SAINTS FOR ALL SEASONS
JACOPONE OF TODI

By Brother Patrick

More than seven centuries after his death, Jacopone of Todi, who lived from 1230 until 1306, remains a puzzle to both the Franciscan family and the Universal Church. Because Jacopone died on December 25th, he is venerated on Christmas Day by Franciscans all around the world. But he is not a saint. He has never been canonized. Since his death, however, he has been celebrated as Blessed Jacopone in his hometown of Todi in Italy and by all Franciscan orders.

Jacopone was a prominent lawyer who married a young noblewoman. Vanna, his wife, was known for her beauty, deep faith, and generosity of spirit. By contrast, Jacopone was known for his greed, lack of faith, and worldly ways. Shortly after their wedding, Jacopone invited his wife to join him at a local festival. While he transacted business in the town square, she was seated on a stage that suddenly collapsed under the weight of too many spectators. Jacopone found Vanna mortally wounded. He discovered that she wore a hair shirt in atonement for her husband’s sins. After her death, Jacopone suspended his law practice. He gave away his fortune. He dressed as a penitent. And he wandered the countryside in grief and prayer.

During this period of his life, Jacopone of Todi was regarded as a lunatic. He was often called “Crazy Jim.” He was known to act out private spiritual visions in public places. He sometimes appeared naked in the town square, crawling on all fours, wearing the gear of a work horse. He even appeared at his brother’s wedding tarred and feathered from head to toe. Such acts of piety and humility brought him closer to God. But his actions made him an outcast among family, friends, neighbors, and former partners in business and law.

After ten years as a penitent, Jacopone applied for admission to the Order of Friars Minor which was founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Because of his reputation, the friars denied his first request. But in 1278, after he wrote a poem about the sins and temptations of the world, he was accepted and lived as a lay brother.

By this time, divisions had developed among the followers of the Poor Man of Assisi. One faction sought to modify the Rule of Saint Francis so that it might be easier to follow. Another faction, known as the Spirituals, insisted that the Rule should be lived strictly according to its original intent. Jacopone joined the Spirituals. They asked for the pope’s permission to break away and live a more austere life of poverty, chastity, and obedience.

Pope Celestine V was sympathetic to the Spirituals, but resigned the papacy before he could approve their request to create a new order. His successor, Pope Boniface VII, denied the request. In response, Jacopone, who was gaining a reputation as a writer, composed a series of poems that condemned the Church hierarchy for corruption. Boniface VII then excommunicated both Jacopone and the Spirituals. As further punishment, Jacopone was arrested and confined to a papal prison for nearly five years.

When Pope Boniface died, Jacopone was released from prison. His sins were forgiven and his excommunication was overturned. But his health and his spirits were devastated. He retired to a convent near his hometown where he was cared for by the Poor Clares.

Jacopone died just after midnight on Christmas Even in 1306. It is said that as he lay dying, he wept. But in the end, he died with a smile after singing the Gloria and Stabat Mater from the Midnight Mass for Christmas Eve. Indeed, Jacopone is perhaps best remembered for his composition of the Stabat Mater which is so often chanted during Lent at the Stations of the Cross.

Blessed Jacopone of Todi is venerated today both as patron of his hometown and as one of the many patrons of the First Order of Saint Francis. Some also like to think of him as a patron of Church reformers — those among us who pray for a church that truly practices what Jesus preaches: love of god and love of neighbor; forgiveness, mercy, and reconciliation; kindness, tolerance, generosity, and a warm welcome for all people.

This Christmas and beyond, may Jacopone of Todi pray for us as we work to heal God’s family and rebuild our wounded Church. Like Saint Francis, his spiritual father, Jacopone had a deep devotion to the Mother of God. Among his writings is this poetic tribute that is perfect for the Season of Christmas.

A Salutation to the Blessed Virgin
By Jacopone of Todi

Hail, Virgin, Holy Blessed Mary!
You carry God within you, God and man,
and the weight does not crush you.
Miraculous virgin birth:
the child born from a sealed womb!
The infant joyfully leaves the palace through locked gates,
because it would not be fitting
for God to do violence to the womb that shelters him.
O Mary, what did you feel when you first saw him?
Did love nearly consume you?
As you gazed upon him, how could you sustain such love?
When you fed him, how could you bear such joy?
When he called to you,
how could you bear being called the Mother of God?
O Blessed Lady, we are struck mute
when we think of how you looked upon him,
as you held him, and tended to his needs.
What did you feel when you held him close?
The love that bound you makes us weep!
O warm and blessed heart, inflamed by love,
how did such love not consume you?
Fortitude sustained you and steadied your burning heart.
But the humility of the child dwarfed your own humility.
With your acceptance, you ascended into glory.
By contrast, he humbled himself
and descended upon our wretched state.
Compared to his humility in becoming human,
all other humility is nothing but pride!
Come, one and all! Come! Run together!
Come and see Eternal Life in swaddling clothes!
Take him in your arms! He will not run away!
He has come to save us!
He has come to redeem all who have lost hope!

Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Blessed Jacopone of Todi, pray for us! Our Lady of the Angels, pray for us!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brother Patrick Garvey is co-founder and spiritual director of the Assisi Project. He is a graduate of the University of Southern Maine, Saint John Seminary, and the Catholic University of America. He is a writer, spiritual director, retreat leader, and university lecturer. He also serves as an Associate Minister in the Catholic Community of Gloucester & Rockport in Massachusetts. On October 3, 2023, the Feast of the Transitus of Saint Francis of Assisi, Brother Patrick was consecrated as a diocesan hermit by Bishop Mark O’Connell, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Boston. For more information about the Assisi Project and our ministries with adults of all ages and backgrounds, please contact Brother Patrick at brpatrick@assisiproject.com.

Art Credit: Ewel32 – 63926734 – Dreamstime

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ABOUT US

Founded in 2007, the Assisi Project is a Fellowship of Franciscans in Spirit with friends and followers throughout the world. We are dedicated to helping Christian believers of all ages more faithfully live the Gospel of Christ in the spirit of Saint Francis and Saint Clare of Assisi. The Assisi Project is a non-profit, tax exempt charitable organization. Please support our ministry via Pay Pal (see link below) or mail a tax-deductible donation to the Assisi Project, Post Office Box 3158, Gloucester, Massachusetts 01931-3158. The Assisi Project Podcast is produced by the Assisi Project, Inc. Copyright 2024. All rights reserved. May the Lord give you peace!

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