| Tue 6 Sep - Assisi Retreat |
We arrived in Rome around 9 AM. I walked around the airport for a couple of hours. Seemed like a good way to fill in the time. The airport had a modern design, with lots of interconnecting covered walkways, but it was showing its age. I could see trash on the cement floor under the glass elevators that took me up to the shopping mall. A little further down was a tubular walkway leading to the train station. Out in the parking lot, three heavy men sweated profusely as they packed a tractor trailer from floor to ceiling with overstuffed luggage for cruise passengers who would soon themselves be overstuffed.
Every 40 minutes, a few more spiritual peacemakers arrived and the air was buzzing with hugs and chatter. Around 2 PM, the driver started the bus that would take us to Assisi.
The highway leading to Assisi was nestled between two small mountain ranges. More than once, it tunneled through the middle of a mountain, magically opening a portal through the jagged rock. The weather was perfect, the sky was blue, and there was a gentle breeze. The scenery was a mix of rural and urban, industrial and agricultural. We passed brick factories, sunflower fields, vineyards, and orchards.
Somewhere along the highway I lost track of time, and that’s a good thing. And finally, we made the turn and I could see the city of Assisi, glowing orange in the afternoon sun, clinging delicately to the side of Mount Subasio.
We had dinner on a patio overlooking the valley, facing the setting sun. Grape vines as big as trees wove their way above us in a sea of brown and green, providing a natural awning.
After our meal, we recited peace prayers from all the major religions of the world, and then walked across the square to the Basilica of St. Francis. James Twyman sang a couple of peace prayers as we sat on the grass, soaking in the sacred energy emanating from the sacred ground below us.
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| Wed 7 Sep - Day 2 Assisi Retreat |
Sonoko Tanaka and Luka lead us in a ceremony where we prayed for peace to prevail on Earth. Then up the mountain to the Basilica of St. Clare, which houses St. Clare's remains and the Crucifix of San Damiano, which inspired St. Francis’ conversion in 1205. It was before this crucifix that St. Francis wrote “All Highest, Glorious God, cast your light into the darkness of my heart. Give me right faith, firm hope, perfect charity, and profound humility, with wisdom and perception, O Lord, so that I may do what is truly your most holy will. Amen.” A little further on, we arrive at San Damiano, the convent of St. Clare. We sit on a hill in the olive grove that St. Clare and St. Francis loved so much. Herbs like fennel, oregano, and dill grow wild, and I imagine that it wasn’t too different from the way it was 800 years ago. Later in the afternoon, we return to the Basilica of St. Francis, which houses the relics of at least 20 saints, including a piece of Jesus’ clothing. We set the tone by gathering shoulder to shoulder and singing the peace prayers, then we walk in silence into this wondrous sanctuary of peace. The walls and ceilings are covered with the most beautiful paintings and every window is filled with stained glass, depicting different scenes from the life of St. Francis. I spent an hour in the heart of the shrine, where lie the remains of St. Francis and his closest followers. I can’t really say that it’s a resting place, because even now the energy is so intense it’s as if they’re still alive. This is evident from the air, which pulsates with their peaceful, warm, and loving vibrations. May peace prevail on earth.Learn more about the World Peace Prayer Society
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