly everyone feels at some point that there is something missing in their lives, and that throws us off balance. Especially in a rapidly changing world in which life seems to become ever more stressful, the need for an antidote to this inner imbalance and spiritual longing is acute. If you re looking for a spiritual breakthrough, no matter where you are on the spiritual path, Silent Peace Retreats may be just the solution you re looking for! Our retreats offer an ample opportunity to spend some quality inner time, with some gentle guidance as to how to do so, helping you to reflect on and deepen your experience in spiritually useful and rewarding ways. Each of our retreat leaders has an extensive background and decades of experience in spiritual practice and spiritual direction themselves, so they are well equipped to offer context and support for your own practice, to help make it as fruitful for you as possible. Through minimally guided contemplation, some physical exercises to facilitate it, and an informed companionship, we lead you to your own inner exploration of the many soul-soothing and uplifting places in which Francis and Clare lived, practiced, and died. Simple Peace retreats offers you a cornucopia of spiritual opportunities. Savor and enjoy them at a leisurely pace, and learn to use the tools you need to continue to nurture them, even long after you depart from Assisi. The peace of Assisi was the fundamental message and teaching of St. Francis. His famous prayer begins with the words, Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. The town in which he lived and taught seems to have imbibed that spirit- the very stones seem to exude that peace. By opening our senses, and letting ourselves drink in the atmosphere of Assisi and its surroundings, we begin to glimpse that peace within ourselves. Pilgrims to holy places everywhere seek refuge in the sanctuary of the deity or saint honored there, hoping to receive some blessing, healing, or insight by osmosis- simply by being in the presence of that sanctity. Assisi is blessed to be the final resting place of two of Christianity s most revered mystics, and of many of their saintly companions, and has heard the heartfelt prayers of untold millions, so it is an atmosphere supercharged by the energy of so much spiritual longing and practice. That itself is an enormous resource to anyone who opens themselves to it. Self-opening, cultivating our receptivity to the divine, is a spiritual practice in itself, through which we discover the paradox that our greatest strengths are often revealed through our vulnerability. Francis saw this as self-emptying, deliberately working to let go of all the ego s attachments, so as

3 to live in true humility and utter simplicity. This practice requires being non-judgmental, gentle, and receptive to the presence of the divine in the most unexpected ways- in people, places, and things- in all creation. By opening our perception to the divine, by actively looking for it in everything and everyone, intentionally and persistently, we learn to honor both each other and ourselves as the imago dei- the image and likeness of God, and to see creation with new and loving eyes. That was the essence of the teaching and practice of Francis and Clare. The Meditative Guide to Sacred Assisi by Ruth & Bruce Davis This guide is meant as an introduction to some of the many meditative spots offered in and around Assisi and for those that wish to feel the spiritual heart of Assisi. You are invited to use this little guide as you walk, step by step into the simple peace of Francis and Clare, which they invite us to enjoy! Many years ago Dante wrote that the river Ganges flows underneath Assisi. Maybe this is the well of being people have felt through the centuries, the well of spirituality in everyone. May you find your visit an opportunity to receive the special spiritual presence which is abundant in the little streets, churches, gardens and the people of Assisi. This guide is meant as an introduction to some of the many meditative spots offered in and around Assisi. Soon you will have your own favorite spots. Most walking directions and distances are given from Piazza del Comune, the main square of Assisi. It is best to get a city map of Assisi which is available at most hotels and tourist centers. After getting settled in your accommodations begin your spiritual adventure of Assisi by consciously relaxing, slowing down from your travels and the pace of your normal life. Breathe and just be. Find yourself in one of the most sacred places in the world. Enjoy the ancient cobbled stone streets. Watch the sunlight weaving through the olive trees, the medieval paths and buildings. As we become more and more present to the moment, we become present to the special peace of Assisi. Pilgrims have been coming here for centuries from all corners of the world and keep coming for this peace. It is the peace of St. Francis, the peace from all the prayers of the pilgrims and religious orders, it is God's peace in the blessed sanctuary town of St. Francis, Assisi! The essence of a sacred pilgrimage, in Assisi, is to practice receiving. This practice includes being non-

4 judgmental, gentle, and open. We offer ourselves to the Presence that is here, to nature, to one another. We offer our self completely. May the special peace of Assisi give us shelter to find life's true treasure, God in the depths of our hearts. SAN FRANCESCO PICCOLINO The Birth place of St. Francis From Piazza del Comune walk down Corso Mazzini, heading toward the Basilica of Saint Clare. Only 50 meters from the fountain of Piazza del Comune, you will find a small stone archway on your right hand side. Pass under the archway and down the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs and on your left, will be the little Chapel where Francis was born. Usually open at all times during the day until 8 or 9 pm. This simple room was originally a stall for the family home, which is just uphill opposite the chapel. The family home has been converted into a church, and is now called the Chiesa Nuova- the New Church. The story is that Francis' mother was experiencing a long labor in the family home, when an Angel appeared, telling her the baby would only come if she were to go down to the stall to give birth. The mother understood, left her room, and, like Mother Mary, entered the simple stall, where the future saint was born. This small chapel (the stall) where Francis was born is a reminder for all of us that in simplicity truth is born. Visiting the birth place of Francis and sitting in the simple peace is a beautiful way to begin our journey to the spirit of St. Francis. This quiet place just off one of Assisi's most busy streets is a reminder that God is always near. Here we can feel our intention for our time visiting Assisi, visiting the spirit of St. Francis and St. Clare. Sit in this simple chapel for twenty minutes. Just be. As you find yourself slowing down and being, you begin to find the gift of simplicity - the essence and secret of Francis and Clare s practice. Simplicity is our heart, guiding us to the real Assisi, the simple Assisi, the Assisi which has survived the centuries to remind us again and again of humility, love, and joy!.. CHIESA NUOVA The Family Home of Francis Standing at the fountain of Piazza del Comune look down Corso Mazzini. The very first space between the buildings, on the right, is the via that heads directly for the church door. It can also be accessed by walking straight uphill from San Francesco Piccolino- Francis birthplace. La Chiesa Nuova (the New Church) was the original family home of St. Francis. As you go into the church, we are reminded that he came from a middle class family. His father, Pietro Bernadone, was a prosperous textile merchant, strong- willed and known to be hot-tempered. His mother, Pica de Bourlemont, was French, devoutly religious, and fearful of her husband s temper, with good reason. As you enter on the left you see the untouched prison cell Pietro had built to lock up Francis, when he sold his father s cloth to buy stones to rebuild the church of San Damiano, and to give alms to the poor!

5 Today the prison is a reminder for us all how we can imprison our hearts and our spirit, in a life that is overly busy and distracted from our true self, by material needs and desires. Here we can sit and contemplate in what ways our own spirits may feel imprisoned, and what we must do to find the freedom and joy our hearts yearn for. Sit for a few minutes and imagine a life that embraces us to be free, where our inner child is happy and at play! How much of our life is a prison of seriousness instead of a playground of joy? Here we can feel our trust in ourselves, our trust in life, our trust in God in each of us! CONTINUE: To the left of the main altar of the church there is a door that leads you downstairs. At the bottom of the stairs on the right is a room with one of the most beautiful sculptures in Assisi, Francis is giving shelter to Clare as she rests her head in his heart. Francis and Clare are famous for their great love and devotion, demonstrate true love, offering shelter to each other. Sit here in the silent beauty of this ancient room, receiving the spirit of love between Francis and Clare. Feel the shelter that is given to us all by divine love. As we rest in our hearts, we touch the divine, and are completely sheltered. May our hearts breathe all the tenderness, joy, and love that this sculpture is showing us. BASILICA DI SANTA CHIARA The Basilica of Saint Clare Walking from Piazza del Comune, follow Corso Mazzini downhill past the arch to San Francesco Piccolino, until you come to Piazza Santa Chiara, about a 3 minute walk. This is Assisi's second largest Basilica, and houses the tomb of St. Clare, Francis female counterpart and spiritual consort. Once you enter through the main door, you will be guided into a large Chapel inside and to the right. Here hangs the original Cross that, in his youth, Francis found in the dilapidated little church of San Damiano as he sought to discern his own calling, and it literally spoke to him, calling him to rebuild my Church. Francis did indeed rebuild San Damiano, as well as the larger Church in many ways, because of the inspiration of this Cross. It is the Cross of Resurrection. Francis invited people to feel Christ in the spirit of Resurrection. The Cross of San Damiano was later moved to the Basilica di Santa Chiara, upon its completion, along with the Clarissan Sisters, following Clare s death. The soft, gentle arms on the Cross invite us lovingly to be with him. The strong open chest reflects His great heart. His legs and feet, in their delicate being, show Christ as human, fully on the Earth with us. God is here! As we give ourselves to Him, He gives us Resurrection! This Cross is perhaps the most famous Cross in the world, as Christ invites us to put down everything we are carrying and join him in light and great hope. Instead of waiting for Him to do something, say something, or somehow change our lives, let's end the separation to Him by offering ourselves! Like a good friend, instead of waiting for the other to take a step, in this chapel we can take a step. We offer everything inside our hearts. We share everything we find inside silently. We take a step towards ending our separation. And God gives us resurrection! CONTINUING: Across from the chapel of the Cross is a quiet prayer room which offers a daily Mass in the afternoons. This room is excellent for simply being, sitting in the stillness of Santa Chiara. The large church is full of

6 beautiful wall paintings. Claire's tomb is downstairs. She is now encased under a replica of herself lying in state. Her clothing and other artifacts are also present here. Visiting her life's memories makes her become very present. LA ROCCA MAGGIORE The Main Castle of Assisi From Piazza del Comune follow via San Rufino uphill past the Duomo of San Rufino. Continue uphill on via Porta Perlici until you reach the first set of stairs on your left. Go the the top of the stairs and turn left. Here you will see the Castle. Continue on up to the top for the view of the valley below. About a 10 minute walk. Built in the era of Saint Francis (1100's) the Castle protected the villagers from invading armies. The entire city would go through underground tunnels, that they made, to reach the safety of the Castle walls during an invasion. Sunsets open us to a luminous, spiritual panorama when we view them from Rocca Maggiore. From the very top of Assisi there are views over much of Umbria. Sitting in the peace at Rocca Maggiore it is easy to see how Assisi's beauty opened and inspired the heart of Francis and so many pilgrims through the years. One sunset, received thoroughly, can wash away storms of stress that seemingly have no end. We can only imagine how many love poems, songs, and inspired hearts must have sat in this place over the centuries. May each inspired soul feel lifted back to God, a little closer to heaven. May each overflowing heart be renewed. May this inspiration spread wide and deep in our hearts. Let it grow inside, as big and open as the valley before us. Let's be in this great presence within and around us, being in simple peace. DUOMO DI SAN RUFINO - Duomo of San Rufino From Piazza del Comune walk up hill for about 200 meters. Here you will find the Duomo of San Rufino. About a 4 minute walk. The Duomo of San Rufino is one of the oldest churches in Assisi and to this day is the family church for the local people. Weddings, funerals, baptisms and daily Mass happen here on a regular basis. If you are fortunate enough to be here Easter Week, it is this church which reenacts the medieval ritual of taking Christ down from the Cross. The following days, the towns people morn Him and carry Him through the streets all the way to the tomb of St. Francis. En route the procession visits convents where the cloistered nuns kiss Him goodbye. Mother Mary is carried through the city as well, by torch light. In the back left corner of the Duomo is a special chapel, rarely visited by tourists but known by the towns people as the Mary of Miracles. Through history, including the earthquakes of the 1990's this statue is

7 brought out to console the town's people. This statue, dating from the 11th century, is the Pietá, Mary holding the wounded body of Christ, her sonthe iconic image of Christ's sacrificial suffering and humanity. This is a support to every pilgrim. In this quiet chapel, we can feel God as Mother holding the wounds of our life close to Her heart. Her strength, care, and great love is present. There is a wounded Christ in each of us that She loves and holds. It is very beautiful to open to this love and feel our wounded light being cared for, our hearts being held and loved. Under the Duomo a temple was found from the time of Christ. These ancient ruins offer a timeless feeling of spirituality. To take the time just to be in this family Church is to see how our whole life story is also part of our personal church. Every part of our life is sacred in its own way. Our life's church has many rooms and moods to be with and simply embrace. Our story is not so different from all the stories that have passed through this church for centuries. In the timelessness of San Rufino is a special blessing for us of everything human and everything Divine. Note: The pizzaria you find on Piazza San Rufino, is the very best Pizza in Assisi!! Around the corner you will find the Bali gift store. Here, Aldo, the owner, offers the best gift shop in Assisi including Buddhas sharing the ecumenical spirit. BASILICA DI SAN FRANCESCO Basilica of Saint Francis From Piazza del Comune you walk downhill starting on via Portica, which leads to via San Francesco. This walk takes about 15 minutes. The Basilica has an upper church, famous for historic paintings, and the lower church, which is famous for the Tomb of St. Francis. To find the Tomb enter the lower church and bear towards the left part of the church. Mid-way to the altar, on the right, is a stairway leading downstairs to the crypt where you will find the Tomb of Francis and several of his original companions. Francis, of course, did not want a large basilica built for him. He insisted, I am but a small worm for God. As he came close to the end of his life, he knew they were determined to build a large monument to him. He made them promise to build it, in the humblest part of town, where they buried the town's lepers, criminals, prostitutes and all forgotten people. The church is full of historic paintings and small chapels that can inspire our hearts. Here tens of thousands of visitors come every year as it is one of the most visited and powerful tombs in the world. Most pilgrims agree the spirit of Francis is very present in the Tomb. But no matter how crowded, here we can sit and sit in the ocean of God's infinite being. The prayer of Francis is very special in this place: Lord make me an instrument of your peace... Repeating this simple mantra can relax our minds, so our hearts can slowly open and breath, the ocean of presence here in the Tomb of St. Francis. Lord make me an instrument. May we learn to love and cherish our life, our instrument. Lord make me an instrument. May we be and feel the gift of our own energy in this sacred place. Our energy is unlimited possibility, unlimited potential to bring beauty, love, joy into the world. Lord make me an instrument. Let us remember it is not what we do that is so important, but the quality of our being.

8 May the perfect note, our true sound, play through our hearts and lives! Lord make me an instrument... We could sit here a long time, letting Francis and his holy brothers and sister buried with him, teach us about patience, humility, and truth. ORATORIO DEI PELLEGRINI The Pilgrims Place On the way back home from a visit to the Tomb of St. Francis, a must see is this small chapel. It is located only 500 meters back up via San Francesco, from the Basilica, in the direction of Piazza del Comune. About a 3 minute walk from the Basilica of St Francis. Everyday at least two or three sisters are sitting receiving and offering themselves to God's presence. It is a gift of Assisi that we are invited to sit with them in the quiet and peace. If you can get there around 4:30p.m. (time varies depending upon the season) suddenly all the sisters file into the small space. We can join them in evening prayers and sacred silence while they sit with the Eucharist. This very old chapel is a sanctuary for the soul. Come sit and be. To simply sit and be is a prayer all by itself. May our souls rest and smile in their own natural grace and abundance! When our thoughts wander outside this little chapel may we bring them back to being here, now. Everything is present. May we learn to be as simple and true as the nuns who sit here, day after day, meditating on God's mysterious infinite presence. They are giving themselves completely to simple silence, giving themselves completely to the quest for God's presence. We can join them in their calling. The religious, in all religions, are full of wonderful human beings doing the best they can to answer a calling from deep inside their hearts. In this time, let us listen. Let us be still in our hearts. Let us enjoy the safe harbor of this little chapel, and rest inside. Gratitude for this chapel, gratitude for these sisters, can be a key with mystical results! SAN DAMIANO San Damiano and Clare's garden From Piazza del Comune walk down Corso Mazzini, past the Basilica of Saint Clare. Pass through the main archway of Porta Nuova. Bear right and go down the stairs. Pass under the road overpass. Across the street Via San Damiano starts and takes you down the hill directly to San Damiano. The olive trees on each side accompany your journey. This walk is about 20 minutes. San Damiano is, in a sense, the birthplace of Francis vocation, where he first experienced his literal calling to serve God in love and humility, and founded his order. After rebuilding the chapel, Francis and his brothers expanded it into a convent to become the groundbreaking home of St. Clare and the first female Franciscans, where Francis offered cloistered protection to his beloved Clare. San Damiano has many gifts. The main Chapel is almost always quiet. Each chapel in Assisi has its own unique spirit and presence, and this chapel is no different. At 5:30 or 7:00 depending upon the season, the brothers offer evening prayer in song and golden silence.

9 The garden around the chapel, overlooking the valley below through the olive groves, is said to be a place where Francis, the former troubadour, composed and sang his poems extolling creation. The cloister garden is a place of special enchantment and serenity- no doubt of great comfort to Clare, who never left the convent except to visit Francis on his deathbed. There, the flowers bloom in exuberant profusion, as if nurtured by the love and joy of Clare herself. Upstairs, overlooking the entrance to the convent, lies the simple, plain dormitory where Clare and her sisters slept. From the round window in front, Clare allegedly expelled a band of marauding Saracens, bent on looting the convent, by simply holding up the monstrance containing the Blessed Sacrament, stopping the mauraders in their tracks by the sheer force of her purity, faith, and spiritual presence. In the back corner of that same room, on a simple straw mat, Clare died, as simply as she had lived, just days after receiving papal approval for her Rule for the Order of the Poor Clares that continues to this day. Be sure to walk slowly, breathing in the views and ancient olive groves. Some of these trees are over three hundred years old. Mystics have taken this same walk for centuries, many of them finding this pilgrimage to San Damiano as a passage through the seven gates of Heaven. The walk, monastery, and garden of St. Clare, more than anything, give a direct experience of Clare, her diamond soul, truth, and love. Be sure to spend some sacred time in the olive groves around the monastery. There is no hurry. Eternity is here. Allowing our hearts to beat to the rhythm of eternity is a great gift to give to ourselves and our journey. To be fully present on this small walk is to be present on a walk into Paradise! CONTINUING: Pass through the Chapel and take the door on your right. You will pass the refectory where the sisters ate. Continue up the stairs to Clare's bedroom, where she died. Clare's presence can be felt in her domitory room perhaps more than any other place in Assisi. Her stillness, shining heart, and truth are very present. Even though there are no chairs, take your time here. Sit on the floor and feel how the life of her monastery comes alive in our hearts. Clare is simply present. As we offer our hearts to her, her heart draws closer to us. Communion with Clare is to have our cup overflowing with light filled grace. Being simple and present, our hearts can feel her unique silent being, her overflowing generosity of heart and spirit. Clare is very human and holy! CONTINUING: When you leave, follow the stairs downstairs to her garden. In the time of Clare, this cloister garden was also a doorway to the garden of the heart. To sit next to Clare's garden is to sit very close to the peace of God's garden in each of us. We can never sit too long, or be too open for the peace of this garden to take root in our awareness and our lives. Sit and be in the garden of gardens in our hearts. Each season has its perfection and gifts. We maybe at a point in our lives where we are making new beginnings like Spring. Or maybe we are letting go of everything, like a tree in Fall with winter approaching. Whatever season of our life is present, the garden, God's love is with us. In this garden we can find peace with the seasons of our life. Note: On the way to San Damiano, after having passed the Baslica of Saint Clare, you will pass under a large archway. About half-way down this block on your left there is a art gallery. You will not want to miss meeting Massimo Cruciani, the artist that paints on glass! He is one of the true characters of Assisi and world famous. Be sure to ask for him personally. Massimo is one the biggest hearts and joy of Assisi! His art has the true spirit of Francis and the Umbrian countryside.

10 CHIESA DI SANTO STEFANO San Stefano Chapel The church of San Stefano is near the main square Piazza del Comune but far away from the busyness of the city's activities. Follow via San Paolo from Piazza del Comune until you find the first stairway on your left. There is also a sign here for the church. Simply follow the stairs down to the church, about 50 meters. About a 4 minute walk. This church is one of the oldest in Assisi and is taken care of by a German spiritual community. It is open to all and unique in its special architecture and peace. Enjoying the view of the valley from here is like getting a peak into one of Heaven's valleys. Sitting on the wall alongside the stairway that leads down to the church, we glimpse the abundance of peace that is God's presence. Letting everything around us touch our hearts. We can be in an endless moment in which everything is present, everything is said, everything is perfect. In humility, it is no wonder Francis found God so profoundly in such moments! SANTA MARIA DEGLI ANGELI Saint Mary of the Angels, ant eh Porziuncula From Piazza del Comune you walk down Corso Mazzini all the way to Porta Nuova. Here you catch a bus that comes every 20 minutes or so to Santa Maria delle Angeli. The bus ride lasts about 15 minutes with stops. If you wish to hike down it will take about an hour. This church can be seen from Assisi and stands out like a jewel in the valley below. Some of the old villagers still walk down to this Basilica as a pilgrimage, carrying their prayers on their hearts as they walk. This Basilica was built over and shelters the original chapel where Francis and his brothers prayed. Francis had a vision here, that Mary and all her angels waited for them each day, listening and carrying each prayer directly to God. The Pope at the time agreed, but declared that only ONE day each year, in August all prayers could be heard. But many pilgrims feel this tiny chapel is full of Mary and her angels everyday, and that each and every prayer is listened to, blessed, and carried into Heaven. The opportunity in this sweet chapel is to let go of everything we are carrying as Francis did long ago. To not carry anything but God's love in our hearts seems impossible to our minds. But as we take this step and offer Mary our challenges and wishes. Soon we find ourselves free and in simple being. Mary and Her angels have taken us into their own. CONTINUING: Next to the small chapel is the place where Francis died. Around the chapel marking his death are

11 paintings full of devotion and spirit. In the back left corner of the Basilica itself, is a special room of devotion and silence. There are many special corners to the church including a garden of roses, miraculously without thorns, a live dove living in Francis' arms and Assisi's largest store for souvenirs. Note: Just outside the church is the largest bookstore of foreign language books about Francis. EREMO DELLE CARCERI, The Prison Hermitage Leaving Piazza del Comune walk up via San Rufino past the Duomo of San Rufino. Continue uphill under an archway, immediately to the left of San Rufino onto via del Torrione. Turn left on the main street, viale Umberto 1. Turn right onto via Eremo delle Carceri. Turn left immediately after you pass under the archway Porta Cappuccini. Here you will find a dirt road that will lead you uphill. The hiking trail ends on Via Eremo delle Carceri once again. Turn right and go downhill for about 100 meters to the entrance of the monastery. The hike up is 45 minutes (from Porta Cappuccini) for those used to hiking and up to an hour an a half for the rest of us. But the hike is well worth the effort. If you prefer you can also hire a taxi. God in nature opened Francis to the presence of eternity and his heart sang to Brother sun and sister moon, the creatures, trees, and all of nature. At the Eremo there are three chapels summarizing Francis' journey into silence. Entering the first Chapel there is a painting with Francis at the feet of Christ. This symbolizes Francis' companionship with Christ. They shared everything including the silence. The next chapel shows Mary holding a small child. Francis often felt like a small child in the arms of Mother God in the silence. The silence held him as the Mother holds the Christ child. The third and last Chapel is on the stairway leading out of the Monastery, above the nests of the white doves. Hopefully it is open, otherwise peak through its window. (You can always ask a brother to open it for you.) Here you will see one of the most beautiful spiritual paintings in all of Assisi. It is a picture of Mary and Mary Magdalene holding Christ. The pain and bliss of the spiritual journey all come together. In silence Francis found both pain and bliss. In the silence he embraced it all and everything embraced him. The Eremo is a treasure! There are hiking trails behind the Eremo including grottoes of some of the brothers. Taking the time to wander these trails, to sit and listen to the birds, is to find the true spirit of Francis - free, and in great joy! Be sure to spend sometime next to Francis' grotto. No matter how many people may be there, Francis sitting in eternity is very present. There are many simple places in and around the Eremo to awaken our hearts to simplicity and nature's pure spirit calling us to breathe and receive! The practice of being and enjoying silence is a life long pursuit. Perhaps no where on Earth is their more support then in the Eremo above Assisi where nature, the grottos of Francis and his brothers, the monastery altars, and the quiet pilgrims along the trails, all are in one great big conspiracy, smiling, Be Still! God is here! Listen! Enjoy! May the silence slowly fall down through our entire being, from head to foot, until we are surrounded in only clouds of pure, golden stillness. Here we can take the time just to sit and breathe with the gentle wind. Nature today is all around us, wrapping us in a blanket of gentle silence, as Francis was held so many years ago. Here Brother Christ is present sharing His light, His

12 being. We are not alone on the path. Every part of us is welcome in the silence as a part of being human, a part of the God full journey. Simple Peace Retreats A Sacred Pilgrimage in Assisi Italy ~ Year round retreats (39) For those wishing a more profound experience of Assisi peace, you are invited to make a retreat with us. We are a community of retreat leaders offering year round meditation retreats, to help each person receive the beauty and depth that Assisi has to offer. If you feel this Meditative Guide has served you please share it with others. We are a California non-profit organization cultivating inner peace and happiness. Our Books: For a deeper look into the contemplative lives of St Francis and St Clare by Bruce Davis, PhD on Amazon: The Love Letters of St Francis & St Clare of Assisi, meet Pope Francis Simple Peace, The Inner Life of St Francis of Assisi Bruce & Ruth Davis, Founders Silent Stay Retreat Center A hilltop sanctuary in Northern California S