Presence

“It is good to be here,” in the quiet, dimly lit chapel, following a well-attended Mass.

A few people light votive candles, then kneel to pray.

A young man, having just gone to Confession, re-enters the chapel to pray his penance.

Two sets of dark wooden pews line the walls, facing one another, offering individual deep thrones for seating. I sit in one of them, feeling insulated and safe and in communion with Christ.

The altar, the only object reflecting light, stands sturdy, with bronze carvings of a tree trunk as its base. A San Damiano crucifix hangs over it, welcoming and protecting all who enter. It is a replica of the one from which Christ spoke to St. Francis, so many years ago in Assisi: “Rebuild my church.”

Now, over 800 years later, here I sit, in a Franciscan friary, one of my favorite places on earth, seeking peace. The quiet space is broken by the voices of a group on a tour of the sacred ground.

Isn’t that like our spiritual lives? We long for silence to connect with Christ, and we get there, even if just for a moment. We continue seeking, and meanwhile we say, “It is good to be here.”