To Assisi

Today we left Rome. We haven’t stayed there too long but it has already become a kind of home, away from home, as far as anyone could be at home in a foreign land. We each went out into our respective buses and began our journey. We passed pleasant pastures and antique towns. These towns were full of squat little colored buildings mixed together in a crowded collage. And there, in the center of it all a dome, or a steeple, or the bell tower of some tall church rising above the clustered shelters and stretching upward towards heaven. It is really quite remarkable how in all or nearly all the towns we passed the church is the highest building, built at the highest point.

I couldn't get a good picture in the car, so here is the view from Assisi. It's close enough.

We continued on some way when I saw something that made me jump and my soul sing one word, “Mountains!”  I live in a place where there are many mountains and going to school in Dallas where I don’t have an opportunity to admire their majesty. Seeing them standing high pointing to the celestial heavens made me feel more at home.  

Halfway through our journey, we came across a foggy forest, dense with leafless trees and grey mist. I cannot help but think that Dante had seen something like this when he wrote in his first canto of a tangled wood. Dante is lost in a wood of error trying desperately to climb the side of a hill. However he is unable to make any progress by his own power. He is so badly off that Virgil is sent to guide him along another path, for he must descend before he can ascend.

 I really wish I had a good picture

It was a most enchanting wood of error. But if it did have any power, then it did not cast the same spell over my companion as it did on me. For when he saw Dante’s wood, he sighed and said “It’s a shame this space isn’t being used for something useful! Chop down the trees, put up buildings, and do something productive on the land.”  At this my roommate Luke remarked he could not even imagine what kind of a world he would live in. At this point the bus entered the mouth of a cave-like tunnel through the mountain. The dim orange tinted likes glowed in the dark concrete cave casting dull half-dead shadows in every direction.

“Never mind,” Luke said. “I can imagine.”

At last we reached our first stop at Subiaco, the monastery where St. Benedict began his ministry. It was built in a high place on the top of a mountain.  St. Benedict was an important figure in the development of monasticism. He is the first person to lay down a set of rules and regulations for monks.

When Christianity was legalized in Rome, and was accepted in every household, it became no longer possible to prove your dedication by a martyr’s death. Hence they sought other ways, for in those days, there were many people who in their pride competed with each other to be considered the most holy.

They outdid each other in fasting and undid each other in praying loudly. Whoever could put out the more outrageous display of self-denial and self-sacrifice could consider themselves the most outstanding in holiness. One person erected a pillar in the city far above the busy street. He lived atop this pillar for many years, removing himself from the world by placing himself above it, and having his friends pass him up food from below. Those who came after him, wishing to be set apart like him, erected larger pillars that they might be closer to heaven and further from the world. St. Benedict helped to correct these abuses and bring order to the chaos.

We began our tour in the Lower church. It was literally built into the mountain, so some of the walls were actually the mountain stones. Every surface was painted; mostly green with scenes from St. Benedict's life depicted all around. Sr. Catherine told us about each episode. Benedict was once a student who left his home in northern Italy and came to study in Rome. When Benedict saw the decadence of Rome and how each person laid up pleasures and treasures and made their home in the world, he disgusted departed from that city to return to his home.

As he traveled through the mountains he met a hermit named Romano who encouraged him to devote himself to God through the religious life. Inspired by the worlds of Romano, Benedict decided to dwell in the top of the mountain and descended into a cave where he prayed all day. He made this small cramped space his abode, and remained there an entire year. No one knew he was there save Romano who carried him food and drink to sustain him during his stay.

The Cave. With satue of Benedict.

We descended down a flight of stairs called the eternal staircase. On the right there was a depiction of triumphant death riding on a horse cutting down all for none escape him. On the left there was a priest speaking to the rich and affluent, those who love material goods and build great homes from themselves on earth, reminding them that they too will one day die like the beggar.

At the bottom of the staircase there was another cave known as the cave of the shepherds.  After St. Benedict had been in his cave for a long time some shepherds discovered him. They spoke with him and he taught them many things. As his original cave was too small for all of them, it became their custom to meet in this larger cave. Here St. Benedict began his ministry by instructing these poor shepherds whose home was the mountainside and whose possessions were small.  The cave of the shepherds contains one of our oldest Christian paintings. This image cast upon the cave of the wall served to turn men’s minds towards the light of heaven above, rather than on things below.

 The Shepherd's cave.

Painting in the Byzantine Style. About 5th centry AD.

We returned up the eternal staircase, for stares run up as well as down, and proceeded into the upper church. As word spread from the shepherds of this holy man, more and more people came by to visit him. At last, a delegation of monks came to request that he become their new Abbot, thinking that to have such a well-reputed man would exalt their monastery above others. Benedict initially declined, warning them that he would be too strict and austere a master for them. But they insisted, and so Benedict became their abbot. Soon the Monks became disgruntled at him, for they were not merely denied their earthly luxuries, but also failed to obtain the public honors as compensation. Thus they conspired to get rid of St. Benedict. And so they offered him a cup of poison. But St. Benedict, knowing what they were doing, blessed the cup, and it split in two. This is one of the many miracles which he performed.

Painting in the Upper Church



St. Benedict would eventually write down his regulations into what became known as the rule of St. Benedict. In this rule he specified that since humans live in their bodies, it was important not to neglect the temple of the Lord through over-fasting and abuse. Thus he required his monks to eat, drink, and sleep a minimum amount of time. By giving a strict rule for each to follow he created an equality of sorts, and reduced the opportunity for monks to compete with each other for holiness.

At last we left the monastery. On the way down the mountain we passed by the ruins of one of Nero’s summer homes. Nero built many mansions which he would stay in for a time before moving on. Nothing remained of this once great house except a pile of broken bricks hardly worth noticing, for when the king who dwells there departs, the exterior slowly becomes nothing.

At last we reached the hotel we would be staying in during our journey.