John of La Verna

After entering the Franciscan Order, John distinguished himself by his humility and his love of absolute poverty, refusing to possess anything other than his habit and a small breviary. In 1292, desiring to find a solitude even more conducive to contemplation, he left the Marches to settle at Mount Alverna (La Verna) in Tuscany, the very place where Saint Francis of Assisi had received the stigmata. He would spend about thirty years there, living in a cell made of branches on Mount Penna, which would earn him his historical nickname of "John of La Verna".

Despite his love for eremitic solitude, John did not neglect the apostolate. During the last years of his life, he traveled through central and northern Italy to preach the Gospel. His sermons, carried by a profound mystical wisdom, deeply touched the crowds, converted many sinners, and brought the wayward back to the Catholic faith. He also maintained close ties with other spiritual figures of his time, notably the famous Franciscan poet Jacopone da Todi, who addressed a spiritual letter in verse to him.

The life of John of La Verna is marked by extraordinary mystical experiences, several accounts of which have been recorded in the Little Flowers of Saint Francis of Assisi (chapters 49 to 53). One of the most famous episodes is his spiritual encounter with Jesus Christ near a beech tree on Mount Penna. While he was going through a period of spiritual dryness and doubt, the Savior appeared to him to console and embrace him. At the location of this tree (which was blown down by the wind at the end of the 16th century) stands today the Chapel of the Beech (Cappella del Faggio).

John also benefited from other celestial visions, notably that of Saint Francis of Assisi showing him his stigmata. He received the gift of prophecy and the ability to read hearts, which allowed him to help penitents confess forgotten sins. Another famous vision occurred during the commemoration of the faithful departed: while he was celebrating Mass and elevating the Host, he saw a multitude of souls rising from Purgatory to Heaven, obtaining through his intercession the deliverance of one of his deceased confreres.

John of La Verna passed away on August 9, 1322, at Mount La Verna. His body was interred in the basilica of the La Verna sanctuary, beneath the altar of the Saint Michael chapel. Popular devotion developed immediately after his death, nourished by the reputation of his holiness and the numerous miracles attributed to his intercession. His immemorial cult was officially approved and confirmed by Pope Leo XIII on June 24, 1880. His liturgical feast is inscribed in the Roman Martyrology on August 9.

The spirituality of John of La Verna is centered on the contemplation of the Passion of Christ and intimate union with God through poverty and penance. Although he did not pursue long theological studies, his mystical union granted him an infused knowledge that allowed him to resolve and explain the most complex theological questions regarding the Trinity and the Scriptures before the cardinals and doctors of his time.

The sanctuary of La Verna still preserves the living memory of this great Franciscan mystic today. Pilgrims can visit his cell, the Chapel of the Beech, and his tomb, witnesses to his life entirely consumed by divine love.