Indulgences?

In some ways today has been quite difficult to categorize. I went again to Lodi (Lauds) at the Basillica of St. Clare and found myself again lifted in worship by both the music and the interspersed silences.

I wanted to make one trip outside Assisi, and decided to visit the place where Francis spent the whole of Lent in 1211 - a small island in the middle of Lake Trasimeno.

The first indulgence I allowed myself was a bus down to Santa Maria degli Angeli to catch the train.

It was only about an hour's journey north to Passignano on the shores of the lake, from where a 20 minute ferry ride took me to the island of Isola Maggiore.

In Francis' day it was completely uninhabited and the community that lives there now is only about 100 strong. But, inevitably, it is geared towards tourism.

As I walked round the lake shore, there certainly was a sense of quiet, and it attracts those who have the time and skill to sit and draw or paint, rather than those (like me) who point and click!

Around the far side of the island from the present jetty is the small beach where Francis was landed from a rowing boat, and left to fend for himself. There are a number of stories that have grown up around the experiences that he had during this time, some of which may well be true. Up the hillside above the beach there is now a small chapel built over the spot where he made his primitive shelter.

There is no doubt an air of stillness about it, and I said the midday office sitting by the side of this chapel.

I have found myself drawn more and more to use Francis' prayer in all the churches I have visited, but only in the church higher up on the top of the island, was an attempt made to charge me to go in.

Apparently there are some 14th century frescoes that are worth asking tourists €3 to see. On being asked if I needed to pay to pray, the attendant quite graciously let me in; but I did get the impression that, if I had so much as looked at a wall-painting, he would have been there with his bunch of tickets!

Almost half of the shoreline walk is shut off at the moment as major renovation work is being done to the castle on that end of the island so, by the time I had climbed up over the centre of the island and back down to the jetty, there was a boat ready to return me to Passignano and then back to Assisi by train and bus.

The other indulgences? Well, a couple of rides on a train and a couple of rides on a boat are all a bit of an indulgence as far as I am concerned, but the whole day was very enjoyable, and that in itself can bring hidden spiritual benefit, and certainly has done for me, although it might take a bit of time to pin down exactly what.