Photo from Rome

I mentioned this photo at our last regular meeting. It shows St. Francis "holding up" the Lateran, which is about 400 yards to the west, across a courtyard and street. Here is an explanation I borrowed from BrotherJuniper.WordPress.com:

There is a very well known story, depicted numerous times by famous painters, about how Pope Innocent III approved the Rule of St. Francis. It was after his meeting with him that the Pope saw the great church of St. John Lateran collapsing on itself. Just as it was about to fall, a small man appeared dressed in the clothes of a peasant. He took the weight of the falling church, held it up with his shoulder, and then straightened it back again. It was by this dream that convinced the Pope about St. Francis and the Franciscans.

 What makes it even better is that birds are always keeping the statue of St. Francis company by perching on him!

-Christopher Riggs, minister