Our Lady of the Angels - Portiuncula Indulgence

Homily for the Feast of Our Lady of the Angels

As I mentioned yesterday, because the chapel here at St. Francis Woods Convent is named for Our Lady of the Angels, today's feast day gets notched up to a solemnity for us and takes the place of the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time.

According a legend, the chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Angels and known as the Portiuncula was built in the fourth century during the reign of Pope Liberius by hermits from the Valley of Josaphat. It passed into the hands of St. Benedict of Nursia in 516 A.D. It was known as Our Lady of the Valley of Josaphat or of the Angels – the latter title referring, according to some, to the assumption of Mary accompanied by angels; a better-founded opinion attributes the name to a legend attesting to the singing of angels which had been frequently heard there.

The chapel became known as the Portiuncula because it was located on a small portion of land ("Portiuncula") belonging to the Order of Saint Benedict of Monte Subasio. Later, the name of the land passed to the little church itself. After almost 1,000 years, it had deteriorated and needed much attention and sat unused for many, many years, lying abandoned in a wood of oak trees.

A vision led St. Francis to literally rebuilding the Church of San Damiano, also located in the Umbrian Valley. Having completed those repairs, Francis next took up the repair of the Chapel of Our Lady of the Angels. He built himself a small hut near the chapel and was soon joined by others. So this little chapel became the foundation of the Franciscan Movement. Around 1211, the small chapel was given to Francis by the abbot of Saint Benedict of Monte Subasio on condition of making it the mother house of his religious family. On Palm Sunday 1211 St Francis received in this church Clare of Assisi and founded the Second Order of the Poor Ladies. Adjoining this humble sanctuary, already dear to Francis, the first Franciscan community was formed by the erection of a few small huts or cells of wattle, straw, and mud, and enclosed by a hedge.

As the number of friars grew, and as the friars dispersed to other locations, the General Chapters or annual meetings of the friars were held in this church usually during Pentecost.

Feeling his end approaching, St Francis asked to be brought back to the Portiuncola in September, 1226. On his death-bed St Francis recommended the chapel to the faithful protection and care of his brethren. He died, in his cell, not fifteen yards from the church, at sunset on Saturday, 3 October 1226.

After the death of Francis, the spiritual value and the charisma of the Porziuncola became even greater. St Francis himself pointed out the Portiuncola as a primary source of inspiration and a model for all his followers. The humble nature of the chapel and the rudimentary construction were to remind the followers of Francis of the humility and the poverty of both Mary and Francis and their own vocation.

The titles that are used to describe Mary are too numerous to mention. There are more than fifty such titles in the Litany of Loretto alone. Two more titles, though not really new, were just added to the litany this year. The title of Queen of the Angels was first ascribed to her because it was thought that the angels assisted her at her assumption into heaven where she was seated next to her son and crowned Queen of Heaven.

In his Salutation of the Blessed Virgin, Francis himself adds several more titles to the already long litany that is used to venerate her, calling her Jesus’ robe, his palace, his servant and his dwelling. She has also been proclaimed Queen of the Franciscan Order. So our Franciscan vocation is intimately tied to our relationship with Mary, the Mother of God. Today we celebrate that relationship and remember that by giving birth to the Son of God, Mary has made it possible for us to be called children of God and heirs to the Kingdom of God. By modeling our life on her “fiat,” we too are called to bring Jesus into the world through our lives of Gospel poverty and humility.

Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator