Assisi, Sept. 7, 2024. Today the capitulars were scheduled to experience a different day than usual; they went on pilgrimage to Assisi – as has been a routine for many General Chapters – for a moment of pause at the tomb of the Seraphic Father.
Along the way it was nice to take in the natural landscapes of Lazio and Umbria; from here one understands a little more of Francis’ love for nature, for creatures, which he drew from his life of faith recognizing in them the signature of the Creator, but also from having spent time in an extraordinarily beautiful and varied natural environment, he was able to contemplate a wide panorama rich in many shades of green, the mountains, flowing water, etc. Perhaps it is poetry, but this too is part of life. Arriving in Assisi, the capitulars were welcomed in the Sacro Convento’s large refectory for refreshments. At 11:30 a.m., in the Lower Basilica, the General Minister presided over Mass concelebrated by the General Councilors and capitulars present. In his homily, Br. Roberto Genuin recalled two notes on St. Francis proposed by the liturgy of the day: these are poverty and humility. They – for the Minister – are like “two beacons that can give light to our journey and to the journey of the whole Order.”
As pilgrims to the tomb of our Father Francis, a witness of poverty and humility, Br. Roberto defined the purpose of this pilgrimage: “we are here to say with a resolute will that during the next six years the Lord will be our only good, nothing else.” Immersed in the world and sometimes attracted by the persuasive lights of possessions and prestige, the Minister urged the friars to “strip themselves of self and the world to clothe themselves with God, and to embrace the humility of one who understands the origin of all good.”
At the end of the celebration, all the friars walked in procession to the tomb of St. Francis, where the General Minister and his Vicar made the profession of faith and the oath of fidelity, recalling the exhortation of the Seraphic Father, “Let us begin, brothers, to serve the Lord God, for up until now we have done little or nothing.” At the end all the brothers, in unison, recited the formula of religious profession, thus renewing their vows. Then, the General Minister blessed those present with the relic of St. Francis.
Enriched by this celebration, the friars went to the Domus Laetitiae for lunch. The rest of the day was given to free time, prayer, visiting (for some also “discovering”) Franciscan places or for interaction and dialogue among the capitulars. Part of the group in the evening returned to Rome, the others (the majority) found lodging in our friaries, in Assisi (the former provincialate of Umbria and Domus Laetitiae), Foligno and Spello for overnight stays, ready to leave the next day for the Shrine of La Verna.
