Franciscan Mantras
by  Josef Raischl SFO

During the more than a quarter of a century that we have been bringing pilgrims to Assisi, we have often wondered why literally millions of people travel to this seemingly insignificant city in central Italy. Most people are aware of Saint Francis and some of Saint Clare, and perhaps that their tombs are located within Assisi’s ancient city walls. But more important than just a visit to their burial sanctuaries, we have consistently seen pilgrims become excited when they are exposed to the spirituality of these two saints who had a burning love for God, for Jesus Christ. Their spirituality—what we today call Franciscan spirituality—is predominantly an affective spirituality, a spirituality of the heart, a spirituality that is primarily experiential. And the idea came to us to share some kernels of their affective spirituality from their actual writings, composing mantras in the hope that rhythmic, repetitive singing would enable each one of us to experience the burning love they had for God, for Jesus Christ. For this reason, we have chosen to present several texts in their original languages of composition: Latin, Italian, and Umbrian dialect, the language of Francis and Clare. Both of them have left a significant collection of writings from which this compilation of mantras has emerged. These mantras were composed to celebrate the wisdom of their spirituality.

Josef Raischl SFO & André Cirino OFM