What is Portiuncula? The following is an excerpt from Major Life of St. Francis by St. Bonaventure.
" The Portiuncula was an old church dedicated to the Virgin Mother of God which was abandoned . Francis had great devotion to the Queen of the world and when he saw that the church was deserted, he began to live there constantly in order to repair it. He heard that the Angels often visited it, so that it was called Saint Mary of the Angels, and he decided to stay there permanently out of reverence for the angels and love for the Mother of Christ.
He loved this spot more than any other in the world. It was here he began his religious life in a very small way; it is here he came to a happy end. When he was dying, he commended this spot above all others to the friars, because it was most dear to the Blessed Virgin.
This was the place where Saint Francis founded his Order by divine inspiration and it was divine providence which led him to repair three churches before he founded the Order and began to preach the Gospel.
This meant that he progressed from material things to more spiritual achievements, from lesser to greater, in due order, and it gave a prophetic indication of what he would accomplish later.
As he was living there by the church of Our Lady, Francis prayed to her who had conceived the Word, full of grace and truth, begging her insistently and with tears to become his advocate. Then he was granted the true spirit of the Gospel by the intercession of the Mother of mercy and he brought it to fruition.
He embraced the Mother of Our Lord Jesus with indescribable love because, as he said, it was she who made the Lord of majesty our brother, and through her we found mercy. After Christ, he put all his trust in her and took her as his patroness for himself and his friars."
Today the chapel of Portiuncula is situated inside the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels roughly 5 km from Assisi, Italy.
The Indulgence:
"The Portiuncula indulgence is the first plenary indulgence that was ever granted in the Church. There were indeed indulgences at all times, but they were only partial, and only a partial remission of the temporal punishments could be obtained by them. But, as already remarked, he who gains the Portiuncula indulgence is freed from all temporal punishments and becomes as pure as after holy baptism. This was also the reason why Pope Honorius was astonished when St. Francis petitioned for the confirmation of this indulgence, for such an indulgence, up to that time, bad been entirely unknown. It was only after he had come to the conviction that Jesus Christ himself wished it, that he granted the petition of the saint and confirmed the indulgence" (Source)
August 2nd is the feast of Portiuncula. A plenary indulgence is available to anyone who will
1. Receive sacramental confession (8 days before of after)
2. Receive the Holy Eucharist at Holy Mass on August 2nd
3. Enter a parish church and, with a contrite heart, pray the Our Father, Apostles Creed, and a pray of his/her own choosing for the intentions of the Pope.
Please tell every Catholic person you know that remission of the punishment for all sins committed from the day of baptism to the reception of the indulgence is available.
More Information:
If you want to read more about the feast of Portiuncula, please visit this website: Catholic Under the Hood.
Fr. Seraphim Beshoner is a third order Franciscan priest who does the podcast, Catholic Under the Hood, and he recently discussed this feast on one of his shows. Please check it out and pass the word along to everyone.
May the Merciful Jesus fill your heart with His gentle peace!
#65 - Francis and the Portiuncula
Today we look at the history of the Portiuncula, its importance in the life of Saint Francis of Assisi and the many blessings offered to us through the Portiuncula Indulgence.Links:
Portiuncula at Catholic Encyclopedia
Official Website of the Portiuncula
Portiuncula Indulgence - There are also some pictures of Saint Francis receiving the indulgence from Pope Honorious III and proclaiming the indulgence to the people.
The SaintCast
Prayer for Faith, Grace, and the Intercession of Our Lady of the Angels
Heavenly Father, you filled the heart of Saint Francis with a special love for the Mother of your Son, Jesus and for the Portiuncula. In this hallwed place you nourished his spiritual life and inspired him to found the Franciscan Order. Through the intercession of Our Lady of the Angels may we be steadfast in our faith and remain true to you. Grant us the faith and grace always to do your will. Grant this through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen
Prayer to Our Lady of the Angels
O Virgin of the Angels, who has for centuries established your throne of mercy at the
Porziuncula, hear the prayer of your children, who trust in you. From this truly holy place and
the habitation of the Lord, so dear to the heart of saint Francis, you have always invited all men
to love. Your tender eyes assure us of a never failing motherly help and a promise of divine help to
all those who humbly have recourse to your throne, or who from afar, turn to you to ask for
help. You are, indeed, our sweet Queen and our only hope. O Lady of the Angels, obtain for us, through
the intercession of blessed Francis, pardon for our sins, help us to keep away from sin and
indifference, so that we shall be worthy of calling you our Mother for evermore.
Bless our homes, our toil and our rest, by giving us that same serenity we experience
within the walls of the Porziuncula, where hate, guilt and tears turn into a song of joy like that
once was sung by the Angels and the seraphic Francis. Help those who are in need and hungry,
those who are in danger of body and soul, those who are sad and downhearted, those
who are sick and dying. Bless us, your most beloved children, and, we pray you, bless also with the same motherly gesture, all those who are innocent, together with those are guilty; those who are faithful,
together with those who have gone astray; those who believe, together with those who are
in doubt. Bless all humanity, so that all men acknowledging that they are God's children,
would find through love, real Peace and real Good.
Amen.
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