Ninety hours in the pilgrim town of Assisi brought me from the milieu of an interesting cultural experience, to the dissonance of attempting a meditative journey amidst the life-line and highway of a major tourist town, and thence to a more balanced reflection on the 800 years that had since passed from the austere beginnings of St Francis’ movement & his charism to its present day interpretations.
How does one make sense of the beginnings of the movement espoused by St Francis, mired in such unworldly ambitions, and what determines its success and life journey? Almost millennium later, in the retrospect, it is almost emblematic to state that outside of the religious context, this had no chance of success. One is reminded of the shrewd observation of the respected Pharisee scholar, Gamaliel.
“What I suggest, therefore, is that you leave these men alone and let them go. If this enterprise, this movement of theirs, is of human origin it will break up of its own accord; but if it does in fact come from God you will be unable to destroy them. Take care not to find yourselves fighting against God.’ His advice was accepted. (Acts 5:38-39)
In pictures, the serenity of Assisi cannot be overstated. Amidst the innocuous poppy fields in the foreground, the Basilica rises from the medieval town’s slopes like the bulwark of a battlestar-ship pulling a collection of medieval buildings through an ethereal star-dust.
Within the streets and grounds of the town, one is reminded of the other great monastic pilgrim site of Montserrat, and the ensemble of day-trippers (the church militants if you will) as they march relentlessly through the main-streets of San Fresco. It is only in the earliest part of the day, and at nightfall, that we bear witness to a serenity of spirit that is borne of the luxury of solitude and peace.
Yet, one is reminded that Jesus’ Church on earth has already been established over a thousand years earlier, before St Francis received his calling. What we witness today in this pilgrim town is no more or mo less disconcerting than the clash of old versus new, rich versus poor, poverty versus commerce, honor versus humiliation, and ego versus humility, in the 12th century when St Francis began his movement.
Was it not a divine plan that the darnel (bad) and the wheat (good) has to co-mingle before the end-times?
‘The kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everybody was asleep his enemy came, sowed darnel all among the wheat, and made off. When the new wheat sprouted and ripened, then the darnel appeared as well. The owner’s labourers went to him and said, “Sir, was it not good seed that you sowed in your field? If so, where does the darnel come from?” He said to them, “Some enemy has done this.” And the labourers said, “Do you want us to go and weed it out?” But he said, “No, because when you weed out the darnel you might pull up the wheat with it. Let them both grow till the harvest; and at harvest time I shall say to the reapers: First collect the darnel and tie it in bundles to be burnt, then gather the wheat into my barn.” (Matt 13: 24-30)
How man constantly re-frames the divine plan and history to the present, is an interesting study of the influence of life and the arts in the interpretative presentation of the past. And stranger still when life imitates art, and in ways that are far more inspirational than we could ever imagine. Consider the making of the 1961 movie Francis of Assisi, starring Bradford Dillman as St Francis and Dolores Hart as St Clare, based on Louis de Wohl’s hagiography. Here the history of St Francis is artistically re-created on-site, in Assisi and other Umbria towns, and with some faithful reproductions of the scenes from the frescoes of the Upper Cathedral in the Basilica of St Francis.
Yet it will be Dolores Hart, that will bring that story 50 years forward. Ms Hart plays the endearing role of Clare, who will choose a life of monastic contemplation dedicated to Agape love and a lifetime of commitment to God. She began her career as an actress when she was only 19 years old, making her screen debut in 1957 as Elvis’ sweetheart in Loving You.
In a remarkable development, she chose to enter the Benedictine Abbey of Regina Laudis. two years after Francis of Assisi was released, to become a cloistered nun and recently celebrated her Golden Jubilee.
This remarkable life-changing event has been re-told in various accounts, not in the least Mother Dolores’ acclaimed autobiography The Ear of the Heart: An Actress’ Journey from Hollywood to Holy Vows, in the HBO documentary God is the Bigger Elvis, and also in a reflective piece, Dolores Hart – Diary of a cloistered starlet, that examines the woven threads in her life and themes in last few movies she starred in, before her life-changing decision.
Arguably, this is more than just life imitates art – it’s a story of life-imitates- art- imitates- life. And it suggests to us that, we will be constantly re-interpreting the meaning of the examined life, the mean of not-being-of this world (John 17:17), and to accept the challenge in our times to live a life set apart, yet lived in the present and lived fully.
(Picture: In the late afternoon sun, the foreground shows the reconstructed ruins of a hospice at the foot of Assisi against the distant backdrop of the Basilica of St Francis.
(Lumix GX85; 12-60mm May 2018)