by Paul Zalonski

Today is the feast of Our Lady of the Angels of the Portiuncula, the Virgin under whose mantle Saint Francis of Assisi was wrapped; Mary's maternal protection made it possible for blessed Francis to experience an intense Presence of the Lord and to receive his vocation to rebuild the Church. The Portiuncula is also the place where Francis knew first hand the experience of being sustained by the Angels. Likewise his intimate devotion to the Blessed Mother, under whose protection did he place himself to do the Lord's work did this place become holy for the members of the Franciscan family and for the Church universal. As a place of pilgrimage, the holy Portiuncula is a poignant reminder of how important the encounter with Christ was for Saint Francis and how much the encounter ought to be pivotal for us today. Without meeting Christ, little makes sense. Saint Bonaventure had this to say about this devotion:

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. This is also the place where St Clare took her vows and where Saint Francis died.

Consider the words of an early biographer of Saint Francis of Assisi: 

From there he moved to another place, which is called the "Portiuncula," where there stood a church of the Blessed Virgin Mother of God built in ancient times. At that time it was deserted and no one was taking care of it. When the holy man of God saw it so ruined, he was moved by piety because he had a warm devotion to the Mother of all good and he began to stay there continually. The restoration of that church took place in the third year of his conversion. At this time he wore a sort of hermit's habit with a leather belt. He carried a staff in his hand and wore shoes. One day the gospel was being read in that church about how the Lord sent out his disciples to preach. The holy man of God, who was attending there, in order to understand better the words of the gospel, humbly begged the priest after celebrating the solemnities of the Mass to explain the gospel to him. The priest explained it all to him thoroughly line by line. When he heard that Christ's disciples should not possess gold or silver or money, or carry on their journey a wallet or a sack, nor bread nor a staff, not to have shoes nor two tunics, but that they should preach the kingdom of God and penance, the holy man, Francis immediately exulted in the spirit of God. "This is what I want," he said, "this is what I seek, this is what I desire with all my heart." The holy father, overflowing with joy, hastened to implement the words of salvation, and did not delay before he devoutly began to put into effect what he heard. (From The Life of Saint Francis by Thomas of Celano)

Read about and perhaps seek The Portiuncula Indulgence if you visit any Franciscan Church and observe the conditions for receiving the indulgence.

The Holy Father made reference to this in his Sunday Angelus address:

... today is the feast of the "Pardon of Assisi," which St. Francis obtained from Pope Honorious III in the year 1216, after having a vision while he was praying in the little church of the Portiuncula. Jesus appeared to him in his glory, with the Virgin Mary on his right and surrounded by many Angels. They asked him to express a wish and Francis implored a "full and generous pardon" for all those who would visit that church who "repented and confessed their sins". Having received papal approval, the Saint did not wait for any written document but hastened to Assisi and when he reached the Portiuncula announced the good news: "Friends, the Lord wants to have us all in Heaven!". Since then, from noon on 1 August to midnight on the second, it has been possible to obtain, on the usual conditions, a Plenary Indulgence, also for the dead, on visiting a parish church or a Franciscan one.

A note about indulgences, which are often misunderstood. Indulgences are not forgiveness for sin but forgiveness for temporal punishment due to sin; that the residual effects of sin are forgiven.

Also, visit The Shrine website (read in 3 languages)

On this feast we pray

August Queen of Heaven, sovereign queen of Angels, you who at the beginning received from God the power and the mission to crush the head of Satan, we beseech you humbly, send your holy legions so that, on your orders and by your power, they will track down demons, fight them everywhere, curb their audacity and plunge them into the hell.

Who can be compared to God? Oh good and tender Mother, you will always be our love and our hope. Oh divine Mother, send the Holy Angels and Archangels to defend me and to keep the cruel enemy far from me. Holy Angels and Archangels defend us, protect us. Amen.

Indulgences

Definition
An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment for sin the guilt of which is already forgiven, which a properly disposed member of the Christian faithful obtains under certain and definite conditions. It is granted by the Church which, as the minister of redemption, authoritatively dispenses and applies the treasury of the merits of Christ and the Saints.

Explanation
(1) An indulgence is partial or plenary in as far as it frees from the temporal punishment due to sin either partly or totally.

(2) By temporal punishment, as distinguished from eternal punishment, is meant punishment which is due to sin, and which is paid for, either in this life, or in the next life in purgatory. The repentance for sin may be so great as to obtain from God the remission both of the guilt and of all punishment; but often through imperfection of our repentance some punishment remains due to sin after the guilt has been removed.

(3) In granting an indulgence, the Church offers to God, for the remission of the temporal punishment we deserve for our sins, the infinite merits of our Lord, and also, in him and through him (though only secondarily), the merits of the Blessed Virgin and the Saints.

(4)The faithful can gain partial or plenary indulgences for themselves or apply them for the dead by way of suffrage.

Requirements
(1) In order that one be capable of gaining indulgences one must be baptized and not excommunicated and in the state of grace at least at the completion of the prescribed works.

(2) In order that one be a capable subject for gaining indulgences one must have at least the intention of receiving them and fulfill the enjoined works at the stated time in due fashion according to the tenor of the grant.

(3) The usual conditions for gaining a plenary indulgence are in addition to the good work to which it is attached: (a) Confession on the day itself, or within some days before or after the performance of the good work. (b) Holy Communion on the day itself, or within some days before or after the performance of the good work. (c) Prayer for the intention of the Pope. For this, recitation of one Our Father and one Hail Mary suffices, though the faithful have the liberty of saying any other prayer according to their personal piety. (d) Exclusion of all attachment to sin, even venial sin.

It is recommended that the Holy Communion and the prayer for the Pope’s intention take place on the same day as the good work.

Only one plenary indulgence may be gained on any one day with the exception of the plenary indulgence applicable at the moment of death. Several plenary indulgences may be gained on the basis of a single sacramental confession; only one may be gained, however, on the basis of a single communion and prayer for the Pope’s intentions.

If we are not properly disposed to receive a plenary indulgence when it is granted to us, we receive only a partial indulgence according to the perfection of our dispositions.

Plenary Indulgence
(1) A plenary indulgence called "Portiuncula" may be gained by visiting any parish church on two days of the year: the titular feast of the church and either on Aug. 2, the day of the "Portiuncula" indulgence, or on another suitable day to be fixed by the Ordinary. Another plenary indulgence applicable only to the dead may be gained in all churches on November 2. On these visits, the faithful should recite the Our Father and the Creed, and fulfill the three requirements (Confession, Communion, and prayer for the Pope).

(2) A plenary indulgence may also be gained by:

(a) Visiting the Blessed Sacrament for half an hour at least;

(b) Reading the Bible for at least half an hour;

(c) Making the Way of the Cross;

(d) Praying the Holy Rosary (five decades) in a church or with the family;

(e) Receiving the apostolic blessing at the hour of death.

"Gather you graces, My children, they are given to you in abundance! The enemies of your God shall take these from you, if they can. They shall strip you of the manner of receiving these graces! Have you cast aside indulgences! Do you call Our graces now a myth and superstition? How dare you set yourselves to join satan! All manner of false ideology! All manner of false deception! Doers of good who are rulers of evil!" - Jesus, November 20, 1975

Directives

D66 - The Passion of Christ (Part 1)   PDF
D67 - The Passion of Christ (Part 2)   PDF
D87 - Divinity of Jesus Christ   PDF
D88 - Martyrdom   PDF
D123 - Catholic Church, Part 1   PDF
D124 - Catholic Church, Part 2   PDF
D204 - The Saints   PDF
D265 - The Papacy  PDF    
D292 - Way of the Cross  PDF


 

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