In 2016, I was blessed with the opportunity to visit Assisi, the hometown of two amazing individuals: Saint Francis and Saint Clare. There is a quiet, sleepy peace that breathes in and through the town. I feel that in churches, but nowhere else have I felt that permeate an entire town.
A 15-minute walk south of the main town area takes you to San Damiano. Tradition holds that this is the church where Jesus on a crucifix spoke to St. Francis. Immediately outside of this church are a couple of beautiful statues of Saint Francis. In one, he looks ablaze, ready to set the world on fire. In the other, it captures the essence of his peaceful, tranquil character.
It was raining when I snapped a photo of the latter. A little mud puddle was forming next to this statue of the saint, possibly where tourists came and sat next to him. It’s as if he’s inviting us to sit on the edge of this hill with him, and not just pray, but become the embodiment of prayer.
For the quote, I actually smashed together two separate quotes the saint is attributed to sharing with us. I applied a filter that adds a sharp contrast to the light and dark. It also really highlighted his iconic haircut (tonsure), looking as if rays are shining out from his enlightened mind.
