Reflect
Eremo delle Carceri is a hermitage upon Mount Subasio where Francis and his brothers spent extended periods in prayerful solitude. On my pilgrimage in the fall of 2024, I for some reason found myself hiking deeper into the valley below, perhaps some reflection of my own inner state, rather than climbing upward to experience the stunning views of Mount Subasio. I began to fret a little as the sun began to set and rain began to dampen the trail I took downward into the valley. For some reason I kept going anyway and found a small, humble cross near a cave, where I sat and thought about love and loss.
Pray
Everyone else went up, Mount Subasio’s call.
I dared go down, longing to find you in the dark valley,
to maybe sense and feel your gentle presence;
to maybe even get lost or stranded in the storm,
forced to take shelter in a cave or crawling,
where Francis and his followers also escaped and prayed 800 years before.
Tumbling down into the valley—down, down, winding down—
until the path dissolved beneath me,
call it what you want: this reckless yearning for peace.
Act
Peace will probably not look or feel the way we want it to. And sometimes we must journey into unexpected places to find it. That journey can be messy. As Jesus said in John 14:27: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
