Hopes and disappointments

"There are two gods here", said the shopkeeper, "our God and the god of money." "The church," he went on, "advocates the god of money. The people put in their €1 or €2, and it all mounts up. They want to get as many people in and out as quickly as possible. There is no time for them to stop and pray."

I can't help feeling he has a point. But it's not as simple as that. If the tourists did not come in their droves, there would be no need for his shop, and he would be without a job.

My hopes had been surely fulfilled earlier in the morning, about 6.45am to be precise, at Lodi (Lauds) in the Basilica of St. Clare. An offering of worship which was truly meaningful for me, even if I only understood the occasional "Amen"! I think it was the singing of the nuns that somehow broke across any language barrier.

After breakfast, I decided to visit first the Rocca Maggiore fortress high above the city, and that turned out to be quite magnificent. 

Then, by way of contrast, one of the less-visited churches, that of St. Stefano, a building that was already in existence when St. Francis was born. Here there was a gentle silence uninterupted by external busy-ness. It was not difficult to imagine how Francis found it to be a haven in the city. It was after this, on the way back in to Assisi, that I came across the shopkeeper quoted above.

I then set out to walk up to The Hermitage. I wanted to follow the footpath that Francis and his companions would have used, but learnt that, since the last earthquake, it has been almost impassable, and is no longer considered safe. This was a disappointment.

However, the road up the hill beckoned, and it was sunny and warm, so 3/4 hour and 4 kms later, I arrived at my destination. Here followed another disappointment. The chapels, shrines and original caves used by Francis are closed for renovation.

I was, however, able to spend some time in the surrounding woods, and it was a very peaceful place to be.

The walk back down did not take so long - but the sun had turned to pouring rain so, not having a coat with me, I got a bit wet. The weather does seem to change quite quickly, and as I reached the town the sun re-appeared, and I dried off in no time at all.

Highs and lows in hopes and expectations are a bit like the mountains and the valleys, and the sun and the rain. We can feel disappointment if our hopes are not fulfilled, or we can see them as all part of the journey that we are privileged to make in God's company.

For those that hurry by and do not notice, let us hope that they may catch a glimpse of holiness that will stop them, even momentarily, in their tracks, and help them to meet the God whom they do not yet know.

May we see Christ in others,

Be Christ to others,

That we may dwell in him, and he is us.