Aug 2 - The Feast of the Porziuncula

Fred Schaeffer, OFS (partly quoted from existing texts)

Below Assisi, that is at the base of the mountain, an oratory had been built in the first Christian centuries. This oratory with a little bit of land was given to St. Benedict in the 6th century. The name Porziuncula, that is, Little Portion, is supposed to have been derived from the transfer of this small piece of property. The little church was called St. Mary of the Angels, and the inhabitants of Assisi went there frequently to pray. One of the first things done by St. Francis of Assisi was to restore this sanctuary because it was in ruins. It became the cradle of the Order, recognized by the entire Franciscan family.

One night St. Francis went to the chapel to pray. He saw our Lord and His holy Mother surrounded by a great host of angels. He was filled with reverence, so he prostrated himself upon the ground and adored the Divine Majesty. Then the Lord spoke to him with great tenderness. After some reflection, Francis asked Him for the grace of a full pardon for all who, being contrite and having confessed their sins, would visit this little sanctuary. Mary cast herself upon her knees before her Divine Son, and repeated the petition of her faithful servant. (In part from: “The Franciscan Book of Saints”, edited by Marion Habig, ofm. © 1959 Franciscan Herald Press)

English text from: Formation Friday July 29, 2022

The Pardon of Assisi – The Porziuncola Indulgence—Celebrated on August 2
by Diane Mendito, OFS (currently, National Vice-Minister, Secular Franciscan Order)

• The sixteenth century Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels envelops the tiny chapel known as the Porziuncola.
• This chapel was one of the churches restored by St. Francis.
• This is the spot where, while listening to the Gospel, Francis understood what he was called by God to do.
• St. Clare received her religious habit from the hands of Francis here in 1211. 
• In 1216 as Francis prayed that everyone could be brought to heaven, he obtained from Jesus in a vision the PARDON OF ASSISI—a plenary indulgence, which was later ratified by Pope Honorius III.
• This is where the friars’ early general chapters were held—the Chapter of Mats of 1221 was attended by 5,000 friars.
• Here, on October 3, 1226, St. Francis welcomed Sister Death lying naked on the ground just outside the chapel.

“See to it, my sons, that you never abandon this place. If you are driven out from one side, go back in at the other. For this place is truly holy and is the dwelling place of God. Here, when we were but a few, the Most High gave us increase; here he enlightened the hearts of his poor ones by the light of his wisdom; here he set our wills on afire with the flame of his love. Here he who prays with a devout heart will obtain what he prays for and he who offends will be punished more severely. Wherefore, my sons, consider this dwelling place of God to be worthy of all honour, and with all your, with voice of joy, and praise, give glory to the Lord in this place.” (Words of the dying St. Francis, Celano 1, n. 106)

The Conditions for Receiving the Pardon

• Each year from vespers on August 1 through August 2 (Feast of Our Lady of the Angels) you should visit either a Franciscan church or your own church. (At first the indulgence was only given for the Porziuncola, but it has been widened over the years.)
• You may obtain the indulgence any day of the year upon visiting the Porziuncola itself.

CONDITIONS TO OBTAIN THE PARDON OF ASSISI

Plenary Indulgence–(for oneself or for a departed soul)

Sacramental Confession to be in God’s sanctifying grace *(to be received within eight days before or after initiate “appeal” for the Plenary Indulgence);

*Participation in the Holy Mass with reception of the Holy Eucharist.

Visit to a Catholic Church, followed by the Profession of FAITH (Nicene Creed or Apostles Creed),

Recite the OUR FATHER, in order to reaffirm and give witness to one’s Christian dignity, as a child of God, that one received in Baptism;

Pray for the Pope’s intentions: as Vicar of Christ, Shepherd of the Universal Church, and visible sign of unity among the Faithful

Excellent reference on this topic: http://www.shrinesf.org/pardon-of-assisi.html

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St. Maximilian Kolbe (O.F.M. Conv.) [1894 – 1941]

Feast Day: August 14

In 1907, Raymond Kolbe and his elder brother Francis decided to join the Conventual Franciscans.

They illegally crossed the border between Russia and Austria-Hungary and enrolled at the

Conventual Franciscan minor seminary in Lwów. In 1910, Kolbe was allowed to enter the novitiate, where he was given the religious name Maximilian. He professed his first vows in 1911, and final vows in 1914, in Rome, adopting the additional name of Maria, to show his devotion to the Blessed Virgin

Mary. Kolbe would later sing hymns to the Virgin Mary in the concentration camp. At the age of 21, Kolbe earned a doctorate in philosophy from the Pontifical Gregorian University. He would also earn a doctorate in theology by the time he was 28.

In 1918, he was ordained a priest and continued his work of promoting Mary throughout Poland. Over the next several years, Kolbe took on publishing. He founded a monthly periodical titled, Knight of the Immaculate. He also operated a religious publishing press and founded a new Conventual Franciscan monastery at Niepokalanow, which became a major religious publishing center.

In 1936, Kolbe’s poor health forced him to return home to Poland, and once the WWII invasion by Germany began, he became one of the only brothers to remain in the monastery. He opened up a temporary hospital to aid those in need. When his town was captured, Kolbe was sent to prison but released three months later. Kolbe refused to sign a document that would recognize him as a German citizen with his German ancestry and continued to work in his monastery, providing shelter for refugees - including hiding 2,000 Jews from German persecution. After receiving permission to continue his religious publishing, Kolbe’s monastery acted as a publishing house again and issued many anti-Nazi German publications.

On February 17, 1941, the monastery was shut down; Kolbe was arrested by the German Gestapo and taken to the Pawiak prison. Three months later, he was transferred to Auschwitz. At the end of July 1941, three prisoners disappeared from the camp, prompting the deputy camp commander, to pick 10 men to be starved to death in an underground bunker in order to deter further escape attempts. When one of the selected men, cried out, “My wife! My children!” Kolbe volunteered to take his place. In his prison cell, Kolbe celebrated Mass each day and sang hymns with the prisoners. He led the other condemned men in song and prayer and encouraged them by telling them they would soon be with Mary in Heaven. Each time the guards checked on him, he was standing or kneeling in the middle of the cell and looking calmly at those who entered. After two weeks of dehydration and starvation, only Kolbe remained alive. The guards wanted the bunker emptied and they gave Kolbe a lethal injection of carbolic acid. Some who were present at the injection say that he raised his left arm and calmly waited for the injection. His remains were cremated on August 15, the feast day of the Assumption of Mary. Kolbe was canonized on October 10, 1982 by Pope John Paul II (now Pope St. John Paul II).

[Compiled by Deacon Dave & Thérèse Ream, O.F.S., Revised July 2017]

God  is our Refuge and Our Strength
A Reflection by Fred Schaeffer, OFS

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Ps. 46:1)

“Cast all your anxieties on him, for he cares about you…” (1 Peter 5:7)

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.” (Ps. 55:22)

There are many examples in Holy Scripture which show how close Our Lord wants to be to us. He is our friend, and He wants us to be His friend. This is a spiritual relationship worth pursuing. Anyone can follow the Lord. He loves us but what He doesn’t love is our sin. It is difficult not to sin, because we are all sinners, myself included. But we can try to better ourselves. Don’t be discouraged. “I will not leave you desolate; I will come to you.” (John 14:18).

Most reflections I write are long, in fact, too long. I think you’ll get more out of shorter reflections like this one. So I wish you well, and hope you’ll follow Jesus, His (and our) Mother Mary, and the Angels and Saints. Tomorrow is the Feast of St. Clare, one of the great Franciscan Saints next to St. Francis of Assisi. Because tomorrow is Sunday, her feast is not celebrated this year (except in Poor Clare communities).
St. Clare pray for us.

God bless you all.

Fred Schaeffer, OFS
August 10, 2024

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When the end of the trail is near
A Reflection by Fred Schaeffer, OFS

Yesterday, I received a call from my best friend, Peter, who was admitted to Hospice. It brought our 45+ year friendship and all the wonderful events of that time, into sharp focus. Pleasant thoughts at such a sad time. Peter suffered for years with cancer, and he knew that “the end of the trail” was near. Hospice care focuses on the care, comfort, and quality of life of a person with a serious illness that is approaching the end of life. It often includes emotional and spiritual support for both the patient and their loved ones.

Pete and I were involved in the tagging (banding) of birds, specifically hawks and owls, in Florida. We did this under license of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, an agency I worked at, for about ten years. We first met in New Jersey where I used to go bird watching or banding a very long time ago. See https://www.dmfofs2.com/my-adventures-with-birds for more information on bird banding and such.

When folks get into their 80’s or 90’s, the end of the trail is a subject in their thoughts. In a few days I’ll be 84 and not so healthy as I would have liked to be, the end is often on my mind. Peter is about the same age as me, maybe a year younger. My relationship with the Lord is good, and I mean to keep it that way, with His help, of course. We should all think about that. We live in a world that is in total chaos. Don’t get caught up into that.

"Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in Me. In my Father's house there are many mansions. If not, I would have told you: because I go to prepare a place for you. And if I shall go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and will take you to Myself; that where I am, you also may be" [John 14:1-3]. Humanly speaking, the Master felt as disappointed about His necessary departure as the Apostles felt. But if you read that text again, slowly, and visualize our Savior giving comfort and assurance to His closest friends, you will find therein the treasure that you have sought in all your lifetime. And you will not be afraid any more. That reassuring farewell message was not only for the Apostles; it was for us too. The words, "Let not your heart be troubled . . . I go to prepare a place for you . . . that where I am, you also may be," always bring confidence. I pray that someone will remind Peter of these comforting thoughts when he most needs them.

Peace and Good,

Fred Schaeffer, OFS
August 24, 2024

P.S. August 30: Peter is much better. You see, prayer works. Praise the Lord./ Fred S.

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