BLESSED ANGELA OF FOLIGNO
ENLIGHTENED BY GRACE
Suddenly, a divine word sounded in my soul: 'My love for you has not been a hoax.' These words struck me a mortal blow. For immediately, the eyes of my soul were opened and I saw that what he had said was true. I saw his acts of love; everything that the Son of God had done, all that he had endured in life and in death, this suffering God-man, because of his inexpressible and visceral love for us (Blessed Angela of Foligno).
Blessed Angela of Foligno
Angela of Foligno (1248-1309) was beatified in 1701 by Pope Clement XI. She was born into a wealthy family, married, raised a family, but admittedly lived an adulterous and unfaithful life for many years. In 1285, Angela experienced a conversion; and in 1288, her family (her mother, her husband, and all of her children) died by unknown circumstances.
Angela's conversion was confirmed by her prayers for the intercession of Saint Francis of Assisi (1182-1226), who died just twenty years before her birth. She wrote: "Enlightened by grace, I was seized with a great fear of being damned and I shed a flood of tears. I went to confession to be relieved of my sins, but through shame I concealed the most grievous ones, but still I went to Communion. Now my conscience tortured me day and night. I called upon Saint Francis for help, and moved by an inner impulse, I went into a church where a Franciscan priest was preaching. I gathered courage to confess all my sins to him...With zeal and perseverance, I performed the penance he imposed, but my heart continued to be full of bitterness and shame. I recognized that the divine mercy has saved me from hell, hence I resolved to do rigorous penance; nothing seemed to difficult for me, because I felt I belonged in hell. I called upon the saints, and especially upon the Blessed Virigin, to intercede with God for me."
It may seem that Angela's conscience was relieved by neither answered prayers nor sacraments. But ultimately, Angela's soul was suddenly soothed by her renewed prayers for the intercession of the Blessed Mother and Saint Francis. She writes: "It appeared to me now as if they had compassion on me, and I felt the fire of divine love enkindled within me so that I could pray as I never prayed before. I had also received a special grace to contemplate the cross in which Christ had suffered so much for my sins. Sorrow, love, and the desire to sacrifice everything for Him filled my soul."
In the wake of this spiritual awakening, Angela joined the Third Order of Saint Francis and encouraged other women to join her life of penance, prayer, sacrifice, and spiritual poverty. But Blessed Angela is best remembered and revered for her spiritual writing. In recent years, both Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI affirmed her memory as the "Mistress of Theology" for her profound message of conversion, mercy, and prayer. Pope Benedict offered Blessed Angela as a patroness for those seeking to transform their lives from sinfulness to faithfulness. For this reason, Blessed Angela of Foligno is revered as the patroness of widows and of those confronting sexual temptations.
Pilgrims can venerate the relics of Blessed Angela at the Church of Saint Francis of Assisi in Foligno, Italy, which is located approximately twenty miles south of Assisi. Her memorial is commemorated by the Catholic Church on January 4th, but also by the worldwide Franciscan community on January 7th.
As we begin this new year, let us remember the good advice of Blessed Angela of Foligno who was "enlightened by grace" and who transformed her life through faith and prayer: "The more your pray, the more you will be illumined; the more you are illumined, the more profoundly and intensely you will see the Supreme Good, the supremely Good Being; the more profoundly and intensely you see him, the more you will love him; the more you love him, the more he will delight you; and the more he delights you, the more you will understand him and become capable of understanding him. You will arrive successfully to the fullness of light, because you will understand that you cannot understand."
Let us pray for the grace to model our lives on the Gospels, to embrace Christ Jesus through our spiritual poverty, and to contemplate His love for us in all of our thoughts, words, and deeds. Like Blessed Angela of Foligno, let us pray for the grace to become true "Franciscans in spirit."
Blessed Angela of Foligno, pray for us!
Saint Francis of Assisi, pray for us!
Saint Clare of Assisi, pray for us!
Saint Anthony, pray for us!
Holy Men & Women of Assisi, pray for us!
