Making a Clean Sweep of the Churches

Once while he was staying at Saint Mary of the Portiuncula and there were as yet few friars, St. Francis went through the villages and churches round about the city of Assisi proclaiming and preaching to the people that they should do penance. And he carried a broom to sweep out the churches that were dirty, for he was very grieved when he found any church not as clean as he wished.

Saint Francis of Assisi

Mirror of Perfection - 56

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The Sensual Man

In the early days of the Order, when the brothers lived at Rivo Torto, there was a brother who prayed little and did no work, who never went begging, for he was ashamed, but he ate well. Considering his behavior, Blessed Francis was warned by the Holy Spirit that this brother was a sensual man. One day he said to him: "Go your way, Brother Fly, for you wish to eat the fruit of the labor of your brothers, while you remain idle in the vineyard of God. You resemble Brother Drone who gathers nothing, does no work, but eats the fruit of the activity of the working bees." He left without asking forgiveness, for he was a sensual man.

Saint Francis of Assisi
Legend of Perugia - 62 

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The Devil Tears The Soul From The Body With Anguish

We should all realize that no matter where or how a man dies, if he is in the state of mortal sin and does not repent, when he could have done so and did not, the devil tears his soul from his body with such anguish and distress that only a person who has experienced it can appreciate it. All the talent and ability, all the learning and wisdom which he thought his own, are taken away from him, while his relatives and friends bear off his property and share it among themselves. Then they say, "A curse on his soul; he could have made more to leave to us and he did not." And the worms feast on his body. So he loses both his body and his soul in this short life and goes to hell, where he will be tormented without end.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Saint Francis of Assisi

LETTER TO ALL THE FAITHFUL

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Just Once...

Just once, let the love of God take entire and absolute possession of your heart; let it become your heart like a second nature; let your heart suffer nothing contrary to enter; let it apply itself continually to increase this love of God by seeking to please Him in all things and refusing Him nothing; let it accept as from His hand everything that happens to it; let it have a firm determination never to commit any fault deliberately and knowingly, or, if it should fail, to be humbled and to rise up again at once - and such a heart will pray continually.

Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

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Tau Cross - St. Francis of Assisi

The first recorded reference to the TAU is from Ezekiel 9:4, "Go through the city of Jerusalem and put a TAU on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it." The TAU is the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet and looks very much like the letter "T". 

 

At the Fourth Lateran Council, on November 11, 1215, Pope Innocent made reference to the TAU and quoted the above verse in reference to the profaning of the Holy Places by the Saracens. It is widely accepted that St. Francis was present at the Fourth Lateran Council and that he heard the words of Pope Innocent III when he said, "The TAU has exactly the same form as the Cross on which our Lord was crucified on Calvary, and only those will be marked with this sign and will obtain mercy who have mortified their flesh and conformed their life to that of the Crucified Savior. From then on, the TAU became Francis' own coat of arms. 

Francis used the TAU in his writings, painted in on the walls and doors of the places where he stayed, and used it as his only signature on his writings. 

 

St. Bonaventure said, "This TAU symbol had all the veneration and all the devotion of the saint: he spoke of it often in order to recommend it, and he traced it on himself before beginning each of his actions." 

Thomas of Celano, another Franciscan historian writes, "Francis preferred the Tau above all other symbols: he utilized it as his only signature for his letters, and he painted the image of it on the walls of all the places in which he stayed." 

 

In the famous blessing of Brother Leo, Francis wrote on parchment, "May the Lord bless you and keep you! May the Lord show His face to you and be merciful to you! May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace! God bless you Brother Leo!" Francis sketched a head (of Brother Leo) and then drew the TAU over this portrait.

THE TAU AS OUR FRANCISCAN SYMBOL

Where did the TAU come from and what does it mean? (Rhymes with "How") Simply and basically, the TAU represents the Cross. It is also the last letter of the Hebrew Alphabet. However, the two major influences on Francis concerning the TAU were the Antonians and the Fourth Lateran Council. 

St. Francis borrowed the TAU and what it meant to him from the Antonians. They were a religious community of men founded in 1095 whose sole function was to care for lepers. They were disbanded as an Order by the Church in the 1500's because leprosy was no longer a problem and many of the religious orders had fallen into Theological problems. On their habit was painted a great TAU cross. Francis was very familiar with these men because they staffed the leper house in Assisi and the hospital of St. Blase in Rome where Francis went to stay. This is now the church of San Francisco A Ripa. 

Every time you see St. Anthony, "the Abbot or Hermit" in art, he is portrayed with the TAU. 

St. Francis was exposed to the TAU through the direct influence of the Antonians, but the greatest influence of all that made the TAU so dear to Francis, whereby it became his signature, was the Fourth Lateran Council. 

Pope Innocent III opened the Council on November 11, 1215, with these words: "I have desired with great desire to eat this Passover with you." (Luke 22-15.) Innocent announced that for him, for the Church, and for every Catholic at the time, the symbol they were to take as the sign of their Passover was the TAU Cross. 

He incorporated into his homily the statement from Ezekiel (9:4) that the elect, the chosen, those who are concerned will be marked with the sign of the TAU. He explained that this Passover is a three-fold Passover. 

Every Catholic must be involved in this triple Passover: A Corporal Passover, a Spiritual Passover and an Eternal Passover. 

These became some of the most precious themes of Francis' preaching. He must have taken them so deeply to heart that when Pope Innocent III ended his homily with "BE CHAMPIONS OF THE TAU", Francis evidently took that as a personal statement and made the TAU his own symbol: a symbol for his order, his signature, painted it everywhere, and had great devotion to it for the rest of his life. 

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Dr. Tom Ringenberg: "Come to the Quiet" and Become a Monastic Without Having to Leave Your Day Job

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Dr. Tom Ringenberg during personal prayer time at the
Portiuncula Hermitage in Jerusalem, Ohio

Dear Christian Brothers and Sisters,

Having just experienced one of the most peaceful and fulfilling weekends of my Christian life, I feel led to write you and encourage you to take a fresh breath of the clean air at the Portiuncula Retreat in Jerusalem Ohio. Surrounded by the beauty of God’s creation in the hills of Appalachia, I was refreshed in God’s peace.

The initial reaction to a weekend of silence, fasting and prayer was mixed as I revel in the world’s flash of media and the madness of twenty-four hour news. I feared boredom and the lack of external stimulus. But God is good, and He provided plenty for me. Walks in the woods and fields, silent prayer and meditation, communal prayer with my Brothers in Christ, prayers of intercession, and theological discussion on the travel to and from Jerusalem, stimulated my spirit far more than my flesh has ever been stimulated.

It is my hope that the Portiuncula will become a haven for those who need a fresh touch of God. I will return soon to restore my soul with peace.

Please prayerfully consider joining me in supporting the Portiuncula Retreat Center by simply contributing $5.00 $10.00 $15.00 or more a month.

Simply Click On This
Parish Pay
Icon

Or mail payments to:

"Portiuncula Hermitage"
% 508 South 16th Street
Richmond, IN 47374.

Thank you and God bless!
Yours In Christ,

Dr. Tom Ringenberg
Centerville, IN

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GoodShop: Please Help Us Build The Portiuncula Chapel

"Searching" For Jesus!

Please help us duplicate this Portiuncula Chapel
found on the campus of the Franciscan University of Steubenville

What if the Portiuncula Hermitage earned a penny every time you searched the Internet? Or what if a percentage of every purchase you made on-line went to support our cause? Well, now it can!

GoodSearch.com is a new Yahoo-powered search engine that donates half of its advertising revenue, about a penny per search, to the charities its users designate. Use it just as you would any search engine, get quality search results from Yahoo, and watch the donations add up!

Although this may not sound like a lot of money, if only 1000 of our supporters use GoodSearch.com just 5 times per day for the year, the Portiuncula Hermitage would receive over $18,000 towards its mission of spreading God's love!

It's easy. Just download the GoodSearch – Portiuncula Franciscan Hermitage and Retreat Center toolbar at:

Website owners can also help by adding a customizable badge to their homepage or blog.

So please, make a commitment to browsing the Internet with GoodSearch.com with the Portiuncula Hermitage as your designated charity. Set it as your homepage, or bookmark it so using it becomes a habit.

As well, you can earn money for the Portiuncula Hermitage by doing your online shopping through GoodShop.com. It is a new online shopping mall which will donate up to 37 percent of each purchase to the Portiuncula Hermitage. Hundreds of popular stores, including Amazon, Target, Gap, Best Buy, Macy's and Barnes & Noble have teamed up with GoodShop.com and every time you place an order, you'll be supporting our valuable mission.

By simply surfing the web with GoodSearch.com and shopping with GoodShop.com you can raise much-needed funds for the Portiuncula Hermitage!

PLEASE FORWARD THIS PRAYER REQUEST TO
EVERYONE YOU KNOW!

Pax Et Bonum!


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Itching Ears

St. Francis did not want the brothers who were living in hermitages, who were restricted severely as to number, to have itching ears for news of worldly things, lest, with their meditation on heavenly things interrupted, they should be drawn to the business of inferior things through those who spread rumors.

Saint Francis of Assisi

Celano, Second Life

Chapter XII

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White Cord of St. Francis of Assisi now available through the Portiuncula Hermitage

The Cincture, or White Cord, is a sign of chastity, and has been since the Church's beginning -- and before. Old Testament priests wore cinctures, Consecrated Virgins and religious wear cinctures, and the wearing of cinctures in honor of a particular saint is ancient, first spoken of in the life of St. Monica, the mother of St. Augustine, and carried on by St. Dominic, who wore the cincture in honor of St. Francis of Assisi. Certain Confraternities and Archconfraternities (groups of faithful to a religious cause) also wear cinctures as signs of their affiliation and chastity. Franciscans wear a White Cincture called a 'Cintura Bianca' (pronounced Chin-Torah-Bee-Anka) which translated means 'White Rope.' The three knots on the Franciscan Cincture represent Poverty, Chatity and Obedience, the three Conerstones of the Franciscan Order.

To order your own 

White Cord of St. Francis 

The Portiuncula Hermitage 

simply go to 

Penannce Cilice 

http://www.cilice.co.uk/hairshirts.php

St. Dominic once asked St. Francis of Assisi for his White Cord he wore over his tunic. Dominic, the Founder of the Dominican Order,  wore this White Cord under his habit for the remainder of his life in honor of St. Francis, whom he so greatly admired and respected. This White Cord can be worn inside trousers or under a dress without anyone having knowledge that you are doing so.

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How To Size Your White Cord of St. Francis

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Absorbed By The Fire Of Divine Love Like A Glowing Coal

No human tongue could describe the passionate love with which Francis burned for Christ, his Spouce; he seemed to be completely absorbed by the fire of divine love like a glowing coal. The moment he heard the love of God being mentioned, he was aroused immediately and so deply moved and inflamed that it seemed as if the deepest chord in his heart had been plucked by the words.

Saint Francis of Assisi

Bonaventure, Major Life

Chapter IX

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Avarice, Taking the Name of Discretion

Once the followers of St. Francis were walking in such fervor of love for Christ, Avarice, taking the name of Discretion, began to say to them: "Do not show yourselves so unbending before men and do not despise in this way the honor they show you; but show yourselves affable to them and do not outwardly spurn the glory they offer you, but do so at most inwardly. It is good to have the friendship of kings, acquaintance with princes, and familiarity with the great, for, when they thus honor and revere you, when they will rise and come to meet you, many who see this will be the more easily turned to God by their example."

..."They esteemed themselves to be also inwardly what they were proclaimed to be outwardly, placing their glory in the mouths of those who praised them, like foolish virgins giving oil to those who sold it, and like an unprofitable servant."

Saint Francis of Assisi

Sacrum Commercium

Chapter IV

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Oh, Brothers! Oh, Brothers! Oh, Brothers!

One time it happened the while Brother Bernard of Quintavalle was attending Mass in a church and his whole mind was on God. He became so absorbed and rapt in contemplation that during the Elevation of the Body of Christ he was not at all aware of it and did not kneel down when the others knelt, and he did not draw back his cowl as did the others who were there, but he stayed motionless, without blinking his eyes, gazing straight ahead, from morning until none.

But after none he came back to himself and went through the Place (the Portiuncula) shouting in a voice filled with wonder: "Oh, Brothers! Oh Brothers! Oh, Brothers! There is no man in all this country, no matter how great and noble he is, who, if he were promised a very beautiful palace full of gold, would not willingly carry a sack full of the most filthy manure in order to obtain that very noble treasure!"

Saint Francis of Assisi

Little Flowers of St. Francis - 28

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Burning Words From the Furnace of our Hearts!

"It is only by mental prayer and spiritual reading that we can cultivate the gift of prayer. Mental prayer is greatly fostered by simplicity - that is, forgetfulness of self by transcending of the body and of our senses, and by frequent aspirations that feed our prayer. 'In mental prayer,' says Saint John Vianney, 'shut your eyes, shut your mouth, and open your heart.' In vocal prayer we speak to God; in mental prayer He speaks to us. It is then that God pours Himself into us.

"Our prayers should be burning words coming forth from the furnace of hearts filled with love."

Mother Teresa of Calcutta

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Do We Bury Our Talent?

When St. Francis realized that he could not conceal the stigmata which had been implanted so plainly on his body, he was afraid to make God's secret publicly known. One of the friars who was called Illuminatus said to him, "Brother, remember that when God reveals His secrets to you, it is not for yourself alone; they are intended for others too. If you hide something which was intended to do good to many others, then you have every reason to fear that you will be condemned for burying the talent given to you." 

Saint Francis of Assisi

Bonaventure, Major Life

Chapter XIII

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In The Silence Of The Heart, God Speaks

"We cannot find God in noise and agitation. Nature: trees, flowers, and grass grow in silence. The stars, the moon, and the sun move in silence. What is essential is not what we say but what God tells us and what He tells others through us. In silence He listens to us; in silence He speaks to our souls. In silence we are granted the privilege of listening to His voice.

Silence of our eyes.

Silence of our ears.

Silence of our mouths.

Silence of our minds.

...in the silence of the heart

God will speak.

Silence of the heart is necessary so you can hear God everywhere - in the closing of the door, in the person who needs you, in the birds that sing, in the flowers, in the animals.

If we are careful of silence it will be easy to pray."

Mother Teresa of Calcutta

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Contemplative Prayer

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Persevere In A Life Of Penance

We, servants and worthless as we are, humbly beg and implore everyone to persevere in the true faith and in a life of penance; there is no other way to be saved.

Saint Francis of Assisi

THE RULE of 1221

Chapter 23

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Neglect of Virtue

St. Francis was sad if learning was sought to the neglect of virtue, especially if each did not remain in the calling in which he was called from the beginning.

Saint Francis of Assisi

Celano, Second Life

Chapter CXLVII

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The Cord of St. Francis

Walfred, who lived in Cita' della Pieve, a devout and God-fearing man, as was his household, had a cord with which the blessed Francis had been girded at one time. It happened that in this place many men and women were afflicted with various illnesses and fevers. This man, after dipping the cord in water or mixing some strands of the cord in the water, would give the water to the sick to drink; and thus all of them were healed in Christ's name. These thing took place in the absence of Blessed Francis, and many more things happened too which we could not tell adaquately even at great length. 

Saint Francis of Assisi

Celano, First Life

Chapter XXII

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Endure With Joy Every Pain And Adversity

 Saint Padre Pio

St. Francis was once praying in an abandoned church when he was attacked by devils. Francis cried out and said "My Lord Jesus Christ, I thank You for the great love and charity which You are showing me, because it is  a sign of great love when the Lord punishes His servant well for all his faults in this world, so that he may not be punished for them in the next world. And I am prepared to endure with joy every pain and every adversity which You, my God, wish to send me for my sins."

Then the devils, having been humiliated and defeated by his endurance and patience, went away.

Saint Francis of Assisi

Little Flowers of St. Francis

Part Two

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We Can Boast Only Of Our Humiliations

There is but one thing of which we can all boast; we can boast of our humiliations (2 Cor. 12:15) and in taking up daily the holy cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Saint Francis of Assisi

The Admonitions

Admonition V

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Religious Life In Hermitages

At our "Come to the Quiet" Retreats, the Portiuncula Hermitage follows these brief instructions for Hermitages which St. Francis of Assisi set forth around 1222 to 1223 A.D.

Not more than three or at the most four friars should go together to a hermitage to lead a religious life there. Two of these should act as mothers, with the other two, or the other one, as their children. The mothers are to live the life of Marthas; the other two the life of Mary Magdalen.

Those who live the life of Mary are to have a separate enclosure and each should have a place to himself, so that they are not forced to live or sleep together. At sunset they should say Compline of the day. They must be careful to keep silence and say their Office, rising for Matins. Their first care should be to seek the kingdom of God and his justice (Luke 12:31). Prime and Terce should be said at the proper time, and after Terce the silence ends and they can speak and go to their mothers. Afterwards, they should say Sext and None, with Vespers at the proper time.

They are forbidden to allow anyone to enter the enclosure where they live, and they must not take their meals there.

The friars who are mothers must be careful to stay away from outsiders and in obedience to their custos keep their sons away from them, so that no one can speak to them. The friars who are sons are not to speak to anyone except their mother or their custos, when he chooses to visit them, with God's blessing. Now and then the sons should exchange places with the mothers, according to whatever arrangement seems best suited for the moment. But they should all be careful to observe what has been laid down for them, eagerly and zealously.

Saint Francis of Assisi

Religious Life in Hermitages

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Healing Prayer

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Exterior Counsels of Perfection

Original Tunic worn by St. Francis of Assisi found in Cortona, Italy

One day during the celebration of the Mass St. Francis heard the words in which Christ bade his disciples go out and preach, carrying neither gold nor silver, nor haversack for the journey, without staff, bread, or shoes, and having no second garment.

He learned these words by heart, meditating on what he had heard; and joyfully he started to put them into practice. He discarded his second garment, and from that day onwards he used no staff, shoes or haversack; he kept one miserable tunic, and instead of the strap he took a length of cord as a belt.

Saint Francis of Assisi

Legend of the Three Companions

Chapter VIII

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Ash Wednesday

When the nuns at St. Damian's had come together to hear the word of God, though no less also to see their father St. Francis, he raised his eyes to heaven, where his heart always was, and began to pray to Christ. He then commanded ashes to be brought to him and he made a circle with them around himself on the pavement and sprinkled the rest of them on his head. He remained in the circle in silence. The saint suddenly rose and to the amazement of the nuns recited the Miserere mei Deus in place of a sermon. When he had finished he quickly left. By his actions he taught them that they should regard themselves as ashes...

Saint Francis of Assisi

Celano, Second Life

Chapter CLVII

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White Cord of St. Francis of Assisi now available through the Portiuncula Hermitage

The Cincture, or White Cord, is a sign of chastity, and has been since the Church's beginning -- and before. Old Testament priests wore cinctures, Consecrated Virgins and religious wear cinctures, and the wearing of cinctures in honor of a particular saint is ancient, first spoken of in the life of St. Monica, the mother of St. Augustine, and carried on by St. Dominic, who wore the cincture in honor of St. Francis of Assisi. Certain Confraternities and Archconfraternities (groups of faithful to a religious cause) also wear cinctures as signs of their affiliation and chastity. Franciscans wear a White Cincture called a 'Cintura Bianca' (pronounced Chin-Torah-Bee-Anka) which translated means 'White Rope.' The three knots on the Franciscan Cincture represent Poverty, Chatity and Obedience, the three Conerstones of the Franciscan Order.

To order your own 

White Cord of St. Francis 

The Portiuncula Hermitage 

simply go to 

Penannce Cilice 

http://www.cilice.co.uk/hairshirts.php

St. Dominic once asked St. Francis of Assisi for his White Cord he wore over his tunic. Dominic, the Founder of the Dominican Order,  wore this White Cord under his habit for the remainder of his life in honor of St. Francis, whom he so greatly admired and respected. This White Cord can be worn inside trousers or under a dress without anyone having knowledge that you are doing so.

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How to Win Souls by Humility and Charity

A party of bandits who used to hide in the woods and rob travellers occasionally came for food to the hermitage of the friars situated above Borgo San Sepolcro. The brothers asked St. Francis if it was right to give them alms. And he said to them, "If you will do as I tell you, I trust in God that we shall win their souls."  So go and take some bread and wine to where they live and after the meal say to them, "Why do you stay here all day to die of hunger, and suffer so much hardship? And why do you do so many evil things, for which you will lose your souls unless you turn to God? It is better to serve God,  for He will both supply your bodily needs in this world, and save your souls at the last." Then God will move them to repentance because of the humility and charity that you have shown them."

At length some of the bandits entered the Order; the others confessed their crimes and did penance for their sins, laying their hands in those of the friars, and promising that henceforth they would live by their own labor and never do such things again.

Saint Francis of Assisi

Mirror of Perfection - 66

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The Rule

Francis used to say that our Rule is the profession of the book of life, the hope of salvation, the pledge of glory, the heart of the Gospel, the way of the cross, the state of perfection, the key of paradise, and the compact of the eternal covenant. 

Saint Francis of Assisi

Mirror of Perfection - 76

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Seeking To Appear Worthless In The Eyes Of Others

As Christ's true disciple, St. Francis was careful to preserve a low opinion of himself and appear worthless in the eyes of others, keeping in mind the words of the supreme Teacher, "What is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in God's sight" (Luke 16:15). He often used to remark, "What a man is before God, that he is and no more." He liked to have people scorn him - that spurred him on to do better - and hated to be praised, which could lead to a fall.

Saint Francis of Assisi

Bonaventure, Major Life

Chapter VI

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When Preaching, Do Not Conceal The Vices Of The People

When blessed Francis preached, he did not conceal the vices of the people when they publicly offended God or neighbor. But the Lord gave him such great grace that all those who heard or saw him had only fear and veneration for him because of the riches of the gifts he had received from God. Likewise, even when he reprimanded them, they were ashamed, but they were also edified; sometimes this was even more motive for him to pray to God for them with greater fervor, and they were converted to the Lord.

Saint Francis of Assisi

Legend of Perugia - 35

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Stigmata

The hands and feet of St. Francis were pierced through the middle by nails, with the heads of the nails appearing in the inner side of the hands and the upper sides of the feet and their pointed ends on the opposite sides... Furthermore, his right side was as though it had been pierced by a lance and had a wound in it that frequently bled so that his tunic and trousers were very often covered with his sacred blood.

Saint Francis of Assisi

Celano, First Life

Chapter III

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The Jesus Prayer

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The Duties of High Office: Devout Prayer

Francis used to say that we must not allow the duties of high office or the responsibility of preaching to stand in the way of holy and devout prayer, going out for alms, doing manual labor when required, and carrying out other humble duties like the rest of our brethren, both as a good example and for the good of our own and others' souls. He said, "...Unless they do this they cannot admonish others without embarrassment, injustice, and self-condemnation; for if we follow Christ's example, we must act rather than teach, and our acting and teaching must go together."

Saint Francis of Assisi

Mirror of Perfection - 73

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The Prudence of an Ass

Brother Giles once remarked that we are not prudent traders, like St. Francis. We waste everything we have, whereas we should be prepared to pay a man well for striking us. We have not even got the prudence of an ass; when an ass is carrying a load, he carries it all the better the more he is beaten and abused. In the same way, a truly obedient man must never cease doing good; indeed he should do it all the better when he has to suffer for it. Otherwise he can never attain contemplation.

Saint Francis of Assisi

Bonaventure, Excerpts - 20

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