The Solemnity of Corpus Christi is one of the most popular. Let’s find out what it commemorates and how it is celebrated in the various areas of Italy.

The reasons for the success and devotional importance of the feast of Corpus Christi are easy to understand if we stop to think about what it celebrates. The Corpus Christi, or the Body of the Lord, more properly called Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, recalls precisely the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. As we know, the Eucharist is for Catholics the ritual moment in which the bread and wine offered by the priest who celebrates the Mass become in all and for all the Body and Blood of Christ, through the work of the Holy Spirit. In this miracle, which returns to being real at every celebration, the sacrifice of Jesus is renewed, his offering himself entirely to the apostles at the Last Supper and in general to those who followed him.

So we can say that the feast of Corpus Christi celebrates Jesus’ closeness to man, the highest and most significant moment of His human experience. For this reason, the celebrations that accompany this festival often have a popular character, and take place with processions, processions in costume, sacred representations and other events that involve many people gathered.

Corpus Christi is one of the main celebrations of the liturgical year. It is a mobile feast linked to Pentecost. In fact, the Corpus Christi falls on the Thursday of the second week after Pentecost, i.e. the Thursday after the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. For reasons related to the festive calendar, even if the festival remains on Thursdays, the celebrations are moved to the following Sunday.

But when was this party instituted?

We have to go back to Liège, Belgium, in the 13th century. Here the mystic Giuliana of Retìne, prioress in the Monastery of Monte Cornelio, had a prophetic vision: the moon, full and white, showed a dark shadow on one side. The woman interpreted that vision as a sign that the church was missing something and in this case, a feast dedicated to the Blessed Sacrament. Supported by his spiritual director, the canon John of Lausanne, he submitted to the bishop the proposal to institute a feast that would celebrate the Body of Christ outside of Easter. The proposal was examined by several theologians and in 1246 the feast was fixed by Pope Urban IV for Thursday after the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, with the Transiturus bull. To convince the Pontiff of the need to institute this feast was, in addition to the proposal of Giuliana de Retine, the Eucharistic miracle of Bolsena. In 1245, Peter of Prague, a Bohemian priest returning from a pilgrimage to Rome, stopped at the church of Santa Cristina in Bolsena to celebrate Mass. While he was breaking the consecrated Host he was seized by the doubt of the actual presence of Christ in that holy bread. But the moment this doubt touched him, a few drops of blood poured from the Host that fell on his linen body and the altar’s stones. Later the Pope sent the bishop of Orvieto to verify the incident and recover the body and stones, which were placed in the shrine of the cathedral of Santa Maria and Orvieto, and later in the Cathedral, built specifically to accommodate them.

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Communion bread and hosts

Different types of altar bread, available in the 3 classical sizes.

The meaning of Corpus Christi

The fundamental characteristic of the feast of Corpus Christi is obviously Eucharistic adoration. The Eucharist is exposed so that everyone can give proof of their faith and veneration towards the Body of Christ. Jesus offered His flesh and blood as nourishment for all men, as an instrument of salvation and a promise of eternity. On the occasion of Corpus Christi, the consecrated hosts are placed inside the monstrance, the sacred furnishings used precisely to contain the host during Eucharistic adoration. The priest uses the monstrance itself to bless the faithful. Eucharistic adoration may or may not be accompanied by a solemn procession, as we shall see in many Italian cities. These processions symbolise Jesus walking among men, through their streets, to emphasize how His Blood and His flesh make us even closer to Him, and He to us.

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Monstrance rays and crosses

Silver and gold plated bronze monstrance ostensory.

How Corpus Christi is celebrated in the various areas of Italy

On the orders of Pope Urban IV, the Dominican theologian Thomas Aquinas was the first to compose the office of solemnity and Mass of the Corpus et Sanguis Domini. Saint Thomas lived in the convent of San Domenico in Orvieto and it is said that the wooden Crucifix that is still preserved there today had turned directly to the theologian to show his approval for the work he carried out. According to tradition, the Crucifix said to Thomas: “Well scribes, Thoma, de me quam ergo mercedem accipies?” (You spoke well of me, Thomas. What will be your reward?) And Thomas answered: “Not aliam nisi you, Domine!” (Nothing but You, Lord!).

Even the hymn sung during the procession of Corpus Christi and in Vespers, the Pange lingua, the eucharistic hymn par excellence of the Catholic Church, was written and thought by Thomas Aquinas. Let’s just quote the first verse:

Sing, O tongue,
 the mystery of the glorious Body
 and of the Precious Blood
 that the King of the nations, the
 fruit of a generous womb,
 scattered for the ransom of the world.

As we have already written, during the solemnity of Corpus Christi a consecrated host is exposed to public adoration inside a monstrance, and possibly carried in procession. Each city then has its own customs to celebrate this precious anniversary.

The mysteries of Campobasso

In Campobasso, the feast of Corpus Christi is associated with the Mysteries. These are spectacular Sacred Representations in motion, among the most solemn and majestic in Italy, in which all the inhabitants of the city and many master craftsmen and artists participate. It is a form of popular devotion strongly imbued with folklore that has been set up for hundreds of years and does not fail to attract thousands of faithful visitors every year.
From the sixteenth century, Campobasso was known for its Sacred Representations, and from the following century, the lay brotherhoods implemented their preparation, especially in conjunction with the feast of Corpus Christi. In the middle of the eighteenth century, the local sculptor Paolo Saverio Di Zinno began to design on behalf of the confraternities of the real machines for the representations, to the realisation of which many expert blacksmiths took part. These machines, carried on the shoulders of carriers, were animated by various figures in costume who staged various religious representations, from the Body of Christ, represented by a large chalice, the so-called Chalice, to the Most Holy Trinity, to Santa Maria della Croce, to the Madonna del Rosario. Then there are Mysteries dedicated to the various saints, Saint Stephen, Saint Lawrence, Saint Isidore, Saint Crispino, Saint Gennaro and so on. To the ancient Mysteries, which were twelve, was added a thirteenth in more recent times (1959): the Most Holy Heart of Jesus. The procession of the Mysteries is now organised by a special association sponsored by the Municipality. On the day of Corpus Christi, the archbishop celebrates the Mass in the courtyard of the Association of Mysteries, in the presence of the city authorities, volunteers, figures and bearers. Then the imposing structures are set in motion, the figures take their place, the carriers load them on their shoulders and the procession starts for the joy of the festive crowd.

The Corpus Domini of Orvieto

The Feast of the Corpus Christi of Orvieto is instead characterised by the procession of the ladies, a historical re-enactment that takes place the day before the festival and that proposes scenes of medieval life accompanied by shows of falconry and flag-wavers.
On the day of the actual feast, the historical procession merges with the religious procession giving life to the Historical and Religious Procession of the Corpus Christi, one of the most beautiful in Italy, with over 400 figures in armour and precious costumes made by seamstresses and masters of Orvieto.

The flowers of Spello

During the transport of Peter’s relics from Prague from Bolsena to Orvieto, it is said that the inhabitants of the villages where the procession passed threw flower petals on the streets as a tribute to Corpus Christi. Hence the Infiorate of Corpus Christi.
In Spello in Umbria, for example, the feast of Corpus Christi is celebrated with flowers. The entire historic centre is covered with carpets and floral paintings that are the scenery to the passage of the monstrance brought by the Bishop and containing the Body of Christ along with a path of about 1.5 km.
The Infiorata of Spello is witnessed since 1602, but over the centuries, instead of just sprinkling the path of the procession of flowers, real groups of flowerers were born that also take a whole year to make their floral carpets, built according to geometric patterns and with the central part that represents figures and symbols linked to the Corpus Domini or other religious subjects. Today the floral rugs are proper colourful paintings that depict religious-social themes made with petals and corollas, and are known all over the world.

A sacrifice to Our Lady, a small sign of devotion to show great love. But how to make one enjoyable?

Let us start from the assumption that, like all acts of love, even the sacrifice to Our Lady, or to Jesus, will surely be appreciated by those who will receive them. Kind of like when we were kids, we used to give Mom a flower, or a job prepared at school, right on the occasion of her party. Maybe it wasn’t much, but it took so much love to prepare it, so much commitment, and it was that love and commitment that made it valuable.

This is when we make a sacrifice to Our Lady, especially during certain times of the liturgical year, when meditation and prayer should occupy a little of our time every day. We think of Advent, Lent, or certain months in particular, such as May, the month dedicated to the Virgin Mary, June, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and October, the month dedicated to the Holy Rosary.

A sign of love is a sacrifice, a renunciation of something we hold dearly, but bestowed with the same lightness with which a flower is given. Like something that doesn’t matter, something that we can support with courage and grace.

What’s a religious sacrifice?

As we said, it is a sacrifice. A waiver. But what matters is the spirit in which we choose to do without something we like, or care about. If from the beginning our thought is only to make an exchange with Our Lady or Jesus, we are not on the right track. The Sacrifice is not a quid pro quo, a doing something expecting something else in return. It’s not a bargaining chip.

The only thing that must move us in making a Sacrifice is Love.

It is we who choose what to give up, searching our hearts for something we truly care about. It will not be an infinite renunciation, usually, the Sacrifices have a duration, but this is also up to us to establish it. No imposition, no obligation. Only, once we have decided, we must be firm, constant, otherwise, our Sacrifice loses value.

A spontaneous gesture, not moved by a purpose, otherwise, it would be blackmail, not a gesture of love! The vehicle with which we must address it is prayer, and of prayer, the Sacrifice must have solemnity, full awareness of what we are saying. As prayer is not only made up of words lined up one after the other but what matters is the feeling that we instil in it, the attitude of our spirit.

What do we have to give up? From our favourite dessert to Facebook, from a date with friends to an object we care about very much. No need to overdo it. Also, do small services in the house, take out the garbage, clear the table, dedicate time to someone we usually take for granted, such as an old man, a neighbour a bit boring, but so lonely. Or take a little more time to pray, every day, to speak directly with Jesus, or with Our Lady. These are the appreciated Sacrifices, the ones that put altogether create a precious flowerbed, a kind of garden of Eden in miniature. The more the sacrifice costs, the more it will be pleasing in the eyes of God.

How to make a sacrifice to the Madonna

In May, our most beautiful thoughts and prayers turn in particular to Our Lady, the Mother of Jesus. The one who transmitted everything to Him, who cared for Him and raised Him as the most loving of mothers. It is no coincidence that in May we also celebrate Mother’s Day. As the Child Jesus entrusted himself completely to his mother, Mary, so we can do, in this month more than ever. To entrust oneself to Mary means to accept in one’s heart and one’s life her goodness, her mercy, and above all her faith in the will of God. By becoming children of Mary we thus become brothers and sisters of Jesus, we draw closer to Him, we become a little more similar.

The mother is therefore a fundamental presence in the life of a child. Don Bosco, a famous Italian priest and pedagogue, founder of the congregations of the Salesians and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, reiterated throughout his life how important his mother, Margaret, had been for his vocation. But also Mary, the heavenly mother of the good saint, but also each one of us, was fundamental. Since he was a child, he greeted Our Lady three times a day, in the morning, at noon and in the evening, with the prayer of the Angelus. This is because Don Bosco felt Our Lady as a mother at every moment, while praying, while working, in all the good times and all the bad, in the joys as in the sorrows. A family dimension of love, not unlike that felt for the natural mother, and precisely to this type of love, he will also invite his boys, towards Mary.

The practice of Sacrifices to the Madonna was also very dear to Don Bosco. His memoirs are full of references to sacrifices.

“In May in the chapel of the Oratory every day some practice of piety was done in his honour, and especially on Saturdays with a reading of his glories, or a sermon. But as of this year (1852) that the habit of offering her, in the month of the physical flowers, spiritual sacrifices began regularly every night in the dormitories. Every evening Don Bosco announced the sacrifice and the short prayer for the following day.”(from Bibliographic Memories IV, p.405)

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John Bosco and D. Savio resin statue 12 inches

Statue of Saint John Bosco and Saint Dominic Savio in painted resin.

The Flower to the Madonna is a sacrifice to be offered, this is what the good Saint asked of his boys. And it is interesting to see how sometimes the Sacrifices he requested were special prayers, or listening to the Mass with particular devotion, or even praying for the souls of Purgatory, other times things were much more related to everyday life. Here is an example:

“For everyone, this is the sacrifice; to always speak Italian and to warn us to do so if someone does not remember.”

Children’s sacrifice

But how do we explain Sacrifices to children? Often, especially because of Christmas or Easter, even the little ones are asked to make a sacrifice to Our Lady, for the good of their mother, father and the whole family. Understanding what it is all about is essential. Explain to them that making a Sacrifice is like giving away a flower is perhaps the simplest way, and also the truest way.

If you give Mom a flower, Mom’s happy because she knows you love her. Likewise, if you offer a sacrifice to Our Lady or Jesus, they will also know that you love them and care so much for them. But the sacrifices that are given in Heaven are not like those that bloom in the meadows. They have no petals, no leaves, but they are made of good deeds.

So if you help set up and clear the table, you’re giving Our Lady a sacrifice.

If you don’t fancy watching television, give Jesus a sacrifice. When you tidy up your room or help do something at home, new flowers grow in the Garden of Paradise, and you make them bloom.

It is also important to associate these good deeds and small renunciations with a prayer because in this way the child will understand that this is the correct way to be heard by Jesus.

Above all, make the Sacrifice a joyful act, which makes happy those who do it before those who receive it. So it should be, and children perhaps, by their very nature, are inclined to understand it better than many adults.

San Francis’ sacrifices

Saint Francis of Assisi was also a great supporter of the practice of sacrifices, although, in his case, the term embraces a much wider range of gestures, words and acts. By the Sacrifices of San Francis, we mean a collection of miracles and devout examples taken from the life of the Saint of Assisi and his disciples. It is probably a translation of the Latin Actus beati Francisci et sociorum eius attributed to Friar Ugolino of Monte Santa Maria.

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Canvas painting of St Anthony of Assisi 40×30 cm

In this traditional Catholic painting, coming from the archives of the Bonella Brothers.

We cannot speak of Sacrifices in the sense we have considered so far, more than anything else the text tells the story of the birth of the Franciscan Order and the life of Francis and his confreres. But the general tone of the work, almost fairy-tale, seems to have been made specially to emphasize what were the virtues of the Saint of Assisi, his modesty, humility, sense of justice and charity, fraternal love for all men, but also animals and all creation. In this sense, we can almost read every single gesture, every act of the life of Saint Francis as a Flower, an act of pure, sincere and disinterested love addressed to God.

God’s action on this Earth leaves a strong mark that attracts us: here are five pilgrimages of faith to be made at least once in a lifetime.

In the period of the pandemic, we rediscovered the importance of places. Both of the places we are in and of those we would like to reach. In this article, we propose five pilgrimage destinations to visit at least once in a lifetime.

Pilgrimages of Faith

The role of pilgrimage in the Faith has always been of great importance. The pilgrimage of Faith is not a simple pleasure holiday but a way to give shape and concreteness to the spiritual journey of each one. Faith is nourished – also – by extraordinary events, and the places marked by God’s action bear the memory of those events. The pilgrimage is also a symbol of our life, of our passage on this Earth: “man cannot think of his life except as a pilgrimage. Homo viator. Pilgrim of the Absolute” (John Paul II).

Here are the five pilgrimages to make at least once in a lifetime:

Pilgrimage to Medjugorje

Who would have thought that this town in Bosnia and Herzegovina would become one of the best-known pilgrimage destinations? Since Mary’s first apparition in 1981, Medjugorje has become a place of pilgrimage for many faithful and non-believers, in search of answers. Although the Church has never definitively pronounced itself on the apparitions of Our Lady to the six visionaries of Medjugorje, there are many faithful who have experienced a real conversion in the Bosnian city. The apparitions of the virgin continue even today for the visionaries, with different frequencies. A very active community has developed around this pilgrimage site, where many volunteers look after pilgrims and people in difficulty. The stones of the mountain on which the Madonna first appeared and for several years, the Podbrdo, are often kept as a sign, sometimes in the form of a rosary.

Medjugorje is one of the most popular pilgrimage destinations for Italian pilgrims, also due to its geographical proximity. However, due to the pandemic, it is difficult to reach even close destinations. Even if you cannot be physically there, you can receive a little piece of Medjugorje in your home or your parish! Here is a selection of products made right in Medjugorje by local artisans. These are statues of Our Lady of Medjugorje in marble powder, available in different sizes. From 30 cm upwards they are treated with a patination for the outside, to preserve the colours. And don’t worry about the size: even the largest ones are easily handled because they are hollow and therefore lighter than full marble statues.

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STATUES OUR LADY OF MEDJUGORJE

You can choose the statues according to the material you prefer.

Pilgrimage to Lourdes

Lourdes is one of the best-known places for the power of the miracles that took place there. Here, in February 1858, the Madonna appeared to the young Bernadette Soubirous for the first time. In the following months, the apparitions continued, sometimes accompanied by miracles. It is estimated that around six million pilgrims visit Lourdes every year. Among these there are numerous sick people, who ask for the grace of healing: many are granted thanks to the mysterious action of divine grace and the intercession of Mary. The Madonna of Lourdes is one of the most recognisable depictions of Mary, characterised by a white dress and veil, blue belt and a yellow rose at the feet. In 1862 the Church officially recognized the reality of the apparitions of Lourdes and Bernadette Soubirous was proclaimed a saint in 1933 by Pope Pius XI.

Pilgrimage to Fatima

Speaking of pilgrimages of faith, how can we not think about the story of the three little shepherds of Fatima? The apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima are among the most remembered in Europe and throughout the world. The place of the apparitions, which took place every 13th of the month from May to October 1917, is the Cova da Iria locality, where Lúcia Dos Santo, Jacinta and Francisco Marto, at the time of the first apparition, were looking after the pasture. One of the events that made this place so well known in the memory of the faithful is the ” miracle of the sun”, a supernatural event that took place during the last apparition. The crowd gathered was very large – from 30,000 to 100,000 people – and during the apparition, it was bathed in heavy rain. At noon, the sun shone again and inexplicably the light changed, the sun appeared to move in the sky and some testimonies say that the clothes of those present, wet from the rain, were miraculously dried during the event. In Fatima, the presence of Mary left a strong mark. The three little shepherds, now saints, are found buried in the Sanctuary of Fatima.

Macerata – Loreto pilgrimage

The Sanctuary of the Holy House of Loreto is famous all over the world. The Holy House preserved in Loreto would be part of the house where the Holy Family lived in Nazareth. In the sanctuary, there is the statue of the Madonna of Loreto. Tradition has it that the angels miraculously transported the House, in one night, from the Holy Land to Italy. Another possible explanation is that a Byzantine family named Angeli took care of the transport of some materials of the House to save them from Muslim devastation. The faithful are attracted to this place, linked to the most human and hidden part of the life of Mary, Joseph and Jesus. The idea of a pilgrimage from Macerata to Loreto came to Don Giancarlo Vecerrica in 1978. Since that day the pilgrimage from Macerata to Loreto has involved a huge number of people from near and far places. Along the way of about 28 kilometres the mysteries of the rosary are recited, in joyful, painful, glorious order and finally the Angelus.

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Lady of Loreto statue

Lady of Loreto statue, 30 cm hand painted plaster Barsanti.

The pilgrimage to the Holy Land

The last pilgrimage – but perhaps the first in importance – is the one to the places of the public life of Jesus: the Holy Land. The pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and Jerusalem in particular, has always been a journey dear to Christians. From the earliest times, the faithful felt the need to see and touch the reality of what is told in the Gospel. The Holy Land has a great significance for Christianity and has also been the background for the development of the three great monotheistic religions. Today in the Holy Land we can retrace the whole life of Christ: from Bethlehem to Cana, from Capernaum to Bethany, from the Sea of Galilee to the Jordan, from Gethsemane to Tabor. The pilgrimage to the Holy Land makes it possible to give the geographical indications of the Gospel a reference, in reality, to be kept in memory and the heart. After the places of the life of Jesus, we enter those even more charged with the meaning of his passion, death and resurrection: in Jerusalem, along the Via Dolorosa and in the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher. Each of these places bears the sign of events: these are not always striking and majestic physical signs but of immense spiritual value.

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WAY OF THE CROSS

here you can find the Stations of the Cross in various materials and designs.

Easter is getting closer, carrying its solemn suggestions and symbols full of spirituality. The Easter Cross, candles, lamb. Not just simple traditions, but objects of devotion and spiritual renovation. Let’s check them out.

If we should explain what we celebrate for Easter to a child, and what all of the elements that are part of this renowned holiday mean, that would be an easy task.
First, we should explain them that at Easter we celebrate Christ resurrection, and that many of the symbols tied to this holiday, such as the olive, the dove, the egg, the lamb, the bells, the rabbits, the light, all recall such miraculous event that is so important to all faithful.

Therefore, at Easter, we give chocolate eggs, but also chicken eggs, because the egg is a universal symbol that describes the birth of a new life and the rebirth. Easter for Christians is just that, the feast of the rebirth.

Even the Easter rabbits recall the symbolism of the hare, which was associated to Jesus during the first times of Christianism. In fact, just as the hare changes the color of its fur according to the season, Jesus dies and resuscitates, from man into God. Therefore, we can consider rabbits as a symbol of the Resurrection as well.

The light coming from Easter candles is another important symbol of Resurrection. Just as they dispel darkness, Jesus is the light that enlightens the world and defeats the gloom inside men’s hearts through His death and Resurrection.

The Dove is a symbol of peace among men and between man and God. A dove was sent after the Flood to check for signs of life, and thanks to that, God let Noah know that he was not angry with men anymore. The dove is also a symbol of Jesus: by sacrificing himself on the Cross, he set the foundations for a new world made of peace and love.

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Dove facing up

Dove in reconstituted white Carrara marble, 5,91 in.

The olive that welcomed Jesus in Jerusalem is another symbol of peace and feast, just like the bells that sound joyous on Easter Sunday to announce the Resurrection.

About the Easter Lamb, we would like to linger on the traditions it is tied to and on its symbolism, and we’ll try to understand together where the habit of eating lamb for Easter comes from.

The lamb at Easter: symbol and tradition

To that child, we could say that the lamb is a symbol that is always associated to Jesus. In fact, He is always compared to a gentle and kind lamb, who sacrificed himself for all men.
The symbolism of the lamb is obviously more complex than that, and was already present in the Bible before Jesus arrival. The lamb has always represented the purest and more beautiful sacrificial victim, destined to be offered as a sacrifice to God.
In the New Testament, the image of Jesus merges with the image of the lamb. Just like the sacrificial lamb, Christ sacrifices himself for the salvation of Humankind, and like the lamb, he is innocent and pure.

Innocence and absence of guilt are the base of the symbolism of the lamb in Christian religion. In fact, this animal represents also apostles and in general, all martyrs.

Christ resurrects then, and with it, He acknowledges His triumph. The medieval iconography of the Triumphant Lamb comes from that; its head is reclined back, looking at his flock with love and attention, while its right hoof is placed on the emblem of the cross, as if it wanted to summon those who were willing to follow it in its path of Faith and Salvation.

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Lamb and cross Pyx

It has a ring in order to allow wearing it round the neck.

It is not by chance that the Church chose the lamb as a symbol for Jesus: under this image, the weak and the humble are destined to be elevated above the powerful and the strong.

The Lamb is also a symbol of spiritual light. And it is exactly such light that guides the flock of faithful through the darkness of the night.

Why do we eat lamb at Easter?

For many faithful, eating lamb at Easter is actually not a Christian tradition. In fact, there is no mention of sacrifice rituals in the Gospels that can justify the killing of this animal. The only one who sacrificed himself and made himself the sacrificial lamb for the salvation of all men is Jesus.

The tradition of eating lamb at Easter comes from Judaism. For the Jews, Easter was a feast to celebrate the freedom from slavery. The Jewish tradition of eating lamb recalled the lamb blood used to mark the doorjambs of Jewish families that were prisoners in Egypt, and which protected the firstborns from the coming of the ‘exterminator lamb’. During the Jewish Easter, lamb had a sacrificial value, but with a completely different meaning compared to what we find in the New Testament. The Jewish used to sacrifice bucks at the Temple. The Jewish sacrifice of a lamb at Easter was the symbol of their freedom from Egypt. It is very likely that the habit of killing and eating lamb at Easter became part of the Jewish culture later. The Jewish Easter established the offer of a lamb on the 14th day of the Jewish month of Nisan. The flesh of the animal had to be eaten that same night for the sacrifice of Pesach (Pasqua, Easter). ‘They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. Do not eat any of the meat raw or cooked in boiling water, but only roasted over the fire—its head and legs and inner parts’ (Exodus 12,8)

It is however undeniable that the lamb was a symbol of pureness and fragility of life in many cultures, including the Jewish one. Through that, the true believer offered something beautiful, pure and precious to God.

On the contrary, Christianism identified Jesus with the Easter lamb. The evangelists themselves presented him so. ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’ (John 1,29). That is how John Baptist recognizes Jesus when he meets him, already predicting his fate and sacrificial role. Christians celebrate Christ’s death and resurrection by sacrificing a lamb and eating its meat. In such acceptation, the lamb is considered Christ’s Body. Therefore, eating lamb at Easter is a way for Christians to welcome Christ and His sacrifice within them.

As a conclusion, there is a connection between the Jewish Easter lamb and the one we find in the New Testament, which coincides with the figure of Jesus. It is not by chance that Jesus’ death happens on the day before the Jewish Easter, when, according to the Jewish tradition, the lamb was sacrificed.

Lent, a time of penance and little sacrifices. Today we are talking about the Florets of San Francesco, a collection of episodes from the life of the Poverello of Assisi and a fairy tale reconstruction of his preaching.

We talked about the importance of little sacrifices in the Lenten period, about how they can prove to be a precious tool for preparing for Easter with an attitude of penance, profound interior reflection and dialogue with God. And few saints have been able to express closeness to the Almighty, constant dialogue with him, like St. Francis of Assisi, who made love for God, expressed in love for all Creation, his life mission. In addition to the Canticle of creatures, which is the emblem and manifesto of the love and faith of St. Francis, the Florets of St. Francis constitute an emblematic text, in their being imbued with a pure and vibrant religious inspiration, an expression of all those that of the Franciscan teaching were the cornerstones: poverty, love, perfect joy.

In the name of these ideals, Saint Francis, who together with Saint Catherine of Siena, is the patron saint of Italy, renounced everything that belonged to him, everything that was, to embrace a life of absolute poverty, of closeness to the least, in an exasperated and moving Imitatio Christi, in its totality and simplicity.

This choice of life emerges in all its aspects in the foils of St. Francis, referring to us a figure of the saint and his companions who, although undoubtedly idealized in the hagiographic desire to provide an exemplary character, nevertheless still manages to give us a measure of what he is, was the greatness of this saint so far away and yet so close to each of us. Given Holy Easter, perhaps these events narrated with an almost fairytale style could be an inspiration for our Lenten florets.

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Saint Catherine of Siena

St Catherine is depicted with a bouquet of flowers and a book.

What are the Foils of St. Francis

What are the Foils of San Francesco? The origins of the fourteenth-century original are shrouded in mystery. For a long time it was believed to be the translation from Latin of a previous text entitled “Floretum”, a story of Francis and his first companions, attributed to Friar Ugolino da Montegiorgio, author of the medieval Latin work “Actus Sancti Francisci et sociorum eius “, of which the foils may have been the introduction. Another tradition attributes the authorship of the text to Giovanni de ‘Marignolli, a Franciscan friar minor who was bishop and missionary in China.

Although the author remains uncertain, the meaning of the work does not change, that is a collection of stories and legends about the life of St. Francis of Assisi and his disciples, where his preaching and example of life and faith emerge.

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St Francis statue

St Francis wooden statue made in Val Gardena Italy.

Composed in the 1300s, they have come down to us through a series of manuscript codices, up to the first printing in 1476. The work has fifty-three chapters and can ideally be divided into two parts: the first dedicated to St. Francis, his life, his preaching and the birth of the Franciscan order; the second which tells the adventures of the first Franciscan friars of the Marches, who lived in the monasteries of Mogliano, Massa Fermana, Loro, Soffiano and Forano. Friar Ugolino da Montegiorgio himself, presumed author of the work, at the beginning of 1300 stayed in the Convent of Santa Colomba di Mogliano, and perhaps it was precisely at that time that he wrote the Fioretti, then translated into the vernacular.

The thing that is interesting for us is that through the Fioretti di San Francesco we can know all the historical and above all spiritual evolution of the Franciscan order in its first century of existence and diffusion. The 1st chapter already reveals the content of the entire work:

In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ crucified and of his Mother Virgin Mary. This book contains certain little florets, miracles and devout examples of the glorious poor man of Christ Messer Saint Francis and many of his holy companions. To the praise of Jesus Christ. Amen.

In the same chapter the twelve companions of Francis are mentioned, some of whom we will meet in the text. The reference to the twelve Apostles is immediately clear: “And just as those holy Apostles were marvellous to the whole world in holiness and humility, and filled with the Holy Spirit; so those holy companions of Saint Francis were men of such holiness, that from the time of the Apostles in here the world did not have so wonderful and holy men.”

Therefore the Fioretti also tell us with extraordinary vivacity and vividness the events of the companions of Francis, such as Friar Bernardo di Quintavalle, who was the first follower of Francis; Brother Leo, who was close to Francis especially in recent years and to whom the Saint dedicated a personal blessing (Benedictio fratris Leonis) and praise to God (Laudes Dei altissimi), very precious documents that have come down to us; Friar Masseo, one of Francesco’s closest friends, handsome and endowed with a proverbial common sense, which emerges in the little sacrifices dedicated to him together with humility, obedience and love for God; St. Clare, sister of Francis in poverty, bound to him by a very sweet, holy and pure love.

A choral book, therefore, where there is not a single protagonist, as it is right to expect from a humble figure deeply inserted in one’s community of friends and brothers like St. Francis of Assisi.

Carnival is about to end. After Shrove Tuesday there is Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent. But where does this particular festival originate?

What is Ash Wednesday? Where does its strange name come from?
We all know Carnival, that period of celebration in which everything is allowed (or almost), in which we dress up, laugh and feast on typical sweets and tasty foods. We also know that, after Carnival, we enter Lent, the period of penance and fasting that Christians live in preparation for Easter, which lasts for forty days and begins precisely on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Thursday.

Ash Wednesday is a sort of watershed, an important and symbolic passage that decrees the end of the excesses and wildness of Carnival, to enter an atmosphere of austerity, order and rigour. And the faithful immediately begin to immerse themselves in this new way of being. If Shrove Tuesday represents the last chance to celebrate and eat all the rich and fatty foods left at home, Ash Wednesday begins with fasting and abstinence from meat. Moreover, the very name of the carnival contains the meaning of this festival: it derives in fact from the Latin carnem levare, “to remove meat”.

Not all cities or professions of faith make the beginning of Lent coincide with Ash Wednesday. This is the case for Roman-rite Catholic churches and many Protestant churches, but in Milan, for example, the Ambrosian rite is still in force, according to which Lent is postponed by four days, i.e. it begins on the Sunday following Shrove Tuesday, so much so that it is also celebrated on Shrove Saturday in this city. The ashes that characterise this holiday are imposed on Sunday or Monday, while fasting and abstinence are postponed to the following Friday.

What is celebrated on this day?

The Meaning of Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday is a celebration of public penance. Or, to be more precise, it represents the beginning of a process of renunciation and sacrifice aimed at obtaining purification on the morning of Holy Thursday.

The name of this particular event derives from its associated uses of the blessed ash, obtained from the blessed olive branches distributed on Palm Sunday of the previous year, then burned and preserved for this very purpose. This ash is used by the priest to draw a cross on the head or forehead of the faithful during the Ash Wednesday liturgy.

Why is ash used?

Ash has always been a symbol of penance and the transience of earthly life, which makes it essential to convert to obtain the only true immortality. This symbolism linked to human frailty often recurs in the Bible. Let us think of Abraham who addresses God with these words: “See how I dare to speak to my Lord, I who am dust and ashes …” (Genesis 18:27), or Job who says: “He threw me into the mud: I became dust and ashes” (Job 30:19), just to quote two passages.

Likewise, there are many passages in the Holy Scriptures where ash is used as a symbol of penance. After all, the ash was used in the context of manifestations of pain and contrition even by pre-Christian civilizations. In ancient Greece, for example, people sprinkled their heads with ashes to mourn the death of a loved one. In the Middle East, in ancient times, to show condolence or repentance, ash was poured on one’s head or sat or rolled in ashes.

The saying “sprinkle one’s head with ashes” comes from this tradition, and means to feel regret or repentance for something.

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In the Bible we think of Mordecai mourning the fate of all Jews condemned by the cruel King Aman: “He tore his clothes, covered himself with a sack, sprinkled himself with ashes, and went out into the city, sending high and bitter cries” (Esther 4.1). But also to the inhabitants of Nineveh who, converted by Jonah, dress in sacks, while their king sits in the ashes (John 3:5-9), or Judith who invites the people to do penance to invoke God’s help against the invaders: “Every Israelite man or woman and the children who lived in Jerusalem bowed down before the temple and sprinkled their heads with ashes and, dressed in sackcloth, raised their hands before the Lord” (Judith 4:11). Even Jesus himself invokes ashes as a sign of repentance and contrition: “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida; for if the mighty works done among you had been done in Tire and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, taking up the sackcloth and sitting in the ashes” (Luke 10:13).

As early as the 10th century, the custom of blessing the ashes was widespread. The blessing of the ashes is a sacramental, one of the acts of worship instituted by the Apostolic See to obtain spiritual benefits. Those who receive them do so by invoking the spirit of true penance.

In the past, during the Ash Wednesday liturgy, the priest imposed ashes on the foreheads of the faithful by reciting this formula: “Memento, homo, quia pulvis es, et in pulverem reverteris”, Remember that you are dust and to dust, you will return (Genesis 3.19)

With the Second Vatican Council, it was decided to change this formula, which however is still used in the extraordinary form of the Roman rite. The new formula that accompanies the imposition of the ashes is: “Pænitemini, et credite Evangelio”, Get converted and believe in the Gospel (Mark 1, 1-15). This formula is taken from the Gospel of Mark. Here is the passage in full: “After John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the Gospel of God. He said: “The time has come and the kingdom of God has come: get converted and believe in the Gospel”.

The two formulas are actually in some way consequential because whoever is aware of the transience of his human condition, of his inevitable destiny to become dust, can find eternal salvation only in the Gospel and in its promise.The Ash Wednesday liturgy provides for the purple colour for the sacred vestments. The celebrating priest will wear a purple stole and chasuble, while the deacon will wear a purple diaconal and dalmatic stole.

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The liturgical celebration provides for the imposition of ashes to replace the penitential act. The priest blesses the ashes after the homily.

Ash Wednesday fasting

Fasting has always existed in all religions. Even today, Muslims celebrate Ramadan, Jews Kippur and Christians Lent.

Christians practise fasting and abstinence from the flesh as penance on certain days of the year, regulated by the apostolic constitution Paenitemini of 17 February 1966 written by Pope Paul VI and detailed in the Code of Canon Law.

In particular, the faithful, from the age of eighteen to sixty, must respect ecclesiastical fasting and abstinence from meat twice a year, on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. On Holy Saturday, the two obligations are recommended.

Fasting doesn’t mean you can’t eat anything. Only one meal is allowed during the day, you can drink water and there are exceptions accepted for the sick and those with various problems.

The custom of observing fasting on Ash Wednesday dates back to San Gregorio Magno, 7th century. Then the Wednesday preceding the 1st Sunday of Lent was called caput ieiunii, “beginning of fasting”, or also caput Quadragesimae, “beginning of Lent”.

Abstinence from meat is also regulated by the Apostolic Constitution Paenitemini. The Catholic Church requires not to eat meat on “lean days”. Friday is considered a lean day, where you can eat fish. This rule applies to all Fridays except those on which a feast of obligation falls or one of the solemnities listed in the liturgical calendar.

Today, we can also consider other forms of abstinence and penance to be practised during Lent, in addition to fasting. Smoking, television, alcoholic beverages, but also the use of social networks. In short, everything that involves a sacrifice on our part can become a way to manifest our desire for purification.

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