August 2, Dedication of the Patriarchal Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels, or the Portiuncula.
St. Francis was especially fond of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Angels, where his Order originated. One day, in October 1221, while in his cell he was praying with fervor for the salvation of souls, it was miraculously announced to him that Jesus Christ and His Divine Mother, surrounded by a large multitude of angels, were in the chapel of the Portiuncula. He went there in transports of joy and fell down prostrate to render homage to the Majesty of the Son of God. Our Lord, looking at him with an expression of great love, said to him, “Francis, the zeal that you and your brothers have shown for the salvation of souls is such that you may ask some favor for them, for the glory of My Name, for I have set you up as a pillar to My Church, and for the salvation of nations.” In the midst of these marvels by which he was ravished, the Saint made this prayer, “O Most Holy Father, I implore You, …More